Skift hosts 10-12 live events each year, including its flagship Skift Global Forum and the Skift Conference Forum, the premier gathering for meeting professionals. Skift’s live events take place around the world and cover different aspects of the travel industry. They follow a specific and intentional format based on a single TV-ready stage and candid conversations with the CEO.
In this episode of the Skift Conference Podcast, we explore the careful planning, innovative strategies and unique storytelling approach that make Skift’s live events stand out among B2B travel events. Brian Quinn, VP of Editorial Events at Skift, shares his insights into how the forum brings together industry leaders for thought-provoking conversations, all within a carefully curated experience designed to push the boundaries of travel and inspire the future.
focus
global forum for change: Skift’s flagship event focuses on cutting-edge discussions about the future of travel. It is characterized by its single-stage format and hosts approximately 1,000 tourism leaders annually. Skift Global Forum always interviews CEOs from major travel companies, including companies like Airbnb, Booking Holdings, Uber, and Marriott.
form and content: Skift’s live events feature a common single-stage design with no separate venues, creating a unified experience for the audience. Meetings are concise, usually 20-25 minutes in length, to keep engagement high and respect attendees’ time. Content focuses on strategy discussions and industry trends, avoiding lengthy resumes or company origin stories.
CEO dialogue: Skift emphasizes honest, in-depth conversations with CEOs, fueled by their strong press relationships. The interviews are designed to reveal the core challenges of the industry and provide valuable insights to the audience.
audience engagement: This format attracts a highly engaged audience, with careful curation ensuring the content is relevant and impactful. Event design takes into account the audience’s attention span and need for a dynamic and thought-provoking experience. The Skift Conference Forum features additional audience interaction designed to foster connections among senior planner audiences.
Comparison to virtual events: Skift believes there is irreplaceable value in face-to-face events, especially the energy and connections built in the room. Virtual events are complementary, serving as a lead-in or follow-up to the main event rather than a replacement.
Success Metrics: Skift measures live event success by atmosphere, audience engagement, feedback and ultimately impact on the industry. Skift is constantly looking to innovate and improve the event experience, aiming to push industry boundaries.
Episode summary
In this episode of the Skift Conference Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Miguel Neves sits down with Brian Quinn, Skift’s Vice President of Editorial Events, to discuss the complexities of planning and executing the Skift Global Forum, one of the most anticipated events in the world.
Known for its single-stage format and intimate high-level dialogue, the Skift Global Forum brings together approximately 1,000 leaders from the travel industry. One of the highlights on stage was the candid interview format, with CEOs from major companies including Airbnb, Booking Holdings, Uber and Marriott.
Quinn shared insights into what makes the Skift Global Forum unique, emphasizing its focus on creating a unified experience for attendees through carefully curated content and thought-provoking discussions. Unlike many industry events that feature multiple breakout sessions and panels, the Skift Global Forum intentionally maintains a single stage to enable a coherent narrative and ensure each session is impactful and engaging. This format, often compared to a TED Talk on Travel, encourages honest and open conversations about the future of travel.
The conversation also delves into the strategy behind Skift’s event design, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and carefully planning each event. Quinn discussed how Skift uses its journalism background to secure top speakers and ensure discussions are relevant and forward-thinking.
The conversation explores the challenges of keeping audiences engaged in an age of short attention spans and the ever-changing expectations of event attendees. It also delves into the differences between in-person and virtual events and highlights the unique value of live conversations and networking in the room.
Listen to the full episode to learn how Skift continues to push the boundaries of travel events and create unforgettable experiences for attendees.
