February 2019
A recent PCMA Foundation/Marriott study finds that most travelers want to explore a destination like the locals do. “Convene” looks at how that desire for an authentic experience should shape meeting design.
Cover illustration by JooHee Yoon
view digital edition subscribeHow Personal Well-Being Leads to Event Success
A sense of well-being, says author and business consultant Andrew Sykes, is rarely top of mind in the workplace. Here’s why we need to pay attention to it in our office — and events — environments.
Geena Davis Has a Fix for Gender Imbalance
It starts with how — and how often — females are portrayed on screen, the actor and advocate says. Here’s her take on how to change the future.
5 Trends That Are Changing Meeting Design
When Marriott and the PCMA Foundation joined together to update research on the trends that can be expected to transform meetings and events in the future, they made the decision to look everywhere except within the industry.
Thrival Festival Integrates Pittsburgh Locale into Event
Innovation events organizer, Ascender, a hub for Pittsburgh’s startups and entrepreneurs, used Carnegie Museum of Art, Phipps Conservatory at the Botanical Gardens, and many more local spots to weave the city into the fabric of the festival.
AR, AI Poised to Change Business Events Industry
Augmented reality and artificial intelligence are not new to the business events industry, but we have seen only a glimpse of the powerful influence both can have. There’s much more to come from both of these technologies.
Witnessing an Open-Heart Surgery
We peered through the glass right into the patient’s open chest as the surgery team meticulously did their work — holding the young woman’s heart in their hands, inserting a new valve, replacing a coronary artery, and stitching up.
Adelaide Business Event Leads to Creation of Australian Space Agency
In December, the premier of South Australia, in a joint announcement with the Australian prime minister, said Adelaide would be the home of Australia’s new A$41m Space Agency. And it all began with a business event.
MANOVA Global Health Care Summit Redefines the Medical Meeting
The inaugural MANOVA Global Health Summit proved that critical conversations about health care don’t need to be stodgy or academic — and that they should include voices from outside the medical industry.
PeopleFWD 2018 Explores Disruptive Approaches to Workplace Culture
PeopleFWD 2018 invited human resources professionals and business leaders to wrestle with the most difficult issues facing organizations today, like employee culture and constantly evolving organizational trends. It was presented by CPP-The Myers-Briggs Company.
Florida Shows Off Everything Under the Sun
When VISIT FLORIDA hosted Convene on a press trip in early December, the Sunshine State gave us a tour to remember.
How Event Organizers Can Be More Interesting
This one nugget of wisdom from the master of public speaking can help you make your next event more appealing to your audience.
Philadelphia Venues Work Together to Prepare for Army-Navy Game
During a press trip over the weekend of the famed Army-Navy Game at Lincoln Financial Field, the Philadelphia CVB showed how intimate a city can feel when everyone works together.
Houston, We Have a Conference
Outer space is not on most of our everyday radar, never mind on the business horizon. The Space Commerce Conference and Exposition — the only civilian conference and expo that brings together NASA, aerospace, government agencies, and commercial industries — bridges both worlds: space exploration as it relates to business.
Events Industry Council Sets Future Course
Tina Wehmeir shares a look at the EIC’s roadmap to redefine the organization’s strategic plan, which includes a thoughtful expansion of its international footprint.
The Best Way to Send Texted Emergency Alerts During Events
Mass alerts about an emergency situation might actually incite panic at an event. Here’s a more strategic — and safer — way to send text notifications.
Barcelona Convention Bureau Takes CSR Project to IMEX America
For the Barcelona Convention Bureau and its partners, sustainability is top of mind when they host events in their city. Here’s how they put that ethos into action during IMEX America while in Las Vegas.
Why You Need Talk Triggers: Creating Customers with Word of Mouth
Ninety percent of purchases today are influenced by word of mouth. Here’s how to leverage that consumer trend for events.
Why the Sustainability of the Trade-Show Business Model is in Question
The most glaring of five realities of the B2B buyer — that three out of four B2B buyers conduct the majority of their research before talking to a salesperson — remains a major issue a year after we first discussed it.
Warren Berger: ‘Events Should Be All About the Questions’
Master questionologist and “The Book of Beautiful Questions” author Warren Berger on using questions to build a better event.