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PCMA LinkedIn: Trendspotting Holly Fletcher, event services representa- tive for Experience Kissimmee in Kis- simmee, Fla., asked members of PCMA’s LinkedIn group for their input on upcom- ing trends in the meetings and events industry. “I would love your thoughts,” Fletcher wrote. “I am looking for food, decor, linens, AV, centerpieces, etc. Are food trucks still big or phasing out, etc.?” Here are some of the responses:
One thing I’m noticing is that more events are offering healthier food items. In particular, the old “pastries, rolls, and donuts” continental breakfast is a killer for anyone watching carbs. Or gluten, too, I suppose, which seems to be increasingly important. I often end up spending $20 for an overpriced hotel breakfast if I know the included event breakfast will have no protein options. Lately, I’ve been seeing more events offer yogurt (still not much protein and quite a bit of sugar) or a simple tray of scrambled eggs. I know adding eggs ratchets up the cost, but I’m sure many attendees appreciate it.
Roger Dooley, President, Dooley Direct
Trends is such a big topic, and what is a trend to one audience may be old hat to another. [That said …] Food: I love these comments as we
have been speaking on [brain]-friendly food at meetings for two years, and see- ing healthier shifts is awesome. Technology: digital mapping, virtual
environments, hybrid meetings, smart use of mobile — bring it on! Decor: It’s now about environment
and creating spaces for people to connect. Gamification: Social gaming for
engagement is changing the opportuni- ties for creating learning and increas- ing networking positively (convn.org/ tahira-games). The great thing about events is there will always, always be a next. Have fun
trendhunting (bizbash.com andtrend- hunter.com are the best two resources).
Tahira Endean, CMP, Director, Creative and Production, Cantrav Services
It certainly looks like food trucks are a “movement” that has staying power. However, if you are planning on using food trucks, make sure you taste the foods being offered and have some seri- ous conversations about the number
of people they can comfortably serve in a set period of time. Also, most food trucks have fairly rigid routines (routes they follow, specific sites at specific times of day), so they may be difficult to pin down for daytime events. Finally, make sure you have the appropriate trucks to satisfy the dietary needs of your attendees.
Jack O’Brien, Principal at Manask & Associates, Manask Hospitality Group
From Convene’s blog For more on the meetings industry, visit our blog at pcmaconvene.com.
5 CROWDSOURCED APPS In July, Assistant Editor Katie Kervin attended MPI’s World Education Congress in Las Vegas, where she sat in on the session “Peer-to-Peer Apps: What Are Your Industry Col- leagues Using to Communicate with Each Other?,” led by James Spellos, technology educator, former meeting planner, and president of Meeting U. Spellos asked attendees to pass a
mike around the room and tell the group which apps they used profes- sionally (and some personally) on a regular basis. From a list of more than 65 apps, here are five standouts:
MagicPlan (Free; iPhone/iPad) MagicPlan is an app that measures rooms and creates floor plans from photos taken from a mobile device.
Speedtest.net (Free; iPhone/iPad and Android) One of several apps available that test Internet speeds and connec- tion, speedtest.net is able to check net- work speeds in less than 30 seconds and provides a real-time graph to show the consistency of the connection.
Presentation Clock ($0.99; iPhone/ iPad and Android) An app for speaker time management, the clock
changes (from green to yellow to red) at designated times.
Check In Easy (Free–$1,899; iPhone/ iPad and Android) This registration app allows planners to upload Excel attendee lists and automatically creates a guest list and allows for on-site check-in for events of up to 20,000 guests.
Teleprompt+ ($14.99; iPad) Compat- ible only with the iPad, speakers can write scripts directly in the app, or import from programs like Dropbox, Google Drive, or email. It allows the user to customize aspects like scroll- ing speed and timer display.
Read the full post at convn.org/wec-apps.
SEPTEMBER 2013 PCMA CONVENE 7