In Case You Missed It
Our must-read story this month from the BizBash Meetings & Trade Shows vertical is 2022's Most Innovative Meetings. For 12 years, BizBash has recognized the industry’s most creative meetings, conferences, trade shows, and other business gatherings in this feature. And our 2022 list might just be the most diverse yet, with a mix of live and hybrid events from Ohio to Abu Dhabi, from top companies like Forbes, Salesforce, and PepsiCo.
This month we also traveled to Milwaukee to see firsthand what's new and notable for meetings. In early November, we got the chance to tour some of the city's many developments, both tried and true and brand new, and found that there's really a venue for every occasion. But we've (somehow) narrowed it down to just a handful.
In addition, we caught up with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to learn why it's ultra-selective when hosting events. The facility is a leader when it comes to CSR, taking strict initiative to only host groups that support its sustainable, plastic-free, and highly accessible initiatives. Speaking of CSR, this month we also spoke to experts on tips for hosting an effective CSR activity at events.
And don't forget to read our breakdown of trade show costs to look out for, with tips for savvy spending as an exhibitor, and the retelling of 11 event horror stories and the lessons the event profs learned along the way.
Here are five more things you should know about this month...
1. There's a new(ish) DMO in Orange County, and it's launching a cool campaign.
Many arts-based organizations and collectives call Santa Ana, Calif., home. So it's no surprise that the city's DMO, Travel Santa Ana, is promoting this through a new campaign called "Proud Santanero." Travel Santa Ana, which launched in January 2021, is Orange County's newest DMO, and its inaugural brand campaign is an ode to local artists. Four were chosen to each create a "signature" (in place of a traditional logo) with their own individual feel and perspective on how to depict Santa Ana.
"We worked with an agency that is known for being very engaged in the community and getting community feedback; during that process, we decided that putting a corporate logo out there for a destination of this caliber was not going to resonate with residents," said Travel Santa Ana president and CEO Wendy Haase in an interview with BizBash. "The destination has a very robust artist community—how could we utilize and leverage that and garner exposure for the artists and small business owners at the same time?"
For Travel Santa Ana's inaugural brand campaign, four local artists were chosen to each create a "signature"—in place of a traditional logo—with their own individual feel and perspective on how to depict Santa Ana. (From left to right, created by Wendy Duong, Brian Peterson, Alicia Rojas, and Aki Tsuneizumi.)Photo: Courtesy of Travel Santa Ana
The four artists—Wendy Duong, Brian Peterson, Alicia Rojas, and Aki Tsuneizumi—were already part of the DMO's branding process, and they also "represent four diverse communities and cultures in Santa Ana," Haase said. The DMO plans to interchangeably use the four signatures throughout its branding—and it doesn't plan to stop at four.
"As we develop our brand, we are going to be looking for an artist that represents the LGBTQ+ community," Haase explained. "And we're exploring cannabis tourism and hope to have a cannabis-influenced artist do a future signature as well."
2. CES announces keynote speakers for C Space 2023.
The tech industry's biggest trade show, CES (produced by the Consumer Technology Association and taking place in January), has revealed the speakers for this year's C Space keynote conversation, titled "Building Connection & Community in a Non-Stop World." On stage for the presentation will be Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and MediaLink founder and CEO Michael E. Kassan, as well as Instacart CMO Laura Jones and Group Black CEO and co-founder Travis Montaque, among other guests.
According to a press release, this panel will explore how successful consumer brands are combining technology with ingenuity to engage dedicated followers and create superfans.
“The almost sold-out C Space will showcase the innovations shaking up the marketing world and their ripple effect on human behaviors,” said Consumer Technology Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro in a statement. “We’re thrilled to welcome Ed and Michael back to the keynote stage to share their perspectives.”
C Space is a dedicated location at CES for the marketing, advertising, media, and entertainment industries, and the 2023 iteration will be held Jan. 5, 2023, at ARIA Resort & Casino. Exhibitors at the 2023 C Space will include Amazon Advertising, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, Warner Bros., and more.
CES 2023 will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 5-8, 2023.
3. Business Events Industry Week will return for its second year.
Back for only the second time, Power of Purpose: Business Events Industry Week (POP for short) announced that registration is now open for the 2023 iteration, taking place March 7-9 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland's National Harbor. The event comes from a partnership between Destinations International, PCMA, and IAEE, and is meant to be a call-to-action for business events stakeholders everywhere to gather in Washington, D.C.
New this year? The inaugural PCMA Foundation fundraiser, which will take shape in the form of a fashion show, dubbed "Living in Color," with meeting and event profs taking to the catwalk to model their favorite Palm Beach-inspired attire. They'll also share their personal story of how they live their life in color.
Attendees pose for a quick snapshot at the 2022 Power of Purpose: Business Events Industry Week event in Washington, D.C.Photo: EPNAC Photography and Video
Other sure-to-be-highlights of the event include IAEE’s Women’s Leadership Forum and Reception—fittingly kicking off on International Women's Day, March 8—and Destinations International’s Convention Sales and Services Summit on March 9. DI will also host Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) courses March 4-7.
Attending IAEE’s Expo! Expo! 2022 or PCMA's Convening Leaders? Look out for more POP details revealed there.
4. MPI releases its 2022 Fall Meetings Outlook report.
Another season, another outlook report from Meeting Professionals International (MPI)—which continues to be a top-tier barometer for how event profs are feeling as in-person events have kicked back into gear. This newest edition, for fall 2022, is especially revealing of what might be ahead in 2023. Here are some of the report's highlights:
- 86% of respondents anticipate “favorable” business conditions over the next years—the second-most positive response seen in the survey’s history.
- Meeting professionals are preparing for inflation/recession; 78% say they’re seeking new venue opportunities. (In the previous quarter, only 34% of respondents said they were seeking new revenue avenues.)
- 65% of respondents say it’s difficult filling job vacancies, which is down slightly from the previous quarter (69%), but still the second highest this data point has been.
- A majority (64%) of respondents describe the current meeting/event business landscape as a “seller’s market.” Only 19% identify it as a “buyer’s market.”
"Challenges on the registration side persist, as well, with 65% of professionals reporting more last-minute registration, making predictive analysis with few post-pandemic benchmarks increasingly difficult," said the MPI team in a press release. "Paired with increasing costs, budgeting has become more challenging. It’s good to be back, but that has come with a price.”
See the full report here.
5. Food service workers at convention centers across the U.S. could authorize a strike.
UNITE HERE—the hospitality workers’ union in the U.S. and Canada that represents over 300,000 workers in hotels, gaming, food service, airports, and more—announced Nov. 21 that Sodexo convention center workers in five major markets for meetings and group travel (Orlando, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Sacramento, and Detroit) warned of possible strikes in Las Vegas and Orlando and labor disputes elsewhere over low wages and working conditions.
“The industry is saying 2023 will be a good year for them, and the workers who make meetings and events possible deserve to share in that recovery," said UNITE HERE International president D. Taylor in a press release.
Sodexo workers at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando announced that they have voted to authorize a strike by 100%. Centerplate workers at the Las Vegas Convention Center will hold a strike vote on Dec. 7 and 8. (Centerplate was purchased by Sodexo in 2017.)
As of publication time, UNITE HERE is in active bargaining with Sodexo in Orlando and Las Vegas, and is awaiting bargaining in New Orleans, Sacramento, and Detroit. Planners should check with venues on any possible interruptions due to ongoing labor disputes before booking.
