Greg Oates

In an effort to leverage the tech and creative industry advancements in their cities, U.S. mayors are doubling down on innovation districts to transform their cities' reputations and provide a heightened destination experience for conference organizers.

With the federal government deadlocked in intractable partisan debate, mayors across the U.S. are stepping up to drive progress by cultivating their innovation economies. A growing number are developing innovation districts to elevate their cities' brands.

Two of the biggest transformations in the meetings industry today relate to more creative event design and more emphasis on diversity, but we have a long way to go before each enters mainstream adoption. We in the meetings media can do better advancing those themes.

More convention bureaus like Atout France should adopt an influencer campaign strategy to drive a higher level of digital engagement around both industry and non-industry events.

Lots of destinations work with influencers to drive leisure traffic, but France's national tourism board is among the first to contract a meetings and events specialist to engage conference planners. This should inspire other countries and cities to try the same because it positions them as digital innovators to younger audiences.

Conference planners are shifting their criteria for sourcing speakers based on three disruptions: changing attendee expectations, the rise of digital engagement, and a batch of high-profile conferences redefining event design.

Part of C2 Montreal's mandate is to attract outside companies and talent to explore the city's convergence of social, tech, research, cultural, urban, and industrial innovation. The conference's trendy design is just the first step in that process.

While everyone is talking about the industry-leading creative conference design at C2 Montreal, the big story is how the 6-year-old event has evolved as a platform for the region's innovation economy to co-create the future of cities and collaborative urbanism.

Hotel brands are developing more all-encompassing wellness retreats and partnering with trendy health brands in an attempt to deliver transformative travel experiences.

There's a big demand for event tech platforms that help conference attendees co-create their own educational and networking journeys. One company may have finally produced a matchmaking tool that actually delivers on that demand.