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The Future of Conventions
The convention of the future is a co-created
hybrid mechanism of live and virtual
engagement, fluidly connecting more
people through more channels over longer
periods of time to leverage the collective
knowledge of the community.
SKIFT REPORT #28
2014
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What is the future of conventions and large events? Who are the most innovative thought leaders today in meeting design? Who is blazing new trails in event technology? How are the world’s most forward-thinking tourism bureaus attracting larger percentages of market share in the international convention arena?
This Skift Trends Report incorporates the greatest scope of inter-views with convention industry leaders brought together in a long time. They present a cohesive look at the future of the convention industry from both a macro destination level and micro meeting design level.
Savvy veterans and a batch of hungry newcomers are leading the way outside of the “big beige box” convention center to a future where events cease to exist in a singular time and place. Advances in event technology and increasing tech adoption rates are driv-ing new levels of brand engagement and participant reach globally, creating new business relationships on a worldwide stage.
Large and small tourism brands are adapting with new strategies to build growing networks of networks, designed to generate higher lev-els of communication among more attendees and more stakeholders.
The quest for knowledge—the currency of the future—is fueling these trends. Convention industry players who can satisfy that demand will have a competitive advantage in the knowledge sharing economy.
Executive summary
Source: William Murphy / Flickr
The Future of Conventions SKIFT REPORT #28 2014
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The future of conventions focuses on fluid connectivity. Think of it like Facebook. Think of a large community where everyone is linked via one branded experience, with the potential to create a network of “friends” and “likes” with any member of that community. Those individual net-works congregate to discuss specific issues and conduct business, creat-ing larger networks of like-minded people engaging when and where they choose.
That is the model of the convention of the future (or conference, trade show or exhibition, used interchangeably in this report). They are curated networks of networks. Tomorrow’s convention is a knowledge sharing hub taking place at a physical space at a specific time, with virtual engagement channels extending like spokes that connect people globally who physically attend the event, and many more who don’t.
Therefore, the next generation of convention organizers are expanding their community engagement and marketing reach through a variety of new digital platforms. To fuel this outreach, they’re placing a new importance on educational content co-creation and communication to keep members interacting with each other and the brand before, during and after the physical convention itself.
On a macro level from the destination side, the most forward-thinking destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are adapting and develop-ing new services to capitalize on this evolution of fluid connectivity. We will see how some DMOs are now positioning themselves as knowledge sharing hubs to convention planners and meeting owners, by bringing together visiting delegates with local thought leaders to differentiate their markets within their competitive sets.
At the same time, the reurbanization of downtown cores is creating a new level of excitement around many convention center campuses, which a decade ago were often considered dead zones after working hours. These re-energized cities are further galvanizing the knowledge sharing spirit among local business, academic and cultural influencers with convention attendees, often in what are being marketed as “Inno-vation Districts.”
Introduction
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On a micro level, within the convention environment itself, event technology delivery systems such as sophisticated event apps and virtual streaming platforms continue to grow in overall usage. These are no longer considered add-on experiences by many planners. Instead, they are being integrated into the overall experience, or rather, they are becoming the experience.
Advances in event tech and growing adoption rates of event apps are rapidly driving the Facebook-ification of conventions. That is causing concern among established travel brands in the hospitality and tourism sectors who fear virtual meetings are encroaching on face-to-face live meetings. Exacerbating that concern, Millennials are considered less en-amored with face-to-face, which new research is showing to be a myth.
That argument between live and virtual programming—that either/or proposition—ignores what’s becoming a clearer vision of the future of conventions. Rather, conventions are evolving into fully integrated, holistic, hybrid live/virtual events with each part of the experience complementing and cross-promoting the other to drive higher levels of engagement, reach and new business development.
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Table of contents
About Skift
Skift is a travel intel-ligence company that offers news, data, and services to professionals in travel and professional travelers, to help them make smart decisions about travel.
Skift is the business of travel.
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 4
Curating conventions: The DMO of the future 7
Co-opetition versus competition 10
The rise of ‘Innovation Districts’ 12
The integrated convention campus 14
Convention center flow and design 17
Redefining face-to-face events 18
Next generation meeting design 20
Content, context and curation 22 CincyUSA’s meetings blog Oracle’s OpenWorld
Event tech and education 26 The future of hybrid A Millennial, Gen X & Boomer speak
Five key strategies for convention and event planners 31
About Skift 32
Endnotes & further reading 33
The Future of Conventions SKIFT REPORT #28 2014
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