Reimagining the spaces, places and ways we meet was the goal of this “tour and workshop on the move" lead by Jackie Mulligan, principal lecturer at The International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality, Leeds Metropolitan University; and Dr. Alexandra Kenyon, senior lecturer hospitality & retailing at The International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality, Leeds Metropolitan University. 

Attendees had the chance to “see the now and imagine the future” with insights into the key trends that have emerged from the MPI Future of Meetings study. They were asked to imagine IMEX America in 2030: What will be different? How will it evolve? And what might that mean for you?

"The future will be hyper competitive," Mulligan said. "This means that live events will have to be hyper real in order to get peoples' attention, to show them the value of attending a face-to-face event."

During the tour, Mulligan and Kenyon discussed issues of security at events, the role that targeted audio will play during meetings, 3D printing technology and concerns related to food production and consumption.

"There are three points concerning food that I see arising in the future," Kenyon said. "First, people will have to choose between organic or locally grown food. Organic may be not have the pesticides that locally grown food does; however, it may be produced hundred of miles away and have to be shipped to you, which can be bad for the environment. Second, by 2050, there world's population will be nine billion. New technologies will have to play a role in how food is grown. For example, skin grafting something like burgers will become much more commonplace in order to meet demand. Third, we'll see a rise in genetically modified crops, because they can include more vitamins and carbs to help feed the growing population." 

In the end, participants were able to enhance their creative and future-thinking skills, transform the "meeting-scape" by understanding key trends, and gain key insights into one's own and others' perspectives on how to address and invent the future.