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A Look to the Future,
by Timothy Schneider,
Publisher, Association News
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Los
Angeles, CA – January 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / As we begin the new
year and the second half of the decade, we are also entering an exciting
time for associations. With new generations continuing to join the workforce
and the rise of social media, associations have been forced to rethink
their strategies for continued growth. Savvy association executives have
learned to embrace social media as a communications tool and adopt innovative
technologies, particularly around the conventions and trade shows they
organize (see also the “Association Doctor” column starting on page
14).
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 For
association executives, staying apprised of the latest trends in meeting
and event planning has become a survival skill. At its annual meeting last
month in Los Angeles, the International Association of Exhibitions and
Events released the findings of a task force it created to identify the
major trends impacting trade shows. Here are some findings of particular
interest to associations:
“Big
data” is here to stay. Association executives should embrace new methods
of capturing data, which can be applied to the planning of trade shows
and other association events. The use of big data and the ever-increasing
capability for capturing data, however, require comprehensive advance planning.
Key steps in creating a data plan include determining what kinds of data
to gather, how to interpret the data and how to integrate the findings
into the association’s overall or event-specific operational plan.
Appealing
to non-attendees. Today’s technology allows a virtual audience to “attend”
a live presentation or a trade show without ever leaving their offices.
For an association, adopting virtual technology may be a way to better
serve its membership. According to IAEE, it also represents an opportunity
that can be monetized in a variety of ways.
Improve
the attendee experience. Associations must recognize the need to measure
the attendee’s experience as part of evaluating the success of the
show for both attendees and exhibitors. As technology and social media
evolve, the in-person, face-to-face exhibition experience must also evolve
and associations must look to find the tools and techniques that can be
used to increase engagement and enrich the on-site experience.
As
we go about the process of planning the events and trade shows our company
produces, that final finding is the one upon which we place the greatest
emphasis. Indeed, moving from producing events to producing experiences
has helped differentiate our Meetings
Quest trade show series in the overcrowded marketplace of events for
meeting planners. We invite you to experience this difference at Meetings
Quest in Providence, Rhode Island, April 21–22.
For
more information on registering for Meetings Quest in Providence, please
see the ad on page
23, visit MeetingsQuest.com
or call toll-free 877-577-3700. And watch this space for additional details
as we bring the Meetings Quest experience to Oakland, California, and Bloomington,
Minnesota.
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 Timothy
Schneider is the publisher of Association
News and SportsTravel
magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating
106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider
Publishing also organizes Meetings
Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting
planners, and the TEAMS Conference
& Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers.
TEAMS '15 is being held in Las Vegas, November 9–12, 2015. For further
information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free
877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.
The
current issue of Association
News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking
here.
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Media
Contact:
Timothy
Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider
Publishing Company, Inc. |
