This presentation was delivered on October 29, 2016 by Dan Berger, CEO of Social Tables.

1. #EngageEvolveElevate #MarriottImmersion

2. #EngageEvolveElevate #MarriottImmersion

5. Over 1.5 billion sq. ft. of event space
Over 1 million events created
Over 150 million attendees impacted
4,300 customers

8. A world where face-to-face events
achieve great things.

26. Disclaimer:
Thought-provoking
Slides Ahead!

27. “Second tier” cities will become
premier destinations.

28. The room block will play second fiddle to
economic impact.

29. The Annual Meeting will become endangered.

30. The hospitality industry will be
more profitable than ever.

31. More events, with bigger budgets.

32. The industry processes we
know today will be
obliterated.

33. Coordinating event logistics
will be automated.

34. Event apps will no longer exists.

35. Group business will be booked
mostly online.

36. Content will be curated by
software.

37. Our industry will be embrace
transparency.

38. Everything planners need will
be available on-demand.

39. Serendipity will be less successful
than algorithms.

40. We won’t be able to tell the difference
between real and virtual events.

41. Robots will setup and teardown rooms.

42. Complex productions will be easier to organize.

43. A.I. will make events better for everyone.

44. Technology will be an integrated part
of the convention service team’s
offerings.

45. Hotels will do mostly group
business.

46. Hotel sales people will
become meeting consultants.

47. More event professionals will report to CEOs

48. A governing body for the
meetings industry will emerge.

49. The “Golden Age of Travel” will continue.

50. Bonus content!
[time permitting]

51. 9 Ways to Prepare as a
Planner

52. Become Best
Friends with Data
1. Experiment with measuring NPS.
2. Surprise stakeholders with metrics.
3. Backup your ideas with data.

53. 1. Find inspiration outside of the events world.
2. Lean on your creative partners. Challenge them
and you’ll be surprised.
3. Be deliberate about every design detail.
Creativity
is Key

54. 1. Pick a destination based on the message it sends.
2. Leverage the CVB.
3. Integrate cultural learnings into your destination
event.
Unleash Your Inner
Anthropologist

55. 1. Encourage social interactions throughout the
event.
2. Remember everything is a backdrop for a photo.Pics, Or It
Didn’t Happen

56. 1. Pay it forward.
2. Find mentors and serve as a mentee.
3. Ask for introductions.
Find People You
Trust and Grow
Your Network

57. Be Proactive,
Ask and You
Shall Receive
1. Ask properties to offer you a customized site visit,
specific to your event.
2. Have partners join you on site visits.

58. 1. Invest in your learning.
2. Volunteer your time with an industry organization.
3. Remember that learning happens outside of your
comfort zone.
If You Rest,
You Rust

59. 1. Ask about sustainability programs at the venues
you’re working with.
2. Use it as a selling point, promote your event as a
“Green Event”.
Make Meetings &
Events Green Again

60. 1. Set goals for yourself.
2. Find an accountability partner.Be a Hero, Save the Day
(and Do It Over Again)