Skift Take
Smarter, more advanced technology is entering mainstream discussion in 2016, so event planners and everyone else in the meetings industry should embrace that 100% and stop talking gibberish about how "meetings are about people." We know that, but people today use technology.
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The Future of Meetings + Events
There’s a shift taking place in event technology within the meetings industry, and technology in general among the mainstream public for people who don’t consider themselves tech geeks. In 2016, smart technology such as virtual reality, augmented reality, livestreaming drones, empathetic robotics, beacons and wearables, and geo-location services are entering popular consciousness. They’re becoming lifestyle choices for many people because high-tech is no longer a fringe experience, based on today’s better, more intuitive user experience and new consumer products like the Oculus VR headsets shipping early this year.
That really hit home at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this month. For only the second year, the CES C Space was packed with advertising, marketing, and creative content professionals. The show has been around since 1967, but the non-tech media and agency industry involvement at CES is just warming up. In effect, CES is becoming the new SXSW or Cannes for the “technology lifestyle” industry. For example, read this story about the launch of the world’s first “smart bra” at CES.
Social Quote of the Day
“See the latest in intelligent robot machines straight from #CES2016 http://shout.lt/bqdVj” — @CES on Twitter
Events & Event Tech
CES 2016 and the Evolution of Conferences as Global Media Platforms: The evolution from a tech gadget show for super geeks to a global hub of conversation around the future of technology as a business driver and mainstream lifestyle experience is significantly expanding the live show experience in January and the virtual experience during the rest of the year. Read more at Skift
How One Events Company is Teaching Meeting Planners About Brand Experience: FreemanXP is basically advertising its services as an event company by promoting its meeting trends research, and then it’s implementing those trends into its own live event design to showcase those trends in action. Read more at Skift
Web Summit CEO Happy to Trade Dublin Horse Show Venue for Lisbon: Web Summit’s move to Lisbon for 2016 is a huge win for the Portuguese city’s tech economy and economic development agencies, which have prioritized local startup culture in recent years to attract advanced industry foreign investment. Read more at Skift
Aviation Summit in Tehran is First International Conference in Iran Since Sanctions Lifted: It’s going to be a while before any large contingents of Americans start flying into Iran for conferences, but there will be a trickle in coming years. One U.S. delegate attended this month’s CAPA Iran Aviation Summit. Read more at Skift
A Millennial’s Perspective on Innovative Tech and Engaging Brand Experiences: FreemanXP sent one of its Gen Y staff members to CES 2016 in Las Vegas. As a self-described “typical millennial,” Lucas says he’s used to the consistent bombardment of novel content and products, but here’s what turned his head. Read more at FreemanXP
World Economic Forum, Davos
Top Blog Posts of Davos 2016: Some great insight in this content series about the Fourth Industrial Revolution — i.e., “smart, sentient technology.” From Professor Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum: “We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another.” Read more at World Economic Forum
Recap of Davos 2016: Another event wrap up from Switzerland last week. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told participants on the last day of this year’s WEF Annual Meeting: “As a society, we are entering uncharted territory.” Less clear is the impact this revolution will have on entire industries, regions and societies. Will it be a force for good or evil? Will it provide new opportunities for all, or will it exacerbate inequalities? Read more at World Economic Forum
This Was the Post-Snowden Davos: Media leader Jeff Jarvis writes from Davos: “This is further evidence that Edward Snowden is no spy, no traitor, no hacker, no criminal, and more than a whistleblower. Edward Snowden is a policymaker as influential as most anyone invited to the clubhouse of the rich and powerful.” Read more at World Economic Forum
Hotels + Destinations
Destination Marketing Association International Names New CEO: Don Welsh, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, is bringing his hefty political and economic development savvy to DMAI to steer the future of destination marketing policy in those areas. Read more at Successful Meetings
Airbnb to Begin Collecting Hotel Tax in Chicago and Washington, D.C. on February 15: This is great news because the tourism bureaus in two of America’s biggest convention cities can now start promoting Airbnb to meeting planners and attendees seeking alternative and more affordable lodging options. Read more at the Chicago Tribune
Understanding Marriott’s Vision of the Future of Meetings in 2016: This story just keeps on giving. Everyone seems enamored with the new Marriott Meeting Trends video launched at PCMA Convening Leaders in Vancouver earlier this month. Read more at Skift
Comments
Skift MeetingsIQ is curated by Skift senior editor Greg Oates [[email protected]]. The newsletter is emailed every Wednesday.
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Photo credit: The theme of this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland was "The Fourth Industrial Revolution," referring to the rise of smart, sentient technology. World Economic Forum