The Future of Events is More Human

Hello. Since I was at NYU earlier this week I didn’t dive deep into the Apple Vision Pro launch. This isn’t a technology newsletter, but when a $3 trillion company releases its first major product in more than a decade it’s worth paying attention to what they think is the future.

Anytime we think about innovation we need to ask ourselves, just because can build something, should we? The Verge has a good article on this and cautions against using technology to further isolate people.

This video is 4 years old, but more relevant than ever:

Today, we’re looking at:

• Feature: The Future of Events is More Human

• Technology: Apple Vision Pro Launch Features Hospitality Booking Preview

• Strategy: The Power of Collaboration

• Revenue: Moving Beyond Rooms Revenue

The Future of Events is More Human

with Denna Vollmar on the Hospitality Daily Podcast

Denna Vollmar is the Director of Events and Customer Experience at Questex and today on the podcast shared what she’s learned:

You can’t learn this industry out of a textbook. “A lot of what I learned was hands-on. It opens your eyes to see how big this world is.”

Cultural differences can vary widely but it all comes down to the power of conversation. “The most important thing at any event, wherever you are in the world, is bringing like-minded people together to meet each other and talk.”

The days of boring conferences are over. “People want short, TED-style talks or fireside chats.”

Stay inspired to stay creative. “I’m a firm believer in the power of networking for myself and my work and constantly asking questions. I attend a lot of events here in New York, and found LinkedIn to be a powerful tool as well.”

Learn from live music. On the day I interviewed Deanna she was on her way to a Billy Joel concert and shared what she learned watching Coldplay recently. There’s an opportunity for more theatrics and spectacle in B2B events!

Sponsors want to stand out through creativity. This doesn’t always have to be over the top. “We had someone last year do something as simple as a coffee cart. Who hates coffee at most convention centers, and also doesn't love a good iced coffee?”

Wellness is an important and emerging theme in events. “One of our clients provided curated sound baths. All you needed to do was plug in your headphones and just sat there in a massage chair and it was a way to just disconnect and decompress for 10 minutes in between sessions.”

Listen to the conversation

TECHNOLOGY

Apple Vision Pro Launch Features Hospitality Booking Preview

Apple featured Berlin-based hospitality brand numa in its launch with a visualization of what booking may look like. “Next step would be a virtual walkthrough of your room before you decide to book,” said co-founder and CTO Gerhard Maringer. “Such developments not only make for better-informed decisions but also pave the way for thrilling possibilities within the hospitality industry.”

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STRATEGY

The Power of Collaboration in Commercial Strategy

by Spencer McLaughlin

In a rapidly-evolving world, sharing insights across departments and collaborating on strategy is vital.

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REVENUE

Moving Beyond Rooms Revenue

by Jason Freed for MDO

Hotel owners and operators have shifted from top-line data collection and analysis to making more decisions around driving bottom-line margins. Understanding labor and amenity costs, analyzing non-room revenue trends, and centralizing data from all revenue sources is arming hospitality leadership with the right data to make more profitable decisions.

Read now