Inspiration Hub

As a Special Events Coordinator, I take concepts for new event initiatives from my manager, break them down into actionable items, and communicate logistics to all of the pieces of the puzzle that will bring the event to life. I specifically work in the municipal sector of the event planning world, meaning that my end game is to promote, brand, support and unite local businesses, the community, city officials and anything else that makes us unique. Generally, our “special events” are large festivals based around music, arts, holiday traditions or food and are intended to cater to as many people in the community as possible. The latter half of that sentence is what I absolutely love about my job, but it’s also what makes my job challenging.

We need to rethink the idea of making alcohol the focus of team-building events in an effort to make them more inclusive and diverse, says Andrea Boulden.

How do you impress destination-marketing executives with a takeaway that speaks to a destination?

Travel and procurement directors now have unprecedented visibility into meeting and event spend.

Recent innovations in venue sourcing shine a light on a trove of data that was previously in the dark. With new visibility into spend and savings, successful travel professionals are finding it’s easier than ever to mitigate risk and drive significant savings throughout their organizations.

If you’re not livestreaming your events, why not? Recent research by the consultancy firm, Magid, has found that a majority of US internet users (56%) watch livestreamed content at least once a month with almost half (48%) watching weekly. Hot on the heels of video on demand, livestreamed content has now entered the mainstream. 

In our recent brand experience study, one of the interesting findings was that Asia is by far an early adopter of technology for deeper personalization and immersion. When it comes to tapping into sensory interaction as a way to personalize brand experience, 42 percent of Asian marketers use these interactive technologies compared to 28 percent in North America and 13 percent in Western Europe. 

Looking for a Room with a View? Historic Homes Make Memorable Event Venues. America’s Gilded Age estates can host your board meetings, product launches, and parties.

The shopping center industry is the latest disrupted business model that events can learn from. According to a research report from Credit Suisse, 25 percent of today’s malls will close by 2020.

What makes us think 25 percent of our shows won’t exist in their present form in three years?

The fall of the traditional shopping center is pushed along by the demise of brick-and-mortar retailing. The same Credit Suisse report tells us that, by 2030, 35 percent of all apparel in the US will be purchased online, up from 17 percent today.

What makes us think our attendees won’t be finding twice as many of the products and services they need somewhere besides our exhibit halls in 15 years?

Don't host another boring corporate event. To attract attendees and set apart your company's brand, you need a memorable corporate event theme. 

In this new video, we’re talking about speaker management at conferences.

Leverage these seven essential tips to bring in the cash, attract clients with ease and network like a ninja through small business events.

Everything you need to know in the world of mobile event technology. Follow us for valuable resources, big feature releases, and the latest gossip in event tech!

One of the hottest topics in our industry is mass personalization. As consumers, we receive smart recommendations in near real time based on our behaviors, preferences, and past actions. Machine learning, flexible manufacturing systems (small-batch production), and improved interfaces are all evolving to meet the needs of tomorrow’s consumer.

The “You are where you sit” mindset is omnipresent in the business world. Just like in all cases where seating needs to be arranged for the public, the development of a detailed seating plan for your upcoming conference is a crucial part of the planning process. Some of the most frequent issues to tackle when working on seating arrangements, revolve around the event type, the number of potential attendees and of course, the venue.

This trend can no longer be ignored as employees born between 1977 and 1995 now represent the largest demographic in the workforce. It is now essential to adjust both event marketing and programming to address the needs of shifting demographics and for engaging younger participants in your content and events.

Getting a call from a keynote speaker cancelling a session is the nightmare of every event professional. It is even worse when the announcement comes in the middle of the night! This is exactly the situation that the MPI event team behind World Education Congress (WEC) had to face when Magic Johnson backed out of his All Attendee Lunch keynote late in the evening of the second day.

Isn’t it interesting that, while up to half of meeting participants are introverts, most meetings are designed for extroverts? But it doesn’t have to be that way, said Play With a Purpose Chief IdeaSparker Sharon Fisher at a session at the 2017 Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress. With just a few tweaks, you can design an event that both introverts and extroverts will love.

Event tech can make a real difference.Get a better idea on the difference between augmented & virtual reality & when to use them within the events industry

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have been around for a while now. You’ve probably been using them on your Christmas tree for years, and most new automobile headlights are LED. Though they aren’t new, they are still affecting the theatrical lighting world in a big way—but their usefulness doesn’t stop there. If you have a stage to light up, a ballroom desperate for pretty colors on the walls, or you want to have different looks for different parts of your show, LEDs are the answer.

Salesmen often face challenging goals and it takes a lot of effort to keep them motivated. When it comes to presenting the revenue plan for the new year, which is even more ambitious than the previous one, the management always searches for the best ways to communicate new goals.