SkiftX - Skift

Expanding the Economic and Social Impacts of Conventions

Greg Oates, SkiftX

PCMA CEO Sherrif Karamat is guiding the meetings and events industry toward a future where conventions are better leveraged as platforms for long-term economic development and inclusive social progress.

3 weeks ago

Skiftx Original

The Digital Strategies Helping Cities Connect with Locals and Visitors

Greg Oates, SkiftX

Municipal city governments have been investing heavily in smart city technologies, but in many different ways. Bloomberg Associates' new research puts forth some best practices to help cities learn how others are using various digital tools to engage locals and visitors effectively.

3 weeks ago

Skiftx Original

Fort Worth Invested Big in SXSW to Show the World It’s Not a Dallas Suburb

Greg Oates, SkiftX

It makes sense that the City of Fort Worth and Visit Fort Worth leveraged SXSW's cool factor and global tech audience to help reposition the destination brand around innovation and creativity. The question now is how to keep that momentum going moving forward.

5 months ago

Skiftx Original

IBM’s New Watson Assistant Helps Hotels Build Smarter Voice and Chat Platforms

Greg Oates, SkiftX

Hotels can now create their own brand-specific digital assistants with IBM's new Watson Assistant because they can white label the artificial intelligence platform. Hotel operators also keep their own data, versus giving it away to a company like Amazon, which IBM says provides a new level of brand intimacy and trust.

5 months ago

Skiftx Original

From Place to Platform: The Rise of Smart Neighborhoods

Greg Oates, SkiftX

The intense focus on smart city design and development today needs to be explored through the lens of neighborhoods to make the theme more approachable for mainstream conversation and community engagement.

5 months ago

Skiftx Original

Why a Glasgow Architecture Conference Focused on Its Legacy Impact

Greg Oates, SkiftX

This conference planner sums it up best: “So many times an organization comes into a city, invades it for a few days, and then leaves. For us, we relied on the universities, pulling their knowledge and access to people, to create what we hope is a long-lasting conversation about the future of cities between us and the people of Glasgow.”

5 months ago

Skiftx Original

Tourism Vancouver’s CEO on Steering The Future of Urban Travel

Greg Oates, SkiftX

Many heavily visited cities have a whole host of issues to collectively address based on the challenges of overtourism and the opportunities provided by new connectivity platforms. Here's a deep-dive masterclass on how Vancouver is tackling the future.

5 months ago

Skiftx Original

Washington, D.C. Doubles Down on its ‘Inclusive Innovation’ Message at SXSW

Greg Oates, SkiftX

The mayor and economic development leaders in Washington, D.C. are using SXSW as a platform to promote how the city supports female and minority entrepreneurs, more so than most U.S. cities.

5 months ago

Skiftx Original

Portland Embraces Its Local Maker Culture to Win Over Meeting Planners

Greg Oates, SkiftX

Travel Portland's convention sales team is promoting the idea that "individuals attract individuals" to show conference planners how the city celebrates a diverse spectrum of local makers with a unique and creative point of view.

6 months ago

Skiftx Original

Nashville’s Convention Business is Booming Thanks to Its Music Industry Branding Strategy

Greg Oates, SkiftX

Nashville's rise as a trendy convention destination illustrates why city branding should focus on the individual stories and spirit of the local community and indie entrepreneurs to help differentiate the urban visitor experience.

6 months ago

Skiftx Original

Holland Wants to Attract More Conventions to Dutch Cities Not Called Amsterdam

Greg Oates, SkiftX

The "HollandCity" vision capitalizes on the close proximity of Holland's largest urban centers, much like New York City's boroughs, to provide conference organizers with a more holistic overview of the country's major industry clusters.

6 months ago

Skiftx Original

How Calgary is Tapping its Advanced Industries to Boost Conference Business

Greg Oates, SkiftX

More midsize cities like Calgary are promoting their local industry expertise to attract conferences in high-priority sectors, supported by the surging growth of advanced industries outside the world's gateway cities.

6 months ago