Back to the future

Am I the only one who is a little confused about what it is that futurists do? Although it seems like a perfectly respectable profession, I can't help imagining a group of futurists sitting on bean bags casually predicting the trends of the future between nap breaks.

Don't get me wrong, it sounds like a great gig and the whole futurist enterprise must have some theoretical foundation or big corporations wouldn't employ them.

Not only do Australian universities offers degrees in futurism (why not ditch that MBA for the far more impressive sounding Masters in Foresight) but Australian futurists even have their own dedicated institute. On their website, The Futures Foundation claims to uphold "greater interest in, and understanding of, the future". Wow. They also provide "tools and perspectives to assist individuals and businesses today in preparing a more ideal tomorrow. The foundation utilises this discipline in planning and strategy."

Understanding the cycle of trends is central to the C&I industry and being able to accurately predict what will come next is an immensely valuable tool. But what happens if we get it wrong? Do these professional prognosticators admit their mistakes or are they too forward-thinking for that?

Flying awry

Anyone who has travelled Qantas business class recently will have received a toiletries kit that looks somewhat like a flattened lunchbox. The grey plastic container may have been created by Australian designer Marc Newson, but there are murmurs its days are numbered. But hang on to yours - who knows what these limited-edition collector's items will be worth on Ebay in 10 years' time.

Meanwhile, there have also been reports that those in cattle class on some international flights arriving in Australia in the morning are no longer served breakfast. This often leaves passengers to face customs and quarantine queues on an empty stomach.

We'd like to hear from you: Is flying a great or a grim experience? The best three yarns win a surprise book.

Carbon offsets: Solution or quick fix?

Carbon offsetting is all the rage within the events industry. But what exactly does a carbon offset achieve? Certainly, the idea of planting a tree for every metre flown goes a long way in offsetting the guilt associated with burning so many tonnes of jet fuel, but how sustainable is this approach?Besides tree planting, there are a wide variety of offset methods in use, with renewable energy and energy conservation offsets popping up both in Australia and abroad. The purchase and withdrawal of emissions trading credits are also being seen.

But is this a real solution to reducing greenhouse emissions or just a quick fix? George Monbiot, an English environmentalist and writer, has compared carbon offsets to the practice of purchasing indulgences during the Middle Ages, whereby people believed they could purchase forgiveness for their sins rather than actually repenting and not sinning.

Monbiot also says carbon offsets are an excuse for business as usual with regards to pollution. The current approach may not be perfect, but at least event producers are now acknowledging the need to reduce their environmental impact.

Be sure to check out the new monthly Going Green section in the September issue of CIM for more, workable green initiatives from C&I professionals.

Comfort or no comfort.

There was a time when sitting in economy on a long-haul flight almost guaranteed some form of chiropractic condition. Little has changed to improve passenger comfort, according to British humourist Charlie Brooker in The Guardian who has renamed the various airline seating categories as: “Misery, Misery Lite and, the highest achievable grade, Slightly Comfortable”.

Will the roomier Airbus and Boeing aircraft change things at last, or does the pain persist?

No mass?

Sydney's World Youth Day next July seems a misnomer given that the event spans more than week. It culminates with a mass led by Pope Benedict, expected to attract about half a million people and scheduled for Randwick Racecourse. But the Australian Jockey Club is apparently not enthusiastic about hosting the event, especially as chairman Ross Smyth-Kirk has revealed that it faces a $6 million bill just to keep Randwick open for racing. A colossal religious event could cost the club and the racing industry millions of dollars in lost revenue.

So where will the mass go, plus the mass of young people who were originally going to camp out at the racetrack? Most big events mean big money for the host city, but will this be the case for World Youth Day, or will it turn into an expensive nuisance?

APEC again

The APEC 2007 Taskforce sent us a response to our blog comments, we felt it was only right to post there comments. .........see below

Thanks for allowing us to provide these additional points in response to whether Sydney, particularly the meetings industry, can cope with hosting APEC in Sydney, as explored a recent blog on the CIM website. As mentioned, we are also happy for you to add these to the feature you have written and attribute to head of the APEC 2007 Taskforce, Alan Henderson, in line with our initial responses.

· The APEC 2007 Taskforce comprises a professional team of event managers who have come together to stage one of the largest diplomatic events ever held in Australia.

· Rather than ‘shutting out’ the meetings industry, the Taskforce draws together many experienced PCOs (Professional Conference Organisers) and meetings professionals, many of whom have worked on other successful events held in Australia (eg. Sydney 2000 Olympics, Rugby World Cup, Melbourne Commonwealth Games, CHOGM, etc).

· A division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the APEC 2007 Taskforce is working collaboratively with the Commonwealth and State Governments and key agencies and stakeholders to deliver a safe and successful event.

· From January to September over 100 days of meetings will be hosted across the country as part of the APEC Australia 2007™ year. All meetings to date have been delivered successfully.

· Hosting the APEC Australia 2007™ year will provide Australia with an opportunity to showcase its unique and diverse business, society and culture to influential constituencies within the region and to the wider international community. APEC meetings are a fantastic road show around Australia.

· The success of APEC Leaders Week and the series of meetings held throughout the APEC Australia 2007™ year will benefit Australia’s meetings industry because it will clearly demonstrate that Australia, and in particular, Sydney, is capable of hosting/delivering one of the most important annual meetings of world leaders.


http://www.apec2007.org/

Tradeshows as commercial warfare

On day one of the inaugural Australian Events Expo, the organisers were touting a 40 per cent increase in visitor pre-registrations compared to the last Sydney on Sale, which the expo replaced. But as Robby Clark from ETF pointed out in his seminar, only half of pre-registered visitors show up. He also branded some recent trade shows as little more than "commercial warfare", offering competing companies a venue to "spy, try and buy".

Was this your experience of Australian Events Expo? How did the show compare to AIME in terms of generating business, and will you be back next year?