Skift Take
With so much weighing on the minds of meeting and event planners today, we wanted to take a closer look at what lies ahead.
From natural disasters to acts of terror, major meetings destinations from Puerto Rico to Las Vegas are grappling not only with dealing with the aftermath of these events, but also trying to ensure that future group business isn’t negatively impacted.
In the months ahead, event organizers will be weighing a lot of these factors as they plan for their future meetings and events. They’ll be looking closely at security, both physical and digital, as well as taking unexpected weather patterns into consideration. It’s a lot to take in, but not something planners are unaccustomed to doing, either.
That’s the key to being a good planner: always thinking ahead and leaving no contingency unexplored. And planning ahead is exactly what the Puerto Rico CVB is doing right now, as Puerto Rico Convention Bureau CEO Milton Segarra told Skift last week at the annual IMEX convention in Las Vegas.
“The worst thing that can happen is we get disconnected from the marketplace because of this recovery period,” Segarra said. “And even though we might not be successful in booking business immediately today or next month, when the time comes, we’re still going to be visible and we’re going to get the business.” Read the rest of the Q&A here.
— Deanna Ting
What’s Weighing on Planners’ Minds
Puerto Rico Convention Bureau CEO Is Focusing on 2018 After Hurricane Maria: The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is actively selling 2018 meetings and conventions despite the fallout from Hurricane Maria, but with the rebuilding efforts, the island should reposition itself more as a hub of industry innovation rather than just a U.S. tropical paradise. Read more at Skift
Report From IMEX America: The Top Things Meeting Planners Care About Now: At the seventh annual IMEX America, discussions revolved around safety, experiential learning, and more. Read more at BizBash
‘This Affects All of Us:’ Tourism Industry Begins Looking to Post-Shooting Economy: MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren and other local and international tourism executives spoke Tuesday about the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, thanking those who responded to the tragedy and also to reassure people that the shooting hasn’t damaged Las Vegas’ image among travel industry professionals. Read more at Las Vegas Sun
Looking at the World Through Anxious Eyes: The world has always been a complicated place, but shifting geopolitical tensions and the echo chamber of social media have contributed to a culture of anxiety affecting travelers around the world. Read more at Skift
Las Vegas Tourism Braces for Changes After Shooting: Las Vegas will impose new security measures after the massacre, and other destinations would be prudent to do likewise until there is a change in the country’s insanely permissive gun laws. Read more at Skift
Travel in an Age of Uncertainty: Skift Global Forum touched on a range of challenges associated with global travel — and by extension business events. Read more at PCMA Convene
The Next Generation Of Meetings & Events
See How Forbes Combined Content, Networking, and Unique Experiences at Its Under 30 Summit: A bar crawl in Fenway Park, an Alfa Romeo test drive opportunity, and basketball tips from a former N.B.A. star were some of the experiences available to attendees. Read more at BizBash
Sciensio Takes Top Prize in #IMEXPitch 2017: This year’s winner wants to make answering your attendees’ questions easier through automation. Read more at MeetingsNet
Head of Philadelphia CVB to Co-Chair Meetings Mean Business Coalition in January: Julie Coker Graham is the first woman to co-chair the Coalition. Read more at Successful Meetings
After Las Vegas, How Austin City Limits Changed the Festival Experience: Amid increased security, music fans came to hear headliners like Jay-Z and interact with brands such as Honda, American Express, and Miller Lite. Read more at BizBash
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The Skift Meetings Innovation Report is curated by Skift Hospitality Editor Deanna Ting [[email protected]] and SkiftX Editor Greg Oates [[email protected]]. The newsletter is emailed every Wednesday.
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Tags: las vegas, meetings, meetingsiq, puerto rico
Photo credit: The shoreline of San Juan, Puerto Rico, seen from a high-rise in 2010. The destination is grappling with the aftermath of two hurricanes, but also planning to welcome more meetings and events in 2018 and beyond. Brennan Linsley / Associated Press