Greg Oates

There's a new focus on tech for the everyman, and everywoman, rather than just the usual crowd of "tech bros."

Many of today's big travel and tech megatrends — such as co-working spaces, virtual reality, and sharing accommodations — are disrupting the meetings and events industry in 2017.

Virtual reality is finally going mainstream in 2017. Travel brands and event planners are leveraging that demand to engage their audiences in more impactful ways, which is proving to drive higher conversion rates.

It's been a big couple of weeks for the meetings and events industry since the Presidential Inauguration. Record levels of live streaming and data-driven community engagement rallied people to come together around common causes, which the meetings industry can learn from.

After years of hype, hospitality and travel companies are now delivering real added value for consumers by integrating artificial intelligence into online search and booking platforms.

The upscale meetings, events, and incentive travel market is seeing a spike in demand for more immersive and experiential connectivity to improve networking and learning environments.

Mass personalization, artificial intelligence, and ubiquitous connectivity were three of the big megatrends at CES 2017 this month, which offer significant strategies for new innovation in the meetings and events industry.

For the "Two Bellmen Three" film set in Seoul, Marriott's Content Studio developed a storyline around a young Korean wedding couple, no-nonsense parents, parkour, and K-pop to engage the Asian romance travel market.

Conference organizers are developing more multidisciplinary programming that pulls from both the business and creative industries, creating a new convergence of experiences that help brands plug into business events in more ways.

CES 2017 this month in Las Vegas marked the emergence of Artificial Intelligence-integrated connectivity and voice responsiveness into the mainstream, especially in terms of smart cars and smart homes. We will soon all be basically living and driving inside our mobile phones.