The ShowUp virtual FEC convention will take place from 1 – 3 February 2021 and organisers have now revealed the education schedule for the event, which features a range of new voices. Over three days, attendees will benefit from over 40 sessions as well as at least four new product launches.
“Saying this has been a difficult year for our industry is the understatement of the century,” says Bob Cooney, show founder and Master of Ceremonies. “We’ve had plenty of discussion on how to survive the pandemic. Now it’s time to talk about what’s coming in the future. There’s so much to be excited about.
“The collision of rapidly changing consumer trends and accelerating adoption of emerging technology is creating massive disruption and opportunity for location-based entertainment. I want to educate the amusement operator community so they can prepare for the near future. One only needs to look at the movie theatre business to see a stark example of what happens when operators don’t stay ahead of consumer and tech trends.”
The future of the FEC market
This unique new virtual event will explore the future of the FEC market, with each day revolving around a different theme and over 80 speakers taking part.
Day one will look at new revenue streams, business models and go-to-market strategies, and will feature innovators sharing their own strategies for increasing revenue in the wake of COVID-19. Day two will discuss emerging technologies such as augmented reality, 5G, live-streaming, esports and more. Finally, day three will focus on changing consumer trends and will include insights on the Experience Economy from Joe Pine.
Each day will include panel discussions and keynote presentations to kick-off, relevant to that day’s theme. These will be followed by The Carousel of Learning, a multi-session immersive experience centred around a critical topic. The ‘Carousel’ starts with an expert panel or keynote, followed by audience Q&A, group reflections and moderated roundtables and finishing off with group work on action and accountability plans.
The Carousel of Learning is inspired by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, giving participants opportunities to experience, reflect, conceptualize and test.
The full schedule is available to view here.
ShowUp was founded by Cooney, a location-based entertainment expert alongside human-centred design expert Kylie Savage and trade show veteran Chris Albaugh. Last year, ShowUp hosted a unique virtual social event for amusement operators, providing them with a free opportunity to meet friends and make connections, while having some fun and celebrating the end of a challenging year.
