WASHINGTON D.C. – This week, I’ve been attending CVENT’s inaugural, invite-only Group Business Forum with 400 hotel sales executives, meeting planners, destination marketers and CVENT executives to discuss group business trends and innovations.
The event is extremely well run, as far as events go. Attendees can’t walk more than two feet without bumping into a smiling CVENT employee who’s ready to help or guide them. And, needless to say, I’m learning quite a bit about group business trends, which I’ll eventually write about in this space.
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But right now, I wanted to share with you this great detail that CVENT brought in for the event: a phone charging station (see above photo) with cords for a variety of cell phones including iPhone 4s and 5s.
If you’ve ever been to a huge, tech industry heavy event like South By Southwest in Austin, then you’ve seen some version of these charging stations. They’re typically sponsored by a big-budget company.
But I have not come across them at smaller conferences. Why not? The upside for attendees is huge. I’d rather have access to a phone charger than pastries with my coffee break, if given the option.
This phone charging station served as a newfangled “water cooler.”
People gathered to chat, admire the booth, photograph it (well, maybe just me!) and also wait in line because it was so popular.
Readers: If you were given the option by conference organizers, would you rather have pastries with your coffee break — or access to phone charging stations (assuming both cost money)?
