True leaders never stop looking for new and smarter ways to move forward. And in an industry that’s in a constant state of evolution, pioneering strategies and concepts that are as successful as they are original is no easy task. Add the continual influx of emerging technologies and new social media platforms to the mix, and the competition for attention has never been tougher.
For our third Innovation Issue, we found the marketers, fund-raisers, designers, producers, and other event and meeting professionals rising to that challenge. They are the thinkers and doers of the industry, the individuals and entities whose work in the past year is setting the pace and challenging others to follow.
On our list of innovative people this year are folks from all over North America, including an Ohio-based executive with a mission to turn passive museum-going experiences into theatrical live events and an Austin, Texas–based conference director using audience feedback to adapt South by Southwest in meaningful ways. There are inventors of new digital services, budget-conscious nonprofit planners, and meeting strategists from some of the biggest tech companies in the country. (There aren’t, however, any people from last year’s list; we aimed to recognize an entirely new group.)
Our list of innovative brands looks at the companies using events and experiential campaigns to engage their audiences while still delivering results. We weighed style against substance, experimental concepts against sales, and brand perception against R.O.I. There are brands from last year’s list—heavyweights that consistently produce inspiring work—as well as newcomers that have recently made a splash with new initiatives.
So here’s who we think are the individuals and organizations proving the value of face-to-face events, empowering their peers to consider the unconventional, and revealing a redefined image of what the industry is today: bizbash.com/innovators-2013
