Blogs
May 16, 2018
So recently at Confex, we had a great panel of techxperts, hosted by James Morgan of Event Tech Lab, presenting a quick-fire round of 10 Top Tech Trends in Exhibitions, Awards, Galas and Corporate Events. My focus was on Exhibitions and I had 60 seconds per slide. I’ll try to summarize, in as few words as possible, to share some different perspectives for you to explore.
10. Marketing as a Service
This isn’t listed as number ten in a sliding scale of numero uno being the top trend. “MaaS” is at number ten because it encompasses pretty much everything else I covered. Marketing is changing.… more
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May 08, 2018
Event technology is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of different technologies - think event management platforms, ticketing solutions, digital signage widgets and apps, beacons, virtual and augmented reality apps, AI-powered event chatbots, and more. Technology is literally shaping every aspect of the event experience.
There’s, however, one prevailing problem with new and innovative event technology and that is adoption. In order to reach meaningful adoption levels, event tech needs to satisfy the needs and expectations of both the organizers and participants.
Organizers are… more
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May 02, 2018
The best events transcend engaging the audience – they make the subject matter and entire experience come alive. An increasingly popular method is projection mapping, a technique that upends all our memories of flat-screen home movie projections and creates 3D experiences like those at the Courtyard by Marriott Super Bowl Sleepover in New York City.
From theme parks to Super Bowls to brand activations, event organizers are increasingly incorporating the tech. Also known as spatial augmented reality or video mapping, the technique maps projected images onto nearly any surface, such as a… more
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Apr 27, 2018
The Millennial audience is a subject of interest and wielder of influence for good reason. A Brookings Institution study predicts that Millennials will account for 1 in 3 American adults by 2020 and up to 75 percent of the U.S. workforce by 2025.
That ubiquity carries with it the ability to affect numerous industries, including live events. Our study with Ipsos and Crowd DNA found that in the past year, 89 percent of Millennials attended at least one event, up 7 percentage points from three years prior.
As the current crop of 20-to-36-year-olds extends its purchasing power, event creators… more
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Apr 23, 2018
For many corporate marketing or event departments, getting approval to add employee headcount is close to impossible. You may only have enough work to justify a part-time resource, or your events may be seasonal. Hiring a contract event manager can be a great way to make sure you get what you pay for, without excess overhead.
What — you have some doubts? Let us guess: “But will they do as good of a job?” “How hard will they work, if they’re not officially part of the company?”
Important questions, certainly. Of course you want to hire professionals who believe that “do good work” is a… more
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Apr 17, 2018
This is the final piece in a three-part series recapping a conversation I had with Sue Falcone, Founder and CEO of Remarkable! A Speakers Bureau on how planners can strategically build relationships with speaker’s bureaus. Part one introduces the value of the speakers’ bureau, and part two talks about event speaker trends.
Christy: What do you do about speakers who speak from scripts and are reluctant or unwilling to adapt the message to an audience?
Sue: It’s essential to make sure every client gets a unique and custom experience. Audiences will not accept “canned” presentations, although… more
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Apr 12, 2018
Having just reviewed my numerous hotel and airline accounts, I was reminded of how much I traveled in 2017. Most of my trips were visiting and training clients, helping conduct booth sales or attending industry shows.
Event professionals spend a great deal of time on the road to prepare for and attend their events. Over the years, I have developed a few ways to cope with life on the road. Hope these tips help you in 2018 and beyond!
Staying Organized
Along with all the various travel partner apps (airline, rail, hotel, etc.), the TripIt app is great for keeping all travel confirmations,… more
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Apr 03, 2018
Each year companies spend valuable resources on meetings and events – not because they are a nice add on, but because they are a proven, successful business tool. A well planned, well executed event can invigorate a corporation and dazzle attendees. But just because something didn’t go wrong, it doesn’t mean everything went right. As event planners we need to stop accepting "no catastrophic failures" as a measure of success.
These seven points of focus can help ensure you produce a successful event each and every time.
1. Define Goals and Know Your Audience
Here are just some things to… more
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Mar 29, 2018
Event organizers know that balancing tech trends with the realities of business and budgets is a challenge.
Roll something out too early, or to an audience that doesn’t fit, and it can easily fail. Hold back on new tech and your event can feel dated.
So how do you make sense of “bots” and voice-activated technology like Amazon Alexa? Well, the first place to start is understanding the difference between a new trend and a new technology.
Bots, AI (artificial intelligence) messaging apps and voice-activated search are here to stay. This is not a "trend" – it's a technology. There is a… more
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Mar 22, 2018
Event strategists always start with the end in mind. They know the core principle in strategic planning is that all actions and decisions must support the event goal. When it comes to choosing speakers, it can be easy to get distracted by celebrity status or choose topics that may be personally interesting but not right for your target audience. Engaging the professional skills of a speaker’s bureau allows you to add an expert to your team at no cost to you, saves time and will potentially introduce you to people and topics you may not have otherwise found.
This is the second in a three-part… more
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Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.
Remodeled Guest Rooms
MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more