Last week a few members of the OneLobby team travelled to Boston to attend PCMA Convening Leaders 2014. The trip down was a doozy due to the icy conditions in Canada through Maine and New Hampshire but we made it safe and sound.

My colleagues and I made a ton of great connections in Boston. It was really great to meet the people behind the many twitter handles we often communicate with. It’s always a pleasure to put a name to the face.

The Convening Leaders organizing committee did an amazing job of really showcasing what our industry is all about and the sheer size of it. I’m proud to be a member of this $285 Billion industry and big congratulations goes out to the organizing committee on a job well done from all 4000+ attendees.

The biggest take away for me personally, was that the event industry is at a crossroad entering a new era of big data. For example, data is being demanded by exhibitors to prove that events and shows will meet the exhibiting companies business requirements. Fortune 500 companies will simply not participate in events unless event managers provide the data to prove that the event is aligned with their business goals. However, many event managers are struggling to think innovatively on how to do this. Simple exhibitors prospectus will not work for much longer. This was expressed many times throughout the sessions at CL14.

The conference wasn’t centered around a “data” theme, but it certainly was a big part of the conversation in many of the various sessions we attended. What troubles me is that there will be some who will fight against this Data transformation and will fail.

Twitter, for example, is a marketing gift to event professionals because it spreads the word and gets content out in lightning speed to people all around the world, yet so many still struggle with it.

The sessions were very informative and well attended, for the most part. The content was educational and valuable. The sessions allowed for direct participation by those in attendance as well as those watching online. I also love how attendees can purchase recorded sessions after the event to replay at a later date in case they missed something, or want to share with other colleagues.

One of the big winners at #PCMACL14 was the Meeting Pool’s tech bar. Dahlia El Gazzar, Tess Vismale and the gang did a great job of helping break down those barriers that are keeping many event professionals behind in technology by providing seminars on Instagram, Twitter, and event specific technologies.

At the end of the day, PCMACL14 was well worth the trip and I felt I received a tremendous amount of value by attending. Apart for a few glitches in the mobile app, the overall experience was fantastic.

Its very exciting to be a part of the industry today because I strongly believe the demand for data from all stakeholders will shake things up. Those that are willing to adapt will prove to be the next event leaders of tomorrow.

So, what is your plan to integrate & leverage data in your upcoming event programs? How does data play a role in your event and the planning process? Let us know in the comments below.

If you’re interested in another perspective, I recommend you check out Doreen Ashton Wagner’s blog over at Greenfield Services. Click here to check it out!