Moving Toward an Augmented Future

Augmented reality has long been hailed as a game-changer for meetings and events, although compelling examples of this enhanced future have been slow to emerge.

I took a look this week at the ways that technology giants are working to push the nascent space forward, and how events should look at exploring the space.

We’ve also got the latest on how the travel industry at large is slowly lurching toward more eco-friendly behavior and how hospitality is embracing pop-up hotels to market brand experiences. Cast your gaze below for everything you need to know.

If you have any feedback about the newsletter or news tips, feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @sheivach. I wasn’t able to make it to IMEX Frankfurt this week due to an unfortunate conflict; let me know what I missed out on.

— Andrew Sheivachman, Business Travel Editor

The Future of EvenTs and Meetings

Augmented Reality Is Silly Right Now But Won’t Be Forever: For augmented reality to catch on, apps need to use the technology for useful tools instead of gimmicks. We’re starting to see the beginning of this shift and events should pay attention to ways augmented reality can enrich experiences instead of replacing them.

Travel Industry Is Still Searching for Ways to Make Eco-Friendly Habits Stick: It’s not that most travelers don’t want to pitch in and do their part to save the planet. Travelers learn by example and more companies are understanding that it’s not so easy to train employees, who are also consumers, on how to lead the way.

How to Redesign a Board Meeting: Shaking up the traditional board meeting setup can lead to new insights for both leadership and employees.

Microsoft’s Meeting Room of the Future: Automatic transcriptions and a smart 360-degree camera are the highlights of Microsoft’s vision for the next generation of conference rooms.

Around the Industry

Hotels Experiment With Pop-Ups to Attract New Audiences: Given that luxury is all about rarity, it’s no wonder that pop-ups of all sorts are creeping into the high-end arena. In the world of hospitality, basic pop-up accommodations have been springing up at festivals like Coachella for a while. But more elaborate, ephemeral digs are only now starting to pop up in unexpected places around the world.

Using Technology to Enhance Events: An executive at an event technology company weighs in on interactive experiences and the ways that technology can enhance live events.

How Data Can Power Audience Engagement: Foundational work is being done to help marketing leverage data and stay engaged with potential customers and attendees.

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Skift Business Travel Editor Andrew Sheivachman [[email protected]] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.

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