Month: September 2017

Below are a few industry trends the CVB has taken note of over the past month. If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out to CVB marketing strategist Kelsey Blevins at kblevins@vbgov.com.

Marketing, Advertising & Tech Trends

• Six-Second Spot – The buzz around “snackable” and short-form video content is in full force with industry players predicting that six-second ads will gain real traction in 2018.
• Google I/O 2017 – Google announces big developments and better ways to leverage their products during the keynote, including virtual reality headsets, Google Home becoming a phone and Google Lens for Google Assistant.
• Travel Photo Sharing – Olapic analyzed social travel images to determine what motivates people to share travel content only. 38% are motivated by discovery – travelers want to share experiences they believe are unique and “off the beaten track.”

 Travel Industry Trends

• Premium Airbnb Service – Airbnb launching premium service to compete directly with luxury travel hotels in an effort to attract more affluent travelers looking for a unique, but equally expensive, alternative to traditional lodging.

 Culinary Trends

• Pop-Up and Themed Bars – A Stranger Things-themed pop-up bar opened in Chicago, a Game of Thrones-themed bar opened in Washington DC, and an Oscar Wilde-themed pub opened in New York City.
• Food Halls – Close to a dozen cities in the U.S. have a food hall or will have one by the end of 2017. Food halls allow visitors to taste the local cuisine in less time and for less money.
• Desserts on the Rise – Edible cookie dough shops are popping up; ice cream is being infused with alcohol, frozen with liquid nitrogen or rolled; and even dessert museums (Museum of Ice Cream in Los Angeles) and festivals (Dessert Goals in New York City and Los Angeles) are taking shape.
• Dog Cafe – Manhattan’s first dog café and boutique, Boris & Horton, is set to open in December.

 Lodging Trends

• Treehouses – Are tree houses the new glamping trend? Treehouse offerings are popping up all over with resort, Airbnb and restaurant options.
• Art Installation Campsite – UrbanCampsite Amsterdam, a traveling campsite where camping and art meet, offers fully-furnished art installations for the month of August.
• Grain Silo to Museum – In Cape Town, South Africa, a 90-year-old grain silo is being transformed into a luxury hotel and museum.
• Netflix-Themed Pop-up Hotel – The Bed ‘N’ Binge Retreat in London is dedicated entirely to binge-watching TV shows – hang out inside a Stranger Things-themed room while watching the series.

Arts & Culture Trends

• Immersive Festivals and Exhibitions – OPUS 1 in Columbia, Maryland blends music, art, food, and technology through immersive “activation areas” that encourage interaction with festival’s installations.
• Hipsters in Stone – Artist Leo Caillard outfits marbled Greek statues with the latest fashion trends.
• Bridge Light Show – Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge lights up to the “pulse” of the city every night. Every show is unique and based on data from weather stations, press reports, social media feeds, cameras and radars.
• Art H – Duperré basketball court in Paris was already an eye-catching sight when it was painted years ago, and it was recently updated in shades of blue, pink, purple, orange and yellow.

Agritourism Trends

• Animal Workouts – Take a yoga class with goats as your fellow workout buddies or alongside chickens.
• Farm Museums – Travel back in time to discover the history, and then step outside to experience the farm in the present.

 Retail Trends

• Experiential Stores – Timberland’s Tree Lab reinvents store every six weeks with new concept and theme, emphasizing storytelling and features curated product collections in a gallery-style setting.
• Sweet Spas – The MeltSpa by Hersey opened in Hersey, PA, offering treatments such as a dark chocolate sugar scrub and body wrap, cocoa massages and facial, and more.