Trends - PCMA column
TRENDS THAT ARE CHANGING MEETING DESIGN Author: Barbara Palmer, Convene, Deputy Editor When Marriott International and the PCMA Foundation joined together to update research on the trends that can be expected to transform meetings and events in the future, they made the decision to look everywhere except within the industry. “We knew if we were going to do this right, we could not do it internally,” said Tammy Routh, senior vice president for global sales at Marriott International, who introduced a session at PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 in Pittsburgh in January, where the results of the report, “The Future of Meetings and Events,” were released. “You can’t just get the same people who live and breathe events doing this or you will get the same stuff,” Routh said. For the research, Marriott and the PCMA Foundation worked with New York City–based global consultancy firm Fahrenheit 212, where Kate Fairweather works as an innovation consultant. Her research, along with input from additional thought leaders, was synthesized into five trends and applied to business events.
“These five trends are consumer and market forces that are here to stay,” Fairweather said. Here’s a look at the five trends. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Business events will need to move past reactive adjustments to adopt a proactive approach to personalised experiences, understanding the needs of participants before they arrive. ORCHESTRATED SERENDIPITY Experiences must embrace freedom and surprise, freeing consumers from the constant constraint of schedules and agendas. By embracing the unexpected, we can engage participants and leave a lasting impression.
BIGGER THAN ONESELF You can’t just provide content anymore. Every event must have a message. Participants want to understand what’s important to a business, and experience events that deliver that message down to the smallest detail. SENSE OF PLACE The most memorable events celebrate the local surroundings, enriching visitors, exposing them to the local culture, and connecting them with the community to increase engagement. For more about the trends, go to: www.pcma.org/sense-place-traveltrend-changing-event-design
MULTIMODAL DESIGN Every event has a unique objective and audience, and a space must reflect each event’s specific personality and needs. Space is critical to any event and should be designed to adapt to the ways that participants will engage.
ON ERASMUS February for Erasmus S.A. was full of colours, flavours and feelings in Kyoto, Singapore, and Athens!
Colourful dish in Singapore
Erasmus’ first assignment in Kyoto
Erasmus party 2019 in Athens
PCO | March 2019
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