For years, partly because of its ever-increasing ubiquitousness and complexity, and partly because of the value of their always-limited time, meeting planners have had a love-hate relationship with technology. Today, however, meeting technology is in the midst of an innovation revolution that will ultimately transform the meeting industry from an isolated, business byproduct to a core element of its bottom-line success.

And that result will hopefully prove the credibility of a slogan in use since the Great Recession: “Meetings mean business.”

What meeting planners want most today, both in terms of their own needs and the needs of their companies, is greatly improved integration of individual technological components, or tools, into a fully functional, seamless platform.

“A challenge we, as meeting managers face now is that we don’t have full integration of event data into our marketing tech stack so that information can be shared across business systems. So there is a lot of event data sitting in a lot of disparate systems across the company. And I do not believe that the vendors in the event tech space fully understand how important this is.”
Carolyn Pund

The fact that such integration does not yet exist to the extent it should is a “frustration point,” says Carolyn Pund, CMP, CMM, senior manager, Global SMM & Technologies, at San Jose, CA-based enterprise technology giant Cisco Systems. “A challenge we, as meeting managers face now is that we don’t have full integration of event data into our marketing tech stack so that information can be shared across business systems. So there is a lot of event data sitting in a lot of disparate systems across the company. And I do not believe that the vendors in the event tech space fully understand how important this is.”

“For example,” Pund says, “a vendor might sell the same product into six organizations of the same company, but [the vendor doesn’t] have the capability of tying that data together on the back end for them. So things like data integration across multiple systems within the same product, and then moving that data into the company’s tech stack are real issues that need to be addressed.”

Allie Magyar, a former meeting planner who founded and now serves as CEO of the Vancouver, WA-based event technology provider Hubb, whose major clients include Microsoft, Tableau and Kronos, agrees with Pund’s assessment.

“As meeting planners adopt more and more technology, having easier to use software, where information and data can be transferred back and forth, is of utmost importance.”

Why has it been so difficult to accomplish that kind of integration? “Technology innovation has actually been very slow in our industry,” Magyar says. “So there are a lot of companies with legacy platforms that were built before the evolution of application programming integration (API) was a thing. And that helped meeting technology companies with their sales. Until now, we’ve had a closed system that said, ‘You have to use us for everything. There is no other option.’ And what meeting planners are now starting to find is that all-in-one solutions aren’t focusing across [the integration of] 10 different products, because they can’t. They’re finding, too, that while all-in-one solutions might meet their needs with half of their products, they’re not meeting their needs with the other half. They’re also finding that the process is more complex and takes more time than it needs to if you have the right solutions in place and just need to integrate them.”

The Key to Progress: Open-API

As a result, Magyar says, the trend now is toward open-API solutions that allow individual technology components to function more seamlessly with each other within a custom-tailored platform that consists of best-in-breed tools. For example, Hubb works with open-API Swoogo as the best-in-breed staff registration tool.

As a veteran global meeting manager at one of the world’s top technology enterprises, Pund points out that in order to be effective, an API integration “is most valuable when data is shared bi-directionally.”

“Complimentary data sets need to be collected and mapped between the integrated tools for the information to be valuable in both systems and offer conclusive reporting. That’s the best practice for shared data,” she says.

Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, Brian Ludwig, senior vice president of sales at meeting industry technology leader Cvent, agrees that improved integration of tools and functions is a valid and important objective.

“Right now,” Ludwig says, “planners can get something for registration, something else for a mobile app and something else for keeping track of the budget, but what they really want is an integrated system. They don’t want to import and export data from place to place. They don’t want to have to work in multiple systems. They want fluidity of data, so there is less manual manipulation of it. That’s what they do today. The bottom line is they want more stuff connected. And that’s what we’ll see in the next generation of API, which will allow different systems to talk to each other.”

The urgent need for full integration is “a big burden,” Ludwig says. It also now relates to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). “We’re now in a GDPR world.”

Chris Soto, president of CTC Events and Productions in Fairfax, VA, is a Cvent customer. And he agrees that better integration of technology tools across the meeting industry is badly needed. “That would save us a lot of time because even though our different events are each unique, there is a lot of overlap in terms of planning,” he says. “And better integration of functions would definitely be an improvement. That’s really what is most needed right now. For example, we need to be able to reduce the amount of data entry required to use technologies like Cvent. And often, you have to re-enter the data for multiple meetings. The need to repeat yourself is time consuming, so we definitely need to reduce the duplication of effort that we see now.”

Related Issues of Functionality

Along with a need for integration of functions into a platform is a need to also have technology do more than it has so far.

“The most innovative corporate users of meeting technology now use it for far more than just efficient planning or an improved attendee experience onsite,” Ludwig says. “They use it in order to assess and improve upon the bottom-line business results of their meetings and events.”

He continues: “What we’re seeing now is a deeper form of integration into business operations. For example, you’ll see people from the marketing side want things like information on registrants at a customer conference integrated into their customer relationship management (CRM) systems or marketing automation systems. They want to be able to do things like ask, ‘Of the thousand people who went to my conference, what did that yield? How did that impact our new customer pipeline?’ More and more companies are realizing that integrating meeting activity data, such as engagement levels, increases business success.”

That kind of innovation, he says, will be a major driver of the future of meeting technology.

Pund, meanwhile, sees a need for easier deployment and use of meeting tools. “What we’re seeing is app-fatigue; people just want to have them web-enabled, so that they’re not constantly having to download another app taking up space on their device,” she says. “They want everything on the cloud. That means instant access. It means you don’t have to wait for your software to update every tine you open it. And that’s something that is starting to happen now.” It, too, she says will revolutionize how other meeting technologies work.

And a third issue of debate is the “all-in-one” technology platform versus one that is custom-created by the corporate user from an array of best-in-breed components. Again, somewhat surprisingly, Cvent does not take the position that it will be all things to all people. It is focused on building a system that allows for integration, and even working relationships, with innovative niche providers of specific new tools that enhance the overall process.

However, Pund notes, for now at least, the well-established, consolidated platform trumps the idea of one-off proprietary tools. “Until we get to a place where there is a way to merge data from multiple tools easily, being on a consolidated platform is best,” Pund says. “And from an enterprise perspective, when it comes to brand and security compliance, when you’ve got different business units using separate technologies, and building multiple different websites on multiple tools and apps, it becomes a maze. All of these aspects play into the need for a consolidated platform for the purpose of brand alignment and safety and security of [personally identifiable information], versus everybody doing their own thing. In enterprise event technology, the No. 1 reason for consolidating to common platforms is for security and data privacy.”

The Holy Grail: Big Data, AI and Analytics

In the long run, the single-biggest and most important innovation in the use of meeting technology will be the deployment of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to literally transform the meeting industry with knowledge derived from analysis. Meeting planners and their corporate superiors will be able to know, with certainty, whether a particular meeting was successful and why. And that knowledge will be based in attendee data so granular and complex it can only be imagined today.

Meanwhile, the attendee experience onsite will be taken to levels that also transform meetings for them.

“Those kinds of capabilities are ever evolving,” Ludwig says. “You see more and more technology offerings now that have them as their cornerstones. But we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg so far. There are just so many cool things that are going to come along in the next few years that they can’t even be imagined yet.”

Examples include the use of augmented reality (AR). “We’ve just barely scratched the surface of what AR can do at meetings,” Ludwig says. “For example, what if I was able to hold my phone up at a live event and as I’m looking at a speaker, or the trade show floor, or at other attendees passing by, get real time contextual information about [that person or] those things? That is game-changing stuff in terms of how meetings can be conducted and the experience attendees can have. That kind of capability is already happening. It’s just not happening in the meeting space yet.”

Another example Ludwig cites is the use of AI. “For example, you now see things like a chat box inside an event website or a mobile app or even onsite,” he says. “In the future, AI will allow you to provide even more kinds of live contextual help to attendees. That sort of capability relies on pretty sophisticated technology, but because it’s constantly becoming more talented, it’s only a matter of time until we see it being used around meetings and events.”

Ultimately, such technology will allow attendees to find directions within a convention center, or get information in real time about an upcoming session, or get information on a speaker while he or she is on stage. The possibilities are almost unlimited in terms of practical benefits to attendees.

Cisco and other large technology companies are also doing those kinds of things at its meetings. Meanwhile, Hubb introduced such capabilities at a major meeting last year for a Fortune 100 company.

Magyar sees an ever-increasing focus on the quest for and use of data. “Every time I talk to a client, I ask them ‘What data have you collected and why?’” she says. “I always ask ‘Why?’ And what they tell me is they’ve been collecting all of this data, but they don’t know what to do with it. So I think that in looking at the evolution of the meeting industry over the next few years, we won’t just be focused on data, but we’ll also be focused on the intelligent use of it. And that responsibility can’t be put on meeting planners. It has to be put on experts who know how to convert that data into business intelligence. That’s one of the biggest changes we’re going to be seeing over the next five years to 10 years.”

In the short term, however, Pund says, “In my opinion, AI actually compounds the complication of all this. And that’s because of the amount of data that you collect in an AI environment. It is an area of innovation and growth, and there is no doubt it is changing the landscape of how people attend meetings and consume information. But it’s a matter of how you use it. And right now, it’s an emerging era of technology.”

She agrees that some practical uses of AI, such as chat bots and onsite concierge services, are innovative today, but will soon become commonplace. “They’ve been a great benefit for attendees,” she says. “But there is just so much more to come with AI.”

She cautions that the big issue related to AI, aside from its remarkable capabilities, is the growing conflict between the accumulation of personal data and attendee privacy.

“That’s a big deal,” Pund says. “When you’re trying to understand someone’s behavior, or predict it, and you’re getting so much information about what that person needs from a ‘personalization’ perspective — which is a good thing — there are some attendees that say, ‘I want you to know what I want.’ But then there are others who say, ‘I don’t want you to know anything about me. Stay away.’ So especially in light of the privacy [debate] that’s going on right now, there needs to be a balance between how and what you gather and permission to use that data. And the crux of the whole thing is what people opt in for. In other words, when you opt in for one thing, it doesn’t mean you’re giving a company carte blanche to assume you’re opting in for endless offers, invitations or marketing messages. They have to give you permission for specific uses.”

Managing Tech: The Dedicated New job

Given the ever-widening entrenchment and complexity of meeting technology, there is also a purely practical trend in terms of its use. And it is based on the understanding that meeting planners are not technology experts, nor do they want to be. Their basic role in planning and sourcing a meeting has not changed much in the last 50 years.

As a result, more large companies and large third-party independent meeting planning organizations are opting to designate a meeting technology manager or team that functions on behalf of all meeting planners within the enterprise.

That is happening because using technology can seem too difficult for someone who doesn’t have the technical chops to manage it,” Ludwig says. “And it is a genuine trend now.”

Magyar sees it as a major trend with her clients. “We’re involved with a lot of high-tech clients, so it’s just more natural for them to think in terms of doing that,” she says. “So at this point, almost all of our large enterprise clients have had a digital strategist or event tech team in place for years. And that will start to trickle down now into all other industries.”

And once again, Cisco was at the forefront of that innovation. It has had meeting technology teams in place for a decade, Pund says.

The Final Frontier: New Capabilities

Although there is now at least one meeting tool or app available for any imaginable kind of need, there are still a few things planners would like to see that have not come to full fruition yet.

One is related to the production side of meetings, Soto says. “We now see things like projection masking. With that technology, you can transform a ballroom with video technology and create an experience, whereas before you had to spend a tremendous amount of money on physical design and decor.” In other words, projection masking creates virtual decor. And, Soto says, the use of projection mapping is already a bona fide trend. It will just get better as next-generation technology evolves.

On his wish list is a greatly improved capability to do virtual site visits to hotels and other meeting venues around the world. “We do some international events, and we have one coming up in Barcelona,” Soto adds. “Right now, we have to get on a plane and go to Barcelona to do a site visit. I think, and I hope, that in the future, technology will allow us to do a site visit from our desks. And what that means is going beyond the floor plans and other site data that is available online now. Using things like 3D technology, we should be able to ‘see’ the venues and go through the meeting space or a ballroom in detail.”

Convention centers and hotels, he says, should be doing a much better job than they are so far at providing access to such technology. “For example, I should be able to see where the hang points are for rigging, and so on.”

One company aggressively addressing that largely unmet need is Concept3D. Its software platform provides immersive digital experiences with 3D modeling, interactive maps, and VR-enabled virtual tours that brings any physical location into an intuitive and navigable digital format, the company says. “Conventions centers, hotels, resorts and other meeting locations that are enabled with Concept3D’s 3D mapping and planning platform make it easy for corporate meeting planners to explore the space, request proposals  and work with the onsite staff to rapidly develop and revise room and breakout space options in either 3D or 2D,” the company said in a statement. “The platform easily filters space by type, capacity, desired layout and square footage, and gives event planners the ability to explore the entire event space, as well as nearby hotels, attractions, restaurants and transportation. Before and during the event, attendees can use the platform to navigate the area with point-to-point directions to breakout sessions, concessions, restrooms and other needs. The platform also includes in-app notifications that can be triggered by activity or timing so visitors can be presented with the most relevant information.”

Knowledge Is Power

The most important aspect of the future of meeting technology will be the ability to use data to transform events from a bottom-line business perspective, Magyar says. “Instead of basing your events on whether attendees smile when they leave or not, you’ll actually have real data on how you’re moving the business forward through sales momentum, integration of marketing tools and so on. Technology will be perceived as a business-impact tool. And that’s the thing that will really start to demonstrate the value of meetings and events to the organization. “

Ludwig concurs with that sentiment. “Ultimately, the future of meeting technology lies with actionable data on attendees,” he says. “And that horizon is tied to big data and artificial intelligence. If you look at Google or Amazon or Facebook, they now know everything there is to know about you and what you do. One day, and it will be probably a decade from now, meeting planners will be able to know that much about their meetings and their attendees. And once you can get that information and make it actionable, the value of meetings and events will increase dramatically. And if we can prove that meetings are working, then companies will hold even more meetings.” C&IT

Business and professional networking is widely recognized as the lifeblood of the meetings industry,” writes Joan Eisenstodt and Mitchell Beer, CMM, from a chapter in Professional Meeting Management (Kendall-Hunt), a textbook from the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Educational Foundation. The textbook is used not only by many industry professionals, but also by thousands of students in university management programs. Other industry professional organizations may offer their own educational materials.

“At its best, networking is about bringing colleagues and professional partners together to share information, ideas and opportunities, secure in the knowledge that if the substance is sound, commercial success will follow,” Eisenstodt and Beer say.

Join a Planning Organization

There is no better way for planners to begin to network and exchange ideas than by joining professional organizations within the meetings industry, many of which are listed at the end of this article. These organizations offer many of the opportunities mentioned above, as well as educational components and accreditations that can be very important to a planner’s career.

“Meeting planner certifications demonstrate that a professional knows the critical core competencies needed to be successful in his or her role,”
Amanda Cecil, Ph.D., CMP

“Meeting planner certifications demonstrate that a professional knows the critical core competencies needed to be successful in his or her role,” says Prof. Amanda Cecil, Ph.D., CMP, director of the Tourism, Events and Sports Management graduate program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. “It should give colleagues the confidence and peace of mind that individuals with certifications and designations value career development and education/training.”

“It is important to note that certifications require continuing education,” Cecil explains. “In order to continue using the CMP designation, for instance, one must dedicate time and resources to evolving with the profession. “I am currently not a planner, but an academic who teaches meeting management. However, I continue to see many job postings with ‘CMP Preferred’ or ‘CMP Required’ in the position requirements. Obtaining a CMP from a professional organization will give planners a significant advantage when looking for a position or promotion.”

Cecil went on to say that “having a CMP puts you in a unique peer-group, and in a community that genuinely values professionalism and wants continued personal and professional growth. It a great goal to achieve for planners at any stage of their career.”

Designations Can Boost Pay

According to a recent salary survey, event organizers with a CMP increase their salaries by 11 percent. Several organizations, including Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and PCMA, offer products designed to help planners study on-the-go and on their own schedule.

“I believe that meeting planner affiliations are important as it keeps meeting planners up-to-date as to what is going on in the industry, provides continued education and networking opportunities available among professional planners and suppliers,” says Elizabeth A. Kretchmer, CMP, CMM, HMCC, a strategic meetings manager and positive thinking coach and speaker with Strategic Meeting Manager, LLC. “Professional affiliations/organizations are an important asset to both planners and suppliers because the focus is within the industry and provides information that no other industry is able to offer.”

Kretchmer says being an active member of MPI has definitely been a big advantage as her career progressed. “My local MPI chapter has provided me with a wonderful network of meeting and connecting with a variety of planners and suppliers who I can collaborate with both on volunteer committees and work with professionally,” she says. “I consider my industry contacts my friends, and I find that if I am ever in need of seeking an industry planner/supplier for assistance or advice, I can easily contact them. I find that serving on MPI committees both nationally and within my local chapter, enables me to expand my network of contacts plus work with the best industry professionals within the MPI community.”

She says attending events and conferences gives her another way to link up.

“. . . I reconnect with so many industry contacts/friends due to my affiliation with MPI, and on the committees or projects we have worked on,” Kretchmer says. “It is always fun to catch up with my industry people at industry events to catch up on what is going on within their lives, plus exchange ideas or information on a professional level.”

One of the major milestones for many corporate meeting planners has been the accreditations received through the various organizations to which they belong. “Having obtained my CMP, CMM and HMCC has allowed me to be more respected and recognized in the industry. With these three accreditations, I have been able to use my knowledge and experience to move forward in my career as a strategic meeting manager, plus serve on MPI international committees,” Kretchmer says. “I also find that throughout my career, people recognize me as an accomplished meeting professional, and I find myself more credible within the industry. Therefore, being an active member of MPI has helped me tremendously throughout my career in the meeting planning industry in enhancing my continuing education, the networking opportunities available plus the friendships I have gained.”

Lifelong Contacts and Friends

Even for the many men and women working for the professional organizations, working with outside suppliers and corporate meeting planners for private firms brings an opportunity to form lifelong friendships. “Finding the right-fit industry affiliation is like finding a best friend, or several thousand friends,” says Jessie States, CMP, CMM, director of MPI Academy at MPI’s Dallas office. “For many corporate planners, as well as the staff of meeting organizations like MPI, the organization is your family, your confidant or your support system. It’s your career path and your educational and professional development. It’s your friend-rate on a service, product or venue. It’s your future boss, next client or new employee. And most importantly, it’s your advocate, giving you the tools you need to prove your worth to your organization and measure the business value you drive for your business, organization or group.”

States continues, “When I think of our industry’s fearless leaders; men and women who have worked their ways to the tops of great companies or who have started their own successful businesses, I see people who volunteered for, and actively participated in, their professional associations and who have been rewarded with massive networks and communities, necessary and timely education and, ultimately, the leadership training that propelled their careers.”

“Attaining the CMP certification, for example, verifies your professionalism in our industry,” States says. “You may have all the skills, and more, to deftly design experiences of all sizes and scopes, but the CMP lets the world know about it. CMP-preferred and CMP-required jobs are proliferating because hiring managers see the benefits of bringing on meeting professionals who are not only certified by a globally recognized certification, but who think investing in their professional development is important.”

Each Planner Has a Story

Every corporate planner has a different story about their experiences with professional organizations. Heather M. Seasholtz, CMP, director of meetings and events for the New Jersey-based Talley Management Group, became a PCMA member in 2011 after working in the corporate sector as a planner either in-house or as a third-party meeting planner. “To have an organization where I could network with meeting managers, exhibit managers, decorators, audio visual providers, venues, hoteliers and CVB’s was important to my growth and development within the association for my work” Seasholtz says. “I went to my first PCMA Convening Leaders in 2012 and have been going ever since, along with the PCMA Education Conference and any other event where I can ride on the PCMA coattails. PCMA has given me the tools to become an ‘Event Boss’ and the opportunities to give back through volunteerism. Along the way I have grown my circle of colleagues and friends, which is invaluable.”

Seasholtz appreciates having the opportunity.

“What is great about PCMA is they take the risks that some planners are sometimes afraid to take. Staging at Convening Leaders, breakouts offsite away from the host hotel, mixed seating room sets, meal creativity, corporate social responsibility (CSR) opportunities and volunteerism. Not everything is a home run, but what is great is that we get to see what works, what didn’t work and learn how to either make adjustments or implement it for our size of budgets,” Seasholtz says.

For Seasholtz, the international component of her own business, and with the PCMA organization, is what she thrives on. “PCMA has a fantastic forum for members to use when they need to ask a question. It is international brainstorming between planners and partners. Using the forum has helped me with understanding cultural nuances, find supplier partners that are recommended by industry colleagues and seek feedback on questions in regards to sponsorship,” she says. “For example, I may have the opportunity to assist with an event in Kenya. Utilizing the forum has given me a network of individuals who have planned or may be planning an event there in the future so we can share knowledge with one another. Further, at the 2019 Convening Leaders, I was honored to serve as a moderator for a panel discussion on contract clauses that are above and beyond what is in the typical contract with an amazing group of industry professionals. That opportunity has elevated my profile and Talley Management Group, which has afforded us opportunities for name recognition and consulting.”

Advice for New Planners

As a meeting planner, Seasholtz offers her recommendations to those just starting out in the industry, on how to get the most out of your exciting career.

Get involved on the local level. This will help grow the network of professionals around them. That network will be great for career development and ongoing support. Getting involved is as simple as attending local events.

If you are attending a national conference for the first time, such as Convening Leaders, sign up for a mentor program. This program gives new attendees a mentor who has attended the conference in the past or repeatedly. By partnering, the new attendee has a contact and connection right away. Also, the mentor can introduce them to their circle of colleagues, check in with them during the conference to ask how it is going. It also gives the attendee a contact so they are coming to the conference knowing someone.

Lean in. Young professionals should feel empowered to introduce themselves at events, strike up conversation and work outside of their comfort zone.

PCMA and other meetings orgnizations offer scholarships to attend various events to which I encourage young professionals to apply. This will automatically put them in a group of similar individuals and therefore a great way to build a network.

Approximately 4,000 industry professionals from around the world gathered for PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 in Pittsburgh January 6-9 for three days of education and inspiration aimed at driving economic and social progress through business events. Sessions covered innovation, design, leadership and technology. Celebrities Billie Jean King, Geena Davis and Steve Pemberton were among 138 experts, advocates and industry leaders to address the group.

“We built this conference around the theme ‘Disrupt + Deliver’ because that’s what the industry needs and wants,’’ says PCMA president and CEO Sherrif Karamat. Convening Leaders was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and generated an estimated $6 million for the Pittsburgh region. The PCMA Foundation raised more than $300,000 through onsite fundraising projects, including its annual Party With a Purpose.

Remember to Volunteer

Corporate planner Sarah Pinkowski, CMP, meetings supervisor at Enterprise Holdings, says meeting planners can gain a lot of knowledge and make additional industry contacts through volunteering at headquarters or local chapters of whatever organizations to which you belong.

“Through volunteering at your local chapter level or through the global organization, you meet and work with people in a different way that allows you to connect with them on another level,” Pinkowski says. “Friendships, partnerships and relationships form that provide potential for longer term business and interaction. Volunteering can build skills that you might not find in your day job, like presentation skill development by introducing a speaker at a chapter luncheon or a supplier putting on a planner ‘hat’ for a trivia night.”

“The opportunities are endless so figure out what you want to do and go for it,” Pinkowski says. “When I joined, I was involved with the MPI St. Louis Chapter’s education committee to impact chapter programming, which led to other committee and director positions. Before I knew it, I was president of the local chapter. It was an amazing learning experience, so I’ll say it again. Get involved! You will develop personally and professionally, which will move your career in ways you may not have even imagined yet.”

How to Join

For corporate planners interested in affiliating with one of the major professional meetings organization, contact information is below:

Global Business Travel Association
(GBTA) www.gbta.org

Meeting Planners International
(MPI) www.mpiweb.org

Professional Convention Management Association
(PCMA) www.pcma.org

International Association of Professional Conference Organizers
(IAPCO) www.iapco.org

International Congress & Convention Association
(ICCA) www.iccaworld.org

Society for Incentive Travel Excellence
(SITE) www.siteglobal.com C&IT

Jeff O’Hara, author of Have Fun, Fight Back and Keep the Party Going: Lessons from a New Orleans Entrepreneur’s Journey to the Inc. 5000 (Greenleaf, 2018), is president of PRA New Orleans, a business event management firm creating unique experiences for corporate groups. Learn more about Jeff at www.jeffreyohara.com

As a business owner, you look at many metrics specific to your business to determine if you are progressing toward financial goals. Is one of those metrics the profitability of your client base?

When we first started our corporate events business, we jumped at every new lead that came in the door, hungry for revenue and resume-building opportunities. This was great in the short term, because we didn’t have anything else competing for our time. But time is a precious resource, and one that is not renewable. As our company moved from start up mode into growth mode, our lead-chasing became a hard habit to break. After all, who wants to turn away business? And all of our clients loved us! So certainly more loving clients is a good thing, right?

More Is Not Always Better

More of the right kind of clients is a good thing. The kind of clients that drain your resources — especially your time — and don’t provide the relative amount of profitability are a hindrance on your growth. And when you are growing fast, your time and your human capital are at a premium. Continued growth will depend on how well you steward these resources of time and human capital.

A Startling Revelation

In the business events world, it is common to look at the profitability of an event by the gross margin it produces. That is, the revenue associated with the event less the costs of producing the event. A valuable metric for our business, though, and one that has made a world of difference is cost of sales on an event. My own analysis turned up some startling information: We were spending a lot of time in the sales process on clients that were not producing a ton of profit. This was preventing the sales team from prospecting better clients. So I set out to change that.

In our business, an enormous amount of labor goes into creating a sales proposal customized for each client’s specific objectives, and in many cases that cost isn’t considered when the client looks at your value proposition. They look at what we charge for full service compared to what they can piecemeal on the Internet. Certain segments of the market are high maintenance and low margin, and others understand the value that business events companies bring to the equation and understand the costs involved with that.

I made a decision to identify the market segments that understand our value and are willing to pay for it, and to focus our sales efforts there. We would not pursue any players I identified as low margin, and, if they came looking for us, we would politely decline to bid on their business. This was not always well-received. However, in my view, if I approach a provider and they tell me they don’t want or cannot take my business, they have saved us both time. I call this the “Thanks, but No Thanks” (TBNT) approach.

TBNT (Thanks, But No Thanks)

Here are just a few identifiers that would trigger a TBNT response:

Client requests proposals from too many companies. If you’re in a high-touch service business, clients who know what they are looking for will do research before sending a request for proposal (RFP), narrowing it down to two or three companies at most that are the best potential fits for them. When that list is longer than three, you know they have not done their due diligence and they may simply be looking to do just that in speaking with you. That’s not a good use of your time.

Client refuses to schedule a call to discuss the RFP. Every event is unique, and the better our business understands your goals and objectives, the better our proposal will be. If you can’t take 30 minutes to discuss it with us, you are likely just shopping price.

Client’s budget is unrealistic. This speaks for itself. We are a high-level service provider, and we will never be the low-cost provider in any bid situation. We are wasting our time with any work spent in the low end of the pool.

Client’s deadline to create a proposal is unrealistic. A quality proposal requires sufficient time for the provider. Clients who don’t understand the process or don’t respect our time may not be good partners in the short or long term.

Communicating TBNT to Your Team

While these markers are specific to my business, there are some sales universals that translate across industries. Salespeople hate saying “No” to anybody, and they naturally want to win every opportunity that comes in the door. But it is worthwhile to analyze how costs play out in the sales process and to condition your team to the concept of sometimes saying “Thanks, but No Thanks.” The fact is, every minute they spend on a low-profit group is a minute they are not spending on a high-margin group.

Ensuring your sales team is aligned with your goals may require a change in your incentive plan. In our case we added a metric to incentivize client profitability in addition to top line revenue. Voila! The team’s focus was clear so that when we had to TBNT a client, we were not derailed for long. The only thing you cannot get back once it is lost is time, so invest your time with the preciousness it deserves. Lead your team to understand this, and you will see your profitability grow.

Proof That TBNT Can Lead to Profits

In 2016, our corporate events business was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing, privately-held companies in the United States. Prior to this, we had received plenty of recognition within our industry. But this first-time honor from Inc. 5000 gave me an opportunity to take stock of all that had happened and all that my team had overcome. As we had learned to identify the right clients, and to manage our cash flow, we were able to recover from major hits including Hurricane Katrina and the Great Recession, and not only survive, but thrive.

Then, in 2017, we were once again named to the Inc. 5000. The notification letter indicated that fewer than one in three Inc. 5000 recipients receive the award again. It is an honor for fast growth — something that is by definition hard to maintain.

Being honored as a member of the Inc. 5000 two years in a row was, to me, more than just a recognition of successful years. It was a culmination of having overcome all of the challenges it takes to create a successful business over two decades of hard work, buoyancy in the face of some seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and a commitment to strategy that may include saying “Thanks, but No Thanks” to certain prospects.

Whether this is your rookie year or you have cultivated a long tradition in your industry, you will never go wrong by sharing your vision with your team, being savvy about the clientele you pursue, and celebrating with your team members when they produce results well beyond expectations. C&IT

Miami, with new hotels and a rebuilt convention center, is sizzling as planners are again choosing the city to host events.

Over the last decade, Miami has been transformed into a wildly popular meeting, convention and incentive destination that generates robust enthusiasm from both planners and attendees. Today, it offers a world-class combination of first-class hotel rooms, dining options, offsite venues and activities that add up to a memorable experience.

“Miami is unique as a meeting destination,” says William Talbert III, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). “We offer year-round good weather. We’re the easiest destination to get into and out of. We also have venues nobody else has. We’re on the water. The city of Miami is on Biscayne Bay. Miami Beach is on the bay and the Atlantic Ocean. So we have unique waterfront venues that no one else has. We have 25 miles of beautiful beaches. But we also say, ‘We’re more than a beach.’ There’s no other place like Miami. For a long time, we were clearly a cultural wasteland. But today, we’re one of the top cultural destinations in the world. We’re a world-class city and a world-class meeting destination.”

“Miami is unique as a meeting destination”
William Talbert III

One factor strongly in Miami’s favor as a meeting destination is the convenience of Miami International Airport (MIA) and the formidable airlift it delivers. “A lot of meeting planners who have not been here don’t really know that MIA is a ‘downtown’ airport,’” Talbert says. “If you’re going to downtown Miami, the first stoplight you see is when you’re in downtown. If you’re headed to Miami Beach, the first stoplight you see is when you’re in Miami Beach. How many destinations can say that?” And, he adds, the convenience and brevity of airport transfers are more important than ever before to many planners. In addition, Talbert stresses, MIA is served by 109 airlines, meaning it offers convenient airlift from virtually anywhere in the U.S. or around the world. “It’s the only airport that is served by more than 100 [airlines].”

“A Bustling City, Perfect for Meetings”

One planner chose Miami for the first time to host an annual sales meeting in January.

The planner chose the 615-room Hyatt Regency Miami, which features more than 100,000 sf of meeting space, including the 16,000 sf of space in the adjoining James L. Knight Center. The City of Miami owns the center, but Hyatt manages it.

The planner used the hotel for breakfast and lunch buffets daily, as well as a welcome reception and awards banquet on two evenings. The planner also staged a welcome reception and awards dinner on the hotel’s outdoor terrace, which overlooks the Miami River and offers sweeping views of downtown Miami and the upscale Brickell district.

A highlight of the meeting was a team-building exercise on the beach in Key Biscayne, after which attendees dined at landmark local seafood emporium Monty’s in Coconut Grove.

“[Miami is] a bustling city. It’s very popular, especially during the winter. It’s just a perfect location for a meeting,” the planner says.

Surprise! Miami can be budget-friendly, says Andrea Kinney, the St. Augustine, FL-based director of global accounts for site selection/sourcing provider HelmsBriscoe. She has, on average, used Miami as the destination for a meeting once a year for the last six years. Her most recent was a four-day, three-night healthcare meeting for 75 attendees in October.

“This particular client is based in Florida and they do all of their meetings in Florida,” Kinney says. “So they rotate destinations throughout the state.”

For their Miami meeting, they used the new 275-room Atton Brickell Miami.

“The primary reason for the selection of the hotel was that the client needed a hotel that was particularly budget-friendly,” Kinney says. “And the Atton really fit the bill for them because the client wanted to get a lot of value for their money, even though budget itself was not an issue. The Atton is not only brand new, but it’s beautiful. And the prices are fantastic because we were holding the meeting in October before the high season starts.”

Kinney points out that Miami, despite its reputation as expensive, can be budget-friendly. “One of the things I love about Miami is that it can accommodate all kinds of budgets, especially if you’re meeting in the off-season,” she says. “But there is still a perception among a lot of meeting planners that Miami is too expensive. But that’s just not true. You just have to know the market and go at the right time of year.”

Kinney and her client were very happy with the Atton, which characterizes itself as designed with “an air of Miami cool and seaside elegance.”

“The room product is excellent, partly because the hotel is new,” Kinney says. “But the design, which is sort of minimalist-modern, is very interesting and trendy. So my client loved the property.”

The hotel hosted all meals, whether a buffet or plated. “Attendees were very pleased with the food,” Kinney says. “The hotel has limited meeting space, so the maximum group size it can accommodate is probably 100 attendees. But the space they have is excellent. And again, it’s new. They have a meeting room on the top floor that has fantastic views of downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay.”

The Big News — Miami Beach Convention Center and a New Convention Center Hotel

Although Miami is in the midst of a genuine renaissance as a destination, both in terms of its eclectic hotel inventory and its new status as a genuine culinary capital, the most important news for meeting planners is the $620 million makeover of the Miami Beach Convention Center. The reimagined and updated facility reopened in September.

“It was a very old, out-of-date building,” says GMCVB’s Talbert. “It was a box, with no sense of place, with an asphalt parking lot with no trees across the street. The new facility is a totally reimagined facility. In addition to [a completely renovated structure], we’ve added a 60,000-sf ballroom, which also has 20,000 sf of pre-function space. And now you have a sense of place. You have a world-class facility that lets you know you’re in a place called Miami Beach.”

In November, voters approved construction of a new convention center hotel. The 800-room property will be the next step in the total transformation of Miami as a destination for major meetings and citywide conventions. There is no flag designated yet, but Talbert says, “I think the flag will have an ‘H’ in it.”

Local development powerhouses Terra and Turnberry Associates are overseeing the hotel’s development. Turnberry Associates owns the legendary Fontainebleau Miami Beach and acclaimed JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa. The grand opening of the convention center hotel is scheduled for 2022.

A “Miami First” Hotel Evolution

Perhaps the single-best indicator of Miami’s status as a meeting destination is what Talbert calls its unique “Miami first” preeminence. It applies to the new EAST, Miami, the Faena Hotel Miami Beach and Atton Brickell Miami. “Ours is the first EAST hotel outside of Asia,” Talbert says. “The Faena is the first outside of Argentina. And the Atton is the first property from that brand outside of Chile. What that means is that three major and very prestigious international hotel brands chose Miami as the location of their first properties outside of their home regions. And that means that Miami is red-hot as a destination.”

The Forbes Five-Star, AAA Four-Diamond Faena Hotel Miami Beach is the most acclaimed of Miami’s new hotels. The 169-room property, with 22,000 sf of meeting space, was designed by Hollywood director Baz Luhrmann, who directed The Great Gatsby, and his set designer wife Catherine Martin. It combines old Hollywood glamour with Art Deco elegance, executed with a tropical beach ambience. An adjacent $1 billion Faena Arts District also features a Faena Forum venue and an amphitheater, as well as a more intimate Casa Faena boutique hotel.

The EAST, Miami features 255 rooms, eight suites, and 89 one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences, as well as 20,000 sf of meeting space. The EAST serves as an anchor of the new Brickell City Centre, which features upscale shopping, dining and entertainment.

“The EAST is a fantastic property,” says Brian Whitt, vice president of sales at local destination management company CSI DMC. “And Brickell Center is one of the most gorgeous shopping areas I’ve ever seen, anywhere in the world. And there are a lot of great food options. For meeting groups, it offers a unique experience.”

Offsite Venues

To truly take advantage of Miami as a meeting destination, Whitt says, planners should stage a meal or event at one of its unique offsite venues. “One that really delivers the ‘wow factor’ for smaller groups is the legendary Versace Mansion [now renamed The Villa Casa Casuarina] on Miami Beach,” he says. “You can do a beautiful dinner on the pool deck, in this incredible space, for up to 130 attendees. It’s just a totally unique experience in a phenomenal venue.”

He also favors the SeaFair Mega Yacht, anchored in downtown Miami near the InterContinental Miami hotel and offering more than 20,000 sf of event, dining, and entertainment space.

“The SeaFair is an incredible experience for meeting groups,“ Whitt says. “You’re on this amazing yacht, with amazing food. You can do events for up to 600 attendees. But what’s beautiful about it is that it’s built in individual sections, so we’ve also done smaller groups of 100 attendees on the yacht and no one would think they were lost in the space.”

A third offsite venue Whitt cites as sensational is Wynwood Walls, a privately owned art installation in the Wynwood art district near downtown Miami. “It’s just beautiful,” Whitt says. “And again, it’s a very unique Miami experience. It indoctrinates you into the culture of Wynwood and the Miami art scene. The great thing about Wynwood Walls as a venue is that again, it’s divided into three distinct sections, so it can accommodate everything from small groups to large groups, up to at least 500 attendees. And there are wonderful dining options located right around it in the Wynwood neighborhood.”

World-Class Dining

Just as important as the evolution of its hotel inventory in lifting it to top-dog status as a meeting destination is Miami’s now internationally celebrated culinary scene. Whitt also has a short list of his favorite restaurants.

“For something that’s new and also intimate,” he says, “there is nothing better than Stubborn Seed, Jeremy Ford’s new restaurant. Ford was the winner of season 13 of TV’s Top Chef. His eight-course tasting menu is absolutely off the hook; an absolutely incredible dining experience in a very intimate space that only holds about 50 people. But you can also do a buyout of the entire restaurant and create a really memorable experience for a larger group.”

A little-known local landmark Whitt singles out for praise is The Forge on Miami Beach. Among well-heeled citizens of Miami, it is a landmark. “The Forge enjoys legendary status in Miami. It’s primarily a steak house and it has the most famous wine cellar in Miami. It also has classic old school elegance. And it’s a hidden treasure, since it’s not well known to anyone who doesn’t live in Miami. You can do a group of 90 or 100 there if you use the main dining room, but if you want a truly special and memorable experience, you should do the Wine Room in the basement wine cellar for about 20 people. You’re surrounded by incredible bottles of wine that are actually owned by celebrities who spend time in Miami and come to The Forge for dinner.”

Whitt’s third choice for a truly memorable meal and unique Miami experience is Juvia, located in the Lincoln Road Mall pedestrian dining and entertainment complex in Miami Beach. It offers a fusion of French, Japanese and Peruvian cooking styles, studied and meticulously crafted as a result of decades of training within each culture by its trio of chefs. “For its view, Juvia is incredible,” Whitt says. “The patio is just absolutely amazing for a dining experience. And the food is exceptional.”

Activities

When it comes to things to do, Whitt also offers a short list of personal favorites.

“A really cool activity unique to Miami is the Pan Am International Flight Academy pilot training facility, where meeting attendees can spend time on flight simulators that train commercial airline pilots,” he says. “You can book up to two dozen individual simulators for Boeing 737s, 757s and 777s. You get to be an airline pilot for a day. And we’ve had people do things like ditching with a raft into the water. Then they had lunch with airline pilots. Attendees flipped out over the experience.”

CSI DMC also touts shark-tagging as a unique Miami experience. “It’s incredibly memorable,” Whitt says. “We work with the University of Miami and the best shark experts in the world. And attendees actually get to go out and put satellite tags on sharks.” Ideal group size is 20.

Given all that Miami has to offer, Kinney, of HelmsBriscoe, urges meeting planners who have not been there recently to go on a site visit. “Planners who haven’t taken a look at Miami lately should definitely do it, because an opinion that was applicable years ago is no longer applicable,” she says. “And that is particularly true of cost and budget concerns. It is no longer out of reach. And it is a fantastic destination that is very exciting.”

Whitt, for his part, highlights the multicultural sizzle of Miami as its primary allure.

“Miami is a melting pot of cultures,” he says. “It’s an international destination. And you get that kind of feel here that you just don’t get in most other major U.S. cities. And you also get an incredible energy and flavor that are conducive to having a great meeting that attendees will remember.” C&IT

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise offers 36,000 sf of flexible meeting and event space as well as stunning views and world-class skiing in the winter. In the summer, attendees can participate in activities such as hiking, canoeing and more.

We had to change from Mounties — [they’re] not sexy enough,” says Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, executive director, Business Events Canada, says of Canada’s image. “It’s not just the landscape and nature. That was not resonating enough with [attracting] meetings. We had to change the story: Why would you choose Canada over the US? Why and how?”

So Business Events Canada (BEC), a division of Destination Canada, set out to organize strategic partnerships with meetings organizations such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and incentive houses. BEC also created priority economic sectors to align with certain cities and lure meetings that would lead to foreign investment — and the other way around.

“It’s a long game to attract the C-suite, not just the day-to-day of where meetings are hosted to grow business in Canada,”
Chantal Sturk-Nadeau

Montréal

Just an hour and a half from New York City by air, Montréal feels like a European getaway but with a much more favorable exchange rate. Even in the heart of winter, the 2.5-mile Promenade Fleuve-Montagne walkway calls on attendees to bundle up for a walking tour from the river to the mountain thanks to clear signage all along the route.

For foodies, there is dry-aged beef at Maggie Oakes in Old Montréal, longtime favorite Schwartz’s Deli for smoked meats and Au Pied de Cochon for an upscale, playful version of Québécois specialties beyond poutine. The restaurant offers an especially popular traditional sugar shack meal during maple syrup season.

“It’s an electric city that’s got a great vibe,” says Jeffrey M. Weinman, principal, Summit Event Management, Inc. His client of 17 years, a Fortune 100 company, in August was looking for a “new and exciting destination that would motivate, be easy to work with and have cultural areas” for an incentive meeting of some 400 attendees and their spouses.

Montréal fit the bill, and not just anywhere in Montréal: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. “We did a site inspection, and it was the best value for that fit. One property would have been a better value dollar-wise, but the flow wouldn’t have worked. It was important to get that ‘wow’ factor.”

That factor involved, as it so often does, getting the food and beverage (F&B) right by spending time with the chef to “touch on things Montréal is famous for and that we know our people like.” Results: buckets of fresh, hot French fries made with different types of potatoes; a make-your-own poutine station with several gravies, cheese curds and pulled pork; and a grilled cheese night with various cheeses and fillings in a panini maker.

At the welcome reception, performers from Montréal-based Cirque Éloize put on a show in the hotel’s 21st-floor C2 Space, with its windows that overlook the city, a roof deck, patio and removable furniture for an arrangement that can accommodate up to 220 attendees.

“We set it up reception-style, with a stage, a contortionist and juggler. The entertainment right away as you walk in was a woman with a giant Hula-Hoop, then a rolling skating duo on a 6-foot [high] circular stage.”

For the general welcome reception, Weinman and the hotel agreed to combine rooms with multimedia takes on old and modern Montréal on pillars, walls and ceilings. “They were wonderful in making it appetizing for us,” he says. “It just set the weekend; it was the exclamation point on the weekend.”

He also provided attendees with a Passport MTL card good for 48 hours so they could experience the city in their own way, with free unlimited transportation and 28 attractions discounted or free.

Weinman says the people of Montréal, both in the meetings industry and the residents themselves, seem very welcoming and open.” They immediately change to English from French; no attitude about not speaking the language,” he says. “[I’m] hearing from the C-levels what a great job we’ve done and how much people are enjoying it; watching people’s reactions to everything that’s going on — that makes all the work worth it.”

Québec City

The Vieux-Québec area’s undisputed shining city on the hill continues be the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, which under various management has been wowing visitors since it opened in 1893. For a 250-attendee convention of doctors in June 2018, the F&B team whipped up a themed menu where each course and cocktail was based on a Beatles song. There was soup in a 1970s beer can, Sergeant Pepper beef, Lady Madonna trout and a cake the shape and color of a yellow submarine. The G7 meeting of seven industrialized democracies, as it happens, was in town at the same time, creating more security without actually interrupting the festivities.

“I used to work with the Canadian Embassy in Paris; this evening reminded me of this,” a planner summed up. “If you think it’s something a hotel can’t do, Frontenac can do it.”

Also in Old Québec is the Hôtel Manoir Victoria, with 156 rooms and meeting/banquet space for 175 attendees. The onsite restaurant, Chez Boulay-Bistro Boréal, serves cuisine it describes as “Nordic” — local Québec fish, duck terrine, blood pudding and bison tartare.

Another hotel, The Relais & Châteaux Auberge Saint-Antoine has several meeting rooms as well as jazz nights at its Bar Artéfac.

The Québec City Marriott Downtown is, like the rest of Old Québec, within walking distance from the Québec City Convention Centre. The center can accommodate up to 9,000 attendees and connects by underground walkway to the Hilton Québec and Delta Hotels by Marriott Québec. After a day of meetings, attendees can amble over to the Plains of Abraham or Le Musée du Chocolat, which offers history and artifacts of chocolate making going back 200 years. Get the chocolate, of course, at the adjacent chocolatier, Érico.

Planners looking for an unusual incentive space can do as a Portland, OR-based IT start-up did for its September 2018 annual retreat of 65 attendees: stay at a monastery. Le Monastère des Augustines is a converted monastery built in 1639 that offers a complimentary breakfast, yoga and meditation, and “cozy” monks’ cells. It has Wi-Fi, but no TVs.

“[The IT start-up attendees] were looking for something a little more exotic, boutique, with a full buyout, that has more character than a generic hotel,” the planner says of the group. “They chose Québec City as the right mix of a small, walkable place but at same time enough variety about the property.”

Some of that variety included La Revanche, a snacks, beer and board games spot in the old city, as well as a nearby BeaverTails food truck serving up Canadian “queues de castor” — large, flat pastry in the shape of the rodent’s tail to which any number of sweet topping and/or fillings can be applied. As a team-building exercise, curling was the sport of choice, with a rink, workshop and tournament outside; in September, that was still possible.

The monastery has a chapel area that can be used as a meeting space, along with a restaurant, catering and banquet menus that can provide, as it did for this group, a poutine station.

“We were surprised how affordable things were,” the planner noted. Still, he acknowledges that the language barrier, lack of “lift” comparable to other cities and weather unpredictability can be a challenge for some. “Québec has a very rich and palpable personality; take advantage of the fact that it’s a unique destination — language, food, people, history — do the best to unearth and share that.” Planner tip: “The safety net of a local DMC helps with transfers, so you don’t have to do it in Québécois French.”

Ottawa

With 192,000 sf of meeting space 20 minutes from Ottawa International Airport, and a bridge leading directly to the 492-room Westin Ottawa and gigantic CF Rideau Centre shopping mall, the Shaw Centre is probably Ottawa’s most obvious draw for meeting planners. It can and will host anything from a Parent & Child Show to a Cannabis and Hemp Expo (complete with a bake lounge) with the same degree of verve. The center’s four levels all overlook the city’s Rideau Canal, which during Canada’s frigid winters famously transforms into the Rideau Canal Skateway. Attendees can glide along the world’s largest skating rink — it’s 4.8 miles long — for 24 hours a day in season.

The Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre provides just more than 24,000 sf of meeting space. Though it’s not specifically offered as such, an enterprising planner might find the outdoor rooftop terrace just the thing for a small gathering in kind weather.

Cher, Def Leppard and Michael Bublé are just a few of the 2019 headliners at the Canadian Tire Centre, about a 15-minute drive from the downtown area. Among the sports bars and casual dining spots at the hockey arena is The Vault, the private dining space in the members-only Club Red steakhouse that promises select attendees some face time with the chef and sommelier. The nearby Sens House Sports Bar & Grill in the Byward Market offers fans who can’t make the hockey match an authentic arena experience; this one complete with a 1,500-sf portion of the dining room with a retractable roof and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ottawa is also home to the National Gallery of Canada, which will soon exhibit among many other things, the portraits of Paul Gauguin and International Indigenous Art Exhibition 2019, and home to the National Arts Centre, celebrating 50 years.

Tips from a planner who has met often in the city: “Morning runs along the Ottawa River over the bridges are what makes Ottawa, Ottawa. The airport is well-designed but busy; consider flying to Montréal and driving in.”

Toronto

Home to Canada’s three largest hotels — the 1,590-room Chelsea Hotel, Toronto; the 42-story, 1,377-room Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel; and the 1,365-room Fairmont Royal York — Toronto has also become a kind of watchword for “multicultural.”

That’s one of its many draws for Brianna Mark, CMP, senior event planner, Internal Communications, with Mozilla Corporation. “Even if not backed by fact, people feel safer traveling into Canada than the U.S.,” she says, an especially important consideration for Mozilla, where some 50 percent of employees work remotely all over the world.

To keep people connected, Mozilla holds an “all hands” event every June and September, remassing its far-flung workers for five days of togetherness. In June, some 1,400 attendees will converge in Toronto, where Mozilla has one of its nine offices.

“The exchange rate is always in our favor,” Mark says. “There’s really good airlift from most of our destinations, the airport to the core is easy and the city is walkable and safe. Toronto is on our list every single time we source. It’s a natural fit; a cultural match for flying people from all over the world.”

She says she appreciates how responsive Tourism Toronto is, and is a fan of Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, where she convened the semiannual meeting a few years ago. “When we did a site visit, they pulled out all the stops with a bunch of people in fox outfits (Mozilla’s logo) greeting us and specific elevators with branding. It showed that they took time to know us and our brand.”

For Mark, who has food allergies, negotiations about food come foremost. “We want everyone to eat something they want and something they can [eat]. Part of that is working really closely and making sure we understand the ingredients and things are properly labeled.” She offered build-your-own buffets at every meal and specified a gluten-free buffet with dedicated accoutrements.

Isn’t this rather expensive? Not necessarily. “I go in with my budget, and I let them propose something. I find that hotels want to deliver as much as I want them to deliver, so the more info I give them up front, the better. You’d be surprised what they can come up when you allow them to be creative.”

Elsewhere in Toronto, the 65-story, 260-room former Adelaide Hotel Toronto has been up-marketed to The St. Regis Toronto. The hotel has more than 100 new suites, a new design of the common spaces and an ornate restaurant, LOUIX LOUIS, serving craft cocktails and a sumptuous take on American cuisine such as a burger topped with brie, foie gras and tomato compote while overlooking Lake Ontario from its perch on the 31st floor.

The CN Tower’s LookOut Level observatory has a new glass floor one level up from the original that offers a vertiginous look straight down to complement the floor-to-ceiling “Window Walls.”

In other venue action, the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto recently moved into a 55,000-sf former industrial space, and Four Seasons Hotel Toronto remains a hot spot thanks to its Café Boulud and, from the same chef, a bar and charcuterie space called d|bar.

Edmonton

Two words: Aurora Sky. The 800,000-sf space is the world’s largest legal cannabis production facility — 100,000 kilos per year when fully operational, and it has recently moved into producing hemp as well. The city views this facility as part of its next wave in economic expansion.

Edmonton EXPO Centre, with 522,000 sf, and the now-named Edmonton Convention Centre (known for decades as the Shaw Conference Centre until its naming rights ended in 2018), with 150,000 sf, are the city’s convention hubs. The city’s 12,000 rooms in 55 hotels offer plenty of options for meetings of all sizes.

The La Ronde restaurant on the 24th floor of the 307-room Chateau Lacombe Hotel offers attendees a revolution every 88 minutes, accompanied by views of the Saskatchewan River and, if diners choose, a Chateaubriand for Two on Wednesdays or, on Thursdays, Steak Diane and Cherries Jubilee. Planners have 14,000 sf of event space to manipulate.

Another venue within walking distance of the Edmonton Convention Centre, the Quarter Note Hotel Edmonton Downtown, features 150 blockable rooms for a total of 255, and nearly 9,000 sf of meeting and event space, including banquet space for 240.

Winters see the Silver Skate Festival in Hawrelak Park. Along with the expected skating and ice sculptures, highlights of the festival include the opportunity for attendees to cook “bannock” — a Native American fry bread — over an open fire.

Between a four- and five-hour drive south and a little west — about 470 km — sits the venerable Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Built more than 100 years ago as a base for outdoor enthusiasts and skiers, the resort offers 36,000 sf of flexible meeting and event space.

Vancouver

“I would live there. If it were up to me, I would hold every meeting there.” That’s how Jason Gross, assistant vice president, travel, Captive Resources feels about Vancouver, where he regularly holds meetings at Fairmont Waterfront, Fairmont Pacific Rim and Rosewood Hotel Georgia. But a group of some 350 entrepreneurs — nearly 600 attendees including spouses — who meet every January and June wanted to visit St. Thomas in the Caribbean for their January 2018 meeting. Hurricanes Irma and Maria had other plans, so as Gross scrambled for a new place, he naturally looked north. Available was the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, a venue he’d seen years ago, and not with great excitement.

“At this time, we had no other options. We were a little hesitant; we’re used to being on the waterfront, not the city center, so it wasn’t something that we jumped at,” Gross says. What began as a last resort soon became a favorite. “They blew it out of the park,” he says. “It was as close to a perfect meeting as we’ve ever had. We are now choosing them over the [Fairmont] Waterfront.”

In the planning stages, the hotel didn’t take advantage of the bind he was in, he says, and he didn’t feel put upon even though the hotel had the upper hand in negotiations. They were responsive, contracting went completely smoothly and they returned emails. It also didn’t hurt that the hotel looked completely different — “night and day” — from when he’d last seen it in 2015, thanks to a $55 million renovation of the common areas, lobbies, restaurants and the addition of 8,000 sf of meeting space in a dedicated wing, all within walking distance of the Vancouver Convention Centre.

And on the attendee front, no long lines at the check-in, no complaints about the rooms — even though the rooms were of varying layouts and square footage. “They must have been that good, that clean, that fresh,” Gross speculates.

He organized a president’s dinner onsite in the British Columbia ballroom for 400 people using standard menus with only slight changes — “there was zero push back when we asked for surf and turf.”

The group also ate at the onsite restaurant, Notch8 Restaurant & Bar, which serves “very modern/slightly upscale, Canadian-geared farm to table,” including fresh Dungeness crab. “I heard the greatest compliment: ‘I would go to it even though it’s in another hotel’,” he says. He also steered attendees to Chambar, a Belgian and seafood restaurant in Downtown Vancouver; and the sustainable seafood restaurant Blue Water Cafe.

Attendees had plenty of time to take in many of the sights of the region. They took the North Shore tour, visiting Stanley Park with its rainforest, Grouse Mountain, and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park; went on a Discover Vancouver bus tour that included the Olympic Village and some popular craft beer spots; made time for the Sea to Sky Gondola sightseeing tour; and browsed in the Museum of Anthropology and the Botanical Garden at University of British Columbia. By far the most popular outing, requiring a second round for foodies, was the tour of the Granville Island Public Market.

Now, there’s talk of returning in 2022.

“Vancouver as a destination; go for it and don’t look back,” Gross says. “When it comes to activities, live music and nightlife, it’s the best total package destination we go to. They really understand group business.” Most of his attendees are not from big cities, he says, so a place like Toronto strikes them as too big. But “nature in Vancouver with a strong urban core really speaks to people.”

Calgary

“Nothing says Calgary better than the Stampede,” says one planner who held his annual convention there in August 2018 with 900 franchisees and families of a U.S. auto industry company.

The ‘hot-diggity-dog’ excitement of the rodeo held in this city in the Mountain Time Zone infects some 1 million people every July. His group stayed in three hotels connected via walkway to the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre — the Hyatt Regency Calgary, the Fairmont Palliser and the Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel.

His group does a charity 5K walk every year, working closely with Tourism Calgary to find “a safe and interesting route” that included the Calgary Tower, home of the Sky 360 Restaurant & Lounge, which revolves once per hour 510 feet up, the scenic walking path along Bow River and Canada Olympic Park. The dream of the Olympics is still alive as the city mulls bidding to host the 2026 Olympics.

BMO Centre at Stampede Park, the larger of the city’s convention centers, offers 500,000 sf of event space. Plans in 2016 to create even more meeting space by demolishing the Stampede Corral have so far come to nothing; one of the local hockey clubs plans to play a “Corral” series in the space this year.

And the $245 million, oval-shaped architectural marvel that is the Calgary Central Library opened late last year, levitating over a public plaza below and beckoning with meeting spaces and conference rooms. C&IT

Tammy Blount-Canavan, FCDME
President & CEO, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau

An early career in hotel sales and operations gave Tammy Blount-Canavan the foundation to succeed in the industry she’s been part of for 30 years.

“I started in hotel sales and operations and then was recruited into the CVB arena, where I started in an entry-level position and worked my way around different departments and levels of responsibility. It was a good path in that I had an excellent understanding of our primary stakeholders before venturing into the CVB world, and I have walked in the shoes of nearly all the team members I now ask [them] to walk in themselves.”

The way she sees challenges in her career says a lot about her. “The primary challenges were probably that there are more opportunities to do meaningful, cool things than there is time to do them all properly.”

Like others, she’s faced some “resistance” as a woman in the industry, but that has done little to diminish her and perhaps even made her stronger and more resilient. “Certainly there are some circles that are male dominant and female resistant,” she says, “but those circles have reduced considerably over the span of my career. At first I asked for help to open conversations from established men in those circles. Now that I’m more established myself, I feel quite comfortable bringing attention to such situations. At that point, if they’re not remedied or interested in my contributions, I simply make them elsewhere.”

In terms of her own success, Blount-Canavan thinks she owes it primarily to three critical traits: “Being a good listener, empathy and the power of persuasion.”

She sees differences in how men and women may lead a DMO, but says good leadership isn’t about gender. “I think women and men are very different, but I don’t think leadership styles are gender specific. We all want to operate in an environment of respect regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or other factors that people sometimes think are more differentiating than they truly are.”

Her advice to the young women who may eventually walk in her shoes is straightforward: “Be patient, persistent, understanding and claim mentors. Even the most powerful of people will often take time to help someone who respectfully asks for it.”

A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Blount-Canavan has been president and CEO of the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau for the past seven years. She served on the executive committee of Destinations International, and in 2017 became the fifth woman in 100 years to become Destinations International’s chair.

She has been recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential People in the meetings industry and as one of the Top-25 Most Influential Women in the industry. In 2015, she was named CEO of the Year. Her background includes the executive leadership position as CEO of the Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, where she was also the architect and inaugural chair of the Washington Tourism Alliance. Additionally, she was on the leadership team of Tourism Vancouver for more than a decade.

Tania Armenta
President & CEO, Visit Albuquerque

Tania Armenta’s road to the CVB began in hospitality while still a student at the University of Nebraska.

“I worked in the hotel industry throughout college, which gave me a great introduction to the hospitality industry. Then, early in my career, I decided to move back to my home state of New Mexico. I had a background in marketing and public relations and was just about to go to work for an agency when someone mentioned that the Albuquerque CVB was looking to create a new public relations division. I had no idea what a CVB was, but I loved the concept of getting PR experience while promoting my home state. I thought I’d be here two or three years, but I fell in love with the industry, our organization, mission and the team.”

It’s creating successful teams that Armenta lists as one of her most significant accomplishments and a measure of her success. “I am very proud of the team we’ve assembled here. It’s a combination of veterans and new industry professionals. Their determination is undeniable, and Albuquerque and our organization are prospering due to their passion and perseverance.”

Like other jobs, she says this one comes with some challenges. “The DMO world is one of many, many stakeholders and I had to learn early on not to let the sometimes negative voices and opinions of the minority influence me too much. To stay in this industry, you definitely need resiliency and thick skin. Many of our stakeholders benefit directly from our work, so at times the lines are blurred between what is good for them and what is good for the destination.”

Armenta doesn’t see her gender as a critical factor in her career. “I’ve had moments where I’ve felt that I was not being taken as seriously as the men in the room. I think it was a combination of being female and typically the youngest in the room as well. However, I have also been fortunate to have some amazing and generous male mentors who believed in me and opened doors for me.”

While she thinks women in leadership may more readily bring inclusivity to the table, she says the core traits of leadership are the same for men and women.

“I think the best leaders, regardless of gender, know their audience, speak the kind truth, are persuasive, adaptable, team-oriented and have tremendous grit and strength,” Armenta says. ”At Visit Albuquerque, we have a core set of values that we strive to exhibit and share each day.”

To young women she offers this advice: “Believe in yourself, identify great mentors, stay focused and prioritize work to make the greatest impact.”

Armenta has been with Visit Albuquerque for 20 years and has led the organization for the past three. She also serves on the board of U.S. Travel Association’s Destinations Council, the Destinations International DMAP Board and the Jennifer Riordan Foundation Advisory Board, and she chairs the New Mexico Hospitality Association.

In 2012 she was named Tourism Professional of the Year in New Mexico and is a former recipient of the 40 Under Forty awards by Albuquerque Business First. She has a BA in journalism and mass communication with an emphasis in advertising and public relations and a minor in Spanish from the University of Nebraska.

Kathleen M. ‘Kitty‘ Ratcliffe
President, Explore St. Louis

“I’ve never really felt there was an obstacle or challenge I couldn’t overcome. It’s always just a question of how,” says Kathleen Ratcliffe, who has been at the helm of Explore St. Louis since 2006.

“My first job in the industry was director of the Carbondale, IL convention and tourism bureau, which was a start-up organization. For women just getting into the industry, it’s probably a good path for developing many skills that can be applied to positions in larger organizations and other sectors. As the director of a start-up CVB with no other staff and extremely limited resources, I had to be creative and fearless in moving the organization forward.”

One major challenge, she says, is that she didn’t have any real training for that job. “Every step I took was a learning experience, either one that was successful or one that was an educational opportunity for me in how to do things differently. I see obstacles as things to work around, not things to stop me.”

Ratcliffe recalls many times when gender came into play — and sometimes still does. “I could name hundreds of times where I have been the only woman in the room negotiating a deal or discussing a difficult subject within the community. I’ve also had many instances where someone around the table should be talking to me, but instead talks to someone who works for me because that person happens to be a man. It’s quite funny, actually. I’ve also faced some challenges at times with the ‘sports guys’ in the community who assume that a woman doesn’t know anything about sports or doesn’t understand how sports are so much more important than a business event (of course, they know nothing about business events if they think that!). They’ll go to my male board chairman, members of our board or members of our staff who are men in order to try to get something when they should be talking to me. That tactic doesn’t end up working for them.”

Yet Ratcliffe says of gender differences among leaders, “I don’t think there are any hard and fast distinctions between men and women; we’re all unique beings. However, generally I think women tend to be a little more detail focused, which can lead to an organization that has more structure and established measurable goals. Certainly, that’s not always the case, nor is it always the case that women leaders tend to be a little more perceptive about the people around them. But I think that is also often true.”

The ability to hire well and build great teams, like the one she currently has, is something Ratcliffe counts among her accomplishments as a leader. “I also worked with great teams in New Orleans, Jacksonville, Baltimore and Denver and still maintain many of those relationships years later. The most significant instance was halting the widespread cancellation of meetings for future years in New Orleans after Katrina. That effort required every ounce of will power in my body and the enormous heart and soul of every member of our team. I still tear up when I think of all of them.”

Her advice for women entering the industry now is twofold. First and foremost, she says, they should know that the new generation of women have it easier in business than my generation had, and my generation had it easier than the generation of women before us. “So, don’t take things for granted. Make sure you carry other women forward. Remember that you’re standing on the shoulders of women who have gone before you and paved the way for you. Work hard, always be ethical, be fearless but not foolish.”

Ratcliffe is the president of Explore St. Louis, responsible for the sales and marketing of St. Louis as a destination for visitors and the operations of both the Cervantes Convention Center and The Dome at America’s Center. Ratcliffe is a past international chairwoman of MPI and has served on the board of Destinations International, receiving awards from both. She serves on the board of PCMA, and most recently, she received the Apex Award from Black Meetings & Tourism. She was named one of the Most Influential Businesswomen in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal, a Leader of Distinction by the YWCA of Metro St. Louis, and she received a Regional Leadership Award from the St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation.

Maura Gast, FCDME
Executive Director, Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau

Maura Gast is nothing if not hands-on. She led the team that delivered the architecturally distinctive Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas on-time and under budget and has oversight of its day-to-day operations. She’s been with the Irving, TX CVB for 28 years, becoming its executive director in 2003.

Getting there was hardly a straight line. “My path, like that of most of my peers, was accidental. I had prior careers in publishing and retail, but it was active involvement in an advertising trade association that was the connection that ended up opening the doors that brought me to the Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau.”

Gast’s “building blocks” for DMO/community shared success are strategic. “Build a place where people want to visit, and you’ll build a place where people want to live. Build a place where people want to live, and you’ll build a place where people want to work. Build a place where people want to work, and you’ll build a place where business has to be. Build a place where business has to be, and you’ll build a place where people have to visit. It all starts with the visit, and the visit starts with us.”

She says her own success has largely been defined by “tenacity, persistence, stubbornness and a willingness to continue learning, including learning from my mistakes.”

Those traits no doubt helped when issues of gender put obstacles in her way — “many places, many times,” she says. “But that’s just a fact of life. You ‘woman up’ and just do your job and you do it to the very best of your ability.”

She has pondered the question as to whether female and male leaders are different. “I really wrestle with this distinction about how women lead vs. how men lead. We all have individual skills and abilities, which we temper or top with knowledge and experience and that’s what we bring to the table. Our experiences along the way shape us much more so than our genes. That said,” she notes, “we encounter different experiences and there are different standards and rules set for us as women — the expectations and assumptions are different than they are for men. So it’s what we do with our experiences, as well as our experience and skills, that shape how we lead.”

Gast is proud of the positive growth in Irving during her time at the CVB, but some successes stand out. “I’m proud of the things we’ve been able to get done in Irving, thanks to a long-tenured team and long-tenured community leaders and volunteers,” she says. “Certainly the convention center, Toyota Music Factory and The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas hotel, which just opened, are key to those.”

She advises the young women entering or rising in the tourism industry to not wait to be asked to the table. “Pull up a seat for yourself. Volunteer for the messy, hard work that no one else wants to take on. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes — but make sure you learn from every one of them.”

Gast has lived and led by her own words for many years. Her chairmanship of the (then) DMAI 2008 Futures Study pushed to the forefront that which she continues to champion — a seat at the tables that matter for the industry.

Gast is a former chair of Destinations International and currently chairs its Certified Destination Management Executive Board of Directors. She also serves on the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program board as its chair-elect and is a member of the DestinationNEXT task force as well as a DestinationNEXT facilitator. Additionally, she serves on boards for the Heritage Society, Rotary, La Cima Club, Salvation Army Advisory Council and Chamber of Commerce, and she’s a past chair of the Dallas Advertising League/AAF-Dallas. Gast has earned the designation of Fellow, Certified Destination Management Executive (FCDME). In 2016 the Dallas Business Journal recognized her in its inaugural Women In Tourism Awards. In 2015, she was honored with the La Cima Legacy Award for her contributions to the Irving community. She has also been named a Top-25 Extraordinary Mind by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. She’s the recipient of an Irving Schools Foundation Fellow, and in 2017 was recognized by the NAACP Irving-Carrollton Branch with the Fletcher Yates Community Service Award.

Julie Coker Graham
President & CEO, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

Julie Coker Graham has been in her present position since 2016, and before that held other positions at the CVB. But she says it was her first job in the industry that helped shape her career.

“My first job in the industry was as a server at Wilmington, DE’s Mister Steak, which truly helped inform my customer-first focus. I believe everyone should serve food at some point; the perspective it provides within the service industries is invaluable.”

She went on to graduate magna cum laude from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and during 20 years with Hyatt worked her way up from management trainee to general manager of Hyatt Penn’s Landing. Like many leaders, she sees challenges as learning opportunities.

“Often, women leaders believe if you keep your head down and work hard you’ll achieve success. The lesson I learned is that it’s not about working harder but working more strategically,” she says. “Hard work is part of the equation, but equally important is networking and being strategic about business relationships and personal and professional growth.”

She also thinks that challenges, whether related to gender or something else, make you stronger. “I believe anytime you’re in the minority there will be challenges. You have to work a little harder to be heard. You’re not always afforded the same opportunities as others. You often have to fight for a seat at the table. Those challenges make you stronger and more competitive. In my career, all obstacles, temporary diversions or setbacks have made me the leader I am,” she says. “They have motivated me to think more strategically, fight harder and most importantly, prove others wrong. They’ve also made me more focused on creating a path forward for those who come behind me.”

While she acknowledges that women are often considered more nurturing and better communicators than men, she says those are characteristics all leaders should have. Moreover, differences are good. “I’m a firm believer in the power that diversity of thought brings to teams, and to achieve this you need all voices and resources at the table” she says. “I work hard every day to cultivate a culture of mutual respect for differing thoughts and dissenting opinions. I’ve worked for some outstanding bosses — men and women — and we all bring our unique selves to the table.”

A passionate football fan, Coker Graham names the 2017 NFL draft hosted by Philadelphia as an event she’s truly proud of. “I’ve never been prouder than when Adam Schefter of ESPN said, ‘Props to the people of Philadelphia. That’s how you host a draft. No other city has injected that much energy, electricity, excitement in a draft.’ It was an amazing experience for me and my entire team to work with the NFL, and it was an incredibly prideful moment for the city of Philadelphia.”

Success, however, is about the team. “The team around me is the stick by which I measure success. It comes down to collaboration and inclusivity,” she says. “Throughout my career, I’ve been laser focused on ensuring I surround myself with people who think differently, come from different backgrounds and approach problem solving from different priorities and perspectives.”

As a role model and mentor, Coker Graham advises, “Bring your true self to the work environment. Often we fall into the trap of becoming someone others want us to be. Trust in your talent and natural abilities and bring those assets to the table. Know your worth and accentuate your positive attributes.”

She encourages young women to always ensure they have a seat at the table. “But for those moments you don’t,” she says, “identify an advocate who knows and understands your goals and vision.”

As president & CEO, Coker Graham oversaw the CVB’s role in the 2017 NFL Draft and the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which together had a combined economic impact of $325 million for Philadelphia. She serves on numerous industry boards, including the Executive Committees for U.S. Travel Association and Destinations International. In 2018, she began her tenure as co-chair for U.S. Travel’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition and began serving as the Secretary-Treasurer for IAEE’s Executive Committee. She serves on multiple boards and committees in Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia International Airport Advisory Committee and Mayor’s Cultural Advisory Committee, and she co-chairs the Mayor’s Shared Spaces Initiative to combat homelessness.

Rachel Sacco
President & CEO, Experience Scottsdale

Rachel Sacco joined the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce in 1986. In 2001, she became the first president and CEO of Scottsdale’s CVB, overseeing its name change to Experience Scottsdale in 2016. Serendipity, she says, launched her career in tourism.

“After graduating from Arizona State University, I began hosting seminars at a communications company. Following a presentation one day, a gentleman approached me. He was leaving his current job and thought I would be the perfect replacement. I gave him my phone number, went through an interview and landed the position. That’s how I found my life’s work because that’s when I was hired by the Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau.”

Sacco says the tourism industry is one she’d absolutely recommend for women because it offers so many opportunities for creativity and collaboration “This industry requires hard work and discipline, but on so many levels it’s about connecting people through travel, changing their lives and opening them up to the world. It’s magic.”

She had few role models at the start. “In the 1970s and ‘80s there were very few role models for women who worked outside the home. I made the mistake of thinking that strength came in a suit with a loud voice. When I first became a leader, I tried to emulate my male counterparts, which didn’t work for me or my staff. After a challenging few years, I started anew. I had the same title and worked in the same office environment but changed my perspective and began to lead through kindness and openness. When I made that shift, I began to see transformational changes that led to a strong, connected corporate culture and many successes in business.”

Sacco thinks women are ‘hard-wired’ for leadership. ”Women, in particular, come into the world with qualities of compassion, intuition and inclusiveness, all important leadership qualities at work and home. We lead through openness, and we often surrender to the greater good in situations that require us to lead from behind rather than in front.”

Inclusiveness has been Sacco’s hallmark. She’s especially proud of bringing together diverse community entities to work together toward shared goals. “Early on we convinced competing hoteliers to participate, for the first time, in a joint marketing campaign. Our hoteliers still understand the importance of collaborating to promote the destination as a whole. Several years ago, I organized a consortium of DMOs. Together we’ve worked on supporting and leveraging successful bids for Super Bowls, Final Four Championships and other mega events. We’ve joined forces to make our cities and state shine, including attracting new international air service. We all may be friendly competitors, yet we can help each other be more successful.”

Sacco links her success to solid research, strategy and partnerships. “Every program and initiative Experience Scottsdale tackles is grounded in industry research, trends and strategies. As a membership-based organization, we rely on partnerships with area tourism and hospitality businesses. As a nonprofit entity, we depend on relationships with government officials in the city of Scottsdale and town of Paradise Valley. My team and I work hard to maintain these relationships, to ensure that our partners receive a strong return on their investment and our citizens benefit from tourism’s contributions. “

Her philosophy sets the stage for success across all areas. “I tell every employee I hire that I expect them to operate as if they were CEO of their own area, whether they’re in the mailroom, a cubicle or a vice president’s office.”

That means, she says, letting go of who they think they’re supposed to be and embracing who they really are, being creative and unafraid of making mistakes and being responsible not just for themselves but for their team.

Sacco is a national board member for the U.S. Travel Association and sits on the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association board. In 2016, the Past Presidents’ Council of the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce inducted Sacco into Scottsdale’s History Hall of Fame, recognizing her contributions to the hospitality industry. She was also inducted into the Arizona Governor’s Tourism Hall of Fame. In 2015, the Rotary Club of Scottsdale honored her with the Corporate Club Member Service Above Self Award for her outstanding service and volunteerism. In 2018, Arizona Foothills recognized her as one of the Most Influential Phoenicians and Most Influential in Valley Tourism.

Julie Calvert, CTA
President & CEO, Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau

Julie Calvert loves her job. “I’m a Cincinnati native. I was born loving Cincinnati and have such pride in my hometown.”

Early work as a journalist helped shape Calvert’s career. “After receiving my degree in English (concentration in journalism) from Miami University (Ohio), I began working as a reporter in Boston, and then Cleveland. Experience in media gave me perspective in terms of what makes a good story, how the public responds to certain topics and how communications professionals get their messages across. I came back to Cincinnati and, through a variety of experiences, found my way to the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. Since then, I’ve been hooked. My entire career has been focused on driving awareness, building reputation, mobilizing resources and celebrating the various voices, backgrounds and viewpoints that make a community.”

Calvert thinks adapting to change is part of leadership. “The tourism and hospitality industries have been changing and evolving, as has Cincinnati,” she says. “Through my career, it’s been important that I adapt and evolve as well, whether it’s in setting priorities, managing different leadership styles or understanding the real needs of our community. Change can be seen as a challenge, but I think it’s all about perspective. For me, change has continued to bring new opportunities, has opened doors and has led to experiences that have helped define my life, and in turn, my career.”

When faced with challenges or criticism, she says it’s attitude and colleagues that make the difference. “I believe it’s critical to empower, foster and support the advocates and embrace critics. In the end, the desired outcome is the same — to be the best version of ourselves and of our community,” she says. “Many of the leaders and colleagues I’ve had throughout the years have helped shape my experience and have had a hand in getting me to this point. I’ve been fortunate. Now, as the CEO of the CVB, I feel it’s my responsibility to pay it forward and be that same type of leader for the people that I work with.”

While Cincinnati was once under the radar, that’s no longer the case. “There’s a sense of reinvigorated pride that’s spreading beyond our region. I’m proud to be part of this Cincinnati ‘moment in time’ where we’re realizing the true impact that tourism, meetings and conventions are having on our destination. We are so honored to play our part.”

Success for Calvert isn’t an individual accomplishment. “If we as a CVB and community are performing at a high level — if we’re continuing to see real progress, attracting business and visitors, standing together as a unified industry and region — then we will be successful. From a personal standpoint, success means continuing to learn, striving to make a place, whether a city or an office, better than it was, and helping and supporting good people along the way.”

For young women in the industry today, Calvert says opportunities abound. “There are so many opportunities for young, passionate women to be impactful, meaningful leaders in this industry,” she says. “It’s important to find your true passion and be willing to work for it. A strong, committed work ethic is the difference between good and great. Leadership also requires a thoughtful balance between confidence and humility — the strength of character to be firm in your beliefs and to be self-assured but also understanding that there is always something to be learned.”

Prior to her appointment as president and CEO of Cincinnati USA CVB in 2018, Calvert served as executive director of Source Cincinnati and was vice president of communications and strategic developments at Cincinnati USA CVB from 2001-2016. Appreciating and building on diversity is a hallmark of her career. She helped build the CVB’s Supplier Diversity Program and multicultural marketing channel and made diversity a key part of Source Cincinnati’s strategic vision. In 2019, Calvert was included in the Cincinnati 300, a compilation of the city’s top 300 business leaders, along with a spot in the Power 100, a list of the 100 most influential business, political and community leaders in the Cincinnati region. She serves on the Hamilton County Commission on Women and Girls and the Cincinnati Music Festival board.

Casandra Matej, CDME, CTA
President & CEO, Visit San Antonio

Casandra Matej is a dynamic leader who has brought significant changes to San Antonio’s $15.2 billion hospitality industry since becoming Visit San Antonio’s president and CEO eight years ago. One of her first jobs brought her to the world of CVBs.

“An entry-level position in hospitality was the foundation for my career,” she says. “After graduating from the University of Texas in Austin, I joined what was then the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, where I gained my first experience with hotels, CVBs and meeting planning. Later in my career, I had the opportunity to work with Hyatt Hotels and Starwood Hotels & Resorts and learn from great leaders at those companies before eventually going on to serve as senior vice-president of sales and services for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. These diverse industry experiences were crucial in preparing me for my current role.”

She says she’d absolutely recommend this journey for anyone, male or female, looking to move up in the industry. “Compile as much experience as you can, cultivate a heart of service and keep aiming to improve and grow,” she advises.

Being ready to take advantage of opportunity is something Matej is passionate about. “I learned throughout my career to be flexible in relation to the opportunities before me. For instance, six months after I started at the Dallas CVB, I was offered a position in Washington, DC. It was a big move for me, but I knew it was important. I took it, and it was a challenge that paid off. In this industry, you need to seize those chances.”

Although Matej notes that the hospitality and tourism industries can be male dominated, she hasn’t experienced that as a major obstacle. “I think many other women leaders paved the way, and I will be forever grateful,” she says. “I’m not easily intimidated and haven’t allowed myself to be held back by gender, and here’s my real motivation: I have two young children, including a 10-year-old daughter. It’s important to me that she sees that if she aims to be a leader, she can do whatever she wants. I’m an example for her, and I try to be a mentor and example for younger professionals as well.”

Whether leaders are male or female, Matej says the mission is the same. “Every leader has to establish a roadmap for success. We do that by leading by example and cultivating respect and loyalty from those throughout the organization and beyond. Simply put, an executive, male or female, has to have everyone working on the same page for the mission to be accomplished.”

Matej was instrumental in effecting major changes at San Antonio’s CVB, and that’s something she takes pride in. “I’m proud of our organization’s evolution from the former Convention & Visitors Bureau to Visit San Antonio, a public-private nonprofit. With this shift, we’re more streamlined and can serve our customers in a more efficient and impactful manner. With this shift, our city has also made major upgrades to the Henry B. González Convention Center and the Alamodome, and we’ve formed more meaningful relationships with community partners, all designed to provide a better experience to our clients.”

Like other leaders, she thinks it’s important for anyone coming up in the industry to find mentors, advisers and supporters along the way. Beyond that, she says, “Be passionate. Be driven to succeed. Command respect from everyone around you. And, hey, it’s the tourism and hospitality industry. We sell fun, and we have fun doing it.”

Matej has more than 25 years in tourism. Among her many accomplishments are joining Visit San Antonio and the San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association to create a Tourism Public Improvement District,  providing an additional, vital revenue resource for marketing the city of San Antonio . In 2014, she spearheaded the creation of Synchronicities, a partnership with Baltimore, MD and Anaheim, CA, designed to assist meeting professionals in maximizing return on investment. She is currently secretary for the board of directors of the U.S. Travel Association, immediate past chair of the Texas Travel Industry Association board and a member of the Texas Association of Business board. She’s also in the 2017 Class of the Texas Lyceum.

Matej received the 2015 San Antonio Business Journal’s Women in Leadership Award and the LGBT Chamber’s Ally of the Year Award in 2018.

Carrie Westergard
Executive Director, Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau

Carrie Westergard has been executive director at the Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau for four years. In her more than two decades in the hospitality industry, her work has included everything from hotels and property management to public transportation and the chamber of commerce.

“While in college I was a waitress at a resort and ultimately went into sales there when an opportunity presented itself. Hospitality is one of those industries that gets in your blood — I think those who are in the industry know what I’m talking about. I would recommend that anyone explore the hospitality and convention world, without a doubt. There’s no right or wrong way to get started. Many avenues will allow you to meet others in the industry, and that connectivity is one of the most valuable assets to develop along your path.”

As a woman in this industry, Westergard says, “Other than having to get used to handshakes instead of hugs, I’m sure there has been pay inequity over the years. But my philosophy has always been to dive into work, show results and prove my value. No matter where I am in the industry, I’ve needed to be OK with learning from the ground up while also keeping my eye on what I wanted to accomplish and keeping my goals in mind.”

Her challenges along the way relate to doing her job to the best of her ability. “I have two primary challenges: transition and funding. Navigating the many different personalities that change as terms expire and people move on is a constant challenge in this industry. In this line of work, we’re predominantly funded through hotel taxes, municipalities and/or agencies that have boards and oversight. As board members, council members and directors’ terms expire and new people arrive, we’re left to re-educate them on our program and its value.”

She describes her leadership style as one of open communication, transparency and camaraderie. “I believe that egos need to be left at the door and everyone needs to pitch in if we want to get anything done. I value the wonderful team I’ve built around me that all collaborate and contribute to the success of this organization.”

And the organization is definitely succeeding these days. “When I joined the Boise CVB, our organization was extremely underfunded and understaffed. Since then, it has become a viable business that has a healthy position in the marketplace and a defined culture of collaboration and transparency. In four years we’ve doubled the staff and nearly doubled the budget, without adding waste. We’ve been strategic and scrappy. Those attributes have allowed us to reconnect with community partners, develop local visibility and even create a national profile through our concentrated media relations work.”

But success, Westergard notes, is ultimately defined by the success of the community. “If the community is vibrant, sees economic impact and my team has the tools needed to do good work, that is success to me. I love hearing how great Boise is doing and I smile knowing that we had a small part of making that happen.”

The message she passes on to a new generation of women coming up through the ranks is straightforward: “Don’t be afraid to go after what you want. You’ll need to work hard, ask for help from others, show your worth and stay connected. But if you do, you’ll get there.”

Most of Westergard’s career in tourism and hospitality has been in Idaho. She was the marketing director of the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau for 15 years. For four years she facilitated programs, events and constituent relations for the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce as community relations director. In her first year at the Boise CVB, she oversaw the rollout of a new website, the merger of the organization with the Boise Metro Chamber, and growth of the sports event marketing function of the CVB. Westergard serves on the boards of the Girls on the Run Treasure Valley and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho and is a mentor for Junior Achievement.

Janet Zaldua
CEO, Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau

Janet Zaldua has been CEO of the Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau for six years. She discovered the tourism industry via a job as a marketing manager in a museum.

“I enjoyed the creativity and community relations aspects of the job and looked for opportunities to collaborate with community partners, volunteer, build relationships and network. From the museum, I moved to Los Angeles County and transitioned into a role in city government. I was involved in sponsorship development, marketing and events. That experience allowed me to showcase my abilities and talents, which opened doors. Eventually, I began working for a CVB, where I was able to strengthen and develop my skills in destination marketing, communications and tourism. I established meaningful relationships with industry leaders and mentors along the way, and each step was a learning opportunity that led me to a growth opportunity.”

There’s no single route to a career, and Zaldua encourages others with words that apply to any career path. “Bloom wherever you’re planted. Give 110 percent, maintain a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. Build relationships with community partners and industry leaders. Establish your personal brand and reputation. Never compromise your standards and think long term. The right opportunity will come for the next transition in your career. And if things don’t happen as quickly as you’d like, have faith. In every step of your career, there’s a lesson to be learned that will make you better equipped for the next level.”

Starting out in a career isn’t without challenges. “When you’re first starting out, at the bottom so to speak, and you’re striving to grow and learn and leap to the next step, some people may feel threatened by your achievements and success,” Zaldua says. “Some may try to hold you back and that can be discouraging. As you move forward to the place you want to be, those conflicts become fewer. Having a mentor early on with whom to discuss challenges and solutions is helpful. Eventually, as I became more involved in the industry and began meeting more leaders, those mentorship relationships were developed and were incredibly valuable. There were times when I bounced challenges off of them to get their perspective. It was helpful to hear about their similar experiences and how they handled it. I cherish those relationships.”

Zaldua believes that men and women communicate differently. “Women often have a strong intuitive and nurturing sense. Both [men and women] bring something valuable to the table, and finding the right balance of strengths, communications styles and talents from the staff that make up the overall team will ultimately determine the success of the organization. Building the right team and striving toward the same mission and shared goals is essential.”

Zaldua credits her predecessor at the Marina del Rey CVB with creating a strong foundation and reputation for the organization, and she’s proud of building on that foundation. “I’m most proud of working to increase our budget by more than 163 percent in five years, which has allowed us to triple our full-time staff, increase our marketing efforts, develop a dedicated group sales effort for the Marina and develop a stronger cohesive brand for the destination. I’m looking forward to continued growth.”

Everyone defines success differently. Zaldua says one measure for her is, “Being in the right place for the season you are in, in life and having passion for what you do,” she adds. “But equally important is doing something in your day-to-day life that has an impact on others — showing kindness, giving to causes that have a positive impact in the world, using your influence and success for the greater good and to strengthen and mentor others. Having balance in life and making time for friends, family and my faith are also key for my happiness and success.”

Under Zaldua’s leadership, Marina del Rey’s brand has been refreshed with vibrant and active imagery and messaging that boasts a new trademarked description, “L.A.’s Marina.” The organization has grown to include a dedicated sales effort aimed at bringing group business to the Marina’s hotels and event venues.

Meg Winchester, CMP
President & CEO, Visit Spokane

Meg Winchester took on the role of president and CEO of Visit Spokane in January 2019. A certified meeting planner (CMP), Winchester understands the important role of meetings and conventions in a city’s economy firsthand. She’s been in the industry for 30 years, starting just after college.

“I was one of the lucky ones who fell into this industry after college,” she says. “I started in the catering field and was honored to be asked to join the citywide sales team in San Diego in 1998. I feel that being in the operations side of the hospitality industry gave me the ability to understand the holistic nature of our business, and it has made me more well-rounded in understanding all sides of our industry.”

We may all forget that once there wasn’t an internet, but Winchester points to the introduction of the internet as an early challenge, and one that continues to create the need for an ongoing learning curve. “The introduction of the internet was a challenge. It’s also amazing how fast everything now changes in every sector, which makes it a challenge to keep up with and/or ahead of positioning in terms of marketing your destination.”

And like many women in the field, Winchester also points to the challenges of creating a true work/life balance. But in terms of gender itself being an issue, she doesn’t see it that way. “I tend to put my head down and work hard at whatever challenges me,” she says. “I feel that I was fairly treated throughout my career based on work ethics and determination.”

When it comes to leadership, though, Winchester thinks women often have the edge. “I feel that women are more compassionate by nature and will sometimes not own their leadership value. With that said, however, in my opinion, women tend to work harder in these areas and make amazing leaders.”

Working with a successful team is a theme for many in leadership positions and Winchester is no exception. She thinks her accomplishments and success are very much tied to teamwork. “Working with a team that consistently meets and exceeds goals and instilling a culture of teamwork and job satisfaction” is high on her list of accomplishments. She sees her successes as very much part of that same team effort, noting that, “It’s the team and stakeholders and all the great accomplishments we reach every day” that define that success.

Like others, Winchester advises young women coming into the industry to work hard. But also, she says, “Always enjoy your journey and be grateful. Find smart women to follow and never lose sight of who you are — never, never compromise that.”

Prior to joining Visit Spokane, Winchester was the director of the Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. During her tenure there, she led a staff of 17 sales and marketing professionals, welcoming more than seven million tourists to Galveston each year.

Her career path also took her to the Greater Houston CVB and San Diego CVB sales teams. Being involved with the tourism industry through partnerships and innovative collaborations has always been a priority.

Winchester graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a BA in Journalism. She attained her CMP designation in 1998 and has been an active member of Destinations International, PCMA and many other industry associations throughout her career.

Martha Sheridan
President & CEO, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Burea

This is Martha Sheridan’s first year as president and CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, but she’s been in the industry since 1987, most recently as CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“I got hooked on the tourism industry during college when I was a tour guide at one of the magnificent Newport mansions. I started my destination marketing career at a small DMO in southern Rhode Island in the late ‘80s, and from there worked my way up through various roles at CVBs in Rhode Island. Starting at a small CVB is a great way to learn the industry and make contacts.”

Sheridan says early on gender definitely impacted the acceleration of her career. “I was a mother of three and in interviews I was often asked about balancing motherhood and career aspirations. I’m certain this question never comes up for men. Willingness to relocate was also a challenge as I didn’t want to uproot my young family.”

That said, she has no regrets about her choices, wouldn’t change a thing and highly recommends this industry to other women.

While she says leadership styles vary based on many factors, Sheridan doesn’t necessarily see those variations as gender related. “I have to say that from what I’ve observed in my extraordinary network of CVB leaders, both male and female, each one brings a different style to their organization, but they are all highly effective and successful in their roles.”

In terms of her own success that has come with leadership, she says it’s grounded in always understanding that everything that one accomplishes is the result of teamwork and hard work. “While in Providence, I was once told that my agency was the most effective economic development agency in the state. That’s what I have always strived for and hearing others acknowledge that was huge validation for the efforts of my team and board.”

Of all her accomplishments, however, it’s this new role that is at the top. “Taking on this role as president and CEO of the Greater Boston CVB is the pinnacle for me. Leading the team that sells and markets this iconic and revolutionary city is an honor and a privilege. I look forward to working with industry leaders in this community to take this organization to new heights.”

There will undoubtedly be many young women who will follow in Sheridan’s footsteps in the tourism industry, and to them she says, “Be humble, listen, learn and don’t be afraid to take risks. Oh, and have thick skin because you will need it.”

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Sheridan has over 25 years of experience in destination marketing. She is past chair of the Destination Marketing Association International. She holds or has held leadership positions with local, regional and national organizations including the U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International Foundation, the RI Hospitality and Tourism Association Education Foundation, MPI New England Chapter and the New England Society of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. Sheridan is the recipient of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association’s (RIHA) Mary Brennan Tourism Award for outstanding achievement in tourism promotion, and in 2010 was named RIHA Woman of the Year. In 2014, she was presented with the Morris J. Gaebe Profile in Excellence Award from Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, that organization’s highest honor.C&IT

Unique venues go beyond cookie-cutter buildings and vanilla guest service. One such venue is Hotel Xcaret Mexico (above), along the Riviera Maya on the east side of the Yucatan Peninsula and west of Cozumel.

The word unique may mean different things when it comes to venues in which to set an event. A venue might be unique because of its intriguing architecture, design or singular space. It might be one-of-a-kind among similar facilities, such as museums. Or what a venue offers planners might be unique, as in atypical amenities or concessions. We set out to find venues across North America that can fairly be called unique in one way or another.

In the East

Ellis Island

There’s only one Ellis Island.

“It’s so American,” says Jaclyn Bernstein, President & Partner/owner of ACCESS New York Metro, a DMC. “So many people had family that came through here they can relate personally to it. It’s a one-of-a-kind venue. It’s stunning on its own because of its incredible history. When you dress it up, it’s unlike any other venue.”

The Registry Room or “Great Hall” is a primary venue.

“When I take clients on site visits to Ellis Island, I’m able to say that everyone who came through Ellis Island came through this room. That’s amazing,” Bernstein says. “One of every four Americans had someone in their family who came through here.”

One unique option is to arrange a check of attendees’ families ahead of the event. When they arrive, they see documents with information about family members and their long-ago journey to America. “International visitors can also learn about family members who emigrated to America,” Bernstein adds.

Ellis Island houses the National Museum of Immigration, which features exhibits on immigration at the facility and elsewhere, making it uniquely American and uniquely New York. That’s a big draw for groups.

The facility is also one of the larger New York City venues, able to accommodate a reception for 1,200 and a seated dinner for 900. Because it’s part of the National Park Service, Bernstein points out, it’s budget-friendly compared to most other museums.

“When you book Ellis Island it’s all yours,” Bernstein notes. ”It’s your own private National Park that also happens to have spectacular views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.”

The experience includes a ferry ride to and from the island provided by Hornblower Cruises. Groups typically get a sunset cruise on the way out and a city-lights view on the way back.

And many impressive extras can be added. “You can have fire boats spray water in corporate colors. You can have fireworks. We’ve done police marching bands and concerts,” Bernstein says. “Groups can also book park rangers, historians and costumed entertainers who interpret the island’s history.”

While events indoors in the historic building are popular, Bernstein says some groups opt for a BBQ in an outdoor area facing the Statue of Liberty — the only food that can be cooked on the island as there’s no kitchen. Everything has to be brought in under strict guidelines, and not until the facility closes to the public at day’s end.

But Bernstein says, “We use a group of vendors who know the complex rules and regulations associated with bringing goods into the park and it’s possible to set up an event for 900 in an hour.”

One of Bernstein’s favorite events to set up is a dinner on long feasting tables like those used by the immigrants on the island. She adds up-lighting on the historic vaulted ceiling and eye-catching table décor. “The dinner can be very formal or casual, and most planners get very emotional when they see it for the first time.”

In a way, Bernstein says, attendees are mirroring the journey of their ancestors, arriving by boat, landing on the island and being ushered into the Great Hall. What better way to honor incentive or corporate guests than by letting them experience those journeys?

Simply put, Bernstein says, “Ellis Island embodies New York and Americana at its best.”

William Aiken House

There’s no shortage of opulent historic venues in Charleston, SC. That’s where Liz Cole Carbone, event planner with Fox Events, set a client’s annual meeting in late 2017. The group of 100 doctors was lodged at The Dewberry Charleston and set an evening event in the historic William Aiken House.

“This is a beautiful destination with numerous accommodations, venues and numbers of culinary experiences and historic activities for planners to draw on,” Carbone says. “You truly can create a unique and unforgettable experience for guests that encompasses all that Charleston has to offer.”

The William Aiken House is a stunning 1810 mansion that features formal dining rooms and parlors with museum-caliber artwork, a two-century-old magnolia tree anchoring the courtyard, manicured lawns and an elegant pergola. “It provides the epitome of Southern charm while being in a central location,” Carbone says. “It also offers the best in terms of the culinary experience and unparalleled service.”

The home’s varied spaces helped create a spectacular evening. “The function was a combination of a cocktail hour, symphony orchestra performance and a tented five-course dinner for 100,” Carbone says. “William Aiken House was the perfect location because of its multiple areas, which made every part of the night amazing. We wanted a space that would not only wow guests but was also something you can’t see in any other part of the country. We wanted the guests to truly feel special.”

The group utilized most of the property. “We started the night in the historic and vibrant ballrooms, then moved out onto the pristine lawn for a wonderful performance by renowned musicians, and we finished with a chic tented dinner under the magnolia tree. Every step of the night presented guests with a new experience that continued to wow.”

William Aiken House is one of the historic venues in the Patrick Properties Hospitality Group’s portfolio. The hospitality group’s staff was a positive for Carbone. “They go above and beyond, from making the client feel valued and understood to making the job of the planner seamless. The pre-event client experience is one of the best in the Southeast. The client left the pre-event planning meeting and tasting raving about the food and service. The night of the event, the team worked flawlessly to create the perfect event that the client envisioned. They exceeded all expectations.”

To planners considering Charleston, Carbone advises getting the Patrick Properties team involved early. “You can really feel the love this team has for its properties. They are so good at expressing that to the client and they make sure everything is taken care of from the very beginning.”

Midwest and Central States

Harley-Davidson Museum

In July, Mike Underwood, president of Underwood Events, took a client group of 1,000 to the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, and held an event at the Harley-Davidson Museum during the program. “The client wanted a venue and experience that was not only quintessentially Milwaukee, but also in stark contrast to the gala-style event scheduled for the evening prior. In addition, they preferred an outdoor space where guests could socialize and network in a casual environment while still enjoying an upscale aesthetic.”

Underwood says the museum offers flexible event options with branded and customizable design choices in indoor and outdoor spaces. Among other draws are the museum’s close proximity to downtown. “The food service provider also operates the onsite restaurant,” he adds, “so food and beverage options are prepared nearby under the guidance of an executive chef.”

The Harley-Davidson Museum, he adds, “is a reflection of Milwaukee’s history, but not in a typical museum-style venue. A bold design and laid-back style merge into a venue that has an identity all its own.” And it’s not just for motorcycle fans.

“The museum is a large, flexible space with water access, plenty of parking and built-in entertainment. Wide-open spaces can accommodate outdoor events, indoor gala-style outings and multiday meetings with ample breakout space.”

Underwood’s group used The Garage, a 10,400-sf industrial-styled space, as well as 5th Street, which is adjacent. “The event had a street-party theme, but The Garage gave us added flexibility in case of inclement weather, which made the decision easy” he says.

Additionally, he notes that the staff at the museum and Levy Restaurants really helped with the planning process. “Their knowledge of the space, its flexibility and uniqueness made organizing an event at the facility an enjoyable project. The dedicated on-site event staff was helpful and easily available from setup through strike. Levy Restaurants offers custom-made bar and food stations that add to the aesthetic of the event. The design of the venue is reflected in the smallest detail, including the color of its banquet chairs.”

Many of the attendees were surprised at how much the venue had to offer, even if they were not motorcycle enthusiasts,” Underwood says. “Those who were, however, were in hog heaven! We worked to create a casual, welcoming and comfortable vibe that had guests enjoying the event right up to the last song.”

Working ahead with the venue staff can lead to surprising results, Underwood notes. “Their collective knowledge can make the planner or client aware of options they may not have considered on their own.”

Southwest

Pearl Stable, San Antonio

Pearl Stable, says Nanci Malcom, CMP, with Caterpillar, Inc., “is a wonderful and unique venue that is so refreshing and also part of Pearl campus, which includes shopping, dining, a one-of-a-kind luxury hotel, farmer’s market, green spaces and a culinary school. Plus, it’s the last stop on the city’s famed River Walk.”

Pearl Stable was the venue of choice for Caterpillar’s annual shareholder’s meeting in June, a group of 200. Hotel Emma, within Pearl campus, served as lodging and setting for the board meeting.

“The location, convenience and excellence of the Pearl campus was a huge factor in selecting the venue, and we knew it would also be a ‘wow’ factor,” Malcom says. “While there, we were planning to have groups visit a large Caterpillar facility in Sequin, Texas, an easy 30-minute drive. We were able to walk three minutes from the hotel to the Stable where our meeting was held. This unique and fabulous venue was very flexible in accommodating our needs.  We were able to bring a few Caterpillar products (engine and machines) to display. It was a huge success. I only wish we could bring our annual meeting there every year.”

Noting the atmosphere, shape and history of the building as a draw, Malcom says her group used the entire middle of the Stable, with the stage for directors and seating for 175 on the main floor. “We also utilized 1/3 of the corridor for check-in, morning break and passage to main doors.”

Pearl Stable was a hit with attendees. Malcom notes that many took the time to look into its history, which dates to the late 1800s when it housed brewery draft horses. As for logistics, Malcom says the staffs of Pearl Stable and Hotel Emma “worked beautifully together, making sure every detail was thought through and things flowed well.”

Word has gotten out that Pearl is a fabulous venue, she adds. “Plan early!”

Out West

MEET Las Vegas

Trish Wright, owner of Celebrity Style Events and founder of Divas in Business, brought a group of 150 women business entrepreneurs to Las Vegas in October. “Las Vegas is a mecca for conferences and expos and gives women an opportunity to not only get away but also build their businesses while meeting like-minded professionals from across the county,” Wright says.

As for MEET Las Vegas, she adds, “It has an affordable downtown Las Vegas location and is an amazing space that’s very versatile and offers a great staff and affordable catering options.”

For Wright, the venue’s uniqueness relates to services and budget. “It has excellent amenities without the huge add-on fees of hotels,” she says. “We chose the entire second floor. Guests were greeted with our company logo on large screens, great lounge chairs, stylish chairs and acrylic podium.”

Another plus was the way information was handled pre-event. “Everyone involved in our event was included in emails so there was no back and forth to several different people and departments. I felt everyone was up to speed the entire process.“

To planners considering the venue, Wright says simply, “Prepare to wow your guests.” Her own group is rebooked for 2019.

Musical Instrument Museum

Tammy Mathews, corporate event planner with Jenzabar, brought a group of educators to Arizona for a special-invitation event in January. “Phoenix is easily accessible and served by many airlines, which helps keep costs reasonable. The surrounding area offers both luxury accommodations and outdoor activities,” she says.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa served as a base for lodging and most functions, but the Musical Instrument Museum  (MIM) was chosen for an executive-level event. “It’s only minutes from the conference hotel and the venue was very flexible with timing, menus and entertainment options. The MIM staff knew exactly how to execute an executive event that offered a relaxed, interactive atmosphere,” Mathews says.

“We were looking for something different from the standard dinner meeting. MIM offered an excellent catered menu and private gallery exhibits. Music is a very relatable topic and our attendees found common interest as they explored the Target and Artist Galleries. This experience lead to many interesting discussions and stories from our executives!”

The group used the South El Rio space. “MIM staff recommended two galleries within that space, the Target and Artist galleries,” Mathews says. “The transition was smooth from our executives enjoying cocktails and exploring the galleries to the dinner being served in this distinctive space. The space contributed to great conversations and exclusivity.

“Anytime you can offer an exclusive location or venue you’ve captured your attendees’ interest,” she adds. “MIM offered private viewing of some of the world’s rarest musical instruments. A long-lost guitar had just been added to the gallery so there was definitely excitement to see that exhibit up close.”

Mathews worked primarily with Amanda Kozak at the museum. “She was very knowledgeable about how to make our program work to meet our objective to offer a unique interactive setting with superb dining options. The venue is stylish, the function space works and the MIM staff made it a very easy event to plan. They are pros!”

Attendees offered more than the usual “Thank you,” Mathews notes. “Compliments included personal comments about how enjoyable it was to see specific artist exhibits and musical instruments. Many exhibits triggered past experiences and made personal connections with our attendees.”

For groups considering MIM, Mathews says, “Have a clear objective and tell the MIM staff what you want to accomplish. Amanda responded quickly to all my inquires and provided helpful suggestions. Clear communication at the beginning makes the end result successful.”

The Presidio

The Presidio, a 1,500-acre park on a former military post in San Francisco, has multiple venues, including the Golden Gate Club. Stacy Stine, co-founder of Magnify Communications, says of the park, “It offers great views of the water, bridge and green landscape, which makes for a relaxing attendee environment, which in turn creates more attendee engagement.”

Each year she works with Raise in the Presidio, a conference of about 250 that connects emerging venture capitalists and limited partners. “The location really helps to capture and maintain your event attendance. Since the venue is not located downtown, attendees commit to staying versus wandering out to other locations for meetings, etc.”

The group buys out Golden Gate Club. “Our goal was to create an off-the-grid vibe; a retreat vibe. It’s a great space with a helpful staff that’s easy to deal with and flexible in accommodating requests.” She praises the event and catering staff in particular. To make it easy for guests, Stine recommends a parking buyout as well.

In addition, she says the park offers planners options. “Presidio restaurants make for great VIP and team dinners following the event.”

After four years, Stine says the Presidio continues to work well for this conference. “Attendees always provide positive feedback.”

Mexico

Hotel Xcaret Mexico

Xcaret, a combination theme park, ecological park and resort area set along the Caribbean Sea on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, is also a superb meeting destination.

Lisa Neylon, CIS, with Meeting Expectations, brought 80 guests of Core Associates to Xcaret for an “All-Fun Inclusive” event in January. The company has had many meetings in Mexico but Neylon says this one provided an experience unlike any other. “Xcaret is amazing! It’s easy from the minute you get off the plane in Cancun where complimentary provided transportation is waiting. Xcaret defines what all-inclusives should be.”

Among the positives are newly refurbished rooms and adult and family-friendly areas that are separate. “The meeting space is unique in expressing the ambience of Mexico,” Neylon says, “and the hotel provides the staff and luxuries of a four-star experience. The cuisine options are stupendous and include both healthy and  indulgent options.”

She calls the entire process one-stop with many inclusions. “This venue is unique with what is included — the experience of the park and resort as well as the defined meeting space and exceptional service.”

Neylon has nothing but praise for the staff, including Diana Patricia Martinez, group sales manager and conference service manager Rodrigo Meraz. The overall experience, from meetings to leisure time was equally positive for attendees — the group plans to return in 2020.

Planners, Neylon notes, should consider the entire experience as they make decisions because Xcaret provides so much. And for those worried that the park might draw attendees away from meetings, Neylon says that’s unlikely. “Planners should know you won’t lose your attendees at any required meetings as the meeting space itself is a destination and attendees can’t wait for the next meal.”C&IT

Puppies are a sure-fire way to help attendees remember an event.

Everyone involved in planning and attending a meeting benefits from memorable service that wows attendees.

Attendees benefit because they leave the meeting with memorable stories to share with friends in person and via social media. Vendors and suppliers benefit because they gain more business from planners and a reputation for delivering excellence. Planners benefit because the repeated stories about unforgettable service boost their professional “brand.”

Indeed, providing memorable service for attendees is the lifeblood of the planning business.

Good Service Creates Trust

According to Heidi Foels, producer for metroConnections, a Bloomington, MN-based conferences and event services company, “Memorable services are vital when working in a fast-paced industry such as ours. We are often planning six or seven programs at once, which can take valuable time if we’re researching new vendors every time.”

Foels notes that, most often, planners reach out to suppliers and vendors they can trust to provide outstanding service.

“We want the ones we can trust will do the job to our standards; the ones that we consider true partners,” says Foels.

“Memorable services result from partnerships, which makes planning fun and less stressful,” she adds. “Attendees benefit from these partnerships solely in the fact that we look like one well-oiled machine.”

Trusted suppliers enable planners to spend more time on providing memorable service.

“Planners can tackle additional items on our to-do lists when we can trust a vendor to get the job done in the terms specified and with impeccable service,” Foels said. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to babysit or micromanage a vendor to ensure expectations are met.”

According to Cindy Y. Lo, DMCP, president and event strategist of Austin, TX-based Red Velvet Events, “Providing memorable service is incredibly important because attendees have lots of options, so it’s important to sell the meeting or conference as a differentiator and continue to inspire and wow them. In return, I would also expect that attendees can help communicate via word of mouth what you’ve done and build a positive cycle.”

A seller’s market for hotels, more service charges by the properties and tight planning budgets have all increased pressure on planners to provide memorable services for attendees.

“One of the biggest challenges is clients’ budgets,” says Donna McGovern consultant at New York City-based, Events & Lifestyle Management. “The budgets don’t always support hotels that can provide the best service.”

Lo says issues related to meeting budgets and exceptional service will persist.

“This will never go away in my humble opinion,” says Lo. “Everything has gone up in price just because of inflation. And the more unique an experience is, generally the more dollars it requires.”

Lo challenges her team to not take “No” for the first answer when trying to negotiate top service on a tight budget.

“If the concept is strong, we need to do our best to secure those types of experiences that appeal to the audience and to execute it to the ‘Nth’ degree,” says Lo.

In addition, social media raises expectations for customer service because planners can compare offerings by hotels, vendors and suppliers faster and more thoroughly.

Emergencies Handled

Meanwhile, planners are rethinking how they view service, according to Convene’s 2017 Global Meetings Research Report.

“As working styles evolve, planners are thinking about their needs in terms of service rather than space,” Lo says.

Planners expect excellent service from properties ranging from small independent hotels to swanky resorts. And properties say they are doing more than ever to provide service that wows planners and stands out from competitors.

However, the quality of hotel services can vary, even among five-star properties. It’s possible to book the same five-star brand in two different cities and experience important differences in service.

Variation in service makes it easier for truly exceptional service to stand out.

Kate Stockton, CMP, president of Philadelphia, PA-based Stockton & Partners Meetings and Events, offers an example of a supplier who became a long-term partner after coming through in an emergency.

Here’s what happened:

A company’s annual award dinner featured a national touring band and a problem surfaced before show time.

“After running through the list of audio equipment with the house AV, we realized at set-up that we didn’t have the correct microphones. The house AV could not find the right microphones.”

Stockton called a local AV vendor with whom she was familiar.

“He dropped everything, put the correct microphones in his car and drove them over before the band got to rehearsal,” says Stockton. “Since then, this company has become our go-to for production.”

Stockton cites another incidence involving last-minute help from a vendor that resulted in a long-term relationship.

“Our meeting client decided to add a vendor exhibit just two weeks before the event,” says Stockton. “We were using an historic hotel with no exhibit area, limited large space and no loading dock. Since we had no more space at the hotel and other local venues were booked, we moved forward with a large tent.”

The hotel worked with local authorities to get an expedited permit for the large tent and a storage and moving system to handle materials shipped at the last minute.

According to Stockton, “The hotel added staff to manage the receipt and re-shipping of hundreds of palettes of materials. Their willingness to work outside of the box to make the exhibit area come to life secured our appreciation as well as our client’s business for the next two years.”

Sometimes memorable service results from teamwork during a sudden on-site emergency. That’s what happened during a corporate evening at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, says Amberlee Huggins, president of Falls Church, VA-based CSI DMC.

The only two elevators in the building stopped working just before dinner was served.

“We had 400 people to feed a three-course meal to before the entertainment performed,” says Huggins. The primary kitchen at the Library of Congress is in the basement and the event was on the top floor.”

Everyone pitched in to get dinner to attendees on time, including the catering company, florist, DMC, lighting vendor, waiters and two mime entertainers. “We acted as a ‘chain gang’ along the stairs, working together to get meals from the basement to the top floor so waiters could serve guests as expected.”

The ad hoc team performed seamlessly. “Attendees never knew what happened,” says Huggins. “The service was phenomenal, and our client was delighted.”

Relationships Matter

Foels cites an example of memorable service that resulted from what she describes as a “perfect” relationship with a vendor.

“One of the best service experiences I had this year was working on a program with one of our partners,” says Foels. “Our team quickly realized this partnership was ideal for the opportunity to partner.”

“We got a request for a large production and exhibit area for 1,000 attendees in a shared space,” Foels continues. “Our partner was known for its exhibit build-outs while we provide production expertise.”

Foels and her team created a special environment for the exhibit area.

“We needed to ensure that our spaces complemented one another in branding, design, look and feel,” says Foels. “Weekly meetings with our vendor aligned visions, and a shared workspace all played major factors in achieving success. There was a ton of collaboration and trust that went into this project.”

Having a dedicated vendor as a partner made the event memorable.

“Attendees on-site referred to us as one team; one company,” says Foels. “This is the ultimate goal with any partnership.”

Planners agree that memorable service need not be expensive, over-the-top efforts. Small things that take little time and effort can leave a lasting impression.

According to Huggins, “Sometimes it’s as simple as adding a concierge level of care at an activities desk or walking attendees to their designated area. Regardless of the added touch, memorable services should be designed so that people talk about them.”

McGovern offers this example: “I was doing a site inspection for a client meeting in Amsterdam and stayed at five different luxury hotels,’’ says McGovern. “I had filled out a ‘Getting To Know You’ form for the company helping me source the meeting.”

The form was sent to all five hotels. One of the form’s questions was “Do you like coffee or tea?” McGovern’s reply was “Both, but I’m secretly addicted to blueberry coffee.”

The five hotels included the five-star Conservatorium Hotel, which read the information on the form and incorporated it into McGovern’s stay.

“For example, I had gone to the spa and when I returned to my room, a blueberry coffee protein shake was waiting for me in my room with a note,” says McGovern. “This small gesture and attention to detail made me feel special and at home while traveling for business.”

“It is the little things that make a big difference,” McGovern adds. “The Conservatorium was so attentive that it became the only choice.”

Lo offers other examples of small but memorable gestures she offers planners.

“If we know the planner recently had a child, we’ll actually make sure to give them something useful during their site visit that they can bring back home for their child,” says Lo.

Another exceptional gesture involves chocolate. “If we know they love chocolate, we’ll make sure that all of the places we will be doing business with are made aware in case they want to customize their welcome gift,” says Lo. “The more you can build on that authentic relationship, the better communication there is, and everyone is more eager to work together regarding service.”

Other examples include an instance where a hotel staffer volunteers to drive to a restaurant to retrieve a purse a woman left behind, and an attendee calls about a problem with the hot water or television just before leaving the guest room. When the attendee returns, the problem is fixed and there is a hand-written note from the hotel staffer apologizing for the inconvenience.

Great Service, Great Event

One of the biggest benefits of providing memorable service is its impact on helping planners achieve meeting goals, including content retention.

According to Huggins, “Memorable services, coupled with great content, are the cornerstone of great meetings. The content of the program may be excellent, however if attendees have bad service experiences, it can distract them from engaging fully in the meeting content.”

Huggins adds that the goals of many meetings today include providing a sense of engagement beyond content retention, and memorable service can help provide that.

“Everyone wants to feel looked after and great services create the bridge between an ordinary happening and an exceptional experience,” says Huggins.

All planners have experienced memorable service at properties and think it should be the rule not the exception. To improve the chances of obtaining exceptional service, planners should screen properties and other suppliers to ensure they do the following:

• Anticipate the needs of attendees and planners rather than having to be asked.

• Cater to the uniqueness of meetings and don’t provide off-the-shelf, cookie-cutter service planners can get anywhere. According to Lo, “Anytime our team customizes an experience or welcome amenity to the individual versus a generic experience or gift, we get way more positive feedback and often times a lifelong client because of our thoughtfulness.”

• Provide top-shelf service in every area, including fast and quality RFP responses, responsiveness to on-site needs, food and beverage, communication, site visits, and providing enough support staff. (About 17 percent of planners think venues usually don’t provide enough support staff for events, according to the 2017 Convene report.)

• Offer efficient, attentive, timely, friendly and patient service.

• Ask for references when screening properties on how they have handled requests for tailored, over-the-top service for comparable meetings.

Establishing a good relationship with hotels goes a long way toward getting service with that extra touch.

According to Huggins, “As a DMC professional that works closely with hoteliers it’s important to connect and ask about the challenges hotels have during peak periods so that you can better plan and prepare together. I have seen hotels across the USA in both seller’s and buyer’s’markets, and no matter how busy hoteliers are, they are hospitality professionals.”

“Yet they are also human — and we all like to work with and for people we like, so be reasonable, flexible and look for ways to work together in a collaborative way towards a successful outcome,” Huggins says. “They talk about you, just as you talk about them, and that news travels like wildfire in the hospitality industry.”

Obtaining top-notch service from hotels and other suppliers requires planners to screen for practices that lead to delivering excellence.

Lo says planners should seek suppliers who show dedication to providing value and help planners achieve meeting goals.

“They listen to what the client really wants to achieve both from a business goal and design perspective,” says Lo. “The larger the program, the more important it is to really hear out what the client’s end goals are because if it’s possible to make a planner look like a rock star, they will want you to return for repeat business.”

Lo adds that planners are often frustrated because they say many suppliers don’t listen to their requests and push their own unattractive ideas.

“I always remind our team that we are only as good as our last event,” says Lo.

Communication Is Key

In addition, Lo reminds her team that memorable service can’t happen without good communication between planners and their partners.

“Always over-communicate,” says Lo. “I always try to coach our team that usually when something goes wrong, it’s because we made an assumption versus over-communicating and clarifying anything that might lead to confusion. This may mean additional phone calls and emails, but when both parties are on the same page, service and other things always go much smoother.”

Attendees can receive competent, average service, have a good time and think a meeting is successful. But truly memorable service adds an indelible memory that can make attendees smile every time they think about a meeting experience and relate it to others.

As Huggins puts it, “Service often drives the sense of connection to the experience. Memorable services provide the framework for how people engage mentally and emotionally to the event/meeting before it even starts.”C&IT

Golf resorts such as Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando remain popular as planners continue using the game to attract attendees.

Putting together an incentive program rewarding top producers for their over-the-top results is a challenge. Add to the mix the simultaneous task of offering such an enviable event that it entices attendees to re-create their prime performances ensuring qualification the following year, and the assignment morphs from a mission to an uber undertaking.

So, what’s a planner to do? The answer lies in a four-letter word, though not an inappropriate slang, mind you. The answer is golf. Today’s in-the-know planners who capitalize on the game’s ever-growing popularity by incorporating golf into meeting agendas are realizing results.

Here’s the deal. By luring employees who only dream of playing some of the nation’s most celebrated courses with the promise of an actual visit to one of these resorts, company contenders are upping their games — professional ones, that is.

Ojai Valley Inn

Of Jack Henry and Associates, Inc.’s once-a-year recognition event for its top 125 performers (and their guests) — an all-expenses-paid golfing trip to Southern California’s Ojai Valley Inn — Steven W. Tomson, the corporation’s general manager, sales/marketing, says: “I’ve been hosting this event for 12 years and it is a ‘must-do’ bucket list item for not only my fellow associates, but also for their spouses and significant others who treasure the lifetime memories and friends created by this yearly rendezvous.”

The results are in with Forbes recently distinguishing Jack Henry — one of the country’s leading providers of technology solutions — as America’s 12th-Best Large Employer in 2018. As planner of his company’s annual outing, Tomson says: “I oversee the entire sales and marketing organization — approximately 400 professionals — and this incentive is a meeting/pleasure reward for those whose efforts are responsible for our year-after-year growth in sales success.”

Why Ojai Valley Inn one might wonder? Tomson’s answer is simple and singular: “Climate first and foremost.” He explains that with Jack Henry’s fiscal year running July 1 through June 30 the goal is to unleash this celebration as soon as possible in recognition of the past year’s success, thus the meticulously-timed late July/early August event. “With qualifiers from all over the country, we want temperate weather, gentle breezes and overall comfort, and the Ojai Valley offers that combo and more,” says the planner of this Spanish Colonial-style resort with its red-tile roof, white plaster walls, innumerable arches and terra-cotta floor tiles throughout.

Tomson describes the Ojai golf course as a premier layout with full utilization of the topography.

“It’s not an over-designed resort course but a throwback to a purer period of time when precision, patience, touch and feel were the centerpieces of golf — long before the days of ‘grip it and rip it.’”

An additional back-in-the-day feature is the tradition of caddie services. Recognizing its uniqueness are Golf Magazine, which named the course’s Hole #2 among the “World’s Greatest Holes” and Golf Digest’s award of 4.5 stars and the acknowledgement of the course as one of “75 Best Golf Resorts in North America.”

Beyond golf, however, is a plethora of enticements. On-property inclusions are apiary and immersive beekeeping programs as well as The Farmhouse at Ojai, the resort’s new culinary event center. There’s also easy access to Pacific Ocean beaches and cities such as Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Add to the mix off-road jeep tours, horseback riding, wine tasting in Ojai Valley, Santa Barbara sailing and city excursions and even biking to the beach (though 10 miles, it’s all downhill with the option of wine tasting at the end).

“There’s never a ‘most-popular’ activity,” Tomson says. “Our group ranges from 25 to 65 years old and from subdued to thrill seekers, but what I most enjoy hearing at the closing dinner are spousal demands: ‘You better make your sales quota this year because I want to come back next summer.’” The planner’s assessment: “For those who want to journey out and take on the great outdoors — Ojai is perfect.” He continues: “And for those who want to simply relax and reconnect with their loved one — Ojai is perfect.”

Designed in the 1920s by George C. Thomas Jr. (also architect of the Riviera, Bel Air and Los Angeles Country Club courses), Tomson’s advice to other planners considering golf at Ojai is specific.

“Connect closely with your designated corporate sales representative, in addition to Mark Greenslit, the course’s director of golf since 1995 (also an award-winning PGA Class-A Member).”

The team is comprised of complete professionals, engaged in not only the skill of the game but in the spirit of the experience. They will serve as tremendous ambassadors on behalf of the course, the resort and the community in which the Ojai Valley Inn is the centerpiece.

Bottom line for the Jack Henry exec: “I’m a 16 handicap and play golf for the pure joy of being outdoors, enjoying the views and experiencing the venues, but most importantly for the laughter with friends and strangers alike. I’ve teed up all over the world and like to say, I’ve played some of the worst golf on some of the greatest courses. But I’ve never had a bad round because of those with whom I’ve shared the experience.”

With respect to golf at the Ojai Valley Inn,Tomson says, “It is an especially wonderful, memorable, peaceful, rewarding and comfortably challenging happening for all who play — regardless of skill level.”

Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort

Concurring with Tomson’s bucket list assessment is Kim Sky, CMP, manager, strategic corporate meetings and events for Chicago-based company CNA, a property casualty insurance corporation with a more than 100-year history working with various corporate industries.

Having selected Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, as site of CNA’s April 2018 National Sales Meeting for a group of 65, she shares one piece of the selection-process puzzle.

“Among the various outdoor recreational options is a premium golf experience — the noteworthy Copperhead course — host course of the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship and a ‘must play’ on most golfers’ bucket lists.”

The setting is pristine. Near the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s West Coast, the rolling terrain is punctuated with tall pines and stands of cypress; and among its nearby attractions are the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park, charter fishing and more. But for Sky, it started with airlift. Located about 25 miles from Tampa, the impressive array of airlines servicing the area (including Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines and Southwest) is important to the company with locations in Canada and Europe, as well as the United States.

Though arriving with a trio of goals — to review past performance, strategize a future action plan and facilitate team building — prime-time down time was critical to the meeting’s success.

“The resort offers everything in a nutshell, from various-sized conference center buildings to beautifully landscaped outdoor dining and activity areas,” Sky says. “The setting provides a perfect balance for the group — allowing attendees to focus on their objectives, while also affording them a natural escape to clear their heads.”

Important to Sky is that with everything at your fingertips in one location, there’s no need to bus attendees off property. “With Innisbrook’s natural surroundings, spacious condo guestrooms, attentive staff, creative food and beverage, top-of-the-line spa, resort guest shuttle service — all in addition to views that engulf and transport you to another time — this is where you can ‘be in the present.’”

In the F&B scene, the CNA group hosted a chef’s table for the leadership team. “The chef was talented and personable, and the meal was one the team remembers to this day, “ Sky says.

The entire group enjoyed dinner at the on-site restaurant Packard’s Steakhouse. Overlooking the signature Copperhead golf course, this eatery is celebrated for such offerings as aged premium beef steaks, cold-water lobster tails and fresh-from-the-boat fish, all accompanied by Floridian micro-brews.

In addition to Copperhead, Innisbrook has three other courses — all nestled among tree-lined fairways, rolling hills and small lakes and all designed by architect E. Lawrence Packard. Copperhead was designed with the goal of being a fair challenge to all levels of play but also a worthy venue for the pros playing from the tips. The Island Course is equally challenging and distinctly pictographic with Spanish moss swaying from its multitude of trees (it’s the course on which Phil Mickelson won his 1990 NCAA Men’s Championship.) The North Course (also known as “Baby Copperhead”) was enhanced with new greens in fall 2017, and longer is the South Course, which is also sporting new greens.

Of importance to Sky is the golf staff she describes as professional, accommodating and trained to get groups off and running on a timely basis. To best ensure an at-the-top-of-the-game experience the planner offers these tips: 1) Do your homework, 2) Secure course maps, 3) Confirm the player level that best fits each course, 4) Check the reviews and industry awards and 5) Talk with the Pro.

Giving encouragement to planners who may be considering a golf outing at this Florida resort, Sky is definitive: “‘Go for it!’ Some planners shy away from golf, thinking it is only for talented players, but it’s just a small group experience in a beautiful destination — one that brings people together. Innisbrook celebrates the rich history of golf and the courses offer players of every level a chance to be a small part of that history.” So, whether a group has avid golfers or participants only interested in playing in a scramble for fun, Sky deems the resort as one that offers something for players of every level.

Sea Island Resort

Another beckoning southeastern golf getaway is Sea Island, a private, coastal Georgia resort isle and legendary host known for its genial service and genuine hospitality — it is the only U.S. resort to host a G-8 Summit of world leaders. Home to four Forbes Five-Star experiences — accommodations including The Cloister (a 209-room Mediterranean masterpiece) and The Lodge (an intimate, fairway-surrounded 48-room hotel reminiscent of an English manor), The Spa (a 65,000-sf haven of pampering) and the Georgian Room (a restaurant known for its carved stone mantel, hand-painted china and refined Southern cuisine) — its three golf courses are equally impressive.

Originally created in 1929 and redesigned by Tom Fazio in 1999, the Seaside course is complemented by two additional courses, the Retreat (a course redesigned in 2001 by Davis Love III and his brother, Mark) and the Plantation (a course being completely redesigned by Love Golf Design and expected to open in the fall). The early 2019 renovation of the Golf Performance Center includes an all-new 17,000-sf, state-of-the-art center featuring such facilities as six instruction and club-fitting bays and a putting studio designed by Sea Island’s director of putting instruction, Phil Kenyon, an internationally-recognized golfing specialist. Among the destination’s off-the-links options are 5 miles of private beach, a 16-court tennis center, a beach club, yacht club and shooting school.

Sea Island Resort’s sister property, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, has an equally impressive array of awards, from having the distinction of being the longest-running Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond designated resort to hosting innumerable national and international golf tournaments. Its history is rich as this is where Jack Nicklaus won his first major title, the 1959 U.S. Amateur. This history is displayed in the recently refreshed Golf Club’s Heritage Hall, which guides guests and golf members through 100 years of the sport’s history through photos and displays. Though noted for championship courses designed by elites Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr., non-golfing attendees also have options: menu planning with a Broadmoor chef, a pickleball round robin, stair climbing at Seven Falls, fly fishing classes and falconry. Set on 5,000 acres (including its Wilderness Experience properties), there’s the additional accompaniment of 185,000 sf of meeting space, three swimming pools (one outdoor, one indoor and one heated lap pool) and 20 restaurants, cafes and lounges.

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort

Selecting Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona, as site of a January 7-10, 2019, sales meeting of approximately 75 representing MindPlay — a developer of educational software created to teach children and adults how to read (with a special focus on children with dyslexia) — Nora Quintero explains her company’s reasoning. Citing the main factor as staying within budget, while still being able to provide guests with a beautiful resort, Quintero elaborates. “We picked this resort because of location, price, golf course and the quality of the food. We felt Loews Ventana Canyon provided a great meeting location and appreciated the staff’s attention to detail, with one of the most important deciding factors the room accommodations, as other resorts seemed in need of room renovations.”

The resort recently completed a soft goods renovation at its signature restaurant, the Flying V Bar & Grill, this year will see a renovation of the Kiva ballroom and on the golfing front there’s a new fleet of golf carts, as well as a planned clubhouse redo in 2019. There’s also news on the food scene with the innovative culinary concept, Flavor by Loews Hotels. Built on partnerships with local artisan food and beverage vendors, this resort’s Flavor affiliations are the Tucson Tamale Company, Barrio Bread and the Dragoon Brewing Company.

In addition to 36 holes of Tom-Fazio designed championship golf, the resort’s made-in-Arizona group activities include the on-property, half mile Window Walk nature trail, koi pond, certified butterfly garden and stargazing. Giving a special shout-out to the resort’s vistas, Quintero says: “The views of the Santa Catalina Mountains from the golf course, restaurants and rooms were breathtaking. Our guests from the East Coast couldn’t say enough about the Sonoran Desert landscape.”

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa

Sharing an affinity for Tucson is Kari Willis, president and co-founder of E Factor, a company designed to give clients, consumers and guests an “experience” they won’t forget — thus the “E” factor. Having picked Tucson’s The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa as site of a networking event for 100 C-Suite executives in June 2017 and 2018, Willis explains her choice. “This location is unique in that you get a five-star-resort experience and amazing golf, all in one location.”

In her search, she sought specifics: An exclusive resort with more than 18 holes (Westin La Paloma has 27) — allowing attendees to play a different combination of holes over the two days. Additional perks to the planner were multiple on-property locations and the ability to walk to the golf course from the resort.

“The conditions of the course, the climate and the resort all on one property make this a premier event and golfing location,” Willis says. She deems Westin La Paloma “A hidden gem for corporate retreats and conferences.”

Here’s the scoop on the resort’s golf. Featuring 27 holes of Jack Nicklas Signature golf, the Golden Bear originally designed it more than 30 years ago. Golf Digest calls it one of the country’s “Top-75 Resort Courses” and Golf Magazine awarded it a silver medal. Following a $3 million renovation, its La Paloma Country Club facility reopened in December with such amenities as a newly created social putting experience — located adjacent to the patio bar and grill — it overlooks the course and a spectacular mountain backdrop. In addition to everything golf are the resort’s 10 tennis courts, access to eight F&B venues, a state-of-the-art fitness center including a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, a five-pool aquatic playground with a waterslide and mineral spa and The Red Door salon and spa by Elizabeth Arden.

“The group also enjoyed at-the-pool interaction, evening dinners, s’mores and more,” Willis says.

She shares that between the pool’s water misters, swim-up bar and food and drink, all served up a prime-time environment for a casual afternoon networking session. The resort’s F&B offerings included a barbecue-themed dinner with dinner coming right off the grill directly in front of the attendees, a Mexican Fiesta with custom margaritas and an interactive make-your-own-s’mores night.

“We are a repeat customer with this event at this venue,” Willis says. “Returning to Westin La Paloma has definitely been a motivator for those who look forward to it each year and want to attend. As a firm that travels all over the U.S. doing golf tournaments, this location is top notch — the staff is professional and the courses are beautiful.”

Willis’ tips for summer months: Be sure and secure your group with an early tee time and ensure that a lot of water stations are provided, in addition to cooling towels (which can also make great branded gifts).

Final words: “Details matter! Know your attendees and be sure your tournament speaks to them. If networking is a key component, be mindful of this with your pairings and make certain they go directly into networking time following the tournament,” Willis says. “If there will be vendors set up on the holes, be strategic with the number of these purveyors and their placement so as not to slow the pace of play. Try something new each tournament. And if you want something, ask for it. You won’t get a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ if you don’t ask.” C&IT

Everyone has a different idea of a fun time, so what does a planner do with hundreds of people at an event? The answer: Do team-building exercises on the beach, surprise participants with a visit from burros at a nature/outdoors venue or take them tubing or zip lining.

Like everything in the meeting and events arena, incentive travel has transformed to meet the changing demands of the market. Twenty years ago, incentives were all about golf and spa, caviar and champagne toasts. Today, you’ll find zip lining, corporate social responsibility activities, artisan mixologists and custom juice bars.

“Clients are looking for new destinations, unique experiences and program content that resonates with their participants,” says Mindy Hanzlik, MBA, senior solution designer at BCD Meetings & Events. “Many clients have changing demographics and motivators in their incentive audiences, and as a result they are reassessing what a desirable reward looks like.”

As Hanzlik explains, modern incentive programs consider the personas with whom they are trying to connect, and build the incentive campaign and reward around them.

“Many travelers today want to step into the full, immersive experience of the destination. They want to feel like a local, not just an outside observer.”
Caytie Pohlen-LaClare

“Communications and promotional materials are delivered in the format and style the audience prefers, destinations reflect their interests and ‘bucket list’ perceptions, and every element of the program — from check-in processes to room gifts to activities and evening functions — are designed to their tastes,” Hanzlik says.

Jeff O’Hara, CMP, DMCP, corporate meeting planner and president of PRA New Orleans, says everybody within the incentive, meeting, and events industry knows the current buzzword is “experiential.”

“With that said, what ‘experiential’ means is different to everyone, especially program participants,” O’Hara says. “A good planner will have dug into what will hit home for program participants and leave them feeling that they are truly special.”

Within the incentive travel industry, O’Hara says things such as group tours are definitely on the wane, with the exception of international groups whose participants are not as familiar with the area.

“But these, too, generally have some destination immersion experiences and then more free time or individually customized experiences,” O’Hara says. “You will notice that I use the word ‘participants’ rather than ‘attendees.’ The goal is to make people a participant in the destination rather than someone observing the destination. That is key to what people are looking for.”

Over the past decade, president  and event strategist of Red Velvet Events, Cindy Y. Lo, DMCP, has noticed a significant increase in true local experiences versus tourist destinations as part of incentive travel programs.

“If you were to come to Austin, and the participants are mostly entrepreneurs, we would organize a dinner with a successful Austin entrepreneur in their personal home so the group of visiting entrepreneurs can get that true local Austin welcome,” Lo says. “And let’s say the incentive trip is to a Caribbean island that was recently affected by the hurricanes, we would organize a half day where the participants get to meet the locals that were negatively affected by the hurricane and then spend the rest of the time rebuilding parts of the local community. The key is participants want to leave feeling refreshed and feeling like they are a better person after their incentive trip, so why not combine the best of both worlds?”

It’s also important to note that today, incentive participants are more experienced, savvy travelers than in the past. As Caytie Pohlen-LaClare, meeting planner and founder of the LaClare Group, Inc. explains, there is usually more unscheduled time to allow the participants to relax, spend time with their travel partner, and pursue their individual interests.

“Both planners and participants are looking for destinations that are safe, a hotel that is upscale, and a variety of recreation and dining options on property,” Pohlen-LaClare says.

So what makes an incentive travel experience truly extraordinary? Quite simply, it should be one that leaves participants feeling they have experienced something they could have never created on their own, and that they feel truly rewarded for earning the incentive.

Hanzlik says extraordinary experiences should feel like they are built specifically for each individual participant.

“They are filled with unexpected moments of joy and unique, memorable experiences that give participants stories to tell,” Hanzlik says. “They bring the destination to life and give participants a chance to authentically connect with the world around them.”

Good incentives also help participants do things they might not be able to do on their own, or that they might not realize they wanted to do at all. They open a world of possibilities, make participants feel appreciated, and build loyalty to the host company and drive future performance.

“There are several attributes that can result in an extraordinary incentive travel experience,” says Terrie Rickard, meeting planner and director of operations at ADI Meetings. “These include authenticity and creating a unique experience. Also it’s important to find that magical blend of the company culture and the purpose of the event with a distinctive sense of the destination. And you must customize opportunities for participants to experience the most unbelievable ‘bucket-list’ moments that will give them new bragging rights after that trip.”

At a recent ‘winter wonderland’ incentive trip to Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, Rickard purchased exclusive use of a snow-tubing mountain for the first day of an incentive program.

“This built immediate camaraderie, acclimated those less apt to travel to winter destinations, and it was great fun for those who normally don’t partake in active winter sports like skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling,” Rickard says.

Lo recently orchestrated an incentive trip for a company that started with the pre-promote. When the destination was revealed, officials threw a party at the company office for everyone and then they made a special recognition during the party for those who qualified, so the participants got an early taste of what to expect.

“Beginning seven days before departure, each day the employees arrived at the office for another teaser leading up to the departure,” Lo says. “When they arrived at the island, each of them was welcomed as if they were the only important guests at the hotel. One evening was a special dress-up themed evening and instead of the participants having to worry about packing extra clothes, part of the preparation included getting into the theme at a ‘dress up bar.’ These special touches continued throughout the four-day reward trip.”

Pohlen-LaClare says “experience” is the key word when it comes to incentive travel.

“Many travelers today want to step into the full, immersive experience of the destination,” Pohlen-LaClare says. “They want to feel like a local, not just an outside observer. Of course, the specifics will vary based on the participants. For some people, it may be gourmet dining at a private location, for others it may be visiting a hidden spot only known to the locals. The key is knowing your audience and what will appeal to them, and then creatively making it happen.”

Steps to Take

Meeting and event planners can utilize some key strategies to make an incentive experience something that goes above and beyond what participants expected. To do so, the key is to understand the group and research what will be a hit for them.

“We hear every day that the event has to be a once-in-a-lifetime, money-can’t-buy experience,” O’Hara says. “But of course every budget can’t support a money-can’t-buy approach, so instead of talking in platitudes, research the group, understand what their baseline of experiences are, and work with your local partners to create something that the participants won’t expect and that they will find value in.”

Indeed, research shows people are significantly more likely to remember things they did not expect than things they did expect, regardless of how high quality the expected event was.

“Providing the unexpected is a key to people remembering and cherishing the experience,” O’Hara says. “Unexpected does not have to equal expensive.”

Pohlen-LaClare suggests five steps for planners:

Work with top management to identify the “big goal” or the “why” of the incentive.

Get feedback from past participants.

Understand what has been done before, including the destination, hotels and activities.

Utilize the local experts — they can provide valuable insights and access to hidden treasures and advice on what to avoid.

Be brave. A planner must be willing to go above and beyond for the incentive experience to be above and beyond participants’ expectations.

“With participants spanning several generations, diverse cultures and the expectation of personalization the norm, planners must create once-in-a-lifetime experiences that leave their participants informed, inspired and ultimately ready to build on business objectives,” Rickard says.

Some key areas on which Rickard says meeting planners need to focus include:

Place — Discover unique locales and authentic experiences to draw participants into local culture and engage with the community.

Unity — Customize group activities to build better relationships between customers, employees and management.

Exclusivity — Arrange complete buy-outs of venues and hotels to maximize participant experience.

Individuality — Tailor experiences to individual physical adventure levels and cultural interests.

Brent Turner, meeting planner and senior vice president of strategy at Cramer, says the company recently partnered with a Fortune 500 insurance company on their large-scale tri-annual incentive conference. This weeklong event started with the basics: a beautiful, premium location filled with high-quality activities, food, drink, and entertainment.

To elevate the participants’ experience while connecting the conference to business objectives, the Cramer team added in three notable changes including:

An Innovation Zone. Through a hands-on, self-directed journey, the participants got to see, make, and experience the business’ historical accomplishments, current R&D, and external “new-to-them” innovations that will change their business, jobs, and lives.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Through self-selected activities, participants volunteered to give back to local and global communities in ways that aligned to the business’ core CSR focus.

Unique technology. By deploying Klik’s wearable technologies, participants could seamlessly network, pay, and — through heat maps of places across the expansive property — quickly find their friends and the most-popular activities.

Turner is seeing an increased focus and investment in five key areas for incentive travel:

Unique stories. From local history to local activities to local community engagement, how can our participants find, learn, volunteer, do, and leave with an only-at-this-one-place story?

Original design. From announcements and invitations to unexpected swag to onsite materials, how can design elevate the ephemeral prestige of this incentive trip?

Smart technology. From streamlining communications to gamifying their onsite experience, how can modern event technologies remove friction and add joy to the participants’ journey?

Brand alignment. From CSR to aligning brand values, how can the participants’ experience be rooted in the purpose and passions of their employer’s brand?

Wellness inclusion. From the expected mental and physical health retreats to experiential learning, how can we give back to and recharge the participants’ whole selves?

“With workforces more digital, diverse and distributed than ever, it is also harder than ever to build unique, retentive, high-performing cultures,” Turner says. “

The day-to-day workforce is losing the classic pillars of culture building such as storytelling around water cooler ‘campfires,’ modeling behaviors through in-hallway interactions, showcasing with on-message office space design, and more. This classic culture of building pillars still exists when employees attend events. And this realization has led to progressive and modern businesses now seeing incentive travel as a platform for culture building and ambassador training.”

Evaluating the Results

Incentive travel programs have become a more tactical component in a company’s strategy for employee or customer recognition, reward and retention strategies. Rickard explains that planners and participants are looking for impact — namely how are these incentive travel programs providing an impact on participant performance and engaging them in company brand messaging and strategic objectives.

Hanzlik explains that tangible incentive results vary by program. They’re tied to the business objectives and behaviors that the host outlines up front in their qualifying period.

“It may mean increased sales or revenue. It may mean customer or brand loyalty or employee engagement. It may be tied to the overall satisfaction of the participant,” Hanzlik says. “Event success can be measured in return on investment, return on objectives or return on engagement. To effectively gauge the success of an incentive, planners must first work with their customer to understand what results they’re targeting, and then build out a plan for measuring these key metrics.”

While extraordinary incentive trips should also offer tangible results to all the parties involved, that is often easier said than done.

O’Hara explains that measuring ROI seems to be a tricky target for a lot of companies. Everybody knows it is important, but not everybody does a good job of determining how to measure it and how to document it.

“That is understandable because there are a lot of subjective factors involved, but setting some goals for each incentive program and communicating them to everyone involved is key,” O’Hara says.

There are several ways to measure the success of an incentive:

Financial return on investment. Did the employees or customers produce more profit for the company as a result of the incentive program relative to what the program cost?

Engagement return on incentive. Are the employees or customers more engaged with the company as a result of the incentive program?

Relationship return on incentive. This is harder to measure but takes into account the quality time your employees or customers spend with the key leadership of the company during the incentive program.

As a planner, Lo always likes to see which individual is a repeat qualifier year after year. For these special people, Lo likes to suggest giving them extra special recognition as it’s not easy to qualify and you want to make the incentive trip coveted by the entire team versus not being automatic.

“There should be higher performance post-trip by the participants and higher loyalty, which should in turn reduce turnover,” Lo says. “Overall, the biggest benefit should be that the company culture should be positively reinforced after a trip like this. Remember, people quit over bad managers and a toxic company culture. A well-planned incentive trip should reinforce the positives and help the team bond as a company, especially across departments.”

And O’Hara says while post event surveys are nice, the feedback often tends be, ‘I didn’t like the chicken’ or ‘My hotel bed wasn’t great.’ More telling insights that should be gathered are things such as the percentage of eligible people that declined the trip, the percentage of repeat qualifiers, and whether you can or should raise the bar on qualification for next year.

According to Turner, while measuring culture is still an evolving field of study, planners can partner with their human resources and internal communication colleagues to uncover the impact of incentive travel through litmus measurements (e.g., employee net promoter scores (eNPS)) and employee involvement (e.g., increase in job applications via employee referrals).

“Altogether, the best-defined and produced incentive travel programs drive value for the business — retention, motivation, and culture — while truly standing out as unique, memorable experiences for the employees,” Turner says. “When done well, it’s a win-win.”C&IT