Hailed as the World’s Leading Business Strategist, award-winning professional speaker, management consultant and business strategist Scott Steinberg is the creator of “What’s the Future of…?” — a new series of board games that can teach anyone to be more creative, innovative and resilient. Among today’s best-known trends experts and futurists, he’s been a strategic adviser to over 2000 brands, and is the bestselling author of “The New Rules of Business Development,” “Think Like a Futurist” and “Make Change Work for You.” He is also the president and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships™, his website is FuturistsSpeakers.com.

It’s a good time to be a MICE industry leader, as both in-person and hybrid events continue to remain on the rise. Organizations increasingly welcome team members back to the office and work to equip them with the skills that they need to thrive in fast-changing business environments. But with attendees’ attention spans continuing to shrink in a growingly frenetic and volatile business world, event organizers must rethink event programs and formats to be more attention-grabbing and engaging to match.

As a futurist and keynote speaker who trains thousands of executives to adapt to change and emerging trends, I’ve noticed things moving in a counterintuitive direction lately. Case in point: We’re being booked to give longer and longer programs with each passing month, with most sessions averaging 90-180 minutes in length these days (vs. 30- to 60-minute programs in the pre-pandemic era).

In What’s the Future of? — a new series of board games and training activities for events — much of this disconnect seems to do with trying to balance the need for greater learning and insight with rigid content formats.

In other words: Well-meaning meeting planners typically want to provide attendees as much training and education as possible in the time alotted. However, they’re often beholden to fit educational programs into traditional content tracks, such as keynote speeches, breakouts and training workshops — and assume more time to present leads to greater knowledge transfer.

But as our teaching and training system POP FUTURE (free to download and designed to make business topics and trends easier to discuss and digest) reminds, the key to boosting learning and retention has never been to expound at greater length on topics. Rather, it’s always been to find new and novel ways to make subjects more relatable to attendees … and to boost audience interest and engagement.

Noting this, if you want to better connect with your target audience when designing event content programs, the key is to think about how you can get to the point faster — and tweak each session to be more exciting, impactful and interactive.

Following, you’ll find half a dozen inventive approaches to redesigning and crafting meeting and conference sessions that can help your programs and sessions be more interactive and hands-on, and can better stand out from the pack. Note: They’re just a few of many ways that meeting and events pros can get more creative while still coloring within the lines when it comes to reimagining common event formats.

Micro-Tracks and Mini-Conferences: Consider carving out time during a conference or event to run a concurrent track (or series of concurrent tracks) of one to three hours of time in length filled with bite-sized learning sessions (think 15- to 20-minute talks) that are hyper-focused on a trending topic, i.e. cybersecurity, blockchain or the future of finance. You can even build in badges, certificates or awards to reward audience members for attendance, and allow them to hop between these mini-conference tracks to personalize learning paths and build specialization.

Peer Review Panels: Don’t underestimate the power of gamification (game-based learning) to help boost audience participation and involvement. Case in point: One simple way to make events more engaging is to ask groups of attendees to present ideas, design new concepts, and/or solve real-world problems as part of an entrepreneurial competition that comes with small prizes and awards attached. But rather than just stop there, you’ll also want to invite either (a) colleagues from throughout the organization (b) industry thought leaders or (c) folks from other fields, such as the world of startups or academia, to critique, vote for winners and give participants feedback.

Randomized Expert Talks: Who says what you see on the meeting agenda has to be what you get — especially if you have the opportunity to add an extra surprise guest, or can play pass-the-microphone from time to time? A great way to quickly source multiple perspectives on a topic is to start a discussion or presentation on a subject hosted by one commentator then drawing names randomly (whether from pre-selected individuals or any of your audience members) every 5-10 minutes and inviting those selected to come up to pick up the conversation thread where it left off.

Variable Subjects: Another fun way to randomize discussions while maximizing impact is to structure a talk around a specific, broad topic (i.e. the future of work, diversity and inclusion, etc.). Afterwards, you’ll want to set a timer for, say, 10 or 15 minutes. Each time the buzzer goes off, the speaker must vary the subject of their presentation while still sticking to the broader theme. For example, in the case of the future of work, conversation might flow from how to adapt to variable working schedules to how to redesign your workplace to accommodate hybrid operations, to how to connect with customers when most interactions now happen virtually.

Quick-Hit Innovation Programs: Give meeting participants a problem to solve that’s grounded in real-world challenges your business faces, allotting them no more than 90 minutes to rise to the challenge. Groups of attendees should be broken into tables for the exercise and assigned a facilitator who can ask smart questions and keep conversation flowing. Facilitators can also be swapped every 20 to 30 minutes to keep things more interesting. Want to really spice things up? You can also pop in every so often and announce a new challenge (i.e. a new COVID variant has delayed your return to office, rising geopolitical volatility just put the squeeze on your supply chain, etc.) that participants have to adapt to.

Turning the Tables Challenges: Divide meeting participants into teams and ask them: If you were a competitor, what would you do to outperform, outmaneuver and outcompete our business? Then switch things back around and ask contributors: What can we do to keep rivals from applying these strategies to our detriment? Putting yourselves in a rivals’ shoes can be a hugely powerful way to see where your organization’s strengths and weaknesses currently lie.

As you can see, there are many ways to rethink traditional event formats to be more interactive. Likewise, there are just as many ways to make content more engaging to your attendees just by repackaging and representing it in new formats. Long story short: A little imagination can go a long way towards helping you craft more memorable programs, and helping get any messages or insights that you’d like to share across. C&IT

Ascend Performance Materials holds its APEX Annual Offsite event each year at Adventures on the Gorge in West Virginia. Courtesy of Linda Bennett

Grand landscapes inspire a love of nature, but they can also do much more. A meeting in a place that inspires and stirs the soul sets the stage for attendees and organizers alike to achieve even the most ambitious goals, build strong relationships and get the return on investment everyone wants. America’s soaring mountain ranges are exactly the setting to foster that kind of success.

Few resorts can match the grandeur of Colorado’s Cloud Camp, one of Broadmoor resort’s wilderness outposts. Set high above the main resort on a peak where clouds are often below instead of above, Cloud Camp definitely falls into that inspirational bucket. That’s where Innovative Business Solutions, a technology services distributor, set its executive planning summit last October.

“Our Brands were founded in and are based in Castle Rock, Colorado, so hosting team events in Colorado makes sense from a location and budgetary perspective,” says Heidi Bartsch, marketing and events manager for Bombtrack. “The scenery from Cloud Camp is breathtaking and inspiring. It’s an intimate setting in which to bring our executive team together, getting away from all distractions to focus on goalsetting to further our business and build a stronger team.”

Cloud Camp is easily reachable from Denver and Colorado Springs. Bartsch says good air transport made the meeting easily accessible even for those who had to fly in from out of state. The group chose the resort in part because a member of the team had previously been there. “Our managing partner had visited Cloud Camp and had such a great experience; it continued to stand out as a destination he wanted to share with the executive team. The full experience, from the gourmet food to the program of available activities, is topnotch.”

Although it has the word “camp” in its name and it is somewhat remote and rustic, Bartsch says Cloud Camp surpassed expectations. “The lodging felt luxurious — the beds were comfortable and the bathrooms nice — and it didn’t feel as ‘cabin-y’ as I expected.”

Bartsch says the location absolutely played a factor in the decision of where to meet. They wanted the mountain but didn’t want to have to travel to Colorado’s more distant mountain towns. Cloud Camp provided a best-of-both-worlds scenario. “The serenity of the mountains has proven to be a good atmosphere for the goal of this specific meeting,” she says, “but we wanted to be close to the city as well.”

A variety of activities are offered at Cloud Camp. While her team had different tastes in events, the most sought-after activities were yoga, hiking, the cocktails and cooking club, the bonfire, hot tub and enjoying a cocktail by the fire before dinner.

The group used the Overlook conference room. “The room was comfortable and had all the necessary amenities for our meetings; however, what stood out the most were the views. While the content of the meetings could at times lead to some stress, there was a serenity that took precedence and allowed the team to tackle the curriculum with greater ease than would be the case in a stuffy boardroom.”

As for staff, Bartsch says, “Ashleigh O’Grady was, and continues to be, an absolute asset. She’s professional and informative and worked to build a program to fit our needs and goals. Also, the manager of Cloud Camp helped the team get acclimated upon arrival.”

The one piece of advice Bartsch has for planners considering Cloud Camp is to remember that it’s a high-altitude setting. The altitude was challenging for the out-of-town attendees who were not used to it, she says.

With over a century of award-winning hospitality, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is incomparable in every way. Nestled on the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains, with 5,000 lush acres to explore and over 315,000 sf of meeting spaces of all sizes, The Broadmoor is the world’s longest-running conservative Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort. Here, attendees can meet their spirit of adventure and experience the unique beauty of the American West.

Omni Interlocken in Broomfield, Colorado, is another relaxing retreat with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains as your backdrop. Near Denver and Boulder, with proximity to Denver International Airport, the hotel offers access to a plethora of adventure — from skiing to golf to complete relaxation. Omni Interlocken Hotel also provides 15 reimagined meeting rooms, which include three ballrooms for larger or multi-day events. The outside pool decks, terraces and pavilions are designed to enhance productivity and idea sharing with stunning views. Each space is configured for a group’s requirements and equipped with state-of-the-art AV equipment.

Stowe, Vermont, lies between Mount Mansfield and other peaks of the Green Mountains to the west, and the Worcester Range to the east. That’s where Vermont-based Turtle Fur, maker of cozy hats and other outdoor accessories, set its all-staff and sales meetings with 40 to 50 in attendance. “The feel of the resort is very much the feel of our brand,” says Dan Miller, VP of sales. “We were at home.”

Miller calls Topnotch a “unique” fit for this group for several reasons, including proximity to the company’s headquarters, the amazing destination that Vermont in autumn is, and the fact that it’s a mile from Turtle Fur’s founding location. And although lack of proximity to a close airport is a factor, he says everything else supersedes the transportation challenges. “We are a brand born and thriving in the mountains. The fact that we could view Mt. Stanfield from our meeting places was incredible and inspiring.”

Miller says Topnotch delivered above and beyond in multiple ways. “Access was great for loading in business collateral. Meals were excellent as well as scenic and memorable. I would also say the staff was very generous and helpful — allowing access a full day prior was incredibly helpful.”

The group didn’t include many of the resort’s activities but did utilize the yoga studio one morning for a workout session. Miller says they hope to include some activities next year, “specifically a service project to the community.” The resort’s meeting space worked well. “It’s great space,” Miller says, “and ideal for hosting two meetings as we had our all-staff meeting first, then the sales meeting over the following two days. It was very seamless from our side and all tech worked well for our purpose.”

The food and ambience were definitely a positive. Miller says they hosted one meal and a tour of the company’s main office in Morrisville but had the remaining meals at Topnotch. “From my experience, the meals have a huge impact on the feel of the meeting. The menu satisfied several dietary needs, but the Vermont feel, and the quality were among the best I’ve experienced in a sales-meeting environment. It was memorable.”

Travel logistics proved to be the biggest challenge. “Minimal flight options made moving our team difficult.” However, Miller notes, that’s entirely separate from the resort.

Down in West Virginia, meeting-goers find two distinctly different, but equally inspiring, settings for corporate gatherings. One of the nation’s grand dames of resorts, The Greenbrier, set in West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, has been inspiring visitors for more than two centuries. In November, it was the setting for Roanoke-based Grand Home Furnishings’ sales awards and celebration with 37 attending. GiGi Hall, senior vice president and HRO, says The Greenbrier provides the perfect reward for the company’s top performers by combining relaxation, recreation and recognition all in one location. “We love to take them to America’s Resort in the mountains of West Virginia for a luxurious retreat.”

The retreat includes two nights at The Greenbrier for the company’s top sales associates and one guest of their choice. They can also participate in one activity of their choice.

“The Greenbrier has adventurous mountain activities such as off-road driving, horseback riding, fly-fishing, falconry demonstrations and shooting at the Gun Club. There’s also a legendary mineral spa, world-class golf and a Cold War-era fallout shelter hidden in the mountains, created to house Congress in the event of an enemy attack.”

Evening events are built around dinner. “On the first night, attendees get to enjoy a dinner experience of their choosing at one of the resort’s six restaurants. The second night is our proprietors’ dinner, a wonderful celebration event in the private dining room of Prime 44 West, the resort’s upscale steakhouse.”

Hall says The Greenbrier events team sets up all of the activities for participants. They also provide them with a personalized welcome letter upon arrival. “Since all of the activities and amenities are located on the resort’s 11,000 acres, the Greenbrier team makes it easy for us to plan the entire event with one person without the hassle or expense of coordinating with an offsite DMC.”

To groups thinking of meeting at The Greenbrier, Hall suggests leaving time in the schedule to experience the resort. “There are so many activities and places to eat, and so much history to explore. Make time to experience as much of it as possible.”

It’s not necessary to set your meeting at an upscale resort to benefit from the awe-inspiring beauty of America’s mountain landscapes. New River Gorge in West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains is all about nature. Adventures on the Gorge (AOTG), a cabin and camping resort perched at the edge of the gorge and just outside New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, is just the place to let nature do its inspiring thing. That’s where Ascend Performance Materials has based its APEX Annual Offsite for 35 to 40 attendees each September since 2011.

Linda Bennett, events coordinator and senior executive assistant to the president and CEO, says that while the resort is a little over an hour from West Virginia Yeager International Airport in Charleston, the distance is not a problem. “With our groups coming in from Texas, Florida and Alabama, a manageable distance and drive from Charleston’s Yeager airport is critical. We coordinate flight arrivals and departures and charter a large 55-passenger coach from Bluegrass Tours. They’re amazing.”

About AOTG, Bennet says, “Even though it’s easy to get there from the airport, the resort feels away from it all. The fresh mountain air and scenery is welcoming and simply breathtaking. It helps to refresh the mind and relax the soul. Our attendees are empowered and energized from the moment they arrive. Additionally, the lodging is perfect for our group of 40. Attendees are housed in well-appointed and beautiful cabins that allow them to have time with others within the company to network, share ideas and build camaraderie.”

The cabins are tucked into the forest around the resort yet close to everything. Giri Lakshmi, operations excellence leader with the company, says the resort fills multiple needs. “With its natural backdrop, it’s an excellent location for combining formal learning and meetings with informal get-togethers. The lodging and rustic environment facilitate cohesiveness, effective connectivity and foster relationships. The setting,” Lakshmi adds, “brings a breath of fresh air not only to the body but also to the brain.”

With teambuilding integral to the meeting, Bennett says AOTG’s activities are front and center. “Being in the mountains of West Virginia and having access to exciting white-water rafting was key for our choice since teambuilding is a big part of our program. Our group participates in white-water rafting, TreeTops Ziplining and the New River Gorge Bridge Walk, as well as newly added shooting clays arranged for an offsite.”

The group takes full advantage of the resort’s spaces and amenities. “We utilize the Lookout Post for our team meetings, which has a nice breakout space as well. We always have a seamless connection with our use of AV and WiFi, and our meeting snacks, beverages and catering are always fresh, on time and plentiful.”

The group meets at Smokey’s, the resort’s restaurant, for breakfast each morning. “That helps get everyone fueled for the day, especially with a belly full of Smokey’s bacon!” Bennett says. Smokey’s also prepares box lunches for attendees to grab-and-go prior to afternoon teambuilding activities, whether that’s ziplining, river rafting or walking over the spectacular New River Gorge Bridge nearly 900 feet above the river.

“We also utilize Smokey’s event deck with its amazing sunset views for our welcome reception and delegates’ winning project presentations. The staff provides cocktails and passed appetizers along with an incredible charcuterie board. For our team stretching and clear-the-mind group exercises, which are planned and lead by AOTG staff, we head to the poolside deck with its perfect view of the New River Gorge Bridge.”

Like at any great resort, staff makes all the difference. “From the very beginning, Jessica Campbell clearly understood the needs for our meeting and partnered with us to create the perfect agenda for the three-and-a-half-day-day program. She managed her team from start to finish to execute a truly memorable event. The chef created amazing menus, which were carefully and uniquely prepared, and the food and beverage team ensured that every meal was provided with outstanding service. All activity guides, from the ziplining team to the rafting guides, were attentive, careful and responsible, and hugely entertaining, providing experiences for our attendees that exceeded all expectations. As an added special touch to our event, Jessica introduced us to the Long Point String Band, who we now hire each year as entertainment. They bring a unique blend of authenticity of mountain old-time music with a flair of bluegrass and are always a huge hit. We consider the staff at AOTG to be family. Many have been at the property for years and they always welcome us with smiles and excitement.”

If there’s one caveat in terms of planning, Lakshmi advises starting well in advance. “There are some limitations to the number of attendees with respect to conference space and seating.”

Renewal of body and mind can help facilitate attendee connections, cohesion and productivity, and there’s no better setting for that than America’s inspiring mountains. North to south, east to west, there’s a mountain that will inspire your group, too. C&IT

Grace Hopper Celebration elevates its brand by crafting a great social media moment. Courtesy of Brent Turner

In today’s economic climate, planning and evaluating meetings and events for bottom line value is more important than ever. Given the economy, price certainly is a critical deciding factor for planners, but other meaningful outcomes include event satisfaction rates, attendance rates and metrics related to the net revenue.

In today’s corporate businesses, all capital expenditures must be connected to some kind of target ROI. Additionally, when service providers, such as meeting planners prioritize ROI, they’re able to focus on ideas that both deliver on those targets and maximize the client’s budget accordingly.

“Ultimately, our goal is to generate a positive business impact for them through our experiences, whether that translates to deal flow, talent retention, recruiting, etc.,” says PJ Loughran, CEO and founder of EMÁJYN, an executive experience agency reimagining corporate and business retreats, events and experiences. The biggest measures of ROI really depends on the event. For corporate retreats, ROI is typically talent retention and positive sentiment or experience reviews.

“For referral or client trips, deal flow multiples against the cost of the experience. For executive retreats, typically the CEO’s positive reviews and hopefully repeat business the next year,” Loughran says.

AJ Williams, founder and executive producer of AJ Events, says focusing on ROI is important because it identifies the event’s strength and weaknesses, plus the planner’s performance, as well as the performance of vendors. It determines what you can build on and modify. ROI also allows planners to communicate the impact and the event’s value. With this, planners can justify event components implemented, and the meeting and event planning budget now and in the future. One of the biggest measures of event ROI is increase in registrations, tickets sales and attendance. “This means that your marketing reach has grown and what you are promoting has value,” says Williams. “If sponsorships and partnerships have increased, that means you are not only offsetting your expenses but allowing for more activations and experiences for your attendees while increasing or showing your value.”

Another important measure of ROI is press coverage and social media impressions and engagement. If attendees are creating exposure by posting and sharing stories, this further drives exposure for the event, cause or company brand.

Williams recommends planners look for what attendees are saying on social so planners can track engagement and what works. Learn how they heard of the event, make changes if need be, and use any and all information planners can gather by listening online.

“I suggest using influencers to track engagement and reach. In regard to revenue tracking, use gross revenue versus net based on your goals,” Williams recommends planners. “Determine your objectives and align them with your event marketing and budget goals. Then use an event specific ROI formula.”

AJ Events uses eventcreate.com as a platform to determine ROI. This tool has helped Williams and his team increase ROI for registration, ticketing, donations, sponsorships, marketing and reporting. There are apps that can also help with gamification, polling, networking, surveys and more. All of these can help measure ROI.

AJ Events recently worked with WinnCompanies, which was celebrating their 50th anniversary and the primary goal was to nurture the employee relationships with leadership.

“The key indicator for ROI was a high RSVP rate, attendance and high positive responses from the employees during and after the event,” Williams says.

To measure the ROI of a corporate event, Loughran generally recommends surveys, recap meetings or in-person catch ups, depending on the company. He says utilizing surveys allows for quantitative feedback on attendee satisfaction and experience, whereas recap meetings or in-person catch-ups provide more in-depth, qualitative insights that surveys cannot capture.

EMÁJYN recently created an experience in Nashville for a client looking to share his passion for music with his most valued referral relationships. It was designed to break up the monotony of the traditional annual golf trips previously held with an experience designed to leave a truly lasting impression on attendees.

Guests had the opportunity to write and record original songs with some of the music industry’s most renowned writers and producers in arguably the best and most famous studio in the city.

“The experience included some of the best dining Nashville has to offer, a private cognac tasting with Louis VIII and some incredible samplings of local spirits. It’s worth noting that almost none of the attendees had any prior music ability or experience in a recording studio,” Loughran says.

After the event, the client closed a $2 million-plus contract with one of the attendees; exactly the result they were aiming for.

“The experience cost roughly $150,000, so we were thrilled with this kind of return for the company, who has since activated EMÁJYN for an event almost every year of the last six,” Loughran says.

It’s important to remember that when businesses invest in events, there are three primary stakeholders who are looking for return on their investment — and they are looking for different types of returns.

“Take a corporate event as an example, a business executive is looking for revenue-driving returns, like audience generation, pipeline acceleration and sales closed,” says Brent Turner, executive vice president, strategy and solutions at Opus Agency, a planner company that helps orchestrate conferences, meetings, retreats, product launches and industry events.

“While a marketing executive will look for movement on brand affinity, preference, promotion and loyalty, the event executive is looking at their objectives — like their financial model, attendee satisfaction and other event-specific goals such as certifications delivered,” Turner says.

Too often, event professionals will have a single “soup” of measurements and KPIs — and in that soup, they will lose the clarity of marked return on their investments. But Turner points out that by isolating on their business, marketing and event-specific metrics, the events gain focus on the actions required to drive success throughout.

Measurement Steps to Take

Most meeting planners see capital spent on meetings, events and experiences as any other investment a business might make – targeting a return of some kind. As Loughran explains, when planners can put themselves into the shoes of the client, it generally steers planning toward their desired outcomes versus just sending people on a great vacation with colleagues and throwing an epic party.

“Sending post-event surveys is always recommended, but following up with a cadence of meaningful communications and relationship building opportunities will always lead to a better understanding,” Loughran says. “It allows planners to learn what’s most important to a client in terms of returns.”

Williams often sees planners fail when adding an event component that does not stimulate the attendees. Perhaps it’s an experience that’s overdone or too avant-garde, or not appealing with the demographic or something that simply falls flat. “Do your research to effectively capture the value of the experience,” Williams says. The core ROI measurement tool that Opus Agency uses is their Impact Measurement Framework; it provides the structure for building actionable measurement plans, data specifications and reporting dashboards.

The framework includes the three “I’s” of measurement:

• Indicators, the core types of metrics which track progress toward goals.
• Initiators, the places where we capture data required for measurement, like the event itself, social media and other extensions.
• Inputs, the ways we generate and capture data within each initiator like sales systems, web analytics, RFID badges, social listening, or just asking attendees via surveys and focus groups.

Turner also says that too often the mistakes are connected to unclear objectives — unclear definitions of success. From there, it is about focus. If the event exists to close deals, if that is the core driver of ROI, then map the strategies, audience acquisition, experience design, sessions and more to that goal. “Setting an objective at the ‘center of the bullseye’ is hard. Events can do so much for a business, but with great focus comes greater results,” he says.

Phoenix Porcelli, CMP, head of sales at Convene, says to accurately measure event ROI, planners need to first identify clear event objectives — what is the purpose of the event and what do you want attendees to take away from the program? From there, outline the best delivery of this information and develop an agenda that helps accomplish this; ROI is then measured by how successful you were in achieving the objective, whether via a survey or other feedback mechanism.

“Having a venue that can unlock maximum potential for attendees is a key element in generating event ROI,” Porcelli says.

When measuring event ROI, the process should be seamless. It’s also important to think about capturing feedback in real-time to get the most accurate results. A good way to do this is having QR codes available to scan at the end of each session or iPads available upon exit of the event with short surveys for attendees to answer.

“Planners should be on-site to observe attendee behavior to extrapolate how elements of the event are being received. For example, instead of a survey question about the food, walk through the food service area; if a catering dish is empty, you know guests enjoyed it,” Porcelli says.

ROI is not just a return on investment, it’s a return on interaction — it’s about driving engagement.

“Try altering between sitting sessions, standing sessions, and interactive sessions to keep guests immersed in the content,” Porcelli says. “Offering ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ breakout sessions and/or sessions that cater to varying levels of expertise can also help attendees have a custom experience that generates goodwill towards the event and makes them feel special and heard.”

Post-pandemic, people value their time more than ever before. When planning an event, ruthlessly prioritize what can be virtual versus what is most impactful for in-person experiences. “It’s also important not to get distracted with filling the largest room possible. Setting clear event objectives will help you focus in on your core audience and maximize ROI,” Porcelli says. “And while programming should level up to the objectives, attendees’ motivation for participating may not be in direct alignment with those. Agendas need to be strategically structured for maximum appeal, but with the ability to accommodate different skill sets to ensure various attendees perceive value from being there.”

Continuous Momentum

As Loughran points out, we’re in the middle of a true paradigm shift in business culture at the moment, arguably the biggest change in the last century. With the post-move to largely hybrid office schedules, the in-office environment is becoming less and less of a central factor in fostering culture and positive employee sentiment. However, the importance of a great corporate culture has not changed; people still very much want to connect together in-person, particularly with the increased isolation that working from home naturally results in.

“We predict this will inevitably create a shift in spending from impressive office spaces in expensive neighborhoods to investments in corporate events and destination experiences,” Loughran says. “Similar to the importance of providing employees with a positive work environment in years past, event investments are going to become increasingly essential for businesses in the immediate future.”

And with AI-powered tools making it easier than ever to connect disparate data sources and then turn these connected corpuses of information into insights, businesses will have a greater expectation for data-based insights, intelligence and action.

“This means that the expectations for measuring events will increase, all while the technologies and methodologies will become easier, faster and more standardized,” Turner says. Porcelli also points out that in today’s hybrid-first world, measuring event ROI is an important factor in determining if and how events should happen.

“Organizations are recognizing that this is having a material impact on talent attraction and retention — and so the declining ROI in virtual onboardings and trainings is driving a shift back to in-person to maximize outcomes,” Turner concludes. “The consecutive feedback loop, however it happens, will always affect how planners think about programming.” C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

Navigating the handling of event attendee data requires the right balance between collecting valuable information and respecting privacy. But with rapid advancements in technology and laws that struggle to keep up, finding balances can be tricky, especially as tech becomes cheaper and easier to access.When it comes to ethics in meeting and event planning, meeting professionals need to be transparent about any potential conflicts of interest, ethical concerns, inaccurate claims or exaggerations, while upholding the principle of integrity throughout all aspects of the event.

A planner who fails to disclose a conflict of interest, a vendor who pays a planner a commission for selecting their services, or a client who pressures their event planning team to engage in questionable practices — these seemingly minor issues can quickly snowball into major problems that damage relationships, reputations, and ultimately, the success of the event itself.

In the fast-paced and often high-pressure world of meeting and event planning, it can be tempting to cut corners or make decisions that prioritize short-term gains over long-term integrity. But as Kimberly Gora, founder and CEO at KG Event Agency, explains, the focus of ethics within the meetings and events industry has evolved significantly over the years, driven by changing societal values, increased awareness of sustainability issues and advancements in technology.

“The focus of ethics within the industry has evolved to encompass a broader range of considerations, reflecting the changing values and expectations of attendees, companies and society as a whole,” Gora says. “By embracing principles of inclusivity, sustainability, transparency and social responsibility, meeting planners can create experiences that not only meet the needs of their participants but also contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future.”

For Gora, embracing transparency of business ethics is crucial for meeting planners when planning meetings and events for several reasons. She says it is essential for meeting planners because it builds trust, meets expectations, mitigates risks, ensures compliance, enhances brand reputation, promotes sustainability and facilitates ethical decision-making.

“By prioritizing transparency and ethical behavior, meeting planners can create events that contribute positively to society,” Gora says. “Ultimately, transparency of business ethics isn’t just a choice — it’s a fundamental necessity for planners committed to excellence, integrity and the greater good.”

According to Kris O’Brien, CMP, owner at KOB Event Solutions, ethics has become a more prominent topic in various ways within the meeting planning industry. Where ethics was most noted regarding vendor selection, it’s now seen in all facets of the event planning space, even by involving event attendees.

“A common practice I see is including a ‘code of conduct’ statement within registrations. Companies are now taking a stand and asking attendees — employees or non-employees — to acknowledge the request by their code of conduct,” O’Brien says.

And remember, transparency of ethics in event planning — whether it is with clients or attendees — creates trust. Meeting planners, suppliers and clients must work together in order to have a successful event.

“When your decision-making process includes ethical considerations, it’s helpful for your partners — clients and suppliers — to understand how you came to your solution,” O’Brien says. “They may not agree with you, but at least understands the rationale for your decision.”

Ethical Dilemmas

From vendor selection to environmental impacts to data privacy, there are a myriad of ethical dilemmas that meeting planners may encounter throughout the event planning process.

Gora points to some common types of ethical dilemmas, including conflicts of interest, budget allocation, supplier relationships, data privacy and protection, diversity, environmental impact and social responsibility.

“Navigating these ethical dilemmas requires careful consideration and a commitment to upholding ethical standards and principles throughout the event planning process,” Gora says. “Prepared meeting planners can address ethical challenges effectively and create events that align with their values and ethical obligations.”

Recently, a prominent tech corporation organized a hotel buyout for their annual conference, implementing stringent protocols mandating that participants and affiliated companies seek approval through them before hosting events elsewhere.

“Additionally, strict time constraints were enforced, aimed at ensuring attendees remained immersed in the conference atmosphere until its conclusion each day,” Gora says.

When Gora’s client tasked her with exploring alternative venues directly to negotiate better pricing and secure an event start time one hour earlier than the conference’s end, she was faced with a moral dilemma. Despite the potential benefits, she recognized that bypassing the company’s established policies would be unethical.

“Therefore, I expressed my discomfort with the request and emphasized the importance of adhering to company guidelines,” Gora says. “While I was committed to navigating within the established framework to optimize pricing, I firmly believed that integrity and compliance were paramount for our mutual long-term success, as well as future business with both companies and the hotel.”

As O’Brien points out, meeting planners are entrusted to make vendor recommendations to their clients. “If vendor selection is based on personal relationships or kickbacks versus selecting the ‘right’ vendor for the need, that can come back to haunt them,” O’Brien says.

While working with a client on an incentive trip to Mexico, O’Brien discussed having the four-hour meeting to meet the tax requirements and added it to the agenda.

“When the group was onsite at registration, it was requested that I tell the attendees they do not need to attend the meeting. The meeting was only listed on the agenda to meet the tax requirements,” O’Brien says. “I did not agree to their request and asked that if they wanted to share that information, that would need to come from someone within the company.”

Ethical Approaches

Picture this: you’re a meeting and event planner, and you’ve just landed a dream client. The budget is hefty, the vision is grand, and the possibilities are endless. But as you dive into the planning process, you realize that some ethical gray areas need to be addressed. Do you sweep them under the rug and hope for the best, or do you bring them to light and have an open and honest conversation with your client and vendors?

Daniel Meursing, CEO and founder at Premier Staff, an event staffing agency based in Los Angeles, has had the privilege of working alongside many corporate meeting planners in the trenches of event planning.

“In recent years, we have seen a significant shift in the focus on ethics within our industry. As events have become more high-profile and scrutinized, there has been a growing emphasis on transparency, accountability and social responsibility,” Meursing says. This has led to a greater awareness of the potential ethical dilemmas that can arise in the course of planning and executing events, and a more proactive approach to addressing these issues head-on.

“I think that what is important for meeting planners is for us as individuals to have a clearly defined value system for ourselves,” says Deshawn Wynn, CMP, meeting planner and owner of The Wynning Touch Event Design. “We have to know what is important to us. When our clients take a stand that we don’t agree with, we need to be willing to walk away. I was faced with just that a few years ago.  I had to walk away from a client that I truly loved and was a significant part of my income. But they were making decisions that benefited their budget, and I thought the decisions were dangerous to their attendees. My personal ethics told me that I had to sacrifice that income and business security.”

Meursing further explains that meeting planners hold a unique position of trust and influence. “Our clients, attendees and partners rely on us to make decisions that are fair, honest and in the best interests of all stakeholders,” Meursing says. “By embracing transparency in our business ethics, we can build stronger, more resilient relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.”

Transparency means being open and honest about processes, partnerships and decision-making criteria. Meursing says it also means disclosing potential conflicts of interest and working collaboratively to find solutions that benefit everyone involved.

“Most importantly, it means holding ourselves and our teams accountable to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism,” he says. “Of course, transparency isn’t just about having difficult conversations — it’s also about leading by example. As event planners, we have a responsibility to model ethical behavior in everything we do. That means being honest about our capabilities and limitations, being upfront about our fees and expenses, and being willing to walk away from projects that don’t align with our values.”

At Premier Staff, they once faced a challenging ethical dilemma when a client requested that they staff an event with a theme that we felt was insensitive and inappropriate. The theme played into harmful stereotypes and had the potential to offend and alienate attendees.

“Rather than simply refusing the business, we chose to have an open and honest conversation with the client about our concerns. We shared our perspective on the potential negative impacts of the theme and worked collaboratively to find an alternative that aligned with the client’s goals while also respecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the attendees,” Meursing says.

In the end, the client was grateful for Meursing’s candor and willingness to find a solution that worked for everyone. By handling the situation with transparency and professionalism, they were able to strengthen their relationship with the client and create a more inclusive and successful event.

When it comes to handling ethical dilemmas in event planning, Gora’s advice for planners: Stay informed, keep yourself updated with industry standards, legal regulations and relevant guidelines. Take the time to reflect on your personal and organizational values.

“Knowing what you stand for will guide your decision-making process when faced with ethical dilemmas and ensure alignment with your principles,” Gora says. “Don’t hesitate to seek advice from colleagues, mentors or industry experts.”

Indeed, consulting with others can provide valuable insights, alternative perspectives, and support in making difficult decisions. Consider the potential consequences of each decision, both short-term and long-term.

In addition, consistent, honest and clear communication about successes, challenges and mistakes is vital. Always be completely upfront regardless of the situation as well as be transparent about price, fees and commissions.

“Transparent communication builds trust, fosters accountability and encourages constructive dialogue. Reflect on past experiences with ethical dilemmas and learn from them,” Gora says.

Meursing further advises fellow planners that when faced with an ethical dilemma in event planning, always lead with your values. Take the time to reflect on what’s most important to you and your organization, and use those values as a compass to guide your decision-making.

“We make it a priority to have frank and forthright conversations with our clients and vendors from the very beginning. We ask tough questions, we challenge assumptions, and we don’t shy away from uncomfortable truths,” Meursing says. “By creating a culture of transparency from the outset, we lay the foundation for a partnership built on trust, respect and shared values.”

He suggests that planners be transparent with corporate clients, partners and team members about the issues at hand, and involve them in the problem-solving process. Consistently and thorough communicating best practices and showcasing ethical behaviors to your stakeholders will grant you significant favor with them so seek out diverse perspectives and be open to feedback and constructive criticism.

“Document your decision-making process and the rationale behind your choices, so that you can refer back to it if questions arise in the future. And most importantly, trust your instincts and your professional judgment,” Meursing says. “You have the skills and the experience to navigate these challenges with grace and integrity.”

The benefits of transparency in event planning go far beyond just avoiding ethical pitfalls. As Meursing explains, when planners build relationships based on openness and honesty, they create a ripple effect of positive outcomes.

“Clients feel more confident and empowered, knowing that they have a true partner in their corner. Vendors feel more valued and respected, knowing that their contributions are being recognized and appreciated,” Meursing says. “And event attendees feel more engaged and inspired, knowing that they are part of an experience that was created with integrity and purpose.” C&IT

At Cvent CONNECT, they customized the agenda in a way that helped millennials more easily choose events to best fit their needs, leading to increased engagement. Courtesy of Cvent

Millennials make up 35% of the U.S. labor force, with 49.5 million workers, as of September 2023. This makes them the largest working generation. By 2025, millennials will represent 75% of the global workforce.

As the millennial generation gains strength in numbers in the workforce, their needs and wants are shaping the meetings and event industry. According to a study from the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 61% of millennials ages 18-27 believe that exhibitions, conventions and annual meetings are more valuable today than they were two years ago. That’s the highest of any generation.

According to Amanda Ma, CEO of Innovate Marketing Group, an event management agency, millennials are redefining the meetings industry in various ways, including the emphasis on experiential design, sustainability, diversity and technology integration. They prioritize authentic and meaningful interactions, driving planners to create events that foster connections and personal growth.

One of the ways millennials have impacted the meetings and events industry relates to their value of experiences over material possessions, with a preference for unique, immersive and memorable experiences that go beyond traditional formats. This has led to an emphasis on experiential and interactive elements, such as hands-on workshops, networking activities and themed events.

“The demand for customization and flexibility has led to innovative approaches to content delivery and engagement,” Ma says. “Additionally, millennials’ social consciousness shapes event agendas and initiatives, reflecting a broader commitment to positive impact and social responsibility within the meetings industry.”

Immersive Engagement

Carrie Davenport, lead meeting planner for Altria and CEO of www.ceocarrie.com, says millennials value collaboration, networking and community building. They seek opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals, share ideas and build relationships. Meeting planners are incorporating more networking opportunities, collaborative activities and community-building initiatives, such as roundtable discussions, mentorship programs and social events, to facilitate meaningful interactions and connections among attendees.

Davenport, who also founded the Association for Women in Events in 2015, to help elevate women’s position and power in the meetings and events industry, is a millennial whose job is to create memorable engagement experiences between staff and top customers for her company.

“The best thing about millennial event planners is that they truly understand the holistic engagement experience and want events to be not only about compelling content, but how attendees feel walking away afterwards,” she says. “I’ve watched events evolve from ROI being the financial bottom line to ROI being more qualitative. I’ve watched meetings evolve from talking heads in a large room with florescent lighting to engaging peer to peer experiences with health and wellness components. The industry today is not the industry that I started in 20 years ago and I’m thrilled with the meaningful evolution.”

Crystal Zawilinski, sales director, meeting & incentive programs for Fox World Travel, says to satisfy millennials’ preferences, planners should deliver interactive and social experiences that encourage networking, collaboration and socialization. “This can include live music performances, DJ sets, themed parties and interactive social media activations. These activities create opportunities for millennials to connect, share experiences and create social media-worthy moments.”

Ma concurs that in recent years, meeting planners have had to incorporate various strategies to make events more engaging, interactive and fun for millennials. This includes utilizing technologies like event apps that allow attendees to participate in polls, Q&A sessions and networking opportunities. Gamification elements, such as scavenger hunts or interactive challenges during sessions, have also become popular.

“Additionally, incorporating live entertainment, like interactive performances, or incorporating unconventional venues, such as rooftop bars or trendy co-working spaces, adds an element of excitement,” Ma says. “Planners have had to adapt by focusing on experiential design, curating unique activities and fostering a sense of community within the event space, incorporating photo moments at events, QR codes and more.”

Davenport adds, “Millennials understand that in a world where information, entertainment and content is truly at our fingertips either through social media or streaming, we’ve had to learn how to engage in compelling ways. In the past several years, I’ve seen engagement going from a single source of entertainment to receptions with several styles of entertaining engagement and activations that suit several types of people.” She says the opportunities for engagement are thoughtful and can apply to everyone, from introverts to extroverts.

“It tends to be authentic and personalized,” she notes. “Millennials appreciate that not everything is a one-size-fits-all approach, and through surveys and data-driven analytics, they are adjusting to make sure they touch all their audience — not just a core demographic.”

When it comes to trade shows, Davenport also sees more thoughtful engagement opportunities today. Some changes include more interactive experiences rather than a static setup. “I’ve long said that we need to take away the traditional trade show booth, and in recent years, I’ve watched ‘booths’ evolve and make way for pure engagement experiences on the show floor. Lounges, activations, receptions and more are the ‘new’ trade show of the future, and millennials have really led the way with their desire to connect on a whole new level,” she says.

She also has watched the traditional programming of hours of back-to-back speakers morph into more networking sessions and other interactions, from escape rooms to 1:1 ‘speed dating.’ “Millennials want fast, quick content while getting the most ROI out of their spend so they are often engaging in the quickest yet most meaningful way possible,” Davenport says. “As a millennial, I’ve learned that time is precious and my attendees have a lot of choices, so my content needs to be compelling, bite-sized and valuable.”

Along with more options for engagement, younger attendees crave more personalized event experiences, according to Rachel Andrews, head of global meetings & events for Cvent. She says event professionals have met this need by finding creative ways to help attendees choose their own adventure.

“For instance, creating different event ‘tracks’ is an easy way to appeal to specific interests and specialties,” Andrews says. “At our annual Cvent CONNECT, we offer the ability to filter our agenda based on nine different roles, such as event professional, marketer, travel manager, etc. We’ve also gotten great feedback for our curated ‘attendee guides’ — like for Higher Education or Life Sciences. The reality is millennials are very strategic in how and where they spend their time and money, so we want to make it easy for these attendees to get real, tangible value out of their experience.”

Zawilinski emphasizes that meeting planners need to give millennials choices in their session offerings. She says that allowing a millennial to choose a custom agenda specific to their needs is the easiest way to increase engagement with the meeting. “In addition, the delivery of your meeting sessions must be diverse enough to appeal to all learners and personal preferences. This can include traditional presentations, panel discussions and hands-on peer-to-peer learning. All sessions should allow millennials to participate in meaningful interactions with their fellow attendees.”

Meeting planners are catering to millennials by prioritizing networking opportunities and curated experiences. Events now often feature designated networking zones, facilitated icebreaker activities, and themed meetups based on shared interests or industries, according to Ma. Planners also integrate elements like mentorship programs, volunteer activities or charitable initiatives to provide attendees with opportunities for personal growth and social impact.

Diversity and Inclusion

Millennials value diversity, inclusion and representation. They expect meetings and events to reflect these values by featuring diverse speakers, panelists and content that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. Meeting planners are striving to create more diverse and inclusive programs that celebrate and respect the diversity of their attendees.

“Diversity and inclusion initiatives are emphasized, with efforts to ensure representation among speakers, panelists and attendees,” Ma says. “Moreover, events may include sessions or workshops focused on social responsibility and activism to align with Millennials’ values and interests.” Planners also now prioritize sustainability by choosing eco-friendly venues, reducing waste through digital materials, and incorporating sustainable practices into event logistics, according to Ma.

Millennials are also more conscious of neurodiverse learning styles and making sure to provide more diverse learning experiences for all types of people, Davenport says. She notes that CSR (corporate social responsibility) is hotter than ever, but along with offering that to attendees, she has also seen many millennial planners weaving it into their RFP and contracting strategy as well.

“Gone are the days of standard contracts. Now, language where we are asking partners and venues to be socially responsible and environmentally sustainable is not the exception; it is the norm,” Davenport says. “I think what I appreciate the most is the drive millennials have to make events and engagement more inclusive. They realize the power we have to touch hearts, minds and communities and they utilize that power for the betterment of society and the world.”

Digital Natives

Millennials are also digital natives who are accustomed to using technology in their daily lives. They expect meetings to incorporate the latest tech tools and platforms, such as mobile event apps, virtual and hybrid event platforms, live polling, and interactive presentation tools, which means meeting planners are adopting more tech-driven solutions to enhance engagement.

Millennials expect events to offer options for remote attendance, allowing them to join sessions or conferences from anywhere in the world, according to Zawilinski. “This technology enables broader participation, expands the reach of events and enhances accessibility.”

She notes that mobile apps and event platforms have become a minimum requirement for most meetings. “Millennials expect event organizers to provide dedicated apps or platforms that offer personalized agendas, session information, networking features, interactive maps and real-time updates. These technologies streamline event logistics, enhance engagement and provide attendees with instant access to event-related information.”

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are transforming the event landscape by providing immersive and interactive experiences. Millennials appreciate events that incorporate VR and AR elements, such as virtual tours, interactive product demos or gamified experiences, Zawilinski says. These technologies offer a unique and engaging way to showcase products, services and event content.

Andrews adds that the wealth of tech tools not only increases event engagement but they generally make the experience more interactive and immersive. She offers tips to planners regarding integrating tech, including streamlining the event experience. “Younger attendees are used to being able to order items online with the click of a button, and that preference extends far beyond grocery shopping or ordering a cab. They also want to be able to register for an event with a few clicks, have their agenda at their fingertips and be able to customize their experience to their taste,” Andrews says. “Event planners need to build their event websites and apps with these preferences in mind.”

She also suggests planners can tap into the power of social media by giving millennials easy ways to share event highlights or curate their own unique content — for example, leveraging solutions like Snöball to amplify the event or Gather Voices to create fun, user-generated content at scale.

Andrews adds, “I think there’s a compelling opportunity in leveraging AI to enable more authentic and personalized attendee-to-attendee connections based on specific roles, interests, regions, etc., which also helps planners build more authentic networking opportunities.”

Both Ma and Davenport spotlight the emphasis on tech tools. “We love leveraging the various tech to enhance engagement with the attendees, especially when it’s virtual,” Ma says.

Davenport utilizes tech in her meetings, such as Story Craft Labs. “They’ve created personas that help attendees understand their learning styles and choose their own adventure at conferences and choose their engagement style with other attendees — a truly revolutionary approach to conference learning.”

Davenport also uses Popshap’s AI kiosks. Attendees can engage with realistic AI and get fast answers and experience wayfinding engagements and 3D walls that are more sustainable and reusable.

Wellness and Life Balance

Another aspect of the millennial attendee, according to Zawilinski, is that they appreciate meetings that provide wellness amenities and resources. This can include dedicated wellness lounges, relaxation areas, hydration stations and access to fitness facilities. Meeting organizers are partnering with wellness providers to offer services like chair massages, wellness consultations or wellness-related giveaways.

“Millennials prioritize holistic well-being, including physical, mental and emotional health,” Zawilinski, says. She adds that meeting planners can meet these needs by providing healthy food options, active breaks and movement, wellness amenities, mental well-being opportunities and work-life balance. “They appreciate breaks that incorporate physical activities, such as stretching sessions, yoga or meditation breaks, walking meetings or even fitness classes.”

Millennials value work-life balance and appreciate meetings that take this into account. They prefer meetings that respect their personal time and provide flexibility in scheduling. Meeting organizers are incorporating strategies like shorter meeting durations, flexible session formats and opportunities for remote participation to support work-life balance.

“As an elder millennial, I think I’m most proud of the shift away from 9-5, always in the office working styles,” Davenport says. “I’ve seen millennials build, cultivate and sell their companies from their traveling office while building the exact life they want to live. The notion of retiring at 65 and then allowing yourself to enjoy your life is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Millennials want to connect, engage and enjoy now — and I think that is allowing the event and human connection experience to be better than ever.” C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

Thanks in large part to the pandemic, working from home — or working remotely, as it’s often called — has become commonplace across corporate America, and the meeting industry is no exception to that trend.

Whether by choice or circumstance, many meeting planners who do their work at home find there are distinct advantages to the set-up. Flexibility is certainly one and, often, there’s even increased efficiency. In fact, remote workers are more engaged [32%] in their jobs and companies than office workers [28%], according to the Gallup State of the American Workplace report. This is important, the report notes, as “Engaged employees are often top performers who are committed to going the extra mile to achieve success.”

Companies have a strong incentive to make sure that remote workers feel included. According to Gallup, “When remote employees don’t feel engaged with their work, the entire organization is likely to suffer, and vice versa. Having engaged employees has a positive impact on retention, customer satisfaction, company reputation and even stakeholder value.”

Still, while most remote planners prefer their set-up over being in a company’s office, they see several potential pitfalls to their work arrangement, like an extra need for community and the expectation of constant visibility, literally and figuratively, that they work hard to manage.

Flexible Nature

For corporate meeting planner Kimberly Stanséll, an event management and strategy consultant, who has worked independently for 17 years, the flexibility of creating one’s own schedule is a big selling point.

“Any project or client relationship I enter into has to support my working lifestyle,” she states. A self-described morning person, Stanséll sticks to a 7:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST schedule when in the office, but leaves room for adjustments when needed.

“I’ll go to a doctor’s appointment in the middle of the day or run errands when I have to, which breaks up the day, and I don’t always stay until 3 p.m.,” she says. “The other day I logged off at noon because I had something personal to do. I also have periods where I extend myself, like right now, I have a heavy workload. But I don’t work like that all year. It’s for a few months, and then I like my summers lighter.”

The flexibility afforded even to planners with a company who work from home can be vital for juggling a job and family life, notes Kristen Hunter, VP of content & experience at Momentum Events, a fully remote firm. She worked for other planning firms in their offices for many years but a family change led her home.

“Working from home was required when my kids were younger; it gave me a lot of hands-on time with my family.” It was important enough that, she says, “the alternative was to figure out a way to stay home and not work at all.”

Even now that her children are school-aged, working from home is vital for Hunter. “I can pick my kids up from school if the nurse calls and says they’re sick, or I can take them to the dentist.”

Planners sometimes need that flexibility, and downtime, after events. In the wake of running three back-to-back international programs, Jodi Adcock, event manager, HP, was especially grateful to head home.

“It’s great to be able to come home from these long trips and not have to go back to the office,” she says. “If I don’t have meetings, why shouldn’t I be able to sleep in? You lose time flying and not sleeping because you’re running a program, so why shouldn’t you get that time back? It’s really good that [as a remote worker] you’re not expected to go back to the office the day after you get back because your body needs time to rest.”

Sometimes that flexibility means working extended hours or at undesirable times, like late evenings and early mornings, in exchange for working at preferred times another day or month. “You trade off the flexibility for the demandingness.”

Tech Support

Several technological tools are particularly important for remote planners, in terms of both project management and keeping in touch with either the office or clients.

At Momentum Events, one program does everything. “We use Salesforce and every email and call is recorded in there so, at any point in time, you can see what people have done that day. Everything is very transparent. We also use it to track speakers, attendees, sponsors, etc. for each of our events. It has extensive reporting.”

HP uses Smartsheet, a project management software that Adcock describes as ‘Excel on steroids.’ It sends reminders that other people have assigned you tasks and to check that work is done. She uses it for rooming lists that she can send to the hotels.

Tools that make sharing information with colleagues and suppliers easier for planners are vital. “When you are remote, and you need to hand something off, it’s not like you can run [to a central spot] and print it out. These file-sharing systems just make that part smooth and easy now. You have to have that to work remotely,” she says.

Adcock also is a fan of OneNote, as is planner Alex Doyle, VP, meetings & events, Century21, who has worked at home for 20 years. “I can see, in real time, what others on the team have done. If they only updated the rooming list, or all the AV specs, boom, I see that right away. It’s a good way to organize projects,” says Doyle.

He also sees potential in the next technology frontier — AI (artificial intelligence). “We took some of the proprietary forms that we use a lot and fed them into ChatGPT. It did spit out a much better version of what we had created.”

Plus, he adds, the tool is a potential time and effort saver. “We had a form where we had to manually populate all of the information. That’s time-consuming and it leaves room for error. With AI, there’s greater efficiency.”

For her part, Stanséll says, “We do screen share a lot if someone has a question or we can walk people through something. I was meeting with a client and we had a document up on the screen. I could see what she was adding and when we were finished the client said, ‘Oh I thought this was going to take forever’ but because we had the technology, it only took us 20 minutes.”

Time Management

Sometimes, the tools that remote planners use aren’t technology; they’re boundaries. That allows them to get work done.

Doyle notes, “Early on, my wife would ask, ‘Can you do the laundry today?’ So, I had to say, ‘But I’m working, even if the laundry room is just 14 feet away.’”

Like Stanséll, he too sets working hours that, while they’re specific, they enable him to work at the times that are best for him, and with less interruption than being in an office.

“Working from home, I feel that the productivity is much greater,” he contends. “For a recent incentive program in the Dominican Republic, I probably had 100 hours of prep work to do and if I were in the office, for every hour of preparation, it would take me an hour and 20 or 30 minutes, just because people come in to ask you questions or somebody wants to have a meeting.”

Doyle continues, “Working at home, people don’t just stop by my home office. I would say that I have 20% additional time savings by working remotely because there are fewer pop-in interruptions, so I get more out of my day.”

Being Seen and Heard

For meeting planners working remotely, one potential downside is isolation or feeling left out of the loop in the office.

“What you miss more than anything while working remotely is the office culture,” Doyle admits. “Everybody at the office might be talking about the latest sale at Macy’s, or there’s someone who’s a Swiftie [a fan of singer Taylor Swift], or you want to know about somebody’s weekend.”

He has found a simple solution to compensate: small talk at the start of Zoom calls. “Make the first eight to 10 minutes the watercooler. Ask how people are, what they’ve been up to and ‘how was that wedding you went to last weekend?’

For others, participating in some sort of network — whether through colleagues, industry associations or more informal groups — is vital, simply for the many benefits that come from interacting with other human beings.

Hunter and her direct reports, “communicate all day long through G-chats and meetings on camera. That helps us create as much of a culture as we can. We have a company meeting every week and we’ll have virtual happy hours and things like that but if you do that too much, it ends up feeling more like a chore, so through trial and error you figure out the right balance.”

Similarly, Adcock keeps the lines of communication open with her colleagues. “I’m really intentional about reaching out to my co-workers and saying, ‘I’m online, do you want to chat for five minutes?’ Even if we’re not working on a project together, I work to stay in touch. That social element of work relationships is really important.”

For Stanséll, getting out of the house every day, even if it just leads to a chat with neighbors, is key.

“I do get out of my home every day, not necessarily for business, sometimes it’s just to go for a walk, or to go to the market or the library, and maybe you’ll talk to someone,” she says. “You just have to get out; it’s really important and it breaks up the day.”

Ironically, not only do remote planners need more networking events than those who toil in offices, it’s often easier for them to get away from work, Stanséll notes. “I once had a client who I visited in their office twice a week and the staff planners there signed up for monthly MPI meetings all the time but they rarely would go because they couldn’t break away from their desks.”

“Maybe when you work in an office you think, ‘Oh I should stay and see what’s going on.’ Or maybe you called in sick earlier in the week so you figure now you have to stick around. There’s a self-consciousness about leaving the office, even when planners are encouraged to attend industry events,” says Stanséll.

While those who work off-site may be better able to come and go on their own schedule, that doesn’t mean they’re not working, and sometimes that has to be proven. At Momentum Events, employees are trusted to get things done when it makes sense to them, and some people have taken advantage of that system, Hunter admits.

But that doesn’t mean off-site workers, whether they’re employees or contractors, can’t be trusted. However, she says, “Working remotely, you have to be mature and manage your time.”

For the Future

Companies that embrace a remote work culture, whether for one employee, a department or the whole firm, have a leg up when it comes to hiring meeting planners, asserts Adcock. Not only are they more appealing to many job applicants who value flexibility, it’s beneficial to the company too.

“Planners don’t typically organize events in their hometowns so they can be anywhere, and most of them don’t want to have to move for a job, especially as they get further into their careers, so it’s great to have companies that will let people work from anywhere.”

Additionally, she says, “[Permitting remote work] helps recruitment because companies are not geographically limiting themselves. They can go out and find the best of the best from across the country. We have some outstanding planners on the team because of the ability to hire from anywhere. So. if companies can find quality planners where they are, and not have to pay to move them, it’s a win-win.” C&IT

Before coming to the table, planners should know what they are willing to negotiate on and what they will fight for. Courtesy of Mary Clare Darland / Maritz

Given the meeting industry’s frequently uttered mantra, “It’s a relationship business,” there needs to be trust between meeting or incentive planners and hoteliers, and vice versa. However, during the request for proposal process, the site visit and initial negotiations, a hotel might, possibly, exaggerate on what it can promise, just as a planner might do when asked what a group will deliver.

Hence the need for event contracts. Drafting one that’s fair to both sides is daunting but it’s necessary, and as several planners and an industry lawyer contend, it’s possible to draw up contracts that can fulfill a meeting or incentive group’s desires and expectations — if not exceed them.

“Come to the table with what you want to see, be wiling to give up some things and fight for the things you need,” industry attorney Barbara Dunn, partner, Barnes & Thornburg, advises planners.

Force Majeure

If nothing else, having a force majeure clause in a meeting contract is vital. Meaning “superior force,” and sometimes called “acts of God,” force majeure refers to situations that interfere with a meeting — such as extreme weather, labor disputes or war, for which neither the planner or the supplier is responsible. Technically, if a meeting was canceled and a lawsuit was filed, if the contract didn’t have such a clause, the courts would “apply the impossibility standard,” according to Dunn, setting the table for a group hampered by a hurricane to be excused from paying cancellation damages. But those cases are decided by state case law, she noted, and putting the words in writing is recommended.

“A force majeure clause should be included in every contract,” Dunn emphasizes. “There are many circumstances in which the hotel is operating but a group can’t get there. Force majeure gives both sides the opportunity to negotiate over a circumstance that would excuse performance.”

For example, during the pandemic, Dunn represented a large corporate meeting that had approximately 14 hotel contracts and one with a convention center. But the meeting venue was being used to treat COVID patients and dispense vaccines. Fortunately, although Dunn came to the group after the contracts were written, “about 12 of the hotel contracts had force majeure clauses and cross-contingency language regarding the convention center’s availability. The other two hotel contracts cost the group over $500,000.”

Those cross-contingencies are vital when a planner is working with multiple hotels or venues, adds veteran planner Joan Eisenstodt, principal, Eisenstodt Associates, LLC.

“Any contract in which multiple facilities or vendors are involved should have protections in case a supplier can’t perform,” she says. “Planners must determine the impact if one or more of those entities can’t perform their obligations, and how they want to be compensated.”

For example, groups could ask for help finding guest rooms or meeting space, and they must consider the impact on rates and accommodation types, says Eisenstodt, who often testifies in contract disputes as an expert witness, “Write what you want them to do to help you.”

Having a force majeure clause enables a group to have a conversation with its hotel when a challenge arises, says Mary Clare Darland, director, sourcing, Maritz. “If there’s a natural disaster, a war, a pandemic or a strike, and the hotel is fine but the group can’t get there, we have to think about how the group will be impacted. Force majeure creates room for those conversations.”

Cancellation and Attrition

Cancellations happen. Sometimes it is because a CEO is sick, flights are canceled, a meeting just can’t happen or it does take place but with fewer than expected attendees. And sometimes, it’s the hotel that calls the whole thing off.

But planners don’t need to have fear; they can protect themselves and their organizations in their contracts.

For starters, consider how much money is due, and when it’s owed, if a meeting needs to be canceled, Dunn advises. “Cancellation fee schedules often are on a sliding scale at, say, 12 months, six months and three months, but they don’t have to be; you can negotiate,” Dunn advises. “If you know that your development team says the meeting is ‘go/no-go’ at five months, then make five months the lower tier of a cancellation. Those are easy terms to negotiate.”

In circumstances when a meeting can’t happen, planners can structure repayment in a manner that causes minimal harm to the meeting sponsor, adds Darland.

Maritz did that during the height of the pandemic with a construction client that pushed a Europe-bound gathering back a year. “When the time came to operate the program, the number of people attending was much smaller than originally contracted and the group did not need its second hotel,” Darland explains. “That hotel’s block was cancelled and we worked with the property to have the group pay 50% of the cancellation charges and use the other 50% for a group function while in Europe. This helped everyone involved.”

It’s also worth considering how easily a hotel will be able to sell rooms, or how difficult that endeavor will be, Darland notes. Advance notice helps but properties in major downtown areas also have an easier time securing last minute guests, versus hotels that are on a secluded island, for example.

That makes a difference in terms of deciding the amount of damages that are appropriate to put in the contract.

For situations when it’s the hotel that has to cancel the group, planners need to make certain that contract terms work for them, Dunn cautions. “Sometimes, you will see language that says, ‘hotel will provide an alternate substitute’ and the group has to take it. I don’t like that, because the group knows where its meeting fits best. So, pay attention to that.” Groups do have leverage in these situations as they are a breach of contract. On attrition, which is the difference between the number of room nights a meeting planner committed to and what actually was sold, Sarah Shewey, CEO and founder at Happily, an event production firm, often finds her team renegotiating hoteliers’ proposed language.

“Some hotels are asking for 75% upfront, and then 25% later, so waterfalling that more is critical because it’s probably what affects the budget the most,” she says. “That’s especially the case for ticketed events because people always buy their tickets at the last minute.

So, we reverse the clause and we pay 25% upfront and then disburse what we owe in quarterly payments.”

Happily uses a “tiered” approach to attrition, where fewer and fewer rooms are released as the meeting date approaches. It’s a strategy that benefits all parties to the contract, Shewey asserts.

“Hotels have partnered with us on our tiered attrition model and it has led to happy conversations and outcomes for clients every single time,” she says. “Otherwise, it’s just a big point of stress because the client is worried about selling rooms throughout the planning cycle and they start making changes to the meeting and second guessing themselves,” effectively driving hoteliers crazy. “When there’s a flexible attrition model, the hotel staff winds up being friendlier and happier through the planning process.”

Meeting’s Purposes

While it would be understandable for planners to think, after speaking with hotel executives, that suppliers fully understand what their meeting is about, that’s not always the case. Eisenstodt suggests planners include every meeting’s purpose in contracts. “Each meeting has a different purpose and stating it in the contract ensures optimal conditions for various meeting elements, such as room set-up, food and beverage and guest services.”

“Planners need to specify which meeting or event space is needed and room set-up,” she notes, “because otherwise, the hotel might, at any time, move the meeting, or alter the set-up, which may compromise the event.”

Nuts and Bolts

Even for arranging the basic necessities of meetings, like food and beverage or audiovisual services, using the right contract language is critical.

“We always have to ask hotels for the total amount of money that we spend on food, including service fees, to be included as part of the minimums,” Shewey says. “Otherwise, hotels say ‘you have to hit a minimum of $50 plus, meaning service fees, taxes, gratuity, and that can raise the F&B spend by as much as 40 to 60%.”

Additionally, when agreeing on F&B terms, planners need to set realistic expectations, says Darland. “Make sure the F&B terms are in keeping with what you’re holding at the hotel versus off-site. You can say things like, ‘We’re going off property for three nights so we really aren’t going to spend that much money inside the hotel. Have those conversations before the hotel contract is signed.”

When it comes to audiovisual installation, Shewey says, “We are constantly looking for places that allow us to bring in external audiovisual equipment without charging us additional fees. For some tasks, hotels’ preferred suppliers are fine, and maybe even better because they know the properties well. But for other video or audio presentations, it’s better to work with a team who understands the group’s brand.”

As for whether hoteliers agree to these terms, Shewey admits, “It’s inconsistent results, but generally if they want the business, they’ll figure it out.”

Planners also can protect their groups by having construction clauses, says Darland. “If a hotel is redoing the spa and that’s an important aspect of a program, the meeting planner will want to address that before walking in the door.”

Since meetings are planned in advance, she notes, and hotels are renovated every few years, it’s important to ask about plans. “A hotel may look beautiful during a site inspection but maybe the program isn’t happening for another two years. Planners should make sure that conversation takes place. And we’re not saying that if there’s construction, the group won’t come, but let’s have a good discussion about it. In all aspects of a contract, the clauses need to open the door for conversation.”

Maritz put this idea into practice last year when a technology company visited a European property hosting its meeting just two months out and discovered that construction was behind schedule and wouldn’t be completed by the meeting date.

“It was too late to relocate the program,” Darland says, “so we called on our construction clause in the contract and had the hotel move the entire group to a higher room category, away from the construction. We also had them put up temporary walls to hide the construction site and had the construction completely halted during the program. This way the participants were not affected by the sights and sounds of the construction.”

Paying Up

When the meeting bill is finally issued, hoteliers may have unrealistic expectations about how quickly a company will issue a check when the expenses are sizable and need to be reviewed, says Dunn. As a result, “planners should know upfront what their payment process is going to be. Some companies might have a 60-day payment schedule so, in that case, maybe the group is willing to make a deposit? And when are they willing to pay it?”

That said, she advises planners to add terms to the meeting contract that “no charges are due until the full invoice, with all of the backup, is sent to them.”

If the hotel is getting antsy or just won’t accept a group’s terms, Dunn has a suggestion for planners to ease suppliers’ concerns. “My recommendation for the groups is to maybe see if you can pay a little bit more in a deposit. It doesn’t have to be a lot; do what makes sense for you. It shows a bit of a give and take.”

Despite all of the expert advice, and no matter how much contracting knowledge planners accumulate, the best tip is probably to work on contracts with an attorney, and ideally one who specializes in meetings, Eisenstodt says. “With terms and conditions such as dollars and dates versus percentages, or days out in cancellation clauses, our industry uses language differently.”

The cost of attorney fees may give planners hesitation, but that’s much cheaper, and less painful, than paying hotel’s damages. As with any other contract, communication is key. Planners should discuss the contract details with the venues or vendors to ensure everyone understands and agrees to all the terms before signing. And always, be prepared to review and revise as needed. A successful event is not just about the event content, the quality of F&B or where it takes place. Preparation is paramount. And the contract is a critical component of this process, ensuring everyone is on the same page. C&IT

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Navigating the handling of event attendee data requires the right balance between collecting valuable information and respecting privacy. But with rapid advancements in technology and laws that struggle to keep up, finding balances can be tricky, especially as tech becomes cheaper and easier to access.

By the numbers

In February of this year, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago was forced to take its email, phone and medical records system offline as it battled a cyberattack, while a hospital in rural Illinois announced it was permanently closing because it couldn’t recover financially from a cyberattack that kept it from filing insurance claims. And in June of 2023, HCA Healthcare was the target of a major data breach involving 11 million patients and 1,400 facilities in 20 states. As a result, America’s top health agency is developing new rules for hospitals to protect themselves from cyber threats.

According to Electric, an IT management platform, “The rate of cybersecurity breaches at large and small companies alike have reached alarming levels. With high-profile attacks targeting healthcare, finance, retail, government, manufacturing and energy, it’s clear that the threat landscape has evolved significantly in recent years.” But the “Mother of All Breaches” (MOAB) occurred earlier this year when 26 billion records were accessed via data leaks from sources like Twitter, My Space, Adobe, Canva and LinkedIn. (The responsible party remains unknown.) In fact, it’s estimated that 4,000 cyberattacks happen every day — which translates to one taking place every 14 seconds.

Another troubling fact is that most companies that have been hacked don’t even know it until days (or sometimes, weeks) after the event has occurred. In comparison, the time it takes to do the actual damage takes mere minutes: According to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigation, in 90% of the cases where data was stolen, systems were compromised in minutes.

With multi-billion-dollar companies like City National Bank, eBay, Facebook, Microsoft, Shell, T-Mobile, Verizon and Yum! Brands (which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) falling victim to ransomware and/or threat actors, what’s a planner to do in an era of electronic adversity, angst and antagonism?

An ounce of prevention

Data privacy translates to keeping personally identifiable information (PII) secure. Before your event even begins, ensure you have control over who has access to it and only grant access to those who need it.

Be transparent about the PII you’re collecting and how it’s being stored. Not only will it be reassuring to those attending, but you’ll be adhering to legal regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) which mandates clear communication about data usage.

In the case of EU citizens attending a corporate event in the U.S., planners need to be aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The toughest privacy and security law in the world, the regulation was passed by the EU and put into effect in 2018. It imposes obligations onto any organization, anywhere, if it collects data from people from the EU. According to GDPR.EU, the regulation levies “harsh fines against those who violate its privacy and security standards, with penalties reaching into the tens of millions of euros.”

One way to ensure you’ve protected yourself from possible prosecution is to clearly state on your registration form how you plan to use the data you’ve collected, how/where it’s being stored, provide an explicit opt-in checkbox, and let attendees know if any data is going to be shared with event sponsors for marketing and analytical purposes.

Although it may seem obvious, when it comes to the use of email to communicate information about the event, make sure that whatever is being shared isn’t private (such as payment information), and never share data with anyone outside the events team. And while it’s a pain, changing your event systems passwords several times a year will help ensure privacy. Using a password manager that picks random, long passwords can be synchronized across devices.

In many instances, attendee data isn’t collected by the planner; rather, the information has already been compiled and sent to the hosting company.

In the case of Carol Riddle, Seattle’s tourism ambassador and seasoned account director at SHW, a full-service event management company, corporate clients provide the attendee data.

“The company houses the information, in essence lending it to us for the event. That ‘clean’ information is then uploaded onto our registration platform so we can customize it or use it to determine dietary restrictions, obtain travel information, slot them into different tracks, etc. And we also issue everyone who’s registered a unique QR code to use at check-in, which accompanies their photographic ID.”

Another must-have is a reputable “payment gateway” to handle all those online transactions. As Riddle explains, “Let’s say we’re hosting a five-day conference and we charge money for registration, receive payments for exhibitor booths, collect sponsorship funds and make payments to vendors. Because of those types of transactions, we have multiple layers of security, including an internal ops team that makes sure information can’t get out.”

Employee training is another key factor to a cohesive network of cooperation when it comes to cybersecurity. To that end, conducting regular training sessions and making sure everyone understands the implication of being involved in a cyberattack or data leak is critical. You can also integrate your data privacy plan with “endpoint protection” which includes malware detection, network security and breach prevention. Likewise, taking out cyber-risk insurance for that just-in-case scenario is an option.

In the moment

In the post-Covid era, more professional gatherings are held virtually or they’re a hybrid of virtual and in-person. Using software such as Zoom has its obvious benefits, but there’s also a need to keep the lid on the invitee list as an uninvited “guest” could gain access to sensitive data, overhear a confidential conversation, or capture screenshots of those in attendance for possible facial-recognition use.

The solution? Don’t allow just anyone in the virtual door. Host controls can help, but you can also use one-time links, send out special codes, and create a pre-screened list of attendees within the registration process.

To add another layer of protection for in-person events, especially when you have high-profile attendees or guest speakers, you “absolutely need” to vet your attendee list leading up to the event, notes Kelly Squier, owner and principal for a company in the fintech industry.

“We had a few instances of ‘bad actors’ who continued to register for different events to gain access to our CEO. We worked with our internal trust and safety team to identify those folks, removed them from the list, politely let them know they’d been removed, and had strict guidelines in place at the door to not allow anyone in who wasn’t on the approved list.”

Squier adds that when working with public figures (such as government officials or performers), most attendee lists need to be handed over at least 72-hours in advance for vetting by their own internal teams.

Document your data privacy practices and make them available to any attendee who asks for it. Detailing your policies and protocol is important for both your employees as well as your attendees and clients as it shows you’re taking their privacy seriously. Onsite, continue to encourage the use of strong passwords and employ multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Udayan Deshpande holds a PhD in Wireless Security and is Chief Data Scientist at Threatworx, a proactive cyber security platform that helps identify systems’ vulnerabilities.

In the case of using MFA, Deshpande says, “Let’s assume someone manages to get ahold of your username and password. But then the odds of that same person getting ahold of your phone and making it past facial recognition or figuring out your password to utilize a security code, are extremely high. So just those two barriers alone provide an exponentially high layer of protection that are exceedingly difficult to penetrate.

“Facial recognition is extremely effective. I’ve never seen it not work. And there is potential for voice or thumbprint identification. The popularity of these technologies in phone (and home) security implies that consumers are comfortable with the seamless integration of biomarker-based security.”

Using a secure event management platform is likewise essential, and many planners (such as Riddle) use Cvent. But Heather Johnson Mullin, owner of California-based Adelphi Experiences, prefers Swoogo, a software system that streamlines the organizational aspects of events, from registration through post-event data reports.

“We only use software that’s already been created,” explains Mullin. “But any information we’re using has to be supplemented by multi-factor authentication. Because my clients, many of whom are large tech companies, are putting their trust in me, I am absolutely going to use a program that provides multiple layers of protection. And I always start the conversation with, ‘This is how we plan to handle your clients’ information. How else would you like us to do that?’

“And we sign NDAs that state we won’t share any information or sell it. When the event’s over, we delete it.”

By their very nature, meetings are especially vulnerable to data hacking because everyone is using a different computing device. In the case of hundreds (or thousands) of attendees, it’s simply not feasible for everyone to have the same level of data security.

If you’re planning a smaller event, such as an incentive experience, C-suite meeting or BOD conference, Deshpande suggests the use of loaner devices that have been wiped clean before the event. These devices could also be programmed so that the data only remains accessible during the event, but then (like one of those Mission Impossible tapes) “self-destructs” at its conclusion.

While at the event venue, having a Mobile Device Management (MDM) plan in place can help keep your company’s devices secure, no matter when or where they’re being used. Everyone’s computers, tablets or phones can be synched up remotely by sending out updates, and you retain the option to shut them down immediately if they’re stolen or compromised.

After the fact

If you think holding onto attendee data is a good idea, you couldn’t be further from the truth. An after-the-fact data breach is just as much of a nightmare as it is before or during. Plus, many data protection regulations block indefinite storage. Notes Riddle, “Once the event’s ended, we have 30 days to provide reports to our client and wrap up our accounting. After that, we are contractually obligated to destroy the data.”

But what if, despite your best efforts and intentions, a breach or leak occurs? If you’ve planned for “disaster recovery,” you’ll be steps ahead of the game. That could be something as simple as having your data backed up in another location, the speedy transfer of post-event analytics to a client, or an investigative team to determine who the “threat actors” were and seek compensatory damages.

Like many other event management software, Swoogo has analytics built in so planners can conduct post-event polls to see which tracks were popular, or to capture information like: “Did people stay for the entire event?” or “Were the morning meetings well attended?” or “Was the price of the conference reasonable?”

But what would really be interesting is to ask attendees, “During your event, did you feel your personal information was kept safe and secure?” C&IT

CES, the world-renowned consumer electronics and technological innovation showcase, has gained global awareness through strategic influencer marketing. Photo by Christina BeDell / Courtesy of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®

Today’s corporate and incentive meeting and event attendees are drawn to gatherings that offer compelling topics, unique locales and niche experiences. They also are impacted by influencer marketing techniques whereby meeting and event planners collaborate with influencers — celebrities or those who have established credibility and a large following — to promote events to a target event attendee demographic.

Using influencer marketing to promote events doesn’t necessarily have to involve celebrities. While it is a smart tactic, it can be out of reach for most event planners. Instead, they, along with event destinations, have found another valid approach.

Just last month, Tourism New Zealand launched a new Delegate Marketing Hub to help planners promote their events in the destination. The hub is designed to entice delegates to share their travel plans with images, videos and event technology — Gleanin, InGo and Snöball, Feathr and Hyperise, which are platforms that create customized marketing materials at scale on their social media platforms. The results can be very impressive, ensuring the success of an event.

In her 20-year career, Jennifer Dolnik, owner and president, event operations at Techne Events, has seen extensive evolution from where clients and peers are getting their information and recommendations.

“We have seen influencer marketing grow, particularly in the last five years, as a trusted way to get information and real-time reviews on hotels, venues and destinations. Many clients are now referring to things they have seen on social media that include creative, destination ideas,” Dolnik says. “These can sway a client in a positive — or negative — view by what they have seen. The social media sites that I’m seeing being referred to more and more are TikTok and Instagram. It’s surprising the demographic that are on these different platforms, too — it’s not just Boomers on Facebook.”

In positive ways, influencer marketing is getting attendees engaged much earlier than Dolnik has seen in the past. In her experience, she is seeing less budget being spent on traditional marketing campaigns and more focused online using influencer marketing approach.

“It’s become a more cost-effective marketing tool that sees immediate real-time analytics and reach,” says Dolnik, who also points to the benefits of bringing brand, sponsor and event awareness to a larger audience in a more engaging way.

“They can also bring an entirely new group of people that may have never known about an event or conference,” Dolnik says. “For many years, the standard route of marketing/promoting an event was a combination of print and word of mouth — which can only go so far. Now you have social platforms that are accessible to anyone worldwide and evoke emotion immediately.”

During a number of corporate events that Dolnik has produced in the U.S. and Canada in the past, there has been a strategic approach in inviting media, content creators and influential people to attend.

“This is a great way to further the reach before, during and after the event. Showing behind-the-scenes and the planning/set up piques interest for what’s to come, and when it’s over, helps continue the excitement,” Dolnik says. “The event itself is not the only exciting part. Leveraging it from different angles, before, during and after is what makes it feel different and more engaging. You can take an entirely new event and with the right influencer marketing strategy, put the event on the map. We have seen this happen time and time again.”

As founder and managing director of Spark Social Agency, Kait Shiels has worked with some of North America’s biggest brands and is an experienced advisor in the area of influencer marketing for events, including such high-profile events as Mobile World Congress and the Oscars.

Shiels says the first thing meeting and event planners need to understand is that influencers can range dramatically in scope and scale — from thought leaders with millions of followers on professional networks like LinkedIn, who shape industry trends and insights, to niche experts on YouTube or Twitch, providing in-depth content on everything from technology to education and beyond. “Corporations can leverage a powerful combination of talent to utilize the power of influencer marketing when it comes to supercharging events. Broadly, influencer marketing is becoming an increasingly pivotal element in the planning and execution of corporate meetings and events; its role in extending reach, building trust, engaging targeted audiences and creating compelling content is invaluable in a world that is largely driven by digital and social media,” Shiels says.

In Shiels’ opinion, there are so many benefits to utilizing influencer marketing for an event, but some of the key ways include enhanced event visibility and reach, targeted audience engagement and content creation.

As she explains, influencers can dramatically extend the reach of corporate events by promoting them to their engaged following, and these endorsements can attract a wider audience.

“Influencers often have global reach, which can really boost registrations and participation and they also allow events to target their marketing efforts more effectively,” Shiels says. “By collaborating with influencers whose follower demographics align closely with the event’s target audience, event planners can ensure their promotions reach the right people.”

Influencers also are content creation experts. Shiels points out that by involving them in corporate events, companies can benefit from another avenue of unique, high-quality content that can share key messages and discussions.

“When it is promotional materials, live coverage or post-event summaries that resonate with both the influencer’s and business’s audience, working with influencers keeps the event in the spotlight for longer and extends its lifecycle on chosen platforms,” Shiels says.

From a financial perspective, the draw of influencers can open up new sponsorship and partnership avenues for corporate events. Brands looking to capitalize on the influencer’s reach and credibility might sponsor events or segments within an event, leading to more innovative and integrated experiences that benefit attendees, sponsors and organizers alike.

So what corporate event that used influencer marketing stands out for Shiels in terms of effectiveness and success? Over the last five years, CES, the world-renowned consumer electronics and technological innovation showcase, has gained global awareness through strategic influencer marketing. “By engaging with influencers across various platforms — from tech bloggers on YouTube, to industry leaders on LinkedIn and micro-bloggers — CES has expanded its impact. Armed with highly engaged and diverse followings, these influencers provide authentic, real-time insights into the latest tech trends and product launches featured at the event,” Shiels says. “Their content amplifies the event’s visibility and enriches the audiences’ experiences, offering perspectives that bridge the gap between technology enthusiasts and the general public.”

Toni Ferrara, influencer events strategist and founder of Ferrara Media, specializes in influencer and VIP outreach for events. She says that in today’s dynamic market, influencer presence is as crucial as venue and decor.

“In today’s corporate world, influencer marketing is truly reshaping the landscape of meetings and events. It’s no longer just about traditional marketing; influencers are the secret ingredient for boosting attendance and generating excitement,” Ferrara says. “Especially when targeting Millennial, Gen Z or Gen Alpha audiences, influencers bring that essential ‘cool factor’ to any brand.” Ferrara always advises her meeting planning clients to allocate a budget for influencers and VIPs, as their impact on events is undeniable.

By partnering with influencers who authentically connect with their audience, companies can expand their reach and attract a more diverse and engaged crowd. Ferrara says these influencers leverage their social media platforms to build anticipation and excitement leading up to their events, creating a buzz that’s hard to ignore.

Influencers also have an amazing ability to shape perceptions and build brand loyalty. When a meeting planner teams up with influencers who vibe with an event’s values, Ferrara says it’s like magic — they create a buzz that attracts new attendees and keeps the existing crowd super excited for what’s new and innovative.

“By leveraging influencer marketing, you can tap into new, unique and aligned audiences. With traditional methods not hitting the mark like they used to, influencer marketing opens up doors to fresh leads and potential attendees,” Ferrara says.

Influencer Marketing Know-How

When considering an influencer marketing approach, especially for event planners looking to make the most of their resources, Shiels says there are a few key things to remember. Most importantly, define your goals clearly. Before launching an influencer marketing campaign, know what you want to achieve. Is it brand awareness, ticket sales or engaging a specific target audience?

“Having clear goals will guide your strategy and help you measure success,” Shiels says. “It is also really important to understand who you’re trying to reach with your event, as this knowledge will help you select influencers whose followers align with your target audience, ensuring that your messaging resonates and reaches the right people.”

It is also important to choose the right influencers and look beyond follower count. As Shiels explains, the most effective influencers for your event will have a genuine connection with their audience and a track record of engaging content related to the industry.

“Consider their reach, relevance and audience. Within this, event planners should leverage a mix of influencer types, rather than just focusing on mega-influencers,” Shiels says. “Combining micro, macro and nano-influencers can diversify reach and impact, tapping into various audience segments with different levels of trust and engagement.”

Dolnik adds that it’s important for meeting planners to spend time on social media platforms and find individuals that would suit the corporation’s brand, that stand for the same values. Follow a few individuals you feel would best entice and excite your audience, and reach out directly for a conversation to see how they engage.

“Recent studies show that people trust influencers more than traditional advertising. The same goes for how someone chooses to try a new product or looks for reviews on something they want to purchase,” Dolnik says. “Influencer marketing is a new way of having available the latest content, and its approach is built on relationships which feels more personalized.”

This could also relate to gifting, giveaways and incentives for attendees.

Dolnik also advises that planners do the research. Does an influencer have a strong following and engagement within their community? Do they align with the company’s message and brand? Think about the current attendee and the future attendees. You would want to make sure that you are thinking about the future; this strategic approach is important to consider.

“Don’t be afraid to spend budget on a good influencer campaign. A misconception would be that it’s too much of a financial investment,” Dolnik says. “While true in some cases, it’s good to remember that these individuals have worked hard to curate relationships and gain a trusted following. That did not go without hard work. Be clear about your goals from the beginning and invest in people’s worth. This in turn is a win-win for all parties and makes everyone feel valued.”

It’s also important to partner with the right influencer and ask questions such as where the source is coming from, their target audiences, following and impact they have. Don’t be afraid to ask for their insights and analytics, too. As Dolnik stresses, make sure you’re looking closely at their numbers.

“It’s no longer just about the number of followers, it’s about how deeply their community is engaged with their content,” she says. “You’d be better off having a niche, micro-influencer with a highly engaged community than someone with over-inflated numbers and low engagement. Plan ahead for your strategy before embarking on this influencer approach.”

Ferrara also suggests meeting planners ask, “Is there audience alignment?” Ensure that the influencers you choose align with the event’s target audience and brand values. Look for influencers whose followers match the desired demographic and whose content resonates with the event’s theme or message. For example, Mazda always hosts an event with influencers and they make sure their demographic and target audience of a mix of singles and parents are included.

“I also would suggest developing a comprehensive engagement strategy that goes beyond one-off sponsored posts. Consider collaborating with influencers on pre-event promotions, live coverage during the event, and post-event content to maximize engagement and reach,” Ferrara says. Be very clear with deliverables. Another suggestion would be to ask to own their content to be white-listed for ads or boosted content post event.

Also be sure to set clear goals for the influencer marketing campaign and establish metrics to measure success. Track key performance indicators such as reach, engagement, website traffic and conversions to evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign and make data-driven decisions for future events. “A planner should also be able to give these details in a post event wrap up,” Ferrara says.

And remember that one of the common pitfalls in influencer marketing is not allocating a sufficient budget. Influencers often anticipate a certain level of VIP treatment. That’s why Ferrara prioritizes accommodating influencers by providing Uber codes for local transportation and handling all travel arrangements, including hotel, lodging and meals, for out-of-state events.

“Another frequent oversight is the lack of clarity on deliverables outlined in a written contract. It’s crucial to clearly define expectations to streamline communication,” Ferrara says. “For instance, are we looking for one Instagram Story every week leading up to the event, followed by an Instagram reel recap, and a TikTok video afterward? Or perhaps it’s a collaborative Instagram post shared on both the corporate event and the influencer’s feed. Clarifying these details upfront ensures alignment and success for all parties involved.”

The Future Role of Influencer Marketing

Powerful influencer marketing strategy can engage audiences globally, making events more inclusive and accessible. And by using influencer marketing, corporate brands can combine in-person and digital experiences even further, creating cohesive experiences for all participants, regardless of their physical attendance.

“Influencers, at their core, are familiar with engaging audiences in diverse ways, and this could introduce new interactive elements, gamification or storytelling techniques that make corporate events more dynamic and memorable,” Shiels says.

Looking ahead, Ferrara says the future of corporate meetings and events will include expanding upon influencer marketing with artificial intelligence (AI).

“The collaboration between influencers and AI holds immense promise for the future of influencer marketing. AI-driven tools are set to revolutionize how brands and influencers connect with audiences,” she says.

“With AI’s ability to analyze vast data sets, brands can pinpoint the perfect influencers for their event campaigns with unprecedented accuracy. From predictive analytics to sentiment analysis, AI provides invaluable insights into audience preferences and behavior in real-time, enabling more targeted and personalized strategies.” C&IT

Attendees at Critical Start’s internal sales kickoff event (above) loved Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park for its meeting spaces, the boardwalk and convenient location. Photos Courtesy of Harmland Visions

Corporate and incentive planners who like to think big often are drawn to Texas, the second-largest U.S. state in both land and population. It boasts several top cities for meetings and events, including five with more than 980,000 residents, and a huge variety of meeting spaces.

From Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine and Houston, to San Antonio, Plano, Arlington and Austin, if there is something Texas has — it’s grit. Since 2020, it has been building bigger and better venues and brighter attractions, with more Texas-ness than you can imagine. Across the state, you can expect western traditions like rodeos, horseback riding, dude ranches, the finest BBQs in the Continental U.S. — and the invitation to come saddle up for a good time in the cowboy capital of the world is there for the taking.

Dallas

Many planners opt for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with its abundance of excellent meeting cities that also includes Plano, Grapevine and Arlington, among others. Tami Teaford-Williams, senior program manager, meetings and incentives for Cadence Travel in La Jolla, CA, planned a meeting for 375 attendees in Dallas in February, and says the city is “always a great choice” for the meetings she plans.

“It’s centrally located with the United States and has great flight options both in Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL),” she says. “The attendees were from across the states, so as a centralized city, it worked well.”

Southern Texas offers some attractive meeting cities as well, particularly San Antonio, Austin and Houston. “San Antonio is an attendee favorite,” says Elizabeth Mansfield, vice president of Clinical Education Concepts, who planned a meeting there this year. “We get our highest attendance and best survey results when we book there.”

Teaford-Williams’ attendees stayed and met at Hilton Anatole Dallas, which provides more than 1,600 guest rooms and more than 600,000 sf of meeting space. Set near the heart of downtown Dallas, it features two atriums, a 27-story tower and one of the largest hotel art collections in the United States, with more than 1,000 exotic pieces from throughout the world.

“The property has been used previously for this client, and fits the needs well with the space and branding opportunities,” Teaford-Williams says. “There is a uniqueness to the Hilton Anatole, with so many options to not only brand with logos, but with the lighting in the main atrium and pools, as well.”

The group stayed on property the entire time, which included a game night to welcome attendees and an awards night, both of which were held in ballrooms.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas recently completed a $22 million renovation that included all guest rooms, the spa, dining concepts, furniture and fixtures, the corridor, the lobby and the club. The 23-story JW Marriott Dallas Arts District Hotel, which opened in 2023, features 267 guest rooms, three restaurants, a sky lobby and 22,218 sf of meeting space, including two ballrooms. Hotel Swexan, offering a mixture of Texas and Swiss cultures, also opened in 2023 and has 134 guest rooms and 12,000 sf of meeting space.

Dallas offers a plethora of other meeting hotels, including, Omni Dallas Hotel, with 1,001 guest rooms and 110,000 sf of meeting space, The Adolphus (407 guest rooms and 25,000 sf) and Renaissance Dallas (514 guest rooms, 51,753 sf).

Plano

Nicole Chattin, CMP, CMM, the strategic corporate events manager for Critical Start, chose Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park (299 guest rooms, 30,000 sf of meeting space) for its internal sales kickoff, which drew 110 people.

“We selected it for our meeting this year because of the central location and its proximity to major freeways,” she says. “The hotel is located in Granite Boardwalk, so attendees loved being able to walk outside and stroll along the boardwalk. The Hilton offered a competitive rate and many concessions, and the best part was the private meeting space with meals in the foyer, overlooking the lake and boardwalk.”

Chattin raved about the meeting spaces, including the entrance/lobby/bar area, which was popular for impromptu networking. “We also chose this hotel because of its private meeting spaces, with a large ballroom and open foyer area with a nice view.”

The group had wonderful dining experiences on property and at two restaurants on the boardwalk. “We hosted our final night awards dinner at the Hilton, and it was a success,” she says. “The chef was flexible with the plated meal and even provided a branded logo piece on the dessert. Everyone was very happy with the property.”

Angie McCart, an executive assistant at WealthWave, planned an event for 650 people at Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. She was drawn to the hotel’s 13,858-sf Trinity River Ballroom, which was able to accommodate the large group. “The facility was beautiful and the staff was wonderful to work with, and the AV is exactly what we needed for our event.”

Another excellent property for corporate and incentive meetings, Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel, which features modern décor merging Asian and Texan influences, 303 guest rooms and more than 25,000 sf of meeting space. Plano Event Center, the city’s convention center, is undergoing a $3.2 million renovation to its courtyard to significantly expand spaces for outdoor events.

Love’s Travel Stops held their LEAD Conference at Gaylord Texan Resort & Conference Center in Grapevine, TX. Courtesy Photo

Grapevine

Everything in Grapevine is within a three-mile radius, making it easy for corporate and incentive planners to book at multiple properties for attendees to enjoy offsite team bonding. This is one of the qualities that attracted Linda Tillinghast, manager of corporate meetings and events at Love’s Travel Stops, to book a meeting for 2,200 of the company’s employees from across the states.

“We have a large group, so the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center was a great option with its large amount (486,000 sf) of meeting space and (1,814) hotel rooms,” she says. “There were all plenty of great hotels nearby to accommodate all of our attendees and meetings throughout the event.”

The Love’s Travel Stops attendees also stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge (605 guest rooms, 20,000 sf of meeting space) and Embassy Suites by Hilton Grapevine DFW Airport North (329 guest rooms, 30,000 sf).

On the night before the event kicked off, support teams of around 300 people each gathered at restaurants either at the Gaylord property or elsewhere in Grapevine. Once the conference started, group activities and evening events were held at the Gaylord for all attendees.

The resort’s conference center contains recently renovated expo halls, large general session rooms and breakout rooms. “It was a great fit because it provides plenty of opportunities to meet our needs,” Tillinghast says.

She was also pleased with the F&B, with attendees commenting that this year was the best for food and beverage at their annual conference yet. “That is a big win for meeting planners. The catering department at the Gaylord Texan strives to know our attendees’ likes and dislikes, and offers suggestions to help meet expectations. They partnered with us to provide ideas, solutions and help manage our special requests as some attendees have dietary restrictions.”

Tillinghast says the attendees enjoy coming to Grapevine. “The commute from the airport is close, the climate is typically very nice for our conference and the people are very warm and welcoming. The downtown area is very charming and has lots of restaurant and shopping opportunities. We are returning next year. Some of our attendees mentioned that they plan to return on their own time for future getaways in the area.”

Fort Worth

One of the city’s leading properties for corporate and incentive meetings, Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel completed a $50 million renovation last year. It includes its 403 guest rooms, a new restaurant/bar, an updated ballroom, new work space studios for small meetings and the new West + Stone restaurant.

“Situated across from the Fort Worth Water Gardens, the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel is your escape from the ordinary,” says Amy Brown, senior vice president of convention sales and services for Visit Fort Worth. “Fresh from the multimillion-dollar renovation, the guest rooms have undergone a modernization. The outstanding restaurant is a perfect complement to Fort worth’s bustling restaurant scene.”

Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection, opened last December in Fort Worth’s buzzing Cultural District. Blending the classic western personality of Texas with a modern, globally inspired sensibility, it offers regional cuisine at Bricks and Horses, a luxury spa and 10,000 sf of meeting space spread across three venues.

Arlington

Arlington is still buzzing about its recent opening of the $550 million Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. The hotel added 888 guest rooms and 266,000 sf of meeting space to the 300 guest rooms and 35,000 sf provided by Live! by Loews-Arlington, TX, at the convention center campus. Both Loews Arlington Hotel and Live by Loews, Arlington, TX, are connected to the new convention center.

San Antonio

The Texas Society of Orthotic & Prosthetic Professionals keep returning to Hilton San Antonio Hill Country to hold its annual meeting, and Mansfield provides several reasons why. “We stay and meet there and they always do a fantastic job,” she says. “It is a perfect venue for our size group, with breakout and exhibit space fitting our needs. “The food is always terrific and, at least prior to the pandemic, the staff turnover was very low, which I consider to be a good indicator of how the property is run. Parking is free, it’s easy to get to and the rooms are very nice.”

Nestled among the rolling hills of San Antonio, the property features 226 guest rooms, gourmet restaurants, three pools and 12,643 sf of meeting space, divided among 13 rooms.

The Alamo City’s newest luxury meeting property, Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection, debuted this year. It features 253 oversized guest rooms, two restaurants, 21,171 sf of meeting space and repurposed 19th-century historic buildings that house a day spa and a unique bungalow suite.

Austin

Renaissance Austin Hotel, one of Austin’s top hotels for corporate and incentive meetings, has recently become an even more attractive option for planners. “Located in the Arboretum, it has an ideal location for corporate meetings and has added several new amenities, such as a cutting-edge cycling room, a backyard lawn with an old-fashioned food truck and a lobby restaurant with swings,” says Steve Genovesi, executive vice president of Visit Austin.

Situated in the Hill Country, Renaissance Austin Hotel provides 492 guest rooms, Texas-inspired American culinary selections at Knotty Deck & Bar, Mexican fare at Choza, a state-of-the-art Peloton room and two pools. The 73,628 sf of meeting space includes a 12,000-sf grand ballroom.

Inn Cahoots, a four-story multipurpose boutique hotel and meeting space, opened last summer. It takes up nearly an entire block and includes a boutique hotel with condo-style suites, seven event spaces totaling 32,000 sf, a food truck lot and three bars. Inn Cahoots can customize its event spaces — including a rooftop deck, bars and gardens — to meet a group’s needs.

Mayfair, a Victorian-inspired downtown nightclub, is a popular spot for groups. Available for private events, it has 6,800 sf of indoor space and a 3,000-sf outdoor terrace with a bar and amazing views of downtown Austin.

Austin also provides several options for larger meetings. These include JW Marriott Austin, with 1,012 guest rooms and more than 120,000 sf of meeting space, Hilton Austin (801 guest rooms, 112,183 sf), Fairmont Austin (1,048 guest rooms, 140,000 sf), Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa Austin (502 guest rooms, 76,000+ sf) Austin Marriott Downtown (613 guest rooms, 59,735 sf) and Hilton Austin Airport (262 guest rooms, 48,000 sf).

Houston

Much-anticipated Thompson Houston, rising 36 stories about the south bank of the city’s scenic Buffalo Bayou Park, opened this year. “The hotel features 172 guest rooms, a massive 1-acre pool deck with skyline views, a full-service spa and more,” says John Solis, senior vice president of sales and client services for Visit Houston. “Thompson is recognized as one of the premier luxury brands within the Hyatt portfolio, and this iteration should be no exception.”

Thompson Houston offers 17,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space, a custom-tiled infinity pool surrounded by cabanas, a full-service spa, and a signature restaurant, Sol 7.

The hotel is planning to add two dining options in the spring: Toca Madera and Meduza Mediterrania. Chardon, a French brasserie, will open this summer, and Buck 40, an upscale supper club, is scheduled to debut in the fall.

Excellent options for large meetings in Houston include Marriott Marquis Houston, Hilton Americas-Houston, The Westin Oaks Houston and The Westin Galleria Houston.

If you are a planner who likes to think big, Texas has a lot of room for the way you work and play. C&IT