Mission: To link New York event resources, describe the best and the worst events, and promote creativity.
Fact: New York is probably the world's biggest event market, with over 2,000 venues and 100,000 trade events annually amounting to about $4 billion.
Coup: Organizing a new Meeting & Event Coalition post-Sept. 11 to stimulate events planned for New York. We have helped move dozens of events to New York from other places for this year and next year.
Forecast: The downturn is causing people to be more strategic and a lot more creative with events. But events are also supplanting other forms of media, so in some sectors, event activity is up.
Best ideas seen: Hors d'oeuvres on the walls, instead of tables. A human guest book, where attendees signed someone's skin. A person "wearing" a dessert table and circulating among the guests. Art at events, instead of events at galleries. Events are the ultimate proprietary product; no two are alike.