When I read
about event trends there is a lot of talk about co-creation, audience
involvement, peer-to-peer sessions, whitespace, unconference sessions, sharing
of ideas and so on.
I wonder: how do we all feel about this trend? For sure it
sounds great to have visitors and exhibitors a say in the way the event evolves,
but how about the goals and strategies of the organizers? Are they ready to
share their ideas about growth, development, content and formats? It will be
hard to let go of the driver’s seat….
However, if
the meetings industry does not give more stakeholders a voice in its
development, it might end up empty handed. It is not about the brands we
create, but about the opinion others have about our brands. An opinion that
used to be hidden in post-event surveys, and now is shared on social media for
all to see. Real-time, as the event takes place. It’s up to the event to turn
this into a true conversation – and embrace the invitation to build the future ….
together.
Just this
week the company that I work for, RAI Amsterdam, started to let go – a little
bit.
We started
a blog on our website that will enable a lot of RAI employees (chef, event supervisor,
sales manager, marketeer, CEO , and more) to share their own thoughts on aspects
of the meetings industry. A brave idea that will, hopefully, turn out to be a
multi-facetted view of the world of events. Written from an organizer/venue
perspective maybe, but always with an open invitation to all stakeholders to
join in our conversation. And co-create.
Scary? Maybe.
Interesting? For sure. New discussions? I hope so. To be honest…I can’t wait!
(I kicked
off the series, my first official blogpost can be found here: http://bit.ly/1LmpZ8P . About trends, what else? :-) )
