Where You Meet Matters - EMA 2019

@danberger | @socialtables | #elitemeetings
Where You Meet Matters
Eden Roc Miami Beach
September 16-17, 2019
Dan Berger
VP & GM
Cvent | Social Tables

Believer.
Supplier.
Planner.
Participant.

About Social Tables
Founded in 2011
50% of Full Service Hotels
94% annual hotel retention rate
Over 100,000 events per month
100,000 total users per year
2% increase in F&B profits among customers
Acquired by Cvent one
year ago

Today’s Agenda
• Why Does Destination Matter?
• What Role Does the Location Play in Meeting Design?
• What Makes a City “the City”?
• Choosing the Venue With Purpose in Mind
• A Fresh Framework for Thinking About Destinations
• Creating the Space That Brings Objectives to Life
• Future Trends That will Impact Selection

Destination Groundwork

The Destination Construct: 3 Components
IACC Meeting Room of the Future 2019 Report
• Location – Where the meeting takes place // the zip code
• Venue – The hotel or property the meeting is in
• Space – The function space(s) within the property for the meeting

Why does the destination matter?
As we try to create
experiences, the destination
and venue are the most
important elements that are
in a planner’s control.
● Location. The city can set the stage for
the meeting’s message
● Location. Its climate can lift attendee
spirits.
● Venue. A modern, airy, and bright venue
can impact attendee moods.
● Venue Fresh and healthy F&B can
increase an event’s energy.
● Space. How the space is set up impacts
networking and spontaneous
interaction.

What are attendees saying?
1. Interactive technology (#venue)
2. Flexible meeting space (#space)
3. Session proximity (#venue)
4. Learning local culture (#location)
5. F&B (#venue)
6. Access to local experiences (#location)
7. Team building activities (#location)
Summary: #destination = 3, #venue = 3, #space = 1

A thought-out selection process
Purposeful meetings can’t happen without a
purposeful destination, which requires a thought
out selection process.
Planners: the venue and its function space are
critical for learning, productivity, motivation, etc.

Meeting Design: The Tangibles & Intangibles
INTANGIBLE
Elements a planner can influence
but not fully control.
● Attendees
● Speakers
● Content
● P2P interaction
● Energy
TANGIBLE
Elements of the meeting that a
planner can directly control.
● The location
● The venue
● Room setup & decor
● F&B
● Audio/Visual
The tangible “stuff” can have a disproportionate effect on the intangibles

Destination Component #1:
Location

The destination is the meeting’s linchpin
Meetings that think about all elements are
purposeful meetings.
The destination sets the stage for our
purposeful meeting that has the potential of
becoming a memorable experience.

All memories start with a place
Meeting design aims to create memorable
experiences.
“I would never be able to do x if I weren’t...
• at this point in my life.”
• at this exact time.”
• with these people.”
• here, in this place.”

The city is the perfect content backdrop
City Message
Boston Revolution
Detroit Revival
Austin Authenticity
Philadelphia Independence
City Expertise
NYC Finance
DC Advocacy
Las Vegas Hospitality
San Francisco Innovation

The cities themselves drive attendance
Source: Experience Institute Decision to Attend Study
The meeting’s location drives attendance,
especially for non-frequent attendees.
For those who never or occasionally
attend, it’s an even bigger part of the
decision.
Importance of Destination / Location by attendance frequency

The city can be a barrier to entry
Lack of destination appeal is
the 5th highest barrier to
attendance amongst
meetings attendees (after
costs, budget, PTO, and
timing).

Local culture is key for international planners
93% of international event planners say a
destination’s cultural highlights are an important
part of choosing where they host meetings and
events.

Attendees want to get out of the building
Driven by a millennial mindset, attendees want
to get out of the venue and explore their host
cities.
What percentage of convention/exhibition attendees are likely
to get out and about in town during their stay at a destination?

Midsized cities are making outsized moves.
Cities like Nashville, Phoenix, and Denver are investing
in infrastructure and leveraging unique local assets to
differentiate themselves and woo planners.

Midsized cities are more approachable.
Smaller markets represent the authentic and
the unexpected.
Secondary and tertiary citiescan offer world-
class meeting facilities and appealing local
experiences — all at a lower cost than first-
tier cities.

Leverage local knowledge economies to boost
the content and credibility of the event.
Cleveland, for example, is bringing together
experts from local healthcare companies,
scientific research institutions, and the startup
community to reinvent the city as a desirable
location for medical conferences.
Knowledge economies may be attractive to
some planners
@danberger | @socialtables | #elitemeetings@danberger | @socialtables | #elitemeetings

The right place can leave a lasting legacy
At the 2017 Alzheimer’s Association International
Conference, the organization worked with London &
Partners to turn the 6,000 LED lights of the London Eye
purple in honor of Alzheimer’s care and research.

Venue

Choosing the purposeful venue
What makes a venue the right “place” for planners?
Source: The Site Visit Revisited Survey

The key elements of choosing a space are shifting.
As elements like WiFi and A/V become more
standardized in quality, planners are looking to new
elements and focusing on diversifying the space.
The key elements of choosing a space are
shifting
@danberger | @socialtables | #elitemeetings@danberger | @socialtables | #elitemeetingsIACC Meeting Room of the Future 2019 Report

EVERYTHING is an event space
Hotel infrastructure is becoming less important
in destination selection, as non-traditional
spaces (and demand for those spaces)
continue to increase.

Venue Venues
Don’t be afraid to add the “S”
By using new venue sourcing engines
planners are able to find spaces near the
headquarter hotel and get attendees out of
the four walls of the ballroom.

Look for venues that break down walls
Literally and figuratively.
“Spaces designed to promote engagement
increase the likelihood of collisions... More
collisions create positive outcomes.”
-Harvard Business Review
Image: C2 Montreal

Space

Turn expectations upside-down to create new outcomes.
The Old Way:
High Boys (Standing)
The New Way:
Parisian Cafe Style (Sitting)

Make one space
feel like many.

Let attendees create their own space
Pop-up offices let attendees create
their own environment, making for a
very user-driven experience.

Map it all out with event technology.
● Help vendors and exhibitors visualize the
space pre-event
● Share diagrams before the event so
attendees can plan their experiences
● Collaborative diagramming tools allow
properties and planners to work through
the layout together

A Framework for
Purposeful Destinations

How do you choose a ‘purposeful’ destination?
It’s time to add a fourth dimension
to an age-old equation.
Rates
Dates
Space
PLACE

Place is more than just a physical destination.
It’s everything that makes that destination unique.
Culture
People
Diversity Innovation
Perception
Aesthetic
Authenticity
Growth
History
Knowledge economy
Legacy
Ideals
Values

The search for place ALWAYS starts with the objective.
WHERE
Which destination will
best bring all of these W’s
to life?
CITY
VENUE
SPACE
WHAT
The desired outcome of
successful event looks like…
WHY
The overall purpose of having
this event is…
WHO
Who are the people who
should attend?
WHEN
What is the desired
timeframe for this event?

Purposeful identification
EachoccasionhasitsownsetofW’s
Source: Marriott’s Meeting Imagined

CITY
• Local leisure activities that allow for bonding
• A warm, sunny climate that encourages good vibes
• Feels like a reward and allows attendees to get away
• An affordable destination for SOs
Celebrate
VENUE
• Lots of natural light
• Doesn’t feel too professional or like a workspace
• Represents a direct relationship to what’s being celebrated
(e.g. innovation awards at a high-tech theatre)

CITY
• Known for decisions that have shaped major outcomes
• Represents innovation or progress from forward thinkers
• Is the home of a major intellectual hub for the industry-at-
hand
• A city with an attitude/confidence
Decide
VENUE
• Remote and distraction-free
• Inspires focus on the task at hand and minimizes
distraction
• Has spaces that can create intimate and inclusive
environments

CITY
• Allows easy access to industry-specific speakers and
knowledge (“knowledge hub”)
• Is at the forefront of the industry or topic at hand
• Has a legacy of educational excellence
Educate
VENUE
• Provides flexibility of setup to create a unique educational
experience
• Provides breakout rooms for further discussion
• Has enough space for mental breaks

CITY
• Is at the forefront of the industry or topic at hand
• Shows beginnings of major innovation but still early
• Is emblematic of new beginnings and ways of thinking
• Connects to what you’re trying to create
Ideate
VENUE
• Will likely be a small space but shouldn’t feel stifling
• Is innovative enough to inspire ideation
• Is unique enough to encourage out-of-the-box thinking

CITY
• Is appealing enough to promote travel to the city
• Includes opportunity for a variety of authentic experiences
that can be enjoyed in groups
• Encourages people to stay out of their rooms where they
will be isolated
Network
VENUE
• Includes plenty of common space for co-mingling and
collision
• Is a conversation-starter
• Allows opportunity to personalize elements/spaces where
similar personas can connect based on preference

CITY
• Ties back to the organization or purpose at hand
• Gives the working team the opportunity to bond/relax in
off hours
• Encourages people to stay out of their rooms where they
will be isolated
Produce
VENUE
• Feels closed off from distraction or judgement
• Inspires focus on the task at hand and minimizes
distraction
• Lots of natural light; colorful interiors; modern
• Adaptable to the desired workshop

CITY
• Draws in/incentivizes sponsors
• Has a media presence that will extend reach
• Feels as fresh as the product or release being promoted
• Directly benefits from the product or release
Promote
VENUE
• Includes space for exhibition and/or demonstration
• Large screens + state-of-the-art AV
• Modern or newly renovated
• Promotes sharing on social media

The future of
Purposeful Selection

Convenience creates more opportunity for
creativity
Home sharing and self-driving cars will
open up mid-size cities to more and
more events by making convenience
and room blocks less of a factor.

The future of destination selection
Control over event scheduling could move
away from the organizer...
Would attendees decide a meeting’s
destination? Or perhaps an algorithm?

Where You Meet Matters - EMA 2019

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