SISO Update
SISO Activities
Executive Roundtable
mdg, A Freeman Company will be hosting an Executive Roundtable in conjunction with the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, on Thurs., Nov. 10, sponsored by SISO, the San Diego Tourism Authority and Freeman. This executives-only forum will focus on the ways B2B organizers can draw inspiration from consumer events. Session and speaker info can be found here. Attendance is by invitation only, limited to executive-level (VP and above) professionals from associations or organizations that own, produce and/or manage live events. Space will be limited to maintain an atmosphere conducive to networking, so reserve your spot. Registration for the roundtable is complimentary. Limited seating remains so be sure to reserve your seat by Thurs., Nov. 3.2023 CEO Summit
Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2023 SISO CEO Summit, taking place March 20-23 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas! If you are ready to register, please contact anna@siso.org for your unique registration code or keep an eye on your inbox next week for your SISO CEO Summit invite letter that includes your code.
Once your registration is completed successfully, you will then be able to make your hotel reservations. If you miss this opportunity, click on link in the “Conformation/Receipt” email that you'll receive immediately following the registration process to connect to the hotel reservation site. Rooms fill up quickly, so be sure to make your reservations early! SISO Summer Conference 2023
Mark your calendar for next year's SISO Summer Conference, taking place Aug. 22-24, 2023, in Salt Lake City, UT. You won't want to miss this incredibly valuable SISO event, so plan ahead now!
Couldn't make the SISO Summer Conference, held August 9-11 in Oklahoma City, OK? View the photo gallery and view the video to see what you missed and hear what our attendees had to say!
Special Interest Groups
Digital Transformation
As the exhibition industry continues moving forward in a post-pandemic world, the need to use and deliver new value (both internally and externally) from digital technology has grown exponentially. Thus, SISO is working on providing a larger platform for conversations around digital transformation across all areas of our business to further educate, learn and accelerate how digital fundamentally changes the way show organizers operate and deliver customer value. In order to assist SISO with creating a foundation for our Digital Transformation Discussions, we are asking members to help us understand their business's “Digital Report Card,” after which we will share the data with members and work to bring the conversation forward through our various member resources and platform.
Please click here to take our short 5-minute survey! Small Business
Don't forget: the Small Business SIG will host its next Small Business Roundtable on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. ET. Zoom invite information will follow soon or contact info@siso.org for the link. Sustainability
Environmental Impact Framework for U.S. and Canada Developed by Exhibition Industry Taskforce
On Sept. 14, a broad, cross-industry task force of event industry stakeholders released a collaborative research report identifying key areas the B2B trade show industry must focus on in order to transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon economy.
The result of a two-year independent research program, the report, “Finding the Future, Together: Towards a more sustainable B2B trade show industry in the U.S. and Canada,” highlights the industry's most significant environmental impacts, creates a data and knowledge foundation for decision-making, knowledge-sharing and action, showcases steps the industry has already taken to address those impacts and identifies 30 near- and long-term steps it must adopt to secure a sustainable future.
SISO served as the majority underwriter for this study. To learn more, go here.
Alliances
Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance (ECA)
Here's the latest news from the ECA:
Capitol Hill
Last week, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government through Dec. 16 (its annual fiscal year ended on Sept. 30). When Congress returns to Washington, DC after the Nov. 8 midterm elections, work will continue to pass its annual package of bills to provide FY2023 government funding. ECA is targeting these spending bills for “riders” that address industry priorities such as providing grants for hard-hit small businesses and restoring the Q4 2021 employee retention tax credit. McCormick Place
ECA thanks the many SISO members who took part in a productive meeting earlier this week with the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which owns McCormick Place in Chicago. At this time, ECA expects that the current management company RFP will be cancelled and a new RFP will be issued after opportunities for customer feedback. Additionally, the current management company contract will likely be extended until Sept. 30, 2023. Support for the ECA So far this year, several companies have once again provided underwriting to fund SISO's annual $250,000 commitment to the ECA. They have helped us raise $172,000 but we need a broader level of funding to underwrite the SISO commitment. Please consider lending your financial support to this incredibly important organization and the vital work it does to advocate for the face-to-face business events industry!
We'd like to thank the following companies for their ECA support:
- Access Intelligence
- Clarion Events
- Diversified Communications
- Emerald
- IMEX
- Informa Markets
- International Market Centers
- Map Your Show
- Northstar Travel Media
- Questex
- RX
- Tarsus Group
Events Industry Council (EIC)
In late September, EIC released the findings of its 2022 Q2 Global Business Events Barometer, which monitors the changes within the market relative to pre-pandemic levels. The Q2 results provide reasons to be optimistic about the further recovery of the business events sector and demonstrate a strong increase in two major indexes: business event request for proposal (RFP) and group hotel room nights.
Longer-term forecasts in the barometer anticipate a cautious economic outlook, with several countries, particularly in Europe but also the U.S. and Canada, facing risks of short, mild recessions in the coming quarters. Such economic headwinds are anticipated to slow but not upend a sustained industry recovery. To read more, go here.
U.S. Travel
In keeping with the ECA's calls for the reduction in U.S. visa delays, U.S. Travel is asking for help in urging U.S. representatives to sign a bipartisan letter requesting that the State Department quickly reduce visa wait-times to help facilitate greater international travel to the U.S.
Please take action today by asking your U.S. representative to join the bipartisan letter led by Reps. Dina Titus (NV-1) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) to Secretary Blinken urging the State Department to make immediate steps to lower visa wait-times.
Act now here!
Moving Forward Updates
In-person trade shows are taking place successfully, some COVID restrictions are lifting and show organizers are reporting promising participation numbers as the exhibitions industry continues its post-pandemic rebound. Take a look some of the latest industry news below!
- Vision Expo West Converges in Las Vegas With Renewed Enthusiasm and Strength by TSNN (10/3)
- Canada Lifts COVID-19 Entry Restrictions; U.S. Travel Urges Biden Administration to Follow Suit by TSNN (9/30)
- ASD Market Week Reports Strong Growth at August 2022 Event by Emerald (9/30)
- Hurricane Ian Impacts Trade Shows in Florida; Operations Resuming at Airports and Convention Centers by Trade Show Executive (9/29)
- ITS World Congress 2022 Wraps With Record Breaking Numbers by RX (9/23)
Member Benefits
ShowDown – SISO Endorsed Event Cancellation Insurance Program
Well-received by show organizers, the SISO-endorsed ShowDown Event Cancellation Insurance program offers a liability program for organizers and exhibitors. While communicable disease is excluded, the program covers catastrophic weather events including snowstorms and hurricanes, as well as power outages, fires and floods.
As one of the broadest and best-priced programs available, the ShowDown Event Cancellation Insurance policy uses an “all-risk” format and offers the following:
- Clear policy language with the fewest exclusions of any program
- Includes national mourning for the death of U.S. and Canadian heads of state
- Covers loss due to civil commotion or rioting
- Provides the highest included terrorism protection of up to $2.5 million for an act that occurs within 100 days and 500 miles
- Delivers a policy term of as long as 36 months
- Rates are usually about 15% less than other programs
- Exceptional service and efficient claim process
For questions, contact Jack Buttine at (516) 381-7305 or jbuttine@risk-strategies.com.
This month, National Conference Services, Inc. (NCSI), the premier provider of event management services for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community and Federal Government, is celebrating 25 years of producing conferences, meetings and trade show tailored to meet the custom requirements of the government.
Over the past two and a half decades that it has been providing event management services for government industry events, NCSI has engaged in myriad customer and business experiences that have shaped its corporate culture and customer relationships. Additionally, CEO John Skipper has been a SISO member for more than 20 years.
To learn more about NCSI, go here.
Q&A
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Have a question about SISO or want to get more involved? Email info@siso.org.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay strong. Stay connected!