2019: A Year of Purpose and Experience

In July 2018, Complete Crewing announced the appointment of a new CEO and majority owner, Dan Kantor.  Complete Crewing went on to have a record year, and we look forward to making 2019 even better.  We aren’t only excited for ourselves, either.  A new year brings new opportunities and experiences for the entire Events and Meeting Industry, and everyone in the labor and production services.  Take a look at just a few changes on the horizon and get ready to experience events like never before.

Face-to-Face Meetings Remain Important

Let’s start with a few statistics:

  • 41% of marketers believe that events are the single-most effective marketing channel over digital advertising, e-mail marketing, and content marketing. This is a 32% increase from 2017.
  • 84% of leadership believes in-person events are a critical component of their company’s success.
  • 81% of marketers believe that in the upcoming years, live events will become increasingly important to their organization’s success.

We are a social species.  We like in-person interactions, we like new environments, and we like leaving the office.  Live events with in-person attendance aren’t going away.  Meetings will only grow more social as we continue celebrating creativity through communication, with a renewed focus on getting out of our seats and away from our computers.

Memorable Events are in the Spotlight

Demand is increasing for one-of-a-kind, break-the-mold experiences.  Attendees look for interactive offerings, high levels of service, and a deeper sense of purpose.   Events need to entertain, inspire, engage and inform.  It will become increasingly important to choose venue locations that make it easy for attendees to do more.  We think that’s all the more reason to host in Chicago, which was voted “The World’s Best City for Having it All;” topped Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice for 2018 Best Big Cities in the U.S.; and, is home to one of the 12 coolest neighborhoods in the world and the largest convention center in the Western Hemisphere, McCormick Place.

Good for Business, Good for People

When Lodging Econometrics released its bi-annual Global Construction Pipeline Trend Report, it showed that the U.S. has 5,312 projects/634,501 rooms scheduled for completion.  New hotel openings continue to hit record levels.  If this continues, 2020 could see 1,250 new hotel openings in the U.S.  Who needs to use those hotels?  Event planners and attendees.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for meeting and event planners is expected to grow at a rate of 11% from 2016 to 2026.  In 2016, face-to-face meetings and events supported 5.9 million U.S. jobs and $104 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.  Every dollar spent on meetings and events generated an additional $1.60 for the U.S. economy.  Just think how that could change as events grow in importance!  The Meetings and Events Industry directly supports the U.S. economy and American workers.  We think that alone is cause for celebration.

2019 is going to be great.  Let’s prepare for a year of expansion and purpose.  A year where events bring people together to make connections, solve problems, and have fun.  At Complete Crewing, we’re ready.