FOMO: Events On the Go, Anytime, Anywhere

With the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) craze sweeping the nation, more and more event planners are looking to broadcast their events via the internet or apps. Skype and Google Hangouts have been around for a while and we have seen them pop up at certain events so that people who can't physically be there, now have the opportunity to engage with everyone. Bringing us to Snapchat (which most people have already interacted on and know that you can send brief clips of your world to all of your friends) and the go90 app from Verizon. Go90 allows you to view "primetime shows, live music & sports, plus the best of the web. At anytime. From anywhere." I had the opportunity to work with this technology and see it implemented at the Life Is Beautiful Festival. It was so great to have parts of our programming live streaming directly to everyone and also, to be able to access it after the fact, in case you were unable to make it to another stage to see an act or two of your favorites were scheduled at the same time. 

As our world becomes more and more connected, I believe this is the future technology that is going to allow users to be everywhere at once and attend events at their leisure. Be ready to incorporate more and more video cameras and live streaming options in to your events!

Adventures at Catersource & Event Solutions Tradeshow 2016

Most years I find myself attending at least the tradeshow portion of #CSES2016 and especially this year with the new company and venture, it was no exception. However, this year was the first year I was completely disappointed by the it on several levels. I know being in the events field this conference and tradeshow is mainly directed toward catering companies and commercial kitchens but several years ago they partnered together with Event Solutions to create a HUGE combined conference which catered to both sectors of the industry. This year was different. 

First, there was no tablescape competition or viewing area at the tradeshow. This has been and always was one of the highlights for me, getting to see the new trends and what other creative minds in my field were doing with florals, linens, themes, plateware, decor, chairs, etc. This creative element was always so unique as it featured people from around the country doing what they do best and creating absolutely gorgeous table settings. Trends and themes get overdone, stale, and used repetitively within certain areas and Vegas is no exception. Seeing the new ideas and trends from across the country was a fantastic way to get new ideas to spice up my events. 

Second, the tradeshow floor had significantly decreased from previous years. There were definitely not as  many vendors as in previous years. I heard that part of it was due to the outrageous pricing to be a vendor and cost of the convention space in general. Whether this was a factor or there were other factors involved, it was deflating knowing that this magnificent gathering of like-minded individuals was decreasing in size, rather than growing as it should be. 

Lastly, I found out that due to several factors that next year's conference and tradeshow will be held in New Orleans. Las Vegas is known for it's large scale conferences, events, and being host to many different large groups throughout the year. To hear we are losing the primary event planning and catering show to New Orleans, is disheartening and hopefully doesn't say anything about the changing landscape of events in Las Vegas.

Next year, money will definitely play a factor in my attendance at this conference with it not being in my backyard any longer. I will also have to seriously deliberate on whether the show will provide enough content and learning opportunities for the expenditure, given the state of this year's show.