Dan BergerCEOSocial Tables

Trends to Watch and Strategies for Success

The Meeting Professional of the Future:

● You’re free to leave any time.

● Questions welcome whenever.

● Take as many photos and share as you please.

● Engage on social: @danberger | #CS2017

Presenter-Audience Agreement

120 employees

Raised $22.6 million

Founded in 2011

The #1 software for planners and properties to collaborate online.

4,229 customers creating

1.73 million events with

210 million participants

We envision a world where face-to-face events achieve great things

Sample of the 40+ awards Social Tables and its leadership have received.

● Develop insight into how our industry is performing.

● Review trends, predictions, and strategies for what’s ahead and how you can be successful.

● Identify ways you can invest in your career now.

Learning Objectives

open_discussion

How would you describe the health of our industry?

Politics and PoliciesA potential trade war and ongoing immigration issues will impact the global hospitality industry, hospitality leaders believe.

DemandIndustry leaders believe corporate travel will bounce back in 2017 due to the stock market’s performance, “lessening regulations on corporations, slashing their tax rates, and building up a more robust transportation infrastructure.” This will contribute to an increase in ADR, which will increase RevPAR by an estimated 2.3%.

SupplyAn increase in hotel room supply will marginally outpace growth in demand, resulting in a decline in occupancy to 65.3%. Airbnb remains a wildcard.

Airbnb continues to grow and just raised $1bn. They were profitable in 2H 2016.

The State of Travel and Hospitality in 2017

Source: Hotels Mag, MeetingsNet, CNBC, PwC, internal reports.

The Overall ClimateWe are still in a supplier market. Chains are reporting strong group booking toward the end of the year and beyond but tepid short-term booking due to market and government uncertainty.

Budgets and attendance in 2016 grew from 2015 but at a slower pace. Exhibitor numbers grew in 2016 at a higher clip than 2015 so more space was used.

The Biggest ChallengeSafety and security are top-of-mind for planners.

The State of Group Business in 2017

Source: Hotels Mag, MeetingsNet, CNBC, PwC, internal reports.

From 1945 to 2001, and 10 cycles, recessions lasted an average 10 months and expansions an average of 57 months.

We’re currently on expansion month #91 and counting.

Year The Economy

2008 Recession began

2009 Recession ended (1.5 years)

2018 Next projected recession

2019 Expansion

2025 Projected end of an expansion

Beyond 2017: A Recession on the Horizon

Source: Wikipedia

conclusion

Our industry and the economy are both healthy so we should be cautiously optimistic.

open_discussion

What are some of the ways the industry will change in the future?

trend_alert

Industries are changing in front of our eyes.

The industry processes we know today will be obliterated.

take_action

Stay alert of what’s happening around you.

trend_alert

Events are getting a makeover.

The Annual Meeting will become endangered.

Events will be reimagined as festivals.

take_action

Look at consumer shows and events for inspiration.

trend_alert

Software is eating the world.

Coordinating event logistics will be automated.

Artificial intelligence will make events better for everyone.

We won’t be able to tell the difference between real and virtual events.

Complex productions will be cheaper and easier to organize.

Most group business will be booked online.

There will be fewer site visits and site inspections.

Venue sales people will become value-added meeting consultants.

A new computing platform will change the way we experience meetings.

Event apps will no longer exists.

Serendipity will be less successful than algorithms.

take_action

Experiment with new technology, even if it scares you.

trend_alert

Organizations are getting better at collecting and using data.

There will be more events,with bigger budgets.

Event Professionals will join Executive Teams.

The room block will play second fiddle to economic impact.

A governing body for the meetings industry will emerge.

take_action

Get comfortable with numbers and use them to show results.

trend_alert

Hotel operators are more focused on margins than ever before.

The hospitality industry will be moreprofitable than ever.

Technology will be an integrated part of the convention service team’s offerings.

take_action

Understand your suppliers’ financials to help them make more money.

trend_alert

Robotic capabilities are evolving.

Robotics will be used in facility operations.

The best photographers will know how to fly.

take_action

Reframe automation as an opportunity for augmentation.

trend_alert

Travel is becoming easier and less painful.

Second tier cities will become premier meeting destinations.

The “Golden Age of Travel” will continue.

take_action

Understand the economic tides to unearth opportunity.

open_discussion

What are you doing to keep driving your career forward?

The 5 Career Choices You Can Make Right Now

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Step Up

Adapted from Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015

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Step Aside

Adapted from Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015

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Step In

Adapted from Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015

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Step Narrowly

Adapted from Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015

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Step Forward

Adapted from Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015

Q&A

Connecting | Q&A