Why We Still Need Conferences and Convention Centers
Gathering the smartest minds in a profession together face to face for future-shifting conversations inspires hope. It is undeniably important.
Gathering the smartest minds in a profession together face to face for future-shifting conversations inspires hope. It is undeniably important.
The NFL is easily the most popular sport in America and the new season starts today. Despite mostly empty stadiums (except the ones in Ohio and Florida), the pent up demand for ANY live entertainment and the popularity of the sport seem poised to drive some record profits this year for the league and team … Read more
Over the past two weeks, I actively watched both the Republican and Democratic Political Conventions and actively ignored the mostly useless commentary from cable news political pundits. My aim was to hear and experience the original talks and segments from both conventions without the biased real-time analysis. I was watching not only the live and … Read more
I have wanted to go to the Comic-Con event for years, but never quite managed to make it. This year, I finally can – because the entire event is happening virtually. It is happening all weekend, and there is already an excellent panel online you can watch on how teachers are using comic books to help students … Read more
With the concerns about a global health pandemic, the necessity of shifting more events and meetings to be virtual is on everyone’s mind. There’s only one problem: most of us have spent too much time in virtual meetings that are a waste of time. I should know, I’ve probably spoken or participated in well over … Read more
For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business environment. Over the past decade, my team and I have identified and written about well over 100 trends covering everything from the rise of the #metoo movement (a trend we … Read more
Why Every Ski Map Looks The Same This past weekend was a big one for skiing and so this article was interesting and timely – all about the life and work of a man who has drawn hundreds of ski maps for resorts. It is a fascinating reminder that there is beauty in the details of … Read more
There was a time when people used to think the waiting list for season tickets to Redskins games took decades to clear. Then the team finally admitted those numbers were inflated and made season tickets available again last year. The idea of a show/venue being “sold out” is one of the most basic marketing techniques in entertainment … … Read more
Every year my team and I read and review hundreds of books in the process of curating ideas to incorporate in our annual list of trends. Beyond using those books to inspire how we see the world, we also select our favorites each year to feature as part of the Non-Obvious Book Awards program. For … Read more
This week the father of Amy Winehouse announced a world tour in 2019 featuring a “hologram” of his daughter on stage. A digital avatar of Winehouse, who died in 2011 from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, will “perform” some of her most popular songs in a concert accompanied by a live band, real backup … Read more