1.
The Future of Event Tech:
Preparing You for 2018 & Beyond!
Dan Berger
Founder, CEO
Social Tables

2.
About Social Tables
Nearly 300 events have been hosted at STHQ (pictured) since it opened in December 2016.
● More than $22mm raised from top-tier investors.
● Approximately 5,000 customers.
● Over 3 million successful events executed.
● 93% customer retention rate.
● Over 100 Tablers.

3.
Face-to-face interactions
must be successful.
We are connecting the hospitality
industry through effortless event
planning to get there.

4.
Group Sales
Group Distribution
Event Services
Event Execution
An End-to-End Group Sales & Service Platform for
Hotels & Venues to Increase Revenue and Drive Loyalty
@danberger | #techsytalk

5.
A Suite of Free Products for
Event & Meeting Professionals
@danberger | #techsytalk
Accurate Diagramming Seating Charts & Check-In
Sourcing & Discovery at
search.socialtables.com

6.
Trends to watch for
#eventprofs

7.
Machines can do many physical things that humans do.
@danberger | #techsytalk
Source: Where machines could replace humans—and where they can’t (yet).
McKinsey.

8.
Machines can understand us as well as we can.
@danberger | #techsytalkSource: Internet Trends 2017 Report. Meeker, Mary.

9.
Event tech will
leverage the closing
gap between human
abilities and those of
machines.
Takeaway
@danberger | #techsytalk

10.
Investments are a leading indicator of what’s ahead.
@danberger | #techsytalkSource: BI Intelligence, CBInsights
Investments in Artificial Intelligence

11.
Takeaway
Tomorrow’s event
tech will be built on
technologies and
platforms that are
currently not
mainstream.
@danberger | #techsytalk

12.
Source: Pitchbook
Tech acquisitions have been increasing for the past
decade.
@danberger | #techsytalk

13.
There are not many event tech companies today.
IPO Date 2011 2013 1999 ??
Buyout Date 2013 2016
@danberger | #techsytalkSource: CrunchBase

14.
● A vertical market is one in which all of
your customers are in one particular
industry.
● A horizontal market is one in which all of
your customers use your product to do
the same thing, regardless of industry.
● The events industry uses a mix of vertical
software (registration, project
management) and horizontal software
(audience response, apps).
Events are neither horizontal nor vertical.
@danberger | #techsytalk

15.
Event tech will either
consolidate (one big
platform) or stay
highly fragmented
(many little products).
Takeaway
@danberger | #techsytalk

16.
Event tech has not been thoughtful about opportunities.
@danberger | #techsytalk
Source: Economic Significance of Meetings to the US Economy (2018). Events
Industry Council | Oxford Economics

17.
Event Tech will follow
industry spending
patterns and focus on
the highest grossing
categories: F&B and
A/V.
Takeaway
@danberger | #techsytalk

18.
Takeaway
@danberger | #techsytalk
Large vendors will
start offering Event
Tech to grow revenues
and differentiate.

19.
Intermediaries dominate the group segment.
@danberger | #techsytalk
Percent of group rooms revenue that is
intermediated by third parties
Source: Kalibri Labs | U.S. Groups and Meetings | SPECIAL REPORT 2018

20.
There will be
on-demand event
booking technology to
drive down costs &
enhance service.
Takeaway
@danberger | #techsytalk

21.
Case Study: The Farmer
@danberger | #techsytalk
Source: How to Win with Automation (Hint: It’s Not Chasing Efficiency);
Wikipedia
● In 1900, the U.S. had 30 mm farmers.
● In 1990, there were under 3 million ...even
as the population tripled.
● 90% of American agriculture workers lost
their jobs, mostly due to automation.
● Yet somehow, the 20th century was an
era of unprecedented prosperity.

22.
Automation vs. Augmentation
@danberger | #techsytalkSource: Beyond Automation, HBR, 2015
Automation
● Starts with a baseline of what a
human can do.
● Deploys computers to chip
away at these tasks.
Augmentation
● Starts with what humans do
today.
● Figures out how that work
could be deepened with
technology.

23.
Automation + Augmentation =
Human-centered Automation
Reframing the automation conversation
@danberger | #techsytalk
The use of automation to enhance
the capabilities of humans... and
compensate for the limitations of
human operators.

24.
Redesigning modern jobs for the future
@danberger | #techsytalkSource: How to Win with Automation (Hint: It’s Not Chasing Efficiency)
● Doctors can have the world’s medical
knowledge at their fingertips.
● They can use technology to help them be
more effective by augmenting their work;
and
● Devote more of their mental energy to
understand the patient as a person, not a
diagnosis.

25.
What do redesigned jobs look like in our industry?
@danberger | #techsytalk
AV techs Learning partners
Caterers Experience curators
Event planners Business event strategists
Hotel sales people Meeting consultants

26.
The jobs in our
industry will be
redesigned around
technology.
Takeaway
@danberger | #techsytalk

27.
Soft skills become more indispensable over time.
@danberger | #techsytalkSource: Automation Will Make Us Rethink What a “Job” Really Is

28.
Takeaway
Despite technological
advances, events will
realize the most value
from human beings.
@danberger | #techsytalk

29.
Create better events, together.
Get in touch >> dan@socialtables.com
Give me your card >> slides in your inbox