Sometimes, you don’t know what you don’t know, and Google is always there to help a meeting planner out. Yes, you can hear the dripping, gooey sarcasm in that statement, but for the most part, it is true. Google powers the world of information and there is typically no better source when it comes to finding stuff… especially info about destinations worldwide. This is why Google is the first tool we use before embarking on a site visit to any venue, city, or region that we have never been to.
Google Street View for Event Planners
I just had lunch with the Detroit CVB (really, like, a few hours ago), so we are going to use them as the Guinea Pig. Detroit is a TRULY underrated destination and one of my favorite places… I am bringing a program there in 2015. Anyway, I am wandering.
Let’s say that you need to find out about some places in Detroit, and you have never been there. If you listen to the rumor mill and half of the world press, you can expect to be killed 14 seconds after stepping off the airplane in a hail of gunfire and Molotov cocktails… but I don’t think that is correct. In fact, I don’t think… I know it is not correct.
I also know that the Cobo Center is putting on a good show with its new 270 MILLION dollar renovation. You can see the pics of the inside here, but what about the outside? Are people running for cover on the way to their bulletproof Hummers?
Let’s have a look…..
That looks pretty good to me.
Looks like any nice, safe, American city… But, this is deceiving maybe. What about some other Detroit event spaces? Let’s say the DIA (Detroit Institute of Arts). Many have seen pics of the inside which are amazing and would work for almost any size group. Oh, hell…Here is the inside…
But what about the outside?
Wow. The front of the building looks just peachy….
I bet they are hiding something like howitzers or tanks. I bet it is a war zone across the street…
Oooops. Looks pretty freaking nice here too. I wonder what other cool stuff Detroit is hiding and that is the point.
Every place has good and bad, up and down… it is up to us as meeting and event professionals to sort out the crap that we are spoon-fed on a daily basis and challenge our own perceptions. Google Street View is one of the tools that we can use to guide us into places that will work well for our event programs. And yes… Google can also work to steer you away from some venues and areas.
It is also helpful to note that even the mighty Google cannot be everywhere at once and sometimes changes have happened since the Google cars drove past. Cobo Center got better, for example….
Using Street View is easy. Just Google an address and click Maps. Once the map comes up, just click the More button and choose Street View. You can now click around, zoom in, and walk down the street.
Anyway, have fun with Google Street View (go look up your house)….
Use the tools that we have at our disposal, they make you better at what you do.
