Meetings + Events

By Laura Bickle

Last month, 2,000 destination specialists from more than 30 countries descended on Tampa, FL, for education and networking at the Destinations International Annual Conference. Along the way, they experienced some noteworthy event activations and strategies. Here’s a sampling.

1. Event Partner CarVertise showcased its advertising for the tourism industry by creating eye-catching vehicle advertisements that could be seen one Tampa’s streets throughout the week.

2. To wrap up the extremely successful Opening Night at Sparkman’s Wharf, more than 200 drones were deployed to light up the sky with site-specific images. Watch the video here!

3. Too busy to grab a coffee before your next session? No problem. These travelling baristas can top up your cup in seconds flat!

4. Multiple concurrent “Flashes of Brilliances Microsessions” ran in the pre-function space. Sounds noisy, you say? To solve that problem, attendees donned headphones to hear their presenter who spoke into a microphone that fed directly to them. 

5. Seating 2,000 for a keynote is no easy feat, especially if you want the audience as close to the stage as possible. Ushers alerted attendees to empty seats with these handy signs—and some of them even added a few dance moves to get people’s attention!