Extending the Life of Your Event: The Bee Better Way of Eventing

April 27, 2021

Bill McGlade

With more than a dozen years of experience in the event industry, Bill McGlade is a thought leader seeking to provide provoking conversations that push the envelope and the industry forward. He is founder and CEO of Victory Productions.

 

It’s the year 2013, we are all thriving after a great few years of growth from the 2008 economic downturn. We are plush with happiness and looking for exciting new ways to grow our events. With great times, come well…a mix of great things and complete complacency. And so, with that we began to throw the idea around of extending the life of our events. How do we make them longer without being boring?

It is now the year 2021…there is nothing else that need be said about the year that shall not be named…you know the one that came before. However, we have learned and grown so much as an industry and although some of us came together more than others, I believe in the hopefully not too distant future we will thrive as an event community and industry.

What is remarkable is we have been ideating about extending the life of events for at least seven years now. Yet, here we are, given all we need through the vast innovation our industry has seen, and we immediately go back to the three-to-five mindset.

What is this mindset? It’s the three-to-five days of our event a year and completing the cyclical nature of our event lives by doing the same ole’ thing year after year after year. Why, after an amazing year of true innovation do we simply go back to “normal?”

Let’s be(e) better. And so we begin with the Bee Better Way of Eventing. This means taking our colony, our members and event audience, and having them thrive not only at our “live” events for 3-5 days a year but also delivering them immense value and true engagements throughout the year. Simply add a six to the three-to-five mindset for 365-mindset—or as I call it, “Outside the Circle.”

We begin with simple human behavior and evaluate what we and our audience engage with outside of our events — social media, videos, content, forums, all things that allow them to be “educated” and informed. But more importantly, true engagement comes when they can share their voice. What many (well, maybe they do now after the Gamestop stock fluctuations) do not realize is that text chat is a key factor to engagement. Reddit is one of the most popular platforms on this planet.

Let me clarify a bit. Text is great outside of the event, in my opinion. Events have been around since the dawn of ages and the key element driving this astounding marketplace is the ability for individuals to connect. This is done most significantly through in-person connections. Afterwards, as behavior has shown, we like to “text” and therefore text communication via forums and chats are key to driving engagement year round.

Here is another example. In the dating world, we typically will meet in person and immediately move straight to texting. Or we have originally met online through chat, met in person and then go back to text. So you see, text is ingrained in us as a go-to behavior.

So, I go back to the age-old question of can you change a habit? I hope the answer is yes, as our industry has been given all they need to extend the life of their events. My wish is that we do not go back to our cyclical habit but instead take the next steps to Bee Better, not “normal.”

 

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact