Experts say attendees today want to engage and connect with their food.

As corporate and other meeting and event attendees become food savvy, crave variety, and demand a wider range of flavors, unique food and beverage options are now viewed as an easy avenue to please attendees and keep clients coming back for more.

Of course, food and beverage trends depend on the event being held. Cuisine for a convention group is definitely much different than a corporate social event or a board meeting.

“We have also seen a trend to food being a very thoughtful choice instead of just something that needs to be provided.” Kalsey Beach

Kalsey Beach, president and meeting planner at Do Good Events, continues to see an evolution toward ‘power foods’ that increase attendee energy and encourages productivity and attention. “We have also seen a trend to food being a very thoughtful choice instead of just something that needs to be provided,” Beach says.

From interactive dinners to large pop-ups, Cynthia Samanian, founder and CEO of Hidden Rhythm, plans one-of-a-kind events that are designed to build meaningful brand loyalty. Hidden Rhythm’s mission is simple: Spark engaging relationships that build loyalty between brands and their communities with one-of-a-kind events such as interactive dinners and pop-ups that showcase brands to influencers, media and more.

From her event planning experience, Samanian says that as the range of dietary preferences continues to broaden, there is a greater expectation that events will accommodate all guests.

“It’s no longer enough to just have a vegetarian meal as your alternative option,” Samanian says. “More and more, we’re finding that attendees are interested in plant-based options, even if they’re not vegan. Often times, they’re motivated by the environmental benefits of a plant-based diet.”

Indeed, Beach adds that there is always discussion around food allergens and preferences when menu planning. It is important to have a variety of options to accommodate all needs and ensure they are properly labeled for guests. “It is especially helpful if the chef is present during meal and snack times to answer any specific questions that may arise,” Beach says.

MEMORABLE FOOD EXPERIENCES

Incorporating unique vessels or presentation components when serving food and beverages is paramount for many events. In fact, how the food and drinks are served is almost as imperative as what you are serving.

Consider presenting items in mini stainless pails or baskets, using edible presentations such as a pastry spoon, baby red potato cups or a bacon slice, using lemon grass as buffet platters/centerpieces with different foods on skewers or laid right on the grass. Or combine a comfort food duo like grilled cheese and tomato soup as a cocktail. For example, a bloody mary with a side of cheese, bread, bacon, avocado or a shot glass of warm tomato soup and a miniature grilled cheese, can certainly be memorable.

Samanian and her team love creating experiences that enable guests to connect and engage with their food. Examples of this include DIY chia seed pudding bars, cocktail garnish bar stations and more.

“Whenever possible, we believe in making dining as hands-on and involved as possible,” Samanian says. “With a small group, you have an advantage in creating a more personal experience that connects guests with their food. We’ve found great success in hosting cooking classes or adding an educational element to the dinner that works well in a more intimate setting.”

Ashley Lampe, senior director of catering sales for Wolfgang Puck Catering in Los Angeles, is seeing the trend of food as entertainment continuing to gain in popularity and importance. Lampe is seeing requests for chef action stations, foods that spark conversations or are photo worthy, as well as foods that boast a local focus.

“Dietary restrictions, green initiatives — including eco-friendly, no waste, plastic-free, refillable water bottles — also are prevalent,” Lampe says.

According to Andrea Correale, celebrity caterer and president of Elegant Affairs Caterers, Off-Premise Catering & Event Design, today’s meeting attendees are far more food savvy. “They are expecting restaurant-quality cuisine in a catered setting,” says Correale, who has provided multileveled, luxe-catering to notables and brands like Billie Eilish, Bebe Rexha, Mariah Carey, Jimmy Fallon, Ralph Lauren and Jimmy Choo.

Correale says that today’s meeting planners are all looking for healthy and fresh choices, including vegan, gluten-free alternatives and plant-based foods. “Salad bars are popular, but over the top with elaborate selection and choices,” she says. “Event planners should consider exploring: vegan sushi bars; California-style, open-pit barbecues; Impossible Burger bars;  and Korean food.”

Global Master Chef Karl Guggenmos, senior culinary adviser at Healthy Meals Supreme, agrees that food for meetings has been undergoing a number of changes:

“Foods in the past have been very predictable, such as chicken breast, steak, salmon steak, along with comfort side dishes like pasta and mashed potatoes,” he says. “Foods are now becoming more focused on a variety of new and revived cooking methods such as sous vide, braising and more ethnic diversity. Seafood has also become more diversified.”

Guggenmos is also now seeing more Asian vegetables, pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, split peas and dried beans, and ancient grains such as bulgur wheat, quinoa and a variety of meat cuts suitable for braising. “Braised or slowly cooked and sous vide foods, such as ribs and chicken thighs, are much more flavorful and moist. We are simply seeing a trend towards more flavors, textures and a more exciting presentation,” he says.

There also seems to be a growing expectation that food at events is going to be high quality, nutritious, provide a wide variety of selections, and be able to accommodate any special dietary need or restrictions an attendee may have.

As Jessica Tosto, assistant clinical professor – MS Nutrition and Dietetics College of Health Professions at Pace University, explains, “You can’t just put out trays of sandwiches and sodas and expect people to be happy they got a ‘free meal.’ I think attendees are much more vocal about how the foods served met or did not meet their expectations, and how it impacted their perception of the event as a whole. There are also so many different diet fads and/or health-related dietary restrictions that people follow — it is very challenging to please every different need.”

Organic, local, sustainably sourced, and farm-to-table foods are also gaining in popularity. When people travel to different locations they often want to experience the foods that are native to the city they are visiting. As Tosto explains, incorporating regional menu items from local producers and promoting the source is a great way to support local businesses and also to help attendees feel like they are getting an authentic, local dining experience.

“It is a lot of fun to create a snack menu that highlights local farms,” Beach says. “Creating interesting signage about the cheese or vegetables, can make it a unique experience for the guests. When the venue allows, it is also well received to highlight local shops — this might be a small bakery that employees disadvantaged youth or another form of supporting businesses with big impact.”

FARE FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES

Experts agree that while smaller groups allow for more intimate touch points, simply due to the nature of the size of the event, larger groups can provide a similar element as more of a ‘showpiece.’

“Farm-to-table, locally sourced foods are probably more suited for smaller groups as the costs tend to be higher and also local vendors may not be able to support the demand for large numbers of attendees,” Tosto says.

For smaller groups, Correale recommends a chef’s tasting-plate menu and for trend snacks consider edamame, vegetable and herb tonics or pick-me-up shots as well as acai bowls. Unique displays, such as doughnut walls and vertical buffets, are very popular now, as is the ‘grab-and-go’-style of service where items are served in individual portions in a bowl.

The HUNGRY catering company offers a chef experience for clients that is perfect for smaller groups. As Chad Lambie, national director of training and client experience at HUNGRY explains, the chef experience allows the guests to see their food being made and learn about each of the dishes.

“There is a reason there are so many cooking shows on television right now. People enjoy seeing the chef prepare, interacting with the chef, and learning about what makes the dish special,” Lambie says.

Guggenmos says the only issue for large versus small groups is the cooking methods used. For example, short-order foods or dishes are not suitable for large groups as they are difficult to execute and tend to lose quality after being kept in hot boxes or reheated.

“Braised, sous vide, roasted or stewed foods are ideal,” Guggenmos says. “Grains and moisture-retaining vegetables are also better for large groups.”

In addition, Samanian adds that cheeseboards and ‘grazing’ boards are very popular for larger groups as they make it easy for guests to pick and choose what they’d like to eat. As a bonus, these boards are visually beautiful, which inspires guests to take photos and share the board — and possibly the event — on social media.

Lambie also sees ‘build-your-own’ meals as very popular right now for groups of all sizes. “With so many dietary restrictions it becomes very difficult to please a large number of attendees,” Lambie says. “Build-your-own gives the attendees the choice and control over what they are eating and how healthy they want to eat. Healthier food options will not change. If anything, people are going to be getting smarter about what they are putting into their bodies and this trend will continue. The old days of attendees only being given the choice of beef, fish or vegetarian are gone and people will continue to want control over what they are eating.”

SNACK ATTACK

When it comes to breaks or refreshment services, today’s meeting planners recognize that groups no longer just want healthy foods as was the trend two years ago. While they are still requesting the high-energy items such as hummus and vegetable shooters or energy bars, they also seek a sweet-and-naughty element such as truffle lollipops or chocolate-dipped pretzels.

For snacks between meals, Asian-type foods such as tapas, tempuras, shawarma, as well as mini burgers, pickled vegetables/fruits, Keto bombs and similar low-carb, low-sugar snacks, are currently trending.

“Low-carb brownies made with dried beans, avocado/no flour and maple syrup are the newest trend,” Guggenmos says.

In addition, healthy snacks that meet all dietary restrictions are being mixed in with the more decadent options, such as a great trail mix but also a delicious brownie. A snack like feta and watermelon is also very popular.

“We are seeing a lot more healthier options being served, that are delicious,” Lambie says. “There are more people today on specialized diets than ever before, and healthier options allow more people to enjoy the dishes.”

As a meeting planner, Beach strives to make the food and beverage found within the snack breaks more of an experience for the attendee such as a build-your-own trail mix bar.

“Consider energizing snacks that encourage mindfulness and productivity,” Beach says. “You can also incorporate branding into the snack moment. Consider having sponsors support a snack break and then branding the napkins or coffee cups with their logo. And elevate your water or coffee. Consider making the water station a hydro station with infused waters and adding gourmet enhancements to the coffee bar.”

In fact, when it comes to drinks, today’s guests want to be entertained. They don’t want the regular soda products. They want drinks such as lavender flavored soda water, cucumber infused still water, a garnish such as muddled blueberries and mint or classic cocktails with a new twist.

So what does the future hold for food trends and to what should meeting planners pay attention?

“Proteins will come more and more from non-animal sources. Side dishes will feature a variety of new ingredients, such as ancient grains and new sources for sweeteners,” Guggenmos says. There will certainly always a swing back to the past. Comfort food such a macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and pasta will always be around. However, they will be made from a healthier source.

Guggenmos says we will also see a lot more pulses. Bone broth, collagen, more exotic fruits, vegetables and greens, especially kale, will be a common occurrence. And processed food will hopefully be a thing of the past.

In addition, the ‘small bites’ reception trends are still very popular and are expected to continue to be a sought-after trend in menu offerings. These ‘small bite’ options include minimal portions presented in smaller, more interesting shaped vessels and can be paired with a signature cocktail, or local wine or beer selection for each food station.

Lampe adds that classics and comfort foods have remained popular over the years and will remain so. “The influence of international cuisines with the ability to explore will bring variety and excitement to events,” Lampe says. “Local, sustainable and menu balance are here to stay.”

Industry professionals expect the plant-based trend also will continue, especially as more players in the space, such as Beyond Meat and Miyoko’s Creamery, become more popular. “The greater trend will be towards sustainability, not only in the agricultural and food production space, but also as it applies to food waste,” Samanian says. “Companies such as Imperfect Produce will continue to grow in popularity as consumers become increasingly aware of issues in the food system.”

Lambie says foods will always be evolving and changing. “New chefs bring new ideas and it sparks innovation and creativity,” he says. “I think we will always have our ‘classics’ that people grow up with and love, but we will keep adding new ideas that expand our pallets. We are seeing so many talented chefs from around the world that are bringing family recipes and new dishes from their home countries. Specifically, countries that have not been in the forefront of cuisine. I think people are much more open to trying new foods than ever before and they are going to discover they are delicious.”C&IT

Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas remains one of the top gaming resorts for planners and attendees.

When it comes to deciding where to set a meeting, gaming resorts are often an excellent choice. For some groups, gaming properties — and often the larger destinations in which they’re located — are a big draw that boosts attendance. In addition to casinos, many gaming properties also feature high-profile, in-house entertainment and exceptional restaurants helmed by acclaimed chefs, decreasing the need to go off-property, which saves on transportation costs. And many feature additional amenities such as spas and golf courses.

NOT A DISTRACTION

While conventional thinking may be that casinos are a distraction enticing attendees away from the business at hand, most planners don’t find that to be true. And though gaming destinations sometimes get a bad rap as more about extravagance and indulgence than business, that’s not generally true, either. Las Vegas, for example, is famed for casinos but is also a huge draw for conventions and meetings because it has the infrastructure and support to make meetings productive and successful, and a wealth of opportunities to provide the much sought-after ‘wow’ factor.

“The entertainment options that this location brings to any group are amazing.” Lee Bentley Macleod, CMP

Lee Bentley MacLeod, CMP, president and owner, Sterling Event Planning of Williamsburg Inc., brought a group from a national food company to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas with great success.

“We chose the hotel because of location, price, sales group, meeting capacities and the fact that we were able to have exclusive use of all meeting and venue space. It was a perfect fit for this national sales meeting as we were able to control all meeting space for our specific needs,” MacLeod says. “The meeting space was isolated so that all focus was on the goals of the meeting. The venue locations, both outside and inside, were very convenient for the attendees and the outdoor space was much appreciated after long hours in meetings.”

The accommodations also worked well. “We were able to handle our VIPs with a private check-in and upgraded accommodations very efficiently and effectively in one tower. The two additional towers housed our attendees and special guests. These towers were closer to the meeting space so that was also a great benefit.”

As for Las Vegas itself, MacLeod sees it as a positive. “We really enjoyed being very close to the airport and off the main Strip,” she says. “Our attendees were focused on the meeting but were able to move onto the Strip in the evenings after our schedule was concluded. Flights were easy and economical from both coasts and ground transportation was uncomplicated. The entertainment options that this location brings to any group are amazing.”

Las Vegas hosts many conferences far larger than MacLeod’s group of 700, but that didn’t make MacLeod feel any less important. “The hotel management and employees made us feel very much the center of attention,” she says.

While gaming didn’t factor into the decision to meet in Las Vegas, MacLeod notes that it was viewed as an additional amenity. In addition to providing the right meeting space and range of accommodations, MacLeod says the hotel supported the meeting in multiple other ways, not the least of which was with an incredible staff. “Michael Catalano, our sales manager, was outstanding and responded to all of our needs. The entire service team was outstanding and truly unbelievable. And the entire hotel staff — including the setup team, culinary group and top management — all went beyond their normal duties to insure the program’s success.” Moreover, she adds, “The hotel helped us to connect to the right people for our décor and entertainment needs. Although we brought our own A/V team, the hotel’s A/V team became a part of our family and we all worked together toward the success of this program.”

As with any meeting, there were occasional challenges, but none without solutions. “Problems always arise when working with this many people as change is constant,” MacLeod says. “When these instances occurred, we worked together to resolve any issues and come up with a solution that worked for everyone.”

Her advice to planners considering Las Vegas, “Analyze the goals of the meeting and size of the meeting before looking at any particular hotel. Once this is established, find the location that will best service your needs and respond to your changes as they come.”

In this case, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas was the perfect choice. And it will no doubt continue to be a perfect choice for many groups — but under a new flag with a new design. In February, construction begins on a project to develop the property as the new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Slated to open at the end of next year, the design will include 1,504 ‘chambers’ with considerable in-room technology, an ‘immersive’ 60,000-sf casino, more than 5 acres of poolside spaces, multiple dining venues from some of the nation’s hottest restaurateurs and 110,000-plus sf of ‘re-inspired’ meeting, event and convention space.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

With an office in Temecula, California, choosing Pechanga Resort Casino for an annual trade show was an obvious choice for Rosalinda Orozco, HR manager and event planner with Southwest Traders Inc., a product distribution company with centers throughout the west. This year’s trade show drew about 500 attendees.

“We chose Pechanga as a venue not only because of the convenience that it’s in the same town as our warehouse, but also because it’s the halfway point to our customers in San Diego and Los Angeles,” Orozco says.

But it was more than just location. “Pechanga Resort Casino has something for everyone to enjoy,” she adds. “Pechanga will have whatever you need. And if not, they will do their best to make it happen.”

While the casino was not part of the meeting, Orozco says, “The casino itself and the new pools were an added bonus to attract our customers.”

She did have some concerns that not all customers would like meeting in a casino venue. “We made sure that everyone knew that Pechanga is not just a casino and that it has many other things to offer. And we did offer our best customers a free night to enjoy the resort.”

Orozco’s group didn’t have any need to go off-property. “We didn’t have to use another venue. Pechanga has everything you could possibly need. We used hotel functions for our vendors and guests. Rooms were very nice, and I heard everyone loved the new pools,” Orozco says, noting that the resort had recently been renovated. “The proximity to the rooms from the conference hall was very close, and our conference space was exactly everything we needed and more.”

The group made use of the resort’s A/V and Wi-Fi, which Orozco describes as “great.” She also has high praise for Pechanga’s A/V staff. “The A/V manager was always checking to see how things were going. There were no issues.”

In fact, she notes, “Every staff member at the hotel was super friendly. You couldn’t ask to work with anyone better than our sales manager and our catering and conference managers. They are always one step ahead.”

Some of the Southwest Traders Inc. attendees took part in a tournament at the resort’s golf facility. “We had a golf tournament the day before our product show,” Orozco says. “It was amazing. The golf course is beautiful and our guests really appreciated the venue.”

As for meals, the group used a couple of different options for dinners: Journey’s End, one of the resorts many dining venues, as well as one of the conference halls. “The food was absolutely amazing,” Orozco says. “Everything was superb and we received a lot of compliments on the quality of the food.”

If there’s any downside, it’s that Pechanga is increasingly growing in popularity. “Plan ahead,” Orozco advises, “because the word is getting out about how great Pechanga is for an event. It is a go-to destination for sure.” Orozco and Southwest Traders Inc. were so pleased with the meeting this year that they’ve already selected Pechanga Resort Casino for next year’s  show.

ISLAND FLAVOR

Far to the east, the Bahamas also offer resorts featuring casinos along with a slew of other amenities, not the least of which is the balmy, blue ocean teeming with marine life. Atlantis, Paradise Island is one of them. The luxurious complex boasts: 3,400 rooms across five distinct properties; the largest casino in the Bahamas; a 30,000-sf spa; a 141-acre water park; the world’s largest, open-air marine habitat with more than 50,000 aquatic animals representing more than 250 marine species; and more than 100 marine biologists ready to guide guests into the wonder of ocean life with hands-on experiences at Dolphin Cay. Atlantis’ Conference Center encompasses 200,000 sf of indoor meeting spaces, including the Imperial Ballroom, which has the capacity for groups of up to 4,000. Additionally, there are 300,000 sf of outdoor event space with multiple meeting facilities. While Atlantis has made its mark, it continues to evolve. Most recently, the all-suite accommodations at The Reef property were refreshed.

Across the bridge in Nassau proper, Baha Mar is another increasingly popular choice for meetings and conventions. Norma Baumann, senior account manager with Business Incentives Worldwide, brought a group of executives there this past summer.

“We loved that the destination is one-of-a-kind, and that its relaxing atmosphere allows guests to take a step back and take it all in,” she says. The group used the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center for meetings and Grand Hyatt Baha Mar as the base hotel.

“As we were planning the event, the quality of lodging had to be suitable for our attendees,” Baumann says. “Grand Hyatt Baha Mar’s high-end resort feel was aligned with what we were looking for. The convention center’s meeting space is incredible as there’s a lot to work with, and we appreciated how central it was to other venues and resort amenities.”

With nearly 1,800 in attendance, the group required a large hotel and the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar is exactly that. “Grand Hyatt Baha Mar had the inventory to keep our entire group together. We also knew that we wanted to embrace local culture and we appreciated that the Hyatt rooms have a Bahamian touch to them, in addition to being spacious and elegant.”

The Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center creates a strong sense of place, not only in its island style, but also because it prominently features the artwork of Bahamian artists. “For our events, we used the convention center and conference space, which was an eight-minute walk from our guests’ rooms. The convention center provided adequate A/V, and Wi-Fi throughout the property was strong and reliable,” Baumann notes. “We were also pleased with the catering capabilities — the presentation, timing and taste were fantastic. While we did not use the hotel for décor, we were satisfied with all elements of the convention center and planning process. We were so impressed with how the staff worked to help deliver an outstanding President’s Club event.”

Baumann especially appreciated the high level of service. “The sales office provided excellent support throughout the planning process,” she says, “specifically the director of group sales and the senior sales manager. We understand that the process takes a village and their willingness to listen helped quell our worries for the event. While on property, we always had one direct, on-site contact, who proved to be absolutely great. He was incredibly responsive, and truly understood our program and what we were trying to achieve.”

Like other planners who set meetings in casino resorts, Baumann didn’t necessarily consider the casino a factor in choosing the hotel and destination. “But the gaming aspect was an added value to our guests’ stay as our attendees skewed younger,” she says.

There were some potential challenges to work through in terms of island infrastructure. “Over the course of several site inspections, we realized that the power goes out from time to time and could impact our group events and awards nights,” Baumann says. ”The team decided to bring in two additional generators to ensure that the elaborate evenings would run seamlessly.”

For Baumann, it really is all about teamwork. To planners thinking about meeting at Baha Mar — or anywhere for that matter — she advises, “Communicate your expectations immediately. As we are all working toward the same goal, it’s imperative to work side-by-side as a team to accomplish our joint vision.”

Planners should also know this about Grand Hyatt Baha Mar: It may be the only property where you can introduce your attendees to ‘flamingo yoga.’ Yes, real flamingos practicing yoga with attendees.

According to a representative for the property, “The flamingos are actually ‘participating’ in the class — as best as they can. The flow is led by an instructor who is very comfortable with the flamingos and understands that the birds are very ‘hands on.’ The birds will get on the towels, mats, hair and anything else they can find. Their beaks are like fingertips and whenever there’s something new, their curiosity takes over. They especially love the mats, because they play into all of their senses. They love the sound from their feet on the mat, and the texture seems to be fun to them.”

Alas, there may not be many destinations offering ‘flamingo yoga,’ however, there are a ton of destinations and resorts that provide excellent meeting options in addition to top-level gaming opportunities. The two are definitely not mutually exclusive.

MORE RESORTS TO CONSIDER

Planners who have not visited MGM Resorts lately will find much that’s new. Last year, ARIA Resort & Casino Convention Center underwent a $165 million expansion resulting in an additional 200,000 sf of technologically advanced, flexible space within four stories. Highlights include a dramatic glass-enclosed venue and striking indoor/open-air spaces.

The MGM Grand Conference center underwent a $130 million expansion late last year that added 250,000 sf and included an expansion of the resorts’ Stay Well Meetings. Of interest to association executive boards is the new, 77,000-sf conference space at Park MGM, which includes Madison Meeting Center and Ideation Studio, the first executive meeting center in Las Vegas specifically designed to meet the needs of small groups. Large groups have the Park Theater, which accommodates up to 5,200. The expansion was completed late last year.

When the much-anticipated CAESARS FORUM opens next spring, it will already have significant bookings. Caesars Entertainment says it has now secured more than $300 million in business for the new 550,000-sf facility. Industry powerhouses MPI, Cvent, Conference Direct and HelmsBriscoe all have selected the space for upcoming annual meetings.

Of course, Las Vegas doesn’t have a lock on desirable gaming resorts. Atlantic City is the gaming go-to on the East Coast, and plenty has been happening there as well. Last year, Revel re-opened as Ocean Casino Resort with 1,299 guest rooms, an expansive spa, 160,000 sf of event space and a Topgolf Swing Suite. After a $500 million investment, Hard Rock International completely transformed the former Taj Mahal Casino, reopening it last year as a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

Resorts Casino Hotel has expanded the Margaritaville LandShark Bar & Grill on the boardwalk with Fins Bar, a year-round beach bar experience. Live entertainment, an expanded bar and a 2,300-sf boardwalk deck are among its highlights. Tropicana purchased The Chelsea Hotel, bringing its room total to 2,730. The new Chelsea Tower at Tropicana Atlantic City includes the newly reopened Sea Spa, and for groups holding rooms in both properties, they’re conveniently linked via skybridge.

Finally, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City’s Coastal Tower is in the midst a $56 million upgrade, various infrastructure projects continue, the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall underwent a $10 million renovation and the city has approved a micro-brewery/axe-throwing facility scheduled to debut later this year.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, Talking Stick Resort offers 113,000 sf of flexible meeting space and gets high marks for its casino and luxurious accommodations. The casino has more than 50 table games, 800 slot machines and hosts daily poker tournaments. Attendees can visit Topgolf at Riverwalk right across the street, or play a few rounds at Talking Stick Golf Club’s two courses.

Groups that love meeting in Florida in the winter months are in luck as two properties should be on planners’ radars. A combined $2.2 billion project includes expansions of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. In Hollywood, the expansion includes a 638-room guitar tower. There’s also a new, 13.5-acre pool experience, expanded casino and spa and a new Hard Rock Live. In Tampa, the expansion features a 14-story tower with 562 guest rooms, three new pools and an expanded casino, plus the Hard Rock Event Center with its 17,000-sf ballroom among other spaces. C&IT

BalloonCoach.com employees were pleased that Holiday Inn Orlando – Disney Springs Area was within walking distance of activities for shopping, meals and entertainment.

Orlando was founded in 1875, almost 100 years before the first theme park arrived. The city has history, quality infrastructure and a slew of meeting-friendly hotels. Most importantly, it welcomes and supports business. The fact that there are also theme parks to help drive registration is just icing on this sunny cake.

So Many Meeting Venues

The biggest choice for planners may be where in the city to meet.

Located 25 minutes from Orlando’s airport and 20 minutes from Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World Resort, the 862-room Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is a destination in its own right. Maribeth Nash, corporate events manager with Missouri-based Origami Risk, provider of risk-management software, says, “It’s the best resort in the area and they were willing to work with us on our price point and needs. We also liked that it was a little away from Walt Disney World.”

The company’s User Conference last year drew 450 attendees. All functions were on-site, and Nash says “The resort is large enough that you don’t need to do anything off-site and can still feel like you’re getting variety.”

The hotel delivered on all fronts. “The space was perfect and private as we had the entire Osceola building to ourselves. And attendees and colleagues are still talking about the amazing food.”

“It’s the best resort in the area and they were willing to work with us on our price point and needs. We also liked that it was a little away from Walt Disney World.” -Maribeth Nash

Nash calls the staff the best she’s worked with. “Everyone was on top of things 175 percent. From contract negotiations to running our program, to room coordinator, everyone went above and beyond.”

The only hitch was that most attendees checked in at the same time, but not all rooms were ready. Nash suggests planners address that ahead of time and develop a solution.

The experience was so positive the company has booked the resort for 2020, and Nash highly recommends it for others. “Your group will love the space, the resort and the food. You’ll absolutely love the staff and how easy they make your job.”

In the International Drive area, Hilton Orlando can accommodate large groups on its own, but is also adjacent to the OCCC, making it ideal for a conference of 2,000 managers in December. The meeting planner says Orlando ticks off many boxes, including good airlift and fares and hotels with sufficient room nights and meeting space.

The planner’s group used the OCCC for its plenary as well as some meals, and, the planner notes, “Weather in December has been chilly the past two years so unfortunately outdoor options have not worked.”

In spite of the hotel’s convenient location, the planner says, “We felt the logistics required to get attendees to and from the convention center weren’t ideal. A lot of money was spent on transportation for the day of the event along with rehearsals the day prior.”

That aside, the planner says, “Based on our past experience with the hotel, the selection was ideal for us.” The planner gives the hotel an excellent rating for everything from the contracting process and the sales contact and conference services manager (CSM) team to rooms, cleanliness and customer service.

The hotel also provided ‘five-star’ food and beverage, presentation, creativity and service, the planner adds. “The hotel worked with us planning creative dinner options. All meals had ‘be-well/healthy’ options and luncheons were well received with healthy options and creative components. The banquet staff and captains are the finest in the Orlando area.”

As for meetings, the planner says, “We basically used all the hotel meeting space as well as hotel vendors for power and Wi-Fi, but brought in an outside production company for A/V.”

One caveat for booking here: “With space always at a premium,” the planner advises, “make sure contracted hotel rooms and space are adequate for your meeting.”

Easy to Fly to, Easy to Drive to

Scott Washburn, president and CEO of Nevada-based Event Consultants LLC, has brought 3,000-5,000 attendees to Orlando for the past several years. The ConnectWise IT Nation Connect, a conference for companies that sell, service and support technology, is based at another International Drive property, Hyatt Regency Orlando.

“Orlando is a great location due to ease of air travel and easy access for drive-in attendees,” Washburn says. “It’s also family friendly, so many attendees have family join them before or after the conference or even during. There’s so much to do in Orlando for all ages.”

Additionally, Washburn says, “The Hyatt’s location is great with a lot of hotels nearby, many in walking distance, for overflow rooms. And there are great restaurants in the hotel and within walking distance.”

Washburn’s group used every inch of the Hyatt Regency convention space, hospitality suites, restaurants and lounges. “It all tied together very well,” he says. “The Hyatt has large convention space and a large number of breakout rooms. The multilevel meeting space and multistory windows in the foyers make it feel very open, even when packed full of people.”

About the staff, Washburn adds, “The convention, banquet and meeting-support staff in the convention space really know their stuff. They’re accessible at all hours and are great at everything they do. They know how to interact with busy convention attendees, VIPs and planners. The front desk check-in process is monitored well, and additional check-in staff, greeters and bell staff are pulled in as needed.”

The group also books off-site events at SeaWorld and Universal Orlando for this conference, just two of the city’s draws. Orlando has so much to offer, in fact, that Washburn advises planners to “Always plan for early arrivals and stay-over attendees as many people like to enjoy the many attractions in the area.”

Large Groups Are No Problem

With multiple hotels, Universal Orlando Resort works well for large groups. In January this year, Lisa Pratt, owner of Pinnacle Events Inc., brought in 4,100 attendees for the company-wide celebration of a Massachusetts-based global software company.

“Our goal was to find a destination and venue where we could house all of our attendees in the same location and have meeting space and entertainment options close by so our international staff wouldn’t have to spend time being bused from location to location after traveling so far. Orlando and Universal Orlando Resort met both of these requirements. There’s also great airlift from Boston and our international locations.”

The group used Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Universal’s Aventura Hotel. With the annual meeting and functions on property, transportation was easy as Universal’s own transportation system accessed most areas.

“We had a private block party at Universal CityWalk, where we had the use of nine fabulous restaurants, and one event at Universal Studios. Attendees got a chance to experience all the rides and attractions at the theme parks, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

Additionally the group had a free day during which attendees could choose from a variety of off-property options such as an alligator airboat tour, skydiving, shopping and visiting Kennedy Space Center. DMC 360 Destination Group helped facilitate the details. Pratt says this was “a great addition to the program.”

Most meetings took place in the 247,000-sf Loews Meeting Complex, connecting the Sapphire Falls and Royal Pacific resorts; a few utilized space at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. “We were so impressed by the cleanliness of the bathrooms, the quality of the buffets and the overall space given the magnitude of our program,” Pratt says. “We’ve had smaller programs in the past where keeping the bathrooms clean, the buffets full and the food presentation up to par was an issue. Not here — the food presentation, variety and consistency at the hotels was incredible. The chefs also did a great job helping us accommodate dietary constraints, including allergies, kosher and halal meals.”

Pratt chose Universal Orlando and Loews hotels based on a successful meeting at Loews Portofino Bay years ago. The key was that she maintained relationships from that meeting.

“I kept in touch with our sales person. When I sourced this program, the meeting space at Loews Sapphire Falls wasn’t built, but she and her assistant helped me lay out every one of our projected breakouts, general sessions and meals to ensure the meeting could fit in the space that didn’t even exist yet. My faith in her assessment of how we could make it work, along with the time spent mapping it out, made me confident in recommending it as an exceptional option for our program.”

Pratt says there were a few hiccups, including a shortage of matching chairs for a 4,100-person dinner. “The hotel provided options in a timely manner so we could quickly react.” The solution: They borrowed chairs from one of their other hotels.

Pratt has high praise for the staff and facilities. “The staff was kind, engaging and went above and beyond, including managing a dinner and reception for 4,000+ people all sitting and eating at once. It was flawless. We were concerned about Wi-Fi capabilities given our numbers, but that was flawless as well. We were able to use the same access code for Wi-Fi in all meeting spaces regardless of the hotel.”

Create Partnerships

Planning this program was a long process made easier by solid partnerships. “The catering and convention services team spent years working with us to execute a flawless program,” Pratt notes. “Our convention services manager worked tirelessly with us to plan every detail from concept to completion.”

Pratt’s best advice for other planners: “Work collaboratively with your vendors. All of our partners worked incredibly hard on this project and were as invested in its success as we were. Key is creating a respectful, collaborative relationship where everyone is valued and all needs and priorities are considered. At times we could help the hotel by releasing space we didn’t need, for example — when you’re booking 3 1/2 years out, things change. That way they weren’t holding guest rooms we were never going to fill, which helped them meet their business goals. And we needed things that weren’t contractually agreed upon from the start, such as transportation support between hotels. Given our relationship and willingness to work as a team, the hotel helped with these kinds of needs and provided valuable support and solutions.”

Hotels in Lake Buena Vista’s Disney Springs area are owned and managed independent of Walt Disney World. One is Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs Resort Area, where Sea Tow Services International Inc. met last year. The annual conference draws 125-150 attendees.

Cindy McCaffrey, vice president of program development for Sea Tow, says the Orlando area works well because 28 of the company’s 100 U.S. franchises are in Florida, with the remainder across the country.

She calls Wyndham’s staff key to this property’s success. “It starts with the GM, trickles down through sales and on to the convention services and banquet team. This is the third annual meeting we’ve held at the property, and the first time ever we have repeated a location, let alone booked one three times.”

Noting that the hotel’s meeting space has recently been renovated, McCaffrey says, “Our meetings, breakouts and vendor showcase flow beautifully within the space at the Wyndham. Our group used the meeting space and outdoor pool area for the majority of functions and meals as well as the vendor showcase. We also utilized the restaurant during the breakfast buffet. Our attendees like to start the day with a nice hearty breakfast and the Wyndham offers that and more. The character breakfast is always a hit when our attendees bring family along.”

She adds that the property is very willing to work with planners who want outdoor functions by the pool. “We had a couple of boats on trailers on display and they worked with us to make sure our attendees had access and the perfect view of them. Also, the food is not ‘typical’ hotel food. It’s tasty, abundant and always displayed with care and creativity.” And she says although the hotel is close to Walt Disney World, “It’s not so close that you can’t run a business meeting.”

Theme Parks Are Nearby

Yet theme-park proximity has advantages. “You don’t need to worry about planning evening activities” McCaffrey says. “They’re right there waiting for attendees to explore.”

At a recent Promotions & Profits Retreat at another Lake Buena Vista hotel, Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area, attendees gathered for a BalloonCoach.com event. “Our attendees and staff were delighted that the Holiday Inn is in walking distance to Disney Springs’ main hub of activity for shopping, meals and entertainment in the evening after a busy day in classes,” says Joette Giardina, owner of BalloonCoach.com and marketing director at PartyPeopleEvents.com. Other positives are easy access to a 24-hour grocery store, fast food and sit-down dining outside of that area, and Giardina notes that her staff was “easily able to go out for dinners off-property for small meetings.”

The group had lunch at the Holiday Inn daily as well as dinner the final night. “Every meal was presented well and tasted amazing,” Giardina says. “I got rave reviews from happy staff and attendees. It’s great,” she adds, “to have a reasonably priced hotel with delicious food, clean rooms, a relaxing pool and extremely friendly staff,” along with such easy access to all that the area offers.

In addition to the hotel providing flexible meeting space for the group, Giardina says the hotel staff is excellent. “The entire team was welcoming and informative on my original site visit, providing timely responses to all my requests,” she says. “And customer service during the event was excellent. Everything about the experience was top-notch and we’re looking forward to returning for our annual event.”

Attendees felt the same way. “My attendees appreciated they could do things budget friendly or spend all they wanted in the theme parks.”

Another choice for planners is the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, where a company in the medical meetings and education sector held its annual conference last year. This was the group’s third year there, and with the exception of 2021, the company is booked through 2026. Teresa Lovich, former event planner, says the conference outgrew its former location in Hollywood, Florida, and Orlando offers opportunity for expansion.

Creative Opportunities

“There are many different opportunities to be creative and to grow without having to be stuck in a convention center,” she says. The company has “four tracks, breakouts, half a dozen receptions and a full-blown exhibit hall, so it needs space. Unless you go to Vegas, there isn’t really anywhere else that could house the programs.”

Plus, she adds, “There’s the quality of the lodging, the hotel itself and the fact there’s so much access to restaurants, shopping and nightlife. Attendees like to bring their families and they like everything the location has to offer.”

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin was one of five Orlando properties considered. The company “ … needed a lot of space but we also wanted to make sure we were taking over that entire space,” Lovich says. “When you have a medical meeting, it’s not feasible to have it bleed into somebody else’s conference. Ultimately, it was almost a 50/50 split between the Dolphin and another hotel, but what really played into the choice was opportunity for branding. The main source of income wasn’t registration, it was corporate support. The company does a lot of branding, and at the Dolphin you can literally brand that entire hotel; there are so many unique opportunities and that was a big plus.”

Starting over at a new hotel can be challenging, Lovich notes, because you have to explain how you do things. When it came to the group’s room coordinator, that wasn’t necessary. “We didn’t even have to tell her. She knew and ran with it.” In fact, Lovich calls the entire team “phenomenal.”

The company used “every inch of space” at the Dolphin, but what Lovich loved were the options for creativity. “You can get as creative as you want or go as simple as you want. The hotel team will help you with anything. As big as the property is, once you get there, it’s a very easy flow. And I like the opportunities with different restaurants on-site — you don’t have to go off-property if you don’t want to.”

Lovich says the only challenges had been with her own team due to the growth of the conference, but the Dolphin even helps with that. “The goal with this conference has always been to stay in a resort hotel setting and not take it to a convention center,” she says. “The Dolphin allows them to do that. That’s a great thing for planners to know. If you do get that big, you still have the opportunity to spill over to the Swan side, which is nice.”

Planners simply can’t go wrong with Orlando. There really is something for everyone. C&IT

Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas offers 1 million sf of exhibit space, three ballrooms and 88 meeting rooms.

Texas is diverse in every sense of the word, and when it comes to hotels and convention centers, the state offers everything planners need to make any size meeting a success. No wonder the same groups visit Texas repeatedly and have unique and memorable experiences each time.

Dallas

‘Big D’ considers itself the star of meeting destinations in Texas — and for good reason. Dallas offers numerous first-class hotels and 1 million sf of meeting space, including the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD), which hosted Tyler Technologies Inc.’s (TTI) annual meeting for clients and employees earlier this year. The company also held smaller meetings at the Grand Hyatt DFW, Omni Dallas Hotel and The Adolphus, Autograph Collection.

About 3,900 attendees from every state in the U.S., Canada and Europe participated in the annual meeting. It was the first time TTI, based in nearby Plano, held the meeting in Dallas after having convened smaller events in the city over the years. Initially, TTI had some doubts about selecting Dallas, according to Lee Marquis, TTI director of events marketing. “To be honest, we never really thought Dallas had the draw of some of the other cities we rotated between, and it was a long shot.”

“We had record attendance and positive survey results. The main goals of this event were to provide attendees with education, training and networking opportunities, so easy access to breakout sessions was important.”
-Lee Marquis

But meetings with Visit Dallas officials turned things around. “They did their homework,” Marquis says. “The first time we met, they knew our history, they knew about our company and they even knew what our stock was trading at that day. They took the time to ensure that we saw everything they had to offer from arts to dining to airlift.”

Most convincing of all, Marquis says, “There was a sincerity about wanting our business and a willingness to prove that they would provide a world-class experience.”

Marquis was convinced. “This was an overall home run for this meeting,” Marquis says. “We had record attendance and positive survey results. The main goals of this event were to provide attendees with education, training and networking opportunities, so easy access to breakout sessions was important.”

The event used a total of about 633,000 sf of meeting space citywide, including all available space in the KBHCCD and Omni Dallas Hotel. “Unlike many connected hotels and convention centers, the Omni and the KBHCCD meeting spaces are almost seamless,” Marquis says. “You don’t feel like you are attending separate conferences.”

Marquis also raved about the KBHCCD’s layout and configurable space. “The common areas were large enough to accommodate two large and two smaller tech hubs,” Marquis says. “Hall F provided great column-less space to accommodate an opening session, a general session and a keynote with former President George W. Bush.”

In addition to the ample meeting space, Marquis found meeting costs in Dallas overall to be affordable. “Hotel rates were of average-to-moderate value,” Marquis says. “Rates were less than many of those of comparably large cities but not bargain basement. The great value we received on F&B was offset by extra costs to shuttle attendees from other hotels.”

Marquis also received very valuable assistance on-site. “We experienced tremendous value from the CVB,” Marquis says. “They stepped in to assist with some hotel issues and they were in regular contact with myself and my staff.”

Dallas continues adding to its total of more than 6,000 downtown-area hotel rooms. New properties include the Virgin Group’s 200-room Virgin Hotel, which opens this year in the trendy Design District.

Two mixed-use properties are expected to open next year. Plans are underway for the vacant First National Bank Tower to host a 200-room hotel under the Thompson Hotels flag, and the 164-room Pittman Hotel, bearing the Kimpton Hotels flag, will be located in the Knights of Pythias Temple as part of the Epic mixed-use development.

The Hilton Dallas/Park Cities has undergone a $5.5 million makeover. The 11-story property, in the Preston Center near the Dallas North Tollway and Northwest Highway, offers 224 rooms.

Another property, the 606-room Hilton Anatole is also in the Design District and provides 600,000 sf of function space, including 79 meeting rooms and nine ballrooms. Other properties attracting their share of meetings include the Sheraton Dallas Hotel by the Galleria and the Hyatt Regency Dallas.

Fort Worth

Dallas’ neighboring city, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, attracts its share of meetings with a mix of Western heritage, urban vibrance, meeting space and hotels. Looking to improve its meetings infrastructure, Fort Worth is undertaking major projects.

The 14,000-seat Dickies Arena, a new, $450 million multipurpose arena, is scheduled to open by the end of this year. The arena is just 10 minutes from downtown. Also, Texrail, the new 27-mile commuter rail line connecting DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth, operates every day for $2.50 each way.

New properties opening in Fort Worth in 2020 include the 246-room AC Hotel by Marriott and the 200-room Hotel Drover, an Autograph Collection property.

Popular meeting properties near the Fort Worth Convention Center (FWCC) include the Hilton Fort Worth, the Omni Fort Worth Hotel and the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel nearby offers 504 rooms and 53,000 sf of meeting space.

Austin

Austin reflects its status as one of the state’s most interesting and diverse destinations. The destination’s uniqueness helped attract SANS Institute (SI), which will hold its third meeting in the city for clients later this year. More than 200 people attended SI’s training sessions earlier this year at the Hilton Austin, which connects to the Austin Convention Center (ACC) via an overhead walkway.

According to Rachel Nedelman, CMP, SI’s associate director of event contracting, Austin will continue to be the organization’s first choice. “I don’t know why Austin was initially chosen, but we continue to be in Austin because it is such a cool destination,” Nedelman says. “Who doesn’t enjoy great food, music and a laid-back vibe? And Austin has a lot of tech-based companies, so we get a large local draw,” Nedelman says. “We added a fourth event to our schedule for next year in Austin.”

Next year’s meetings will also take place at the Hilton Austin, which Nedelman says will continue to be a preferred property. “We have partnered with the Hilton Austin for many years for multiple events each year,” Nedelman says. “We receive great service from the sales side and service side. They know our programs and understand our needs and what is important to us.”

Nedelman considers her strong relationship with the Hilton Austin a big advantage. “Some of my favorite sales managers I’ve ever worked with work at this hotel, so it makes doing business there easy,” Nedelman says. “Plus, the hotel continues to renovate and stay current and has lots of space for us to grow into.”

In addition, the meeting space perfectly matched SANS Institute’s needs. “The space at the Hilton Austin is great,” Nedelman says. “They have so many meeting rooms, which works well because we use a lot of small spaces. They also have bigger ballrooms that accommodate our needs perfectly for a couple of programs.  The stacked space makes the meeting flow really easy and cohesive. They definitely designed the hotel with a planner’s needs in mind.”

Yet another advantage the Hilton Austin offers is value. “Due to our great relationships, we’ve been able to keep increases pretty low year-over-year, so we feel as though we receive pretty-darn good value,” Nedelman says.

More meeting and convention space is coming to Austin. The Austin City Council recently agreed on a $1.2 billon expansion of the ACC. The proposal would expand the western portion of the convention center and rebuild part of the existing facility.

The newly opened, 37-story Fairmont Austin, which is connected to the ACC, features 1,048 guest rooms and suites. The luxury hotel also offers nearly 140,000 sf of total meeting space, including 40,000 sf of prefunction space and 13,500 sf of outdoor space.

Another convention hotel, the 613-room Austin Marriott Downtown, opens next year with 64,000 sf of meeting space.

In nearby Round Rock, the 350-acre Kalahari Resorts and Conventions Round Rock opens next year with 200,000 sf of flexible meeting space, a 22,000-sf ballroom and a 40,000-sf ballroom.

Irving

Thriving, modern and exciting — all describe Irving. The city offers live music every night of the week, 14 full-service hotels and a more than 200,000 sf of meeting space citywide, including the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas (ICC). Irving offers planners even more since the opening of the new, 13-story Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas located next to the ICC. The 350-room Westin complex offers 30,000 sf of meeting space and a 10,000-sf event lawn between the hotel and the nearby Toyota Music Factory retail and entertainment center. The versatile Toyota Music Factory offers an 8,000-seat indoor/outdoor concert hall, more than 20 restaurants and a wide range of musical acts and bars.

According to Maura Gast, FCDME, executive director of the Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB), “With the Westin’s opening, meeting professionals now have a perfectly efficient destination package with the convention center and Toyota Music Factory with its Live Nation Pavilion and restaurant options.”

San Antonio

Downtown San Antonio is filled with meeting options headlined by the Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC), with its 1.5 million sf of indoor space. The HBGCC attracts many repeat customers each year, including the annual national meeting of Sport Clips Inc., which includes employees, franchisees and suppliers.

According to Saronna Maldonado, CMP, director of events for Sport Clips Inc., “We were at the convention center with 2,805 in attendance in 2016 and again last year with 3,019 in attendance. We will be back at the center in 2020 and 2021 with projected attendance to be over 3,200 and 3,300 respectively.”

Sport Clips continuously returns to the HBGCC because the meeting space helps the company achieve its goals.

“The convention center has very flexible space,” Maldonado says. “We were able to utilize their new space for last year’s meeting. The meeting rooms can be one big room or broken down into a few smaller ones.”

Maldonado adds, “The space is open and well-lit with lots of natural light coming into the lobby and each floor’s hallway. Being able to use the spaces for multiple purposes was important to us as we were celebrating our 25th anniversary and welcoming a huge group.”

In addition to the HBGCC, Maldonado finds San Antonio’s culture to be a big attraction. “San Antonio’s culture is very unique,” Maldonado says. “When we seek out a venue, there are several things that go into choosing where to go. Proximity to restaurants, bars and entertainment is important as well as if the meeting space will work for us.”

Maldonado characterizes San Antonio’s culture as part of its value. “There’s so much value in that alone,” she says. “Attendees are able to visit a city with a great culture and some of the best, affordable food around.”

The service of San Antonio’s properties and CVB also makes the city a favorite of Sport Clips.

“There isn’t a doubt in our minds when we arrive on-site at our event that we’re in great hands,” Maldonado says. “They take care of their clients because that’s their job, but they also enjoy doing it. It’s one thing for the CVB itself to have a great culture, but it’s another when they can connect us with vendors that have the same vision.”

San Antonio is also rapidly increasing its number of hotel rooms, now totaling more than 38,000. A newly opened property is the 22-story Canopy by Hilton San Antonio River Walk. The hotel offers 195 guest rooms and 3,000 sf of meeting space as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking the River Walk. The property features some design elements of the historic Civil War-era Alamo Fish Market building.

Last year, the 1,003-room Grand Hyatt San Antonio completed an $18 million renovation which included meeting spaces, guest rooms, lobby, bar and corridors. Meeting space updates include state-of-the-art lighting, reader boards and A/V technology.

The Grand Hyatt San Antonio recently hosted a meeting for 140 employees of Tyler Technologies Inc. According to Marquis, “This hotel has been in our housing block for three citywide meetings in the past years, but this is the first time we have actually used its meeting space. They have been great to work with and they came back with the right dates, right spaces and right concessions. We were so confident that we signed a multiyear contract with the Hyatt and received good value.”

Marquis cites several other reasons why San Antonio is a good choice, including its walkability and restaurant variety. “It is appealing because of its relatively central U.S. location and provides good value from a cost perspective,” Marquis says. “We also find that Visit San Antonio and the hotel community work exceptionally well as a team, more so than we find in most places.”

Arlington

One might think Arlington would be a meeting afterthought due to its location between the much larger destinations of Dallas and Fort Worth. Think again. Arlington keeps adding everything planners need, including meeting space, hotels, attractions and entertainment.

Late last year, Arlington opened Texas Live!, the center of the city’s new $250 million entertainment district located a short walk from the 90,000-sf Arlington Convention Center (ACC) and Sheraton Arlington Hotel.

Texas Live! offers Arlington Backyard, a 5,000-person capacity outdoor event pavilion; a Professional Bull Riders (PBR) bar with two mechanical bulls; and the 35,000-sf Live! Arena for concerts and outdoor festivals. There is also a range of dining options.

In addition, the Live! by Loew’s — Arlington hotel will open this year. The hotel will feature 35,000 sf of meeting space.

Looking to capitalize on the growing competitive video gaming industry, Arlington also created the Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center, the nation’s largest venue of its type. The facility, which opened late last year, offers venues for esports events. Arlington spent $10 million to convert half of its convention center into a 100,000-sf, state-of-the-art video game arena. Esports Stadium sits among Globe Life Park in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers; AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys; Six Flags Over Texas; Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and several hotels and restaurants.

Galveston

The port city of Galveston, located 50 miles from Houston, offers a range of properties ranging from coastal B&Bs to luxury resorts, including San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center, the site of a recent Villa Healthcare meeting.

The recognition event included more than 100 salespeople, managers and executives. It was Villa Healthcare’s first meeting at San Luis Resort and the company plans to return.

According to April Doremus, Villa Healthcare’s vice president of engagement, “We will be returning next year for our annual retreat. We reviewed other options for next year, but none could beat San Luis Resort.”

Doremus added, “The property’s meeting space met the group’s needs. All our staff was able to stay at the same hotel. We liked its flexibility to host large events, small breakout sessions and formal galas.”

San Luis Resort also offered value. “We liked the prices,” Doremus says. “Value was exceptional, based on comparative shopping at other locations.”

In addition, Galveston provided several other advantages. “There is ease of access and people can fly into the airport directly from all regions,” Doremus says. “There are entertainment options such as Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, which features rides and amusements; and large conference rooms and meeting spaces facing the water. And there are also plenty of food options.”

In all, the meeting was a big success. “Eighty-one percent of attendees rated the event five on a scale of 1 to 5,” Doremus says.

Plano

The city’s marketing tagline, ‘It’s All Here,’ says it all. Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Plano offers something for every type of meeting, large and small. Plano offers a blend of luxury and historic charm along with more than 1,000 restaurants.

Plano and surrounding areas offers authentic slices of down-home Texas with attractions such as Southfork Ranch from the “Dallas” TV series and Bob’s Steak & Chop House — Plano.

Groups can take advantage of Plano’s 5,045 hotel rooms and 122,500 sf of convention center space. Meeting space is anchored by the Plano Event Center, a full-service facility that accommodates up to 5,000 people and offers 21,600 sf of meeting space.

Houston

Houston is literally a go-to destination for planners and visitors. The city was included on several lists of the best places to travel in 2019. Publications honoring Houston include The New York Times, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. Visit Houston’s latest statistics reflect the destination’s popularity.

Last year Houston booked 816,023 room nights, an increase of 6% over the previous year. It was the fourth consecutive year of room-night increases. For the fourth consecutive year, Houston also set a record last year for future meetings and conventions, with a 1.6% increase over the previous year. The number of total bookings rose from 429 to 498. Groups flocking to Houston certainly have no shortage of guest rooms and meeting space. The city offers over numerous hotels, including Hilton Americas — Houston, which will undergo a $37 million renovation that will include new design, color, artwork and technology for all guest rooms. The AAA Four-Diamond Hilton Americas connects to the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRBCC) via an indoor skywalk and provides 91,500 sf of meeting space. Last year Hilton Americas’ top-notch service earned it the Hilton brand Award of Excellence for the eighth consecutive year.

Houston, like all other Texas destinations, is unique, but has one key thing in common with the others: They all can provide everything planners and attendees need. C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

The health care meetings landscape is changing at a staggering pace. Privacy issues, compliance requirements and payment transparency regulations grow increasingly complex to manage. Some regulations conflict with others and many differ from country to country, or state to state. Planners whose meetings include an international audience must know not only the regulations of the place in which the meeting is set, but those in the destinations from which attendees come.

All of this makes planners with a certification in health care meeting management highly valuable. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of them.

A Pressing Need

“What’s critical,” says Pat Schaumann, CMP, CSEP, DMCP, HMCC, president of Schaumann Consulting Group LLC “ is the lack of trained professionals. With more than 1 million medical meetings on tap for 2019 in the U.S. alone, we’re experiencing a crisis in the number of trained medical meeting planners.”

Jacqueline Beaulieu, HMCC, MPI MD Advisory Board member and director of strategic marketing and client engagement with Poretta & Orr, a full-service experiential exhibit, event and strategic marketing agency. She agrees that qualified planners are in short supply. “It’s a challenge for companies looking for trained, experienced medical meeting planners.”

On the other hand, she points out, planners “who invest in the effort to elevate their stature in this field will rise to the top.”

“It’s a challenge for companies looking for trained, experienced medical meeting planners.”
-Jacqueline Beaulieu

That should be a call to action for planners who want to gain a competitive advantage. With the number of health care meetings on the rise worldwide and the complexity increasing beyond the skill set of those without specialty certification, qualified planners will be in high demand well into the future.

Top Challenges

There are additional challenges in medical meetings today. Schaumann, author of “Breaking the Code to Healthcare Compliance,” now in its fifth edition, leads a consulting group, that helps companies improve their processes and bottom-line performance in medical-meeting compliance and transparency reporting. She lists four problem areas:

“Frequent changing of codes, including: state and city ordinances, changes made on-site once the meeting has been planned, food and beverage caps for health care professionals (HCPs) and privacy issues are all major challenges,” she says.

She thinks other issues will factor in as well. “Medical meeting professionals will continue to see challenges because of the effect of politics and reactions to the opioid epidemic. The new SUPPORT Act will impact Open Payments by expanding the definition of a covered recipient, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will expand to other states and countries, more countries will add compliance and transparency regulations and so on.”

Beaulieu points to increasing globalization. “As companies and organizations continue to look for business growth opportunities, locations outside of the U.S. will be considered more often. So learning how best to conduct business globally will be a vital component to what medical meeting planners will need in their arsenal of skills,” she says.

That includes learning cultural differences in addition to differing compliance rules. Given that some 90 countries currently require compliance rules, Beaulieu adds, “Staying up-to-date and understanding the intricacies and impact they have on a meeting is critical. But global and federal regulations may be easier to stay on top of than state and city codes, which are also continually in flux.”

Jocelyne Côté, director, strategy and business development, the Americas at American Express Global Business Travel, points out several issues, including “balancing corporate requirements with country requirements for meals and accommodations.”

These issues, she says, impact not only planners, but the quality of the meeting experience. “It’s difficult to create a unique experience with limited spend amounts. And the focus on compliance and regulations takes away from a planner’s time to plan the meeting. Additionally, reporting requirements differ by country, creating data-entry errors and missing or incomplete information. Information can also be inconsistent if it’s collected in multiple different ways, such as manual or tech platform, especially when there’s no standardized approach.”

Dominic Bemrose, business development director at UK-based The Turner Agency, a global health care agency, says issues such as sustainability practices are the same as in any industry. But he points to “stronger demand for digital interaction that is health care compliant, along with wellness, to be incorporated into meeting agendas, and timely and accurate Transfer of Value (TOV) reporting” as challenges facing planners of medical meetings.

“Balancing tight budgets and increased pressures on resourcing as a result of ever shorter project lead times with the well-being and happiness of our team is a challenge facing our agency and many pharma event agencies,” he says. “Effective forward planning and management of skills and resources is crucial to ensure we effectively balance the needs of our clients with those of our dedicated and talented teams.”

On the positive side, he notes, as regulations regarding reporting and compliance become routine, they’re less of a challenge.

Meal Caps

Some issues have more potential solutions than others, such as the cost of meals provided for HCPs at meetings. Allowances are not the same for every attendee, yet planners, hosts, restaurants and hotels must provide a way to meet them for every attendee. One way to decrease complexity is to set meeting caps at the lowest amount. If one physician’s home region allows $25 per day, but another’s allows $35, the cap should be set at $25 for all rather than trying to offer different meals or plans for different attendees.

Bemrose says the same strategy exists in Europe. “We ask our client/stakeholder the countries where the delegates are coming from and work with the strictest code. We also work with our clients to ensure that this matches with their own corporate policy. In some cases, the client’s policy is stricter than the regional regulations.”

In addition to differences from country to country and state to state, Beaulieu echoes Bemrose in noting that companies have their own internal requirements. “Planners often make the mistake of assuming that all company business practices are the same. Planners should be aware that there’s an element of interpretation when it comes to some compliance issues, so practices may vary from company to company.”

Likewise, one hotel, restaurant or destination that’s off limits for one company isn’t necessarily off limits for another. Communication is key. “Let your attendees know how much your company will be paying for meals,” Schaumann advises. “Give HCPs the opportunity to pay the difference on their own, give them food vouchers to use within the hotel or venue or have a sales rep take the HCP out to a meal. And work with chefs from the start. If anyone can creatively design budget menus, it’s the chef.”

Fortunately, more hotel staff are taking training to better understand medical-meeting compliance. With so many medical meetings projected in the U.S. this year and 250,000 in the U.K., “Hotels want the business,” Schaumann says. “I always say the first question to ask your hotel or venue rep should be, ‘Do you have experience with medical meetings?’ If there’s no experience or no staff member with a Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate (HMCC), it might behoove a planner to move to another property. It definitely should affect site selection for medical meeting professionals.”

Côté says meal caps help ensure consistent and fair meeting practices, particularly in meetings with multiple meals in a day. “Caps should be reviewed on an annual basis to assess fair market value. To accommodate tight meal caps,” she suggests, “include the meal-cap thresholds in the requests for proposals (RFP) and work with hotels that have pharma-friendly menu options. While most hotels today have medical/pharma expertise within their sales staff, we’ve found that restaurants are not as advanced in the compliance space,” she says. “Communicating constraints upfront is key to achieving the desired outcome. If the hotel or restaurant is aware of the meal cap well in advance, creative menus can be designed.”

Beaulieu points out that meal caps are set for different events in different ways. “There may be one cap for promotional events and a different cap for education events,” she says, “so giving thought to how an event is structured could help with meal-cap compliance.”

Both Bemrose and Beaulieu say limiting a meeting to a shorter timeframe, around a break rather than a full meal, is also an option. And Beaulieu adds, “Planners can also give HCPs the option not to participate in a meal at all or to fully pay for their own meals.”

Sponsorships

“Although medical device companies can no longer provide sponsorships under the latest MedTech Europe regulations,” Bemrose says, “pharma companies still can. When some of the stricter regulations came into place, a few pharma companies stopped sponsoring HCPs to congresses, fearful of contravening codes. Over time, companies have found that sponsoring physicians and remaining compliant and ethical is still possible and several have reverted to sponsoring HCPs.”

It’s important to note that MedTech Europe’s code regarding sponsorship isn’t exclusive to Europe. “MedTech Europe wants other medical device companies worldwide to support their initiative,” Schaumann says. As they do, more meetings will be affected.

Despite added scrutiny, Beaulieu agrees sponsorships remain available. “My recommendation to anyone interested in leveraging their participation at a meeting or convention is to call the sponsorship managers. Tell them what your goals are while at the meeting or convention and share your thoughts and ideas for what type of sponsorship your company would find valuable. Sponsorships need to be created with a customized approach today, one that aligns with the goals of the planner and the company participating. Sponsorships have become more of a custom collaboration than a one-size-fits-all approach.”

GDPR

GDPR mandates aren’t specific to medical meetings. Not only should companies list their internal privacy rules and processes used to protect personal data, Schaumann says, “Attendees should have the choice to opt-in and agree to these policies on the meeting registration form. This should apply to all meetings.”

But what happens when regulations conflict? “An example often used to demonstrate this relates to how requirements of Open Payments can conflict with the rules of GDPR,” Beaulieu says. “The Open Payments law requires meeting organizers to track and report TOVs between health care companies and U.S. physicians. GDPR mandates that European health care professionals have the right to ask that their data be removed from a database. We know a significant percent of U.S. physicians hold dual citizenships, so it’s safe to assume some are European. This would make it impossible to report any TOV that Open Payments mandates. The only clear answer is to be certain everything is done with oversight from your legal and regulatory department.”

As if that weren’t enough, Côté notes, GDPR affects meetings not only in terms of what data is being collected and what it will be used for but in terms of the type of technology is used. “We’re creating new sign-offs and different technology to accommodate certain operating systems and their compliance with GDPR requirements,” she says.

The Right Partners

While Beaulieu says working with hotels, restaurants and venues that really understand medical meeting compliance can be challenging, she’s optimistic. “Many companies are investing in training for their staff so they understand the complexities of the medical meetings industry and how best to offer solutions. Many are making the investment in the HMCC program and earning their designation, which is helpful in terms of working with medical meeting planners.”

In a strong market, Beaulieu says, venue sourcing and finding space, dates and rates becomes challenging. But working with partners who have invested in trying to understand their customers’ needs and industry is a plus for planners.

Bemrose, too, sees more hotels — globally — becoming compliance savvy in part due to education, in part due to wanting health care-meeting business. “We’re seeing hotels more willing to break out package rates to help with TOV reporting, ask questions regarding therapy areas and competitors, and often have a dedicated health care specialist on their team. We prefer to work with hotels that understand health care events, and this is fed back to stakeholders.”

Restaurants aren’t making the same changes. However, he says, “As long as they’re perceived not to be deluxe and are willing to work with meal caps, we’re happy to put them forward.”

The Education Solution

While issues will always arise, “They will only be challenges if companies and planners are not educated on the regulations,” Schaumann says. “An ignorance of the law is not excusable.” That’s where the HMCC, the most recognizable designation in the medical-meeting industry today, comes in.

“It’s not just necessary to take courses, it’s imperative,” Schaumann says. “Planners and suppliers need to know what compliance, transfer of value, spend track and reporting mean. There are nearly 2,000 HMCCs representing 17 countries, and MPI launched the first HMCC class in Asia this year in July. It’s an extensive course covering every aspect of medical-meeting compliance.” To keep up with evolving regulations, the HMCC is updated weekly and the HMCC Refresh courses are updated as well, Schaumann says.

Planners holding the certification must recertify every two years, but they have to keep up with changes far more frequently. There’s an app to help planners and companies do just that. “My Compliance Wizard is the easiest way to look up a country or state and immediately be in touch with local planning information and the latest codes of compliance,” Schaumann says. The app is available on www.mycw.info, and MPI members receive a discount.

If a company has a compliance director or compliance attorney on staff, Schaumann adds, planners should defer to them for advice.

Being unprepared, Beaulieu says, is a mistake. “One way to address that is to have a foundation of information and I think the HMCC course that MPI offers is a must-have first step for any medical or health care meeting planner.” She advises planners “to get involved in the industry and attend meetings.” In addition to the app, she suggests using the Policy & Medicine Compliance Update as a good resource.

“Medical/pharma meeting planners must balance the changes and demands on understanding the global impact of health care compliance to be fully successful,” Côté says. “They should always do a quick review of rules in the destination where they’re planning the meeting.”

Europe, too, has education options. “HMCC is quite U.S.-centric, so European-based planners don’t often have access to its courses,” Bemrose says. “As well as conducting our own internal and Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries (ABPI) training, we meet with external trainers in the U.K. It’s always good to keep up to date with compliance regulations and any external course that helps with your understanding can’t be a bad thing.”

Looking Ahead

So what’s coming down the road? Bemrose points to the way meeting content is formed. “HCPs receive and interact with information through many channels and this is altering the shape of what is required at face-to-face meetings. We’re beginning to see the personalization of agendas, where the content or breakout sessions are shaped around the physicians as opposed to the association or health care company. I still see face-to-face meetings as a vital part of the HCP’s learning cycle,” he says. “However, there are now other platforms that can be used such as virtual/hybrid meetings, digital content and even forums where HCPs share their learning. I also see patients and patient groups influencing meeting content more and more.”

Côté sees a shift in prioritizing the attendee experience. “Many organizations want to be the ‘meeting of choice’ for HCPs, which means attendee-focused, content-driven sessions, innovative experiences and hands-on training, including soft skills,” she says.

“The good news is that we’ll continue to see an increase in medical meetings worldwide,” Schaumann notes. “Politics will continue to affect medical-meeting policies, Asia will become the second-largest pharmaceutical destination in 2020 and there are changes taking place in Asia that planners will need to address.”

The Best Advice

“Ensure you’re educated, stay connected to an expert in the industry and stay current on changing laws and regulations,” Côté says.

Schaumann encourages planners not to give up. “It’s funny how many times an attendee at one of my training sessions will throw up their hands and say, ‘I quit.’ I encourage them to not be frustrated, but to embrace the specialty field they’re in. There’s a lot to know and a lot to absorb about compliance, but the more you learn the more knowledgeable you’ll be, and that’s a huge benefit to an advancing career path.”

Beaulieu advises planners to get involved in groups and organizations that can help them stay connected to information, and to carve out time each week for reading information, listening in on webinars and attending meetings. “And take advantage of the support community,” she continues. “MPI started the MPI MD community to specifically address the needs of medical-meeting planners. We’ve done some great work and created resources that are useful. We’re excited about some of the initiatives we’ll share by the end of this year. It’s vital to keep your network alive and robust. There’s nothing greater than interactions with industry peers and learning how they’ve met head-on challenges they’ve faced in the industry.”

She also reminds planners that their work should make them proud. “To provide better patient care is not just the work or responsibility of physicians. There are so many components that fit together to make this happen and each of us plays a small part. Collectively, our efforts are helping advance health care at a rapid rate.”

Bemrose advises much the same in Europe, “Read the major compliance regulations such as EFPIA, ABPI, PhRMA and the Sunshine Act, particularly around hospitality and meetings. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Use the newspaper test: Would you be happy that the meeting/function was reported in the papers? And don’t forget,” he says, “in some small way, you’re helping to improve patient lives.” C&IT

California’s Mammoth Lakes offers unique team-building activities in the winter.

There’s something about the mountains, whether the cloud-piercing peaks of the Rockies, the high slopes of the Sierra Nevadas or the Appalachians folded into green forests and valleys in the east. Mountains can humble. Mountains can challenge. Mountains can inspire — all of which makes them ideal for corporate meetings and incentives.

CALIFORNIA

The Sierra Nevadas offer more than a few mountain towns worthy of a planner’s attention. Among them, Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas.

Mammoth Lakes

Sandra DiDomizio, CMM, MBA, founder/chief experience officer at Green Fox Events & Guest Services, brought 75 neurosurgeons to Mammoth Lakes, California, for an annual retreat. The group was based primarily at The Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth.

One reason for the choice of Mammoth was personal. “The primary of the group, Dr. Dorsi, loves Mammoth Lakes and has a personal connection to the area. The date also originated around his birthday, so he decided to invite all his colleagues and industry peers to his favorite place during his favorite time of year. The client wanted access to snow sports and activities for all the attendees and their families.”

DiDomizio says, “Neurosurgery is one of the most stressful professions in the world. It’s relaxing for these doctors to be in the mountains and enjoy daily outdoor activities, while convening in the mornings and evenings. They also enjoyed the camaraderie. Some brought their spouses and children who could also enjoy all the winter recreational opportunities. In addition to snowboarding and skiing, there’s tubing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, sledding, natural hot springs and more. Many of these attendees don’t have time in their personal and professional lives for much recreation, so having a meeting in a recreational mecca makes their time together more special and makes the event more memorable.”

“Mammoth is a place where you can get your group outdoors doing something they cannot normally do at home.” -Sandra DiDomizio

DiDomizio calls the drive from Southern California to Mammoth Lakes beautiful. “And while some might deem it difficult to get here, the surroundings and recreational activities make up for it.”

The group took part in much that Mammoth offers. “We included family activities and games on the ski mountain and a scavenger hunt in town. We included a pick-your-own-adventure day of various activities, a brewery tour, a bowling tournament at Mammoth Rock ‘N’ Bowl and we had special dinners at private restaurants for the group. We work with Mammoth Mountain and Mammoth Rock ‘N’ Bowl often,” she adds. “They’re great partners. It’s important that we maintain good relationships with all venues in the area — especially the big ones with a lot of space and activities.”

The group used space at both the Westin and at other venues operated by Mammoth Resorts. “To be honest,” DiDomizio says, “Mammoth Lakes lacks large meeting and convention space, but for groups of 40-90 it’s perfect. We have many spaces — meeting spaces, restaurants, event spaces — that we use creatively.”

DiDomizio admits the group has at times experienced strong snow storms, closed roads and winds during event days. “We try to predict and be proactive, such as providing guests with alternate means of transportation. We work with a local shuttle company to drive down to Los Angeles to pick up guests if their flights are cancelled. We find alternate activities and create indoor games if it’s unsafe to go outside.”

A major upside to a meeting in Mammoth, DiDomizio notes, is that “Resort communities offer so many nontraditional, team-building experiences.”

She advises anyone considering Mammoth Lakes for a meeting to be open. “Don’t restrict yourself to one season. While winter in Mammoth Lakes is popular, the summer offers almost more, and different, recreational opportunities. Always ask about ‘shoulder’ seasons when the resort is a bit slower and quieter. These are usually the weeks in which you can get great pricing, though weather may be a bit unpredictable. Additionally,” she points out, “local guides, pros and athletes are often excellent speaker resources.”

Most of all, DiDomizio says, “Mammoth is a place where you can get your group outdoors doing something they cannot normally do at home.”

COLORADO

The Rocky Mountains have an ‘embarrassment of riches’ when it comes to mountain towns and resorts that can draw attendees to a meeting.

Colorado Springs

While The Broadmoor is not exactly a mountain venue, it sits at the base of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs. Some 3,000 feet above the main property, on top of Cheyenne Mountain, is the aptly named Cloud Camp, the resort’s private rustic wilderness retreat with stunning views and The Broadmoor’s exemplary service. This is where Conner Wege, regional marketing strategist with Envirosight, brought a group of 20 for the company’s marketing seminar.

“Logistically, we needed a secluded, mountainous, yet premium location located in the middle of the U.S. to which our attendees — who were coming from all over the country — could easily travel. Denver International Airport offers a wide availability of direct flights, which made travel convenient for them. We needed the perfect mix of high-end accommodations and fully functional meeting space along with catering options, quality food and available entertainment for group activities all packaged up in a one-of-a-kind setting. Cloud Camp offered just that and more with precise and professional event planning and incomparable customer service.”

The mountain setting underscored an important theme. “An underlying message we wanted to communicate to our attendees was that we were all ascending to greatness together by being there,” Wege says. “The ascension up the mountain from The Broadmoor to Cloud Camp was a literal representation of our intended goal to elevate our guest’s marketing acumen. The sheer beauty of Cheyenne Mountain combined with the authentic rusticity of the main lodge and guest cabins only made Cloud Camp’s location and setting more impactful to our attendees.”

Wege notes that the group has met in the past at other ranch-style locations, and after discussions with Cloud Camp’s sales manager, he thought the camp had all the amenities necessary “to create a memorable and one-of-a-kind experience for our guests. The quality of location combined with a fantastic meeting space and unique activities made Cloud Camp the most exceptional venue to host our event.”

Among the activities the group took part in were a guided hike, archery, disc golf, a mixology class and various lawn games. The food, Wege says, was a major highlight. “The attention to quality and preparation of the meals was amazing.”

Wege points to the camp’s sales manager as a standout. “She was highly professional, organized, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. She made the experience from planning to execution a very positive experience.” That said, he also notes, “Every staff member of Cloud Camp provided unmatched professionalism and customer service.”

In terms of meeting space, the group used the camp’s stand-alone Overlook meeting space, perched on the mountain with stunning views. “The Overlook meeting room was the perfect setup for our seminar,” Wege says. “The A/V system was simple, easy to use and effective for our purposes. The Cloud Camp staff allowed us to set up the day before, which was very helpful. When we arrived, the room was ready for our use with tables and tablecloths arranged, charging stations, water and coffee and snacks nicely set up. We ordered lunch catering for our final seminar day, which was very well put together. The staff consistently checked in to make sure we had enough coffee, water and snacks without interrupting our meeting — not to mention, the back-deck view was incredible.”

There were some challenges, but the Cloud Camp team worked to solve them. “Due to the logistical nature of the drive from Denver’s airport to The Broadmoor and up to Cloud Camp, the arrangement of our guest’s flights and travel time to the venue was challenging at times. The staff helped us resolve these issues by working diligently with us to coordinate our arrival timelines and facilitating custom shuttle pickup times. If we were to do it again, however, we would direct attendees to fly into Colorado Springs.”

To planners considering Cloud Camp, Wege advises, “Ensure you have a solid plan of what you want and need to accomplish it. Be aware of the 1 1/2- to 2-hour drive from the Denver airport to The Broadmoor, which doesn’t account for check-in time and the 35-minute shuttle from The Broadmoor up to Cloud Camp. The altitude did have minor effects on certain guests, but nothing to worry about as long as plenty of water was consumed.” However, he adds, “Guests need to understand that although the accommodations and venue are premium, climbing staircases and walking on gravel or dirt to get around is necessary, which could be challenging for certain guests. I would recommend planning three to six months out, have a detailed event plan and share all event-related details with the sales manager, who will aid in the planning process.”

Challenges aside, the end result was clear. “Nearly all our guests commented that Cloud Camp was one of the most amazing experiences, venues and locations they’ve ever visited.”

Aspen

Colorado is not lacking in spectacular mountain settings, but few towns have the cache and global recognition of Aspen. Jeanie Seehof, president of Docherty Incentives & Meetings, brought an executive retreat of 32 to Aspen earlier this year, basing the group at the equally renowned Hotel Jerome, which underwent an expansion and renovation last year.

“The group was looking for a high-end location for an executive retreat with top-quality restaurants, an abundance of activities and easy to get to. Aspen offered all that and more,” Seehof says. “Most of the group flew directly into Aspen which was easy. Some chose to fly to Denver and rent a car to see more of the beauty of Colorado.”

Because this company typically does ‘sun and fun and Europe’ for its incentive programs, they felt that for the executive retreat, “the mountains would offer enough variety for everyone and yet be different from the incentive programs they do,” Seehof says.

Biking, white-water rafting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, golf, jeep tours and a spa were among the activities. And because they were on their own for two nights, Seehof says they were able to experience some of Aspen’s highly regarded restaurants, “including The Wild Fig, Campo de Fiori, element 47, Steakhouse No. 316, Cache Cache, French Alpine Bistro – Crêperie du Village and Jing.”

About the Hotel Jerome, Seehof says, “The team at the Hotel Jerome is amazing — great food, flexible, detail oriented, customer-service oriented and supportive. I can’t say enough good about the team there.”

Seehof set functions in the hotel’s various spaces. “We used A/V for lighting our function and nightly hospitality space,” she says. “Our welcome event was in the Aspen Times Room with the reception outdoors at the property. The food and beverage was excellent. I used Aspen Branch for florals and they were great to work with.”

In addition to hotel staff, Seehof highly recommends planners work with the Aspen Chamber of Commerce during planning and throughout the event. “The Chamber was a huge help with the program. They provided insight, ideas, maps and brochures. They have a lot to offer in terms of updated current events, etc.”

She also worked with local destination management company PRA Colorado, which she calls “fabulous.” In the end, she says of Aspen, “considering the variety of activities, restaurants and shopping offered, you won’t be disappointed. And the sheer beauty of the city of Aspen surrounded by all of the mountains has so much appeal.”

Other venues include the W Aspen,  which opened late summer. Among other niceties, it features a 12,000-sf rooftop bar and pool. Another venue, The Little Nell, underwent a refresh this past spring, and Hunter Loft is the town’s newest venue, able to accommodate up to 200 guests.

Snowmass

Last year, a $600 million development at the base of Snowmass Ski Area made its debut. It includes the new 99-room Limelight Hotel Snowmass and a reimagined base village around a plaza that features an ice rink in winter and grass lawn in summer. Inside the Limelight is a five-story climbing wall. Lodging also includes One Snowmass, with ski-in/ski-out residences, new shops and restaurants. Viceroy Snowmass also got a refresh this spring, including complete redesign of all guest spaces.

Vail

This year the Grand Hyatt Vail opened, the first Grand Hyatt in a mountain destination. The hotel features ski-in-ski-out convenience, 285 rooms and its own chairlift exclusively for hotel guests, a nice touch for incentive groups.

MICHIGAN

Yes, the mitten-shaped state has mountains, ski areas and resorts that provides a mountain magic of its own.

Crystal Mountain

Among the recent improvements at this Midwest ski resort is a new pavilion tent near the base of the slopes. It has a concrete floor and can hold 250-300 for receptions. The Inn at the Mountain’s rooftop terrace is part of a $12 million expansion the resort completed last year. The space-with-a-view can host private functions of 70-80. Over at the Crystal Center, the resort’s conference center, new carpeting and furnishings provide a nice refresh, and new screens have been added to many of the resort’s conference spaces. And for meetings that have a bit of free time, attendees should know that Crystal Spa was recently rated the top spa in Michigan.

VERMONT

The Green Mountains are part of the impressively long Appalachian chain, and the setting for one of the state’s revered ski areas.

Stowe

In the northeast, Topnotch Resort provides the perfect spot for the annual sales and branding meeting of Cabot Creamery, with about 65 in attendance. The resort is tucked into Vermont’s Green Mountains, and Kurt Weber, Cabot Creamery senior vice president, says as soon as he saw it, he knew it was right. “The second I saw Topnotch and the facilities, rooms and access to Stowe, I was convinced.”

The company has held at least four meetings at Topnotch, which Weber calls ideal for events with fewer than 100 people. “The resort sets the right tone for a meeting,” he says. “People are out of the office, outside their comfort zone and there are fewer distractions than in the office. I want people to be more open and let their guard down a bit. For what I’m doing it’s a great spot.”

Typically the group comes in on Monday and leaves Thursday afternoon. “I usually do two dinners on the property,” Weber says. “One is a barbecue and the other, in the upper restaurant, is buffet style. We take over the whole restaurant. On Monday night they’re on their own. Some stay on property and others might go into Stowe.”

Weber’s group uses the resort’s meeting spaces, workout facility and many of the available amenities. Weber says they spend the majority of time in meetings — beginning with breakfast at 7:15 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m. But when they’re not working, there’s hiking in summer and skiing in winter. “And Stowe is just five minutes away,” he adds.

Topnotch isn’t a typical ski lodge though it captures some of that rustic warmth. “It’s very light with a contemporary feel,” Weber says. “It has good food and good access and activities including tennis, pools and spa. It’s the whole package.”

He says the area offers many opportunities for team building, and the group often volunteers as well. “We might do something at a trailhead, such as trail cleanup. We have a good connection with the state of Vermont.”

Of the staff at Topnotch, Weber says “All the staff is great. I’m very picky about my meetings and how they’re run and how they’re set up, especially with food because as I’m a healthy eater. They always come through and do a good job. One of the reasons we’ve been coming back is because they’re so great to work with.”

Topnotch has fewer than 100 rooms. “This year they didn’t have enough rooms but it wasn’t a problem. There are condos on the property and I used those as well,” Weber says.

To those looking for an excellent meeting hotel in the mountains, Weber recommends a site visit. “I’ve done 25 years of meetings in a lot of rooms and Topnotch does a really nice job. If you have an opportunity to go there, you’ll be convinced just like I was.”

Whichever mountain range, town or resort a planner chooses, the meeting is likely to be atop the list of a group’s memorable events. C&IT

Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI, right; and Steve O’Malley, HMCC, CITP, chair of the MPI International Board of Directors, left; honor Gary Murakami with the 2019 Meeting Industry Leadership RISE Award at the 2019 World Education Congress in Toronto, Canada.

Is there a secret to climbing the ladder of success? We asked that question of some highly successful people in the meetings industry.

They agreed on many things, such as the benefit of finding mentors early in your career and the responsibility to mentor those coming behind you. None believe that success comes by stepping on others, but rather through integrity, cooperation, accountability and treating others with respect. They differed on a few elements; mostly, however, they offered not secrets but a clear blueprint for success.

Jennifer Patino, DMCP, CEO of Hosts Global, says a first step is to, “Create or find a vision in order to garner the passion that fuels successful people.” Future leaders, she says, will also be curious, resourceful and do the right thing.

Being resourceful, however, means looking inward as much as reaching outward. “Many people don’t understand the value of continual self-assessment,” Patino says, “which allows one to consider next steps, pain points and solutions for growth, both personally and professionally.”

Sometimes challenges are about timing. “In my early career, there were few women in management. The biggest challenge was to be acknowledged as a contributor and peer to the management team on a level playing field for the growth of my department,” she says.

Her response was to work harder and longer than others in order to deliver results before due date. “I spent time with all the stakeholders to understand how success would be measured and then I over delivered. Know better, do better,” she says.

There Was a Price to Pay

“When I was moving up the ladder, there was little flexibility related to work-life balance. I missed important moments with my family and had to stretch to find ways to blend my work with my family to ensure my career was on solid footing and my family had me present as much as possible. I didn’t always achieve this.”

Patino was also willing to take on new projects and responsibilities that were out of her comfort zone. “Ultimately that was an important piece to moving up as I was exposed to the flip side of the risky feeling — accomplishment realized with bold actions.”

Today, Patino says, “I work hard at integrating work-life balance for our team members. I want fulfilled people doing great work and that can be accomplished by encouraging flexible solutions to unique situations.”

In terms of mentoring others, Patino’s goal is simple: “Inspire them to know their worth, encourage them to reach and create the path that will allow them to run fast and far.”

Looking back, Patino wishes she had understood one thing earlier: “That I already had all the elements I would need to build my career. One day I came to the realization that I was super resourceful and I could trust myself to work through any challenge, and that if I tapped into empathy and gratitude I could achieve what I needed to.”

Carole McKellar, CMM, MA, vice president, EMEA, with HelmsBriscoe, puts research and preparation at the top of the list of aids to successful advancement. “When opportunities arise, find out as much as you can in advance and be prepared for multiple outcomes.”

The path to success may be straightforward yet not always obvious. “It takes hard work, determination and integrity. I also believe you need to genuinely care about others and take time to give back as well,” McKellar says.

Maintaining integrity matters in multiple ways. “The biggest challenge has been dealing with the rare individuals who try to undermine you,” she says. “I’ve experienced this a few times over the past 30 years. In each situation, I had an established professional reputation with strong personal values, so it was clear the attempts to damage my credibility weren’t valid and didn’t align with what people knew of me. If you have consistent values and act accordingly, colleagues know who you are and what and whom to believe.”

Like Patino, McKellar says self-reflection and passion are key. “Be clear on your strengths and the aspects of work that really make you excited,” she says. “If you don’t have clear personal goals, it’s hard to see the next step. I strongly believe that if you aren’t enjoying your work you should analyze what parts you do like and find a new work environment that matches your needs. If that doesn’t exist, create it. In 1992, our first son arrived. As my employer didn’t support part-time working we made the decision to set up an association management company and create a flexible environment for our family. I’ve been self-employed ever since because that gives us the freedom to focus on family and do the work I enjoy most.”

Also key, is to be well informed about your industry in order to have a competitive advantage over your peers, and to be open to new opportunities. “Having sold two businesses in 2009, I was open to new ideas and was introduced to HelmsBriscoe. That discussion wouldn’t have happened had I not been an active volunteer on the MPI International Board. As an entrepreneur at HelmsBriscoe, I’ve had the chance to grow as a leader, build a team, coach and train colleagues and spend time as a volunteer with MPI.”

The Power of TeamWork

McKellar believes in the power of teamwork along with good communication and clear goals. “Empower others,” she says. “You can’t do everything yourself. Build a strong team around you and recognize them on a regular basis for their contribution.”

For McKellar, mentoring goes beyond her team. “There are barriers that prevent people with special needs from applying for jobs when they could make a valuable contribution,” she says. “I’m passionate about encouraging managers and supervisors to review their recruitment processes and look at how they can expand their pool of talented individuals. In the UK, HelmsBriscoe supports a project to bring young adults with autism into hospitality. This is funded through the MPI Foundation and Meeting Needs. Over the past seven years, we’ve seen young adults grow in confidence and go on to gain employment through our work experience project.”

To those on the rise, McKellar suggests three strategies: “Examine your strengths and be clear on what you enjoy doing and are good at doing, then focus your job applications in those areas and become known as an expert in your chosen area. Be open to lifelong learning and seek out ways to gain relevant qualifications to support your goals. Finally, get involved in industry activity, be an active member of a professional association and give back where and when you can.”

Paul Van Deventer, is no stranger to the meetings industry. Today he’s president and CEO of MPI and he’s clear on what’s important for those who want to succeed. “Your personal integrity and brand are the most valuable assets you possess in the business world, and the only things completely in your control,” he says.

He considers it imperative to treat others as you want to be treated. “Not only is that the right thing to do, but from a practical perspective, the world is really a small place and your career will hopefully be long. Inevitably you’ll run across former business acquaintances in the future.”

Van Deventer’s third insight may surprise some A-types. “Take time to stop and smell the roses. My career has afforded me the opportunity to travel the world, visit unique destinations and meet amazing and diverse people. Thankfully, I had a mentor early in my career who emphasized the importance of ‘savoring the moment,’ advice I’ve ardently followed and along the way have built a rich portfolio of unique and rewarding experiences and great friendships.”

Passion Is Critical

He lists perseverance as a key attribute that successful people share. “Or as my mother would say, ‘stick-to-itiveness.’”

Most of our experts agree that passion is critical to business success. “Like any journey, a career has unforeseen twists, turns, ups and downs,” Van Deventer says. “If you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing it can be difficult to weather the challenges and you won’t be prepared when opportunities present themselves. Pursue opportunities that inspire you, that grow you personally and professionally, that you believe make a difference and your career will be fulfilling.”

Van Deventer says he’s blessed “to wake up every day and be able to say I love what I do. But it wasn’t a direct path. My career has gone through several twists and turns, including sideways and backward steps. Early on it was sometimes difficult to stay focused on the ‘long-game’ and not get lost in self-pity during turbulent times. Learning to maintain an even keel has been invaluable for me. Don’t get overly exuberant during the highs, nor too down during the lows.”

Contrary to the belief that success is achieved by ruthlessness, Van Deventer says that approach is actually counter-productive. “Stepping on others may provide a short-term advantage but will inevitably undermine you personally and professionally.”

Moreover, he adds, it’s a mistake to focus too heavily on personal advancement and resume-building. “Your self-absorption will be obvious to others. If instead you focus on finding fulfillment in your work, being adventurous in your career, maximizing opportunities presented to you and working harder than those around you, career advancement will naturally follow.”

Van Deventer’s advice to those starting out is to be open to new opportunities, take risks and constantly challenge yourself. “It’s also important to build diverse, deep and strong networks and continually nurture them,” he says. Perhaps most of all, “Never compromise your integrity and always treat others with respect.”

Hillary Smith, CMP, CSEP, is executive creative director with PRA. She, too, lists perseverance as essential. “Inevitably, there will be challenges and obstacles,” she says. That’s true for teams as well. “The most important thing leaders can do is motivate and inspire their teams to keep getting up and performing at their best.”

Smith says she spent too much time early in her career apologizing for her opinions and questioning her instincts. “What people don’t know is that the more authentic and true to yourself and your passion you are, the more confident you automatically become. Climbing the ladder takes being bold, believing in yourself and speaking up so you’re heard. No one else can speak your truths or have your perspectives. We’re our own best advocates and if we want something, we need to relentlessly chase it.”

Although delegating is a challenge for some managers and leaders, Smith calls it critical. “Many of us are drivers, but in order to be an effective leader, we need to let go and teach others so they can learn.”

At one point, Smith says, I knew I couldn’t take on any more. “I recognized that my team was willing to help. I just needed to believe they were capable. When I trusted, I got great results, my team got better and our overall performance skyrocketed. It takes skill to properly delegate in order to set others up for success and to ensure that what you receive back meets the ask.”

Thinking about key elements successful managers share, Smith says, “I think there’s an insatiable hunger for growth and a curiosity and capacity to manage through change. I think being a leader means you prop up others and/or carry them up along with you.”

While being mentored underpins the success of many, negative forces can also drive success. “I had a string of really bad leaders, which ironically influenced me to want to avoid their negative traits,” Smith says. “It gave me grit, cut my teeth and forced me to survive, which may have been a key driver in my climb.”

To others striving to rise in their careers she says, “Ask for opportunities to shadow and learn, be curious and comfortable asking questions about what you don’t know and choose something you love. Being passionate and enthusiastic is contagious and leads to workplace fulfillment.”

If there’s one regret she has about her journey, it’s not using the resources available to her early on, “that could have made me a better, more effective leader sooner. There isn’t a guidebook. Most young leaders just dive in and learn by experience and mistakes. I finally started my external quest for knowledge five years or more into leadership. I wish I had done it sooner.”

Nicole Bojic is group executive, strategy, at InVision Communications, which provides event management and execution, among other services. Bojic says no one thing leads to success in business.

“I’m not a believer in ‘one’ of anything, she says. “I do think talent sums up a lot of what it takes to be successful, but I don’t believe talent alone ensures success. From my experience, it’s part talent, part luck. While luck has been something I’ve always felt is an important aspect of what it takes to realize success, until recently quantifying the role of luck in talent and career success hasn’t taken place. It will be interesting to see where some of the recently conducted studies take this theory.”

Echoing Van Deventer, Bojic says the focus shouldn’t be career moves. “Climbing the ladder was never a goal I had for myself. In fact, the concept of ‘climbing the ladder’ can easily distract from what it actually takes to move forward in your career. If you look at most successful leaders, you’ll see they’ve made a lateral move or even taken a step backward at some point in their career in order to move forward.”

She also agrees that taking time to slow down is important. “When you’re wired to move quickly, work hard and drive forward, it’s easy to forget to pause and appreciate all that you, as well as those around you, have accomplished. These accomplishments, no matter how small or big, will be the ones that keep you and your team motivated — especially when things get challenging.”

While there may not be one attribute successful people share, Bojic says “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable” should be embraced. “As you move up in an organization, there are more and more unknowns, things you need to solve that have no specific/defined solutions. While this can be scary at times, it’s equally as thrilling because that’s where real creativity and problem-solving come into play.”

Like all our experts, Bojic says stepping on others isn’t the right move. “This doesn’t necessarily mean you can make everyone happy at every turn, but you can try. I’ve found making a good, honest effort goes a long way. “

In pondering what she wishes she’d known earlier in her career, Bojic says only half joking, “everything.” But, she adds, “I do mean this in all honesty: Act like you know nothing and have everything to learn and you’ll get further faster.”

She thinks it’s a mistake to always go for the sexiest role at the biggest brand or organization. “Go for the one that allows you to wear the most hats,” she suggests. “You’ll be uncomfortable at times, but you’ll gain exposure and experience faster. Then see things through even when you hate the task at hand. There will always be aspects of your job you don’t love but demonstrate you can deliver on all aspects of your role — it’s part of growth.”

Beyond that: “Network, network, network. Then network some more.”

Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International, needs no introduction. His perspectives on rising to become a respected manager and leader come from deep experience. “Servant leadership is a must today,” he says. “People don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care about them.”

He believes time and team members are a leader’s greatest assets. “As time is a highly valuable asset, a leader should focus on building and maintaining culture. Peter Drucker said it so well, ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast.’”

Yet focusing on team members and taking time to create a culture in which they’ll thrive, he says, “is a shift for many. But at the end of the day, our industry, our life is all about people.”

Like others, Dominguez thinks grit is a common trait among successful people, “the ability to persevere as even the best laid plans will not go as planned,” he says. “People will go to your beat so it’s critical to inspire the team to remember that tomorrow will be better.”

Even in the best circumstances, however, time poverty is a formidable challenge. “There are so many asks for your time as you continue to advance. There’s a critical need to eliminate or minimize unnecessary meetings so your time is well spent,” Dominguez says.

He considers the ability to move important for those wanting to rise in their industry. “Early in my career the ability to move was so important as the learning curve is sped up dramatically with moves.”

Beyond that, he suggests, “Always raise your hand for the tasks nobody wants. There have been so many defining moments that have come from those opportunities. And it may be a bit cliché,” he adds, “but our approach and outlook to whatever is put in front of us is so important.”

Looking back, Dominguez didn’t understand at the start how little he knew. “Reflection is so important as you continue to advance to see the inflection points in your life. I can think back to times I thought, ‘I’ve got this, I know’ and nope, I didn’t have it.”

His advice to those coming into the industry, “First and foremost be humble — get over yourself. This goes to the servant leadership mentality and understanding that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”

Your actions, he continues will be what defines you. “As Thoreau eloquently said, ‘What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.’ And listen — often and with an intensity to learn and understand, not to respond.” C&IT

Sea Island offers recent improvements such as an 18-hole putting course and a 17,000-sf golf performance center.

There are golf courses, and then there are golf courses. And to the benefit of meeting planers looking for outstanding settings, some of the most outstanding courses can be found at resorts that have incorporated the sport as a major part of their operations.

More than just one more attractive feature, golf courses at many resorts can help build prospects for success for any meeting.

“Successful meetings are characterized by achieving business goals and giving participants a taste of the destination and its offerings,” says Heath Carter, regional vice president of sales and marketing at Coral Hospitality, a Naples, Florida-based hospitality management company. “Golf resorts are a prime destination for such events because they allow planners the ease of fun activities within a well-appointed facility.” He adds that golf resorts also tend to have peaceful and relaxing environments because of the scenery and the greens of the golf courses, contributing to a stress-free tone for corporate meetings. Having a golf course close to the meeting facilities can be a major asset for team-building activities.

A Winning Combination

Properties well known for golf often provide top-notch meeting facilities. With a profile as full-fledged resorts rather than simply hotels, this combination offers much that meeting planners should find attractive.

The Broadmoor, for example, has been a highly desirable Colorado location for meetings held by TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, a logistics company headquartered in Lansing, Michigan.

“The Broadmoor offers the perfect mix of meeting space, the best customer service, first-class accommodations, and so many fun things to do right on site,” says Cindy Wilhelm, executive assistant and special events coordinator. “Their food and beverage offerings are amazing, and you have to appreciate the on-site A/V services.”

The resort has two courses offering a diverse golfing experience. The highly-rated East Course combines challenging terrain with mountain vistas. Along with rolling fairways, the West Course has multilevel greens and steeply angled greens, all at an elevation of 6,800 feet.

The Broadmoor’s meeting and convention facilities, with 185,000 sf, accommodates groups of up to 6,500. The space includes a 60,000-sf pillar-free ballroom. In addition, nearby attractions expand entertainment options available to attendees. They include the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Garden of the Gods Park and Colorado Springs U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. Planned for a spring 2020 opening is a digital experience guests can enjoy at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.

Holding a meeting at a golf resort offers benefits not only for experienced golfers, but novices as well, complemented by features that appeal to those who are not golfers at all, says Amy Long, chief innovation officer for Visit Colorado Springs. Not only are golf resorts invariably located in beautiful surroundings, but they typically offer other amenities such as: spa experiences, tennis, pickle ball, swimming pools, excellent restaurants and boutique shopping.

For golfers, a plus is that often they have the convenience of an on-site course that’s usually not open to the public, Long says. And for those who are inexperienced but would like to learn, a lesson with the resident pros may be appealing. In addition, group activities can be structured around the game.

“There are some consultants who offer group golf experiences where they use golf as a metaphor for how a person approaches professional and personal challenges, and an analogy for strategic planning and execution,” Long says.

A distinct advantage is that more likely than not, planners can count on good weather.

“If a golf outing is planned, you’re pretty sure you will be in a warmer climate,” Wilhelm says. “Warmer climate means fewer flight delays, more attendees and confidence to book outdoor venues at the resort.”

Another plus is that when the wide spectrum of physical activity is considered, more meeting attendees may be able to take advantage of this long-standing sport than some other, more physically demanding activities. While golf certainly requires certain basic skills, it’s still a less rigorous outdoor activity than say, skiing or hiking mountain trails.

Other Golf Resorts

For those who find the game enjoyable, the availability of golfing provides options for attendees to network on the course, aids in physical and mental exercise and ultimately allows for them to recharge in nature, says the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Mark McMinn, vice president of business development. “It’s a transformative meeting experience that will inspire attendees and reinvigorate them.”

Among the Northern California region’s properties offering scenic views and appealing venues are Quail Lodge & Golf Club and Carmel Valley Ranch. Along with nine meeting rooms, Quail Lodge has an 18-hole championship golf course, an all-grass, nine-hole putting course and a golf academy for those wishing to improve their game. Guests can also take advantage of a heated pool, sand bocce ball pits, tennis and pickleball courts and a Land Rover experience where participants learn new skills while enjoying an adventuresome experience.

At Carmel Valley Ranch, golfers are challenged by a par-70, Pete Dye-designed course that features captivating scenic views. A multimillion-dollar enhancement has restored the course to its original design with bent grass, enlarged greens and improved tees. Golf carts are equipped with GPS technology. Meeting possibilities include more than 11,000 sf of indoor space and 35,000 sf of outdoor function space, including three event lawns.

One feature appreciated by many golf lovers is the chance to experience different courses at the same resort. That’s the case with Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, which offers four championship courses. Fazio Canyons, designed by highly regarded Tom Fazio, is 7,153-yard, par-72 course with attractive scenic views. Planners who want to offer options for those with varying golf abilities will appreciate the Fazio Foothills course. It offers five different sets of tee boxes, meeting the expectations of both beginners and more accomplished golfers. Featuring the natural beauty and native vegetation of the Texas hill country, Coore Crenshaw has rolling hills, natural plateaus and soft contours in a championship layout. And located on a secluded lakeview hilltop, Palmer Lakeside offers another attractive option.

Omni Barton Creek recently completed newly designed guest rooms and offers more than 76,000 sf of meeting space, with more than  50,000 sf of it inside, along with two outdoor event lawns. Facilities include 16 meeting rooms, two ballrooms for up to 1,500 guests and a 5,550-sf pavilion with retractable windows and panoramic views. Attendees will also enjoy a spa and other amenities.

Situated on Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa also offers three outstanding courses. The Bear is a Jack Nicklaus signature design, while the Wolverine is a Gary Player design, and the Spruce Run was designed by Bill Newcomb. The resort has 86,500 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

“The natural beauty of golf courses surrounding your property creates a sense of leisure and relaxation, which helps set the stage for a great meeting,” says Ryan Buck, director of sales.

The expansive Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana, Dominican Republic covers 7,000 acres situated between the Caribbean and the Chavón River. Jason Kycek, senior vice president of sales and marketing, reports that the hotel has undergone an extensive improvement plan in recent years. Guest facilities include not only suites and other rooms, but more than 50 villas that come with maid and butler service, daily breakfast, private pools, Jacuzzis, golf carts and other amenities. Some 15,000 sf of meeting space is currently available, and an additional meeting facility is scheduled for opening this year with a capacity of 600. Golfers can choose from three highly-rated courses with features ranging from coral shores to rolling hills and steep cliff sides.

Located in the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, Rosen Shingle Creek boasts more than 1,500 guest rooms and 524,000 sf of meeting and event space, including a 95,000-sf ballroom. The resort’s championship golf course was designed by Arnold Palmer Design Company. Other amenities range from volleyball and tennis to fishing.

For meeting participants interested in improving their games, Orlando’s Shingle Creek Golf Club is home to the well-known Brad Brewer Golf Academy. Its new short-game practice area has doubled in size from the original practice area, and state-of-the-art swing analysis and game improvement technology is also offered.

Highly regarded by golf aficionados is Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, which boasts two challenging 18-hole courses in an area that includes not only wind-swept dunes but also woodlands, wetlands and orange groves. A nine-hole par three course, lighted for night play, can be ideal for beginners. A driving range and practice area are also available. The resort easily accommodates large groups. Its more than 248,000 sf of meeting and banquet space includes three large and four smaller ballrooms.

Along with 265,000 sf of meeting and event space, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa features two PGA tour certified golf courses on-site. Designed by Pete Dye and Greg Norman, respectively, the courses are located on 2,800 rolling acres and are watered by an eco-friendly, closed-loop irrigation system. Golf instruction includes two, three and five-day schools for golfers of all skill levels.

Meeting options include 40 indoor and outdoor venues with 52 maximum breakout meeting rooms, a nearby ranch for a uniquely Texan meetings experience and a 5,000-sf pavilion. Other features include a 9-acre waterpark, lazy river and hiking and biking trails.

The two courses of Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, near San Diego, California also offer outstanding experiences for meeting attendees. One is a links-style course with fast conditions, while a second is a parkland-style course with an emphasis on accuracy off the tee. Along with traditional golf lessons, attendees can improve skills with a robotic swing trainer.

Planners may choose from 46 meeting rooms with 110,000 sf of meeting space available. Facilities include an event center with a ballroom, breakout rooms and a state-of-the-art learning center.

Trump National Doral Miami offers 643 rooms on an 800-acre resort. It offers more than 100,000 sf of meeting and event space including several large ballrooms. A popular attraction is a moonlight golf experience, where a putting green is transformed into a glowing miniature golf course and players, including novices, use glow-in-the-dark golf balls. Night driving and putting contests are also held.

Located on Georgia’s Southeastern coast with 5 miles of private beach, Sea Island resort features three championship golf courses. One course, Seaside, is an ocean-side links course bordered by dunes, wildflowers and bunkers. Players find that the changing winds offer an interesting challenge. Recent improvements include new cottages, an oceanfront pool and pool house, and an 18-hole putting course. Earlier this year saw the addition of a 17,000-sf golf performance center. The resort offers 42,000 sf of indoor meeting space. Groups up to 500 can be accommodated.

Last, but not least, South Florida’s Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida offers a Rees Jones-designed private course located a short drive from the hotel. The club recently completed $8 million renovation and added its first formal clubhouse. Originally completed in 2000, the 18-hole, par-72 course has been highly rated in golf magazines. It features a variety of native Florida trees and outstanding water features.

The resort offers more than 83,000 sf of space to support both indoor and outdoor events. The resort’s second-floor ballroom level underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation last year.

Taking Advantage of Golf Resorts

From supporting recreational interests to promoting meeting goals, golf offers planners a variety of opportunities. “Golf as team-building can be a great option,” Buck says. “Regardless of experience or skill level, you can find something for everyone, whether it be a quick lesson with a golf pro, a few swings at the driving range, or play a full 18 holes.” He says groups can use golf in exciting ways for interactivity or incentives for attendees such as long-drive or closest-to-the-pin contests.

Good planning should also take into account that while golf may be among the country’s most popular pastimes, it’s not for everyone. If group activities are planned, they should include options for those who are unable to hit the links or who are simply not interested.

To gauge individual interest, an easily executable strategy is to survey participants during the registration process and ask if golf will be a part of their plans. If not, alternative activities should be identified.

Carter says a simple strategy for planners is to allow extra time for participants to get ready for their tee time after the conclusion of meetings.

“Many attendees will need to change clothes, get their clubs ready and want to putt or warm up on the range,” he says. “By allowing some extra time in the schedule, people will not feel rushed and enjoy their round more.”

Along with golf outings, the overall experience can be enhanced with related activities or giveaways.

“A golf resort would be a choice venue for many people just for the opportunity to get a few holes in between meetings,” says Shelley Grieshop, creative writer/public relations director for Totally Promotional in Coldwater, Ohio. “But if you truly want to make your event memorable and interesting, infuse the golf theme into the itinerary.” That might mean posting golf quotes in conference materials or offering golf-themed gifts or prizes.

An all-out approach might include steps such as inviting a personality from the golfing world to serve as a speaker, or asking keynoters to incorporate golf jokes or anecdotes in their presentations. Even without such efforts, planning a meeting at a golf resort can be a win-win proposition. It could draw more participants than would otherwise be the case, and attendees may go away satisfied with the experience and more likely to want to attend future events. C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

That’s not a meaningless phrase. For more than 300 years that proverb has been part of Western culture with good reason: It’s true. In order to thrive and to succeed at the highest levels, humans need to balance work and play — not just in everyday work and life but also at business meetings and conventions. That’s where entertainment comes in.

But it’s not just about play. Entertainment is a valuable business tool. The right entertainment can: increase attendance; engage attendees; draw clients; and support a company’s values, brand and vision, not to mention enhance employee morale and bond colleagues in the shared experience.

So how do planners ensure they get the most business bang for their entertainment buck?

The Planner Perspective

Colleen A. Rickenbacher, CMP, CSEP, CPC, CPECP, co-founder, Global Protocol, Etiquette & Civility Academy, a company dedicated to helping current and future leaders improve their communications skills, business etiquette and professional image, thinks there are three major things planners should consider before booking entertainment. “They should keep in mind the goals, needs and purpose of the specific program or conference, the demographics of the attendees; and budget.”

She adds that, “Entertainment is a key factor to increase attendance at an event. It’s a great way to bring an entire company together from the top down, and entertainment can change the entire outlook of a corporation regarding attitude, morale and even productivity.”

Rickenbacher says entertainment should be incorporated as part of the overall program and part of the agenda and planning from the start.

“The entertainment should always be a necessary tool to the program,” she continues. “It should have a major tie-in to the program and relate to the overall purpose of the meeting and the end result. Attendees should easily see this tie to their goals. Of course, if the entertainer is a well-known artist, than all the better for incentive building, camaraderie and boosting attendance.”

On the downside, Rickenbacher notes many things can go awry with entertainment when performers don’t show up. “Illness, a death in the family, flight delays, weather, simply running late, only half of the performers arrive or they arrive drunk. They may show up dressed inappropriately for the event or use language not appropriate for the audience. They might be no-shows, for no reason at all.”

Consequently, Rickenbacher says planners must always have language in contracts to protect themselves for any and all events that impact fulfillment of the contract.

“Protect yourself in your contract with a clause that states that if the performer or speaker cannot perform, a substitute of equal or better quality will perform. Additionally, the client will have access to interviewing this substitute, if possible, before hiring. If that’s not possible, a video and/or references must be provided.”

Perhaps most importantly, she adds, “Planners should always be prepared with a Plan B.”

Another thing to consider: You may not need a big, expensive name to meet your objectives. “At times you may need that name for the draw,” Rickenbacher says, “but you would be amazed at the number of speakers and entertainers out there that are excellent and not nearly as expensive as someone ‘famous.’ They may even be in that same city as your program, thus saving you thousands of dollars in travel expenses.”

That said, she adds, “Always get good references, try to go and listen to them speak or perform and make sure they’re a match for your goals, objectives and the purpose of the event.”

Lindsey Wolf, DMCP, lead creative design manager at Texas-based Ultimate Ventures, part of the Hosts Global network, adds other considerations planners should have top of mind when booking entertainment.

Flexibility on-site, price point, guest engagement and interaction with the crowd, and a fast response time are among her top-five recommendations. To those she adds the necessity of an entertainer’s quality promotional photos and videos.

“It’s really hard to sell an entertainer that doesn’t have quality promotional material. I find that photos do not always cut it, and most of the time clients need to see a video before being able to pull the trigger,” she says.

Like others, Wolf thinks the right entertainment can increase guest engagement and “help drive the energy in the room.” And though some events may need a big name to drive attendance, she says, “If the entertainment is engaging enough, it doesn’t matter if they are lesser known.”

There’s also this fact: Entertainment is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

“What works for some groups doesn’t work for all,” Wolf says. “The more information the client has beforehand about demographics, the better. While one group may live for line dancing and photo ops, another group may find games the best way for guests to interact and bond. No two events should be treated the same.”

Locale can also impact entertainment choices. “When groups come to Texas, nine times out of 10 they’re looking for a ‘Western’ experience.” Wolf says. “They want that rustic, laid back, southern hospitality that Texas is known for. As a planner, I always try to find the right balance of a Texas feel without the event feeling too kitschy or cliché.”

Among the western elements Wolf has successfully used are a mechanical bull, armadillo racing, rustic backyard games, a country-western band with line dancing lessons, and whiskey tasting or craft-beer experiences.

Regardless of location, Wolf thinks live music is always a good idea. “Guests don’t want to spend time in a stale, quiet environment. A live band or DJ can read the crowd and know when to turn the energy up or when to fade into the background.”

Considering the potential impact entertainment has on a meeting, how much of the budget should it have? “Twenty-five percent is a good starting point,” Wolf says. “Dedicating a portion of the event to providing quality entertainment is well worth it. In conjunction with great décor and lighting, your guests will remember the total experience and how you made them feel.”

And that will keep attendees generating conversations and social-media buzz about an event long after it ends.

For Robyn Bass, DMCP, owner and president and CEO of Maple Ridge Events in Tennessee, a Hosts Global partner, the primary considerations to keep in mind when deciding what kind of entertainment to book are company culture, attendee demographics, past entertainment options and selections and client expectations.

“Entertainment is more than just music or a performance,” Bass says. “It’s an experience serving as an extension of everything a company strives for the other 364 days a year. Achieving a ‘wow’ factor doesn’t mean overshadowing or stepping outside of company culture. We aim to tie in custom branding or interactive elements so employees truly feel the entertainment was created especially for them as a part of everything else happening. Nothing is by accident; every experience has a purpose.”

Being clear on purpose is one way to determine how much of the budget should be allotted to entertainment and what that entertainment should be. “Every program should prioritize its event and which components are the most important,” Bass says. “From there, you can start assigning percentages, ranging from 5-50 percent for entertainment. Here in Music City, there’s a wide price range of acts. Without knowing your priorities, you cannot effectively build your budget.”

Once priorities are established, next decisions include whether to book big-name or relatively unknown entertainment. “Our philosophy goes back to what is dictating the purpose for your event. “If the purpose is to drive attendance, it might make sense to engage name-act entertainment you know your attendees would love. But as far as entertainment value, it’s not necessary to have name acts. If your purpose is to ensure your attendees have the most fun ever, it opens up so many more opportunities.”

And you can mix and match. Bass recently worked on an event that mixed name-act entertainment with local/regional bands with great results.

The biggest decision, however, may be how to find the entertainment you want. Pointing to that same event, Bass says, “The biggest reason it was so successful was the ease of the process. Our entertainment buyer handled the heavy lifting on the entertainment portion. With so many acts it was a lot of heavy lifting and we wouldn’t have been able to do it alone. Having vetted and trusted partners allows us to do our job well.”

Which brings Bass to the best way for planners to protect themselves should something go wrong with entertainment. “We exclusively use entertainment buyers when booking. They’re the experts in entertainment negotiations and have specific entertainment contracts and insurances to cover all foreseeable and unforeseeable eventualities. Serving as an extension of our team, entertainment buyers allow us to look like rock stars to our clients, including the mirroring of their legal contract verbiage. This is imperative so all sides have a clear understanding of force majeure clauses and are covered using the same language when contracting. It ensures cohesiveness and consistency through any and all layers of service.”

Yet like other experts, Bass says a ‘Plan B’ is imperative, even in a place like Nashville where, as she notes, you could throw a rock and hit incredible musicians and performers. “A ‘Plan B’ of qualified and vetted entertainment acts is crucial to emergency preparedness and the overall success of a program. The entertainment buyer becomes your best friend in these unusual scenarios, able to enact your backup plans at a moment’s notice, giving the guests a seamless experience.”

Among the things that can go wrong: members of a performing group may change, something Bass says clients don’t always understand. “While an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) may have a band photo with certain members, the members are often plug and play. If a client books an act because of the look of the lead guitar player, for example, it may be that a different lead guitarist plays at the actual event. Obviously, we educate our clients on this, but if they don’t express why they chose someone, especially a very specific reason like eye or hair color, style, wardrobe and so on, it can lead to misunderstandings. This just serves as another example of why we always try to find purpose and reason behind everything the client asks for and selects.”

Jennifer Munoz Perez, account manager at Cream of the Crop Events & Logistics LLC in Florida, echoes other experts in noting that group demographics, budget and a company’s messaging goals are important factors in choosing conference entertainment. She also says planners should look closely at the agenda and decide where a live performance can best enhance the experience.

Perez says there are many ways for entertainment to enhance a corporation’s message, culture and values. “We use a lot of branding and logo-color identification in costumes, DJ surrounds and giveaways provided by performers. Custom song lyrics are highly effective for building cohesion in groups and these custom songs can be used long-term to stimulate great memories when attendees are back in the home office.”

Perez notes that one of the big challenges is “discovering new performers and concepts for savvy corporate planners and their attendees who have ‘been there, done that.’”

Sometimes, however, the right entertainment is not front and center but in the background. “Sometimes a background musician is absolutely perfect to set the mood in a room where colleagues can come together to collaborate and celebrate. This personal interaction is recognized as the highest benefit of meetings and events.”

In terms of a ‘Plan B,’ Perez notes, “At a minimum we always have a sound system with backup music ready to play.”

Perez doesn’t believe there’s a set percentage of a budget that should be devoted to entertainment. However, she says, “There’s a growing understanding that entertainment spend is proportionally of high value. Attendees remember what they saw, heard and felt during a live performance. Breakfast talk often centers on the spectacle of the previous night. Attendees remember a great band and dancing for hours, not the linen that was on the table.”

While providing name entertainment isn’t always necessary, Perez says if the budget allows, using name entertainment sends a message to the audience that they’re valued.

Like Rickenbacher, Perez says local culture is often the go-to because groups want an authentic experience. “Every destination is defined by its culture, history and specialties. Planners demand the authentic experience for their well-traveled and valued attendees because it makes an impact emotionally that builds memories.”

She continues, “South Florida is flooded with unique cultures and locations, including: the newly revamped Wynwood Walls, Florida’s Everglades ecosystem and our huge population of varying Latin cultures, including Cuban, Puerto Rican and Colombian. We highlight the Wynwood district with ‘Live Graffiti’ artists creating custom artworks within an event. It’s an especially cool way to bring branding into our corporate events with a fun Wynwood spin. Our compassionate animal handlers and ecologists can also come on-site with unique creatures of the Everglades to teach guests about each animal and its habitat — always a fun photo op. And Latin dancers who joyously share their culture through music and costumes embody all of the Latin cultures represented in South Florida.”

As an example of successful entertainment, Perez points to the dramatic reveal of a new executive at an event. “We designed an on-stage reveal that seamlessly integrated into the theme of a Miami ‘White-Hot Party.’ The choreographer created a video, which the executive was shown in advance in order to learn the dance moves. Results? A crowd of attendees watching a stage performance and then recognizing it was also the reveal of their new executive.”

Perez offers planners three strategies to consider when booking entertainment for their events. “Work with a reputable, experienced agency, so you’re hiring the most talented and dependable performers. Corporate event work is a specialty; great club DJs do not make great corporate-event DJs. Next,” she says, “ask detailed questions about costuming to make sure the entertainers are in alignment with your corporate culture.”

Finally, she notes, entertainment isn’t just for the big functions. “Use live performers liberally. A solo background performer during peak registration hours can set the tone for the entire event. A musician or duo at the morning breakfast or coffee break makes an impact because it is unexpected and delightful.”

From the Entertainment Provider Perspective

Those who actually provide entertainment view corporate entertainment much as planners do. Annette St. Onge, director of entertainment management/talent buyer for Aspen Ridge Entertainment, encourages planners to consider all those things mentioned by other experts here when thinking about entertainment for their events.

She also puts an emphasis on addressing every conceivable issue — band attire, custom lyrics, logos, brand colors and more — ahead of time. “It’s crucial to have these conversations before you go to contract, so any additional work and/or fees can be negotiated on the front end. Once you go to contract, ‘no’ becomes an easy response from the entertainment. And we know in the event world, ‘no’ is a four-letter word.”

And she emphasizes preparedness. “We work with vetted artists and always have a force majeure clause in our contracts.” If entertainment falls through, “Our first call is to the artist’s agent and management team to find out if anyone else on their roster would be available to step in.”

St. Onge says planners should seek out interactive entertainment experiences and team-building experiences as bonding options. One example is a song-writing workshop. “We bring in hit songwriters who will not only perform their hits but also work with small breakout groups to write a song on-site. To end the event, they’ll perform the song they just wrote with their team.”

While it’s true that most companies want an authentic local experience, St. Onge says there are exceptions. For one of her events, set at the Country Music Hall of Fame, a non-country headliner was requested. “We were fortunate to have a great relationship with an agent who represents a super group of three mega-stars from the pop/rock scene of the ’90s, with two of the artists living here in Nashville. After the show, the CEO said he couldn’t have asked for a better event to captivate their diverse audience.”

The take-away for planners? Just because a city is known for one thing doesn’t mean other great options aren’t available.

As for budget, St. Onge says “10 percent for entertainment is average across the board, but at least in Nashville we’ve found that percentages increase when groups want to weave entertainment through an entire event.”

She points out that there is also a cautionary note when it comes to booking big-name entertainment. “Once you bring in high-profile entertainment, that’s going to be the expectation of attendees going forward and planners have to be prepared to continue to book that caliber of entertainment in the future.”

St. Onge’s best advice for planners is to build a team of partners to rely on. “You don’t have to be an expert in the entertainment field. A solid talent-buying partner can be your biggest collaborator, an ally on your side representing you as an entertainment liaison.”

As is true with so many other elements of planning, the best course of action is finding and working with trusted partners and vendors. C&IT

Hailed as the World’s Leading Business Strategist, award-winning professional speaker Scott Steinberg is among today’s best-known trends experts and futurists, and the bestselling author of “Lead with Your Heart,” “Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed Despite Uncertainty,” and “Millennial Marketing: Bridging the Generation Gap.” He is also president and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. His website is www.AKeynoteSpeaker.com.

As a futurist and a trends expert, I attend numerous conferences on how to create positive change and accelerate business growth each year. Ironically, the No. 1 buzzword as of late at these events isn’t ‘innovation’ anymore. Rather, it’s actually ‘incentivization’ — how to motivate your workforce to routinely speak up, share their insights and make more concerted attempts at rapidly transforming ideas into actionable solutions. Happily, finding ways to boost employee engagement, and your ability to spark positive change, doesn’t have to be difficult. You can radically increase your ability to lead and succeed just by making a few simple adjustments in strategy and thinking to your leadership and workforce development strategies going forward.

Small Changes Work

To begin with, it helps to realize that simple shifts in business or communication strategy — or even simple shifts in presentation or packaging — can prove every bit as powerful as game-changing breakthrough innovations at driving positive results. That’s because in today’s high-tech world, where one person or one idea can change the shape of an entire organization, evolutionary changes — minor tweaks in approach — can prove every bit as powerful as revolutionary changes, especially as they’re more frequently implemented and compound over time. For example, when young adults in Australia stopped drinking Coca-Cola as often, the company didn’t take out millions in radio or TV advertising or create all sorts of crazy new flavors. Instead, it printed the 150 most-popular Australian names for boys and girls on Coke bottles and — via cost-effective social media programs — invited citizens to share them and strike up conversation. Within three months, it had blanketed the nation and increased consumption of its beverages among young adults by double digits. Likewise, when Liberty Mutual Insurance wanted drivers to behave safer behind the wheel, one of the company’s most popular solutions for doing so was to launch an app for mobile phones called Highway Hero that lets you turn the act of driving into a game — and that awards deeper real-world insurance discounts the better you comport yourself on the road.

Make Employees Comfortable

But in addition to reminding people how easy it is to create positive change at every turn when you apply simple shifts in thinking, you should provide them with welcoming and inviting forums where they feel comfortable speaking up — and can make their voices heard. For example, one large government agency we work with has found ways to fast-track learning and growth by specifically adding positions for young professionals to contribute to on its internal committees, and holding regular breakfast meetings where experienced and emerging team leaders are encouraged to sit down, share fresh ideas and collaborate in casual settings. Likewise, a popular nonprofit association has found ways to unleash innovation at scale — and more rapidly identify emerging trends and topics of interest — by offering online matchmaking tools to members that allow them to quickly find and partner with researchers who have similar interests in different fields. In effect, finding ways to win with innovation isn’t just about implementing a variety of programs and platforms that allow for greater teamwork and communication. It’s also about offering staffers more rapid ways to transform ideas into action, and creating more opportunities that allow them to consistently speak up, take ownership of challenges and make necessary shifts in strategy when they see the need for change impending.

What Drives Employees?

As you think about how to fuel this transformation in your business, it may help to consider which factors most effectively drive employees to positively engage with your organization as well. Counterintuitively, you’ll often find that the answer to encouraging peak performance is most frequently not found in financial rewards. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the fastest way for your business to encourage people to speak up and participate more is seldom to just throw money at the problem. Because not only are today’s workers — especially younger generations such as millennials and Gen Zers — more motivated by opportunities to learn, grow and build lasting careers than a paycheck. They’re also increasingly drawn to businesses who champion innovation and give employees an opportunity to make an impact — especially those that consistently work to equip workers with the skills and insights needed to succeed.
It’s especially worth noting, as with 73 million people and counting, millennials — born roughly between 1981 to 1995 — have now surpassed baby boomers as the single-largest generation in America and are now the single-largest generation in the workforce. So if you’re looking to better engage and inspire them, remember they won’t necessarily be looking for bigger paychecks going forward. Instead, they’re going to demand more regular opportunities to exercise and boost their skills and insights thru hands-on exposure in real-world environments — and want to see immediate, instantly visible ways in which their contributions are making a difference.

Generational Shift

Gen Zers — individuals born after 1995 — are also predicted to be a major group in the workforce. And like millennials, they much prefer interactive exercises, lifelike simulations and opportunities to shuttle between roles and responsibilities over traditional training and career development programs. However, these scrappy young professionals are also harder to reach and engage than previous generations, especially noting that their average attention span lasts 8 seconds — less than that of the common goldfish. So if you want to connect with tomorrow’s top workers, and boost employee engagement around various initiatives, it’s important to design every program you’re offering to be more interactive, more instantly attention-getting and more approachable and social. Likewise, for that matter, be aware that most of tomorrow’s workforce — regardless of their age — won’t measure success in terms of money, but rather their ability to accomplish goals and make a meaningful impact on the organization.

So basically, if you’re looking to empower tomorrow’s leaders to succeed, let alone encourage them to be more involved or inspire them to greatness, you won’t just need to make a point to offer them more leadership opportunities and more favorable salary and benefits packages. You’ll also want to work with your colleagues in every department to create a more welcoming and supportive environment that emphasizes professional growth and development — and offers ample opportunities to spotlight leading performers and their work. That said, the secret to radically boosting employee engagement isn’t all that secret when you come down to it. In fact, enabling and inspiring people to do great things can be far easier and more cost-effective than you think when you make a point to find ways to more actively work with top performers — not just have them work for you — in the years to come. C&IT