In bed with the storytellers of Crossover 2020

“Just like bedtime stories that we used to listen to as children, every event creates and shares its own story. A well-told story is an event where the narrator and the listener meet, where the participant and the speaker form a personal bond.”

Before you come to Conventa Crossover, a hybrid conference for everyone, who wants to learn, socialize and exchange ideas in an informal, relaxed environment, the organisers wanted you to meet the speakers (or storytellers as they like to call them). Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Ljubljana on 27 August 2020, you can join the conference virtually.

Matthias Schultze

Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau

Q: How are we going to organize events in the future?

Future events require a twofold focus on personal meetings and digital interconnection. This can be implemented, for example, through hybrid formats that link face-to-face attendance with online participation. Only in combination with the ‘human touch’ and a dedicated focus on attendee demands can technological innovations like virtual venues or AR/VR tools unfold that special effect which makes an event a lasting success.

Q: What is your love story with the world of events?

Meetings, congresses and events are platforms for the exchange of experiences and ideas.  Business events drive innovation, inspire people and provide valuable impulses for political, economic and social development. It is a great pleasure to work in such an environment.

Q: What do you love about your job the most?

The world of business events is very interdisciplinary and unites many perspectives. I appreciate being able to regularly exchange ideas with people from very different fields and thus always get new impulses and fresh ideas.

Q: In your opinion, what is live marketing’s best advantage vs online?

Live and online marketing each have their own strengths – which is why I do not see them as antagonists, but as complementary. With the format of hybrid events it is possible to combine the best of both worlds.

Q: What are you bringing to Conventa Crossover?

With my participation in Conventa Crossover, I want to give a positive outlook for the future. This includes thinking in different scenarios to provide orientation for the post-corona restart in the upcoming months and years. But it is also important for me to look at the opportunities that are currently opening for the future development of business events.

Q: What do you expect from the event? 

I expect the event to provide inspiration on the one hand, but also to send signals to the meetings industry as to what new paths, concepts and business models can look like in the “new now”.

Q: Why should an attendee not miss your session?

It’s absolutely okay if someone doesn’t attend my session – as long as he or she watches the recording afterwards 😉