AIPC
Looking ahead
AIPC ’ S CEO , SVEN BOSSU HIGHLIGHTS THREE TRENDS LIKELY TO IMPACT THE VENUE SCENE IN 2024
E very year I scroll through all the different list of “ things to watch out for in 2024 ” and this year is no exception . And 2024 promises to be an interesting year by the looks of it . Of a total of 27 unique trends found , I would like to highlight three which will / are impacting the AIPC community .
Number One is uncertainty . It is a topic which has been discussed at the AIPC Board of directors and it is a recurring theme when our members get together : planners seem to have difficulties in planning . More and more , delegates register a couple of days before the event takes place . In some cases , this amounts to 50 % of the available seats . Obviously , this puts a lot of stress on the venues who are no longer in control of their business .
One way of addressing this issue is the approach taken by Bella Center in Copenhagen . During the 2023 Operations Summit , Lars Morratz , director of yield management , explained their pricing mechanism which stimulates organisers to book services as early as possible . This is combined with a very intense communication campaign to ensure that all parties are perfectly aware of this mechanism . The result is three-fold : the venue regained control of its margin , stress levels with the staff have been reduced , and clients – after initial pushback – show understanding for the situation and are more grateful in case of leniency .
Above : Sven Bossu
PHOTO : MAURITS VAN DER SLUIS
“ The Number One trend for 2024 is uncertainty .”
The second one is accessibility , both digital and physical . At the same event , Darby Lee Young of Level Playing Field – one of Canada ’ s Top 40 under 40 and a former para-alpine skier – explained that accessibility goes way beyond putting ramps in place . It is really about making sure that the same experience is offered to all delegates . This involves proper ( multilingual ) signage , appropriate lighting , etc . While some of the examples she gave on things being done in the wrong way were truly hilarious ( when clearing the venue entrance from snow , the parking for disabled persons seems to be the best place to put it , as it is larger and close to the entrance ), it demonstrated that there is still a long way to go . Early planning and continuous engagement with the only community you can choose to join is a key success factor .
The third and final one is to use of technology to leverage resources . While stabilised , staff shortage is still a challenge for venues and technology can help to increase efficiency and take away workload from the teams . AI is likely to play an important role in making this happen in areas such as sales and finance and sometimes it is worthwhile to look at other industries to get inspired . Laser projections solution used in the automotive industry project the target positions of parts directly on the vehicle surface , allowing fitters to place and install the component more quickly . Similar solutions could be imagined to outline the exhibition floor , linking CAD-machines directly with the projector .
This selection of three trends is of course a personal one and there are many other things to look into , such as sustainability , the future of food , and so on . And similar to the ones I selected , solutions can be found for all of them . So , lots more to discuss during the many meetings planned for 2024 . n
ISSUE 128 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 9