Helping you keep up on the latest industry trends.

By Brian Heater – TechCrunch – January 2017

Most of the attendees I spoke with walked away a little underwhelmed, struggling to put together a solid list of the things that truly wowed them at this year’s show. Even a cab driver or two, in all of their infinite Las Vegas wisdom, perceived a palpable decrease in excitement among their passengers and the city at large.

Not every year can be one for the record books. That’s kind of the thing about record books. And certainly the Consumer Electronics Show, which celebrated its 50^th anniversary this year, has had its ups and downs, along with the rest of the consumer electronics industry. But even with all of the triumphant pomp adorning its badges and signage, this year’s event felt like a show in transition.

It’s still big and well attended, but many of the larger names have taken a step back in recent years. The promise of showcasing a year’s worth of high-tech innovation has taken a backseat as manufacturers look to other events like the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to offer a launch for a much more targeted audience.

Others, meanwhile, have sought their own platform for announcements — throwing massive parties for themselves for single products, so as to avoid getting buried beneath the deluge of announcements that’s enough to send a poor gadget blogger into an existential spiral.

Others still sprinkled the often quiet days and weeks leading up to the big show with small scale announcements – knowing full well that to do so during CES would mean being the fifth company to show off an Alexa-controlled robot vacuum that week (I’m looking at you, Samsung and LG), making for decidedly less news-packed events.

But as bigger names have seemingly taken a step back, the (non-robotic) vacuum has opened to allow distinctly different categories to flood in. The first and most interesting is the startups. Over the past few years, Eureka Park has arguably become the focal point for the show’s most interesting announcements. It’s certainly the place everyone from the smallest upstart blog to network morning news turns to illustrate the show’s true excitement.

Located a quick cab ride from the Convention Center at the Sands Expo, Eureka Park is overwhelming, in mostly good ways. It’s the product of the rise of the hardware startup – a phenomenon facilitated by a perfect storm of crowdfunding, rapid prototyping, investment and scalable manufacturing. The hall bustles with a sort of energy you won’t find in the other corners of CES, excited founders pitching products directly to passersby, weird and exciting innovations too off-center for the big, lumbering tech giants to attempt to maneuver.

A walk through the aisles is almost enough to burn away layers of cynicism built up like plaque in an artery after years of covering the ins and outs of this industry. Almost. It’s the sort of thing that inspires your Samsungs and Sonys to launch their own in-house incubators, in hopes of capturing that manner of lighting in a bottle.

Of course, as with any other part of the show, there are a million me-too products. Fitness bands are still very much a thing here, and these folks are every bit as eager to be your smart home hub as Apple or Google. But you won’t have to walk down too many rows before something different catches your eye.

Interestingly, one of the other big winners of the shifting consumer electronics sensibilities over the past few years is, in many ways, the complete antithesis – old companies recently becoming relevant in the face of new technologies. Just as modern technologies like smartphones were credited in helping getting a number of faltering carmakers back on track in recent years (many of whom have found a willing partner in CES), long standing appliance, electrical and utility companies are seeing new trends as an opportunity to breathe life into business.

When we had August CEO Jason Johnson on stage this week, he explained that much of his competition was coming from old school lock manufacturers pivoting toward a new technology. Similarly, I’ve found myself meeting with a number of old guard companies eager to embrace the burgeoning smart home space. A far cry from my usual startup meetings, in recent weeks I’ve found myself meeting with Sylvania, Leviton and Honeywell, all of whom had Homekit compatible devices to show off this week.

Even with all that, CES 2017 felt like an in-between year, from where I sat. A transitional year for a show that has seen plenty. Let’s not forget that the thing began life at a trio of hotels in New York City, during the summer of love. Or that it was once held in both winter or summer, the latter of which was planned as more of a traveling show.

CES’s organizers have proven themselves pretty good at rolling with the punches – a necessary trait when vying to maintain one’s position as the biggest show for one of the world’s most dynamic industries. As long as the show never gets too stuck its ways and embraces the next steps for the industry, it should comfortably transition to that next iteration.

By Padraic Gilligan – SoolNua – November, 2016

There’s a nice symbiosis between the availability of airlift into previously
“off line” destinations and a new trend – the substantial rise of second
and third tier destinations. This is being driven by many factors.
 
Capacity issues in tier one cities, particularly in the US where demand
has outstripped supply for a few years now, is causing #eventprofs to
look beyond the tried and tested to discover the delights of Raleigh or
Tampa or Oklahoma City. Demand in tier one cities like Chicago, San
Francisco and New York is also pushing up prices, another compelling
reason to look beyond these usual suspects.
 
But it’s not all about capacity and price. There’s a change in the zeitgeist
too that leaves delegates ready for new and different experiences and
open to check out the paths less travelled.
 
Always ahead of the herd, Google brought its EMEA meeting to Killarney
in the South West of Ireland, some years ago having eliminated several
mainstream European cities from the selection process. Getting there
involved planes, trains and automobiles but the destination experience
inspired more stories and forged more connections than any previous event.
 
Subaru, the Japanese automotive company, passed up on Chicago, San
Francisco and Miami for its recent Annual Business Conference and
instead choose Indianapolis as it offered “something new” along with
great infrastructure and affordable rates.
 
The availability of low cost carriers on routes has been a key factor in
destination selection for the association sector for many years. With
delegates at association conferences generally paying registration,
accommodation and air out of their own pockets, the presence of a low
cost airline always boosts delegate numbers.
 
While the corporate meeting and incentive sector has tended to
despise the low cost | poor service model that too is changing now and
will continue to do so in 2017. Low cost carriers are now proactively
targeting the MICE sector with the launch of a business and group
product and that’s set to have a big implication on destination selection.
 
Low cost carriers are now opening up access to hitherto untrodden paths,
particularly around Europe where Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling and others
have grabbed so much market share and are connecting meetings and
incentive participants to multiple second and third tier destinations.

By Nick Borelli – October, 2016

The lines between what is currently considered marketing best practice and growth hacking
get blurred every few months. Usually growth hacking marketing is defined as a form
that emphasizes more experimental campaigns focused on fast results, especially in the
areas of growing audiences. Growth hackers A&B test and pivot quickly in order to show
momentum building results. The reason growth hacking is featured in our trends is because
the marketing landscape is moving so quickly that only through result driven trials can you
determine the right formula for success.

Strategies
Social media follower growth hacking
Rapid unsustainable practices are the product of poor growth hacking techniques. Buying
followers in order to trick people into thinking you are credible and most forms of content
automation will hurt rather than help any strategies that are based on long term success.
Web-based applications such as Tweepi allow you to target the followers of competitors
or influencers in order to rapidly build your audience. Targeted automation of post liking on
platforms like Twitter and Instagram also often result in fast follower gains without being
seen as a spamming technique (as with post commenting automation).

Tease to convert
If your main goal is website conversion, social media posts geared at reeling people in for
the full story on their site is key. Steer clear of clickbait schemes by focusing on value in your
post with additional value on your site. Enticing graphics will help convert clicks and variations
of images with different takes on the calls to action will also stretch out a campaign. For
example, if you are sending them to a list, give them one of the items in your post and have
the rest located on your site.

Sharing strategies
Social media tactics are the best forms of growth hacking because you have the opportunity
for impressions you don’t pay for through social sharing. Social media posts designed to
entice followers to share them takes precision. Self-promotion and ads are rarely shared
or retweeted unless you have something that is ending very soon and exclusive. Timely
posts that leverage moments everyone’s talking about are overwhelmingly the most
shared content with instructional content being second. Direct your tweets at influencers
with unique messages to them (but please space out requests so they feel special and not
blasted at). Don’t forget the easiest way to get a share or retweet – ask for one!

By Amanda Scriver – Posted on BizBash – September, 2016

TORONTO The 41st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival will take over the entire city from September 8 to 18, enticing big brands, publicists, and event organizers to take part in the glitzy 10-day fest. With numerous actors, producers, and directors flying into town throughout the festival, the red carpet is being rolled out and activations and events are kicking into high gear. Here are some of the noteworthy events that will be taking place during TIFF this year.

The Can’t-Miss Parties
At the TIFF Bell Lightbox tonight, the TIFF Opening Night Soiree will welcome the guest of honor, actor Michael Fassbender, alongside about 550 donors. Inside the cinema, an exclusive onstage conversation with Fassbender will take place prior to a V.I.P. gathering on the rooftop of Malaparte. For its second season, Mongrel Media will be returning to the festival party circuit with its event series Mongrel House from Thursday through September 14. Esther Garnick PR is assisting with publicity for the event, which is again taking place at the Campbell House museum. Nightly programming includes live music presented by Cineplex, a nightly food market presented by the St. Lawrence Market, and a throwback to East Coast-inspired kitchen parties, including live karaoke presented by Alexander Keith’s.

Known in the industry as one of the biggest TIFF kick-off parties, the sixth annual Producer’s Ball Presented by Fandango, which takes place Friday, will once again be hosted by tag-team brother duo Drew and Jonathan Scott of Property Brothers. The intimate affair brings together directors, producers, and actors while educating guests on the role of producers in film. The ball will take place at 128 Peter Street, a pop-location in Toronto’s downtown core. Bovet 1822 Artists for Peace and Justice 2016 Festival Fair, a charitable event that raises funds each year for initiatives in Haiti, sets out for its eighth TIFF installment on Sunday at Casa Loma. Co-hosts this year include Jeremy Renner, Maxwell, Paul Haggis, Maria Bello, Catherine Keener, and Jim Belushi. The board will be honoring Sean Penn for his dedicated support of the organization’s work in Haiti.

Entering into its seventh year at TIFF, the Festival Music House at Velvet Underground on Monday will showcase some of Canada’s diverse musical talent to the taste-makers of the film and television industry. Live acts of the evening include Dragonette, Jessy Lanza, Charlotte Day Wilson, and a DJ set from Kardinal Offishall. For the fourth year of Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film, Telefilm Canada and Birks have partnered to showcase and celebrate the women in the Canadian film and television who are bringing international acclaim to the industry. The invite-only event will be honoring 12 Canadian women on Monday at the Shangri-La Hotel.

Lounges Where the Stars Are Hanging Out
For the eighth year, Bask-It-Style’s lounge presented by GLO Communications at the Thompson Toronto offers a more personalized take on gifting. While guests will be taken through activations by lounge sponsors that include Birkenstock, Finn, Josef Seibel, Cloud and Gerry Weber, L’Oréal Canada, Mary Kay, and Maple Leaf Tavern. Personalized V.I.P. gift bags will be hand-delivered to the stars during their stay throughout TIFF. Esther Garnick PR will also host the ever-popular Essentials Lounge for the seventh year tonight at the Richmond. The lounge exclusively invites members of the media to come in and pamper themselves before the festival’s onslaught. E.G.P.R. president Esther Garnick explains, “It occurred to me that media working around the clock at TIFF—reporting on all its glamour—are living the exact opposite of reality.” The lounge will feature products and sponsor activations from Colmar Originals, Glacéau VitaminWater, KMS California, Saucony, and Smashbox Cosmetics.

NKPR and the Property Brothers duo’s activation at 128 Peter Street runs today through Sunday. Including daytime and nighttime programming, invited guests can have their portrait taken with photographer Caitlin Cronenberg in the IT Lounge Portrait Studio in Partnership with W magazine. Artist Peter Tunney will be onsite creating live art to be auctioned off, with 50 percent of proceeds from sales going back to the nonprofit Artists for Peace and Justice. Entering into its 11th year, the Tastemakers Lounge, presented by Krispy Kreme Canada, will be held Thursday to Tuesday at the InterContinental Toronto Centre. “It’s a way to say congratulations to all involved, and create a unique opportunity for the brands involved,” says Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski, president and founder of Rock-It Promotions and the Tastemakers lounge. This year, returning premium sponsor Sorel will host an on-site boot shop. Other activations include Tweezerman’s brow-and-makeup bar and Salon Dew’s hair touch-ups.

At the Deadline Hollywood Studio, stars are being treated to aesthetics treatments from Esthetics Plus at the Trump Hotel from Thursday to Monday. Guests can experience pampering that includes relaxing facials, eyelash treatments, and spray tans.
Sharp magazine has set up a lounge in the heart of the festival hub (located at King Street West and Blue Jays Way) for all to drop in. The lounge—which has a Harley-Davidson motorcycle simulation, a virtual-reality exhibit, a Volvo super car, and some Chopard diamonds—aims to capture what it’s like to relax like a celebrity in style. Brassaii Bistro Lounge will be hosting the Hollywood Reporter Lounge from Friday to Tuesday for celebrities to escape the festival and enjoy the King West hotspot’s new brunch menu.

Notable Parties, Panels, and Pop-Ups
French Riviera-inspired Villa Azur, a restaurant and lounge based in Miami, will host its inaugural pop-up activation and lounge at the Spoke Club from Thursday to Sunday. Events include an “All White Affair” dinner party on Thursday, and a South-of-France-theme champagne brunch, hosted by Toufik Sarwa, on Sunday. On Tuesday at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, the Axe Collective and Vanguard Honours event will bring together Mark Duplass and John Legend alongside TIFF Vanguard programmer Colin Geddes to host an evening that celebrates the festival’s Vanguard films and spotlights three aspiring filmmakers. No advance tickets are available, and the event is open to the public. For the third consecutive year, Festival Street returns to TIFF on King Street West between Peter and University streets. From Thursday to Sunday, there will be several family activities, live performances, and art installations. One of the event’s highlights will be Pharrell Williams and special guests performing new music from the film Hidden Figures for select TIFF members on Saturday.

On September 14, Neal Fraser of Top Chef: Masters will bring his sought-after Hollywood hot dogs to TIFF partygoers at the Fritzi Dog pop-up at the Drake Hotel. The eatery will offer gourmet, sustainable hot dogs, as well as vegetarian options including a sous-vide carrot dog.

By Ian Zelaya – BizBash – August 17, 2016

All Star Code’s third annual benefit featured interactive technology demonstrations designed by its students.

New York’s ritzy Hamptons suburb might not be the first location that comes to mind for a tech-industry gathering, but one organization proved that the summertime vacation destination can also be ideal for learning about new technology—which just happens to created by teenagers.

All Star Code, a nonprofit that prepares young men of color for full-time employment in the technology industry, hosted its third annual benefit to raise funds for and awareness of its cause. The benefit, which raised more than $740,000 for the organization, took place August 6 at the private Lewis residence in East Hampton. The event also showcased interactive tech demonstrations created by students and alumni from the first three years of its educational Summer Intensive Program.

“The inspiration for the summer benefit is our mission to foster entrepreneurial talent as described in our three programmatic pillars: ‘Dare Greatly’, ‘Celebrate Failure’, and ‘Tell Your Story,’” said Christina Lewis Halpern, the founder and executive director of All Star Code. “The event brings together a powerful and unique community of New York finance and media executives, civic philanthropists passionate about education, and tech entrepreneurs. Our goal is to nurture and grow the connections between these different communities into a force for social change.”

Halpern noted that in its third year since it began as a cocktail party in 2014, the benefit has added two hours and 50 additional tickets, as well as a wider variety of student exhibits. WCBS-TV New York anchor Maurice DuBois served as master of ceremonies for the event, which presented Elliott Breece—product manager for Google Play and co-founder of Songza—with the Community Award.

Michael Schwartz, All Star Code’s director of events, said the benefit’s color palette and theme complemented the organization’s new look. “Since All Star Code unveiled all new branding this summer, featuring mischievous mascots and bright red, green, purple, and orange-yellow accent colors, we decided to go more tropical and playful in palette and decor,” said Schwartz. “There were colorful and textural ocean elements on the seaside tablescape, and small arrangements with tropical greens and floral accents in the brand’s signature colors.”

Just as important as the decor and ceremony, the interactive demos during the event’s cocktail hour allowed guests to test out stations and mingle with students and alumni.

“Too often at galas, the very people the nonprofit are serving are relegated to the sidelines. We unquestionably wanted our students front and center, engaging with guests and showcasing their quickly developing skills and talents,” said Schwartz. “We wanted to help materialize their ideas and make their dreams heard. So the idea of the ‘Maker Fair’ was born, which doubled as cocktail hour. This allowed guests to drink, nibble, and chat, and get to know our students prior to the main program as well.”