Skift Take
Uber knows that it is one of the primary modes of transportation at events — and has designed a service around that. Still, the company doesn't really advertise this service very well, and it means that lots of planners are unaware of it.
Around noon at a business conference, dozens of people in button-up shirts and nice shoes, wearing attendee badges around their necks, will be lingering outside the convention center, staring at their phones. Many are waiting for Ubers to arrive, opting for one of the most popular forms of event transportation to take them to a nearby lunch spot.
At this point, it’s no surprise that Uber has largely displaced taxis and rental cars at events. The ridehailing app is now so popular with business travelers that for many it's simply the default way to get around.
Uber knows this. In fact, Uber has a service specifically designed for events, which it offers as part of its Uber for Business platform. Uber Events goes far beyond the typical way attendees use the app. Through its events service, Uber partners with planners and venues months in advance, coordinates with law enforcement, and helps to design an entire event transportation strategy.
So far, though, the company sees most of its business through large sports events and music festivals. Despite the potential for its impact on the world of business conferences, not very many meeting organizers are using it or are even aware of it.
“While I’ve had numerous chats with meeting planners over the last few years about using rideshare services for moving meeting or event attendees around, I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered someone who used it to any real scale,” said Michael Pinchera, editor at Meeting Professionals International, an event industry association.
“I am a fan of rideshare services and have seen them used in conjunction with events but really only with sma
