Applying Instameets to Your Event

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Federal Computer Week recently highlighted the growing use of the practice of instameets in government. Most recently, Instagram users were invited to submit photos or videos (via Instagram) to show why they should be invited to a sneak peek of DC's cuddliest new resident, Bao Bao the baby panda. The National Zoo picked the winners and gave them exclusive access to photograph the cub before he went on public display.

The article goes on to detail how agencies with less than cuddly reputations could use the same concept. This got us thinking - how could our event organizer members better use Instagram to attract attention for their events? A couple ideas:

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Dallas Convention Center Adding Amenities

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Originally posted on ExpoWeb.com by Arti Patel.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, formerly the Dallas Convention Center, and Omni Hotel complex will get a facelift this year.

Details were released outlining the planned multi-year construction project that is soon to get underway adding 15,000 square feet of retail and restaurants to the area.

While the Dallas Convention Center already offers potential exhibitors access to more than 1 million sq. ft. of exhibit space, including a 200,000 sq. ft. column-free exhibit hall, three ballrooms, a 9,816-seat arena and 88 total meeting rooms, show runners and attendees alike have maintained two points of contention that the expansion is hoping to tackle.

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GSA Cancels Expo for Second Year In A Row

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Originally posted on Fierce Government by Ryan McDermott

For the second year in a row, the General Services Administration cancelled its annual Expo conference, once again citing budget constraints and flagging attendance projections.

"In the current fiscal climate, agencies and businesses alike continue to make tough spending cuts and operate under reduced travel budgets," GSA wrote on the Expo website. "After careful review of projected attendance and continued travel budget reductions, GSA has made the decision to not hold an Expo in 2014."

GSA said it would still try to offer an Expo conference in 2015.

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Army Looks to Virtual Training, Shared Intell Amid Budget Cuts

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Originally posted on FCW by Amber Corrin

Amid stagnant budgets and declining force size, Army leaders routinely stress the need to maintain readiness. Finite funding has placed a greater emphasis on simulation, virtual environments and shared platforms for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in helping prepare soldiers for the next war.

The Army is planning to collapse at least three virtual programs into a single environment that encompasses integrated, across-the-board training, according to Army officials speaking last week at the AUSA Aviation symposium in Arlington, Va.

"For us to be able to execute realistic training, good training, we have to be able to bring that operational environment" into the virtual world and live gaming, said Brig. Gen. Michael Lundy, deputy commanding general at the Army Combined Arms Center. "As we look to the future, we are going to transition ... into the future holistic training environment, live synthetic. We want to get away from having multiple environments, virtual gaming and instruction, and go to one synthetic environment, get to a lower overhead and integrate the full operations process... according to the common operating picture."

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