Remember the colossal failure of the 2014 launch of Google Glass? I do. I even remember talking with one person at an annual convention around the time, watching their eyes looking up and away to read notifications. The conversation didn’t last long.
More than a decade later, however, smart glasses are back, and they’re actually catching on. Shipments of the wearable tech are expected to reach 13.6 million this year and double by 2030, according to projections from IDC. This time around, awkward conversations are the least of our worries. Skift Meetings’ Barbara Scofidio reports that the glasses — which have workarounds that allow a user to covertly record — are creating serious privacy concerns for meeting planners, some of whom have already updated their policies to ban attendees from wearing them.
Head below for the full story, along with a look at why burnout and mental health issues are chasing planners away from the industry. — David McMillin
PS. We are officially less than five weeks away from Skift Meetings Forum. Hope to see you in New York.
DON’T MISS OUT
The planners writing smart-glasses policy this quarter are the ones who saw the privacy problem before it walked into their room. That instinct, staying ahead of the tech reshaping events, is what the Forum is built around.
On September 22 at NYC's Javits Center, event leaders from FIFA World Cup 26, SXSW, Time, and Marriott Bonvoy work through the questions setting the industry's next rulebook, from covert recording to AI-driven fraud.
FEATURED STORIES
Why Event Planners Are Walking Away From Jobs They Love
by Barbara Scofidio
The events industry attracts people who love their jobs — and companies have learned to treat that love as a substitute for pay, staffing, and sleep.
As AI Takes Over, Emotional Intelligence Gets More Valuable
by David McMillin
As AI absorbs the busywork, the event professionals who can calm a furious sponsor or close a deal face-to-face are becoming the harder-to-replace half of the team.
Should Meta Glasses Be Banned at Meetings?
by Barbara Scofidio
The confidentiality clauses meeting planners have historically relied on were written for smartphones and badge policies. Nobody drafted them for a device that can be covertly recording.
WORTH YOUR TIME
Five things worth your time today.
Revisit our rundown of the most powerful leaders in the meetings industry (and look out for an updated list next month).
Learn why the hotel-tax funding model for DMOs creates challenges for supporting incentive planners.
See why the best incentive experiences are no longer built solely on luxury.**
Get to know the woman who is working to connect the events industry to millions of job seekers.
Compare your registration cancellation policy with the language 10 other associations are using.
** A sponsored message from ITA Group.
SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS
Delta Is Betting on Austin. It’s Another Sign of the City’s Rising Convention Status.
Delta is quietly building toward a new hub in Austin — 100 flight attendants based there, 15 gates secured, another lounge opening, and nonstop service to Paris launching in March 2027. CEO Ed Bastian told a podcast this week he wants Delta "bigger" in both Austin and San Antonio, markets that let it grow without going head-to-head with American's Dallas-Fort Worth hub or United's Houston hub.
That air-service bet is landing at the same time Austin is pouring more than a billion dollars into its own convention center, expanding it to roughly 620,000 rentable square feet. Put the two trend lines together and Austin looks like a legitimate future-tier meetings destination: more gates, more lounges, and a convention center that will hold a lot more people by the time it's done. If you're doing multi-year site selection and haven't put Austin on your shortlist for a 2029-or-later citywide, this is worth a second look. Just build in some patience, since both the hub buildout and the convention center expansion are still years from being complete. Delays — in the airline business and in the city-funded convention center world — can happen.
Great events are built on strategy, innovation, and the right resources. The Skift Meetings Toolkit is your go-to hub for best practices in managing meetings and events.
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