15 minute read
WHERE THE MEETING INDUSTRY IS HEADING? Conventa Crossover
WHERE THE MEETING INDUSTRY IS HEADING? Interview with Gorazd Čad, Founder of Conventa Crossover
GORAZD ČAD // WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU
Q: You chose to move forward with the organisation of Conventa Crossover in spite of the current situation with COVID-19. What influenced that decision? Even in the most difficult times, we mustn’t stay silent. As meeting planners, we need a platform that will allow us to gaze into the future of our industry. The same goes for venues, hotels, congress centres, providers of meetings services, associations, tourist destinations and everyone else involved in the meetings industry. We want to know how to overcome the coronavirus crisis, what events of the future will look like and if events are still an important part of marketing strategies. Our goal is to find answers and solutions for the survival of our industry through the opinions of international experts and a community of creatives that will come together on 27 August 2020. Due to the unpredictability of the current situation, HYBRID was the only way to go, as backing down was never on our agenda. Despite the new hybrid form, Conventa Crossover will remain the central THINK-TANK for the meetings industry of New Europe. Our goal is to create a good practice case that will empower colleagues and instill optimism for the future
Q: What does the event’s slogan »Power to the meetings - Live or Online« mean? We think that events have the power to change the course of history and have a permanent impact on attendees as individuals. Events can only be impactful if they are strategically prepared and carried out with clear, measurable goals and bring good ROI. Conventa Crossover attendees will find answers to just that; how to carry out events that satisfy the physical, social and holistic needs of participants after and during COVID-19. Emphasis will be put on the relationship between live and online events.
Q: What will the new hybrid format look like? When hybrid cars first started to appear, people said that they took the best from the old petrol world and the new electrified, sustainable world. Right now, hybrid events seem like the most logical answer to the current situation. An increasing number of meeting planners have shifted towards hybrid event models, as they allow people from countries, where the state of the pandemic is getting worse to join the event online, while attendees from countries with loosened restrictions can join live. Regional attendees from countries that are on Slovenia’s green/orange list according to the National institute of Public Health (the list of countries can be found here) will be able to join the Conventa Crossover experience live in Ljubljana, Slovenia and others will join the action through a new online platform.
Q: How was this year’s event concept developed? The concept was being developed, while the state of the pandemic kept changing. That meant our strategy kept changing as well. In March, we were naively certain that the event will be taking place live, but we quickly realised that some clever adaptation will be necessary. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. A crucial part of the event, Conventa Best Event Award also needed to be restructured, now with more award categories and two application stages, so that meeting planners, who had to cancel their events don’t miss out.
We never wanted to organise an event just for the sake of organising an event. Our vision for Conventa Crossover was much bigger and the mission of changing the way events are organised always in mind. We want to show how powerful our industry is and that our community of creatives has appropriate answers.
Q: Despite online events flooding the market, do you still believe in the power of personal relationships and Face2Face connections? Absolutely. I think that human to human communication will always win. The fact that digital ecosystems allow endless manipulation is scary. Just think about the fake news syndrom and how it can disrupt the political and economic situation across the globe. If we automatise society to the point, where all communication takes place online, I seriously question the future of humanity. Critical thinking and progress will be replaced by an Orwellian dictatorship. That is why events are so important. They are the last defence against dictatorship, fascism and all negativity. Through history, events helped society develop and preserve culture. If and when events are completely banned: a time of darkness and retrograde transpires.
Q: Are there any parallels between organising events and high-end TV production? At the moment, event planning looks a lot like TV production. We will have to get used to the new reality, in which live and online platforms coincide. Hybrid events require directors, editors, camera and lighting operators, sound mixers and streaming service providers. The event staff quickly starts to resemble a full-blown film crew. The biggest challenge is taking care of both audiences equally, just like TV shows take care of entertaining a live audience and the people behind their screens.
Q: What will happen with the meetings industry after COVID-19. The meetings industry is enduring. This is the third major crisis that I have experienced during my career and more will certainly come in the future. In the 90’s, experts predicted a complete downfall of events, as the internet was just starting to boom. The economic crisis in 2008 shook the world of events again and so did the coronavirus. If we turn the tables, the meetings industry grew stronger and adapted. I believe in the power of positive change and in this context, we want Conventa Crossover to pave the way for regional post-coronavirus events through an innovative event format.
Q: You said the goal of the event is to share knowledge from experts, who have already adapted to the new situation. What else awaits the attendees at the end of August? The Conventa Crossover motto stays the same; life is too short to waste time at boring events. As organising events was banned across the world for the past six months, we were faced with a big challenge. How do we help our attendees adapt their business models, marketing strategies and events to the new situation? EASY! Invite more than 30 experts, who have already done it. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn from good practice cases and international professionals, ready to share their knowledge.
Q: How will you take care of health and safety? The venue; Cankarjev Dom Cultural Centre and the organisers of Conventa Crossover; Toleranca Marketing have both received the Safe & Healthy Events certification from the Slovenian Convention Bureau.
We will ensure that the health and safety of the attendees are on a very high level. The participants will feel safe and free at the same time.
Q: What will be the difference between live and online participation? The power of events lies in creating connections. Our goal is to provide the same innovative and daring programme to both live and online attendees. The latter will be joining the action through a new online platform and will be able to play back all the content after the event. We all know that smell, taste and feel can’t be replaced by any virtual tool, but we will make sure that both experiences are as efficient and connecting as possible. We have teamed up with FM marketing agency and a live streaming provider vŽIVO.si to bring attendees an original, Slovenian online event solution.
Q: Who will be the main speakers at this year’s Conventa Crossover? We are really proud of the storytellers this year. We will be hosting CEO’s of some of the largest international event agencies. Attendees will listen to Jens Oliver Mayer from the German subsidiary of Jack Morton and Zsófia Dobos from Hungarian Bo Live branding agency. Joining us is Stephanie Dubois, the organiser of SAPPHIRE NOW, who will explain how multinational corporations take on event organisation in these new conditions. A very interesting lecture will be held by Dr. Barbara Neuhofer, an expert in experience design, where you will learn how to use experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset. We are also looking forward to two exciting panel discussions with esteemed speakers, who will discuss the future of events and how to restart destination marketing. Explaining how Germany adapted to the new post-corona crisis situation will be Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau. For attendees joining live, we are also preparing 4 really interesting workshops on FRIDAY, 28 August 2020.
In addition to the aforementioned content, online attendees will also have access to pre-recorded content and some special surprises.
These are just some of the storytellers from a meticulously prepared programme that you can see in detail here. We hope to see you in Ljubljana, Slovenia from 27 to 28 August 2020 or plugged in to our online platform on 27 August 2020. More information can be found at https:// www.crossover.si/
CONVENTA CROSSOVER 2020 – LIVE & ONLINE 27 – 28 August 2020, Ljubljana, Slovenia
GORAZD ČAD // WWW.KONGRES-MAGAZINE.EU
The 5th edition of Conventa Crossover will be taking place in hybrid form, more innovative and daring than ever. A good practice case that will empower colleagues and instil optimism for the future.
Conventa Crossover, the centre stage for leading experts in live marketing and event organisation will be taking place from 27 to 28 August in Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, as well as virtually on a new online platform. Joining the event are event managers, creative heads, marketing experts, experts in event organisation, providers of meetings services, experts from companies, agencies, associations, tourist destinations, hotels, special venues, and everyone else closely related to the event and marketing scene.
The goal of Conventa Crossover is to find answers and solutions for the survival of the meetings industry through the opinions of international experts and a community of creatives that will come together at the end of August. Events have the power to change the course of history and have a permanent impact on attendees as individuals. Events can only be impactful if they are strategically prepared, carried out with clear,
measurable goals and bring good ROI. Conventa Crossover attendees will find answers to just that; how to carry out events that satisfy the physical, social and holistic needs of participants after and during COVID-19. Crossover will become a good practice case that will empower colleagues and instil optimism for the future. It will pave the way for postcoronavirus events and show the beauty, efficiency and power of LIVE events. The organisers aim to provide the same innovative and daring programme to both live and online attendees, who will experience Slovenian originality, energy flow and many surprises along the way. Conventa Crossover has teamed up with FM marketing agency and a live streaming provider vŽIVO.si to bring attendees an effective and connecting online event solution. The best spices for successful events are creativity and innovation, which will also be the red threads of this year’s conference. The program will be dedicated to innovation in the meetings industry and all forms of online events, which will be presented by lecturers through good practice cases from the past 6 months.
PROJECT PARTNERS:
CONVENTA BEST EVENT AWARD
The Conventa Best Event Award competition for the best event in the region will remain the focal point of the event. The competition has been restructured, with more event categories (online events can compete for the first time) and easier application conditions. This year it will take place in two parts; semifinal 1 and semifinal 2. On 27 August we will already be able to see the works from the first semifinal. Finalists from both semifinals will come together at Conventa Trade Show 2021, where the Oscars of the event industry will be handed out.
“Conventa Crossover is a flexible and creative community that paves the way for pre and postcoronavirus events with its innovative format. The Conventa Crossover motto stays the same; life is too short to waste time at boring events . As organising events was banned across the world for the past six months, we were faced with a big challenge. How do we help our attendees adapt their business models, marketing strategies and events to the new situation? EASY! Invite more than 30 experts, who have already done it. Welcome to Conventa Crossover which inspires and creates ideas and conditions not only for ROI (return of investment - return on investment in events) but also ROR (return of relationship - making relationships at events)”
Gorazd Čad, the heart and engine of Conventa Crossover (available for longer statement or interview). The venue CD-Congress Centre and the organizers of Conventa Crossover Toleranca Marketing have both received the Safe & Healthy Meetings certification from the Slovenian Convention Bureau, ensuring health and safety will be on an extremely high level. PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS Conventa Crossover will be hosting CEO’s of some of the largest international event agencies. Attendees will listen to Jens Oliver Mayer from the German subsidiary of Jack Morton and Zsófia Dobos from Hungarian Bo Live branding agency. Joining the conference is Stephanie Dubois, the organiser of SAPPHIRE NOW, who will explain how multi national corporations take on event organisation in these new conditions. A very interesting lecture will be held by Dr Barbara Neuhofer, an expert in experience design, where attendees will learn how to use experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset. Two exciting panel discussions with esteemed speakers, who will discuss the future of events and how to restart destination marketing will also take place. Explaining how Germany adapted to the new post-corona crisis situation will be Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau. For attendees joining live, the organisers are also preparing 4
really interesting workshops on FRIDAY, 28 August 2020.
Full programme available on www.crossover.si/programme/. Contact for media representatives: for accreditation, more information and interviews scheduling Natalija Bah Čad; +386 40 822 444, natalija@toleranca.eu Gorazd Čad, +386 40 530 112, gorazd.cad@toleranca.eu Toleranca marketing, Štihova 4, Ljubljana
GET A TASTE OF CONVENTA CROSSOVER’S HOT TOPICS More about the programme and storytellers can be reached at www.crossover.si
// THURSDAY, 27 AUGUST 2020
ARE YOU SMART (ENOUGH) FOR THE FUTURE?
Ivo J. Franschitz, owner of ENITED is bringing his curiosity and energy, and his Styrian accent. Make sure to join Ivo’s session, where he will be talking about a unique opportunity that the COVID-19 pandemic brought for the business events industry.
HOW TECH, UX AND DATA WILL DRIVE CREATIVITY?
CEO’s of some of the largest international event agencies are coming to Crossover. Listen to Jens Oliver Mayer from the German subsidiary of Jack Morton and Zsófia Dobos from Hungarian Bo Live branding agency.
DON’T YOU WANT TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND LEARN HOW EVENTS HAVE CHANGED?
Stephanie Dubois, the organizer of SAPPHIRE NOW, will explain how multinational corporations take on event organization in new conditions.
DON’T MISS HIS KICK-ASS LECTURE!
Want to know what’s next in the constantly changing events industry and how Germany adapted to the new post-coronacrisis situation? Join Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau at his keynote lecture. PANEL DISCUSSION: CROSSOVER LET’S TALK FUTURE: THE RESTART OF DESTINATION MARKETING Five engaging panelists will be talking about drastic changes on the global meetings market caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. How can destinations adapt their marketing? How to prepare communication that raises a destination’s reputation during and after a crisis? Teodora Jilkova, Managing Partner of Veritas Real Solutions, Romana Vlašić, Head of Convention Bureau and International Markets Development at the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Miha Kovačič, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Gernot Marx, Head of Salzburg Convention Bureau, Petra Stušek, Managing Director of Ljubljana Tourism
WE DON’T WANT BORING EVENTS ANYMORE, DO WE?
Barbara Neuhofer, Head of Experience Design at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. The future of experience design for the events industry. Learn more about experience design as a philosophy, mindset and toolset to guide human experiences, It’s a perfect opportunity. LIVE WORKSHOP: OWN THE ROOM:WINNING THE ATTENTION OF YOUR AUDIENCE Martina Merslavič, CEO of Sistem 2 At this interactive and fun workshop participants will learn simple techniques that will help them win the attention of their audiences and build authentic connections - making their content stick.
PANEL DISCUSSION: CROSSOVER LET’S TALK FUTURE: ONLINE VS LIVE
Five provoking speakers from leading international event and marketing agencies talking about the future of our industry. Will the future be virtual or will we go back to meeting in person? Are live events really a thing of the past? Find out in this exciting panel discussion. Janez Kopač Lebar, Event manager at MPG Slovenia, Juraj Holub, Chief Meeting Designer at Slido, Pedja Marković, Television & Event Director at M2Communication, Ivo J. Franschitz, Owner & Managing Director of ENITED and
// FRIDAY, 28 AUGUST 2020
Matej Rus, founder of the Podim conference
LIVE WORKSHOP: ONLINE EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Jaka Gornik, CEO of FM Agency In this workshop, Jaka Gornik will present a Slovenian based solution for online events and show you how to use it for your next project. Together with the presenter, you will walk through the platform and create an imaginary event.
