Eileen Wennekers

Eileen Wennekers lives, works, researches, writes and designs in Toronto near the shore of Lake Ontario. She has taught design thinking, discourse analysis, and materialist history as a lecturer at OCAD University, and is the creative and executive director of Farewell Toronto.

A skyline view of Baltimore, a city that's rapidly emerging as an up-and-coming tech hub ideal for hosting future-forward meetings and events. Green tree foliage is visible in the foreground, with low-rise Victorian brick buildings and a church tower in the middle ground and skyscrapers in the background.
Destinations

Events Benefit From Tech Hubs That Put Community First

There are two key factors behind groundbreaking innovations: infrastructure that supports research and development, and a community spirit that nurtures both startups and local talent. Find out how this winning combination provides the ideal setting for future-forward meetings and events in Baltimore.
Visit Baltimore + Skift Meetings | 10 months ago
A man and a woman ride together on a kayak using grabber tools to pick up garbage in the water. Tracking these kinds of activities can be key for measuring event legacy success.
Destinations

Tips and Tricks for Measuring Event Legacy Success

If there's anything more challenging than executing a successful event legacy, it's developing a plan to measure that success. Here are tips and tricks to make the process more efficient and effective.
MeetDenmark + Skift Meetings | 10 months ago
An interior view of a Danish congress, Electric City, held at a major convention center, with natural light streaming in from skylights above and a crowd of people walking around wind-energy-related booths below. This event served as an event legacy case study.
Destinations

Event Legacies: Two Case Studies Reveal Path to Success

Sometimes, there’s no better way to get a firm grasp on industry best practices than to learn from case studies. Here are two Danish congresses that reveal the best ways to approach event legacies from beginning to end.
MeetDenmark + Skift Meetings | 11 months ago
A view from behind the stage looking out at a conference speaker presenting to an audience of several hundred people as part of an event legacy project.
Destinations

Insights From 6 Years of Event Legacy Research in Denmark 

Following six years of research, MeetDenmark has just released a new report with insights into the key ingredient for event legacy success: robust collaboration. Learn about the motivation behind this groundbreaking research, and discover some of the top findings that emerged.
MeetDenmark + Skift Meetings | 12 months ago
The Lincoln Memorial at night, a top after dark option for bleisure travelers visiting DC for a business event.
Destinations

DC Shows How to Turn an Event Destination Into a Bleisure Dream

Recent research from Freeman shows that 82 percent of professionals are looking to combine business travel with leisure. Taking inspiration from DC, here are five ways to ensure that your attendees benefit from the full bleisure experience at your next meeting.
Destination DC + Skift Meetings | 1 year ago
An exterior view of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC at dusk.
Destinations

Destination Brief: DC Raises the Bar for Convention Centers and City Attractions

Washington, DC is cementing its position as a leading meeting destination with its state-of-the-art convention center, some of the country's most unique venues, a thoughtfully redeveloped waterfront, and one of the best sustainability and DEI records around. Learn how the city — and Destination DC — can help elevate your next event.
Destination DC + Skift Meetings | 1 year ago
An interior shot of the Willis Show bar in Detroit. Guests are lined up at a 1940s-style bar facing a performance stage.
Destinations

Detroit: Inspire a New Generation of  Event Attendees With Distinct Local Culture

Authentic, memorable experiences are now a key incentive for travelers to make the trip — and event attendees are no exception. As Detroit's legendary musical heritage demonstrates, a rich arts and culture scene can be the key to creating memorable moments of connection for attendees and travelers alike.
Visit Detroit + Skift Meetings | 1 year ago
A view from the back of a stage looking out at the audience, with the speaker and the audience lifting white hats as part of Calgary's welcoming White Hat Ceremony — a key aspect of the city's culture of outstanding hospitality.
Destinations

The White Hat – A Symbol of Ultimate Hospitality for Events

Skift Meetings' research shows that authenticity is the new "it factor" for event destinations. How can planners ensure that they deliver this kind of deeper connection to the local culture? A spirit of welcoming hospitality is the key ingredient, and Calgary provides a model with its white hat traditions — making guests feel like part of the community from the moment they arrive to their last farewell.
Tourism Calgary + Skift Meetings | 2 years ago
Zenus badge scanning and attendee tracking services
AI Facial Analysis

Zenus AI Badge Scanning and Facial Analysis [Review]

Zenus AI has created a new attendee tracking solution that can be integrated with its ethical facial analysis software. Designed to scan and track attendee badges throughout the event space, this new product comes packaged as a plug-and-play hardware kit connected to a real-time analytics dashboard. Use cases include targeted follow-ups, mapping of the attendee journey, personalization of the attendee experience, and smart lead generation.
Eileen Wennekers | 2 years ago