1.
#MPINCCACE
Meetings in 2027:
Predictions for the Future of
the Hospitality Industry
Dan Berger
@danberger
Founder & CEO
Social Tables

2.
#MPINCCACE
Presenter-Audience Agreement
• You’re free to leave any time.
• Questions welcome whenever.
• Take as many photos and share as you please.
• Engage on social: @danberger | #MPINCCACE

3.
I am a participant.
I am a planner.
I am a supplier.

4.
120 employees
Raised $22.6 million
Founded in 2011

5.
The #1
software for
planners
and
properties
to
collaborate
online.

6.
4,229 customers creating
1.73 million events with
210 million participants

7.
I am a participant.
I am a planner.
I am a believer.
I am a supplier.

8.
We envision a world where face-
to-face events achieve great things
Sample of the 40+ awards Social Tables and its leadership have received.

9.
#MPINCCACE
MPINCC Annual Conference & Expo
2017Learning Objectives
● Develop insight into how our industry is performing.
● Check in on how far our industry has come thanks to technology.
● Review trend and subsequent predictions that will give you a
glimpse of what might be ahead.

10.
open_discussion
How would you describe the
health of our industry?

11.
#MPINCCACE
MPINCC Annual Conference & Expo
2017
Politics and Policies
A potential trade war and ongoing immigration issues will impact the global hospitality industry, hospitality leaders
believe.
Demand
Industry leaders believe corporate travel will bounce back in 2017 due to the stock market’s performance, “lessening
regulations on corporations, slashing their tax rates, and building up a more robust transportation infrastructure.”
This will contribute to an increase in ADR, which will increase RevPAR by an estimated 2.3%.
Supply
An increase in hotel room supply will marginally outpace growth in demand, resulting in a decline in occupancy to
65.3%. Airbnb remains a wildcard.
The State of Travel and Hospitality in 2017

12.
#MPINCCACE
MPINCC Annual Conference & Expo
2017The State of Group Business in 2017
The Overall Climate
We are still in a supplier market. Chains are reporting strong group booking toward the end of the year and
beyond but tepid short-term booking due to market and government uncertainty.
Budgets and attendance in 2016 grew from 2015 but at a slower pace. Exhibitors numbers grew in 2016 at a higher
clip than 2015 so more space was used.
The Biggest Challenge
Safety and security are top-of-mind for planners.
The Megatrend
Meetings and events are being festivilized.

13.
#MPINCCACE
MPINCC Annual Conference & Expo
2017Beyond 2017: A Recession on the Horizon
From 1945 to 2001, and 10 cycles, recessions lasted an average 10 months and expansions an
average of 57 months.
We’re currently on expansion month #91 and counting.
YEAR Economy
2008 Recession began
2009 Recession ended (1.5
years)
2018 Next projected
recession
2019 Expansion
2025 Projected end of an
expansion

14.
conclusion
Our industry and the
economy are both healthy so
we should be cautiously
optimistic.

15.
open_discussion
How has technology
impacted your job over the
last decade?

16.
Information Symmetry
Planners rely on their networks and online
research to learn about destinations before
speaking to sales reps.
Information Asymmetry
Planners used to rely on hotel sales
professionals for research and information.
Destination Sourcing
Pre-Event
#MPINCCACE

17.
Event Marketing
Permission Marketing
Marketers deliver anticipated, personal, and
relevant messages to people who actually want
to get them thanks to new advertising
technology.
Traditional Marketing
Marketers used to buy email lists, mail
invitations, and add everyone to their
newsletters.
#MPINCCACE
Pre-Event

18.
Networking
Online
Participants have access to fellow attendees and
technology matches people thanks to
algorithms.
On Site
People let serendipity and networking sessions
do all of the work.
Pre-Event
#MPINCCACE

19.
An Afterthought
There was no real software built for planners or
event goers.
Integrated
Planners think about what objectives they are
trying to achieve and use the technology that fits
best.
Technology
Pre-Event
#MPINCCACE

20.
Online Collaboration
Information is centralized online for efficient
stakeholder communication.
Offline Redundancy
Back-and-forth calls, emails, and faxes to
coordinate events and communicate changes.
Working Together
Pre-Event
#MPINCCACE

21.
Education
Participants
Speakers have a dialogue with participants. They
use technology to engage them and apply adult
learning best practices.
Attendees
Presenters spoke at attendees.
During EventPre-Event
#MPINCCACE

22.
Physically Attending
Attending in the Flesh
The only way to attend an event was to
physically be there.
Virtual Attendance
Live-streaming is free and is used to build future
attendance.
#MPINCCACE
During EventPre-Event

23.
Disseminating Information
The Mobile App
Real-time information is distributed digitally
through an app, social, and email.
The Event Guide
Information, including the schedule and attendee
list, was distributed through physical collateral.
#MPINCCACE
During EventPre-Event

24.
Event Lifespan
Events were Finite
The life of an event spanned was limited to its
allocated time.
Events are Evergreen
The lifespan of an event extends past its
allocated time. People connect and share online
afterwards.
Post-EventDuring EventPre-Event
#MPINCCACE

25.
Event ROI
ROI is Measurable
Events are considered a marketing product.
Their impact can be measured thanks to
software and hardware products.
ROI was an Unknown
Event and meeting spending went into a
marketing black hole.
#MPINCCACE
Post-EventDuring EventPre-Event

26.
Sharing Information
Information is Shared
Content is distributed far and wide by speakers.
It is amplified by participants through live
tweeting, live streaming, and social media
posting.
Information was Withheld
Content was held closely by speakers.
#MPINCCACE
Post-EventDuring EventPre-Event

27.
open_discussion
What are some of the ways
the industry will change in
the future?

28.
trend_alert
Industries are changing in
front of our eyes.

29.
The industry processes we
know today will be
obliterated.

30.
trend_alert
Events are getting a
makeover.

31.
The Annual Meeting will become endangered.

32.
Events will be reimagined
as festivals.

33.
trend_alert
Software is eating the world.

34.
Coordinating event logistics
will be automated.

35.
Artificial intelligence will make
events better for everyone.

36.
We won’t be able to tell the difference
between real and virtual events.

37.
Complex productions will be
cheaper and easier to organize.

38.
Most group business will be booked online.

39.
There will be fewer site visits
and site inspections.

40.
Hotel sales people will become
value-added meeting consultants.

41.
A new computing platform will
change the way we experience meetings.

42.
Event apps will no longer exists.

43.
Serendipity will be less successful
than algorithms.

44.
trend_alert
Organizations are getting
better at collecting and
using data.

45.
There will be more events,
with bigger budgets.

46.
Event Professionals will join Executive Teams.

47.
The room block will play second fiddle to
economic impact.

48.
A governing body for the meetings industry
will emerge.

49.
trend_alert
Hotel operators are more
focused on margins than
ever before.

50.
The hospitality industry will be more
profitable than ever.

51.
Technology will be an integrated part of the
convention service team’s offerings.

52.
trend_alert
Homesharing is mainstream.

53.
@danberger | #MPIMICHAPTER
Hotels will do mostly group business.

54.
trend_alert
Robotic capabilities are
evolving.

55.
Robotics will be used in facility operations.

56.
The best photographers will know how to fly.

57.
trend_alert
The middle class is growing
as travel is becoming easier.

58.
Second tier cities will become
premier destinations.

59.
The “Golden Age of Travel” will continue.

60.
Connecting | Q&A
email: dan@socialtables.com
twitter: @danberger
snapchat: @danjberger
if you give me
your card, I
can send you
the slides!