time to get back in the room
It’s official. Conferences are back. As summer moves into full swing, so does our calendar.
In the last month alone, we’ve had Milken in LA, Davos in Switzerland, a virtual UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, and The Social Innovation Summit in DC. And before July, we still have Cannes Lions, Nexus Summit in NYC, and so many more. After two years of remote work, it’s surreal to navigate a room filled with hundreds of people asking ’what do you do?’ again.
I really enjoy a good conference. I love staying up late discussing ideas and solutions; reconnecting with old friends and colleagues that live on the other side of the world. We take for granted that a summit asks us to step away from the everyday bubble of our lives to be fully present for an undistracted two and half days. I’ve missed that!
And for those of you who have seen Hamilton, you know what I mean when I say being ‘in the room where it happens’ matters.
It’s those ‘who is in the room’ moments when a stranger becomes a new collaborator. And it’s those collaborators that make the trip, the time, the email backlog, the little sleep worthwhile.
The best part is all those people, and ideas, and inspirations come home with you as fuel to take back to the grind.
And yet, I can’t help but look around the room and ask – how can we do this better? As we reinvent the world around us post-pandemic, I’m left wondering… why not this space too?
Natalie
WHAT THE FRIDAY!
We can’t deny that being in the room at places with limitless relationship capital like Davos and Milken has led to many break-throughs and large-scale global initiatives; and yet, I really think there is a way to do this better. What I keep asking is - what should the “new world” of gatherings for business and thought leadership look like? How do we prioritize producing an event that feels aligned with the values that are being discussed? There is nothing more awkward than discussing poverty over caviar, guinea fowl, and glasses of champagne. Want vegan? Enjoy a side of peas and carrots. Even more cringe-worthy, is going to a fundraising event and being hit with an overly theatrical, sponsored production that’s worthy of the Superbowl halftime show. Below is a leaked menu we obtained for upcoming climate summit.
Can we move back into the ‘rooms where it happens’ to connect, learn and collaborate in person, AND also modernize the platform to move away from the corporate congratulations sponsorship model? Yes, but to do so, we have to make it about the people and the content. Trust me, no one really needs those over-the-top expensive build outs that make you feel like you are walking through a ‘shopping mall’ of brands patting themselves on the back. We are all there for the relationship capital. The real connections, content that challenges us, and unique opportunities to move our businesses and ideas forward - let’s just focus on that.
dive deeper into the numbers
Back in 2018, before the pandemic, the global events industry was expected to be worth $1.1 trillion. The industry is now predicted to grow to $2.3 trillion by 2026, according to Allied Market Research.
In a Bizzabo survey, 95% of marketers believe that in-person events can have a major impact on achieving business goals and 85% of those in leadership roles think in -person event are critical for a company's success.
In this Report, Nature Communications says that adapting to virtual and hybrid conferences are an effective climate change mitigation strategy. Their research states that “the carbon footprint per event participant reaches up to 3000 kg CO2 suggesting that the global event industry’s annual carbon footprint nearly reaches the yearly GHG emissions of the entire United States, responsible for more than 10% of global CO2 emissions. Moving towards a hybrid model reduces this by 94%.”
my advice: If you’re a brand, choose to be an active partner.
what do I mean: Next time you are asked to give money to have your logo at an event, dig deeper into how your company might be able to use this opportunity to share your ‘why’ for being there.
We can’t deny the need to get the people who are in charge into the same room. At the end of the day, that’s how shit happens. But let’s do it in a way that feels authentic and speaks to the core values of a brand. Showcase purpose-driven thought leadership that only you, and your company, can own. And do it in a way that inspires the rest of the room to follow suit.
want to do better?
1. Lead a roundtable or breakout room discussion to dive into a topic that has deep ties to you and your brand. This will attract other attendees who work in the same field and give you a chance to brainstorm and even build a bridge to future partnerships.
2. Commit to participating in more authentic speaking opportunities that include experts from science, academia, or non-profits on the front lines. Ditch things that feel overly promotional like sponsored awards.
3. Curate a dinner with a thoughtful list of attendees and devise a call-to-action for the room so when they go home, they know what 2 to 3 things they can do to help activate your work. This will give you a chance to meet other value-oriented leaders in attendance, and often have more productive and personal discussions.
*Bonus Tip - If you’re an organizer, host a genuinely diverse room. Bring people together who don’t circulate the same rooms, go to the same events, or follow each other on Twitter. Reach out to the people who have been most impacted by the issues that you’re discussing - climate change, gun violence, gender inequality and take care of them as you would A-list talent. Invite activists and people from the opposing viewpoint. This is an opportunity to bring CEOs, thought-leaders, investors, consumers, advocates, and the most marginalized communities under one roof.
something cool
Remember a few years ago when Pokemon-Go took the world by storm? Well…one of my favorite street artists, Invader, has adapted that idea for the art world with a new app FlashInvaders that encourages you to ‘hunt’ for street art, gaining points for new pieces you see and photograph.
why we think it should be on your radar:
We love that what started as a ‘street-art revolt against tech’ has, amusingly and somewhat ironically, appropriated AR as a means of encouraging people to get back out in the real world. With 223,000 users and more than 1,000 new users coming onto the platform a week, we have a feeling the app will transform the way we engage with art for decades to come. Talk about the blank space! Flashinvaders combines art, tech, travel and gaming to inspire the next gen of creatives.
WATCH THIS blank space!
This week did a thing make you say ‘What the Eff’ is happening in the world? Did ‘Something Cool’ cross your desk we should know about? Drop a line. We would love to hear from you, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or to share impact initiatives in the works. We live for this stuff!