Re Defining Disruption @ ILEA Live

The buzzword disruption can be heard around the world in industries ranging from advertising to retail and the event industry is no exception. The definition of disruption, for those who don’t know,  means disturbance or problems that interrupt an event, activity, or process. “the schedule was planned to minimize disruption”

But in terms of business, it can be more easily translated to a radical change in an industry, business strategy, etc. This is especially true when introducing new products or services that create a new market: Globalization and the rapid advance of technology are major causes of business disruption.

So what does this mean for the event industry?

Since 2012, the industry has been focused on the rise of the millennials and the emergence of game-changing tech like VR.  These were the BIG disruptors of the last five years. Today, disruption comes in different forms. Whereas five years ago the millennial was the new employee, today they are evermore your new clients and that changes the game completely.  This new kind of client wants an uber interactive, emotionally charged experience. They want to feel it from start to finish; to be moved; to be surprised. This is a disruption in that it causes us as planners to rethink our approach and to dig deeper to create those meaningful experiences.  It is all about engagement through visual, digital and tactical means. Using the senses to create experiences guests can see feel, taste and touch.

Where can you find more today’s disruption? At ILEA Live, the conference for event professionals, taking place this August in Calgary. Here the educational program features several classes that can help you get caught up on current trends disrupting and changing the landscape of events yet again.

Here are a few session highlights:

Visual Disruption

Robert Dunsmore, Independent Creative Director
Thirty-eight percent of your brain is used to process visual stimulation. Leveraging this stimulation domination are scientists, artists, materials experts, and a variety of other experts hoping to engage the human mind even further. This session will look at those who are pushing the visual artistry boundaries and how brands are using this visual iconography to redefine how they want to be seen.

The Rukus! An Industry Disruption Adventure

David Adler, BizBash
Filesharing reshaped the music industry. Smartphones permanently altered the taxi industry. The Internet game changed television. If you are not in front of disruption, you become a victim of it. This interactive general session will involve the collective brainpower of conference attendees as delegates discuss and share digitally the ideas that industry leaders feel are going to bring change to all planners… fast.

Layered Immersion: Truly Engaging Guests

Blue Media, Interactive Apparel
The internet of things has given the world an unlimited ability to tap into human interactivity. But with that growth comes the difficulty in truly grabbing a person’s attention. This session will look at key ways we can leverage the senses while implementing visual, digital and tactile stimulation to draw an audience in and give them memorable engagement.

Designing Powerful Stories

Terry Biddle, The Knell
Wedding: the families. Product Launch: the brand. Civic Festival: the city. It doesn’t matter what market you are in, as an experiential designer, you have to be able to bring to life stories in a powerful way, subtly or directly. Building meaningful stories is a multi-step process that starts with listening and ends with emotion. Hear how this presenter uses principles from comedy, television and film and mixes in diverse viewpoints to create stories that resonate live.

Visit ILEALIVE.com for more great content and sessions.