Paris, DMAI and Cvent Evolve Their 2016 Strategies — Meetings Innovation Report

The weekly Skift Meetings Innovation Report defines the future of meetings and events by deciphering disruptive strategies that improve knowledge sharing.

The Future of Meetings + Events

At IMEX Frankfurt last speak, I spoke with Don Welsh, the new CEO of Destination Marketing Association International, and Paul Ouimet, the architect of DMAI’s innovative DestinationNEXT research. Read how the organization is focusing more on helping destinations engage conference organizers by providing more access to a city’s knowledge base and sharing economy.

Cvent is going back to being a private company following its $1.65 billion acquisition last week. Look for more international, multilingual platforms coming this summer. Cvent is also developing more back-end synergies integrating event management and brand marketing to engage CMOs more in the event planning process.

Some positive news finally coming from the Paris Convention Bureau. Requests for proposals jumped in March following a very quiet winter, although the number of RFPs was still around 30% below March 2015. Also check out the new meetings video launched by Atout France.

We have a bunch of posts this week relating to the sharing economy’s impact on the meetings and conventions industry — one of the primary themes at IMEX Frankfurt 2016. For the first time, you can really feel the conversation around Airbnb and other sharing companies gaining steam in the meeting professionals community.

— Greg Oates, Senior Editor

Social Quote of the Day

“Every conference we run is like a new software update. @paddycosgrave on Collision:”

— @CollisionHQ on Twitter

Destination Meeting Trends

DMAI Interview: Rethinking Destination Marketing in the Age of Better Data and Airbnb: DMAI’s new CEO says the organization’s signature DestinationNEXT digital tool is a road map for convention bureaus moving into the future. The research includes how cities should engage meeting planners in the digital platform economy. Read more at Skift

Interview: Paris Convention Bureau Responds to Post-Attack Challenges: Conference organizers are now reaching out to the Paris Convention Bureau more than in the past few months, but the numbers for March are still significantly below 2015. Read more at Skift

Raleigh Convention Bureau: $3 Million Lost in LGBT Law Cancellations: While the mounting economic losses in North Carolina’s convention industry are significant, the damage to the state’s overall tourism brand is substantial too. Read more at Skift

A Global View and a Personal Focus at IMEX Frankfurt 2016: Destinations are creating events around their sectors of expertise, and they’re looking at business events as tools to drive investment in those sectors. One IMEX executive said, “This is a massive shift in how the industry is talking about itself.” Read more at MeetingsNet

Next Generation Meetings UX

What’s Next for Cvent Following Its $1.65 Billion Acquisition? The future of Cvent is going to focus more on developing international, multilingual platforms. The company also wants to bring more CMOs into the overall event management space, which will have an interesting impact on event marketing. Read more at Skift

How to Make the Most Out of Your C2 Montreal Experience This Year: The fifth edition of C2 goes down May 24-26, uniting business innovators, entrepreneurial icons, and social game changers at the top of their creative game. The best conference you never heard about. Read more at Montreal Tourism

The New Event App Bible is Out: Julius Solaris unveiled his annual app bible this week, designed for meeting planners with limited app experience and hardcore event tech-heads. The 4th edition highlights 125 new platforms for all aspects of the event user experience. Read more at Event Manager Blog

Airbnb + Meetings

Airbnb and The Sharing Economy are Energizing the Knowledge Economy: Airbnb and other room-sharing companies have the ability to drive increased attendance to conventions, but there seems to be a lack of awareness among many planners about the overall room-sharing user experience and value proposition. Read more at Skift

Airbnb Tests Hotel-Style Packaging and Amenities in Sonoma: This new experiment targets meeting attendees who want more hotel-like amenities and packaged services at an Airbnb listing. Read more at Skift

Will Airbnb’s New Ad Campaign Resonate With Your Attendees? Airbnb’s latest mobile app update is built on the big buzzword of the past few years: personalization. Also, the new Guidebooks feature shows off local insights from Airbnb hosts to help attendees feel less like tourists. Read more at PCMA

Ready to Book a Bunch of Strangers’ Homes for Your Next Dinearound? A broad overview of how the sharing economy is impacting meetings and events, relating to lodging, food and beverage, venue rentals, and co-locating. Read more at MeetingsNet

Sharing Economy + Meetings Industry = Turkeys Voting for Christmas? Meetings industry thought leader Padraic Gilligan writes: “The real disruption caused by the sharing economy is the disintermediation of the supplier community itself.” Read more at Padraicino

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The Skift Meetings Innovation Report is curated by Skift senior editor Greg Oates [[email protected]]. The newsletter is emailed every Wednesday.

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