Do Celeb Speakers Really Improve Events?

Spending big bucks to bring in some celebrity star power for an event has become normal for large-scale events.

It's not always the right decision, though, particularly if the celebrity isn't aligned with an event's goals. It also helps when someone isn't just famous, but also a riveting speaker.

We spoke to some meeting planners for their take on working celebrity speakers into their events and the problems that come along with it.

Check out the story below.

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— Andrew Sheivachman, Senior Enterprise Editor

The Future of Events and Meetings

Are Big-Name Conference Speakers Like Oprah and Bill Clinton Worth the Fees? Booking a high profile guest speaker like Oprah Winfrey or former President Bill Clinton will guarantee buzz and most likely a sold-out conference or corporate event. But will their presence reflect the client’s messaging and the objectives of the overall event?

We Can Put the Quality Into Homesharing, Say Hotel CEOs: It used to be that hotel CEOs outright dismissed homesharing. But now that more hospitality companies are taking the plunge, the hotel brass is making the case for why the hotel giants can do it better.

A New Generation of Luxury in the English Countryside: There are a number of socioeconomic factors driving the investment and interest in refurbished luxury English countryside escapes, but the most basic is a driving desire from all involved to reconnect with sunlight, nature, and conscious meals in a comfortable setting.

Around the Industry

Airbnb Tests Hotel Integration by Adding Some HotelTonight Partners: It will be tremendously complex for Airbnb to transition from an alternative accommodations site into one that also offers lots of hotels. The coming business model changes and technology challenges will get sorted out, but it will be rocky for quite some time.

Club Med Will Expand Into New Market With First South Africa Resort: Club Med has finally committed to long-overdue expansion into sub-Saharan Africa. It’s good news for South Africa’s tourism prospects and introduces the brand to an untapped African market.

MGM Resorts Completes Layoffs in Cost-Cutting Effort: MGM Resorts tried to get ahead of the curve by downsizing before a potential economic downturn hits. The hospitality company can now focus on developing new experiences and products to drive revenue and truly future-proof its business.

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Skift Senior Enterprise Editor Andrew Sheivachman [as@skift.com] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.

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