As presented by Howard Givner, US MD of Grass Roots Meetings & Events, at Connect Marketplace in August 2017. If you'd like to discuss how to apply any of these concepts to your upcoming event, please email us; we're happy to help. About Grass Roots Grass Roots operate Meetings & Events services from key locations in London, New York, Dusseldorf, Zurich and Singapore. As specialists in strategic meetings management, attendee management and event services, they work with three of the Big Four professional services firms; nine of the top 15 investment banks and many other global organizations. Grass Roots Meetings & Events manage over $190m worth of meeting spend, drive compliance within organizations and focus on improving the performance of meetings and events programs. Visit https://grassroots.events

1. Disruptions Facing the Meetings &
Events Industry
Howard Givner
Managing Director, Head of Americas
Grass Roots Meetings & Events

2. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Overview
2
1. Defining disruption.
2. Why people/companies get disrupted.
3. Types of disruption facing our industry:
a. Economics
b. Politics/security
c. Technology
d. Experiential
4. Questions?

3. Defining Disruptions
3
Innovations • Trends • Opportunities • Threats

4. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
What Is Disruption?
4
1. Innovation vs. Disruption
2. ‘Disruptive Innovation’
3. Does not have to be tech-driven

5. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 5
1. The disruption was their
distribution model
2. Explosion of ‘Innovation Labs’ so
big companies can create their
own disruption.
Unilever Pays $1Billion for Dollar Shave Club

6. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Cool Tech. But Is It Disruptive?
6

7. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
What Impact Will A Trend/Change Have On?
7
1. Meetings industry
2. My company
3. My company’s industry
4. My job

8. Why People/Companies
Get Disrupted
8

9. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Tweetable Tip
9
People & companies get disrupted for 1 of
2 reasons: Failure of imagination, or
Lack of guts. @hgivner

10. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 10
See it coming?
Screwed
Think it will have
impact?
Yes
No
Willing to
cannibalize
existing business?
Saved
Yes
No Yes
No
Failure of Imagination No Guts

11. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 11
No Keyboard? Good Luck!

12. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 12
Blockbuster passes up
opportunity to buy Netflix
for $50 million in 2000.
Netflix is now $58 billion.
Blockbuster is gone.
Streaming? Who Needs Streaming?

13. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
The Sony iPod that Wasn’t
13
+ =

14. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Identifying New Opportunities
1. Which industry standard features should be:
a. Raised
b. Reduced
c. Created
d. Eliminated
2. Result: open waters, less competition
14

15. Business & Economics
19

16. Politics & Security
41

17. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 42
Of concern to us would be questions
around immigration and trade, and
whether those get communicated in a
way that translates into ‘You’re not
welcome to come into the United
States’
A rise in nationalism threatens the ability
of people to move around the world.
Arne Sorenson, CEO
Marriott International

18. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 43
Source: Bloomberg

19. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Laptops & Tablets Ban
44

20. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Impact So Far
Emirates cuts US-bound flights
due to weakened demand.
• Boston, Seattle, LA: 2 >1 daily
• Orlando/FLL 7 > 5 weekly
• 25 total fewer flights / week
45

21. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Impact So Far
NYC & Co.: 400k increase > 300k decrease
46
InternaJonal Visitors to NYC, in Millions
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
10.6
10.9
11.5
12
12.3
12.7
12.4
10.6
10.9
11.5
12
12.3
12.7
13.1

22. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Security & Guns
47
States with Open Carry of Handguns (with permit) 15
States with Open Carry of Handguns (no permit) 31
States with Open Carry of Long Guns 44

23. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Discriminatory State/Local Laws
1. ‘Bathroom Bills’ (privacy/security driven)
a. North Carolina
b. Texas
2. Religious Freedom Laws
a. Indiana
b. Tennessee
3. Advocacy: Let state reps know how bills affect your biz
48

24. Technology
49

25. Experiential
66

26. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Growth in Online Learning
What can we do better in person
than online?
• More engaging, interactive
content delivery.
• Facilitating human
connections.
• Create an ‘experience’
67

27. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Festivalization of Events
68
1. Conferences
2. Labs
3. Hackathons
4. Pitch contests
5. Concerts
6. Masterclasses
7. Curated one-on-ones

28. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Facilitated Micro-Networking
69

29. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Segmented Micro-Communities
1. Who went to which breakout
2. Who went to which booth
3. Watch privacy of date
70

30. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Wellness / Mindfulness
1.Companies are more
focused on wellness:
meditation, yoga, downtime.
2.Opportunity: Position
meetings as a way to ‘get
away’ / ‘recharge’.
71
Dreamforce

31. Adaptive Content Delivery & Insights
72

32. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Micro-Content Feedback
73

33. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Flash Learning Sessions
74
Flash Micro-Session:
‘Snapchat Filters’. Meet at the
bookstore lounge. 3:45-4:00

34. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner 75

35. @GrassRootsM&E_USA @hgivner
Audience-Curated Q&A
1.Speakers focus on questions
with broadest impact.
2.Organizers see areas of
greatest interest.
76

36. Questions?
77
@GrassRootsM&E_USA
@hgivner
howard.Givner@grg.com