Climatec employees got into the NOLA spirit recently at an annual conference at the historic Hotel Monteleone. Courtesy of Gina Fierros

As skilled as New Orleans is at putting on a citywide fête, the Big Easy, Crescent City or The Paris of the South — whichever nickname fits its style on any given day — is equally adept at infusing its local culture and playful spirit into corporate events. Planners can utilize a wide range of one-of-a-kind venues, from an opening reception at the expansive Mardi Gras World Float Den to a dinner jazz cruise along the Mississippi River on the New Orleans Steamboat Company’s Steamboat Natchez.

There are also venues and activities for groups that may not be on most planners’ radar, such as fishing or boating in City Park, which is also home to the expansive Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA (New Orleans Museum of Art). The art galleries on Royal Street are also options for corporate or incentive outings.

Stephanie Turner, senior vice president convention sales and strategies at New Orleans & Company —  the Official Destination Marketing and Sales Organization for the New Orleans Tourism Industry — emphasizes that the combination of unique venues and the local community sets New Orleans apart as a meetings destination.

“Our culture is so vibrant and it comes to life through the people — the people who create the food, music, art and architecture,” she says. “As event organizers and hosts, we have a passion for this and so we work exceptionally hard and smart with our customers to infuse our unique culture into their meeting environment. When you leave here, you have a sense of place through the people and that’s a really unique attribute about our destination.”

Mary Haley, executive director and meeting planner at Sonitrol Scurity Solutions, worked with New Orleans & Company to help plan a corporate convention for 350 people at the Westin New Orleans on Canal Street.

“New Orleans is well known to everyone and is a huge draw for meetings. Those who have never been would like to go, and those who have want to come back,” says Haley. “The food is known to be superior, and everyone wants to try it. Airlift is also particularly good into New Orleans. We were also there during a jazz festival, so it was ready made outside entertainment for those who wanted to experience the city.”

To integrate the culture, Haley organized a jazz saxophone player to open the convention playing the national anthem. In addition, the group had a second line parade from its closing reception to the formal banquet dinner.

“The banquet was filled with fun Mardi Gras colors and favors on the tables. There is so much to choose from regarding décor in New Orleans — and very reasonably priced and easily accessible,” she says.

According to Haley, the convention hotel and F&B rates were far more reasonable than many other major cities. Many attendees came early and stayed late, taking advantage of the hotel’s location on the riverfront with steamship and riverboat rides and to enjoy the walkable city.

New Orleans is promoting a variety of new attractions that are poised to engage attendees, including Vue Orleans, an indoor and outdoor observation deck and cultural exhibit featuring an interactive display of the city’s 300-year history. The touchless exhibits feature legendary New Orleans figures, such as the Soul Queen of New Orleans Irma Thomas and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, as well as other local icons. The observation deck offers 360-degree views of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.

Vue Orleans is located on top of the new Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans in the former World Trade Center building, the first Four Seasons-branded property in New Orleans. The 34-story, mixed-use development houses a 341-key hotel on the lower floors and 81 luxury condominiums on the upper floors. The property includes two restaurants, approximately 29,000 sf of event space, a spa and fitness center, a rooftop pool and bar area.

The National WWII Museum recently opened its Liberation Pavilion, its final permanent exhibit hall, and officially dedicated last November the Col. Battle Barksdale Parade Ground, a 24,000-sf multi-purpose, outdoor space for private events. The Pavilion marked the completion of the $400 million Road to Victory Capital Campaign that expanded the museum from its original one exhibit hall to seven pavilions over the past two decades.

Corporate groups can use spaces such as the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center among other pavilions, and onsite theaters and auditoriums. In addition, the Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, the official hotel of the museum, offers 14 event and meeting spaces.

Lindsey Rinaudo, regional sales manager of PRA, a DMC that books corporate events in New Orleans, says that New Orleans is a “small city with a big personality, full of character and excitement.”

“The people and the culture are unlike any other city in the U.S. Many of our clients are surprised to find that New Orleans is so much more than a party city or Mardi Gras,” says Rinaudo.

New Orleans is also gearing up to host next year’s Super Bowl, with a slew of expansions either recently completed or in the works, including $500 million in renovations to the recently branded Caesars Superdome, which offers 162,434 sf of space for group buyouts.

“We are increasing what we do in the corporate world,” Turner says. “If you think about us hosting the Super Bowl in February, when there are a lot of corporate people here, we think there’s opportunity to speak to that market.”

Also new, last October the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum opened in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The convention center itself, which offers 1.1 million sf of space, has been in the news for its extensive $557 million upgrade, which will be ongoing for several years, bringing it “out of the 1980s and into the modern meeting era,” according to Michael Sawaya, president and general manager of the convention center.

Projects recently completed or currently underway include a $40 million roof replacement. The new 40-acre “cool roof” reflects heat, which will increase energy savings. That along with other sustainability efforts helped the center receive LEED Gold certification, the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana.

The upgrades also include a $65 million, 7.5-acre pedestrian park and transportation center, modernized public spaces with charging stations and renovations to its 140 meeting rooms and public gathering spaces.

The convention center’s governing board plans to buy a property directly across the street and partner with Omni Hotels & Resorts to build New Orleans’ first headquarters hotel, which will have up to 1,000 hotel rooms and 100,000 sf of venue space.

“We did a feasibility study in 2022 and our expectation is that this hotel will bring a minimum of another 22 to 25 event days to the convention center per year,” Sawaya says. “Our expectation is that it will contribute another 96,000 hotel rooms per year consumed in New Orleans.” According to Sawaya, it will have about a $280 million a year economic impact.

Brandon Sparling, manager of events and meetings at True Value Company, organized the True Value Spring Reunion using the convention center in New Orleans this past winter. The biannual trade show successfully brought together retailers from across the country utilizing the convention center’s exhibit hall among other spaces. “I enjoy working in New Orleans,” Sparling says. “The show went well.”

Nearby, Caesars New Orleans, which was formerly branded Harrah’s, is opening this fall a 340-room Caesars Tower with 15 floors, according to Jason Gaudet, associate director of sales at Caesars Entertainment. The $435 million investment​ will also include a 54-key Nobu Hotel and a Nobu Restaurant. The new tower will add to the existing Harrah’s Tower, which offers 450 guest rooms and suites​. The towers together will offer 790 total rooms and suites. Options for groups include private dining areas at restaurant Emeril’s Brasserie, which opened last fall. Caesars New Orleans offers 20,000 sf of meeting space.

“It’s been a shot in the arm as far as the redevelopment of that downtown district,” Gaudet says. “Carrying the Caesars flag is going to be beneficial for customers who want to have a little bit more upscale experience. We plan to continue to be a part of the citywide conference experience, which I think is why the convention center is excited for us with this build, as is New Orleans & Company.”

Improvements include a refurbished, Roman-inspired casino floor. A new hotel lobby experience will offer space for receptions for about 700 people. Octavia, which is replacing the former Masquerade nightclub in the center of the casino, is set to open this summer.

Caesars has also opened a new food hall featuring celebrity chefs such as Bobby Flay. Other restaurants welcoming groups include Manning’s Sports Bar and Grill, whose courtyard and outdoor space is perfect for an iconic New Orleans crawfish boil.

“I am excited to sell a couple of the new restaurants in Caesars including Emeril’s Brassiere and Nobu,” she adds. “Emeril Lagasse is a huge icon in New Orleans so I am thrilled to see a new Emeril restaurant in the city. Nobu will be the first elevated Japanese dining experiences that we welcome to New Orleans.” Groups can also hold a reception or concert on the Fulton Street Promenade.

Rinaudo says, “I think the Caesars brand will certainly draw people to New Orleans — everyone knows the Caesars brand to be elevated and first-class. The Caesars Superdome is now part of our skyline, which is a huge part of our city. It is also home to the New Orleans Saints, which will naturally draw people to the new hotel.”

Rinaudo can also help integrate local culture into a meeting or event, including jazz musicians or a second-line parade. “We’ve had second-line parades with five-piece brass bands and a grand marshal leading the attendees,” she says. “We recommend high school marching bands for the larger groups. Both options are exciting and unique to New Orleans. Certainly, it’s an experience attendees will be talking about for years to come.”

New Orleans features a host of properties, including the 1886-founded Hotel Monteleone, which remains one of the city’s few family-owned hotels. The property recently renovated its luxury Iberville Tower, which features 160 upgraded guest rooms and 48 new suites. Its famed Carousel Bar turns 75 this year. Small groups or incentives can book a history lesson presentation about the Carousel Bar during off hours before it opens to the public.

“With corporate and incentive meetings, New Orleans is all about cultural experiences,” says Shari Fisher, director of sales. “We can enhance their meeting with local talent, such as the Mardi Gras Indians, to welcome their group to the hotel or do a second line parade or a dine-around with some of our wonderful restaurants that are within walking distance to the hotel.”

Gina Fierros, Phoenix branch office manager at Climatec, recently booked an annual conference in New Orleans for Climatec’s national sales team. The two-day conference was for roughly 180 people and was being held in New Orleans for the first time. They utilized Hotel Monteleone’s more than 26,000 sf of meeting and function space.

“Once we announced the conference was going to be in New Orleans everybody loved the idea,” Fierros says. “It’s such an iconic city and folks extended through the weekend so they could do their own personal tours. Some folks flew in their families and explored the city for the weekend. Everyone loved the food and the hotel’s history.”

Offsite, the Climatec executives had a dinner and walked through the surrounding French Quarter. The group used one of the hotel ballrooms for a vendor showcase and also breakout space. “We had a second line parade, which was amazing,” Fierros says. “The ballroom opens out onto the street, so we were able to take all of our vendors and our sales staff right out onto the street. They had a grand marshal, stilt walkers and a band. It was a great time. Everybody absolutely loved that.”

Fierros has been planning this events for more than 15 years, and she found the staff at Hotel Monteleone the best staff to work, from the sales personnel down to the captains they had at the event.

Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, located in New Orleans’ Central Business District, underwent an expansion in 2023, to bring its total to 12,000 sf of flexible events space, including the 5,500-sf Canray Ballroom and 554-sf Evangeline Ballroom. There is also an outdoor terrace overlooking Tchoupitoulas Street, and dinner or brunch space for groups at the hotel’s King Brasserie & Bar. The property also features a cocktail bar, Peacock Room, which hosts regular musical performances.

The organization, Great Place To Work, a UKG company, hosted an Executive Roundtable meeting at the Hotel Fontenot for approximately 40 people comprised of chief resource officers, chief diversity officers and chief innovation officers from some of the largest corporations in the U.S.

“We chose this location for a variety of reasons, including Kathy Werhan’s (sales manager at the Fontenot) incredibly helpful and smooth support in answering our questions and providing detailed responses,” says Katie Van Geffen, senior manager, strategic partnerships & recognition at Great Place To Work.

The hotel has a new event meeting space that is open and airy with large windows and good acoustics, Van Geffen notes. “The hotel rooms were some of the largest and most attractive I had toured in the city. A great mix of encapsulating New Orleans’ brand of funk, but still very modern.”

The location was also a factor, she adds, with its proximity to the French Quarter, while not being in the middle of it. “We felt safe in the Fontenot’s neighborhood and appreciated again, with the hotel being so recently renovated, that all the amenities were new and modern.”

The group stayed on property for the meetings and meals, but some attendees explored nearby attractions and restaurants. “We recommended Pêche Restaurant to our attendees and did an educational tour of the WWII museum, both wonderful as ancillary activities,” Van Geffen says.

One of the largest meeting hotels in the city is the 1,622-room Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Last year, they finished renovating 450 of its rooms and this year will complete another 250 in the main tower, with a projected finish by 2026. “We are in the top five for Hilton hotels as far as conventions during weeknights, and we do that by layering,” explains Susan Zimmermann, director of sales for the property.

She adds, “If you’re doing 1,000 to 1,200 guestrooms, that would be on the larger end, but what we’re finding with corporate meetings now is a lot of them are going smaller. We have the third floor of that hotel that is perfect for a group that has 350 attendees, and it’s like you’re in your own designated space.”

The property focuses on sustainability, including recycling oyster shells, according to Zimmerman. “Drago’s Seafood is the largest restaurant at the hotel. They do over 2 million to-go oysters a year. We donate the oyster shells to an organization called the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, and they actually will put the oysters back into the reef or build barriers to help save the coastline.” The program is called the Oyster Shell Recycling Program.

There are projects meeting groups can get involved in for CSR options. “We have a group marketing team here that works with our groups and with our external affairs,” Turner says. “We will talk to groups about what’s important to them, and then go to the community and see if we have a project that aligns so it’s not just a cookie cutter. If they’re a musical group, maybe they want to donate some instruments.”

The options for giving back can be tailored to make for a memorable experience in a city that attendees will never forget. C&IT

National Veterans Memorial and Museum and COSI in Downtown Columbus Ohio. Photo by Randall L. Schieber

There is a growing trend of hosting corporate and incentive meetings in second-tier cities, which can provide a cost savings as well as a change of pace for groups that have frequented the same big cities year after year. Knowland, a leading provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, reported this past January that meetings and events in secondary markets outpaced the traditional Top 25 markets.

Louisville

Cities such as Louisville, Kentucky, were on the list of top five secondary markets by YOY growth in event volume. Louisville is an affordable destination, centrally located within a day’s drive of over half the U.S. population. Home to the Kentucky Derby and the 2024 PGA Championship, groups can utilize the city’s venue space at iconic attractions such as the Kentucky Derby Museum, Muhammad Ali Center, and Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

Louisville is also one of the few cities in the country with two convention centers. The Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) is the sixth largest convention center in the U.S., while the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) is centrally located among downtown’s 6,300 rooms.

The city’s largest hotel, The Galt House Hotel, Trademark Collection by Wyndham, offers more than 1,300 guest rooms and a total of 130,000 sf of meeting space. Louisville is also investing in adding to and upgrading its hotel inventory with new boutique properties and a $25 million renovation of The Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Center, a 588-room property with 50,000 sf of event space.

In addition, Churchill Downs recently opened the $90 million Derby City Gaming Downtown across from the KICC. The 43,000-sf, two-story Kentucky Derby-themed entertainment venue includes a gaming floor and offers groups rentable event space. Corporate planners are choosing Louisville for its location and affordability. “Louisville was chosen due to the very attractive hotel rates,” says Mary Haley, executive director and meeting planner for Sonitrol, who recently planned a meeting for about 350 attendees at the Omni Louisville Hotel. “Food and beverage prices are very reasonable. That is extremely important to a budget. I was able to have premium food offerings for a lot less than what I could do in a first-tier city for basic food.”

Louisville was also attractive for its accessibility and central location, Haley says, including ample airlift to its Louisville Muhammed Ali International Airport, which is undergoing $500 million in improvements, and drivability from many of Sonitrol’s franchise locations. She also says the city’s walkable attractions and restaurants from downtown hotels was a plus. “I did an event at Churchill Downs which was a major hit. They were extremely easy to work with and reasonably priced for an outside event,” Haley says.

She adds, “Feedback from the attendees was amazing. It became one of the highest rated conventions I’ve ever done, primarily, due to the great pricing and the friendliness of the city. To be able to advertise events at an iconic place like Churchill Downs didn’t hurt.”

Haley also benefitted from the Louisville CVB, which she says was the best she has worked with, helping to offer unique touches to the program and make attendees feel at home with welcome signs at the airport and throughout downtown.

Richmond

Richmond, Virginia also reached the Top 5 for second cities in January on Knowland’s list. The 700,000-sf Greater Richmond Convention Center, with a walkable surrounding area that features restaurants and shops, is connected by skywalk to the Richmond Marriott Hotel. With 413 rooms and 27,000 sf of flexible event space, the Richmond Marriott Hotel can accommodate groups up to 2,000.

The Hilton Richmond Downtown is another anchor hotel. Nearby are also the Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown and Omni Richmond Hotel, making Richmond available to 500 or 600 attendees for citywide conventions or events.

The local CVB, Richmond Region Tourism  helps planners build relationships with the local business community. “We tell clients, ‘If you bring your group to Richmond, we’ve got a destination services team that works to make sure the community knows that you’re here,” says Jerrine Lee, vice president of sales, Richmond Region Tourism. “Depending on the size of your group, we might even do airport signage to welcome you to the city.”

Richmond is easily accessible by air, servicing a variety of major and low-cost carriers at the Richmond International Airport, and the city is within a day’s drive of half of the U.S. population.

Richmond offers outdoor activities such as rafting Class III and IV rapids downtown along the James River, and a vibrant arts scene, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and Edgar Allen Poe Museum. The Scotts Addition neighborhood is trending with breweries and wineries, restaurants and entertainment.

Offsite venues include the Common House in the Richmond Arts District near the convention center. They are a private club, but they work with the CVB to host groups for offsite receptions in its indoor and outdoor space.

During summer 2025, Richmond will debut the new Riverfront Amphitheater downtown with 7,500-person capacity. According to Lee, the new six-story boutique hotel Shenandoah Mansions will open this fall, with a bar, café and nearby hotels with meeting space.

Jolene Boatright, CEO/president, JEMS Hospitality Group, which helps plan some 300-plus meetings a year, says second tier cities like a Richmond have become even more important since the pandemic, because of the fallout from large companies canceling meetings in top-tier cities, and rescheduling.

“All these big associations had to reschedule their meetings years out 2026 to 2030, so now it makes it very difficult for a corporation to find a home in a major city. That’s why a city like Richmond becomes very popular,” Boatright says.

She uses Richmond Regional Tourism for help in planning and keeping costs low. “I can’t say enough good things about how they’re really creative and how they make the city work,” she says. “They can add dollars or a rebate right to your rooms to incentivize the company to come.”

An example is a group booking 1,000 or 500 room nights. “They’ll say, ‘If your group has this many room nights during this timeframe, we’ll give you $5,000 towards a credit towards your master bill that you can use for anything that you’d like during your meeting. So that could add food and beverage, a function, activities or gifting.”

Columbus

Ohio’s capital city, Columbus, offers another second-tier option with a central location for corporate and incentive planners. Columbus is within 550 miles of nearly half the nation’s population. The city’s Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) recently completed its $140-million renovation and expansion. GCCC offers 373,000 sf of contiguous exhibit space, 75 meeting rooms, a 74,000-sf ballroom, 4,700 on-site parking spaces and 2,700 connected hotel rooms. Columbus is expanding. One up and coming neighborhood, The Peninsula, opened in downtown last year, anchored by Columbus’ first independent lifestyle hotel, The Junto. Coming in late 2024, Phase II, will get underway and is expected to be complete in 2027. Construction has also begun on the 32-story, $345-million development called The Merchant Building next to Columbus’ nearly 150-year-old public North Market, which features independent merchants, farmers and makers. The project, which is expected to finish by 2025, includes a new 162-room lifestyle hotel. The ninth floor will offer a 5,000-sf ballroom with an adjoining terrace, along with a junior ballroom, meeting rooms and pre-function space, totaling 17,000 sf. “Columbus was such a hidden gem,” Andrea Naab, senior director of corporate & retail events for Best Buy Co., says. “The city has so much to offer. We were really impressed by the proximity of everything. The convention center, hotels and restaurants all within close walking distance was a surprise to us. We booked one of our annual meetings two years in a row.”

Naab says there are several benefits to booking a second-tier city like Columbus, including cost-savings, exposure to different locations for their attendees and superb service. “Our organization has been impressed at the level of customer service we often receive in second-tier cities, and our attendees are excited to explore a city they might not normally have prioritized traveling to,” she says. “Most of all, we’ve been able to reap cost efficiency benefits when compared to most first-tier cities.”

The budget is a significant determining factor for the company, including not just room rate and F&B minimums, but additional items such as average airfare paired with drivability for their attendees. “We found it was a very cost-effective city to book in and further increased our savings by negotiating a two-year contract for our annual event.”

Salt Lake City

Utah’s Salt Lake City is gaining popularity for business travel, including corporate and incentive groups. Salt Lake’s hotel occupancy rate in 2023 matched its 2019 occupancy. A new Hyatt Regency attached to the Salt Palace Convention Center, which opened last year, has led to an increase in planner interest, according to Tyson Lybbert, chief sales officer for Visit Salt Lake.

Le Meridien and Element hotels are recent additions, and later this fall the Marriott Autograph Collection hotel called the Asher Adams is set to open downtown. Currently, there are some 8,000 hotel rooms in the vicinity of the Salt Palace Convention Center, which offers, 515,000 sf of exhibit space and 164,000 sf of meeting space.

“Our typical convention size that uses the Salt Palace Convention Center is somewhere between 3,500 and 10,000 attendees, with our largest shows being as large as 30,000 attendees,” Lybbert says.  “We also have several options for large single hotel groups, like the Grand and Little America hotels which are spectacular and worth exploring if you are looking to place a 1,500-person event.”

The economic stability and growth in Utah are partially responsible for drawing corporate groups, as corporations in the tech and financial sectors are basing themselves in the city. “Corporate growth has brought an increased desire to meet in Salt Lake, and we project corporate meetings will be our fastest growing segment over the next five years,” Lybbert says. “In addition to the investment in infrastructure like our new international airport, the legislature just authorized up to $2 billion to further develop Salt Lake City. We are excited about our momentum and are bullish about the future.”

Attractions to this Olympic city include its proximity to the Rocky Mountains, which allows easy access to hiking and biking trails for attendees.

Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina is also gaining popularity with groups. Home of NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as well as the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and NBA’s Hornets, Charlotte is known for its sports and sports venues, including the 20,000-seat Spectrum Center which is set for a two-phase renovation.

Groups can also explore the Queen City’s arts scene, with visits to the Mint Museum Uptown, the Mint Museum Randolph and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Other popular attractions include the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture and the Discovery Place Science Museum.

In 2021, a $127 million expansion of the Charlotte Convention Center added more than 50,000 sf to the facility. New hotels such as the Grand Bohemian and JW Marriott Charlotte bring the total to 6,400 rooms within the bustling Uptown area. Charlotte is also easily accessible for drive markets and an American Airlines hub. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the eighth busiest airport in the world.

“Charlotte reminds me of Austin 15 years ago,” says Tom Dolan, director of sales & marketing, JW Marriott Charlotte. “It makes all the Top 10 lists of places to live and work. We have a large university population in this region, giving us a really strong and educated workforce with kids finishing school and wanting to stay in Charlotte.”

In addition, being a new city for many attendees outside the Southeast, Charlotte attracts those who want to mix business with exploration in a different destination. “We see that with attendance at some of the larger citywide events — some are coming because they want to explore,” Dolan says.

Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is also well known for its cultural treasures, such as the Milwaukee Art Museum on the shores of Lake Michigan and the Harley-Davidson Museum, which offers a unique offsite option for buyouts or smaller receptions among its vast collection.

This year, the city hosted the Republican National Convention and showed off its $456 million expansion of the Baird Center — formerly known as the Wisconsin Center — which doubles the convention center space to more than 1.3 million sf.

The Pfister Hotel, which has been welcoming guests for more than 130 years, recently renovated its 7th-floor meeting rooms, conference rooms and event spaces, and is undergoing a restoration of its lobby. The Pfister Hotel houses the largest collection of Victorian artworks of any hotel in the world.

New options for groups include The Trade Hotel, An Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott across from Fiserv Forum, home to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Anchorage & Ketchikan

For a truly unique experience, Alaska features several second-tier cities including Anchorage. “Meetings held in Anchorage typically enjoy a 20 percent increase in attendance over previous years,” says David Kasser, senior vice president of tourism development and sales with Visit Anchorage.

Anchorage has seen a 10-20 percent increase in meeting’s revenues since 2019, according to Kasser. “Planners attending Anchorage events and seminars learn about cultural experiences, culinary offerings, competitive rates, low lodging tax, lodging options and truly Alaskan adventures offered throughout the year.”

For incentives, Ketchikan is a 90-minute flight from Seattle and offers access to remote island getaways, such as Waterfall Resort, a 52-acre property located on Prince of Wales Island near Ketchikan. Attendees board a floatplane in Ketchikan for the scenic flight direct to the resort’s dock, passing over Alaska’s famed Inside Passage and the 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest.

For planners, these second cities provide cost-effective solutions without having to sacrifice spending on programming. For attendees, many second-tier cities draw interest as destinations they have not explored — full of charm with cultural experiences, and local entertainment and dining options. C&IT

The World Education Congress, which was held this spring in Louisville, KY, is the signature annual North American event for Meetings Professional International. Courtesy of Melinda Burdette

The RFP process is the classic sticky wicket: A meeting planner may submit a thorough, thoughtfully written RFP to a prospective vendor only to have that vendor provide inaccurate pricing information in in a timeframe that was long and complicated. If the meeting planner provides a less thorough RFP with the hopes of getting responses in a timely fashion, they may not receive the specific information required to make a well-informed decision.

As Catie Duhon, CMP, president, International Meeting Managers explains, event planners have made it clear there are certain frustrations, including accuracy in pricing and response time during the RFP process.

Duhon finds that the biggest challenge in the RFP process is response time. Planners understand there are multiple steps, and often multiple players who have to be consulted, and a proposal can’t always be turned around in a day. However, the same is true on the planner’s side, and every day that a response isn’t received, a day of decision-making is lost.

“The best way to mitigate this is with timely communication,” Duhon says. “An RFP recipient should let the planner know the RFP is received, what phase it is in, what portions are still being considered, and any factors still in the works. Staying in touch also shows the supplier is committed to the project and working toward a win for everyone. When it comes to pricing, if the offer in the proposal isn’t accurate or final, share that information, so everyone can evaluate the proposal from the same vantage point, rather than speculating or stressing about costs. Knowledge is power.”

As a meeting planner, Duhon has learned the value of detailed information and transparency in the RFP process. She suggests event planners try to provide a clear picture of the event and list needs with detail and clarity. For example, in an RFP for AV services, don’t list “microphones for speakers,” list “six wireless lapel mics for a panel discussion.”

Additionally, if there is sensitive or complicated information you don’t want to include in writing in your RFP, Duhon suggests reaching out and talking through those nuances with the potential provider.

“This is also a great way to really make sure all parties are on the same page about what a successful event looks like, how funding can (or cannot) be allocated, and where the boundaries are,” Duhon says. “Every event has some uniqueness — when you talk through the goals together, suppliers will often surprise you with an idea or an option that would never have come up otherwise. Be on the same team, and bring your prospective suppliers onto your team, for the best outcomes and most accurate proposals presented.”

Matthew Byrne, CSEP, certified live events specialist and founder of Byrne Production Services, also believes the RFP process needs to be a collaboration between the vendor and the planner.

“As the industry continues to get busier and busier, some compromises need to be made,” Byrne says. “Planners should stress the deadlines, but also remain flexible to work with partners and suppliers to be able to set deadlines.”

Steps To Take

When planning an event, Melissa Johnson, CMPE, vice president, at Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, starts working on a deadline as time clicks towards the event day. When an RFP is sent out, a deadline date of response is always noted.

“The response date is chosen to ensure timely coordination of all event details that make up the full scope of planning,” Johnson says. When a vendor is slow to submit their response or fails to submit a response that addresses the requirements in the RFP, it can halt the planning as the planner has to decide if they want to take the time to remind a vendor for a response or proceed without their submission.

“The goal is to produce the best event with a dream team of vendors that not only bring the event to life, but do so with a certain budget and stated parameters,” Johnson says. “The submissions not received could be from a very desired vendor, thus stopping the progress of planning to reach out to the vendor and wait for their proposal. In addition, we need to be fair to all who submitted on time. Often on an RFP it will also be noted if submissions will or will not be accepted after the deadline.”

Accuracy of information, pricing and complete information is essential to responding to an RFP, says Melinda Burdette, CMP, CMM, HMCC, senior director of events at Meeting Professionals International. “It also matters how that information is presented. Planners are continuing to do more with less and need to be able to have excellent summary information in order to quickly make more informed decisions,” she says.

Burdette tries to provide a single page of the requests, like a summary, in order for the venue, property, etc. to be quickly know if they meet the qualifications of the RFP. It is also important for planners to indicate their budget ranges in their RFPs and it’s important to be as transparent as you can in order to receive more thorough and accurate information.

She also typically tries to reach out to remind potential submitters of the upcoming deadline one week in advance.

“It is also important to remind those that have submitted of your deadline for review and/or decision so that they are not waiting to hear back from you,” Burdette says. “Open communication is key. And do not be afraid to go back to negotiate. Inform those that are “short-listed” and those that you are not considering in a timely manner. Stick to your deadlines. If for some reason you can’t, then inform those impacted. Again, open communication is key to the success of any event RFP.”

Of course, advance planning is the best way to ensure the RFP process stays on time. Whenever it is possible, do your research, get your team/client on board with the deadlines, back-up your timeline, submit early, and leave room for long turnover time.

Duhon adds this helps all parties avoid last minute rushing and stress. It is also a good idea to include key dates with your RFP, including a due date, and a timeline for when the decision will be made, even if subject to change.

“This allows the supplier to work the RFP into their to-do list in a realistic way and return a reply on time,” Duhon says. “All that said, we know real life (and event life) happens, and the best plans often get shuffled around. A confirmation that the RFP is received and in progress goes a long way, so no one is left wondering, and so action can be taken sooner if it did get lost in the shuffle.”

In our modern world, phone calls are less and less common, but it is still a great way to confirm the process is on track and communicate expectations. If and when you get in a rush, Duhon recommends communicating what you need, and work together to get the most critical information cleared up first while the rest comes together.

Byrne also stresses the importance of being as detailed as possible. Planners should also be aware of what type of buyer they are – either a technical buyer or a budget buyer.

“That is not to say, budget means trying to get lowest pricing. Rather are you someone that needs very meticulous line item pricing and want to review the specific equipment, labor pricing, etc. (technical buyer) or are you looking for an overall picture of your total project scope (budget buyer)?” Byrne says.

RFP Issues To Watch For

Online form RFP submissions can be a challenge for planners. Often, the form asks questions that solicits information that doesn’t quite fit the check-box options available. The answer isn’t ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ it’s ‘only for the VIP ticket holders.’

“The date, among other details, may be flexible, while the form responses might quickly merit a response that the venue or service is not available. Having a way to directly contact a person by email and phone is ideal and can sometimes lead to an RFP that would have otherwise been sent to another company,” Duhon says.

The biggest change Duhon has seen in the last few years is the use of more technology in the RFP process. RFPs are submitted, shared, and sometimes even discussed through a portal. There are extra buttons, links, and logins required to download the proposal, ask a question, or view a simple reply.

The worst cases Duhon has been involved with were being stuck in a loop with a supplier who didn’t have great attention to detail.

“We had to follow-up repeatedly and revisit the same items multiple times. It became a nuisance and took our planners’ valuable time to get everything done on time,” Duhon says. “Respecting everyone’s time and effort may be one of the most important parts of a successful process.”

For Johnson, the task of comparing the RFP submissions for relevant detail, creative thought (if required), syncing with the event mission, and price is not an easy or quick task. The company submissions are not “apples to apples” in the way they list their pricing and services so there may be follow ups needed when reviewing.

“It is important to know the client’s priorities as one vendor may have a better budget, but another may have a better allover grasp of the mission and event experience,” Johnson says. “So imagine this detailed reviewing process happening and a late submission comes in and the process begins all over again. This is not efficient and may cause problematic delays in the production schedule.”

Johnson says the best RFPs will have a template structure to try to make the information submitted as similar as possible for ease of comparison. There may be an open-ended question about a component’s description so a full picture may be painted by each vendor.

“This would help line up the information being received, while also allowing for individual personality and detail to be represented efficiently,” Johnson says.

When Cameron Mitchell Premier Events sends out an RFP, they will include the vendors who have indicated they would like to be reminded of deadlines, so they send calendar invites – one will be a reminder seven to 10 days from the due date and one will be the morning of the due date. This helps the event planning team ensure everyone is aware of the deadline and keeps the RFP top of mind for them.

It’s also imperative to make sure the point of contact of who submitted the RFP is the same contact for the event to ensure things go smoothly. Johnson strongly recommends keeping all commitments in writing so if something extra is asked for or something extra is volunteered, there is written confirmation.

“We had an experience with an event where the AV company that was awarded the event contract had a personnel change and a new contact was assigned to the event. The understanding of the needs of the event became lost and personalities were not clicking as they had before,” Johnson says. “There was a challenge to ensure what was awarded was happening and to politely ask for a different contact. We make great relationships with our vendor partners and a change mid-stream can definitely cause some ripples that can be hard to smooth out in some cases.”

Continuous Evolution

As the online RFP process continues to take hold and as artificial intelligence is used in all facets of the meeting and event planning process, streamlining the RFP experience will continue to evolve.

Duhon believes meeting and event planners will continue to see even more technology and automations in the workflow process.

“As our ‘old school’ sales friends become fewer, and the tech savvy young professionals flood the scene, I worry we will lose more and more of the personal touch and communication. That isn’t a judgement on the GenZ contingent – it’s an observation about the world they know, and the norm for how they communicate with their peers,” Duhon says. “I also believe that the added tech and AI may be able to ease some of the RFP challenges and be a tool for suppliers and planners alike.”

Byrne and his team at Byrne Production Services have been advocates for shifting the RFP process to a more precise and curated process as too many planners and organizers will blanket multiple vendors in hopes of finding a good price.

“What that leads to is vendors feeling they can’t get in front of a client, ask questions etc. in the best case scenario. In the worst case scenario, this means to differentiate vendors, buyers are asking form free creative, additional work and inclusions that is taxing an already frayed industry,” Byrne says. “Invite a short list of vendors that you know can handle the event and keep your time and energy commitment to a reasonable level.”

Looking ahead, Johnson also believes technology may come into play and assist with the RFP process. “Eventually there may be an app or platform that offers different templates to be able to quantify who the best match would be,” Johnson says. “This along with an open-ended question and referrals could then be folded into the decision-making process to create the event dream team.” C&IT

Margaret Graziano, known as The Evolutionist, is the founder and CEO of KeenAlignment, as well as a Wall Street Journal Best-Selling Author for her book “Ignite Culture.” She has been recognized as one of Silicon Valley’s Top 100 Women Leaders. Graziano’s groundbreaking work is driven by her power to uncover and catalyze human potential. Go to MargaretGraziano.com for more information.

Being present in today’s world is more difficult than it has ever been before. Everyone is constantly bombarded by emails, text messages, social media, news, advertisements, and all the other distractions of the modern world.

A lack of presence, especially in leadership, can often lead to poor communication, a lack of rapport with those around you, and volatility, uncertainty, confusion and ambiguity in the workplace. One of the easiest ways to solve this problem is to understand and change the way you listen to those around you.

Most people don’t focus on or participate in listening in a way that actually makes a difference. Learning to truly listen and engage with whomever you are talking to enables connection, builds trust, and elevates flow across the board. When you strengthen your ability to listen, you become a better communicator. When you level up your ability to hear, you show up as somebody who is more open to feedback and who appreciates the contribution of what others are thinking and feeling.

Upleveling your listening begins first and foremost with understanding what, how and when you aren’t really listening.

Listening from Obligation

When this happens, there is little to no effort from the listener, either due to various distractions or a lack of caring about what the speaker has to say. Common behaviors when you’re listening at this level are multitasking, such as playing on your phone or scrolling through emails when someone is talking to you, tuning out/daydreaming, and anticipating what you think they are going to say and interjecting words for them. This kind of listening makes it impossible to develop rapport.

This level of listening also includes pretend listening, where you are not paying attention to the speaker, however you still act as though you are listening. The listener’s brain is paying attention to other things, but they are maintaining involvement in the conversation. Think of sitting next to someone very talkative on the plane or talking on the phone with a chatty family member. You aren’t absorbing or understanding the information the speaker is sharing.

Listening from the Inside

This is selective listening or downloading. In this level, you are only listening for what someone else is saying to confirm facts you already believe to be true. You are listening inside of your existing context. You parcel out information that you perceive to be uninteresting, lacking in value, or that doesn’t conform to your biases and preconceived notions. This level of listening is problematic because you only hear what you want to hear. When you listen this way, it’s all too often to brush feedback aside and/or filter it out altogether.

You know you’ve been listening like this when you come out of a conversation and everything you expected to happen happened. This type of listening is all about you. Your purpose in listening is to validate yourself and invalidate another if they disagree with you. There is no freedom and nothing new will be created in this kind of listening.

Listening for New Information

This level of listening is about seeking new information, new data and new perspectives. It’s listening to learn. However, you are still listening for what’s in it for you. You’re not curious, but listening to gain knowledge or get something out of the listening. You are taking what you already think and building upon it.

At this level, you are open to hearing something you haven’t heard before. You have some new data points and information that challenges your assumptions. Perhaps it exposes some new content or new reality to you. Here, you can actually walk away from the conversation with a memory of what was said and how it changed your perception. You leave the conversation thinking new things or in new ways.

Listening with Curiosity and Compassion

In this level of listening you are really connecting to the other person. You’ve got an empathic, emotional connection. This is when you’re listening soul to soul, heart to heart, and seeing the experience through another person’s eyes. You’re not only challenging your own assumptions, but actually considering that the other person’s reality is valid. You get to experience that person’s experience. Most one-on-ones should be done with this empathic, emotional connection. You’re letting go of your agenda and having an open mind and heart, building trust, and deepening your relationship with this person. You’re curious.

This is when you are fully engaged and focused on the speaker’s words and what those words mean to you and to the speaker. Nothing distracts you from the person with whom you are speaking. They have your full and undivided attention and it is clear to them that this is so.

Listening for What’s Possible

This level of listening is generative. You have moved beyond any friction and are completely immersed in flow. Everybody is participating. You both are in service of something bigger than the agenda and listening with an open will. In this level, you aren’t just listening to the person, but acknowledging the future that wants to be created. This is where innovation happens. This is where the collective genius is not just tapped into, but realized.

This is the highest and most meaningful level of listening and is where you want to spend as much time as possible.

Listening at the Highest Level Every Time

We all need diverse opinions and viewpoints. When you listen from the lower levels of listening, which is not really listening at all, you miss out on so much, from critical information and feedback, to a chance to develop rapport with your team, a loved one or even a total stranger.

The most effective leaders all excel at listening from the highest level. They make people feel valued, respected and understood. They are also always honing their skills and becoming better listeners. They continually work on opening their mind, heart and will. It’s a continual process of evolution. They are present and focused on whatever or whomever is in front of them. Meaningfully listening to those around you enables you to elevate yourself as a leader, build trust and rapport and empower the people you’re listening to. Evolving your leadership and achieving optimal results begins with listening. C&IT

Julie Gowthorpe, PhD, RSW, is a public speaker and author. In addition to her private practice, Gowthorpe contributes her expertise to podcasts, magazines, and broadcast; including her own popular regional radio morning show “Turn Up Your Emotional Intelligence.” Gowthorpe has spoken at numerous professional and academic conferences and served as an association Director.  For more information on her forthcoming book, “I Hate People,” visit drjuliegowthorpersw.com.

Navigating leadership brings a unique set of challenges and opportunities. A young executive, Sarah, faced complaints from her team, who described her as dismissive and devaluing. She was initially blindsided and defensive. Yet, as do excellent leaders, she focused on improvement — learning that how leaders make people feel is essential to retention, culture and ultimately profit.

As frontrunners in your field, you know strategies to build your team; yet, there is something preventing the desired outcome. What is getting in your way?

Failure to emotionally connect with your team members makes “lonely at the top” inevitable and creates a culture vulnerable to disconnection, dissatisfaction and lack of cohesiveness. On the other hand, positive connection with your team, brings an entirely new level of positive, productive and happy relationships.

Rather than focusing solely on strategies to improve interactions, a new approach called Self-Nurturing Therapy or SNT targets the part within you — the part that carries fear of vulnerability — and acts as a gatekeeper to allowing meaningful emotional connection with others.

How SNT Enhances Leadership

Leaders learn to change their relationship with vulnerability rather than attempting to eliminate it. SNT encourages leaders to engage with their emotions, building resilience and capability. This emotional strength translates into better communication, sharing of creativity and a more effective leadership style.

Self-Nurturing Therapy is a process that teaches how to soothe your vulnerable part —specifically your inner child — and learn to thrive in relationships. Here are seven steps that leaders can practice now to enhance their performance:

1. Get to Know Your Inner Child: Give your young self the attention she should deserve. By acknowledging and soothing early wounds, leaders can reduce reactive response styles. Sarah, for example, discovered that her reaction of dismissiveness was a self-protective reaction rooted in a childhood of bullying. Sarah’s inner child was so anxious that the corporate strategies she had learned to communicate with team members were being interrupted by her emotional state. To reduce reactivity, create a timeline of your life, identifying experiences where you felt shame or vulnerability. Knowing where your self-protection emerged reduces reactivity in interactions with others.

2. Create Emotional Awareness. Leaders are taught the importance of communication but in the absence of understanding your emotions, interactions will fall flat. To resolve this, reflect on what earlier experiences taught you about other people. Do you see others as trustworthy and safe, or risky and uncertain? Did safe people support you when bad things happened or could you only count on yourself? Sarah identified that years of suffering bullying left her feeling alone in her journey. She realized that interactions elicited fear that they would disappoint and an immediate internal reaction was to keep conversations short and direct so they would end quickly.

3. Create a Soothing Mantra. Negative early life experiences that are left unprocessed, don’t evaporate. Instead, the inner child holds them tight, a reminder to never put yourself at physical or emotional risk again. There were things that would have been helpful to you as a child that you never received. Practice acknowledging and accepting emotions from your early years. Start by asking yourself, “What does my inner child need to hear when she is worried?” “You’ve got this” or “That was then; this is now” offer reassurance and empower a secure response.

4. Think of Your Inner Child as Your Gatekeeper. Excellent leaders have a business gatekeeper, to ensure they are insulated from risk of overscheduling or losing focus. Your inner child is the gatekeeper to how much you allow yourself to emotionally care and invest in relationships. As a competent adult, you hold capability to assess those trustworthy enough to be part of your inner circle. Write a list of people who have shown integrity and take a moment to acknowledge them. Notice how your interaction improves when you assure your gatekeeper that you are safe, secure and confident in your ability to assess others.

5. Purposefully Value Your Feelings. What did your child-self need to cope during difficult times but was denied. For some, like Sarah, it was knowing they were safe while for others it was hearing, “You’re loved.” Good parents value what their children need and feel. As an adult, you can self-deliver what you need. Rewire negative thought patterns rooted in your early experiences with positive messaging. Were you taught to believe that other people’s wants and desires were more important than your feelings? Tell yourself, “You matter.” Were you taught to believe that harmony was more important than caring for yourself? Know “You. Matter.”

6. Thrive Emotionally at Work. See team members as worthy of having a meaningful relationship with you. While your inner child tries to protect you from caring too much, it disrupts the soft skills that make good leaders great.

Communication without empathy and understanding is risky for leaders. Instead, practice curiosity about what people are experiencing and, equally as important, what emotional response these interactions evoke within you. Use open-ended questions: “How was your weekend?” rather than “Hope you had a good weekend.” Leaders that know their people receive increased investment from them and a willingness to go the distance when asked.

7. Learning to Tolerate Emotions Requires Practice. If you have a loud inner child determined to protect you from vulnerability, showing them that you’re taking the lead requires practice. Avoid becoming frustrated with yourself and instead respond with self-kindness. It’s been a journey to achieve your leadership goals and you are constantly growing. Mastering comfortability with emotions leads to joy for self, high performance teams and requires practice. Integrate reflective journals, conversation with trusted friends and meditation to support you through this rewarding process. Celebrate the moments when you notice emotions, feel the discomfort and remind yourself, “Hey, I’m okay!”

In summary, leaders who engage in SNT experience numerous benefits that enhance their effectiveness and happiness in their role. By healing past traumas and fostering present-moment awareness, leaders can create a positive, empowering environment that drives organizational success. C&IT

Voted as No. 1 theme park in the U.S. by Tripadvisor last year, Dollywood not only has outstanding rides and attractions, like the top rated 20-story Lightning Rod roller coaster, but also offers more than 32,000 sf of meeting and event space. Courtesy of Dollywood

Imagine hosting a group event next to a roaring waterfall amid a forested alcove. Or how about within a fully imagined 1880s mining town where costumed characters interact with attendees to teach them a traditional craft. You can: all it takes is a trip to one of America’s theme parks.

Events held at theme parks are simply thrilling. Totally unforgettable. If you’re an event planner looking for various opportunities to transform your group’s event into a stellar experience, it just got easier. And if you’re an attendee, something inside of you ignited to life the second you arrived at the park.

Theme parks offer the ultimate one-stop-shop. Undoubtedly, the big ones (Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld) are likely already on a list to consider for a group event. And even they are going through major developments.

Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL

Located southwest of Orlando, FL, Walt Disney World is coming up on its 50th Anniversary, so new lands and attractions have been built, including Toy Story and Star Wars lands and TRON Lightcycle Run. EPCOT also has undergone a major expansion in the last few years, including France’s addition of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Le Crêperie de Paris, as well as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Journey of Water, inspired by Moana, a new nighttime spectacular called Luminous, and new exhibition space called CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza, an outdoor event space for musical performances.

All of that is now open but the next major developments, which the company plans to invest $17 billion in the next decade, will start to open in 2025, with the major additions coming in 2030. But of more interest to planners and attendees is Walt Disney World’s new paid FastPass service, which is replacing Genie+. That launched earlier this summer, as well as the return of two of the four tiers of the Disney Dining Plans.

Walt Disney World Resort boasts five dedicated convention hotels and more than 700,000 sf of ballroom, meeting and event space. The Resort features four theme parks, two water parks, three championship golf courses, world-class spas, Disney Springs and endless recreation.

Universal Orlando, Orlando, FL

Groups interested in Universal Orlando will be happy to know that DreamWorks Animation Land and Illuminations Villain Con Minion Blast are open and the Universal Orlando EPIC Universe is opening in 2025. Be sure to check out Universal’s discounted multi-day Universal Orlando tickets and Universal Orlando vacation package deals, which include Early Park Admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

For event organizers looking for unparalleled event experiences that connect and inspire your attendees, Universal Orlando Resort is one of the best ways to enjoy the daytime fun and nighttime energy and make your event truly remarkable.

SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, FL

For animal lovers, water park fans, coaster enthusiasts and everyone in between, SeaWorld Orlando’s epicenter of fun offers beautiful venues for your meetings and events, including a 12,000 sf air-conditioned ballroom, outdoor pavilions, and spectacular attraction venues. SeaWorld Orlando also offers VIP tours that include exclusive access to rides and attractions, animal encounters, and reserved seating at shows.

Attendees can get up-close with sea life, swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove, catch a live show or a wave ride at Aquatica water park in the Florida sun. The food scene at SeaWorld Orlando is fabulous, with various restaurants throughout the park.

California’s Great America, Santa Clara, CA

Sanford Marshall, director of client services/ F&B and event operations for Theme Dream Productions, in Alameda, CA, recently produced an event for 2,400 Samsung employees and their families at California’s Great America.

“We considered a number of venues,” Marshall explains, “but what really sold us on a theme park was that it’s basically a ‘two-fer.’ It not only provided us with the ability to have a private experience for the group, but it was in an area away from public park-goers. In essence, the first location served as a canvas that allowed us to bring our dream to reality, then everyone went into the park to continue the experience.”

Located in the shadow of Silicon Valley, the 112-acre park features everything from high-level thrills (like Delirium and Flight Deck) to kid-sized fun at Planet Snoopy, making it the ideal venue for a group event that includes family members.

Dee Lisoski, administrative business partner at Google, was looking for a venue that wouldn’t be a heavy lift and where employees could bring guests. Before selecting the venue, Lisoski surveyed a team of 100 in Sunnyvale, CA and says that “95 percent of them chose to go to Great America” for their annual company picnic.

This year was the second time Lisoski coordinated the event at Great America because a post-event survey told her everyone wanted to go back.

“We rented the Pavilion, where guests checked in and food was available, along with family-friendly games, music, bubbles, facepainting and a photo booth, which provided everyone with a ‘social hour.’ Once our employees had socialized with their team, they got to enjoy the rest of the day in the park with their family.

“Logistically, it was ideal in that it was like two events in one,” Lisoski continues. “Everything was included, even parking — which we handled by providing a list ahead of time to the parking attendants — so there were no ‘bits and pieces.’ And the price per person was very reasonable.”

The sales team at Great America, notes Lisoski, went above-and-beyond in accommodating her group’s requests for dietary considerations. The onsite team also had wheelchairs available at the gate and acted as greeters. “The staff was super helpful and friendly, and our sales rep had answers for every question we had,” says Lisoski.

Ariel McPhail is sales director at California’s Great America and says most of their summer and fall calendar is corporate catered events or park buyouts. The relatively mild (and reliable) weather is a draw, but McPhail also points to the fact that different onsite venues can easily host 800-to-8,000, with one indoor location boasting 17,000 sf and an attached outdoor patio.

Daisy Hung, administrative and event assistant for North East Medical Services (NEMS), in Daly City, CA, helped coordinate their company’s Employee Appreciation Summer Event for 1,800 employees and their families, and noted how effortless the planning was.

“The fun-tertainment is already included in the price,” Hung says, “which helps take the guess work out of it. We provided admission tickets to the park and rented the Pavilion to gather for lunch. No doubt, we plan to return in 2025 because our staff requested Great America by name.” Hung also underscored the quality of the events team at the park, and their commitment to making sure the NEMS event was “a roaring success.”

McPhail echoes that sentiment. “Having been in the industry for 20 years, I know how much energy it takes to put an event of any size together, so we make it our mission to ensure the planner gets to have fun, too!”

Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH

In 1892, the Switchback Railway opened to the public. Located on the grounds of what is today Cedar Point amusement park, the roller coaster stood 25-ft. tall and reached a top speed of 10 mph. In 1906, a midway was built featuring fortune tellers, rides, games, shops and a massive coliseum containing a grand ballroom.

Today, at 364-acres, Cedar Point is considered America’s second-oldest operating amusement park and home to 68 rides including 18 roller coasters, a waterpark, overnight accommodations and a pristine, mile-long beach on the shores of Lake Erie that’s accessible to all amusement park guests and included in the price of admission.

“We host about 350 corporate events per season, with the bulk of those groups in the manufacturing or healthcare industries, and within a 200-mile radius of the park” says Lynn Webb, regional sales director for Cedar Point.

If you consider the limited number of days the park is open, then factor in the number of events they coordinate, that’s a hefty lift per day. So, what’s the appeal?

“We place a huge focus on our food venues within the park,” explains Webb, “as almost every event we coordinate has a food component. With various restaurants onsite (such as the 1950’s themed Coaster’s Drive-In), we can provide either all-day dining passes or meal vouchers for our specialty restaurants.”

One food-focused option is the quintessential company picnic. Some of the venues available to groups are lakeside pavilions located just off the beach shore, while another option is the Grand Pavilion & Bar. Its current incarnation, which originally opened in 1888, is a bi-level eatery located along The Boardwalk offering views of Cedar Point and Lake Erie.

Justis Clifford, chief strategy officer at Lorain-Medina Rural Electric Cooperative, located in Wellington, OH, has coordinated three annual events at Cedar Point, with the most recent hosting approximately 3,600 attendees.

“We survey our groups every year after the event, and they’ve overwhelmingly said they wanted to return,” says Clifford, who believes that the combination of great food, good fun, and a $25 subsidized ticket price (which included admission, parking and a buffet lunch), created a winning combo.

The large pavilion, where lunch was hosted, also worked from a logistical perspective as Lorain-Medina wanted to bring in some EV vehicles so they could talk about them with their attendees.

The main reason to return from a planning perspective was decidedly the ease with which the event came together. As Clifford explains, “Working with the team was amazing — especially our sales rep. We used to do these events at a fairground, but we were responsible for every aspect of it: from setting up the catering to clean-up after it ended. But the staff at Cedar Point handled everything so we were able to really focus on interacting with the group.”

Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN

Situated in the Great Smoky Mountains she adores, Dollywood is a heartfelt homage to the “country life” of Sevierville-native Dolly Parton. It’s been ranked the #1 theme park in the U.S. by Tripadvisor users, and last year, it earned Golden Ticket’s “Best Park for 2023” award. The park’s mission, “Creating memories worth repeating,” feels like an open invitation to any group looking to hold an event there.

Cordelia Morrell, director of sales, notes that due to its unique location, most groups that frequent the park hail from nearby southeastern states (Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia), making it a great option if attendees reside in those states, and/or are within easy driving distance.

Spanning 165-acres, Dollywood offers a variety of rides including Wild Eagle, the country’s first “wing” coaster, and Big Bear Mountain, the longest roller coaster within the park, which debuted last year. With a price tag of $25M, it hits speeds of 48 mph on a 3/4-mile long track.

Perhaps the defining distinction that Dollywood can lay claim to is the association it has with the popular country singer and — by association — live music. Entertainment at the park showcases country, bluegrass, Southern gospel, classic rock n’ roll and Appalachian music.

For group gatherings, the Blue Ribbon Pavilion and open-air Celebration Hall provide scenic settings for more casual events, but there are also in-park theaters that can be rented for private functions like corporate presentations or awards ceremonies.

Dollywood also has two resort properties with their own onsite event spaces. DreamMore Resort and Spa, and HeartSong Lounge and Resort, not only provide lodging for overnight stays before, during, or after an event, but an exclusive trolley service for registered resort guests.

“While personal meet-and-greets with Dolly Parton — who’s referred to as the ‘Dreamer in Chief’ — are rare and depend on her schedule,” says Morrell, “there are opportunities for groups to experience her influence throughout the park.

“The biggest crowd pleasers include our award-winning shows and festivals,” she continues, “as well as the brand-new, multi-faceted Dolly Parton Experience, which spans her career and highlights her dreams and inspirations. But the number-one reason to consider an event at Dollywood is to experience the charm and hospitality of the Smoky Mountains.”

Hersheypark, Hershey, PA

From the moment you enter the town of Hershey, the air smells like chocolate, and you’re greeted by constant reminders of the world’s favorite sweet treat via streetlamps topped with oversized metallic Hershey’s Kisses.

“No other amusement park is dedicated to fun and chocolate, with the unique three-in-one experience we offer,” says Kirstin Maneval, director of sales at 121-acre Hersheypark.

“With 70 rides and 15 coasters, a full waterpark, and a zoo included in the ticket price, we can offer a variety of customized group experiences. We realize that groups prefer hosting their catered events in a private space and have six different areas to do that.” (Five are outdoors and covered, while one is indoors next to the Great Bear rollercoaster, accommodating anywhere from 40 to 13,000 attendees.)

The sales team also offers private “minipark” events: an exclusive after-hours option with access to select rides and catering. As Maneval notes, “Customizing menus continues to grow in popularity, so we offer a tiered menu where a planner can choose the price point and then select from listed entrees.”

The minipark events can also be coordinated for groups staying at one of the “official resorts” of Hersheypark. Maneval says they hosted a corporation for a three-day event at the Hershey Lodge Convention Center, and one evening the group went to the park for a private event that featured seven rides, two games and a specialty catered meal.

A recent $150M investment saw the creation of Hershey’s Chocolatetown, a themed area just outside the park that includes a KISSES Fountain, the largest full-service themed restaurant at the park, and a new home for their 100-year-old carousel.

“We’re always offering something new,” says Maneval. “Whether it’s more hours, new coaster experiences, entertainment offerings or culinary additions. And it all goes back to our core purpose: giving back to the Milton Hershey School, just as our founder, Milton S. Hershey, envisioned over 110 years ago.”

Silver Dollar City , Branson, MO

Silver Dollar City, nestled in the heart of the Ozarks and a short drive from Branson, MO, is a 61-acre theme park that’s part thrills and part theatrics. Themed around an 1880s mining town, the park has its share of high-energy rides (Outlaw Run and Powder Keg among them), but plenty of low-key rides perfect for the less-daring. It also recently debuted the $30M “Fire in the Hole” — an indoor roller coaster that takes riders on a journey to save a town.

Ranked the #1 Theme Park in America in USA Today’s “10Best Readers’ Choice Award” for the second time this year, the park has also won the coveted “Applause Award” from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), making it an attractive group event option for nearby companies like Walmart or Freeman Health Systems.

But what really sets Silver Dollar City apart is the more than 100 craftspeople who demonstrate blacksmithing, glassblowing, candle- pottery- and furniture-making, and more, all utilizing skills from the late 1800s. The attraction’s dedication to providing authentic demonstrations, combined with educational interactions, has also earned the park a congressional designation as “The Home of American Craftsmanship.”

That dedication to authenticity even extends to food within the park. “Nearly everything we serve here is homemade,” says Dalton Fischer, communications manager for Silver Dollar City. “A great example is our ‘skillets,’ which are giant portions of food served in cast-iron skillets made onsite by our blacksmiths.”

For planners looking to provide an immersion into the past mixed with the excitement of the present, Fischer points to such options as a themed dinner, with costumed craftspeople doing period acting and interacting with the group while being served traditional foods from the era.

“Like other theme parks, we’ve got amazing rides, great food and quality entertainment,” says Fischer. “But Silver Dollar City is unique in that we’re more like a gigantic puzzle, where every piece fits together. We even refer to our craftspeople as ‘citizens’ because they add an extra level of quality and authenticity to the experience.”

Onsite venues range from the 800-seat Opera House to Red Gold Heritage Hall —seating 1,200 — to the Echo Hollow Amphitheater — accommodating up to 4,000. Admission to the park also includes entrance to Marvel Cave, which the park sits atop and was the first attraction to bring visitors to the area.

Group buyouts are an option, notes Fischer, who explains that the ability to have the park all to themselves is the biggest crowd pleaser. “At Silver Dollar City, you’re part of the adventure. We literally bring you into the action to transport you back in time. In that respect, we really are a ‘theme’ park.”

Adrenaline is a significant benefit for meetings and events. Think of a rollercoaster’s high altitude and extreme speed releasing heaps of endorphins. What could be more thrilling? When you add to that the rising trend of happiness and well-being, the growing tendency amidst the meeting industry to use theme parks — the happiest places on earth — makes perfect sense.   C&IT

Do It Best Corp. held their Spring Market last year in the Orange County Convention Center’s West Concourse, offering their 6,000 attendees opportunities to learn about new hardware and lumber products, and more. Courtesy of Vince Slack

“A whole new Orlando is ready to welcome groups in 2024 and beyond.”

Those are the words of Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, as the city announced all that’s new this year in the perennially popular meeting destination.

Orlando continually ups its game with spectacular new resorts and venues and a host of new attractions at its coveted theme parks. This year, among the biggest news was the opening of the much-anticipated Evermore Orlando Resort, the city’s first “beachfront” property set along a manmade sandy beach and bay. The resort includes the Boathouse, a 2,500-sf venue overlooking the bay. Also opened earlier this year is the Conrad Orlando and Aloft Orlando Lake Nona.

In nearby Winter Park, boutique Alfond Inn wrapped up a major renovation, and the Waldorf Astoria Orlando unveiled its 8,000+ sf Central Park Ballroom and completed a multi-phase upgrade of the resort.

Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek has added more than 90,000 sf to its meeting space, including a screened lanai with views of the spectacular fireworks at Walt Disney World Resort. The Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando, JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes and Caribe Royale Orlando also completed renovations and/or additions. Finally, Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) continues its impressive expansion with an additional 60,000 sf of meeting space, an 80,000-sf ballroom and a new entry to the North-South Building. There are also new venues and attractions at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Springs, Universal Studios Florida and SeaWorld Orlando.

Bottom line: It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve gathered in Orlando. The city will always surprise you. And as these planners and groups demonstrate, Orlando is an especially superb destination for large conventions.

Indiana-based Vince Slack, CMP, meeting and market planning manager with Do It Best Corp., brought 6,000 attendees to Orlando for the company’s Do It Best Spring Market. Rather than one main hotel, the group used multiple properties including the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Hilton Orlando, Rosen Centre, Rosen Plaza and Rosen Shingle Creek, among other properties.

“We prefer to offer a variety of brands, prices and service levels to our attendees, so we cater to everyone’s needs,” he says.

Looking at the state of the industry, Slack believes things are at a new normal now. “We’re going about business as usual, and the hotel properties are as well. Business seems to be booming everywhere we go and that’s a great sign for the health of the hospitality industry.”

Availability, however, can still be a challenge. He believes that’s a lingering byproduct of the pent-up demand from so many groups postponing conventions and conferences during the COVID years.

Orlando is a great fit for the company’s spring market event. “It’s a warm and sunny destination in March where our attendees can bring their families and extend their stays. There’s so much to do and everything is convenient and accessible from the convention district. It’s a great break for people coming from cold, wintry climates. Orlando is built for conventions,” Slack adds, “and they do it extremely well. There’s nothing we can throw at them that they haven’t seen before; they’re prepared for any special request.”

Slack has built relationships with Visit Orlando and OCCC. “The team at Visit Orlando is amazing to work with. They’re quick to reply and very helpful with providing marketing materials to promote our spring market. They even created a micro-website with our logo for our attendees to link to from our official registration site to connect with everything happening in Orlando, including access to discounted theme park tickets, popular restaurants, etc.”

Planners depend on relationships at the meeting destinations they choose, and Slack is no exception. He cites Carolyn Martin, CMP, Visit Orlando destination experience senior manager, as a huge help in connecting him with marketing resources, theme park and other entertainment venue options, popular dining spots, etc.

At OCCC, he says, Kathleen Cotter, national sales manager, was incredible to work with. “Kathleen is a seasoned veteran who is extremely knowledgeable and very easy to work with.” And Sarah Berry, national sales manager with Rosen Hotels and Resorts, was an important partner. “She was instrumental in assisting to secure not only a large portion of our member-vendor housing blocks but also our staff block and our board of directors meeting space. She did a great job leading the effort to make sure all of our needs were taken care of at her properties.”

The space at OCCC’s West Hall met the group’s meeting needs. “The only negative,” Slack says, “was due to another show being in some of the exhibit halls, ballroom space and meeting rooms, so we had to utilize another exhibit hall further away from our tradeshow floor for our general sessions and it was quite a distance for attendees to walk. Everyone adapted quickly, however, and we’ll have all the space we need located closer when we return to Orlando for our 2025 Spring Market.” The group also used meeting space at Rosen Centre. “We had a good experience there with their sales and service team, as well as the in-house supplier partners for AV, Wi-Fi and catering,” Slack says.

In the final analysis, Slack calls Orlando “built for conventions,” noting that they simply do it very well. “They have a great team to assist with all your needs, the convention center is capable of handling any size show and your attendees will appreciate all of nearby conveniences and entertainment venues.”

Lisa Pratt, CMP, owner of Pinnacle Events, Inc. in Groveland, MA, worked on the anniversary celebration of a New England software company this spring, which drew 5,500 attendees. The large group used seven Loews Universal Resort hotels, with Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Resort the primary property.

Like others, Pratt notes that COVID still has an effect on today’s meetings. “People are excited to try new things, see new places and interact with their teams. We’re all working remotely much of the time. This change, although great for everyday quality of life, doesn’t foster the same type of water-cooler exchanges that we had in the past, which developed and solidified working relationships. When the staff does get together ‘IRL,’ they really enjoy the camaraderie and connection that you can’t get on a Teams call,” she says.

Pratt believes meetings have become more complex with dietary accommodations, safety concerns, need for access to medical facilities and emotional support such as quiet rooms.  She says, “These touch points make the planning process longer and more complex to ensure that planners understand the group’s needs, meaning more meetings, more planning and more people involved in the planning and decision making.”

She calls Orlando an incredible destination for a large company-wide meeting for thousands. “We had staff flying in from all over the world and were able to get them to Orlando relatively quickly using both commercial and chartered planes. Once they landed, transfers to hotels were seamless and quick and the entertainment options were endless for our offsite events.”

Pratt says Visit Orlando provided pre-event and onsite support, as well as information for attendees about local attractions and discounts they could use to help them plan and book their free time. OCCC provided the space for the largest of the meetings and a lunch for 5,500. “The OCCC staff were very attentive and flexible, and the food was delicious. It’s very difficult to feed that many people in a tight window and create interesting, diverse menus to accommodate various dietary needs. The convention center exceeded expectations!”

The group also used meeting space in all four of the full-service Loews properties: Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Resort, Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando Resort, Hard Rock Hotel® at Universal Orlando Resort and Loews Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando Resort. “We required extensive AV and Wi-Fi in all the properties and the experience was seamless,” Pratt says.

This wasn’t the first time this group booked the Loews properties. “Loews has been an incredible partner and this is the second time this group has used these properties. The dedicated, attentive, responsive staff; the proximity of the hotels to one another to create a ‘campus’ feel for our attendees; the modern, airy function space; and the creative menus made it an easy choice to come back to Loews for a second time,” Pratt notes. “The entire Loews team from the line staff to senior management is approachable, able to quickly make decisions and accommodate last-minute adjustments and requests. The entire team makes all our attendees feel appreciated and welcomed.”

To prove her point, she explains just how accommodating they were. “We had a charter flight from India that was delayed. It meant that those staff members would miss our welcome dinner and they had already been traveling for over 24 hrs. Five hours before our dinner for 5,500, we asked the hotel if they could make 250 to-go vegetarian dinners that we could have waiting on our buses at the airport for when the staff disembarked from their plane. They made that happen in the middle of executing a dinner for 5,500. That’s a true partnership!”

Not surprising, given the popularity of Orlando and the Loews hotel group, Pratt advises planners considering the destination to “book early to ensure you have access to any and all options that would work for your group, and take two days off post event to enjoy Orlando and experience all it has to offer!”

This winter, Orgill Inc. brought a group of 20,000 attendees to Orlando for its Orgill Dealer Market. Hilton, Hyatt and Rosen hotels provided the lodging. Tennessee-based Adrienne Richardson, director of events & print services, says planning and executing meetings at the company has been a positive experience.

“The last time we were here was February 2022, after the pandemic,” she says. “Back then, there was a bit of nervousness about gathering in person, cleaning, masking, quarantining. We have since recovered from the apprehension of attending and executing in-person events. A positive is that during the ‘time away,’ we had the opportunity to explore our event and the operations of executing our meetings. We were able to expand on the things we were good at and eliminate some of the unnecessary.”

Richardson believes one of the biggest challenges for planners these days is staying on top of last-minute attendee and exhibitor registrations. She says, “We’re working through processes that make sure latecomers get the same great experience, premier lodging and quick communication that early birds receive.”

She calls Orlando “just right” for Orgill’s exhibitors and attendees. “As an independent hardware distributor, many of our customers and exhibitors travel with their families. Our hotel blocks are within easy walking distance of the convention center for business during the day, and there’s plenty of retail, attractions and restaurants to enjoy in the evening. The hotels offer a range of price points and amenities to suit everyone’s needs. And flights into and out of Orlando are a breeze, accommodating attendees from all over the United States, Canada and beyond.”

Richardson says Visit Orlando is one of the company’s key partners. “They keep us informed about all the developments happening in and around town, including hotels that are coming online or in the planning stages, as well as any new attractions and entertainment options. They are key to helping us plan all of our offsite co-events and meetings.”

With 20,000 in attendance, it’s no surprise that the group used nearly all of the convention center’s meeting space. “Throughout the event, we host a variety of meetings, ranging from tech symposiums and general sessions with over 400 attendees to small, private meeting rooms for off-floor discussions with our customers.” The convention center was able to accommodate those diverse needs.

As for the hotels, they chose three anchor hotels for a multitude of reasons. Richardson says the Hilton Orlando, Hyatt Regency Orlando and Rosen Centre Hotel Orlando tick all the boxes.

“The hotels offer a range of room options to accommodate diverse needs, are conveniently situated near the convention center and airport for easy access and provide ample function space and amenities to enhance our event experience,” she says. “Additionally, the pricing is competitive and aligns with our budgetary requirements.”

Moreover, she continues, “the hotels’ versatility perfectly suits our varied groups within our block. With two to three groups hosting welcome receptions and several holding private dinners throughout our events, the hotels’ flexible event spaces are invaluable. Furthermore, the ability of the properties to accommodate larger customer groups who prefer to stay together fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among attendees.”

Richardson says that Orgill considers the Orange County Convention Center an extension of the company. “We consider them another department. The OCCC staff truly impressed us, and their assistance was invaluable, especially when we faced unexpected weather during our event setup. With their transparency and support, we were able to devise a plan and execute it seamlessly, minimizing any disruption for our exhibitors and attendees. We’re definitely planning to meet there again.”

In addition to space at OCCC, the group also used hotel conference and function space. Having all services in-house ensured smoother coordination and fewer hiccups during their events.

“Challenges often arise when we need to bring in an outside supplier to support us at a venue,” says Richardson. “For our dinners, receptions and meetings, we typically require AV support, including music and presentations. Having reliable Wi-Fi and technical capabilities is crucial for seamless communication and event execution. Attentive and efficient staff are essential for ensuring our events run smoothly from start to finish.”

To her fellow planners she says, “Here’s some advice straight from the heart for planners contemplating this destination and the hotel partners: Lean into your CSM at the OCCC and your allies at Visit Orlando. They’re the experts and incredibly helpful. Plan ahead together, clearly outlining your meeting objectives, attendee demographics, budget and load-in expectations. The hotel partners, OCCC staff and Visit Orlando team treat your event like it’s their own. They take personal pride in its success, and that makes all the difference.” C&IT

The Protocol School of Washington provides education on international protocol, business etiquette and communication skills training. Courtesy of Pamela Eyring

The virtual event space for today’s corporate gatherings are all-inclusive, dynamic options for attendees from across the globe. Whether they are logging in from Senegal or Seattle, the accessibility is virtually the same.

But, while virtually diverse audiences are much celebrated thanks to the unique dynamic they bring to virtual gatherings, meeting planners need to address the challenging aspect of virtual global attendance — namely, multilingual issues that can hamper the effectiveness of a corporate event.

As a full service corporate event company that produces events, in person, hybrid and virtually, the team at Ax3 Studios leaned in on their hybrid and virtual event production during the pandemic. By keeping the focus on the participant experience and the strategic goals of an event, Aryn Chapman, founder and CEO at Ax3 Studios, was able to support clients in creating meaningful and impactful experiences online.

“One of the key best practices that meeting planners can use to ensure multilingual virtual sessions go well is choosing the right platform,” Chapman says. “Like selecting the right venue, every feature and capability needs to be in alignment with the strategic goals of the event, including multilingual accessibility.”

For fully virtual events, selecting a virtual platform that offers robust closed captioning and translation features will be key. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex provide options for real-time transcription and translation, which are essential for accommodating diverse language needs for fully remote speakers and audiences. If you have some speakers who are in person in a studio and then broadcast out to an audience, there are in-ear translation services that are valuable.

“Finding a platform that offers geolocation is also important — not just for time zone correction, but also that can translate your event site to the native languages of your presenters and audiences,” Chapman says.

Like all aspects of event production, preparation also is key. Chapman says planners should encourage presenters to provide materials and presentations in advance to facilitate accurate translation. This allows translators to familiarize themselves with the content and ensure smooth interpretation during the session. Provide slide presentations and handouts translated and downloadable from the site.

“Knowing where to invest your budget for this is also important. Professional translators are not cheap but they know the subtle differences in language that make a huge impact,” Chapman says. “We did an event a few years ago and created a ‘Welcome’ sign in all the languages of the participants. It seems there are a few different kinds of ‘Welcome’ in Hebrew … and of course, we had the wrong one.”

Also make sure to hire professional translators who are fluent in the languages spoken by the audience. This ensures accuracy and clarity in communication, avoiding misunderstandings that can arise from automated translation tools.

Chapman advises planners rehearse and train moderators and speakers on how to effectively utilize closed captioning and translation features during the session. This includes instructing them on how to pace their speech for optimal transcription and translation accuracy.

“Digital space is cheap, so offer recordings of the sessions with translated subtitles for participants to review afterward,” Chapman says. “Have a resources page with translated downloads and other materials. This allows attendees to revisit key points and ensures that language is not a barrier to accessing valuable content.”

For the meeting and event planners at Ax3Studios, inclusion is paramount to their event planning philosophy. In the online event space this is especially true, because you have the potential for such a wider reach. That’s why Chapman believes that providing geolocation, translation and closed captioning plays a crucial role in fostering that inclusivity by breaking down language barriers.

“By offering real-time translation, whether it is AI or from a professional, attendees from diverse linguistic backgrounds can fully engage in discussions and presentations, regardless of their proficiency in the primary language,” Chapman says. “Similarly, closed captioning ensures accessibility for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing, enabling them to follow along with the content seamlessly.”

These features not only accommodate individuals with specific needs, but also demonstrate a commitment to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and included. In essence, incorporating translation and closed captioning functionalities is not just a matter of accessibility, Chapman says it’s a testament to the organization’s dedication to fostering a truly inclusive and equitable virtual space where all voices can be heard and understood.

She adds that one effective way to do this is by providing a “Know Before You Go” document that outlines important details about the event, including how translations and closed captioning will be delivered. In this document, a planner can specify the features offered to accommodate diverse linguistic needs and how they will be implemented. This includes clarifying whether translation and closed captioning will be provided by AI, professional translators, or a combination of both.

“By setting clear expectations beforehand, attendees can better understand how they will engage with the content and prepare accordingly,” Chapman says. Additionally, this document can serve as a resource for participants to troubleshoot any technical issues they may encounter during the event, ensuring a seamless virtual experience for all involved.

“Ultimately, transparent communication through a ‘Know Before You Go’ document demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity and ensures that attendees feel informed and empowered to fully participate in the event,” Chapman says.

Pamela Eyring is the president and owner of The Protocol School of Washington, an accredited school focusing on international protocol, business etiquette, and communication skills training. With more than three decades of public and private sector experience in operational protocol and educational development, Eyring has extensive knowledge of U.S. and international practices and is a global thought leader in the etiquette and protocol industry.

“This might seem like a simple best practice, but preparation and communication are key to a successful multilingual virtual session,” Eyring says. “As meeting and event planners, we finish one program, and we are already executing the next with time to prepare for it. If the date is scheduled, don’t hesitate to begin preparing your host, speakers and participants a week or at least three days prior to the virtual meeting.”

She also suggests planners brief the host and all speakers/presenters that the virtual meeting participants are multilingual where English might not be their first language. Remind them to speak slowly, use less complicated words, avoid jargon, idioms, acronyms or slang to be clearly understood. Let them know they do not have to speak louder, just more clearly.

“If possible, use pictures, slides and diagrams for better understanding. Adding subtitles to videos is always appreciated,” Eyring says. “Use of smaller group discussions, polls and Q&A can keep attention and comfort. Best strategy is adding more time than needed to the meeting. Culturally, being on time is nice but not adhered too often. Build in time for small talk prior to the meeting and allow extra time for questions and discussion.”

Proper Planning for Multilingual Audiences

Of course, selecting the appropriate translation services for an event involves careful consideration of various factors, including the nature of the conference or corporate event, the level of articulation needed, and the audience’s preferences. That’s why it’s crucial to assess the level of need for translation. Is the conference highly technical, with specialized terminology and jargon? Or is it politically sensitive, requiring nuanced translation to convey complex ideas accurately?

“Understanding the intricacies of the content will help determine the level of expertise required from translation services,” Chapman says.

Next, consider the format and purpose of the event. Is it a community gathering aimed at fostering inclusivity and engagement, or a team-building event focused on internal communication? As Chapman explains, the tone and objectives of the event will influence the style and tone of translation needed. For community events, a more informal and culturally sensitive approach to translation may be appropriate, whereas for team-building activities, clear and concise communication is essential.

Once the level of need and event format have been determined, sourcing the right translation services becomes crucial. For highly technical or politically sensitive conferences, Chapman suggests professional translators with expertise in the relevant field. These translators possess the linguistic skills and subject matter knowledge necessary to accurately convey complex concepts. Here you may want to include your clients in an interview process.

“In cases where the event requires a balance between accuracy and accessibility, a mix of AI and professional translation services may be beneficial,” Chapman says. “AI-powered translation tools can provide real-time translation for general content, while professional translators can review and refine translations for clarity and precision.”

Eyring advises meeting planners that they should understand the difference between translation and interpretation before interviewing for linguistic support. Translation is converting the meaning of the written language into another written language whereas interpretation is the conversion of the spoken language into another.

“Some planners have asked for the incorrect support and were embarrassed without the right support. Most virtual meeting companies offer multilingual support through features like interpretation services where participants can choose their preferred language channel,” Eyring says.  For instance, Zoom, Webex, Microsoft promote this offering at certain levels. A planner could also hire a company that can provide real-time interpretation services, but expect a high expense. Most virtual meeting companies also offer multilingual support through features like interpretation services where participants can choose their preferred language channel.

“I suggest recording the session and have AI translate it in the needed languages or give the recording to the participants for them to review, or have AI translate it for them,” Eyring says.

Speaking the language of a company’s customers, investors, partners or employees can greatly affect the success of a virtual meeting or event. As Michele Dobnikar, president of GlobalMeet, explains, research shows that when viewers can’t understand or hear a speaker, they quickly zone out and consider the information less credible.

“Key best practices that event planners can use, particularly for events where there is no margin of error, are live interpretations or human captioning,” Dobnikar says. “Live human interpretation allows people to hear and absorb information in their own language. For businesses looking to reach across new markets and diverse regions, human interpretation allows your audience to listen in their own language benefiting from a clearer understanding of the spoken content.”

Both human and automated captioning offers valuable accessibility for a virtual event or meeting where viewers speak different languages. However, when possible, human captioning provides significantly better accuracy over automated options to prevent technology from skewing the intended message of a speaker.

At a recent event for a client, Dobnikar had a diverse speaker lineup consisting of individuals from the UK, China, Australia and Singapore. The event in total had over 3,000 attendees from all over the world.

“Our team provided simultaneous live language translations throughout the event in multiple languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. GlobalMeet’s accessibility strategy helps to conserve resources and streamline the experience for guests as language options are easily selectable from within the same event,” Dobnikar says.

Embracing Challenges

Producing a multilingual event presents a unique set of challenges, particularly when clients and stakeholders involved in the event planning process are themselves multilingual. In such cases, Chapman says early implementation of strategies to accommodate diverse linguistic needs becomes essential. One of the primary challenges lies in effective communication and decision-making among stakeholders who speak different languages. Misunderstandings can arise if important information is not communicated clearly to all parties involved, leading to delays or misaligned expectations.

And where there are multiple languages, there are also often multiple time zones for presenters and attendees of an event. As Dobnikar points out, this can make engaging audiences especially difficult for event planners, particularly when there are time-sensitive announcements. Ensure that your webcasting provider can add multiple-language captioning to an event in English.

“You can then offer your event to a wider audience with translations in their specific language,” Dobnikar says.

“Employing strategies such as providing translation services and closed captioning options early in the planning process can mitigate these challenges,” Chapman says. “By establishing clear communication channels that cater to the linguistic preferences of clients and stakeholders, organizers can ensure that everyone is well-informed and engaged throughout the planning stages.”

Eyring highly recommends doing a feedback and evaluation survey using a QR code to rate the meeting and seek suggestions for improvement. Or planners can do a personal follow up with select participants who seemed unengaged or were having difficulty due to a language barrier.

Furthermore, involving multilingual stakeholders from the outset allows for more inclusive decision-making and brainstorming sessions. This not only promotes a sense of belonging and ownership among participants but also enriches the planning process with diverse perspectives and insights.

“It is so important, for us Americans especially, to remember that language transcends just words. It is not simply a collection of interchangeable Lego-like blocks but a reflection of the nuanced complexities of human experience,” Chapman says. “Every word carries with it layers of meaning, shaped by the historical context, social dynamics, and cultural heritage of its origin. From idiomatic expressions to subtle nuances in pronunciation, language embodies the essence of a people, revealing their values, beliefs and unique identity. You cannot provide a safe, inclusive space without honoring the lingual needs of the presenters and audiences.” C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

About 27% of adults in the U.S. have some disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s approximately one in four adults.

While mobility issues are the most common disabilities, many Americans also live with hearing, vision and cognitive disabilities. For that reason, corporate meeting and event professionals must educate themselves on the needs of people with disabilities, and the laws governing inclusion, most notably the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA].

The ADA is a federal law that protects disabled people from discrimination. It mandates that public spaces must make reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities to have equal access as everyone else. This includes meetings and events, and planners are responsible for ensuring their events are available and accessible to all.

“People who have different abilities have every right to be able to enjoy the same facilities that everybody else does,” says Timothy Arnold, regional vice president with Hospitality Performance Network, HPN Global. “It’s up to us as planners to make our events as inclusive as possible.”

Defining ADA

The ADA is a federal civil rights law originally signed into law in 1990 to prohibit discrimination based on disability, similar to the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identity.

The law prohibits discrimination against disabled people in their jobs and other aspects of life and also sets forth standards for disabled persons to have fair and equal access to the same places and events.

Most important for meeting planners are the ADA’s Standards of Accessible Design, which require meetings and events to have accessible parking, venue layouts, restrooms, seating, elevators and more. Accessibility requirements even include event registration, websites, event materials and communication.

ADA compliance is required in most public events, whether they are held inside or outside. For example, for a convention held at a hotel, a meeting planner should ensure that the hotel has gone above and beyond ADA guidelines so that attendees can conveniently access all convention areas.

On that same note, outdoor venues should also be as accessible as possible for disabled people. For example, planners should ensure that the ground and paved surfaces, such as parking lots and sidewalks at an outdoor venue, are level enough for wheelchair users to move around freely.

Ensuring ADA Compliance for Events

There is more to ensuring an event that is ADA-compliant and accessible to all attendees than just providing adequate wheelchair access. Planners should make accommodations for attendees with disabilities other than mobility issues. Events should also be easily accessible for attendees with hearing, vision and cognitive disabilities.

Arnold says planners should exceed ADA compliance requirements to ensure everyone feels included. “Every hotel is going to say, ‘We’re compliant,’ but compliant doesn’t mean inclusive,” he says. “It’s just a matter of wanting to do a little bit more, wanting to make your event just a little bit more inclusive.”

Accessibility for event speakers and presenters is just as important as for attendees. This includes access to the stage, podium and microphones.

Reggie Driscoll, senior meeting professional with the State Bar of Wisconsin and president of the Wisconsin Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), says he makes sure to accommodate the needs of speakers and attendees at the events he plans.

“We look to have an alternative to a podium so that speakers can see and be seen, and we make sure that tables and microphones are set or can be set at differing heights,” he says.

Here are some crucial things for planners to consider to ensure their meetings and events are ADA-compliant and accessible:

Registration

Accessibility and inclusion start at the beginning of an event, when attendees first register. An event’s website and social media pages should be designed to be easily accessible for people of all abilities. This can mean including text along with sound so people with hearing or vision disabilities can easily access the information. Registration is a good time to get an idea of the accessibility needs of event attendees. Do they need an interpreter, are they bringing a service animal or do they have dietary restrictions?

“Asking those questions at registration is paramount,” Arnold says.

When it comes to making sure a venue is ADA-compliant, it helps to do your homework, says Naomi Tucker, strategic events consultant & coach for Planners on Purpose in Appleton, WI. “This means asking the right questions and confirming those responses so that you are able to accommodate your attendees.”

Melissa Falendysz, event program manager at BCD Meetings & Events, says she tries to capture any mobility, visual, hearing or dietary requests during registration that must be accommodated when planning the event. “This lead time helps me ensure that I, along with all the venues and vendors, can provide attendees with a very inclusive experience while at the event,” she says.

“I think communication with the individual is very important,” says Driscoll. “Never assume what may be needed. Have a discussion with the individual and go over the flow or agenda with them and let them tell you what may work better or what may not be necessary for them.”

Venue Layout

Assessing the venue layout of a meeting venue is a crucial step to ensuring accessibility for all attendees. Look at the venue’s entrances, corridors, doorways, meeting rooms and stages to ensure there are no possible obstacles. Driscoll says he communicates with the venue to make sure it offers standard accessibility as well as any special requests that attendees may have indicated during registration.

“Accessibility considerations flow through a full event, from how wide the door openings are, to the aisles of your general session, to ensuring that an attendee can get from one floor to another in an easy, safe way,” Tucker says.

When possible, Arnold recommends that planners conduct a site inspection to verify the venue offers more than just basic compliance, especially for older, historic buildings that may have been grandfathered in on ADA compliance matters. “As you’re doing more site inspections, you get used to noticing planters in the wrong place and points that may cause issues.”

“Having a relative that requires mobility assistance to get around, I always do a walkthrough with her in mind,” says Falendysz. “When in public spaces, I closely observe what obstacles she has faced that I may not have thought of at events that I’ve planned. As I walk through a venue space, I look at the proximity of elevators or chair lifts, restrooms, the distance between meeting rooms and designated parking spaces to our event area, to name a few.”

For catered events, it’s also imperative that serving trays, plates and silverware are accessible to wheelchair users at a height that isn’t too high, stresses Falendysz. “Some people naturally don’t think twice about chafing dishes and placement of plates/silverware in the buffet line. However, this can be a terrible hindrance for those who have mobility equipment,” she says. “If they’re seated in a scooter/wheelchair, it is very dangerous for them to reach up into a high chafing dish that may have hot items in it. It’s best to have low-serving dishes and allow for a clear spot on the table to be able to place their plate down when getting their food.”

Elevators

Having an accessible elevator is also essential. According to ADA, the law requires elevators to be at least 36 inches wide by 54 inches deep. They should also be easy to get to. Arnold notes that one hotel he scouted had an elevator, but it could only be accessed through the kitchen.

“It might have worked if there was one person who needed any type of access, but if there were 10 or so, it would have taken hours to get everybody through. So, it didn’t work for my group that had multiple people in wheelchairs and mobility devices,” he says.

Restrooms

Venues should have at least one restroom stall that is wheelchair accessible. For outdoor events, at least 5% of the portable toilets available must be wheelchair accessible, per ADA guidelines.

Planners should also ensure the sink, hand dryers and paper towel dispensers in restrooms are at an adequate height for wheelchair users to reach, Falendysz says.

“If the paper towel dispenser or hand dryer is too high, think about placing a stack of paper towels near the sink so it’s easy to reach,” she says.

Scheduling regular restroom breaks within an event’s agenda is worth considering. “If additional assistance or time is needed, (attendees) can then choose to use the restrooms either before or after the breaks when they are less crowded,” says Driscoll.

Signage & Printed Materials

Signage and printed materials for meetings and events should be clear, concise and easy to read for most people, including those with vision or cognitive disabilities. Tucker says optimizing signs and printed materials for people with color vision deficiency (CVD) is also helpful.

When planning events for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Driscoll says he makes sure that signs like Plenary, Breakout, Restroom and Exit are placed high so wheelchair users can still see them above all the people who may be milling around.

Seating

Seating arrangements for meetings and events should be made to accommodate people with disabilities. Theater seating is often difficult for wheelchair users to navigate, Arnold says. He prefers setting up tables in crescent rounds with seats on the ends designated for wheelchair users.

Falendysz uses table tents to easily identify spots reserved for individuals with mobility devices. “I mix these spots in with tables along wider pathways. I don’t want individuals to ever feel secluded being at their own table, just because it’s closest to the door. Making sure they feel inclusive at the event is always top of mind,” she says.

Site lines are equally important in seating arrangements, Driscoll says. He ensures that the stage at an event can be seen from all the seats and that the podium doesn’t block anyone’s view.

One factor often overlooked but noteworthy in ensuring accessibility for attendees with mobility devices is the length of the tablecloths. “If they are too long and drape on the floor, they can get caught in wheels and be a safety hazard,” Falendysz says.

Providing sign language interpreters, real-time captioning and transcripts can help attendees with hearing impairments. “There’s been much advancement with real-time captioning in the last few years,” Tucker says. “Many of the technologies and platforms that are available to us provide this as a service for events. Providing transcripts is another way for attendees to understand what is being said at a meeting or event.”

Driscoll says the State Bar of Wisconsin is lucky to have court reporters to help with real-time captioning at events. “We always send as much information or even printouts of the speeches to the captioner or interpreter ahead of time so they have an idea of what will need to be interpreted,” he says.

If a planner doesn’t have vendors for interpreters at the event location, Arnold recommends contacting the local Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) for resources. “I love a good CVB because I can’t know everything,” he says.

Service Animals

Some people with disabilities have a service animal to help them navigate or provide emotional support, so planners should ensure that the necessary accommodations are made for the animals. This includes communicating with the venue that there will be service animals present and arranging for pet release stations at the event, Arnold says.

Ultimately, ADA compliance for meetings and events isn’t just the law, it’s good business, Arnold says. “It’s the right thing to do, but there’s also a huge business case for bringing more people to your meetings and events and not being discriminatory in any way,” he says. C&IT

A former Walt Disney Company trainer, Master Wandkeeper at Universal Orlando and keynote speaker at last year’s Sandler Summit, Louie Gravance talks about service being a superpower. Courtesy of Richard Schlep

The only constant in life is change. This realization has been validated by many, from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus to present-day poets, pundits and prognosticators. Corporate event planning certainly has not been spared from shifting gears either. Gone are the days when planners would hire speakers who would deliver hour-long speeches. Instead, there are the half-hour interactive sessions focused on impactful storytelling.

Having been roiled by a pandemic, buffeted by inflation and shaken by alarmingly powerful, new technology, meeting planners have assessed, through multiple measures, where the industry is now, where it needs to be in the future and what challenges they will have to overcome to get there.

One change to note is the way a speaker is introduced to an event audience. Speakers are more likely to leverage video and other technologies to help introduce themselves to audiences ahead of an event.

Richard Schelp, the co-owner and president of the Executive Speakers Bureau (ESB), reflects, “Even when it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, you’ve got to be willing to make a change.”

His company, the third-largest speakers bureau in the country, responded by relying heavily on virtual presentations. As of 2022 and into 2023, ESB’s in-person events were unquestionably down. Toward the end of last year, and continuing into this year, events with speakers have rebounded.

Jenna Fitch, senior director of community and conference content for New Hope Network, which is part of Informa, a London-based international events, digital services and business intelligence company, agrees. In-person events have rebounded, and overall attendance is strong. In March, Fitch wrapped up the largest and most successful Natural Products Expo West in the company’s history — with more than 65,000 attendees.

Valerie Franco, marketing director and head of the midwest region for Marcum LLP, a nationally top-ranked accounting and advisory firm, hasn’t seen attendance come back from the pandemic decline as vigorously or quickly as she thought it would. “You’d think that after COVID, people would be flocking to events.” She’s now seeing more of a turnaround, though.

Across the industry, this upswing isn’t happening by magic. It’s the result of carefully selecting topics and speakers of sufficient current interest to motivate potential attendees to invest the time and effort it takes to show up. “I think one of the challenges right now is getting speakers who are going to be attractive enough to audiences to get them out of their offices,” continues Franco.

As the pandemic faded and life normalized, Fitch says she and her team were asking themselves fundamental questions: “Who are we to our audience now? Do they need us?” Her answer was, “Yes, people need us. People are craving connection; they want to talk to experts, they want to see each other. They’re seeking new knowledge, especially with so many people continuing to work remotely. They’re saying, ‘Tell me what I don’t know.’”

Themes & Topics

Schelp, who books thousands of speakers a year, says that artificial intelligence (AI), in all its forms and potential uses, is currently one of the hottest topics. People want to hear about what new applications are on the horizon and how AI will impact the workplace and employees’ jobs. They also want to hear speakers address the diverse ways, ranging from the beneficial to the disastrous, that AI can impact culture in general. Franco says that cyber security is also a hot topic in the financial arena, Marcum’s sector.

Based on The Speaking Industry Benchmark Report produced by AAE Speakers Bureau in 2023, 50% of speakers are currently using artificial intelligence in some way, and another 25% plan to. On the planner’s side, 33% are currently using AI in some way while another 33% plan to sometime this year. The survey was compiled from more than 300 responses from both event organizers and keynote speakers in hopes to better understand the speaker-booking process.

Fitch is using AI to help generate session titles and for closed-captioning speakers’ presentations. Speakers use it to research their audiences and to flesh out topics. And as the world shrinks and speakers are increasingly in front of audiences whose primary language is not necessarily the speaker’s, AI is also being used as a translation tool.

For younger audiences, presentations addressing mental health and wellness are in demand, according to Franco. That demographic is also “more attuned to the broader landscape of corporate responsibility and corporate giving.” They’re looking for more purpose-driven events and authenticity, she says.

Mindfulness, happiness and burnout prevention are also high on the list for younger audiences. Justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, sustainability and cultural appropriation are areas of particular focus for Fitch and her team as they seek to broaden the range of voices being given a platform.

She says, “How many voices are we not hearing and how many ideas are we shutting out, if we don’t do our best to be inclusive?”

Innovation and creativity have also found their way back onto the cardinal list. “For a long time, people didn’t care about those things because when you go through a pandemic, people only care about the survival stuff, and innovation and creativity are not usually considered something to survive by, but now that we’re in a more stable environment, they’re huge,” Schelp says.

Anything to do with leadership, he’s finding, is also a big deal. “Being able to manage through change is a very hot topic right now.” Apparently, Heraclitus was right.

Having winning topics is only half the equation, though. Getting a speaker who is sufficiently engaging no matter how sizzling the topic might be, is the other half.

Rising Costs

Event organizers are concerned with both increasing costs and attendance numbers for this year. Rising inflation experienced across all sectors of goods and services before the pandemic and since has unquestionably extended to the cost of producing meetings and events. Fitch, Franco and Schelp are in universal agreement that prices have soared.

Booking local speakers as a way to reduce travel costs is now popular, as it frees up budgets for non-negotiable expenses. For many events, speakers will be chosen based on outcomes and relevance versus celebrity alone.

Celebrities of every sort have always come at a premium, but in the last 10 years, Schelp says the fees have risen three-fold. The fee for high-name-recognition celebrities can be as much as $750,000. Speaking fees for non-celebrity, but highly-booked business speakers have also gone up, but not as sharply.

It’s not just the speaker fees, though. Everything associated with meetings is up, in some cases way up. Fitch’s AV costs for Natural Products Expo West were 45% higher than just the previous year.

Budgets, unfortunately, haven’t kept up. Some corporations have responded by not hiring speakers at all or resorting to putting only company employees in front of a mic. A knowledgeable source who asks to remain anonymous says the Fortune 50 corporation he works for has stopped hiring speakers altogether for this fiscal year. Another anonymous source from a large retail corporation with 175 stores says his company has shifted to only in-house speakers and hasn’t hired any outside talent for quite some time.

According to Schelp, these sorts of cutbacks are cyclical; at any given time from 10 to 20% of companies will stop hiring outside speakers for a year or so, but when the results suffer, they revert to bringing in fee-based speakers.

Mark Twain famously opined, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is . . . the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” The same can be said of speakers: ineffective ones occupy the lightning bug end of the spectrum; highly effective speakers are the lightning. A great speaker isn’t an agenda-filler; they’re a difference maker. They have the ability to communicate information and ideas in a way that increases learning and yields more productive results from meetings. Based on his 30 years of experience, Schelp believes that not hiring compelling speakers is a false economy, and companies that stop hiring bona fide talent discover that attendees don’t want to go to meetings because they aren’t getting what they want out of them.

“They’re not being inspired, they’re not being motivated and they’re not being educated at the level they were before when they were able to hear high-quality speakers,” Schelp continues.

With increased presenter costs comes increased scrutiny. Speaker bureaus and speakers are finding it more necessary to not just provide favorable reviews, but delineate a clear value proposition that answers the question, “Why should my audience make the effort to come out to see you?”

Presenters are finding it incumbent upon themselves to respond by providing more customization. “For many years,” Schelp says, “companies claimed they wanted true customization from speakers, but even 10 or 12 years ago, it wasn’t actually true.”

It’s true now, though. Today, corporations expect speakers to keep their company goals and objectives in mind and tailor presentations specifically for them and their audience. They want audience members to leave saying, ‘I’m going to take this piece of information and use it in my job tomorrow.’”

Schelp says that various learning-retention experts tell him that if information from a presentation has not been used within a week, it will be lost. As a result, speakers feel increased pressure to more thoroughly research both their audience and their topic and be more granular in their presentations.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that celebrities, as opposed to drilled-down experts, have lost their power. According to Schelp, younger attendees aren’t quite as enamored of the famous as older audiences have been in the past. Perhaps it’s because streaming and social media have created such a multitude of ‘personalities’ that, in general, star wattage has diffused. But no one is entirely immune to celebrities, Schelp says. Franco and Fitch agree, and if it’s a name younger employees are following in their away-from-work hours, they get just as beguiled as the older demographic.

While speaker fees and all other costs attached to meetings are rising, Franco, Fitch and Schelp each say that budgets haven’t grown accordingly, and planners are being squeezed in the middle. They’re finding they have to be increasingly creative to bring their events and meetings to fruition.

Schelp perhaps has the easier time of it since his stable of speakers is large enough to allow him to book an effective speaker to suit almost any budget.

On the planner side, Fitch and Franco both have a daunting number of moving parts for every meeting which makes their jobs extremely challenging. On the flip side, all those line items provide opportunities to zig and zag, and make some adjustments — and still create a successful event.

One of the approaches Franco sometimes uses to reign in costs is shifting the time meetings are held. Instead of holding a meeting over lunch, switching it to a breakfast is a cost-saving method since breakfast fare is usually less expensive than lunch, or simply scheduling it for early afternoon where light refreshments can be provided instead of lunch, which can also lower overhead.

Another useful technique Franco takes advantage of is accepting free use of meeting spaces sometimes offered by friends of the company. For one memorable meeting, a blue-chip law firm headquartered in a Chicago skyscraper gave her a large part of a floor free of charge. Not only was her company spared the cost of renting a facility, but it was a superb venue with a breathtaking view providing an overall experience. Since Fitch’s biggest meeting has a trade show attached with more than 3,500 exhibitors, the number of plates she has to keep spinning in is staggering. Conversely, though, those thousands of components mean more opportunities to shift, counterbalance and trade. She gladly employs the use of bartering whenever she can.

Fitch also trades exhibit floor space in lieu of fees for non- celebrity speakers. Doing so can even help offset, at least to a small degree, the cost of having, say, Jennifer Garner speak. Yes, THE Jennifer Garner — who happens to be one of the owners of Once Upon a Farm, an award-winning, plant-based, infant and children’s food company. Of course, it also takes a sizable check in addition to floor space as compensation for such an A- lister, but being able to trade helps lower the price tag a little.

Because Fitch is often able to secure a favorable rate at hotels, since she’s buying in bulk, a block of hotel rooms given at no cost to a speaker and their entourage a little lower in the firmament can similarly reduce speakers’ fees.

The Future of Speakers at Events

Fitch and her staff will continue to push for more JEDI: justice, equity, diversity and inclusion for those who grace the podium; both she and Franco will keep lobbying for budget increases to meet the higher costs of staging meetings and events, and as co-owner of a speakers’ bureau, Schelp hopes they will succeed. However most of all, they agree that change will continue unabated.

As economic, cultural and technological issues continue to impact who makes it onto the podium at meeting and events, and as themes and topics expand and multiply, speakers will be asked to help with pre-event promotion and focus on impactful storytelling. And while planners will be focusing on the overall event content, they will be paying close attention to a speaker’s engagement style, as it will be playing a key factor in their selection process. C&IT