AIPC
Innovate, ideate, execute
GREG O’DELL EXPLAINS WHY EMBRACING A DISRUPTIVE LEADERSHIP
MINDSET IS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS
e know that audience
demands are always
changing. With new
developments and
emerging technologies, convention
leaders know that they must constantly
pay attention in order to keep up. As the
President and CEO of Events DC, the
official Convention and Sports Authority
for the District of Columbia, I realise
that these changes also present great
opportunity for us to improve and
embrace new ‘outside of the box’ tactics.
Events DC aims to break from the
normal traditional quasi-government
structure by making investments and
taking risks in the development of new
venues and services. For instance, a
Strategic Initiatives Division was
implemented that positions Events DC
for future growth while also enhancing
the ability to create premier event
experiences that help achieve our
mission to drive economic and
community benefits for residents and
businesses of the District of Columbia.
Only through a ‘disruptive leadership’
mindset and embracing the need to
shake things up – to innovate, ideate,
and execute – can we achieve the results
we need.
Innovate
Many of us host hundreds of events with
millions of attendees each year. Each
event comes with the challenge to outdo
its predecessor, finding better ways to
engage audiences – often by
incorporating new technologies
including mobile apps, crowd-sourcing,
or social media tools – and turn them
from passive attendees to active
participants. Events are becoming more
dynamic and interactive, and venues will
partners. Since opening the doors to our
Center, the neighborhood has benefitted
with additional consumer traffic and an
explosion of new restaurants and retail.
We have developed a ‘streetscape
plan’ to transform the exterior facade of
the Convention Center through
lighting, signage, canopies and
furniture that will help enrich the
sidewalks throughout the surrounding
neighborhood.
have to keep evolving their strategies to meet these needs. It is
important for leaders to keep pushing innovation forward,
even when they are already seeing success.
For example, our Center in DC has over 200 digital signage
displays and is the largest signage network of its kind in the
United States. Over the past two years we expanded this
programme by adding new LED video-walls to key locations
that allow meeting planners to better implement new
interactive technologies and engage their audiences.
Our Center will also undergo a facelift as we add new
seating, furniture and play areas to promote ‘communities’ to
actively gather and socialise during an event.
Ideate
As convention leaders consider our future in an ever-changing
and competitive marketplace, we must continue to ideate with
forward thinking. Strategic planning requires that we place
emphasis on repurposing our existing assets, while
simultaneously examining new opportunities. How can we
extend our business and our brand beyond our venue?
We recently broke from the norm and set our sights on new
market segments like esports. We even sponsored a team
– the first city to do so – to let the world know that esports
events, gamers and the community are welcomed to our
nation’s capital.
Additionally, we have striven to find ways to create greater
community and economic benefits for the city and our
Execute
When executing any plan, it is
important to recall the core qualities of
the hospitality industry and provide a
service to our clients that is helpful,
trustworthy, courteous and kind. We
must always acknowledge our audience’s
presence, making each person feel
recognised. Good leaders know that to
accomplish this and we need to dare
ourselves to break from the norms, to
forge unprecedented collaborations and
to invest in innovation and initiatives
that will drive our organisations to
greater success.
AIPC represents a global network of
over 190 leading centres in 62 countries
with the active involvement of more
than 1,000 management-level
professionals worldwide.
Greg O’Dell is Vice-President of AIPC
and President and CEO – Walter E.
Washington Convention Center and
Events DC.
ISSUE 99
For further information
contact marianne.
[email protected] or
visit www.aipc.org
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