BizBash Founder and CEO David Adler at the company's Elevate 2013 Conference, July 24 in New York. (Photo by BizBash)
Meeting planner resource BizBash is bringing its BizBash Live: The Expo to Los Angeles Convention Center June 19. This year’s trade show is expected to bring about 1,200 people to experience the new products from suppliers, at a registration cost of $40 for meeting planners. Workshops about social media, storytelling through events, and making the most of client and vendor relationships, as well as the new ‘Plan-a-thon’ are available to registrants for $79. The perennially sold-out Event Innovation Forum is the second time BizBash will bring the TED-style format to Los Angeles and is limited to 250 attendees with costs ranging $199-$279. Founder and CEO David Adler spoke with Venues Today about what makes this year’s conference special and how BizBash enables attendees and users to ‘peek over the fence’ at the hottest parties in town.
If this is someone’s first time at a BizBash Event, what would be your advice for them to get the full experience?
Come from the first minute in the morning, sit in for all of the speakers, and talk to people. My metric now is no longer how many people come, but how many conversations are being facilitated. If you have a lot of conversations, it will be very worthwhile.
Compared to last year’s event, what’s new and different?
Last year was the first year we added a TED-style forum with the Event Innovation Forum, so we’re refining that. We have speakers from L.A. like Rehan Choudhry, founder of the Life is Beautiful festival, talking about the festival generation; Scott Schenker, GM of worldwide events and production studio at Microsoft Central Marketing Group, talking about buzzwords; and Todd Hawkins, president and CEO of The Todd Group, speaking about being innovative on a budget. It’s all about the local speakers, but what we do is put these talks online so they have an afterlife. The forum has been sold out in every market we’ve done. Also, it’s the first time we’re doing a Plan-a-Thon in L.A. It’s a whole new thing we just started where we gather 100 people, divide them into groups of 10 and let them re-create events. It’s like a ‘hack-a-thon’ for event planners.
What are you most looking forward to about the Los Angeles BizBash Expo?
We have a new product showcase, which is always interesting, and a tasting area where we have top chefs creating some of the best foods and hors d’oeurves. Coming to our trade show is about as much fun as you can have because of all the tastings, sights and sounds.
What do you think will surprise people at this year’s conference?
The sophistication and types of speakers. We take the idea of events on a much more global level about how humans gather. I’m very much interested in the science and neurology of gatherings, and you’ll see that throughout the event.
What are the top trends we’ll be looking at in the meetings and events industry this year and into 2015?
Décor for social media is a big thing. What’s happening now is that you don’t spend the money on décor unless you know people are going to pull out their phone, take a picture and share it. It’s not about décor everywhere; it’s about those big showcase pieces that facilitate conversations. I think the biggest trend is a concept called ‘surprise and delight.’ It’s all about reveals. Our brains are all programmed for survival and predictability, so what we want to do at events is change the pattern so you don’t know what to expect. It sort of wipes the brain’s slate clean a bit and makes the endorphins pop more.
How has the industry changed?
Everything is morphing together; like the song, we’re really in that age of ‘Blurred Lines.’ What happens at a wedding is similar to what happens at a trade show because they’re all stealing ideas from each other. We’re no longer just attendees — we’re either fans or friends. Now, 25 percent of companies’ marketing budgets are spent on events.
Why is the Los Angeles Convention Center a good space for this event?
We like the central location in L.A. It’s also great that downtown is becoming such a rejuvenated area. We’ve been watching it really come to life over the last few years. Southern California is very decentralized, but people understand that Downtown L.A. is kind of a hub and you make it a destination.
With all of BizBash’s events, spanning Expos, Elevate Conferences, and Plan-a-Thon sessions, the company makes sure there are a lot of ways for people to meet face to face. Why is that interaction so important?
That’s simple — face to face builds trust. There are scientific studies going on now that prove that when you’re with someone on a face-to-face basis, oxytocin is transferred, helping to build trust. That just doesn’t happen in digital. It’s all chemical and it doesn’t happen online, but it’s extended online.
Speaking of online, BizBash also offers a webinar series. Why is it important to continue that connection throughout the year?
I think people want that continuity. We’re all in the business of face-to-face events, but the efficiency of the online marketplace is there. We want to be surrounding our customers. We also have a print magazine.
What is the main thing you hope attendees get out of BizBash Live: The Expo Los Angeles?
Inspiration and ideas. Sometimes you don’t know when you’re going to need something. This lets people store things in their idea banks and pull them out when they need it. We want to make people that who our events think of us as the secret weapon to enhance their business.
For more information, visit the BizBash Live: The Expo website.
Contact: (646) 839-6846
