In Case You Missed It
The BizBash editorial team recently wrote about the first-ever corporate keynote at the Sphere in Las Vegas, taking a deep dive into how the jaw-dropping visuals came together on a 160,000-square-foot screen. We also took a look inside Fenty Beauty's return to gaming platform Roblox and chatted with tech entrepreneur Brad Jackson about his AI-driven talent platform that connects brands with freelance experiential experts.Spotlight On
Did you catch our interview with Getty Images' head of sports, Mike Heiman? He brought us behind the scenes to see what it takes to photograph the Olympics, including details on the brand-new underwater robotic that's currently sitting in the pools at La Défense Arena and the Aquatic Centre in Paris. Learn more here.
Getty Images photographer Laurence Griffiths captured Simone Biles as she competed on uneven bars during Women's Qualification at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty ImagesBut that's not the only technology making an impact on this year’s Paris Games. According to the tech website Gadgets360, the International Olympic Committee has embraced AI this year, using it to safeguard athletes from cyber abuse by monitoring social media and flagging abusive messages to report. There’s also an AI chatbot to answer athletes’ questions, AI applications that are monitoring energy consumption at the Games in real time, and more. Check out the full story here.
More Event Technology We're Excited About This Month
To simplify an event's discovery—and boost its reachEventbrite has partnered with TikTok to enable event creators to promote their events and sell tickets directly through TikTok videos. This integration allows Eventbrite links to be added to TikTok content, making it easier for users to discover event details and purchase tickets without ever leaving the app. The new feature is available in all regions where TikTok and Eventbrite operate.
"We're giving creators a simple way to jump into trending conversations and bring online communities together in real life through events they're passionate about," says Ted Dworkin, chief product officer at Eventbrite. "With this partnership, millions of people can now easily discover and attend the best events in their cities, right from where the conversation is happening—on TikTok."
To promote tourism through augmented reality
Capitol Interactive, in partnership with Events DC, has launched Destination Pass, an augmented reality (AR) platform designed for Washington, D.C.'s tourism and events communities. The platform was first used during Events DC’s Passport DC, a monthlong celebration of the city’s diplomatic community, where the customized app—downloaded 20,000 times—allowed attendees to earn points and passport stamps, and participate in a rewards-based scavenger hunt while exploring embassy open houses and cultural programs through AR interactions. This marks the first large-scale deployment of the Destination Pass platform, which will be incorporated into future Events DC programs to enhance user engagement and provide unique sponsorship opportunities.
"Partnering with Events DC to create the Passport DC app was the perfect opportunity to marry the strength and creativity of our local tech community with the reach and impact of Events DC programming," says Joseph Cathey, chief experience designer at Capitol Interactive. "We wanted to enhance the cultural exploration experience and make it more interactive for participants while showcasing the innovative capabilities that AR has to offer."
For an end-to-end event management system
Grip, an AI-powered event platform focused on revenue growth, has acquired Connectiv Holdings’ event management system (EMS), incorporating it into Grip’s "Manage" product suite. This acquisition enhances Grip's offerings with four key products—event registration, sponsor/exhibitor management, side event management, and smart badges—which together save organizers time and drive participant conversions. The new Manage suite is now available internationally, and Grip now provides a comprehensive, end-to-end platform for commercial event organizers, while also allowing flexibility to integrate with existing systems through its Native Integrations wizard.
“Our research shows that using the Connectiv Holdings’ EMS results in significantly higher event app activations, connections, and meetings. This is because having such a powerful event management solution, including registration, means we have more control of the data flowing into our platform, improving outcomes for event organizers and their participants," says Tim Groot, Grip's founder and CEO. "This leads to our customers benefiting from better event satisfaction scores, increased growth, and, ultimately, higher revenues.”
To streamline DMO operations
Tourism organizations including Destination Queenstown, Los Angeles Tourism, and 4 Vancouver Island (4VI) will serve as prototype destinations for the newly released Wayfinder. Launching at Destinations International's 2024 Annual Convention in Tampa, Fla., the Wayfinder, powered by Miles Partnership, provides the first industry-led, evidence-based framework for destination stewardship. The purpose-built software aims to transform destination management, allowing tourism organizations and stewardship consultants to streamline operations and dedicate resources to the areas that matter most to destinations and the communities they serve.
“This is a transformational shift in the way we approach tourism,” says Adam Burke, president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism and a contributor to the Wayfinder’s Global Stewardship Innovation Lab. “We’ve had in-depth discussions with travel and tourism leaders about the serious challenges we’re facing, and it’s clear that they can only be solved through ongoing collaboration and collective impact. By adopting an industrywide approach to destination stewardship utilizing a common, globally accepted framework, we have the power to create lasting, positive impacts for our communities for generations to come.”
The Latest Updates, Promotions, Funding, and Merger News
Groupize has acquired The Vendry, adding over 70,000 venues and independent vendors to its existing global marketplace of 190,000 hotels. The Vendry’s AI-powered search and other offerings will be integrated into Groupize’s platform, while The Vendry will continue to operate under its name as part of Groupize. The Vendry founder Daphne Hoppenot will join the Groupize executive team as a strategic advisor.Ivent, a U.K.-based virtual event platform, has successfully raised Series A funding from Purple Ventures to accelerate the growth and development of its latest offering, the Ivent Pro platform, which was launched in November 2023. The new platform was developed after more than 12 years of experience with the company's legacy platform and in collaboration with a customer advisory group.
Visit Orlando has launched a suite of enhanced websites to promote the Orlando region to all audiences—meeting planners, meeting attendees, travel professionals, domestic and international leisure visitors, and more. After extensive research to uncover the needs of Visit Orlando’s various audiences, VisitOrlando.com; OrlandoMeeting.com; VisitOrlando.org; MagicalDining.com; and Spanish, Portuguese, French Canadian, and German websites are now live.
