Remember the adage “content is king”? Bill Gates made it famous in 1996, and 30 years later, plenty of meetings still follow it. However, the latest research from Freeman shows that content’s crown is looking pretty rusty. Skift Meetings’ Andrea Doyle unpacks the findings, which underscore the need to focus on creating unique spaces for unstructured time.
Speaking of unique spaces, this edition of The Stand-Up comes to you from Portland, Oregon where the organizing team at Destinations International hosted a never-been-done-before reception at Powell’s City of Books. Attendees had a chance to stroll through a rare book room — home to a $25,000 copy of the Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition — and take photos with two adorable alpacas in the city’s iconic literary destination. One of my fellow attendees summed up the energy with one simple truth: “It just feels so good to not be in a ballroom.” Whatever you’re planning next, don’t be afraid to step far out of your comfort zone.
DON’T MISS OUT
Skift Meetings Forum: Less Than Two Months Away
The best conversations happen off the agenda, and Skift Meetings Forum is built around them.
Spend September 22 at the Javits Center with senior planners and leaders from SXSW, Time, and Visit Austin, in a day of roundtables and floor conversation over ballroom keynotes.
FEATURED STORIES
Why Attendees Say the Best Learning Isn’t in the Session Room
by Andrea Doyle
New research from Freeman confirms what meeting planners have suspected for years: The agenda they spend months building isn’t where attendees are finding the most value.
Hyve Bets Big on AI With Triple Acquisition
by Andrea Doyle
Fresh off its own acquisition, Hyve is wasting no time executing its new owner’s growth-by-acquisition strategy — with AI as its first major expansion.
An Insider Look at the Business Events Industry
by Barbara Scofidio
Business events drive $1.3 trillion in direct spending, yet most people have never heard of the industry — or could tell you why it's called MICE.
WEBINAR
Women power the meetings industry — yet rarely run it. Join Skift Meetings for a candid look at the leadership gap, the barriers behind it, and what's changing. Register for the webinar now.
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Ottawa Tourism + Skift Meetings
By 2034, 80% of the workforce will be Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. Get the strategies top planners are using now to design events that deliver ROI across every generation.
SKIFT PICK: TRANSLATING TRAVEL TRENDS FOR MEETINGS
Why We All Need to Care About the Boring Charge on Our Hotel Bills
You know that dull line item on your hotel bill at check-out? It’s typically labeled occupancy tax or tourism assessment and buried under the resort fee, the parking charge, and whatever other miscellaneous fees go into the final tab. Skift’s Rafat Ali traced where it actually came from (1955 in Las Vegas), and more importantly, dug into the fight over who gets to control the proceeds.
That boring tax is the same pot of money that funds a lot of what fuels the industry: destination marketing budgets, meeting-space subsidies, and convention center debt payments. When mayors, tourism boards, and state legislatures start fighting over who controls that pot, the winner will impact whether a host city will actually have the incentive dollars or marketing muscle it's promising you today. Next time a destination sales team pitches you on great local support, it's worth asking which pot of money that support comes from, and how secure it really is.
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.
