July 2015
Cover Story/Trends
The Inside-Out Convention Center
Welcome to today's convention center: designed for flexibility, comfort, wellness, connectivity, and community. And a little adventure, too.
Cover illustration by Leif Parsons
Features
Bringing the Consumer Experience to the Trade-Show Floor
Consumers increasingly are expecting authentic, emotionally compelling interactions from the companies they patronize. That doesn’t go away when they’re attendees on a show floor.
Josh Linkner on Reinvention
The entrepreneur and Detroit native will present a Convene-sponsored keynote at the DMAI Annual Convention this month — rooted in the comeback story of his hometown.
Reducing Food Waste at Your Meetings
How can you balance your gut instinct to never let attendees see an empty plate with a more sustainable F&B program?
Departments
Around the Track at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas
Why has Shell spent 30 years encouraging students to design fuel-efficient concept cars? To power the innovators and innovations of the future.
Interactive Learning Goes Big on Digital Learning Day
Digital Learning Day spotlighted best practices in education technology around the country — and included a content-rich online program.
Expo Growth Factors
According to the latest CEIR Index, exhibitions just experienced the highest quarterly increase in eight years. How does your show stack up in comparison?
Supported Article Innovative Meetings
Inside Challenge Festival 2015
The already-elaborate Challenge Festival startup competition added a new component this year: four full-day conference programs.
If You Plant It, They Will Come
Vermont devotes serious attention and resources to attracting visitors — and its vibrant agritourism sector is a big page in its portfolio.
Plenary
2015 T3 International Conference
Texas Instruments brought thousands of educators to The Lone Star State to amp up their tech skills.
Meet Charlie, Your New Virtual Assistant
Meet Charlie, an app that acts like a virtual personal assistant.
IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) Con 2015
Electricians from around the country will gather in Florida this fall.
Don't Rely on Last Year's Metrics
In the age of big data, metrics are key — which in the meetings industry means you’re constantly scrutinizing information from your previous shows and applying it to your next show.
Southern Charms in Virginia Beach
My first glimpse of Virginia Beach’s legendary warmth didn’t come from the weather — which was balmy in mid-April, the first day of a fam trip hosted by Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau — but during the 20-minute ride from Norfolk International Airport to the shore, as our driver patiently described what we saw along the way.
Speaking Tips From Jocks
So many speakers have so many different speaking styles. How do you know what might resonate with your audience?
Spokane Steps Up
In May, Visit Spokane hosted us for a press trip to show off the Spokane Convention Center, which in February completed a $55-million expansion and renovation. My visit kicked right off with a tour of the LEED Silver–certified center, and it was apparent that a lot of thought went into how the 91,000 square feet of new space would complement the rest of the facility.
Using Tech Without Fear
Navigating the morass of modern technology, with its thousands of apps and ever-changing social media, can make anyone feel overwhelmed — and technologist Ben Hammersley can relate.
Montreal, Reimagined
Europe is just a quick 90-minute flight from New York — or so it seems when you land in Montreal, with its Old World charm, cosmopolitan vibe, and French-speaking citizens.
Also In This Issue
‘A More Dynamic Landscape’
We’re putting the finishing touches on pcmaconvene.org, our almost-ready-for-prime-time new website.
