I recently published a blog about those that may not be keeping up as well as some of us. But in all reality, my experience with most meeting planners has been this: Meeting planners are influencers within their organization, they have the pulse on what’s new and what’s coming, they are with it, organized and overall amazing individuals. You know I am speaking the truth!
Most meeting planners actually hang out in Futurassic Park. In this blog we are going to explore this exciting new world together!
Meeting planners evolve: I am happy to report that meeting planners will not go extinct, but instead evolve into a C-level position. In the future, plan on having something like this on your business card “Your Name, CPO.” That’s Chief Program Officer. According to an article from PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), this is where the future meeting professional should be. The role of the meeting planner is crucial in helping to shape their organization’s strategies; it only makes sense to raise this position to the place it deserves.
Singularity: According to futurist Ray Kurzweil, we are moving toward humans merging with machines. Before you start imagining yourself going Borg, consider that as of now we have become rather close to our electronics. We sit for hours working at our computers, create presentations on our tablets, and are very attached to our smartphones; some of us have incorporated wearable tech into our wardrobe already and some of us are already part machine.
A Snapshot of Future Events: You are greeted by a hologram image to welcome you to the space, while hologram décor creates a festive atmosphere about the room. Hover trays of appetizers glide in and out of circles of people offering trendy algae and sonic–enhanced appetizers. Robot bartenders “man” the bars serving up baijiu, raicilla and sipping gins, layered with tones of vanilla and botanicals. Entertainment for the evening includes an acrobatic hoverboard dance team and a virtual reality concert experience. For those guests that are unable to travel, you’ll need to arrange for their R4H to be delivered in time for the event.
So what do you see for the future? Send me an email or mind-to-mind transmission with your predictions.