Why wait till the end of the year to forecast what the future will bring? Midyear is a fine time to take stock of where we are now and where we're headed.
If your work involves corporate events, you will find value in our 14th annual corporate event forecast, developed by Penton Research. You will see how budgets and workloads are shaping up for this year and next, including data stretching back 10 years. It all starts on page 11.
We also present our annual list of the biggest DMCs in business, starting on page 23. This is an industry segment that has been changing markedly in recent years. Read more about how the big players will address their future challenges.
A highlight of my year is working on the cover story for this issue—our look at 25 young special event pros worth watching. I had already met some of them, but others were fresh faces to me. And as invigorating as it is to learn from them what they have accomplished so far, it is inspiring to read the comments from the people who nominated them.
For example, Karl Heitz of Denver-based AXS Group is described by Rick Jobe, a member of the Special Events Advisory Board, with the ultimate compliment: "He's the real deal." Rick says that Karl is "a creative spirit who can solve complex problems with an overall understanding of how events work and how a single element or action within an event can affect the overall outcome."
Matthew Flachsenhaar, creative director and executive producer with New York-based Broadstreet, was on our list last year, and he was quick to nominate one of his colleagues. He describes Brian Curp, who oversees Broadstreet's media department as "a consummate professional," adding that "he always faces the largest disparity between what he’s given to work with and the expectations of the project--which he always surpasses." You will find the story starting on page 15.
As so many event pros have told me over the years, several of the "25" profiled here told me they didn't know that there even was a profession—a paying profession—devoted to special events. Many also stressed to me that they are devoted to excellence and to continuing to learn how to be the best.
With these young pros at work in our industry, our future is bright indeed.
