Inspiration Hub

SITE President Kevin Edmunds gives his perspective on the market’s uniquely strong demand, clients’ changing objectives, the critical role of DMCs, and the preferences of the new generation of program winners.

This year undoubtedly saw a resurgence of the event industry. Many established gatherings found their way back on our annual Top 100 Events list after a yearslong hiatus, proving event producers and organizers are undoubtedly back in action. 

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) is ushering in the next generation of global business event professionals with the selection of 20 people for its annual “20 in Their Twenties” program. The class of 2023 represents business event strategists, suppliers and destinations from the North America and EMEA regions.

There’s no magic cure for burnout. The best way to deal with burnout is to know how to identify it and intervene quickly. These tips can help you help yourself or help others.

In this episode of the Event Tech podcast, Will and Brandt discuss current event industry trends and the future of events.

The Meetings Mean Business Coalition announced “Meetings Matter” as the 2023 theme for Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID). GMID, to be held on March 30, is the international day of advocacy showcasing the value that business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions bring to people, businesses and communities.

Fostering a sense of belonging in event design helps ensure success for all. Google’s Megan Henshall is building a community focused on building a neuro-inclusive future.

While the events industry is bouncing back, the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing challenges event professionals are facing continue to take a toll on their mental health and well-being. To lend a helping hand to those in need, Event Relief 2022, an 11-hour virtual event, will take place on Nov. 29 to raise essential funds for three event industry charities: EventWell, Make It Blue and Meeting Needs.

The 100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry index recognizes exceptional industry figures from around the globe who have left a mark on the industry with their creativity, vision, and capacity for innovation. The list is decided entirely by the public who first get to nominate and then vote on who they believe has influenced the industry the most lately.

Bizzabo, the Event Experience Operating System (OS), unveiled Klik Experiential, featuring SmartBadge™ wearable onsite technology that empowers event professionals to deliver enhanced experiences for attendees and exhibitors while capturing insightful behavioral data.

Gothenburg in Sweden has been named the world’s most sustainable city for the sixth year running according tothe new Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index.

As renowned business futurist & uber-cool keynote speaker Kjell Nordstrom pronounced when I first experienced his cyborg-punk presence, way back in 2002: “your excellent website is no more a determinant of future success and competitive advantage than having functional toilets in your office”. 

20 years on, in the same vein, having a well-designed and adequately-funded digital strategy is going to be as essential as that prototypical website, but just as insufficient, for your association’s future success. 

"Next year should be about growth, not recovery,” notes Kristi White, chief product officer at Knowland, a provider of meetings-market intelligence. She’s referring to 2023 being the year the industry surpasses 2019 meetings volume, but the sentiment could be applied to the outlook across the board: By many measurements, the meetings sector is expected to surpass prepandemic levels and keep growing.

Event tech continues to evolve at warp speed, this time through everything from a custom smartphone map app for events, a new attendee-tracking solution powered by AI, an alliance to combine event pods and interactive touch-screen kiosks, and a rebrand of a multilingual event platform.

Three recent major industry gatherings showcase how Las Vegas perpetuates long-haul return on investment for itself and meetings groups alike — and why partnering with the airport is a must. 

IACC, the global association representing the top 1% of small to midsize conference and meeting venues, has announced details of a strategic partnership with MPI, the largest global meetings and events industry association. The alliance will see the two organisations working to advance the global events community using shared knowledge and connected intelligence.

When it comes to achieving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the global events industry has a lot of work to do, according to the Events Industry Council’s (EIC) 2022 Equity Benchmarking Study. Released on Oct. 11 in partnership with EIC’s global Equity Task Force, created in 2020 to address systemic racism and all forms of discrimination in the business events and hospitality industry, the study signifies the critical first phase of EIC’s Equity Acceleration Plan.

Choosing the year’s most influential meeting professionals is difficult and subjective. For months leading up to this issue each year, the M&C editorial team conducts research and interviews to identify the year’s contenders, and then painstakingly whittles it down to a short list of true standouts. The 17 leaders profiled here are not only focused on their day-to-day tasks, they’re looking at the bigger picture: the betterment of the meetings industry and, by extension, humanity. Here are their stories.

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s 2.1 million-square-foot convention center is getting a fresh new look via a $100 million remodel project. Reflecting the evolving needs and preferences of contemporary meetings and trade shows, the remodel features significant technology upgrades, dynamic digital signage and fresh, new design elements complementing the Las Vegas Strip resort’s signature tropical ambiance.

The Events Industry Council continues to collect data for its Economic Significance Study, which it is conducting in partnership with Oxford Economics. The goal of the survey is to calculate the contribution that the business events industry makes to the global economy. For the first time, the study will also measure the cumulative losses experienced due to the pandemic.

Disruption and uncertainty in the business world brings new challenges for planners. Designing meetings that connect and transform people requires clear thinking and an unwavering focus on human needs.

Destinations International, the world’s largest association for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus, unveiled a groundbreaking tool to measure equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives and discover ways to improve upon the results.

After a long, gradual move back to in-person events that started with a multi-site hybrid event one year ago, the American Society of Association Executives saw a healthy rebound in attendance for its 2022 annual meeting, held in Nashville from August 20 to 23.

Staffing shortages continue to hurt the event industry, and employers across the globe are scrambling to fill jobs. In the U.S. alone, there are around 10.7 million vacancies. Can apprenticeships help the event industry find the staff it needs?