Technology’s impact on the future of events — will you be ready? #mace17

MACE! 2017 | The Next Generation
Dan Berger
CEO
Social Tables
dan@socialtables.com
Technology's Impact on the Future of the Events
Will you be ready? Yes, you will!

Let’s agree to the following...
● Questions welcome any time.
● Engage on social: @danberger | #MACE17
● Take as many photos and share as you please.
● You’re free to leave any time.
@danberger | #MACE17

I am a participant.
I am a planner.
I am a supplier.

120 employees
Raised $22.6 million
Founded in 2011

The #1
software for
planners
and
properties
to
collaborate
online.

4,229 customers creating
1.73 million events with
170 million participants

I am a participant.
I am a planner.
I am a believer.
I am a supplier.

We envision a world where face-
to-face events achieve great things
Sample of the 40+ awards Social Tables and its leadership have received.

● Review technology’s impact to date.
(slides 10-22)
● Figure what technology to use.
(slides 23-34)
● See what’s up ahead (this year).
(slides 35-??)
● Prepare for the future.
(slides last slide -2)
Learning objectives

open_discussion
How has technology
impacted your job over the
last decade?

Information Symmetry
Planners rely on their networks and online
research to learn about destinations before
speaking to sales reps.
Information Asymmetry
Planners used to rely on hotel sales
professionals for research and information.
Pre-Event: Destination Sourcing

Pre-Event: Event Marketing
Permission Marketing
Marketers deliver anticipated, personal, and
relevant messages to people who actually want
to get them thanks to new advertising
technology.
Traditional Marketing
Marketers used to buy email lists, mail
invitations, and add everyone to their
newsletters.

Pre-Event: Networking
Online
Participants have access to fellow attendees and
technology matches people thanks to
algorithms.
On Site
People let serendipity and networking sessions
do all of the work.

An Afterthought
There was no real software built for planners or
event goers.
Integrated
Planners think about what objectives they are
trying to achieve and use the technology that fits
best.
Pre-Event: Technology

Online Collaboration
Information is centralized online for efficient
stakeholder communication.
Offline Redundancy
Back-and-forth calls, emails, and faxes to
coordinate events and communicate changes.
Pre-Event: Working Together

During-Event: Educating Attendees
Participants
Speakers have a dialogue with participants. They
use technology to engage them and apply adult
learning best practices.
Attendees
Presenters spoke at attendees.

During-Event: Physically Attending
Attending in the Flesh
The only way to attend an event was to
physically be there.
Virtual Attendance
Live-streaming is free and is used to build future
attendance.

During-Event: Disseminating Information
The Mobile App
Real-time information is distributed digitally
through an app, social, and email.
The Event Guide
Information, including the schedule and attendee
list, was distributed through physical collateral.

Post-Event: Event Lifespan
Events were Finite
The life of an event spanned was limited to its
allocated time.
Events are Evergreen
The lifespan of an event extends past its
allocated time. People connect and share online
afterwards.

Post-Event: Event ROI
ROI is Measurable
Events are considered a marketing product.
Their impact can be measured thanks to
software and hardware products.
ROI was an Unknown
Event and meeting spending went into a
marketing black hole.

Post-Event: Sharing Information
Information is Shared
Content is distributed far and wide by speakers.
It is amplified by participants through live
tweeting, live streaming, and social media
posting.
Information was Withheld
Content was held closely by speakers.

conclusion
Technology needs to be
integrated into the way you
work and the events you
create.

open_discussion
Where do you think a
technology intervention can
be most impactful to your
job?

Four steps to lead technology change
1. Review your meeting planning process.
2. Choose an area that you want to augment with
technology.
3. Vet your short list.
4. Decide and test.

1. List out every step in your planning
process.
2. Make sure each step starts with a verb
(e.g. research, solicit, etc.)
3. Rate each step on how painful* it is (e.g.
time consuming, cost, dull).
I. Review your meeting planning process
Step Time (1-5) Cost (1-5) Dullness (1-5) Avg. Score
... 5 2 3 3.33
Above: example scorecard
* these criteria are variable

II. Choose an area to focus on
1. Force rank your steps by most painful to know where to start.
2. Identify software category.
3. Make a list of your requirements and the results you want.
4. Create your product short list.
a. Find a free guide online.
b. Attend a conference’s tech showcase or innovation zone.
c. Ask your network and your vendors.
d. Visit sites like EMBlog, BizBash, or Convene

Business model
● How does your company make money?
● Is there a limit on users? Usage?
● Is there a trial version?
Supported
● What kind of training resources do you have?
● What kind of community following does the product have?
● Where can I find your availability metrics?
Plays nice with others
● Do you support any integrations out of the box?
● Are these integrations synchronous or asynchronous?
● Is integration DIY or paid?
III. Vet your short list
Referrals
● Ask for customer referrals, case studies, and testimonials.
Flexible
● Do you have a mobile version?
● Is the mobile version responsive or native?
● Does it have collaboration features?

1. Socialize your ideas with stakeholders and influencers to
gather buy-in.
2. Start off small and frame it as an experiment.
3. Acknowledge you might have to come back and tweak
things... or start over.
IV. Decide

I. Review your meeting planning process
Identify business need 1 1 1 1.0
Budget 4 1 4 3.0
Choose destination 3 1 1 1.7
Research spaces 4 4 3 3.7
Solicit RFP responses 4 4 3 3.7
Evaluate 4 1 1 2.0
Select 5 5 5 5.0
Create agenda 5 2 1 2.7
Compile list 5 2 4 3.7
Communicate internally 5 4 4 4.3
...

II. Choose an area to focus on
Select 5 5 5.0 5
Communicate internally 5 4 4.0 4.3
Research spaces 4 4 3.0 3.7
Solicit RFP responses 4 4 3.0 3.7
Compile list 5 2 4.0 3.7
Budget 4 1 4.0 3
Create agenda 5 2 1.0 2.7
Evaluate 4 1 1.0 2
Choose destination 3 1 1.0 1.7
Identify business need 1 1 1.0 1
...

● Selected focus area: Communicate internally
● Category: Project management
● Requirements:
○ No paper
○ Easy to use
○ Cost effective
○ Can grow with the organization
○ Integrates our document system
○ Can manage tasks
● Short list: Trello, Proofhub, Asana, Microsoft Project
II. Choose an area to focus on (cont.)

A Review of the Framework
1. Review your meeting planning process.
2. Choose an area that you want to augment with
technology.
3. Vet your short list.
4. Decide and test.

conclusion
Technology changes can be
hard to implement but the
benefits are way bigger than
the initial costs.

open_discussion
How would you describe the
health of our industry?

The State of Travel and Hospitality in 2017
Source: STR, Hotels Mag, MeetingsNet, CNBC, PwC, internal reports.
Politics and Policies
A potential trade war and ongoing immigration issues will impact the global hospitality
industry, hospitality leaders believe.
Homesharing and Pricing
An STR report has busted the myth that Airbnb impacts hotel pricing in major markets. The
chains don’t agree.
Demand
Industry leaders believe corporate travel will bounce back in 2017 due to the stock market’s
performance, “lessening regulations on corporations, slashing their tax rates, and building up a
more robust transportation infrastructure.” This will contribute to an increase in ADR, which
will increase RevPAR by an estimated 2.3%.
Supply
An increase in hotel room supply will marginally outpace growth in demand, resulting in a
decline in occupancy to 65.3%.

The State of Group Business in 2017
Source: Skift, PCMA, internal documents.
The Overall Climate
We are still in a supplier market. Chains are reporting strong group booking toward the end
of the year and beyond but tepid short-term booking due to market and government
uncertainty.
The Biggest Challenge
Safety and security are top-of-mind for planners.
The Megatrend
Meetings and events are being festivilized.

conclusion
The industry is healthy so we
should be cautiously
optimistic.

Beyond 2017: A Recession on the Horizon
YEAR Economy
2008 Recession began
2009 Recession ended (1.5 years)
2018 Next projected recession
2019 Expansion
2025 Projected end of an
expansion
From 1945 to 2001, and 10 cycles, recessions lasted an average 10 months and
expansions an average of 57 months.
We’re currently on expansion month #91 and counting.

open_discussion
What are some of the ways
that technology will change
in meetings in the future?

There will be fewer site visits and
site inspections.

Most group business will be booked online.

#EngageEvolveElevate #MarriottImmersion
Artificial intelligence will make meeting
planning software better.

Robotics will be used in facility
operations.

@danberger | #DestinationFL
A new computing platform will change
the way we experience meetings.

conclusion
Technology will continue to
change events in very
profound ways.

open_discussion
What can you do to
future-proof your career?

“There is a need to retool yourself, and you should not expect to
stop.” People who do not spend 5-10 hours a week learning, he
“will obsolete themselves with the technology.”
Randall Stephenson
CEO, AT&T

@danberger | #MACE17Adapted from Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015
Step
Forward
You drive revenue and impact
at your organization.
A senior meeting planner who
brings their results and perspective
to other departments
Get experience beyond your department,
develop your leadership skills, and continue
climbing at your current org.
Your Path How you add value Industry Example How you double down on this strategy
Step
Up
You can see the big picture
and think strategically.
A meeting planner orchestrates all
of the things required to plan and
execute a meeting
Get an advanced degree and constantly
challenge yourself to gain a broader
perspective of your work.
Step
Aside
Your strengths are beyond
rational, codifiable cognition.
A meeting coordinator who has
great intuition for pulling off events
Develop your “multiple intelligences” beyond
IQ and gain tacit knowledge through
apprenticeships.
Step
In
You monitor and modify
routine dashboards and
reports.
A meeting manager who is
interested in reviewing reports and
data. Someone who is always
thinking about ROI.
Pursue some data analysis, stats, and research
methods education and keep updating your
business domain expertise.
Step
Narrowly
You deliver programs in a way
most people don’t.
A meeting planner who is
constantly innovating their
products
Look for a narrow niche and master it with
focus and passion.
The Five Paths Towards Employability

conclusion
Every day is a school day.

Connecting | Q&A
email: dan@socialtables.com
twitter: @danberger
snapchat: @danjberger
if you give me
your card, I
can send you
the slides!

Technology’s impact on the future of events — will you be ready? #mace17

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