In person meetings offer the opportunity for networking and team building. Photo Courtesy of IMEX America

Engagement. In the events industry, there’s no other key buzzword that’s causing more conversations since the in-person events regained dominance after the pandemic.

In-person meetings provide a platform for leaders to engage with employees, address concerns and motivate teams, fostering a sense of commitment among employees to their company and coworkers.

Engaged employees are more likely to contribute positively to the company’s growth, according to Kimsacha Williams Clarke, director of global accounts at Global Cynergies, who also plans corporate meetings.

“Getting employees engaged means that you’re showing that you value their opinions, and as human beings we like to feel valued,” she said. “Once you get them involved, especially if you decide as an executive team to implement some of the ideas that have been brought forth as a result of the meeting, then employees will feel a lot more willing to be loyal to the company. They will say, ‘You know what, here’s a company that listens when I speak, and they have a vested interest in what I have to say.’” In-person meetings offer the ability to establish personal connections and build relationships more effectively than virtual interactions, which is vital to company culture. Physical presence can stimulate creativity and innovation and can also facilitate spontaneous discussions, as well as valuable networking opportunities with more informal conversations.

“The whole point of meetings is really to get people together in order to get ideas flowing, and also to solve problems,” Williams Clarke said. “Attendees can collaborate on information in order to strategize and grow, because the whole point of having the meetings is really to see how best you can have that growth factor for corporate companies.”

Aside from leaving the door open for brainstorming sessions, in-person meetings provide a platform for direct and clear communication. Executives and team members can express ideas, share information and discuss strategies in a more nuanced manner, fostering better understanding among participants.

“When you come together each person can bounce ideas off of each other; then you realize that it does contribute towards productivity,” Williams Clarke said. “People can also help to put strategies together that will help increase business output, especially in sales meetings. You will have people giving ideas and coming up with creative ways in which they’re able to see that increase in sales and revenue.”

Meetings can also boost efficiency in communication, and potentially speed up decision making for a company. “It’s always good to encourage people to collaborate and to make unified decisions, so that there’s no time wasted on differences. Whatever time is wasted is a retraction from having growth” Williams Clarke said.

Corporate meetings also provide an opportunity to reinforce and promote the company’s culture, including its values and goals, which can help align employees with the organization’s mission and vision.

The Benefits of Team-Building Activities

Aside from the benefits during the meeting, the corporations can build stronger internal relationships through pre- and post-meeting networking as well as during team building activities. Trust is crucial within a team. Team building activities provide opportunities for team members to build trust by working together, relying on each other, and gaining a better understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses.

Williams Clarke agrees that offsite excursions and teambuilding exercise can boost morale as well as help forge new friendships. “Having anything outside of the typical meeting, like team building exercises will definitely help people collaborate together and will help them to say, ‘You know what, I may have thought of John as this kind of person, but you know, after being out there with him, John had my back.’”

Through team building, employees can identify their own strengths and the strengths of their teammates, which allows for more effective task allocation and collaboration. Team building can also help address and prevent conflicts by promoting better understanding and communication. Teams that are equipped with effective conflict resolution skills can navigate challenges within the company more smoothly.

“Humans are social beings; we need each other,” Williams Clarke said. “It’s innate in us that we need support from each other. We need the encouragement; we need the collaboration. You can have a great idea but when you have two persons coming together and gelling and putting those ideas together and just maximizing the power of the brain, then you can definitely see better results with group efforts than you can with just one individual.”

Team building activities often require a collective effort and can help foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills within the team, and can help employees identify their own strengths and the strengths of their teammates.

LaToya Williams, CEO of LNW Enterprises, a Military Spouse Owned Enterprise that focuses on personalized event planning, is seeing a trend with her corporate clients requesting more creative opportunities for networking and bringing conference-goers together. She said that can entail making the conference longer with attendees arriving the night before or possibly staying a day later for a team building opportunity. “Team building isn’t always climbing a wall,” Williams said. “We could be building something together or having a mocktail-making class or doing a first time Pilates or yoga class — something that shows that we’re all human and we all can connect in one way or another.”

She said she often hears back from the CEOs of the companies after their meetings that the morale at their company has increased. For sales team meetings or incentives, she has heard feedback that attendees either exceeded or met their numbers sooner than expected, which is attributed to add-ons like extra time spent on a team building activity. “It may cost the owner of the company money initially, but they’re going to get that return on their investment. A lot of companies now are starting to invest in their staff, so they don’t have high turnover,” she said.

One example of a creative team building activity she helped arrange was a take on a Jenga game with the pieces lettered with words like “dedicated” or “hard working.” She said, “Now not only are you moving pieces but you’re moving the pieces that resonate with who you are.” The result was participants learning more about themselves and their coworkers.

One of Williams’ clients is a car dealership with 12 locations across the Northeast. They have organized incentive trips for the 20 highest producing salespeople. She said that they have allowed the attendees to bring their families to experience the trip at no extra cost to them. “They’re trying to be inclusive, because those that have spouses and those that have children — a lot of those people aren’t able to come. If you are a single man or woman and you have a child, you can’t unless you know you have childcare and things lined up, and then you’re worried about that. When you take that stress off, you’re going to get more from that person. And while they did increase the budget adding these people on this trip, when they returned, the owner of the dealership saw that his company was making more money.”

Williams said she asked some of the spouses how they felt joining their partners for the first time, and the feedback was all positive, saying it was a great idea. “They said, ‘I’m so glad I was able to experience this. I was so glad that my kids were able to see what their father or mother does. Or the kids say their dad is always gone the last day of the month, and then to see the smiles on the children’s faces, when their mother or father is on stage. It speaks volumes when that typically didn’t happen before. So, I think that a lot of these companies are seeing that they have to be invested in the family versus invested in just one employee.”

One of the leading team building companies for corporate groups is TeamBonding, headquartered in Boston, but with a vast network across the U.S. David Goldstein, founder of TeamBonding, said pre pandemic the company produced about 1,200 events a year, with the number this year at about 1,600 — 500 of those virtual.

“We work with Apple and Google and Microsoft, and a lot of the big companies and smaller departments within the big companies. Sometimes, in the beginning of the year, we’ll do a kickoff where they’re trying to align,” he said. “They have 10 goals and are getting really excited about what the year is going to bring.”

Team building exercises can span the range from mobile escape rooms, which require problem solving skills and collaboration, to Corporate Survivor, which entails dividing groups into smaller “tribes,” each facing a series of physical and problem-solving challenges.

“I think when you work together with someone in an office, you know a little bit about them, but you don’t really know what they can do or what their talents are and what their skills are,” Goldstein said. “Sometimes, you can see within a team building event what people are really good at, and in a safe way where you can’t really fail. You can build trust amongst team members — you understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses, perspectives. And once you’re more likely to trust and support one another, that fosters a stronger team dynamic.”

Programs with a corporate social responsibility (CSR), element are popular with corporate groups, where they can participate in an activity that gives back to the community, such as building bicycles. “You’re working together. You’re donating to your community and giving back. You’re building cancer care kits. You’re building skateboards. You’re building water filters. We have a program in California, where they are building prosthetic hands, so people who lose their hands will be able to eat and feed themselves and be a little bit more self-sustaining. That give back has been a real focus for us this past year. You’re able to do something together that feels good, and is good.”

Another example of a TeamBonding activity is traveling on the Mystery Bus, where the group will visit three or four locations selected to fit its interests, timeframe and budget. It can be arrange for an itinerary to include at least one culinary adventure, one cultural experience and one low-stress physical activity.

“Basically, it’s kind of a retreat on wheels,” Goldstein said. They’re all mystery related, so they don’t know where they’re going or what they’re doing.” One can be a charitable outing where participants will go to a food pantry or a homeless shelter, or someplace where they can help and do volunteer work. The mystery bus can also be more of a physical activity. “We do all the work. The food’s included, the transportation is included. Everything is done for them.”

By investing in team-building activities, companies can create a positive company culture that that will help with the overall growth and success of the organization.

“There is something about when human beings connect,” Williams Clarke said. “There is a different level of exchange, and communication. There’s a different level of unity and there’s a different level camaraderie. They are wanting to be together and wanting to talk to each other and wanting to exchange more, and so on. So, persons tend to look forward to those annual meetings.” C&IT

Attendees expect a balanced blend of time on their own, opportunities to interact with peers and memorable experiences. Courtesy of Tina Husemoller/ Fox World Travel

Gone are the days of static schedules, where speakers shuffle on stage delivering varied messages to stationary attendees who are essentially inundated with hours of content. Today, attendees expect meetings and events to be personalized affairs, where fluid agendas reign, appealing to a diverse audience with a variety of interests and preferences.

Etoulia Salas-Burnett is the director of the Center for Digital Business at Howard University. Her role places her at the intersection of event planning, digital innovation and experiential learning. When evaluating the evolving attendee expectations at meetings and events, Salas-Burnett focuses her approach on hosting a higher volume of smaller, niche events. This strategy has proven effective in several ways:

• Enhanced personalization/engagement – Smaller events allow planners to tailor content more closely to specific interests and needs of the audience, resulting in higher satisfaction ratings.
• Improved attendance accuracy – There is a trend towards higher fidelity to registration numbers.
• Hands-on learning in real time –  Smaller groups allow for more in-depth activities, which enhances engagement, retention and practical application of the knowledge shared.

“In addition to niche events, I also have adopted an ‘intentional networking’ practice,” Salas-Burnett said. “Many people, especially my young audiences, are still building back social skills in our post-pandemic world. We scaffold networking experiences through various formats, such as guided discussion and collaborative activities.”

Feedback-driven iteration is another critical way that events and event planning have changed. Attendees expect that their feedback will be heard, responded to and addressed in future versions of an event experience in a timely manner.

Tina Husemoller, vice president of meetings and incentives at Fox World Travel, said that attendees expect a balanced blend of time on their own, opportunities to interact with peers and memorable experiences.

“It appears today’s attendees want fluid agendas and the ability to choose their path that links them to the content at hand,” Husemoller said. “Attendees appreciate being able to tailor their schedule based on what is relevant to them regarding interests and needs, whether that be session topics, excursions/activities or free time. This creates more anticipation prior to the event and provides an overall better experience while at the event.”

In Husemoller’s experience, today’s meeting planners are generating enthusiasm by transforming the registration process into an engaging experience to build anticipation on the part of attendees.

They are accomplishing this by creating personalized agendas and customized schedules for attendees.

“This provides a more tailored experience that allows each attendee to get the most out of the event,” Husemoller said. “Pushing out real-time updates and notifications during the event to keep attendees informed and engaged.”

Kimberly Bean, event specialist at KBT Creative Support Services, said today’s events must exceed expectation, respecting attendees and their specific objectives. Not only do today’s meetings and conferences require the most precious resource: time, organizations also spend large amounts of money to host corporate events so ROI must be proven to revenue managers and boards.

“Participants are laser-focused on content as it justifies their attendance and benefits their organization,” Bean said. “The opportunity to choose unique pathways is vital in furthering an individual’s expertise (as Continuing Education Credits are valued) and quantifies expenditures required to host attendees.”

Key Attendee Expectations

Today’s event attendees are seeking experiences that go beyond the traditional, one-directional presentations of the past. As Salas-Burnett explained, in a world where data-driven personalization reigns supreme — from online interactions to entertainment and advertising — attendees now expect the same level of tailored curation in their event experiences. They want the autonomy to chart their own paths, choosing sessions that not only align with their personal and professional goals but also engage them in different ways.

“I’m seeing a shift in preference away from the standard lecture format towards more varied and interactive session styles,” Salas-Burnett said. “This evolution reflects a broader trend where individuals seek experiences that are informative, and also uniquely relevant and engaging.”

For example, when attendees have the freedom to engage with topics that genuinely interest them, there’s a distinct increase in engagement and participation. Salas-Burnett stressed that allowing them to choose content that resonates with them leads to more dynamic discussions, increased energy in sessions and networking that is both more active and meaningful.

As she explained, this level of agency enriches the event experience for attendees but also benefits facilitators. It results in a more committed and engaged audience.

“I’ve observed a higher fidelity to registration numbers, which demonstrates that attendees are more likely to attend and participate in sessions they have personally selected,” Salas-Burnett said. “This, to me, is a clear indication that personal investment in the topics is a key driver of attendee satisfaction and participation.”

At a recent networking event preceding a conference, Salas-Burnett and her team introduced breakout sessions tailored to the various reasons attendees were participating in the conference. The groups were segmented into four categories: career advancement and planning, entrepreneurship and tech ventures, tech skills and learning, and tech community and networking. This segmentation, based on their goals and intents for the conference, led to richer, more engaged and natural discussions.

To increase the element of choice, attendees also had the freedom to move between groups. As Salas-Burnett explained, this flexibility encouraged exploration and allowed participants to engage in conversations most relevant to their interests. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees particularly valued the more focused and personalized conversations.

“This experience reinforced the importance of flexibility in event planning and highlighted the value of offering experiences that resonate with individuals’ personal and professional aspirations,” Salas-Burnett said.

When being given the opportunity to choose topics that excite them, Bean added that attendees are grateful when they can drill down on specifics, advance successful outcomes, as well as gain better understanding and proficiency in various topics.

“The ‘buzz’ is palpable within the conference/meeting community, word travels quickly and it often leads to standing-room-only in certain sessions,” Bean said.

When registering for a conference, Bean has designed questions where attendees are able to choose their sessions in advance (within a capacity); pre-planning is a “must.” However, this does not guarantee that someone won’t “jump ship” and float over to the more popular speaker/subject.

Bean said it is important to understand your audience and their expectations. Attendees should not feel they are being “monitored” and not allowed in sessions that might truly be helpful or educational, so it is a tightrope of sorts.

Bean has groups that offer breakouts concurrently, which keeps the participants energized and engaged, but that takes valuable breakout space, speakers must be carefully scheduled and costs more to have additional space in a venue setting.

Going Beyond Content

While personalization in content is appealing to today’s attendees, so too are customized food, activities and breakout sessions.

According to Salas-Burnett, attendees nowadays are voicing a desire for more diverse and healthier food options that accommodate a wide range of dietary needs, including vegan, plant-based, gluten-free and keto choices. The use of food trucks at events has also gained popularity because of the variety of cuisine offerings and unique dining experience it offers.

“Regarding activities, there’s a trend towards more varied and immersive experiences,” Salas-Burnett said. “Modern attendees appreciate opportunities to be entertained and engaged in ways that align to the event’s theme or their personal interests.”

This might involve hands-on workshops with practical outcomes such as developing a social media content strategy, or wellness activities like yoga or terrarium-making workshops. Modern event activities should aim to strike a balance between entertaining, valuable and relevant.

The format of breakout sessions is evolving as well. In Salas-Burnett’s experience, there’s a noticeable shift towards more interactive and intimate settings, like smaller roundtable discussion focused on specific affinity groups, or “ask me anything” sessions with industry leaders, moving away from the traditional lecture-style format.

“These varied session formats encourage active participation and deep exploration of topics, allowing attendees to engage more meaningfully with the subject matter and with each other,” Salas-Burnett said.

In Bean’s experience, meetings and conferences are no longer cookie-cutter, one-size fits all. The audience is enlightened and expects far more than 10 years ago. That’s why careful consideration is required in the planning process, healthy F&B options are now the norm and special attention must be given to creative, attractive and delicious menus that accommodate those with various dietary restrictions.

“Activities for interests range from culinary pursuits, athletic options and historical tours. Many organizations are also choosing to ‘give back’ to the community in which they are hosting a conference/meeting,” Bean said. These “give back” opportunities range from food drives, to assembling toiletry bags for shelters, children’s hospitals and retirement homes. It is a positive and beneficial experience for everyone involved.

Bean has had groups that immediately notify caterers that all leftover food will be immediately taken to the local shelter. Also, when planning celebratory events, Bean encourages clients to allow delivery of floral centerpieces and swag to the local Ronald McDonald House and assisted living facilities.

“Breakout sessions must provide content that is genuinely useful and worth the time required. Attendees are well-versed in their fields, therefore breakouts should be informative, reliable, accurate, feature interesting presenters and experts in the fields that engage and educate.”

Challenges of Choice

Delivering a well-established, non-flexible itinerary is simpler and more efficient than offering attendees a variety of choices. Incorporating choice into event planning, while immensely valuable, can be a complex undertaking, particularly in terms of logistics and resource management said Salas-Burnett. “This complexity is often magnified by the event’s size and the support team’s capacity.”

One of the primary challenges is ensuring that the quality of the event remains high across all offered options. “With diverse topics, multiple tracks and varied session types, it’s easy to overextend resources and dilute the overall event quality,” Salas-Burnett said. “It’s also crucial to maintain the event’s central narrative amidst a broad array of choices, balancing the need for variety with coherence.” Remember, options should be distinct enough to cater to different audience segments, but also harmonized enough to fit seamlessly within the event’s overall theme.

Budget constraints present another significant challenge. More options typically mean increased costs, not just in terms of content but also in logistics, staffing and technology. As Salas-Burnett said, this necessitates careful budget-planning and often creative problem solving to strike a balance between offering variety and maintaining cost-effectiveness.

“Additionally, managing attendee flow and space allocation becomes more intricate with multiple concurrent sessions,” Salas-Burnett added. Efficient utilization of spaces and smooth navigation for attendees are essential to prevent overcrowding or confusion.

Bean agrees that the square footage for breakouts can suddenly become an issue, as either the room is too small or very few attendees show up for a specific speaker/session and the speaker feels second rate.

“Standing-room only does not always convey success when reflecting on a conference,” Bean said. “Participants expect comfortable seating and temperature; good sound, top audiovisuals and attractive aesthetics of the space, such as natural light, are often a fundamental expectation in today’s meetings and events.” Every venue, be it hotel, resort or convention center does not have natural light from the outdoors, so breaks and meals should be planned accordingly in light, bright and separate pre-function spaces.

For planners exploring the idea of allowing attendees to customize their experience, Salas-Burnett advises planners to start small and gather as much feedback as possible. Understanding your audience is key; the more insights you have into their preferences and needs, the better equipped you are to offer choices that are both attractive and of high value.

“Start small by introducing a few elements of choice, such as varied session formats or parallel tracks, and use attendee feedback to refine and expand the options,” Salas-Burnett said. “In addition to post event surveys, consider live polling during the event and informal conversations to get the most genuine and specific feedback.”

She would also remind planners to keep the primary goal in mind: enhancing attendee experience without compromising the event quality or coherence. Though it is tempting to jump right into diversifying an event’s offerings, take your time and let your attendees’ feedback guide you. This measured and controlled approach will allow you to seamlessly transform your event experiences.

Customization is vitally important in today’s planning and attendees want to ‘own’ their experience; and they expect planners to understand their time is honored and not to be wasted. “If an attendee or client feels valued, it is appreciated and that, to me, is the definition of a successful conference or meeting,” concluded Salas-Burnett. C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

Why should meeting and event planners bother with social media? No need to Google this. Last year, an event planner’s post on social media revealed the perfect answer. “Social media is of high importance to meeting and event professionals, and particularly with event planning.” It stated that “more than 85% of event planners are using social media for promoting their event.”

If you’re a meeting and event planner and you’re part of the remaining 15%, one of the New Year’s resolutions you should keep is this: how to build a strong planner’s social media presence in today’s tech-driven, tele-everything world, where most of us have come to rely heavily on digital connections for work and networking.

Social media is vital to most companies and individuals looking to market themselves, and it’s no different for the meeting industry. The stats don’t lie. According to Our World in Data, a non-profit research firm with thousands of experts around the world, by the end of 2019, Facebook had over 2.4 billion active users. Instagram also crossed the 1 billion user mark, while Twitter (X) had around 350 million people on the platform.

The growth of social media networks over the last few years has seen a swift up-climb — and the ‘hashtag revolution’ has considerably impacted those brands and businesses that took to channels like FB, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube and even TikTok to reach and engage with a global audience.

The events industry has also made use of social media to increase the buzz about their events and conferences. Duane Gibson is a small business social media advisor and owner of Spelled With U, a social media management company in Alexandria, VA. He works with several meetings-related groups. In one of his recent blog posts, Gibson stated that “the evolution of social media’s role in marketing meetings and events encompasses more than just storytelling. It has enabled meeting planning professionals to create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) for their events.”

Like many in the industry, Gibson understands that social media can be instrumental in boosting many of the aspects of event planning digitally, from event marketing to the attendees to venue marketing, and even to real-time, two-way communications.

With effective posts, event planners are sharing high-quality content on social media channels to engage the billions of active social media users, including event attendees.

Social Media Networks

At its core, social media is a platform based on all aspects of networking. Event planners know this, so they’re finding that business connections are made easily through social media. And LinkedIn isn’t the only great social channel to forge new business relations. This story was made possible by connecting with meeting and event planners through Facebook, LinkedIn and even Instagram.

For independent meeting and event planner Sandra Tutkute, owner of Bloomssandmacarons, an event company in Chicago, IL, that provides her services for both corporate and other events, social media doesn’t just help drive business. It ultimately drives revenue for herself and her company, as well as inspires her work. “I’ve been following social media trends since it all began,” said Tutkute. “I like to see what other people do on social media, how they promote and advertise their events. I believe more in showcasing your work rather than just creating an image on social media.”

Like most planners, Tutkute believes in connecting with peers and industry leaders at meetings and events often leading to smooth networking opportunities on social media networks such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. But, unlike some planners, she doesn’t rely on social media too heavily to find new business or build her network.

“The most important thing is to do your job. Do it at your best and the rest will come along,” she said. “Having a planner’s authentic personality and solid leadership skills enable me to adapt and engage to achieve high-level results quickly. My multi-faceted approach, for instance, gained by being a lifelong learner, has ensured productive conversations and the evolution of ideas and processes.”

While Tutkute is proficient in using social media to communicate with and grow her network, what drives her is to get the job done well. “I enjoy the social nature and strong relationships that drive the success of the hospitality industry. My relationships are warm, personal and lasting,” she added.

But of course, not everyone uses every social media platform. In fact, one could argue that you don’t need to post on every app to be successful.

Like Tutkute, Lori Dolan, an event planner and owner of Events from Lori in Wellington, FL, uses Facebook and Instagram to network and create connections with others in the industry. She said, however, “I’m on the fence about TikTok and probably need to research some best practices.”

“I need to bone up more on LinkedIn because that is where more corporate leads and clients are. It is much more than just promotional postings; LinkedIn is a more professional resource to search for leads and the right contacts. Most of my postings have been colorful yet polished teaser videos for my events. Lately, I have been incorporating survey results from around the event industry to bolster my offerings,” said Dolan.

Event Digital Marketing  

Before social media became a thing, event planners used “industry publications, mailers, email blasts and good old-fashioned email to showcase events,” said Christy Lamagna, master event strategist, at Strategic Meetings & Events, in Bernardsville, NJ. Like other event planners, she saw the evolution of social media turn into a new digital marketing resource.

The first recognizable social media site, as we know it today, was Six Degrees. This platform was created in 1998 and was based on the “web of contacts” model of social networking. It enabled users to upload a profile and make friends with other users. Since then, a lot of things have changed for social media networks and how professional corporate event planners use these platforms, but a lot more has remained the same.

For planners, no amount of post impressions and reaches can replace the “in-person networking and industry mixers, including local event organization chapters, chambers of commerce, etc.” Dolan continued, “For a while, I was also doing EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail), but it didn’t have the reach I was looking for. Plus, it could become quite costly, and the response rates did not justify the spending.”

It used to be that social media was an intern’s responsibility. But corporate event planners have seen how that has also changed. Social media now requires dedicated individuals who prioritize it every day to maximize its impact.

“Analytics and the aforementioned spending dollars were the main reason social media exploded,” explained Dolan. “Where once people looked at social media posts like data entry, now they are the lifeblood (for better or worse) of a business. And since the dreaded cancel culture can negatively impact a reputation with just one post, you need someone at the social media helm who can address a possible crisis swiftly and professionally.”

Social media is where attendees are gathered, so while “handling social media directly is a wonderful turn of events, it is a full-time job,” said Lamagna. “People need to be engaged constantly. The demands of managing multiple social media platforms, creating content, analyzing data and engaging with your audience are more than an intern’s or part-time commitment. If you can influence behavior, you have achieved success. Event strategists know that.”

Building a Planner’s Image

As for how planners are using social media to build their image, propel their careers and increase their brand, Dolan likes to trek carefully depending on her audience.

“In my opinion, for corporate meetings and events, LinkedIn is my first choice, followed by Facebook and Instagram. I am also on the fence right now about Twitter/X, as I do not see it as an effective promotional tool. It’s mostly been a place to share thoughts and opinions.”

For inspiration for her event concepts, Dolan likes to follow vendors she works with or those she hopes to partner with for future collaborations, and even to take a peek at the competition. This may come as no surprise, but most planners see themselves as competitors when in reality they are essentially in competition with their clients. This calls for planners to market or brand themselves differently, and social media is the perfect tool for that.

“Quality over quantity,” Lamagna said. “Be authentic and relatable. Make sure your content is useful and original. Don’t post for the sake of posting. It’s important to value your audience’s time, not inundate them with messages. It’s also important to remember that perfection is the enemy of progress; you’re not on a movie set. Allow your social media to capture you as your authentic self, not a perfectly lit, coiffed mannequin.”

Because of social media’s visibility, planners can embrace a clear digital marketing strategy that focuses on the desirability and accessibility of their destinations. They should use all the tools available to promote their brand, showcase their work and reach attendees. The final polished content benefits everyone who’s viewing and taking notes.

“Certain small elements should never be overlooked,” said Dolan, who thinks carefully about how to leverage social media effectively so she can increase awareness, generate excitement and drive growth for her company. When she’s looking at her competitors, bland content does not excite her. “Sometimes, the concentration is so intent on being witty or eye-catching, details are lost. Recently, a chapter of a major event organization had a holiday event, and the title of the event was hidden in this Roman numeral combination, so you had to concentrate and pay attention to see the words. It engaged you, it was cool, frankly, and it 100% worked. The event was sold out within a brief time.”

She recalled another post where the event planner mentioned the fine speaker lineup and scheduling, but that was all lost as the planner also posted about the venue’s lackluster food choices and related expenses that added up. That negative feedback did not excite Dolan.

“When I first started on social media, Facebook was just a way to find old friends, and your status updates were limited to a few pre-programmed choices. And then it became like that old shampoo commercial from the 80s… ‘and they told two friends, and so on…’ Friends begat other friends, and then everything expanded to business and business pages, etc. The best part of any social media for me is coming across someone else’s posting or tag and discovering a new idea, contact, venue or organization I need to book or be a part of.”

Lamagna not only looks at her peers’ social media platforms but at other people’s social media from all walks of life and uses them for inspiration. “It goes back to being your authentic self so drawing inspiration can’t be confused with emulating someone else’s style. It’s about your message and your brand,” she said.

From meeting planners who post on social media after attending conferences or events, Lamagna has observed that brief posts are usually better for engagement. “People who have successfully shared key insights are posting valuable content, not posting for the sake of posting. Remembering that everything about your audience is key. It may be your post but you need to answer the question, ‘What’s in it for me?’ to get eyeballs.”

While Facebook and LinkedIn are effective platforms where planners like to gather, Instagram and TikTok are perfect for them to provide glimpses into the daily life of a meeting planner, or document the entire conference journey, from traveling to the destination to the culmination of the event.

“People have limited time. If you are using your video instructively then a beginning-to-end documentation of an entire conference may be useful on these platforms,” said Lamagna, who finds that short clips of things that happen onsite get more traction. “For instance, a shot of a gorgeous general session set. I hesitate to put too much emphasis on the food and the décor as most events are about the content being shared, not the accessories. Planners get frustrated that they are not taken seriously and then post photos of parties and floral arrangements on Instagram; we are what we post.”

Industry News Source

Planners often get their latest industry news, job opportunities and trend updates from social media. Whether from an individual planner, event company, vendor firm or a group post, which is typically emailed to registered attendees, many of these conversations lead to enduring relationships.

Some of the most popular groups are those created for an event, where people connect and network with other planners and attendees. There you can find people such as Ed Graziano, founder and managing director of Corporate Event Interactive, an events company in Chicago, IL.

To rejuvenate attendees, Graziano and his team create activities to kick-off a meeting or provide that much-needed burst of energy at the halfway point of an event.

Now more than ever, event planners are using social media platforms as a tool to reach industry insiders, as well as those looking to get inside the industry. Graziano posted recently: “Looking for a part-time or full-time bookkeeper to add to our Corporate Event Enterprises, Inc.’s Finance Team.”

For event planners looking to connect, all the social channels provide plenty of open and closed groups in which to network. Corporate Event Planners is a “closed group designed to bring together top professionals eager to absorb, advance and advise” and their posts are as diversified as the members themselves.

“I am pursuing a career in corporate event planning. #eventprofs,” posted an anonymous member in the group thread.

Creating Identifiable, Branded Hashtags

With a new year comes new growth, and new optimism to work as a collective to connect and plan creative designs for events. To that end, corporate planners create, share, and maintain a unique personal and company brand identity online. This is most important for making connections, sharing industry news, promoting events, developing relationships and ensuring maximum exposure for an upcoming event.

For that reason, planners use event planner hashtags such as #eventprofs, #eventplanner, #meetingprofs, #corporateevents and #eventpros. As a standard, four to five hashtags should be used in all event posts on their social media channels.

“I build an online invitation with plenty of hashtags. Especially if it is a public show or event, I like to tag as many business and community organizations as possible,” said Dolan. “And not only hashtags but mentions (@) can spread your brand like wildfire. Sometimes I ask attendees to hashtag murdermysteries or impersonators and @eventsfromlori or the venue or organization. Together, these have amplified my bookings.”

After the meetings and events have been planned and delivered, most event planners know that planning extends well beyond the event day. The same hashtags used before and during an event should be used in posts after the event is over, most especially those containing attendee feedback or reviews.

Social Listening

While connecting, sharing and engaging are part of social media, so is social listening. Social listening is useful for understanding what attendees are saying about an event. And this practice provides valuable insights for future improvements.

“Planners should refrain from responding to every single review or response defensively,” said Dolan. “Now, that may come off as counterproductive, but I have seen places where their social media representative is like a rabid dog — knee-jerk responding to every poor review or a review that something could use improvement. Sometimes, you need to take a look at the big picture, recognize the keyboard jockeys for what they are and focus on the ones who are truly giving you good information.”

Planners know social media is a digital marketing and networking tool. It helps generate leads, connect and meet attendees, as well as build relationships. They also know that the #hashtag revolution is evolving. So, what works today may not work tomorrow. And it is not a one-size-fits-all digital marketing tool. While creating engaging content with different media is good, figuring out what platform and what hashtags are best for a post is key. After all, not all platforms were created equal.

“I love LinkedIn, but I would not use that to create buzz,” concluded Dolan. “TikTok and Facebook Reels, yes. This harkens back to having the right person in charge of your social media because the content and the amount of effective postings are daunting. Years ago, I used a social media scheduling tool, and it was great. Now I use Canva Pro, so I am going to start leveraging its media posting platform this year.” C&IT

5 Social Media Tips

• Know your audience: generate content depending on whether they’re Boomers, Gen X, Millennials or Gen Z.
• When posting about your events, read your attendees’ comments and opinions being expressed. Reply promptly to any complaints.
• Share media content: photos, videos and trailers about your upcoming event on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
• Share Surveys and polls on Instagram and Facebook.
• For attendees who couldn’t attend your event, share full event recordings on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Event designers are using bold colors, as well as complex and layered designs to entice and motivate attendees. Caryn Mambro / Opus Agency

Gone are the days of “cookie cutter” corporate events, where typical event design included structured agendas, standard food and drinks, and meeting spaces that left attendees unimpressed and uninspired. Today’s corporate event design is teeming with creative ideas that “wow” attendees, giving them what they want: immersion and interaction.

Taylor Bradford, event designer and owner of Sugar Creek Rentals, a specialty event company in Dallas, TX, has recently designed events for Ed Sheeran and Willie Nelson, as well as many corporate gatherings. In her experience, Bradford said there’s been a focus shift for corporate events to include custom experiences for attendees. For example, custom hat bars, unique food experiences, curated beverages, attendee concierge, and beverage napkins with unique information/entertainment, to name a few.

Personalization is definitely top of mind for corporate events. “We’re seeing a push toward how each event can be more unique and experiential versus another event an attendee has to attend,” Bradford said. “We’ve seen an increase in lounge furniture groupings that foster attendee relationships and networking.”

In her event designs, Bradford focuses on “wow” moments — whether it’s custom backdrops, custom installations, custom scents or custom decor — moments that prompt attendees to pause and experience the event as a whole.

Cameron Forbes, event planner and founder of Forbes Functions in New York City, leverages her extensive network of vendors to curate bespoke experiences for her clients. From her experience, Forbes notes that the pandemic has accelerated certain trends in event design — from sustainable design to hybrid events, the industry has undergone a transformation.

Forbes noted that eco-friendly and sustainable event design has come to the forefront, with hosts and attendees alike pushing back against wasteful single-use products and other event purchases that can harm the environment.

“Hybrid events have also started to become the norm, providing a chance for international and local guests alike to engage in a meaningful event experience,” Forbes said. “Inclusivity and accessibility are vital considerations, whether event designers offer flexibility in attendance, diverse speaker series or use data to personalize events to attendees.”

Indeed, today’s event planners continue to innovate to have event design stand out to attendees. Forbes Functions has wowed them at corporate events with better-for-you food and beverage, engaging activations and impactful gifts. Providing health and wellness options for attendees, as well as accessibility and inclusivity, is always a priority for the Forbes’ team.

“In the past, we have offered corporate attendees a juice bar upon entry, healthy light bites and other modern fare. To engage attendees, Forbes Functions likes to bring in alluring activations: illusionists, mixologists and comics are all pros at interacting with an audience,” Forbes said. “Finally, we prioritize the event takeaways and ensure every attendee leaves the event with a sense of impact. Providing follow-up communication to attendees, especially personalized, is vital to continue to stand out. Additionally, unique gifts or party favors for attendees, such as a DIY cold brew or juicing kit, allow them to continue engaging with the brand long after the event.”

Caryn Mambro, executive creative director at Opus Agency, a B2B experience agency, said that culturally, beyond events and marketing, the zeitgeist has moved into an era of maximalism. Bold colors. Complex, layered designs.

“Grids are being broken, and Helvetica is getting some much-needed rest,” Mambro said. “We are bringing this trending aesthetic into the expo floors of our events.”

For example, at one recent flagship technology conference, the colors, curves and curious all came together for an experience that was more of a festival than any corporate event the attendees had ever experienced. The expo was a bold and vibrant extravaganza with an eight-piece Mardi Gras-style band leading attendees from the keynote to the expo space. Stilt walkers greeted attendees, strolling performers kept them entertained, and attendees entered through a massive 3D sculpture that they could sign to leave their imprint. From there, attendees participated in a fully gamified experience, with more than a dozen touchpoints for them to engage and collect pins. All elements within the expo, including theaters, broadcast studio, gear store and activations, were visually threaded from the front to the back with a highway of colorful ribbons.

“This dramatic, festival-inspired design approach kept the energy and engagement at an ultimate high,” Mambro said.

Health & Wellness Focus

Health and wellness experiences also are proving to be an exciting and impactful way to make corporate events stand out, and event designers are taking advantage of this trend by incorporating better-for-you activities, meals and more for attendees.

“Movement and outdoor activities are incredibly popular, whether a morning workout to start the day or destination-specific wellness experiences like hiking or biking,” Forbes said.

Forbes pointed out that engagement in the local community is becoming a critical part of corporate event design, where attendees can enjoy learning about their surroundings from guides at outdoor activities and chefs at cooking classes. Mindful and phone-free spaces are also encouraged.

In the realm of catering, accessibility is essential — event hosts are providing vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and other alternative meal options for attendees. From on-site juice bars and produce to dinners cooked with ancient grains and fresh seafood, culinary wellness sets a corporate event apart.

“Unique wellness treatments, like infrared saunas, cryotherapy and sound healing, can further give your event an exceptional edge,” Forbes said.

Overall, the investment of money, time and attention into the health and wellness experiences is on par with what Mambro delivered in 2019. She continues to see trends like group yoga or running, early morning meditation and content focused on wellness.

“In the broader ‘agenda design’ trends, our events are reducing content-centric time to prioritize more connection time for attendees. During these blocks of connection time, we are laying networking-centric activities, health and wellness experiences, moments for play, spaces for taking a break, zones for work and more,” Mambro said. They are also designing spaces for attendees to escape from the crowds and noise, with quiet rooms, meditation rooms and ASMR booths growing in popularity.

Caryn Mambro / Opus Agency

Entertainment Trends 

Post-pandemic, live music and other forms of in-person entertainment have been on a massive rise. As Forbes explained, with event technology improving at a rapid rate, new forms of entertainment have taken the place of more traditional ones. Projection mapping onto the floor or ceiling of an event can provide engaging audiovisual entertainment for attendees.

“Traditional industries like catering and bartending are becoming infused with entertainment. From creative and interactive food service, like fresh oysters and pasta bars, to talented mixologists, food and beverage is one new way to entertain attendees,” Forbes said. “Unique performers, such as electric violinists and saxophonists, have also become popular. Performers that engage attendees, such as psychics, illusionists and comics provide an impactful experience as they interact with their audience.”

Today’s trending event entertainment is based on the overall theme of the event itself, whether it’s a country/western band with line dance instructors or a silent disco curated by a DJ and complete with headphones for each attendee.

In Mambro’s event planning experience, live artists, light and laser shows and DJs (like Steve Aoki, a DJ and music producer famous for throwing cakes at attendees) are trending. Bands and comedians continue to reign. Group activities and gamification remain popular.

“The key to entertainment is understanding what your audience wants so you can engage and entertain them in a way that really resonates,” Mambro said. “Validate your entertainment selection with pre-event surveys. The entertainment needs to tie back to your brand as well as the event theme and goals.” In Mambro’s event design, she is harnessing the power of “glimmers” to make the event memorable and bring the “wow” factor.

As she explained, glimmers are those micro-moments that spark awe, joy, happiness, peace, gratitude, safety, calm and connection. Last year was tough financially for many B2B businesses.

“Experts say embracing glimmers positively impacts our mental health, so we aim to spark glimmers for attendees throughout the event. The intent is for attendees to feel motivated to engage, and leave with positive memories of the experience and the brand,” Mambro said. “This includes experiences like light shows, aromatherapy stations, culinary delights or animal therapy. For me, hearing laughter is a glimmer, and in turn, my sense of connection is sparked.”

Team-Building

As with any facet of the meeting and events industry, the popularity of certain types of team building activities ebbs and flows from year to year. Team building experiences are certainly being impacted by today’s event design trends. More and more companies are recognizing that team building experiences should not be limited to a conference room; instead, corporate event designers should think outside the box to engage attendees.

“Hobby-based experiences, like cooking classes or crafts, allow teams to interact in a new environment,” Forbes said. Outdoor activities, like group kayaking or biking, also enable attendees to explore their surroundings while bonding with teams.

In team-building spaces, Mambro said the big trends fall at the intersection of pre-assigned cohorts, prioritization of play and active emphasis on belonging. The emerging tactics are yet to be new or innovative, but they remain meaningful. Things as simple as Lego tables with team-based builds still unite attendees in simple yet profound ways.

“In the spirit of ESG (Environmental, social and corporate governance), community give-back activities are popular with attendees and create excellent team-building opportunities as attendees rally behind a shared cause,” Mambro said.

Seasonal programs like scavenger hunts continue to have a place in many meeting planners’ repertoires. Another favorite new team building event is referred to as the “Do Good Bus.” This team-building program delivers the team to a local charity to really give back, while conducting team building to and from the charitable organization.

When considering these types of activities, meeting planners should take the time to talk to the team building company about the group and what they hope to achieve with the event. The more information shared with the team-building planner or facilitator, the better job they can do at customizing a program to make sure it is a really great fit.

Personalization Is the Future

Personalization of event experiences for corporate events is critical. Forbes pointed out that event planners can use data captured by event technology to understand their attendees’ needs, interests and concerns, tailoring the experience to fit their audience.

“Involving attendees in the pre-event and registration process can engage them and allow them to define their agendas, further customizing the event to their needs,” Forbes said. “As AI and machine learning continue to develop, I foresee further integrating these technologies with event data to optimize attendee experience through personalization.”

Suzanne Pruitt, event director for Indoor Ag-Con held in Las Vegas, is a seasoned event and marketing professional with 30+ years of experience. Pruitt said personalization is a key focus in today’s event design.

“We provide attendees with the flexibility to customize their schedules, allowing them to choose from a wide range of educational sessions  or tracks that align with their specific interests and expertise,” Pruitt said. “This tailored approach ensures that each attendee feels the event caters to their individual needs and professional goals.”

One standout example of ways that Pruitt and her team have “wowed” recent attendees was at the Topgolf VIP party in Las Vegas. By co-hosting this exclusive event with the sponsor, Philips Horticultural LED Solutions, in a unique venue, Pruitt creates a great experience for VIPs, sponsors and speakers.

“The combination of a lively atmosphere, casual networking and golf-themed entertainment adds a layer of fun to the overall event, making it memorable for attendees,” Pruitt said. “Additionally, the co-location with another trade show — the National Grocers Association Show — in a complementary industry sector, has proven to be a strategic move, providing attendees with expanded networking opportunities and a more comprehensive industry experience.”

The biggest movement for personalization is happening with agenda builders, noted Mambro. Platforms and brands are quickly layering AI to make highly personalized and predictive session recommendations.

“For one flagship technology conference we lead, the registration system connects to their overall brand user account,” Mambro said. “AI then learns the details of each attendee and makes highly personalized session recommendations, from the products and services they use and what they have shown interest in, to the sessions they attended at past events and more. We expect this to become a baseline for flagship conferences in 2024 and beyond.” C&IT

By using technology to make their lives simpler, planners can focus instead on networking with others and attending events. Photo by Jacob Slaton / Whatever Media Group

The world of meeting technology has evolved in dramatic ways in recent years. Just ask any corporate event planner who has been in their role for even more than a decade. Technology has truly changed how meeting planners do business and orchestrate meetings and events. Recently, one type of technology — artificial intelligence (AI) — has begun to make a name for itself through a newly developed AI platform, Spark. The brainchild of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), Spark was introduced in a beta version in spring 2023 and has already become well known within corporate planning circles.

At its core, Spark is an AI platform filled with copious amounts of data related to event planning, as well as tools to help users in their meeting-related tasks.

“A year ago, no one had heard of ChatGPT. Today, it has over 180 million users. At the same time, event organizers all over the world told us that they were living a workplace productivity crisis,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and CEO, PCMA and CEMA. “Events rebounded faster than anyone could have imagined … but the workforce bandwidth could not keep up with the sudden business spike.” As Karamat further explained, in May of last year Project Spark was launched as an AI learning and productivity start-up for event organizers.

“In September, 64% of business event professionals were currently using Generative AI to manage their events. Spark is now the go-to AI productivity tool for almost 5,000 event organizers in 40+ countries,” Karamat said. “Corporations and organizations are now exploring with us how Spark can be integrated into their entire enterprise event operations.”

Prior to Spark launching, Beth Surmont, vice president of event strategy and design at Live360 Media, was playing around with ChatGPT, using it to help her with session descriptions and some research.

AI can help planners do everything from brainstorming to content creation, and more. Screenshot via Spark

“What I liked about Spark, and why it became my primary AI tool, is that PCMA overlaid a framework around it. I actually learned how to use AI faster because of Spark. It offers prompts, it tells you what you should ask next, it has specific categories of requests that are relevant to the events industry,” Surmont said. “What I really like about Spark is that whether you consider yourself a superuser of AI, or if you’ve never touched AI before, you will learn something about how to use AI better just by using the tool.”

Prior to Spark and AI, in general, the typical method of meeting planning involved a lot of manual work — writing of descriptions, developing formats, planning agendas and running of shows, creating invitation emails.

“A lot of the manual work that used to take hours can now be done in seconds by using Spark, Surmont said.

What further intrigued Surmont was that it was developed for the meetings and events industry. While she was already aware of AI and trying to work that into her process more, just the idea that it was engineered for event planners was really interesting to her.

Surmont’s colleague, Carol McGury, is a longtime PCMA volunteer leader. She had asked for some people at the organization, Smithbucklin, to test out the tool and provide feedback on what they thought.

“I still have my notes from that, and one thing that really impressed me was the ability to provide a video link and Spark would not only create a transcript, but it could provide a blog post, a social post, an article, etc. from the link — all generated within minutes,” Surmont said. “Repurposing content from an event is a huge missed opportunity for planners because it is such a manual process. But the idea that I could feed in some of the videos and get highlight articles that I can push back out to the community to keep them engaged and connected beyond the event is very compelling.”

Surmont also just completed a content development project for a client event. They wanted to have a session that focused on making strategic choices. She used Spark to create fictional business case studies where there were three possible choices to make about investing money and resources.

Project Spark is the go-to AI productivity tool for almost 5,000 event organizers in over 40 countries. Courtesy Photo

“I also used Spark to create a first draft of the questions for the discussion guide. I ended up with a very robust session that generated a lot of strategic conversation and led to the exact outcome the client was seeking,” Surmont said. “Creating this manually would have taken several days of research and writing. But I was able to complete the draft for their approval in about two hours.”

Kristi Casale, CMP, DMCP, is vice president for meetings and continuing education at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. In the era preceding Casale’s introduction to Spark, her planning tools primarily consisted of recycled templates or hastily crafted documents on the fly. When confronted with unique challenges sans existing solutions, Casale’s go-to involved extensive searches for templates or contract language online.

“The pursuit of speaker bios, in the absence of readily available information, meant repeated requests for details. Enter Spark — a game-changer that has allowed us to effortlessly extract bios by simply inputting the speaker’s LinkedIn profile,” Casale said.

Gone are the days of laboriously sifting through an overwhelming volume of survey comments, striving to distill valuable insights into a cohesive summary that accurately captures attendee sentiments. Casale said thanks to Spark, this once time-consuming task has been streamlined to the click of a button. What’s more, Spark goes above and beyond by generating actionable recommendations derived from discerned trends in attendee feedback.

“Upon hearing my colleague rave about attending Spark’s introductory webinar, my curiosity got the better of me, prompting an immediate dive into the platform. From the moment I created my profile, I found myself immersed in its seamless functionality and user-friendly interface,” Casale said. “The craftsmanship behind Spark is truly commendable, and it’s high time we spread the word about this transformative solution to any business event professional willing to lend an ear.”

Casale had been a heavy ChatGPT user so when she caught wind of PCMA’s latest project, she eagerly hopped onto the platform for a firsthand experience. The Spark sessions at Educon in Montreal proved to be an absolute highlight for her.

“Positioned in the front row, I voraciously absorbed every nugget of information and valuable tip and could not wait to implement the strategies immediately,” Casale said.

Following EduCon, Casale began playing in the Spark sandbox and she delved deeper into its capabilities and discovered myriad use-case scenarios available for immediate implementation. Initially, she found herself casually exploring the platform, testing its responses to imaginary scenarios. Once satisfied with the results, she began commanding Spark to generate real responses to the tangible problems requiring her immediate attention.

“The evolution from experimentation to practical application marked a significant turning point in my engagement with this powerful tool,” Casale added.

Michele Byers, founder and CEO of Catalyst Management Solutions, had used the typical Microsoft and Google suite of tools for her event planning as they are familiar and after many years, she is quite adept with those.

“But it’s a lot of manual data entry, especially if there isn’t any historical data, for instance with a new meeting or event,” Byers said.

Byers first heard about Spark from PCMA several months ago, when it was first released. Quite randomly, she was seated next to the president of the firm that created Spark during a leadership luncheon and they had a good conversation about the product.

“Our PCMA Gulf States chapter hosted a virtual demo and workshop for our local members, which was really well attended and got the wheels turning for me on the many ways it can be used for event planning,” Byers said.

For Byers, who had been using ChatGPT on a regular basis to help with writing prompts and Excel formulas, having a product that was developed specifically for planners was intriguing.

“I had seen some talk of how others were using it on some online and social media threads and thought I would dig in a little deeper,” Byers said.

During the Gulf States chapter demo, Byers opened the application during the session and started working through the prompts to build a marketing plan for an event she is planning in San Diego for a niche group of military and federal service physicians. It took about five minutes to enter all the relevant data and Spark provided her with an in-depth marketing plan to promote registration for the show, including strategy, messaging, cross channel integrations, target marketing, public relations, audience engagement tactics and a dynamic marketing schedule.

“I then went back and updated the prompts to focus on exhibitor and sponsor outreach, and it provided sample email messages for communicating with prospects,” Byers said. “Was it perfect? No. Was it faster than if I had to write a marketing plan by scratch? Yes, by an order of magnitude.”

Embracing Challenges

As with any new technology, challenges emerge. That’s why Surmont recommends meeting planners treat AI, including Spark, like an intern.

“It’s something that is learning, and you do need to check its work,” Surmont said. Also be sure to not put any private or personal information into the tool, that includes about you or your attendees. Similar to how you think about social media, don’t put anything in that you don’t want to appear on the front page of the news: personal information, business strategies and survey results.

“You do need to inform people if you are using AI in a way that affects them. For example, I use an AI transcriber (not Spark) on the focus group calls I run, and I am required to inform everyone I am using AI,” Surmont said.

For Casale, navigating the realm of AI often calls for a direct approach to yield optimal results and requires a number of revisions. She strongly recommends framing queries in a commanding tone rather than as mere requests to extract the most useful answers.

“I also find the login process with the one time password to be tedious, mostly annoying,” Casale said. “There’s room for improvement in streamlining this aspect for a smoother user experience.”

Future of AI

Surmont is trying to train herself to use Spark first when she approaches a task. Experts say that AI is going to be very interwoven into our work and lives in just three to five years and Surmont wants to be prepared for it.

“The other day, I had to create a job description and interview questions, and Spark created a great first draft for me. When I don’t know what to do with it, I’ll ask it — ‘I have to do this task, what do you recommend I ask you for?’ and it will give me some prompts to get started.”

Overall, Surmont believes Spark will give meeting planners back time. As she explains, event planning is consistently named as one of the top five most stressful jobs. There are long hours, tons of manual processes, and AI is like having your own set of personal assistants.

“As it becomes more sophisticated, I look forward to it being able to create menus and check BEOs [Banquet Event Orders]; laying out space in a daybook; and proofing my program against my signs and against my mobile app,” said Surmont, who also believes the program will help planners create better audience experiences.

Specifically, she loves the idea that it could analyze a schedule with 150 sessions and create individual audience journeys based on persona types. She also loves that it could make recommendations for products to see on a show floor based on the challenges an attendee is trying to solve. And she is excited that it could help with travel booking around the event schedule with the ideal arrival/departure times to not miss anything. “I also think that AI presents a huge opportunity for what events could be. Right now, we go to an event and consume a ton of knowledge, which we now synthesize into our own learnings and insights,” Surmont said. “AI does create a world where theoretically a bot could ‘attend’ an event and give you that same analysis. With this, events have to lean into the human side — the connection, the conversations, the listening and learning from peers. I think AI is a threat to events where the primary value proposition is a ton of content. So planners must focus on designing for the intentional connections that we, as humans, crave.”

Casale pointed out that the spotlight at PCMA Convening Leaders event was predominantly on AI, recognizing its disruptive force across industries globally.

“What may have escaped the audience’s notice is our industry-specific curated tool that holds the potential to save time, resources and significantly impact budgets (not to mention sanity!),” Casale said. “Whether it’s a fear of AI or a comfort zone with ChatGPT, PCMA has unveiled something remarkable that I believe more industry peers should be aware of. To my fellow business event professionals, my advice is simple: log into Spark, take it for a spin, explore its features. You might be pleasantly surprised to discover how beneficial this tool can be for you and your teams.” C&IT

Wendi Freeman. Photo by Robert Keith

Think about the people in your professional life who truly stand out in the crowd. They may have inspired you to take your career more seriously, to follow your professional dreams more closely, or perhaps they’ve mentored you along the way, helping you become the corporate meeting and event planner you are today.

Of course, building a solid independent event planning company is no small feat. Just ask Wendi Freeman, whose passion is to create unique, life-changing experiences through live and virtual events that spark engagement, inspire change, and enrich lives, communities and organizations.

For over 15 years, Freeman has been planning events, conferences, workshops, retreats and masterminds for corporate groups ranging from 12 to over 850+ people, and budgets ranging from $1,000 to over a million.

“In the fall of 2019, I founded my company, Be Bright Events, driven by a desire to create events that could truly impact people’s lives. I was motivated by the idea of focusing on transformational events,” Freeman said. At that time, she had spent 12 years with a company where she was the fourth employee and had worked her way up the corporate ladder. Over the years, the company had grown to over 700 employees, and while Freeman enjoyed her work and the role she played in the company’s growth, she realized that there was limited room for career growth within the organization.

“The company had lost its family feel, and although the events were becoming larger with increased budgets, they began to feel repetitive,” Freeman said. She craved the opportunity to create unique and transformative experiences that would leave a lasting impact on the attendees, and leave her with a feeling of purpose.

Additionally, Freeman yearned for the freedom and flexibility that comes with owning your own business. Working over 60 hours a week in her previous corporate role, she recognized that if she was going to put in that level of effort, it should be on something she was passionate about and something that allowed her to chart her own course.

“Starting my own business was the natural step to align my passion with my work while enjoying the independence and flexibility that entrepreneurship offers,” Freeman said.

Today, Freeman’s focus primarily centers around in-person events and retreats, which include a diverse range of gatherings such as events, conferences, workshops, retreats, and masterminds. One of her specialties lies in orchestrating three-day enrollment events for transformational coaches, as well as curating smaller immersive, experiential destination retreats designed to enrich the experiences, connection and transformation of their clients.

“What I enjoy most about being an independent planner is the privilege of working with clients who are making a profound impact on their own clients and communities,” Freeman said. “The variety of clients I get to collaborate with and the diversity of events I plan keeps every day exciting and dynamic. Each event presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, allowing me to think creatively and craft truly exceptional experiences.”

Cassie LaMere

A Lifelong Journey

When Cassie LaMere, founder and creative director at Cassie LaMere Events, looks back through childhood photos and videos, she realizes that she was born ready to entertain. Her mom tells her stories about how she was insistent on making holidays and special occasions a big event; she created menus, suggested attire, baked cakes for celebrations and designed her own table décor.

“Growing up in a small town with limited access to arts and culture, I was drawn to anything that allowed me to be creative,” LaMere said. “I found myself seeking out environments where I could study artists, entertainers and destinations around the world, which furthered my enthusiasm for many of the sources of inspiration that still influence me to this day. Even at a young age, I pursued opportunities to plan and design experiences for others.”

After over a decade of overseeing experiential events in-house for various corporate brands, LaMere decided to take the leap to start her own boutique event design and planning agency in 2018.

“I consider bootstrapping my company from the ground up and solely funding my own business my greatest achievement to date,” LaMere said. “I’ve drawn on my experience working in the industry for over 15 years to build a company on the foundational pillars that are important to me and the values that I believe are the keys to a successful, meaningful event experience.”

Today, Cassie LaMere Events specializes in designing and producing corporate lifestyle luxury event experiences for Fortune 500 companies and elite brands. The creative briefs LaMere supports range from executive hospitality events connected to a conference, to offsites, pop-up shops, brand activations, influencer trips, VIP client experiences and employee engagement events.

“I enjoy being the agency of record for a select number of clients who entrust us to support all of their events. I can’t imagine a greater compliment than being told that we’re the first phone call they make when they decide to host an event,” LaMere said. “To hold such a close relationship with our clients is a privilege that we do not take lightly. Our hosts value that we prioritize discretion and uphold a discerning level of standards that aligns with their worldly lifestyle. To know that we are successfully delivering an experience that exceeds our clients’ and guests’ expectations motivates us to continue to raise the bar.”

Venturing Along a New Path

For independent corporate meeting planner Kimberly Stanséll, her corporate background in human resources and project management afforded her the opportunity to be involved in planning employee functions and c-suite meetings.

“A mentor encouraged me to become a CMP. His wife was the head of physician education and a CMP at a Los Angeles hospital, so he was familiar with the process. His encouragement planted a seed in my thinking that becoming a corporate planner might be a career for me, though I did not heed his word immediately,” Stanséll admitted.

Several months later, a colleague recommended Stanséll for an opportunity to partner on a conference with a nonprofit organization.

“It was such a great experience and I loved the work — I knew that being an independent planner was for me,” Stanséll said. So she began researching the profession and the industry — attending local MPI meetings; joining on-demand planner networks and cold-calling companies to pitch her services.

“My first big opportunity came through a MPI listing for an independent planner to work on a project for a healthcare company. From there, my incredible journey began in the meetings and events industry,” Stanséll said. Currently, she provides event strategy consultations and produces meetings, events, trade shows and conferences in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical device sectors.

“I love being able to partner with clients on projects that align with my values — joyful and meaningful work that supports my flexible working lifestyle,” Stanséll said.

When she meets with potential client-teams, she scrutinizes them to assess whether or not she can see herself partnering with them for the long-term, e.g., two to five years. Throughout the years, Stanséll has become comfortable and skilled at passing on opportunities that are not a fit.

“I encourage my mentee-students to be mindful of this strategy as they venture out — the sooner you pass on ‘unfit’ opportunities, the sooner you’ll get connected to the project portfolio you desire.”

Recently, Stanséll was a co-producer of a healthcare conference for 12,000 attendees. She was contracted 90 days before the conference date to manage the exhibit trade show and sponsorship relationships. It was an arduous yet exhilarating process. The project pulled on every skill, talent, knowledge nugget and resourcefulness Stanséll possessed.

“We had an incredibly talented and dedicated group of professionals who developed a deep bond. When we arrived onsite for the load-in, it was hard to see the vision,” Stanséll said. “However, by the end of day one, it was coming into fruition. It was an impactful conference for its attendees and for us as a planning team, an incredibly meaningful experience.”

Embracing Challenges

One of the biggest challenges Freeman faces as an event planner is the coordination and timely communication with various stakeholders involved in the event. This includes speakers, sponsors, vendors and venues, among others. Obtaining the required information from these stakeholders within the necessary timeframe can be challenging.

As Freeman explained, effective event planning demands meticulous organization and persistent follow-up to ensure that all essential details are secured in a timely manner. While it’s crucial for all parties involved to adhere to their respective deadlines, if any of them miss their commitments, it often results in a compressed timeline for her.

“In addition to the coordination challenges, another significant aspect I face in event planning is working with visionary clients who often have grand and ambitious visions for their events,” Freeman said. These visionary aspirations sometimes come with a substantial price tag. While it is Freeman’s responsibility to ensure that she and her team work within a budget, bridging the gap between their ambitious visions and budgetary constraints can be a daunting challenge.

“To meet this challenge, I strive to find creative solutions and innovative approaches to bring their visions to life without compromising the quality and impact of the event,” Freeman said. “Flexibility, resourcefulness and effective communication are key in addressing this challenge and ensuring that my clients’ visions are realized to the fullest extent possible.”

Currently, one of the biggest challenges LaMere faces is helping to educate the client on the role of a planner and when to engage her services. As she explained, clients frequently have the mindset that they need to have the entire vision for their event mapped out before they bring LaMere into the conversation.

“What I like to remind our clients is that you don’t have to have it all ‘figured out.’ Our job is to take any inspiration or vision that you have and ideating to build upon that direction, creating concepts, sourcing vendors and developing a plan to reach a client’s goals,” LaMere said. “The sooner we are looped in, the better to allow our clients to receive the full benefit of our services. This enables us to draw upon our experience to influence and guide the decision making process, solidify project timelines and set everyone involved in the event up for success.”

Teamwork In Various Forms

Currently, Freeman does not have any full-time staff members on her team. Instead, she has established a network of individuals who are fellow entrepreneurs and share the same commitment to excellence in their respective businesses. This network includes Freeman’s core team of event support staff, videographers, photographers and audiovisual providers, who play crucial roles in executing successful events.

“Over the years, I have cultivated strong relationships with a network of trusted vendors who excel in their respective fields. These are our go-to partners for various aspects of event planning, most importantly the audio-visual team and on-site support staff,” Freeman said.

This level of teamwork is evident in the successful corporate events that Freeman has planned. Among the multitude of events she’s had the privilege to orchestrate is one that holds a special place in her heart. She’s had the opportunity to design and plan it for two consecutive years, with preparations currently underway for the third edition in August 2024.

“This event transcends the ordinary; it’s a three-day immersive transformational experience tailored for high-achieving, impact-driven entrepreneurs and leaders. The core focus is on elevating their leadership capabilities, blending elements of leadership development, personal growth, ceremonial rituals and deep emotional connections,” Freeman said.

While meticulous planning, curated experiences, the perfect location and attention to detail are vital components, what truly sets this event apart is the remarkable individuals who attend. As Freeman explained, they arrive with a commitment to fully engage, radiating pure love and positivity throughout the entire experience, making it an exceptional and unforgettable gathering.

“Each year, this event serves as my much-needed recharge. Typically, after planning and executing events, I tend to leave with my energy reserves depleted,” Freeman said. “However, this specific event has a unique quality — it has the power to refuel me, reignite my passion and leave me utterly invigorated.”

When LaMere engages with a corporate client to plan an event, she hand selects vendors for each project and her roster includes an “A-team’” that she has extensive experience collaborating with, which greatly contributes to the success and outcomes of the event. “We are constantly developing relationships with partners in various markets, as most of our events are destination based,” LaMere said. “The vendors we choose to work with are those who we have the utmost confidence in their ability to understand our vision, deliver on the desired experience, and operate as consummate professionals.”

LaMere recently planned a corporate event for a Fortune 500 company in three weeks, which was a massive undertaking given that the event included over 1,000 guests, multiple complex moving parts and numerous high profile guests in attendance.

“In these moments, it really gives us the opportunity to show what we’re capable of and how having key relationships can make all the difference in successfully executing an event within a tight turnaround,” LaMere said. “Because we knew exactly who to call, we were able to reduce the learning curve and timeline required, which allowed us to move mountains in a short amount of time to deliver upon the desired experience in peak season.”

Full Speed Ahead

Many professional meeting planners decided to venture off on their own during the tumultuous time of the pandemic, and this continues to be a growing situation.

Freeman firmly believes that independent event planners will continue to grow compared to those who are employed within corporations.

“The demand for event planning services remains consistently high, driven by the increase and need for transformative and impactful experiences and events. While event planning can be a rewarding profession, it is also known for its challenges and high-stress nature, as evidenced by its frequent inclusion in Forbes’ list of most stressful jobs,” Freeman said. “This high-stress environment, coupled with a turnover and burnout rate within the industry, further amplifies the demand for independent planners who bring fresh perspectives, creativity and dedication to their work.”

LaMere also anticipates that professionals who choose to become independent corporate planners will continue to grow, and her hope is that planners value experience and hard work, keeping in mind that there are no shortcuts.

Indeed, venturing into independent event planning demands determination, organization and a strong work ethic. Freeman advises that a well-structured business plan and clear goals are essential, and success requires a high level of self-motivation, especially in the early stages. While the journey may be challenging, the rewards are worth it.

“Building a reputable name takes time, so focus on consistently delivering exceptional service and exceeding client expectations,” Freeman said. “Networking, marketing and effective client acquisition strategies are vital to finding success in this field. Adaptability and patience are key when working with diverse clients, and maintaining a client-centric approach ensures lasting relationships.” C&IT

Some planners are cutting the duration of events to cut costs, and scheduling meetings in small bursts with longer breaks to hold attendees’ attention. Photo by Adrian Scat

Under the best of circumstances, a meeting planner’s job is fraught with challenges. How does one choose the right destination, and venue(s) — not to mention food & beverage, educational content and entertainment — to meet or even exceed a group’s goals, and do it within budget? The tasks, and the weight of what could go wrong, seemingly are massive.

Now consider all of that against the backdrop of current conditions. Inflation has been on the rise for a while and the labor shortage, while slightly lessened from when it first started, remains an issue for planners eager to execute optimal events. At the same time, by many accounts, meeting budgets are unchanged from prior years, or only slightly increased. Those headwinds, along with some other related trends, promise to give planners some very tall orders this year.

But the good news is, these circumstances are not unsurmountable, they just require advance planning and strategic thinking. More than that, the growing power of events as a crucial part of a company’s year-round business and marketing strategy has sparked key conversations across corporations and industries.

To reinforce that point, TED, the nonprofit organization on a mission to spread ideas that spark imagination, embrace possibility and catalyze impact through their model of short “talks” from influential speakers from various industries — business, education, science, tech and many creative and artistic field — promoted event strategist Monique Ruff-Bell to the newly created role of chief program and strategy officer.

In a recent interview with BizBash, she said, “There’s a growing recognition of events strategists as true business leaders, strategists and revenue drivers,” said Ruff-Bell, who joined TED in 2022 as head of events. “This shift in perception and the increased representation in the C-suite is not only motivating but also inspiring to our industry. This milestone is not just about my personal achievement, but a testament to the broader acknowledgment of the crucial role events play in shaping overall business strategy.”

Ruff-Bell handled events at a variety of high-level places, including Haymarket Media Group, Money20/20, and now TED for the last couple of years. Her current role reflects the growing recognition of event planners across all industries. “We’re being recognized as the innovators and thought leaders we’ve always been because of our resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges like the global pandemic.”

While Ruff-Bell applauds the meetings industry for playing a pivotal role in the success and growth of any organization, she also recognizes the challenges — “budget resourcing for our events.”

Inflation Landscape

Last December, consumer prices generally climbed more quickly on a yearly basis than November: 3.4% compared to 3.1% previously, according to a January report in The New York Times.

It’s worth noting that there are some signs that inflation is beginning to turn around. After stripping out food and fuel costs — commodities that the Times said are “volatile” — a “core” price measure climbed 3.9% in the year through December, down from 4% previously. That marked the first time the core index has dropped below 4% since May 2021.

And while prices remain inflated, meeting planners expect to continue seeing especially elevated costs at hotels as well as off-site venues. Linda McNairy, global vice president, strategic meetings, American Express Meetings & Events, said her firm’s Global Meeting & Events Forecast, which surveyed over 500 planners, found expectations of 3.5% to 4% cost increases, “across all meeting types. Hotel rates and event production costs, in particular, were expected to rise.And inflation delivers a double whammy to meeting planners. There are rising hotel costs, with room rates driven up by supply outpacing demand, as well as the passing on of hotels’ higher costs of food, labor, fuel, etc., while planners’ own costs are going up, positioning them to have to do more with less.

“Inflation is very real and budgets haven’t increased but you have to do a meeting on the same dime as before, so something has got to give,” stated Cindy Lo, CEO and owner of RED VELVET, a full-service experience agency, and Strong Events.

Coping Strategies

Lo advises clients facing cost-prohibitive prices to cut the number of attendees at their meetings, and/or to pare down the agenda. In some cases, Lo has talked to clients about taking the do-it-yourself approach on meeting elements, such as flowers, which “can save quite a bit.”

Meeting organizers need to be sure though that centerpieces created in someone’s kitchen, rather than a flower shop, don’t look cheap. “People often want to have these really creative, interactive centerpieces,” Lo explained, but when a florist’s prices become too steep, “the group might go to Oriental Trading and buy stuff and call it a centerpiece. Personally, I would rather just not have trash on the table.”

Lo cautioned planners against saying yes to the DIY approach in most other areas. In other words, when an executive says “my brother is in a band so he can handle the music!” don’t do it. The cost savings don’t provide enough value when considering a meeting’s overall objectives — unless someone is really a professional singer. Or, to cite another area with potential savings, if someone is great on Canva, maybe a graphic designer is not needed, but again, most likely, deferring to the experts is best.

In another money saving measure, McNairy suggested tweaking meeting agendas to reduce the duration of gatherings. “Even cutting one night, depending on the size of your meeting, can have a significant impact.” But such an adjustment does more than cut costs. It plays into creating smarter meeting design, a much-needed consideration to take care not just of attendees’ meeting related needs but of their total selves.

“We’re moving away from having attendees on the go from that 7 a.m. breakfast and then jumping from session to session through the day with just 20 minutes in their hotel room to check email, call home, change clothes and brush their teeth before going to an evening event that runs until 10 o’clock,” McNairy said.

Instead, she suggested that meeting organizers arrange shorter bursts of education, like 15-minute sessions followed by 45-minute breaks, which would allow attendees to “get some fresh air and do whatever they need to do to be complete human beings. Whether that is checking in with home, doing 10 minutes of yoga or something else, that’s our greatest recommendation in terms of really looking at, and challenging, the status quo.”

Getting Ahead of the Problem

Sarah Buchbinder, regional director, meeting broker division, Meetings Made Easy, takes some preemptive approaches to clients potentially facing high fees.

She advises clients to be flexible on dates and destination because, of course, that allows for more possibilities and can enable a group to fill an empty spot on a hotel or city’s calendar and pay much better rates than asking to be, say, in Miami in December.

Buchbinder also tries to secure a strong attrition clause, as well as staffing and service guarantees to ensure that increasing hotel costs don’t affect the quality of the service or product being provided. Additionally, she cautions groups to expect to pay higher prices than they did for their last meeting. “When we start sourcing meetings with a client, especially if we haven’t worked with them for a while, we’re making sure they know from the get go that food and beverage prices and service charges will be higher, plus hotels are going to be less likely to waive room rentals and resort fees because they’re dealing with inflation.”

Planners also can trim the budget by cutting some items that might have been typical in past years, like certain off-site activities, attendee or speaker gifts or even some services that were planned for VIPs, while still keeping some special treatment plans in place.

Budget woes are no big surprise to anyone in the meetings industry. Nikki Yep, senior event planner and partner, Event Solutions, said, “I’m not telling you something you don’t know because you’re seeing it first hand in your personal life.” Like most Americans, she has noticed that food costs are up everywhere you turn, from your local market to restaurants and hotels. “But some of the ignorance comes from senior level workers who came to meetings post COVID and they likely are just focused on a need to have a meeting, not on what’s involved in the planning, deadlines for booking with suppliers before prices rise and related concerns,” said Yep.

“Shorter lead times can partly be driven by organizational hesitancy to approve and book meetings,” McNairy added. “If there are new stakeholders in the meeting process, they may not be fully aware of the dynamic nature of top meeting costs such as airfare and room rates, and the potential benefits of booking further in advance.”

Planners reportedly are seeing flat budgets, and those who anticipate an increase are not exactly projecting big surges. According to the AMEX survey, which had over 500 respondents, only 13% of those who said budgets will increase expected them to show more than a 10% gain.

In Knowland and ConferenceDirect’s annual report, 2024 State of the Meetings Industry, the collaboration reveals insights to help industry professionals understand what meeting planners and event managers expect and will prioritize in 2024.

“Planners are optimistic about 2024, with almost half expecting to book more meetings than in 2023,” the report said. “But the pressure is on to deliver high-quality events and game-changing attendee experiences while staying within budget. Rising costs combined with less experienced hotel staff are changing how and where planners book, resulting in smaller events, a move to secondary markets and modified experiences.”

That lack of major funding for organizations also poses problems for both corporate and association groups. Companies with fixed budgets are seeing their expenses rise without event budgets to match. That’s a challenge for pharmaceutical meetings with healthcare professionals in attendance because they are under strict limits for what they are allowed to spend on food and beverage, housing and other costs, because of the Sunshine Act, Buchbinder noted. “The menu prices are rising but their meal cap numbers are not.” This is forcing planners to once again get creative, changing agendas to cut a day or reducing off-site activities.

Such conditions drive planners to really hunker down with clients on what are must haves, nice to haves and really not necessary. “I always like to ask the client for their budget, not to spend their money, but to understand what I can include to give them the best event possible,” said Yep. “Once we’re planning, food is first and foremost; then you need a venue. Those are the two areas where I put the budget and then I start working backwards. Entertainment is last.”

Groups can also save money when meeting planners embrace technology, such as attendee management systems and registration tools. “Such additions to a meeting make the planning process more efficient, in terms of securing all of the logistics and better leveraging efficiencies in the planning process,” said McNairy.

Adding those tools, theoretically, can free up some of the meeting planners’ time and allow them to take a more consultative approach with the meeting owner and design a more thoughtful meeting agenda that has maximum impact — also known as Return on Investment [ROI] – and help attack the cost.

Labor and Pay Battles

Beyond budgets, planners are plagued by issues that have arisen because of the labor shortage. Event staffs sometimes include workers who are new to the industry, or the venues simply don’t have enough people, while some third-party planning firms find themselves having to scale back their own teams and do more with less.

RED VELVET now has 17 full-time employees, Lo noted, yet that costs the same as it cost to have 27 people in 2019 and 2020, before she had to lay off 10 workers. Now, the firm brings on temporary workers wherever its meetings are held, she said. “We have augmented our entire contract staff because that’s the only way I can afford to do all these bigger events and we still need them. I just can’t keep them year-round unfortunately, because we don’t get enough contracts to justify them.”

On the plus side of the current landscape is the fact that independent planners are asserting what they want, and need, in the form of higher fees.

“We had to raise our fees a small percentage, across the board, due to the economy,” Yep said. “If you’re wanting reliable, quality work, we are priced accordingly. Our jobs are complex and depending on the scope, fees change.”

Event Solutions sometimes loses business over fees, Yep said; but to her, that just means the client and the firm were not a good fit.

At RED VELVET, which also had to raise rates and does sometimes lose bids solely based on price, customers are not just paying for frills, they’re paying for a professional operation, Lo noted. “We are a team where we’re training all of our people and we have a support system. We have an accounting team, legal people; we have a whole team so it’s not just an independent planner.

And, she advised other planners, “When you’re operating with fewer people, you need to make sure you’re hiring the right people, because if you don’t, it can taint everything.” Her firm lost part of a big contract because they just had a person in place who was not the right fit for the business.

On a Positive Note

In the meantime, Yep remains optimistic about the year ahead. “I see 2024 as the year of the industry coming back, because there was uncertainty in 2023 with the economy but now I think more companies will want to have events. I feel good about the climate of the industry,” Yep declared. “And I have had a lot of clients who postponed in 2023 say we’re going to do something in 2024 instead, mostly because of budget.”

AMEX’s survey respondents sounded a similar positive tone. Asked in the AMEX survey about their confidence in the industry, 82% or respondents rated the industry eight or higher out of 10, which is an increase from 77% in 2022 and 71% in 2021.

“There’s an optimism that the value of meetings is fully established,” McNairy said. “The ability to accomplish an organization’s objectives through meetings and events is definitely being proven. It’s exciting to see.” C&IT

The Venetian recently announced a $188 million renovation of its convention center. Courtesy Photo

Las Vegas crossed the finish line this past year with a host of new headline-worthy properties, experiences and attractions, from the recently opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas to the first Formula 1 Grand Prix down the Las Vegas Strip.

With more than 15 million sf of meeting and exhibit space, and a lot more coming, The City of Lights plays host every year to millions of attendees who see the value of in-person meetings and events for networking, team-building, training and overall connections.

“Formula 1 has given another opportunity for groups to come to Las Vegas,” said Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and senior vice president at MGM Resorts International. “Many companies worked with our properties last year to host their teams or their customers as a ‘WOW’ experience during F1. Whether it was buying tickets at the exclusive Bellagio Fountain Club or just being in town for all the exciting events and activations, groups were able to either meet or relax during the day then enjoy the excitement at night.”

Estimates put the numbers at 315,000 spectators and an economic impact to the city of $1.2 billion. Formula 1, which started last November and has a 10-year agreement to put on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, is just one of many recent investments in Las Vegas. Over the next several years, the city expects more than $15 billion in new investment. At the heart of that is an expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

The LVCC hosted 56 conventions in 2022 with a combined attendance of more than 840,000, accounting for $2.2 billion in direct and induced economic impact, according to data published by the LVCVA’s Research Center. As of an October 2023 report, the facility had hosted 35 tradeshows for the year, with an estimated attendance of 900,000.

“We are in the middle of a $600 million dollar renovation of the facility’s legacy campus. The renovation will extend the contemporary design, architecture and customer experience of the 1.4 million-sf West Hall, which debuted in 2021,” said Rebecca Deluca, vice president of destination sales for the LVCVA. “Work will continue through 2025, with construction designed to accommodate and minimize disruption to scheduled tradeshows.”

The current renovation includes the addition of an outdoor plaza and indoor lobby to the South Hall, as well as a grand lobby between the North and Central Halls. Other improvements include an interior concourse between the North and South Halls and a newly designed parking lot with a Vegas Loop station for the nearby Wynn resort.

The Vegas Loop, an underground transportation system from Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, has four stations at the convention center. Plans are approved to expand the Vegas Loop for 29 miles throughout the resort corridor including Downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport.

One of the properties that benefits from the Vegas Loop is Resorts World Las Vegas, located near the convention center. “The LVCVA and their customers have been great partners to us at Resorts World Las Vegas since opening. Being in close proximity to the convention center has also been a benefit to us, especially with the launch of the Boring Tunnel as it has created a unique and convenient opportunity for our guests,” said Jason Glascock, vice president of sales at Resorts World Las Vegas. “When larger conventions are taking place, the Boring Tunnel has allowed guests to attend private and after-hour events at our property in two to five minutes, with no traffic, whereas it could take 30 minutes to an hour to get to another property on the Strip.”

Resorts World Las Vegas has seen a large boom with corporate and incentive groups. Recently, it hosted Incentive Research Foundation’s Educational Invitational, which had record attendance.

“We are seeing a growing demand for unique and experiential events,” Glascock said. “We expect there will be an increase in incentive business due to dispersed workforces, building engagement and retaining talented employees this year and beyond.” According to Glascock, to keep up with the demand, Resorts World Las Vegas is focused on creating immersive experiences, with its high-tech LED capabilities, and by utilizing its assortment of restaurants and nightlife, as well. He added, “This year, we will have new venues opening up along with new meeting space, providing additional opportunities for corporate and/or incentive groups.”

The new Fontainebleau Las Vegas features 3,644 luxury hotel rooms and suites, and 550,000 sf of customizable meeting and convention space.

“Fontainebleau Las Vegas is an exciting opening for the destination adding to the resort options surrounding the Las Vegas Convention Center and the north end of the Strip. We also can’t talk about recent openings without mentioning Sphere,” Deluca said.

Sphere at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is fast becoming an iconic group venue on the Strip. The largest sphere-shaped building in the world, it stands 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide at its widest point, and possesses the world’s largest concert-grade audio system. It was introduced last summer by Sphere Entertainment and Madison Square Garden Company.

With an auditorium that can seat 17,600 people with a standing room for 20,000 people, the venue offers private group experiences for up to 5,000, including a two-hour reception and interactive Sphere Experience. Groups can also choose a full buyout of the facility for 17,500 while smaller groups and incentives can enjoy the premium suites for concerts or the Sphere Experience.

“This venue has caused quite the stir in the destination and throughout the world,” Deluca said. “There simply is nothing else like it with its fully programable exterior that can be used to display fun emoji faces and mesmerizing designs to the truly immersive entertainment experience inside. Groups are clamoring to find ways to incorporate the venue in their visit and have found a variety of options to do so through full buyouts or smaller packages for specific shows.”

Changes at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas include a recently announced $188 million dollar renovation of its convention center, one of the largest meeting facilities in the world, set to be completed in stages between 2024-2026.

Additional offerings will be a new speakeasy-style lounge with an opportunity to host invitation-only events in a 10,000 sf take on the Venetian design of 1930s. “The finishes and amenities planned were thoughtfully curated based on feedback from our customers and will usher in a new era of Venetian Meetings, and maintain our position at the forefront of the industry,” said Patrick Nichols, president and chief executive officer of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

The new openings along the Strip are poised to benefit other established properties such as SAHARA Las Vegas, which recently remodeled its Marra Tower suites as part of a more than $200 million transformation. “They have been reimagined to provide the level of luxury and finishes that our groups expect at a property of this high caliber,” said Christopher Bond, vice president of sales, SAHARA Las Vegas.

The SAHARA resort and casino with 1,613 guest rooms and suites in three towers, offers groups use of its more than 80,000 sf of flexible meeting space, its AZILO Ultra Pool, two rooftop pools and a collection of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. “The available 10,000 sf LED wall at Azilo Pool has no equal and allows our groups to brand or have sponsors provide unlimited graphics and video content,” Bond said.

Diane Quaresma, customer relationship manager at Bitfocus, which held its Clarity Connect conference at the SAHARA Las Vegas last fall, said, “I liked how the conference rooms were set up and their relation to the distance to the rooms. I didn’t feel as though I had to walk two miles to get to the space.”

Caesars Entertainment also sees potential benefits from the Strip’s added attractions, including the Grand Prix. “Formula 1 was a big success and got worldwide attention. Being the first year, we didn’t know what to expect and neither did our group customers,” said Reina Herschdorfer, director of marketing, national meetings & events for Caesars Entertainment. “I would anticipate more companies wanting to organize events around this next year. It’s a fun and unique way to entertain VIP customers. The energy and the sound of these incredible cars is unlike anything else.”

Caesars FORUM, which debuted in 2020, has been an immense hit since it opened, said Herschdorfer. “With its 550,000 sf of space, modern design and high-tech amenities, it has paved the way for very large events. Herschdorfer has always worked with corporate groups, but CAESARS FORUM has allowed them to elevate the experience. The facility has a dedicated culinary team and provides restaurant quality catering as well.

Caesars Palace recently took the wraps off its renovated Colosseum Tower. Formerly known as the Forum Tower, the redesigned tower offers 440 guest rooms and suites. Other projects include an upgrade to Harrah’s Las Vegas, with a new porte-cochere. The property had an infusion of capital with more than $200 million for new rooms, suites, a lounge as well as the addition of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, Ramsay’s Kitchen, which opened last year. The property is connected via skybridge to CAESARS FORUM and is often the headquarter hotel.

Meanwhile, celebrity restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump, who opened Vanderpump à Paris at Paris Las Vegas and Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace, is set to open her third venue on the Strip, Pinky’s by Vanderpump, at Flamingo Las Vegas this summer.

Caesars Entertainment is also focusing on wellness with its new Wellness Menu. “Planners can incorporate as much or as little that makes sense for them,” Herschdorfer said. “They can keep the wellness aspects of a meeting subtle by only incorporating healthy food and beverage options or really make wellness the star of the show by working with the speakers we have suggested and incorporating everything from tai chi lessons to chakra realignment sessions and painting therapy. A simple way to add wellness is to add online wellness challenges that everyone can join in during the conference, pre or post. It’s a fun way to create some competition and camaraderie.”

MGM Resorts, which features four million sf of meeting and convention space across 13 resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, is currently finishing up a $100 million remodel of its two-million-sf Mandalay Bay Convention Center, which will be completed early this year.

“The project reflects the needs and preferences of today’s meeting planners and attendees with significant technology upgrades, dynamic digital signage and a fresh, new design and ambiance,” Glanzer said. The Convention Center remodel is part of a new wave of enhancements and experiences coming to Mandalay Bay. This includes the redesign of Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas’ 424 rooms and suites, the opening of Swingers, an immersive adults-only golf experience and Orla, a new Greek concept by celebrated chef Michael Mina. In addition, a $110 million transformation within Bellagio’s Spa Tower began last spring and is wrapping up now.

Both the Grand Prix and Sphere along with the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, to be held this February at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, are seen as drivers of group business to Wynn and Encore Las Vegas Resort.

“Wynn has a very positive outlook on the group market in Las Vegas and we’re excited to see this trajectory continue,” said Chris Flatt, executive vice president of Hotel Sales and Marketing for the properties. “From unique entertainment and dining to iconic sports moments via the recent inaugural Grand Prix and Big Game, Las Vegas is reinforcing why it’s the place to be. Even guests who have visited multiple times previously are continually excited to come back and check out what’s new.”

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, which feature 560,000 sf of flexible space across the properties, currently hold Four Green Globes, the highest sustainable building certification from the Green Building Initiative. All meeting and convention spaces are powered by 100% renewable energy sourced and delivered directly from the 160-acre Wynn Solar Facility and on-site rooftop solar panels. Renewable energy is also a focus for Allegiant Stadium and the Las Vegas Raiders, which recently announced the stadium’s conversion to 100% renewable energy.

“Allegiant Stadium has been a game changer for many reasons,” Deluca said. “Not only did it help solidify our evolution into the ultimate sports destination by providing a world-class facility for the NFL, but also opened the door for groups. Now they can creatively design memorable experiences including dinner on the 50-yard line or exclusive stadium tours.”

The T-Mobile Arena is also a draw for groups, especially after the 2023 Stanley Cup for its resident Las Vegas Knights. Next, Las Vegas is moving ahead with its plans to build a baseball stadium for the A’s, who gained approval to relocate the franchise from Oakland to the Strip. Reports note that the $1.5 billion ballpark in Vegas will be built at the site of the Tropicana casino and hotel after it’s torn down, which is expected to happen by end of this year.

The introduction of the Grand Prix also brings a new venue for groups. “With the successful completion of the first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix, groups now have access to the incredible Paddock Building,” Deluca said. “During the race, it is set at the start/finish line and used as the pit area for the drivers and their teams, as well as high end hospitality suites, but now can be used all year round.”

The Paddock Building features a four-story space with a rooftop looking out at the Las Vegas skyline and is available for events when not in use for the race.

DMCs such as Hosts Global are seeing benefits of the added attractions, as well. “We had some fun local and international groups for Formula 1,” said Jill Schneider, vice president of sales. “One in particular directly affiliated with the race was a large sponsor of one of the teams. We were asked to provide transportation and staff for the sponsor high profile celebrity guests and entourages from event to event. This was a little more challenging than most typical high-profile transfers as security was at a high and many or most of the roads were closed. Next year will be spectacular and we are extremely excited to see what we will be involved in.”

Another local DMC, 360 Destinations, also believes 2024 will see a benefit from Formula 1. “Groups coming to Las Vegas focused on the luxury level brand/unique events that were produced by the Grand Prix,” said Amy Bollington, director of sales, Las Vegas. “Behind the scenes of those events, we supported hotel efforts and destination logistics to the corporate groups. We are hopeful that this year there will be more opportunities now that the dust has settled from last year’s events.”

With new developments, LVCVA is bullish on the future of corporate events. All indicators continue to express optimism with many event organizers expecting more attendees and larger overall footprint for their meetings. C&IT

Adobe Stock

Open any news web site or turn into any cable news broadcast and you are bound to see news and updates about the global unrest facing a myriad of countries. Due to this continuous turbulence, some corporations and their meeting planners are evaluating their global meetings and events strategies and are considering the potential risk to attendees who may be traveling from near and far to attend gatherings across the globe.

According to Stephan Malvoisin, senior vice president of partnerships (U.S.) for Crisis24, a GardaWorld company that provides actionable risk management solutions to companies around the world, the current state of corporate travel on a global level remains below pre-pandemic levels, with September 2023 seeing approximately 81% of the travel levels observed before the COVID-19 outbreak. This percentage is comparable to the figures from September 2022, which also hovered around 79%. This is based on data from Crisis24, which holds comprehensive travel tracking metrics and trends in corporate travel.

“In light of the recent unrest in the Middle East, Crisis24 has worked with many companies to facilitate evacuations from Israel and neighboring countries,” Malvoisin said. “The impact of the conflict has primarily been localized to the region, prompting some companies to prioritize the safety of their personnel and stakeholders by refraining from non-essential travel to these areas.”

Due to heightened safety concerns, individuals of certain backgrounds or ethnicities who may not feel as comfortable travelling are choosing not to undertake non-essential corporate travel to certain regions such as the Middle East.

“Considering the dynamic situation in the Middle East, corporations are also electing in many cases to postpone non-essential travel to the area, opting to assess the evolving circumstances and potential risks before resuming their global travel plans for corporate and incentive meetings and events,” Malvoisin said.

Corporate travel and wellness expert, and founder of Satchell Global Wellness, Edyta Satchell, helps corporate meeting planners and travel managers to boost their traveling employees’ energy, productivity and success by implementing traveler wellness programs focused on health, nutrition, emotional wellness, vitality, physical wellness and much more.

The current state of corporate travel changes based on the political instability in impacted regions. Two years ago, the corporate travel was limited in the eastern Europe by the war in Ukraine. Now, it is impacted by the war in Israel.

“Corporate travelers will not stop, they will avoid impacted countries and will shift their travel to nearby regions to continue running their business and meeting their clients and suppliers,” Satchell said. “Corporate events and conferences may seem to be cancelled in those impacted countries and regions, but they in fact continue to take place in the neighboring countries.”

For example, during the war in Ukraine, the business travelers stopped traveling to Ukraine and Russia but instead they started traveling to neighboring countries such as Poland, Hungary and others, which gives an opportunity to the border neighbors to gain more travel traffic and business.

However, some companies express concerns fearing that the neighboring countries are too close to the war zone and they will prevent their employees from traveling to the neighboring countries as well.

The Biggest Concerns

For meeting planners, c-suite executives, and corporate meeting attendees, health and security remain paramount concerns, especially during times of uncertainty. As Malvoisin explained, companies and individuals must prioritize the health and well-being of their personnel by staying informed about potential health risks, such as disease outbreaks or public health emergencies, and implementing necessary precautions to safeguard against these risks. Similarly, staying informed about potential security threats and adequate preparation for travelers is essential to ensure their safety in unfamiliar or volatile environments.

Not surprising, for corporations, the biggest concern is the duty of care. Taking the right care of their traveling employees is key, and being able to get them home quickly and safely in the event of any type of an emergency not only caused by political instability but also by natural disasters — volcano eruption, earthquake, tsunami or global pandemic, to name a few. In such situations, Satchell said the traveler tracking tools and systems, along with the strong partnership and fast response from the travel suppliers, are a must.

“For travelers, it’s the fear of getting stuck, not receiving support on time and the financial burden,” Satchell said. “Travelers need to understand what their options are, i.e., are they allowed to spend extra money in the event of “getting stuck” somewhere in the world or do they need to cover the extra costs out of their own pocket. They need to understand what are the travel alternatives, the Plan B options and who will cover the extra costs.”

For event planners, Satchell said it may seem that the biggest problem is securing the venues, hotel space and room nights in new locations. However, she believes that for them the most important factor is the human factor. They understand that the events are key to performing their company business, growing revenues, gaining new clients and maintaining relationships with their suppliers.

“It’s the people and relationship building opportunities through every event, which will not continue to be developed if events are cancelled,” Satchell said. “I know event planners will do their best to move their events to new destinations.”

Malvoisin stressed that companies should ensure that they have access to real-time intelligence and pay attention to travel updates from the U.S. State Department. Timely and accurate information can help mitigate risks and ensure the safety and security of travelers. It can also help better categorize travel into critical and non-critical.

“Conduct thorough analysis and stay informed with real-time information,” Malvoisin added. “Having access to comprehensive risk analyses at a granular level is vital for understanding the potential challenges and risks associated with specific global destinations. This enables informed decision-making and risk management throughout the planning process.”

Planners should also have a solid understanding of insurance coverage. It is crucial to assess whether the existing insurance policies adequately cover the scope of the planned meetings and events, particularly in international settings or in locations where there may be some regional conflict. Additionally, Malvoisin said evaluating the suitability of local partners and vendors is essential to ensure that they are well-equipped to handle the scale and requirements of the events being organized.

In his experience, Dr. John Rose, chief risk and security officer at ALTOUR, is not seeing companies pulling back; however, the State Department Global Travel Level 2 caution alert has made most companies revisit their duty of care program and ensure proper processes to assist their travelers. “Having a pre-trip risk professional conduct in-person assessments of the venue and general locations being considered for the event is advised,” Rose said.

Considerations To Make

Given the lingering uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was the first global incident where nobody knew what was coming next, attendees may still carry psychological apprehensions about traveling. This is especially true when faced with the prospect of navigating potentially unstable or unpredictable global travel situations.

“Meeting planners should remain mindful of these concerns and prioritize clear and transparent communication to alleviate any anxieties,” said Malvoisin, who also suggested that meeting planners must thoroughly assess the adequacy of insurance policies to account for various travel-related uncertainties. Understanding the specific coverage provided for different aspects of global travel, including health and security concerns, is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of attendees in potentially challenging environments.

“Staying abreast of any changes or updates in insurance policies is essential to guarantee comprehensive coverage for all attendees,” Malvoisin said.

“KC” Campbell, CBCP, CPP, certified protection professional, board certified in security management at Blue Glacier Security & Intelligence, said corporations should have a travel risk management program that includes travel security training, a requirement for travel approval at a specific management level in the organization (e.g., branch or section head), travel briefs tailored to the location, and a reliable means to get alerts to and information from travelers.

“The corporate event program should also ensure that employees know that they have a ‘duty of cooperation,’ which means they have a responsibility to protect themselves,” Campbell said. “Companies can do all of this in house, or they can contract out some of this to one of several companies that specialize in travel security or risk management.”

There’s a misperception among Americans of what the U.S. government can do to assist them during crises overseas, especially after it has issued these warnings and begins to evacuate embassy personnel. Companies and meeting planners should realize that the U.S. is not legally required to evacuate Americans from global hotspots.

Avoiding Problems

As with any fluctuating travel situation, there are bound to be ongoing changes of which planners need to stay abreast. So, failing to conduct comprehensive research and risk assessments of specific regions or locations can lead to unforeseen challenges during global travel. Proactive monitoring and adequate preparation are essential to anticipate potential risks and uncertainties, enabling companies to implement effective contingency plans and streamline their global meetings and events.

One common mistake corporate meeting planners make when it comes to global travel uncertainties is overlooking the importance of local partnerships.

“Establishing strong partnerships with reliable local entities is crucial for ensuring smooth operations and addressing any unforeseen issues that may arise during global meetings and events,” Malvoisin said.

Having the right partners locally can help companies navigate cultural nuances, regulatory requirements and logistical challenges, thereby streamlining their global endeavors. Also, proper risk mitigation can easily reduce an organization’s traveler’s exposure to something terrible happening, and if it does happen, it can provide the appropriate service when needed.

Satchell’s recommendation is that corporations purchase travel insurance for their employees in addition to their regular medical insurance. Whether employees travel frequently on business or on vacation once a year, it’s a service and a tool that will give them peace of mind in the event of travel in the uncertain times and in the event of any type of emergency (i.e., lost luggage, flight cancellations, increased cost of hotel bookings for extra room nights caused by emergencies, etc.)

If the companies have travel insurance in place, Satchell recommends that they check the fine print and ensure natural disasters, political instabilities and similar are covered. If not, they need to add them to the benefits. All of these are crucial to ensure the peace of mind of not only the traveler, but also the corporate travel manager, the company owner, the travel manager, the event planner and many other team members involved and impacted in the travel of their work colleagues.

“Corporations also should train their employees on the so called ‘Plan B,’ ‘what if’ scenarios. What are the country evacuation steps, alternatives in the event of anything unforeseen happening?” Satchell said. “They need to know who to call and when. Most importantly, they need to know how quickly they can receive the support they need.”

Corporations have a legal duty of care, and this extends to international travel. As Campbell pointed out, companies have been sued by employees — and some of these lawsuits were successful — because these employees felt their employers failed in their duty of care responsibilities.

“So, travel risk management is not only the moral and ethical thing for companies and meeting planners to do,” Campbell said, “It can also mitigate against costly lawsuits and reputation risk.” C&IT

Downtown Miami. Courtesy of GMCVB

At first blush, an event organizer might bring a corporate meeting or incentive program to Florida for its warm weather and variety of destinations to choose from. Whether groups are suited to theme parks in Orlando, nightlife in Miami or sun worshipping on the West Coast, the Sunshine State meets those needs.

But now, Florida’s story has been made even more compelling for meetings and incentives. Expanded event venues, new hotel construction and renovation, as well as the introduction of attractions and entertainment options are boosting the state’s event infrastructure and appeal for attendees.

Orlando

The massive Orange County Convention Center is getting bigger. Funding of $560 million for a 140,000-sf expansion was approved by the County in 2023. Still being designed, the new space at the North-South building will include an 80,000-sf ballroom and another 60,000 sf of meeting space. Construction is expected to take three years.

Meanwhile, building officials are pursuing capital for another expansion that would add a 200,000-sf multi-purpose venue to the North-South building. No timeline is in place for that project but when the two developments are completed, the North-South building will have 1.15 million sf of exhibit space.

At Universal Orlando’s Loews Hotels complex — which is comprised of eight properties — two new production stages debuted this year: one offers 17,500 sf of usable space while the other has 12,500. Situated between Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure, the stages give planners options for a unique dining space and after-hours events.

Plus, Universal’s Great Movie Escape at Universal CityWalk offers two adventures inspired by the Jurassic World and Back to the Future films — each providing eight immersive environments with state-of-the-art challenges and detailed sets, allowing groups to step into blockbuster movies for fun experiences or team building.

Planner Marc Farrugia, chief administrative officer, Sun Communities & Sun Outdoors, brought a group of 750 attendees to Loews Sapphire Falls Resort (one of the Universal properties) for a leadership conference last year, and has used Loews Universal properties before.

He had nothing but praise for the hotel, noting the staff’s great service and the property’s cleanliness. Overall, he said, “It is one of the best conference hotels we’ve ever used.”

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort’s meeting space is easy to navigate and designed to support the latest meeting technology, and the event management staff is “second to none,” Farrugia noted. Department heads consistently checked in with him to ensure that everything ran smoothly.

Food wise, Farrugia was similarly impressed. Banquet menus are designed by experienced chefs and dishes feature locally-sourced ingredients. Additionally, the staff was on top of accommodating dietary restrictions and focused on meeting guests’ food quality expectations.

Elements of the venue’s structure were a benefit too. “With more rigging points than most venues have, we’re able to execute an event that leverages large-scale LED walls to create visually stunning general sessions,” he added.

In short, Farrugia said, Sun Communities & Sun Outdoors chose Loews Sapphire Falls Resort because the company has built a relationship with the Universal Orlando team. That connection has helped the organization’s budget. “We work well together and having repeat events at the venue has made execution of our event more efficient. We’ve saved some expense, and the quality of our event increases each year.”

Event attendees seemed to agree with Farrugia’s glowing praise, rating their satisfaction with conference facilities at last year’s event 4.85 out of 5. Said Farrugia, “This is the highest rating we’ve received from our attendees across all venues we’ve used in prior years.”

At the Caribe Royale Orlando, a $140 million renovation is underway, while other upgrades recently were completed. This month, the 1,337-room property will open Stadium Club, a 9,000- sf, two-floor entertainment destination featuring eight pro-level sports simulators by Full Swing Golf, two 165-inch XHD projector displays, two bars and four venue buy-out areas for groups, including the SkyBox with a virtual reality suite.

The complex, which can host up to 500 people for a private buy out, delivers Caribe Royal’s eighth dining concept, being developed with celebrity chefs Janine Booth and Jeff McInnis. The culinary duo previously created Root & Bone, which has an outpost in Miami and other locations in the U.S. and Canada. Highlights of the Stadium Club menu include the chefs’ famous sweet tea brined fried chicken and Philly cheesesteak sliders with braised beef brisket.

Also set to open in the early part of this year at the property is a number of sport options, including two pickleball courts, half-court basketball and more.

Last fall, Caribe Royale added The Grove, a 19,000-sf palm tree-lined green space that accommodates up to 1,500 people for an outdoor reception. In total, the property has an expansive 240,000 sf of meeting space, including a new 50,000-sf ballroom.

The Rosen Centre Hotel is one of the most unique hotels on Orlando’s International Drive. And now is even better thanks to new, redesigned VIP suites with an impressive view of the city, perfect for corporate and incentive planners looking to combine business and pleasure. In all, the Rosen Centre has 150,000-plus sf of creative, dedicated high-tech meeting space, along with exceptional, personalized banquet and dining services. The property is connected by skybridge to the Orange County Convention Center, itself the second largest such facility in the U.S.

Faruggia is clearly a fan of Orlando. “Orlando has an extensive list of amenities and activities to offer planners and attendees. It has incredible options for shopping — whether it be finding great deals at any of Orlando’s several outlet malls, high-end shopping at traditional malls, or locating unique souvenirs from theme parks and resorts.”

He continued, “I think another benefit to meeting planners is that Orlando is a hospitality-focused city. It has the infrastructure to support transportation logistics for large groups. The people ‘live and breathe’ hospitality and are incredibly well-equipped to host events of all types, such as incentive trips and corporate meetings. There is no shortage of entertainment venues, unique dining experiences, themed resorts, high-end resorts, etc. Orlando literally has something for everyone.”

Miami

In Miami, where celebrities come to play and there are diverse cultures — the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau reports that several hotels are debuting or renovating. Opening in 2026, the 800-room Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Hotel & Convention Center will feature a whopping 90,000 sf of indoor meeting space plus another 10,000 sf outdoors. Adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center, the hotel will emphasize sustainability.

The legendary 1,504-room Fontainebleau Miami Beach renovated its all-suite Trésor Tower while the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Resort redid all 231 rooms last year. The 40-year old InterContinental Miami, the city’s Bayfront icon that lies along the downtown waterfront and was built around Henry Moore’s famous sculpture, “The Spindle,” re-did its 653 guest rooms. The club lounge also underwent a $36 million redesign. From exquisite Pan-Latin flavors and rooftop elegance overlooking Biscayne Bay to one of the best breakfasts in Miami, attendees won’t need to go far for renowned dining. And speaking of good food, bolstering Miami’s restaurant scene, celebrity chef Daniel Boulud updated his Boulud Sud location at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami while Top Chef contestant CJ Jacobson brought an outpost of Mediterranean chain Aba to Bal Harbour. Also, Rum Room opened at the Convention Center last year, replacing the Carl Fisher Clubhouse. The spot offers contemporary food and drinks from a rotating roster of local chefs.

For groups looking to create monumental moments, the iconic, stylish and luxurious Trump National Doral Miami is one of Miami’s legendary golf resorts with breathtaking views. Conveniently located eight miles from Miami International Airport, Trump National Doral Miami is infused with the Trump standard of excellence.

Boasting four championship golf courses, among them the legendary Blue Monster, the prestigious Trump National Doral Miami offers various recreational spaces, the Royal Palm Pool with 18 cabanas and a 125-ft slide, the brand new Har-Tru tennis courts and a clubhouse — the hub of the resort.

With more than 100,000 sf of Miami event space options, like the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom, 643 exquisitely appointed accommodations, and premier dining at BLT Prime, Champions Bar & Grill and Palm Grill. The 48,000-sf The Trump Spa creates an oasis for attendees to rejuvenate after a day of meetings and gatherings.

Fort Lauderdale | Hollywood

Just a short distance from Miami is Fort Lauderdale. The city is famous for its beaches, arts, culture and events. Meeting planners looking to create memorable experiences for their attendees will find a plethora of tours and activities at a variety of historical landmarks, which adds a charming and distinctive tropical touch to meetings.

One of the most iconic landmarks is Las Olas Boulevard, which is lined with stores and restaurants of all kinds serving all tastes or the famous wave wall on Fort Lauderdale beach. Greater Fort Lauderdale also has an eclectic food scene, acclaimed restaurants dotting restaurant row on Las Olas Boulevard include YOLO (because “you only live once”), Louie Bossi’s and Lobster Bar Sea Grille. Lively lounges and cafés with sidewalk seating provide the perfect places for people-watching and colorful nightlife. Attendees can take a tour of Fort Lauderdale’s oldest and most historically significant surviving structure, the Historic Stranahan House Museum, or walk in the magical estate, Bonnet House Museum and Gardens.

The Omni Fort Lauderdale will be opening in late Fall 2025 in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, and is accepting group booking requests for 2026 and beyond. Giving the city a group selling point, Omni Fort Lauderdale will connect to the Broward County Convention Center, which is undergoing an expansion that will add over 525,000 sf of function space for a total of 1.2 million sf. Significant upgrades to the building’s technology are also planned.

Once completed, the hotel will offer 801 guest rooms and suites, along with over 120,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting and event spaces that include pre-function space with waterfront views. Attendees will enjoy Floridian-Caribbean comfort food at the Mangrove Pool Bar & Grill or all-day dining at Hidden Key. During the day, they can pop into Sand Bar Lobby Lounge or relax on IBIS Rooftop Lounge, take a dip in the pool, browse the retail outlets or venture to Mokara Spa for an indulgent massage.

Known as The Guitar Hotel, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, is truly an architectural marvel that redefines the South Florida skyline. With 638 luxury guest rooms and suites, and designed to resemble back-to-back guitars, complete with guitar faces and brightly lit strings — this masterpiece reaches 450 feet into the sky, outfitted with floor-to-ceiling glass panes.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino offers event spaces for small gatherings and large-scale events. Equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities, no doubt, their venues will certainly leave a lasting impression on attendees.

The Palm Beaches

The Palm Beaches has much to crow about. America’s first resort destination is home to world-class dining and some of the best golf, spa and events in South Florida. According to the official tourism marketing corporation for the county, “The diversity of options for planning a meeting in the Palm Beaches are seemingly endless.” The county has over 18,000 guest rooms at 200 hotels, 1 million sf of meeting space to choose from and two walkable downtown meetings districts featuring dining, entertainment, cultural and wellness options.

Their inspiring oceanfront event venues, resorts and restaurants share the stage with vibrant communities and breathtaking natural beauty — ideal for attendees looking for a memorable experience.

On the hotel front, Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront Palm Beaches Resort is set to unveil a renovation of its 223 guest rooms this year, as well as its meeting space, dining concepts and public spaces. It will reopen as The Singer Oceanfront Resort.

Hilton West Palm Beach revealed a $25 million facelift last year, with spruce ups of its 400 guest rooms and four restaurants, plus new wellness activities. Attendees are within a 15-minute drive of Port of Palm Beach and The Square — one of its downtown’s dining, arts, entertainment and shopping havens. This 4-star hotel is 0.2 miles from Palm Beach County Convention Center and half a mile from Clematis Street — the city’s heart — which is surrounded by four walkable, diverse historical districts.

Palm Beach Airport is also undergoing a multi-million renovation that will add a 3,000-sf restaurant and even a sensory room to create a calming space for travelers with autism, among other enhancements.

Tampa Bay | St. Petersburg

Some of America’s award-winning, “sugar-sand” beaches can be found along the coast of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. Downtown St. Pete is home to the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum with the largest collection of Dali’s work outside of Spain. There, attendees can find top-rated restaurants, the beautiful Fort De Soto Park and the Chihuly Collection on Central Avenue to witness mind-blowing glasswork.

With so many things to do — from dining to entertainment, the waterfront escape is the perfect getaway for attendees after a day of meetings.

In Tampa Bay, Koya, Lilac and Rocca restaurants their first-ever Michelin stars last year. The eateries, respectively, offer food that’s Japanese; Greek and Turkish influenced, from Michelin-starred John Fraser; and Italian.

Meanwhile in 2023, the Tampa Convention Center added 18,000 sf of space during a $38 million upgrade, and the Epicurean Hotel, a ‘foodie-centric’ property within Marriott’s Autograph Collection, has undergone a $21 million expansion that adds 51 guest rooms and a 1,138-sf rooftop terrace that can host up to 130 people, with 44 seated guests. The main hotel has 137 rooms and 5,200 sf of meeting space.

Visit Tampa Bay sees itself as more than a destination marketing organization because it actively engages with community leaders across various sectors. Those connections are advantageous for event professionals when they seek local expertise. For example, the destination marketing organization recently facilitated a visit from Water Street Tampa at a large financial services organization’s conference that was focused on sustainability.

The Pink Palace of St. Pete Beach, aka The Don CeSar — which gets its nickname from its pink exterior — completed a multi-year, multimillion renovation in 2021. It features 38,000 sf of meeting space and unique activity offerings, like moonlight kayaking, dolphin watch excursions and more. A member of the National Trust’s Historic Hotels of America, The Don CeSar has 277 guest rooms.

Meeting planner Haley Brust, senior account executive, Talley Management, has brought three groups of up to 325 attendees to The Pink Palace recently because it is “a stunning hotel in a great location with many amenities.” The area surrounding the hotel features many restaurants and stores selling items at a wide range of prices, which can’t always be found in other destinations.

Continuity with the staff also is key, she said. “We keep coming back because I trust the sales team and Don CeSar team members. The longevity of the staff is a plus; we know them and they know us.”

From a meetings perspective, she noted, “The Don CeSar boasts amazing function space with natural light and beautiful outdoor space. With its four retail shops, five restaurants, Uncle Andy’s marketplace, two pools and on-site water sports, the Don CeSar encourages our attendees to make the most of their stay.”

In terms of cost and convenience, she said, flights into Tampa International Airport are reasonable and plentiful while the drive to, or from the airport is short, making it convenient for fliers to drive or hire a car, which comes at a fair price given the short distance.

Gulf Coast

Along the Gulf Coast is Sanibel, where pastel colored shells from the Gulf of Mexico wash up while the golf courses, fishing and boating are reportedly in a league of their own. In fact, Sanibel Island is home to J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, which houses endangered species and 6,000 acres of mangrove jungles and wetlands.

Overlooking the island is the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, where a renovation of the property’s 45,000 sf of meeting space — indoor and outdoor — was done last year. The hotel features 278 guest rooms and all six of the hotel’s restaurants have been refreshed as well.  The Courtside Steakhouse is an OpenTable 2023 Diner’s Choice Award Winner.

Additionally, following damage caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022, the property’s 40,000-sf spa was upgraded last year. The facility has new recreation options, including eight pickle ball courts and three tennis courts.

Emerald Coast

The Emerald Coast got its name for its clear, emerald-green water and sugar-white sands. But it is actually the coastal area on the Gulf of Mexico that stretches about 100 miles of sandy beaches and five counties: Santa Rosa, Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton and Bay. The most popular destinations there include Pensacola Beach, Destin and Panama City Beach.

The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in South Walton, near Destin, has become an unforgettable venue for countless attendees. Last year, it underwent a $35 million renovation, refurbishing all 590 guest rooms, guest floor hallways and design elements of its 60,000-sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Additionally, the property’s six restaurants were refreshed, and their outdoor spaces, which include three connecting expansive beachfront decks, offer planners a variety of food choices and events right on the sand with the most fantastic views in Florida.

“Florida is a safe destination that offers rich cultural diversity and culinary experiences,” concluded Farrugia.

Beyond enchanting parks, innovative outdoor events and a healthy dose of sunshine, blue skies and fresh, salty waters, Florida is the perfect destination for planners because there’s an endless array of hotel types, welcoming convention centers and activity choices for attendees. Besides, everything is better by the beach — meetings and events included. C&IT