Skift Global Forum Preview: How Bonnaroo and SXSW Have Reinvented Live Events
Skift Take
The future of conferences and live events places a priority on bringing together thought leaders and influencers from more diverse segments, because creative audiences today want a mashup of tech, arts, and educational experiences.
On September 27 to 28, nearly 1,000 of the travel industry's brightest and best will gather in New York City for the third annual Skift Global Forum, the largest creative business gathering in the global travel industry. In only two short years it has become what media, speakers, and attendees have called the “TED Talks of travel.”
This year's event at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center will feature speakers including the CEOs of Marriott International, Carnival Corp., Expedia, TripAdvisor, Etihad Aviation Group, Club Med, and many more.
The following is part of a series of posts highlighting some of the speakers touching on big-picture issues that may begin in travel, but also impact businesses and industries beyond the sector.
Why do conferences such as South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, or festivals like Bonnaroo in rural Tennessee, reach almost cult-like status while similar live events struggle to grow?
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As more brands look to live events for experiential marketing platforms to complete their overall marketing strategy, that question is taking on renewed importance.
Mike Shea, executive director of SXSW, and Richard Goodstone, co-founder of Superfly, which produces Bonnaroo, suggest that their events' success is based on understanding what motivates and excites the creative mind today.
They both told Skift that their "secret sauce" revolves around creating interdisciplinary, interactive experiences that bring together amb
