Posts By: eventreb

Best Tweets: #IMEX15 #SmartMonday

IMEX America got off to an excellent start yesterday with Smart Monday and Twitter was all abuzz! We’ve gathered the best tweets all in one place. Follow #IMEX15 on twitter for more great tweets right from the trade show floor! We all know panels could use some improvement. Here’s a great quote @kmontoyacmp shared from @KristinJArnold! Event design is really important in today’s meetings industry. @JaninaMartinez shared a thoughtful insight from @NathanBiller about empathy for your end user. @Padraicino, Managing Partner at SoolNua, shared some awesome pictures of The Play Room, a hub for brainstorming new meeting ideas!      ... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Airbnb, Negotiating, Choose Chicago, Millenial Marketing

This week’s rebel round-up includes Airbnb, Negotiating, Choose Chicago, and Marketing to Millienials!  Enjoy! Professionals Across Generations and Nations Agree: Face-to-Face Meetings Preferred – Business Wire (@businesswire) 5 Test Cases for Airbnb During Meetings and Conventions – Skift (@skift) 5 Negotiation Mistakes Every Event Planner Should Avoid – Event Manager Blog (@eventmb) With state budget stalled, Choose Chicago cuts staff – Chicago Tribune (@RobertChannick) It’s The End Of Networking As You Know It – PCMA (@pcmahq) 5 Tips for Marketing to Millennials – BizBash (@bizbash) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this posted every week!

4 Best Practices for Creating Social Media Content For Your Conference

Last week I shared the importance of creating a social media listening model. Now that you’re listening to what is going on during your conference, it’s time to think about the best practices for creating content to share with your event’s attendees. Here are 4 best practices for creating social media content for your conference. Prepare some of your content BEFORE you ever arrive on site Tweets with photos average 35% higher retweet rate than text alone. As the organization in charge of the event, you should be setting an example, not playing catch up, when it comes to shareable content.... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Millenial Disruption, Meetings Means Biz, Sponsorships

This week’s rebel round-up includes Millenial disruption, Meetings Means Business, Sponsorships, and more!  Enjoy! A warm welcome for conference attendees – Associations Now (@associationsnow) How Millennials Are Disrupting the Meetings Industry –Skift (@skift) The Sense of Security—Risk Management and Meeting Design – MeetingsNet (@meetingsnet) How the Meetings Industry Is Getting Ready for the Future of Conventions – Skift (@skift) The next generation of meeting sponsorships – Successful Meetings (@successfulmtgs) Wearable technology in the events realm – Special Events (@special_events) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this posted every week!

The Importance of Building a Social Media Listening Model

The importance of social media is finally getting recognized by Conference Planners. Conference planners are starting to explore using Hashtags. If you’re not, start here! But what happens after you create an event hashtag? It’s a no-brainer that you should promote it and encourage your attendees to “join the conversation.” Sounds easy enough, right? The problem isn’t picking an official hashtag and promoting it. The common mistake occurs when the conference organizers don’t participate in the conversation related to their official hashtag. There’s nothing worse for the attendee experience than participating in a conversation with themselves. Let’s not sugarcoat it. If you’re... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: DMAI CEO, Seller’s Market, Discovery Hotels, Dreamforce

This week’s rebel round-up includes DMAI CEO, Seller’s Market, Discovery Hotels, and Dreamforce!  Enjoy! CEO Michael Gehrisch Departs as DMAI Eyes Future Changes – Trade Show Executive (@tradeshowexec) How To Avoid Baggage Fees Through Advertising – Travel Pulse (@travelpulse) What the Seller’s Market Means in 2016 – MeetingsNet (@meetingsnet) Discovery Is the Latest Media Brand to Join the Rush to Have Its Own Hotel Collection – Skift (@skift) A Custom Conference Experience for 170,000 Attendees? Yes, It Is Possible – BizBash (@bizbash) Why The Traditional Definition Of A Convention Center No Longer Exists – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for... Read more »

Dreamforce: The Dreamboat Experience

Event Rebels Dreamforce

“The Love Boat promises something for everyone.” The Dreamboat may not have been the Love Boat, but Dreamforce definitely tried to have something for everyone! For the first time in Dreamforce’s 13 year existence, the 170,000 person conference chartered a Celebrity Cruises ship to provide lodging to 1,100 conference attendees. This is not the first time a conference has chartered a ship as a “floating hotel”, but it is probably the most mainstream example of lodging alternatives, even being featured on Forbes.com. In a time where conference attendees are searching for alternatives to the traditional room block, such as airbnb, Dreamforce’s... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Shuttles, IAEE Awards, Smart Meetings Destinations

This week’s rebel round-up includes Shuttles, IAEE Awards, Smart Meetings Destinations, PCMA Convening Leaders 2016!  Enjoy! How To Break Up With Shuttles And Enhance the Attendee Experience – PCMA(@pcmahq) IAEE Unveils 2015 Individual Award Winners – TSNN (@tsnn_com_US) 3 Signs Your Event Planner is a Problem – Event Manager Blog (@EventMB) Intellectual Capital Is the New Draw for Smart Meetings Destinations – Skift (@skift) 5 Skills Today’s Event Pros Need to Know to Keep Their Jobs – BizBash (@bizbash) Cultivating Creative Moments at Convening Leaders 2016 – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this... Read more »

IMEX America 2015 “What’s New?”

Introduction IMEX is deeply rooted in the Meetings Industry and every edition of IMEX America or IMEX in Frankfurt presents us with a challenge and an opportunity for innovation. For each show we seek to refresh and renew partnerships also with the goal of providing an ideal setting for business opportunities between our exhibitors and planners who join us as hosted buyers and visitors. This is not an easy challenge but it is one that we embrace with the help of our strong industry partnerships. IMEX America provides attendees with the opportunity to meet with a range of global suppliers... Read more »

Live-Streaming: Broadcast vs. Engagement or Meerkat/Periscope vs. Blab

I’ve written about live streaming apps Meerkat and Periscope before. Live-streaming has been the new frontier of social media since Meerkat blew up at SXSW earlier this year. For the most part Meerkat and Periscope have been the go-to livestream apps, and they’ve been successful in terms of introducing the livestream to the mainstream. According to Salesforce, Meerkat currently has around 2 million users, and Periscope has around 10 million users. Neither app has taken the world by storm like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram have, however that may all change. There’s a new kid on the block, and it’s... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Periscope, Summer 2015 Hotel News, APEX, and PCMA

This week’s rebel round-up includes Periscope, Summer 2015 Hotel News, APEX Committee Leadership Expansion, and the PCMA 2016 Board Officers and Directors!  Enjoy! 3 Staggering Statistics That Show Why You Need To Get Ready For Periscope – PCMA(@pcmahq) Gallery: Hotel News for Meeting Pros, Summer 2015 Edition – Meetings Net (@MeetingsNet) How Freeman Drives Innovation by Maximizing Collaboration and Data at its Own Event – FreemanXP (@FreemanXP) CIC Expands APEX Committee Leadership – Meetings Focus (@meetingsfocus) Checklist: 9 Ways to Keep Sponsors Happy, Before and After the Event – BizBash (@bizbash) PCMA Announces Proposed Slate of 2016 Board Officers and Directors – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for... Read more »

Recognizing Your Event’s Influencer Network

Event Rebels: Recognizing Event Influencer Network

Your event is a representation of your brand. Whether you’re an association, corporation, or non-profit, the way you interact with your stakeholders and members is through your live events. Influencers are everywhere, and they are talking about your brand. When your social media managers (if you have them), are talking about “influencers”, they are really talking in terms of the valuable relationships your brand has on social media. Influence can be broken down into three pillars: Relevance, Reach, and Resonance. Relevance: The creation of content that is relevant to your brand, or relevant to a topic that’s important to your brand.... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Synchronicities, Outside Lands, Meeting Breaks, F&B Tips

This week’s rebel round-up includes Synchronicities, Outside Lands, Meeting Breaks, and F&B Tips!  Enjoy! Visit Baltimore’s partnership with Anaheim, San Antonio exceeds expectations – Baltimore Business Journal (@baltbizonline) Company That Blocked Wi-Fi Hotspots At Conventions Must Pay $750,000 Fine To FCC – Fast Company (@FastCompany) From Ho-Hum to Hell Yeah! Event Inspiration from Outside Lands – FreemanXP (@FreemanXP) Creative Strategies Help Shave Thousands of Dollars from Meeting Bids – Conference Direct via Meeting Mentor Online (@conferencedirect) 9 Innovative Ideas for Meeting Breaks – BizBash (@bizbash) 6 F&B Tips From Some Of The Most Celebrated Chefs In The Country – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us... Read more »

The Decision to Attend Study: Phase 1

Decision to Attend Study

The Decision to Attend Study, created in partnership by The Experience Institute, IAEE, and PCMA, has begun it’s Phase 2. Yesterday, Mickey Schaefer of The Experience Institute shared some of the key findings in Phase 1. We’ve taken the liberty of compiling those findings for you. Take a look at the major takeaways. Propensity to Attend The Propensity to Attend is High Across All Generations. 92% are likely to attend, with younger generations trending strong. Younger Generations Are Replacing Older Generation Attendees. As the older generations attend fewer events, the younger Gen X and Gen Y generations are filling the void. The... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: ASAE in Detroit, Millenial Needs, Industry Disruptions

This week’s rebel round-up includes ASAE in Detroit, Millenial Needs, Industry Disruptions, and International Audiences!  Enjoy! Detroit gets (mostly) rave reviews from influential ASAE – Detroit Free Press (@freep) Why the Meetings Industry Doesn’t Understand Millennial or Modern Needs – Greg Oates via Skift (@GregOates) Not just food: These restaurants hit all five senses – CNN Travel (@CNNtravel) Three Disruptions Affecting Meetings And Contracts – Associations Now (@associationsnow) How This Event Avoided Insulting an International Audience – BizBash (@bizbash) How This Trade Show Transformed The Attendee Experience – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this posted every week!

Using Pinterest to Market Your Meetings

Pinterest, like most forms of social media, has it’s own unique engagement strategy. However, the role of any social media marketing strategy remains the same; Raise awareness of your product (in this case, your event) and begin engaging your customer (your attendees). The first step to Pinterest marketing is to build relationships with influencers. Every social media platform has influencers within their industry. Relationships with those influencers can benefit your meeting. Identify influencers by searching for engaged members who already use keywords associated with your meeting. Once you’ve identified some influencers, start following them and repining the content you like.... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Best In Show 2015, ADA, Live-Streaming, and Airbnb

This week’s rebel round-up includes PCMA’s 2015 Best in Show, ADA, Live-Streaming, and Airbnb!  Enjoy! 2015 Best In Show  – PCMA Convene (@pcmaconvene) D.C. by wheelchair: Putting ADA to the test – USA Today Travel (@USATodayTravel) Airfares Will Drop to Record Lows This Fall –Christopher Elliott via Fortune (@elliottdotorg) The best and worst airline and hotel rewards programs – Christopher Elliott via Fortune (@elliottdotorg) 4 Live-Streaming Systems With New and Useful Features – BizBash (@bizbash) Why This Major Convention City Is Jumping Into Bed With Airbnb – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this posted every week!

Do’s & Dont’s: Lessons From MPI’s WEC 2015

We’ve just returned from Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress in San Francisco, CA. Here’s a few lessons we’d like to share with you. DO: Host your conference in San Francisco San Francisco was an incredible backdrop for this year’s WEC. From the sights and sounds, to the food and drinks, San Francisco didn’t hold back a thing! The conference took on a truly San Francisco feel as well. From it’s use of emerging technology, to incorporating iconic San Francisco brands, you knew exactly where you were. DON’T: Have clowns at your opening reception Although the decor of the opening reception... Read more »

Best Practices: Networking Before Your Conference

Business Networking at Conferences

Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress 2015 begins in a few short days. What have you done to begin networking? Now you may be asking yourself, “Alex, the conference hasn’t even begun yet. How can I start networking if the conference hasn’t even started?” Great question! The answer is, A LOT! 75% of good networking is great preparation. Here’s 5 simple tasks you can do before you even arrive in San Francisco: 1. Business Cards – Make sure you are well stocked. There’s nothing like scrambling at the last minute looking for your business cards and realizing you have none! Now, if... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Global Travel Prices, Wi-Fi Demands, and Global Meetings Industry Day 2016

This week’s rebel round-up includes Global Travel Prices, Wi-Fi Demands, and Global Meetings Industry Day!  Enjoy! 2016 Global Travel Price Outlook Reveals Six Global Hot Spots  – Global Business Travel Association (@globalBTA) How Are Hotels Keeping Up With Rising Wi-Fi Demands? – Travel Pulse (@TravelPulse) First-Ever ‘Global Meetings Industry Day’ to Take Place in 2016 – Sucessful Meetings (@SuccessfulMtgs) Some airlines, hotels pulling the plug on discount websites – CBS News (@CBSnews) How Activity Venues Are Catering to Corporate Clients – BizBash (@bizbash) The Simple Way To Make Your Registration Fee More Appealing – PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: DMOs, Comic-Con, and Robot Hotels

This week’s rebel round-up includes a lot of special recognitions and awards! Articles include DMO partners, Comic-Con, robot hotels, and streaming apps!  Enjoy! Why Your Meeting Needs Your DMO Partner More Than Ever Before – PCMA (@pcmahq) New DMAI Ebook Defines Evolving Role Of The Modern DMO – Greg Oates (@gregoates) Comic-Con: Game of Brands – FreemanXP (@FreemanXP) Robots run Japan’s Weird Hotel – Mashable (@Mashable) How Microsoft Created a Fun and Functional Conference Lounge – BizBash (@bizbash) Legal Issues & Streaming Apps: 8 Great Takeaways –PCMA (@pcmahq) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this posted every... Read more »

Live Streaming: Shark Week

The Discovery Channel will work with Meerkat to add a live-stream component to its popular “Shark Week” programming and embed the content on its website. Variety: “The Discovery Channel is still finalizing its Meerkat streaming lineup, but Byrne said that the network plans to host two to three live streams every day during the week, including a live shark feeding at the National Aquarium in Baltimore as well as Meerkats from shark experts and filmmakers to deliver a behind-the-scenes look at their work for the event. And with a little bit of luck, there will also be a live stream... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Hall of Leaders, Most Influential, Event Innovators, Top Women

This week’s rebel round-up includes a lot of special recognitions and awards! Articles include CIC Hall of Leaders, Successful Meetings’ Most Influential, Bizbash’s Event Innovators, and M&C’s Top Women in the Meetings Industry!  Enjoy! Free Online Access Pass – National Speakers Association – Influence 2015 – National Speakers Association (@NSASpeaker) The Empty Suitcase Campaign – Empty Suitcase Campaign (#emptysuitcasecampaign) CIC Announces 2015 Hall of Leaders Ceremony : Reception Honors Industry’s Outstanding Leaders and Innovators – CIC (@ConvIndustry) The 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry for 2015 – Successful Meetings (@SuccessfulMtgs) Event Innovators 2015: Most Innovative People in Events and Meetings – BizBash (@bizbash) Top 25 Women in the... Read more »

Rebel Roundup: Onboard Wi-Fi, Improving eRFPs, and InfoComm Products

This week’s rebel round-up includes articles about Onboard Wi-Fi, Improving eRFPs, and InfoComm Products for Event Pros!  Enjoy! Signs Your Conference May Be In Jeopardy – MeetingsNet (@meetingsnet) For Onboard Wi-Fi, Not All Airlines are Equal – NBC News (@NBCNewsBusiness) The Must-Add City To Your Consideration Set – PCMA (@pcmahq) White Paper: How to Improve eRFPs for Meetings and Events – Successful Meetings (@SuccessfulMtgs) 7 Cool Products for Event Pros From InfoComm – BizBash (@bizbash) These are the world’s 20 largest hotels – USA Today Travel (@usatodaytravel) See you next week with more interesting articles for the event and meeting industry! Follow us on twitter for more articles like this posted every... Read more »

Crowdsourcing Education Sessions

EventRebels are back from our week-long hiatus with some very exciting information and experiences to share with you. This past week, K.C. Hopson, EventRebels CEO, and I traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 2015 PCMA Education Conference. PCMA does a lot really well, but one thing I’ve noticed over the last three annual conferences I’ve attended is PCMA’s willingness to experiment with format, room set-up, and education so we don’t have to. One outstanding experiment PCMA tried at this conference was crowdsourcing peer-led education. Adrian Segar, author of “Conferences That Work,” walked us through the process. It began the... Read more »