The domain expertise that visits a city’s convention center ought to be harnessed for a higher purpose.
Convention centers
in cities large and small are gathering places for professionals from different
industries. Walk by any convention center and you might see people wearing
their event credentials on lanyards even afterhours. It helps them know who
else in town is from their industry. The silent nod of acknowledgement as they
pass each other provides a sense of security in unfamiliar streets. Every
minute in that city is an opportunity for them to meet a current or prospective
customer, supplier, mentor or friend from the industry.
Conferences cover
the gamut, whether agriculture equipment, boats, technology, data centers, college
administration, or funeral homes. Over 12,000 industry groups gather
periodically in North America.
One wonders
what happens when deep expertise from an industry swarms a square mile. I
suspect that citizens stay oblivious to the wealth of knowledge and experience
that’s walking around in their city.
At any
conference there is a high likelihood of meeting someone who is changing the
world in a meaningful way. One can meet accomplished authors, CEOs of major
corporations, and founders of cutting-edge startups. One also meets people with
deep operational expertise from decades in the trenches. Interestingly, these
industry professionals appear relaxed, away from their desks, bumping into old
industry friends. They often engage in free-wheeling conversations, sharing
knowledge and helping out newcomers to the industry. They pay it forward.
Can a city
harness this vortex of industry knowledge and generosity? City leaders have an
opportunity to tap into these walking fountains of knowledge and present them
to the city’s students in local campuses where high school and college students
could get a sense of an industry and learn what it would be like to be a part
of that industry.
I presume it
will require collaboration between the Convention and Visitors Bureau, event
producers, perhaps the city’s economic development department, and local
educational institutions. When I had met a director of expos in the marine
industry, I asked why school students can’t walk the aisles of a show floor to
learn. She said it was for liability reasons, a valid point.
Lately, some
conventions allowing young people to attend and learn. New York Toy Fair, the
one time I attended, had set aside a family time for folks with children to see
a small section of displays. PBExpo, focused on aviation parts offers students
(high-school and older) free registration. Engineering students attend space
and transit industry expos. That’s a good start, but insufficient for
meaningful impact.
A formal arrangement by city authorities, news media, and educational institutions to invite some of the domain expertise outside of the perimeter of the convention center would make a real difference. It would shield event producers from liability, promote the industry, and make it easier for visiting professionals to get the next generation excited about their industry. That would be unconventional, but invaluable.
