So What Business Are You REALLY In?
So … what business are you really in? As long as meetings and events folks allow the role to be defined by convention and historical precedent, the role will remain tactical. Don’t get me wrong – tactics are necessary, critical to success and must be executed with precision. But by redefining the discussion and repositioning the category within which you work, you can add a new dimension to your role.
It’s reported that 50% of the new jobs that will emerge between now and 2020 don’t exist today. What does this mean for the role of the planner?
So here’s a question to get us started – is there an appetite and are you interested in adding a new layer to your role – to take on a new challenge and to begin to think of the meetings you plan as live branded media? What’s the upside – the downside – do you even care?
June 4th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
YES — we, as planners, should be looking for that new layer of responsibility and creativity, particularly as our meetings and events go global. What better way to reposition our organizations/associations for the future than by thinking of our events as live branded media, which in reality they are! I see only the upside to this new thinking as we incorporate face-to-face and web-based meetings to reach our members and any audience we wish to target globally and instantaneously. I don’t see any downside, other than getting organizations and planners to think in terms of their media outreach as “live” rather than stagnant pieces. Again, as planners of these events and meetings, I believe it will serve us well to explore and take the steps now to position ourselves “ahead of the curve” in this arena.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Carol - good to hear from you and thanks for your point of view. Do you think you are a lone voice and are you surprised that we’re not hearing from more voices in favor of or refuting the premise of meetings as live branded media? This idea is a big shift from the meetings formula of the past and the tried and true planning approach. What do you think is the biggest obstacle and the greatest upside to “getting ahead of the curve” as you say?