Germany
Showing a lead on harnessing event data and collaboration
THE MAIN MICE ROADS LEAD TO GERMANY, SAYS MATTHIAS SCHULTZE, MD, GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU( GCB), WHO PICKS OUT THE TWIN IMPORTANCE OF DATA AND COLLABORATION FOR ENSURING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS EVENTS
B usiness events are essential
for tackling complex issues. They bring people together to share knowledge, build networks, and create platforms for addressing big questions. In times of global challenges, business events support transformation and foster constructive dialogue. They also build trust – an increasingly important feature in individualised, digitalised work environments.
Recent market analysis by IPK International shows that Germany is the world leader in MICE travel: Every tenth trip motivated by attending meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions leads to Germany, every second leads to Europe. However, this pole position is not a place for us to rest on our laurels: the German business events ecosystem is constantly striving to get even better. In an increasingly technology-oriented world, which also confronts us with a whole range of simultaneous uncertainties, two things seem particularly relevant when looking at the future of business events. First: data. Second: collaboration.
The Meetings Made in Germany approach
Above: Matthias Schultze
Data: an indispensable foundation Major transformations, a myriad of uncertainties, and seemingly evershorter intervals between mindblowing news: we live in a BANI world,“ Brittle”,“ Anxious”,“ Non-linear” and“ Incomprehensible”. There are many strategies to deal with these uncertainties. When it comes to business strategies and decisions, data is an indispensable foundation. Knowing how markets have developed in the past and deriving forecasts; understanding the needs of customers from different segments and building individual offerings; knowing what participants expect from an event and what motivates them to return are just a few examples of what a comprehensive data foundation can achieve and how event professionals can base their own decisions on sound evidence.
No( wo) man is an island. In all the topics that move us as stakeholders of business events, we should ask: How and with whom can we achieve our goals faster and better? In a time when there is no shortage of brilliant ideas, but certainly a lack of time and personnel resources, the value of collaboration becomes all the more apparent. This includes not only collaboration with other people and organisations but also the use of digital tools to move forward more efficiently. n
A daptability and innovation
have never been as much in focus as they are today. At the same time, there have hardly ever been more solutions, technologies, and opportunities at our disposal for initiating positive change in the business event world and society as a whole. One thing is clear: continuing as we have in the past is not an option.
The Meetings Made in Germany project – as represented by the GCB – says it is trying to stay one step ahead to provide customers with the best possible experience. A key lever to driving the necessary innovations, the bureau believes, is the continuous exchange with all stakeholders – from event suppliers and organisers to research institutions and experts from a range of disciplines. The GCB describes here three areas of focus which it believes are particularly relevant for the future of business events.
Digitalisation – enhancing human uniqueness Artificial Intelligence( AI) is transforming the way we plan, execute, and experience business events. It enhances the efficiency and accuracy of planning processes by automating routine tasks and extracting valuable insights from large datasets.
Venues, workflows, and content programming are increasingly guided by data-driven decisions. At the same time, automated processes free up capacity and create space for human creativity and innovative ideas. With that in mind, the community of the GCB’ s project‘ exb. lab’, a strategic innovation workshop for events, brands, and experiences( edition
40 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 136