Planners often wonder what the best practices are for handling conflicts that arise onsite at conferences or in the planning process.

But in the world of planning meetings, when aren’t the stakes high?

Jennifer Squeglia, CMP, an independent event professional with Rhode Island-based RLC Events, says, “As professionals and leaders in the event industry, both as hospitality partners and planners, we are faced with challenges, opportunities and conflict constantly. Think about it … we bring people together who are away from home (familiarity, family), at times surrounded by an exotic environment (challenging climates, foreign languages) and consistently wowed with creative fare and full, hosted bars. On top of that, we are doing our jobs in a world that is characterized by bizarre weather, random acts of unkindness, and all parts of a conference can be photographed and/or videotaped and exposed to millions of people within minutes. I mean … what could possibly go wrong?”

What could go wrong, indeed. Attendees caught on video smoking marijuana? Check. Keynotes who don’t show up? Check. Two attendees in the same conference having medical emergencies? Check. An irate high-level executive who puts his hands around the neck of a planner because … wait for it … the coffee ran out? Check.

These are all real-life planning nightmares. But as Squeglia notes, “It’s not the situation, but how you handle the situation.”

Often planners must decide in a fraction of a moment whether or not to call doctors or police, what kind of action to take to save an event from catastrophe and whom to rely on for assistance no matter the situation. They have to be prepared for any and all possible emergencies, and they are the ones usually held accountable by stakeholders even when the situation is completely out of their control.

“My theory is to fix the problem swiftly and gracefully with collaboration — several heads together are always better than one.” — Jennifer Squeglia, CMP

Needless to say, there are common themes in handling conflict and challenge, with the most important arguably a planner’s ability to stay calm and think through a plan even while surrounded by chaos.

But if there is one element that makes the biggest difference between success and catastrophe, one tool that every planner should take out of his or her toolbox when a dicey situation arises, it’s communication.

What’s the most common mistake many planners make when faced with an unexpected serious situation just prior to or during a conference?

“Depending upon years of experience, I would say they fail to notify their manager or a senior executive for fear of the situation being perceived as their fault,” says Rebecca Rosensweig, CMP, AVP and meeting and event planner, who recently retired. “As I gained more experience and built relationships with key executives in all the companies I’d worked for over the years, I knew when to bring something to an executive’s attention to help mitigate any damage or serious repercussions.”

Jill Harris, CMP, director of meetings and incentives with Protective Life Corporation, in Birmingham, Alabama, believes many planners neglect to follow the proper channels of communication and delegation and don’t use discretion.

“It’s important to rely on trusted colleagues and hospitality partners in order to be able to meet the immediate and constant demands of your event while also being sensitive to the situation that has developed,” she says. “It is not wise to zone in on the situation and forget about all the other actions and tasks that need to continue to move forward in order to have a successful conference. As the planner, you are the conductor who should communicate clearly with key stakeholders, ask for help where needed and make sure that communications are discreet and appropriate for the level of the situation.”

Then there’s the issue of timing. Squeglia notes that planners often try to solve a problem too quickly without really thinking it through.

“I know I can be guilty of this,” she says. “I will try to resolve something fast to get it off ‘the list.’ Taking an extra moment to really think it through and not acting rashly is critical.”

While blame is never helpful, what about accountability — either your own or someone else’s? What if, for example, someone on the hotel team screws up or an attendee misses a flight because of his or her own inability to arrive at the airport on time, or someone on your team sends out incorrect information to 1,000 attendees? Is it important to hold the right person accountable or is it more important to fix the problem?

“The answer to this question could vary depending on the gravity of the problem,” Squeglia says. “My theory is to fix the problem swiftly and gracefully with collaboration — several heads together are always better than one. And, don’t waste time blaming anyone. Once the problem is resolved, however, then address the situation with your colleague or hotel partner being as constructive as possible, making sure they understand what went wrong and learn from it. The key is to make sure the guest/attendee experience is remedied quickly but not ignore that it happened. Address it professionally and move on.”

Harris agrees. “It’s important that our colleagues and vendors are aware of the consequences of their actions,” she says. “That is how we all learn and grow. But don’t waste time in the moment with who is at fault. Once a problem arises, we work together to find a solution. It’s important that we circle back when time allows and debrief the lessons learned during each event. In a proper forum, it can be more of a discussion and negotiation to make things right and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Rosensweig points out that every situation is different, but “historically, I would bet most planners ‘just take care of it’ without anyone having to take the blame. Having pre-meeting FAQs and clear instructions regarding travel, hotel check-in times, agendas, emergency contact numbers if an attendee is stranded or misses a flight, etc., can help mitigate many problems.”

Having a Plan B and clear communication and instructions for all the “what ifs,” in fact, can make a huge difference in many situations — those that come from unexpected external circumstances, as well as those within the planning teams.

“If an attendee misses a flight, you have already sent clear instructions of whom to call and how to handle travel issues in your pre-event communications,” Harris says. “If a hotel is oversold and is walking guests, that will hopefully not be a surprise because those terms were negotiated in the contract and through open communication with the hotel during the planning…. There should always be a plan for the ‘what ifs,’ which one needs to discuss with the hotel in advance and then stay on top of during the event. Communication is key.”

But what constitutes a Plan B? For Rosensweig, it has many parts.

“I strongly believe many problems can be avoided or mitigated by having clear FAQs, pre-event travel tips, contingency plans and clear and concise executed legal agreements spelling out ‘walk’ clauses, Force Majeure, etc.,” she says. “There should also be clear communication with your support staff and team regarding what the onsite work expectations are and consequences if someone misbehaves on the job.”

Thinking ahead to anticipate problems is much of the job for planners, says Squeglia.

“The devil is in the details. Always think about ‘what if’ and have a plan in place,” she says. “Collaborating with your peers and supplier partners throughout is critical. Planners should also communicate their expectations and event details and not assume anything. It’s also important to ensure that everyone on the team understands their role and responsibilities.

“One thing I always say during a hotel pre-con is that stuff happens all the time, and if a situation arises, I insist they let me know what the issue is,” Squeglia continues. “We can resolve it together much more effectively than apart, so it’s also our role as planners to be approachable. In the end, it’s a partnership, and an event cannot be successful without a hotel team that is 100 percent behind you.”

As for what’s out of your control, Squeglia’s recommendation is to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

“Obviously, you cannot control weather, and you really don’t know what that will be until just before the event, so it’s crucial to always have a solid weather backup plan in place,” she says. “I’ve never worked an event where everything was perfect, and your ability to remain calm, think on your feet and use your resources effectively are critical when things do come up. Regarding a hotel being oversold, I am vigilant about ensuring that ‘no walk’ clauses are in my contracts. I stay in close contact throughout the entire planning process, having full knowledge of the hotel’s occupancy over my event dates.”

Sometimes, conflict arises due to the inappropriate actions of executives, managers and other stakeholders, making a planner’s handling of the issue especially tricky. If a situation involves the poor conduct of a high-level executive or direct superior, a planner may be reluctant to report the problem for fear of being fired.

For Harris, the path forward in such situations is unequivocally clear. “My advice happens to be one of the core values of my company: ‘Do the right thing.’”

Squeglia echoes that recommendation. “Doing the right thing is always the right answer,” she says. “It may not be the easiest path to take, but it’s definitely the best one. I suggest collaborating with your company’s main point of contact to help resolve the issue. Don’t try to handle it alone, especially if it’s a top executive.”

Rosensweig also suggests contacting someone within the company. “I strongly support reaching out to an HR representative to discuss the situation and make sure you have all the facts, not just hearsay. It’s important to build trust with the executives in your company and to find mentors so there’s someone you can go to if the situation involves a manager or top executive.”

What if board members get into a shouting match or tempers flare at a conference? The first step, these planners say, is to make sure the scene is not within public view.

“Find an open meeting room and figure out a way to get them in there and get the door shut without them even realizing you are there,” Harris says.

“This has never personally happened to me,” Squeglia notes, “but I would do my best to move the conflict out of a public space as soon as possible and separate the people involved in the conflict. If need be, contact security.”

Rosensweig, however, has experienced such situations firsthand and a remedy became part of her ongoing planning strategy.

“If things were getting out of hand, I would suggest to the executive or employee that we have a private room where the conversation could continue. I have been in a situation like this more than once in my past, and it became a standard requirement in all my contracts that we have an executive ad hoc room for private conversations.”

There’s also the issue of problems between planners and the hotel teams they work with, such as the conference services manager. Because this relationship is so integral to successful conferences, planners must be very careful in how they handle such conflicts.

“I would typically involve the sales manager with whom I had negotiated the contract, as well as the head of banquets or conference services, to help resolve the issues and, if necessary, request that a new CSM be assigned to our program(s),” Rosensweig says.

Harris points out that if you have a long-standing relationship with the hotel, the sales contact and executive team would probably have a solution ready before a planner even says anything.

“But if they don’t,” she says, “be very specific about the quality and service expectations you have and how they have not been met. Specific instances and situations will help the team identify the best person to be your support going forward.”

Squeglia, who started her career in the hotel business, also suggests talking to others on the hotel staff. “I would escalate the situation to the director of sales, my global sales partner and/or the hotel’s general manager. I would do my best to resolve the situation through collaboration,” she says.

These are just a few examples of issues that go sideways at a conference. There are endless possibilities of conflict and challenges a planner might face, which goes back to Squeglia’s initial point: “It’s not the situation, it’s how you handle the situation.”

So what’s the best advice for planners who find themselves faced with an unexpected and serious issue at a conference?

“Remain calm, use your discretion, be respectful, communicate clearly and use your resources — your business partners and, in particular, your hotel partners,” Squeglia advises.

“Trust your partners, colleagues and hospitality partners,” Harris says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance.”

For Rosensweig, too, it comes down to relationships. “Reach out to your team, to the experienced planners, managers and other co-workers with whom you have built relationships,” she says. “Bottom line: Meeting and event planning is a relationship business. I still have good, strong relationships with CSMs, global sales executives and hotel executives with whom I did business at the beginning of my career 35 years ago! I strongly recommend to any new planner that it is important to build relationships and alliances and to get to know the executives whose programs you support. That is key to a meeting planner’s success.” C&IT

Atlantis, Paradise Island is the largest meeting resort in The Bahamas, comparable to the best Vegas meeting hotels. Credit: David WJ Lee

Enticing weather, tropical surroundings and a variety of cultural influences lure meeting planners to the Caribbean for memorable events of all sizes. Island hotels offer one-of-a-kind settings and venues for indelible group interaction, while amenities such as golf, spas and gorgeous beaches await.

While not all islands have expansive meeting facilities, those that do offer venues that can compete head-to-head with many stateside facilities for services and technology. And, air access to the region is better than ever, with islands like The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Aruba served from multiple airports in the eastern U.S.

Puerto Rico

To stay abreast with the latest from one of the region’s most important meeting sites, I ventured to Puerto Rico in early December, 15 months after Hurricane Maria carved a destructive path through the island. It marked my eighth visit to San Juan over the last two decades and, given the wealth of dire reports coming out of the island, I was prepared to see a destination that was not primed for visitors, much less for substantial meeting business.

But I found most of San Juan in excellent shape. In fact, the city looks even better than it did seven or eight years ago, when the island had been hit hard by a different storm, the economic crisis. And, resort areas outside the city such as Rio Del Mar and Dorado Beach are looking as beautiful as ever.

San Juan is home to the region’s largest and most technologically advanced meeting facility, the Puerto Rico Convention Center. Centrally located between history-rich Old San Juan and the Condado district, the convention center has a 157,000-square-foot exhibition hall and the region’s largest ballroom (39,500 square feet), a facility sufficient to host groups up to 10,000.

I was surprised to hear that the complex, which opened in 2005, was fully operational just 48 hours after the hurricane.

“The convention center served as the command center for FEMA and as headquarters for the Puerto Rico government,” explains general manager Jorge Pérez. “The amount of energy was quite impressive. We served 10,000 breakfasts, lunches and dinners daily for the first month after the storm.”

A modest facelift is currently in the works at the convention center, bringing in new carpets and color schemes that will be completed by June. Next door, a dining and entertainment complex, District Live!, is under construction. The facility will include a 105,000-square-foot concert and event venue with a capacity for 6,000 patrons, an eight-screen cinema complex and a 175-room Aloft Hotel by Marriott, scheduled to open later this year. In all, four hotels will be located less than a five-minute walk from the convention center.

One of the first to book a major meeting in San Juan following Maria was American Airlines, which set its annual 1,000-attendee Global Sales Conference in the city last May, just eight months after the storm.

“We wanted to connect with our team members there and give back to the community,” says Lindsi Wyner, CMP, senior specialist meetings and events at American Airlines. “Given that the island had just been devastated, everyone was very up-front about the state of everything. The biggest challenge was our concern with regard to power, security, etc.”
Wyner made several site visits in the four months leading up, to ensure that the island would be comfortable and safe.

“We held the bulk of the event at the convention center, as none of the hotels could hold a group our size,” she adds. “We had conversations with the team at the convention center in regard to our needs and the high-level visibility of this meeting, but we felt confident that they could meet our expectations, and the space was perfect for us.”

Wyner says American Airlines didn’t use much of the facility’s technology, working instead with PSAV to bring in a production team to oversee the AV and run the show.

She spread the group among five hotels, including the 503-room Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, located opposite the convention center. With the largest hotel ballroom on the island (16,290 square feet), the Sheraton has ample facilities for medium-sized groups, including meeting space flooded with natural light. A soft renovation for the rooms and meeting facilities is scheduled for the hotel in Q3 2019.

Wyner also used two smaller properties across from the convention center, the 126-room Hyatt House San Juan and 149-room Hyatt Place San Juan/City Center, which opened in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Remaining guests were booked into the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino and La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort, both located in the Condado area, a 10-minute drive from the convention center.

“We held our opening reception at the La Concha resort, and they blew us away,” she says. “Their level of service was top-notch. They worked with us to make the event special, their food was fantastic, and we could really tell how excited they were to have us. They shared our desire for a successful event.”

One of the island’s original resorts, built in 1958, La Concha is awash in period Tropical Modernism architectural details. The 483-room property received a $220 million renovation in 2007 to reopen as a Renaissance-flagged resort. But many of the original meeting facilities remain, including an elegant, 5,576-square-foot ballroom and breakout rooms that face the ocean. One beach-level space, the Atlantiko Room, has been divided and encompasses a new nightclub, Fifty-Eight, with the remainder of the space opening onto the sea — no cookie-cutter meeting spaces here. Rooms in the Ocean Tower are currently undergoing a full renovation, while Suites Tower accommodations have received their facelift and are fully operational today.

Nearby, the 404-room San Juan Marriott housed relief personnel during Puerto Rico’s initial recovery, but the main tower reopened to leisure guests last April. The hotel’s 123-room Cabana wing suffered extensive water damage during the storm, and a full renovation was completed in December. The main tower will be renovated in stages this August through December, and the hotel’s 7,000-square-foot ballroom will also get a touchup. Several breakout rooms overlook the beach and rolling surf.

For Wyner, using a DMC, Destination Puerto Rico, was key to the event’s success. “They were awesome,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to use a DMC. They have knowledge and expertise that you can’t find anywhere else. When you are bringing 1,000 people to an island, to be housed in five separate hotels, with the meeting at a separate location, holding a reception offsite and doing eight separate community service events, you need help.

“Destination Puerto Rico could not have provided us a better support system. They handled all of our transportation, décor and entertainment. They were affordable, and we never felt that we were being taken advantage of. They know the island better than you do, and they can guide you to make the best decisions for your attendees, your events and your budget. We could not have pulled off an event like this without them.”

Other Puerto Rico properties ready for meeting and convention business include El San Juan Hotel, home to the most gorgeous lobby in the Caribbean, lined with acres of hand-carved cherry mahogany. The 388-room hotel, now part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, completed a $65 million renovation in 2017, and has been used for relief personnel since the storm. But a grand reopening was held in December, and the resort’s old world elegance and glamour shines anew. The El San Juan features almost 40,000 square feet of meeting space and sits less than a mile from the international airport.

Located 45 minutes east of San Juan, the 400-room Wynd-ham Grand Rio Mar Golf & Beach Resort has more than 100,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space, including a 20,913-square-foot ballroom. The hotel’s restaurants have received a full makeover: At the end of last year, Marbella was renovated, and the new casual restaurant Roots Coastal Kitchen features farm-to-table dining; Palio Seafood & Steakhouse will reopen with a new Italian concept later this year.

Just 26 miles west of the San Juan airport lies Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Sitting on the hallowed grounds of a famed Laurance Rockefeller-built resort, the 114-room Ritz-Carlton Reserve reopened in October, following a full refresh of facilities and landscaping, including a reimagined signature restaurant, Coa, and a new Omakase & Ceviche Bar. The historic Surf Room serves as the resort’s ballroom, offering 4,558 square feet of meeting space with floor-to-ceiling windows encompassing a 180-degree sea view.

Some of Puerto Rico hotels are still undergoing renovation. The 652-room Caribe Hilton celebrates its 70th year with a re-opening scheduled for this spring. A total of 65,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space awaits at the Caribe Hilton, all refreshed this year. The airport-adjacent Ritz-Carlton San Juan is still deep in renovations; a reopening date has not been announced. And, reopening dates for El Conquistador and Las Casitas, both Waldorf Astoria resorts, have also not been announced.

But for Wyner, the island proved ready for her group of well-traveled professionals months ago. “The hospitality in Puerto Rico is top-notch,” she notes. “They are helpful and kind and were grateful to have the business.”

Dominican Republic

One island over, the Dominican Republic is one of many Caribbean destinations that were not impacted by storms this year or last. While hotel development has been largely focused for the last several decades on the Punta Cana area, the capital city of Santo Domingo has business infrastructure and air connections to make it a smart meeting option.

Safeguarded by imposing stone walls 15 feet deep, the city’s Colonial Zone is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — it was the first European city in the new world and cobblestone streets and architectural landmarks provide authentic historical ambience.

“The Dominican Republic is one of the countries that has been experiencing the most economic growth in Latin America in recent decades,” suggests Ben Sauvage, DMC, DMCP, CMP, CIS, CEO of Florida-based Connect. “Santo Domingo was a surprise in every way. It truly is the most developed and vibrant capital of the Caribbean.”

The U.S. Meat Export Federation selected the capital city for its Latin American Product Showcase last June, basing the group at the 300-room Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragua Hotel & Casino, the city’s top meeting hotel.

Oversized guest rooms still look fresh following a 2016 makeover, and the Renaissance has more than 23,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, including the tiered La Fiesta Theater with seating for up to 1,200, and the 7,729-square-foot Anacaona Ballroom.

Additional space is found outside on a sea-facing lawn and next door at the Sheraton Santo Domingo Hotel.

“We were able to give a high-level experience to the group,” adds Sauvage. “A five-star hotel with excellent service, a conference room that met the space and technology standards, and multiple historical and cultural options for leisure at a very short distance that added authenticity.”

He also noted that the contracting process with the Renaissance Jaragua was smooth, making the planning process easy, and that the hotel’s food and beverage options were diverse. But for a memorable closing night event he looked to the Colonial City.

“We did a panoramic walking city tour with cultural surprises along the way,” says Sauvage. The walk ended the Hodelpa Caribe Colonial, where they were welcomed by the national folkloric valet in the entrance against the rhythms of merengue.

“We had the final dinner at a beautiful Spanish patio in the Hodelpa,” he says. “The staff was very flexible with the short notice changes and the chef was open and creative — they put big grills outside, and the meat was great. The Colonial City is beautiful enough there was no need to invest in big décor, though a tent is mandatory because the weather in the Caribbean is unpredictable. It rained, but everything went great.”

Sauvage added one caveat to working in the Dominican Republic. “The shipping process is too slow, items were delayed.” He recommends buying supplies in Santo Domingo, or otherwise arranging to have all items shipped well in advance through the local DMC.

Aruba

Another top Caribbean destination planners look to is Aruba, and several of the island’s Palm Beach resorts have seen recent improvements.

The Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino recently completed a renovation encompassing all aspects of the resort, including redesigned guest rooms, refreshed landscapes and re-conceptualized menus and décor for the property’s five restaurants.
The Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino saw a refurbishment of guest rooms, as well as to its Tradewinds Lounge and Ruth’s Chris venue, and a facelift for the Amsterdam Ballroom.

A $21 million redesign at the 359-room Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa & Casino updates the accommodations with a chic look while adding modern amenities. The resort’s Regency Club Lounge has been moved from the top floor to the ground level for easy access from the pool, beach and casino.

The Bahamas

Scheduling a major event at a brand-new hotel is bound to encounter a few bumps along the way, but for Veronica Tostado-Span, SCPM, marketing manager solutions, architectures and engineering group at CISCO Systems, the new 1,800-room Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas, presented an opportunity for the company’s biannual meeting of 1,200 partners.

“It was the perfect storm for us,” she explains. “We’ve done Hawaii, Riviera Maya and Miami, and the next for us to try was the Caribbean. But we started planning late, just six months ahead. The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar had just opened, and the dates we needed were available.

“Atlantis is a meeting planner’s dream, as it offers every type of traveler or earner something to do, whatever their interest may be.”
— Michelle Harris

“Something else that was really important was air accessibility because we have people from 42 different countries attending, from the Americas, Europe and Asia. So, we were looking for an accessible destination, we looked at security, at services like ground transportation, and of course, the overall experience with food and beverages.”

“We wanted someplace where we could contain the group and have everything in one place,” adds Tostado-Span. “We invaded the whole resort, and it worked very well.”

The Baha Mar complex sprawls over 1,000 acres along Cable Beach, just west of Nassau on New Providence Island. After construction delays, the $4 billion project opened in 2017 with the Grand Hyatt, followed by the 299-room SLS Baha Mar and 233-room Rosewood Baha Mar last year. But the Grand Hyatt hosts the bulk of the meeting facilities, which includes three nautical-inspired ballrooms and a 2,000-seat entertainment venue — more than 200,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space in all.

Flexible space was requirement of CISCO’s Partner Connection Week, for an important component is one-on-ones between executives and partners — 567 individual meetings in all. “We needed to be able to have them float, and for that we used the whole fourth floor,” explains Tostado-Span.

“We asked for a lot of different things that they’re not used to. For instance, we branded the whole hotel, which sometimes is really hard. Some hotels might say ‘not here, not there,’ but we were even able to brand the suites. Hyatt said yes to 99 percent of our crazy requests, from ice cream carts to massage chairs on the convention floor. We had a beach party, and they brought everything we needed, including building fire pits. Working with someone that is so open makes our work easier and more pleasant.”

One cautionary note Tostado-Span shared was to watch out for transportation costs from the U.S. to The Bahamas. “Everything has to come from Miami,” she explains. “That was something we did not expect. I thought the event was going to be cheaper than doing it in Miami, but our AV costs went through the roof, because it all had to be flown in.

“But Baha Mar was the perfect size for us, and The Bahamas were a beautiful location,” Tostado-Span concludes. “This was their first big multiday event, and it was a real commitment from them to go into this hand-in-hand with us. But it was a partnership, and we created something really good.”

The direct selling organization Thirty-One Gifts also looked to The Bahamas for its Leadership Incentive Trip last September. Drawing 2,300 attendees, the company needed a large facility to host its group, and chose the 3,400-room Atlantis. The 171-acre resort, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, includes a casino, golf course, retail complexes, more than 20 restaurants, an aquarium and the largest water theme park in the Caribbean.

“Atlantis is a destination that so many dream of visiting,” says Michelle Harris, director of events for Thirty-One Gifts. “Offering this site as an incentive destination provided amazing results.”

Located on Paradise Island, a smaller outcrop off New Providence connected by bridge to Nassau, Atlantis is a resort city that compares to the best of the larger Vegas theme resorts — just add sea and sand.

Recent renovations and additions to Atlantis include two new restaurants at The Cove, the luxury wing of the resort, with a newly designed poolscape and cabanas; a new lobby and guest room design for the Coral Tower; while full room renovations are to be completed this month at The Reef tower. A kids concierge is now available at The Coral for children to customize their vacation, while babysitting services can now be booked through the Family Trip Planner on property.

“Atlantis is a meeting planner’s dream, as it offers every type of traveler or earner something to do, whatever their interest may be,” adds Harris, who notes that size was a determining factor for the group. “There are numerous on-property activities: the beach, water slides, entertainment, a casino, the aquarium and more.”

Thirty-One Gifts did plan an offsite excursion for a select group. “We held an event on Pearl Island for 275 people. Our DMC, Equilibrium, assisted in creating a unique and memorable experience for our earners. We offered lunch, music, fun drinks, massages, snorkeling, speedboat rides and a variety of water activities.”

Harris called out Sharon Jacques, a “wonderful, dedicated and determined national sales manager. The staff is extremely helpful and accommodating and has the guest and meeting planner at top of mind, all the time. Anything you ask or need, they figure out a way to help or simply just take care of it.”

Although Atlantis accommodated Thirty-One Gifts with an all-inclusive package, Harris still cautioned on setting reasonable budget expectations.

“The prices of F&B at Atlantis can be quite high,” she explains. “Go in knowing what you are willing or able to spend. Be open and transparent with your attendees concerning their out-of-pocket expenses.” C&IT

The bright lights of Park MGM in Las Vegas draw big crowds. Credit: MGM Resorts International

Thirty years ago, gambling was the main thing that brought people to Las Vegas and Reno. Casinos were rare in the rest of the country and afforded visitors plenty of excitement and an enticing air of edginess.

That’s no longer the case today. Gaming has dipped in Las Vegas and Reno, but most everything else is on the rise. “Hospitality, entertainment and food and beverage have really taken off,” says Don Ross, vice president of catering, conventions and events for Las Vegas’ Caesars Entertainment. “Las Vegas has the best dining that the world has to offer. Within three miles, we’ve got almost every big chef in the world. We’ve got some of the best shopping in the world.”

The meetings, conventions and incentive trips industry has continued its own dramatic upswing, to the point where Las Vegas is now one of the biggest and most beloved event destinations globally.

Reno has seen tremendous new investment in hotels and resorts. The number of interesting shops and restaurants is growing, and it continued to be an amazing place to experience art. “Airlift has gone up year over year with new lift and new carriers,” says Mike Larragueta, vice president of sales for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.

Lake Tahoe and other outdoor recreation spots offer opportunities for adventures year-round. All of these things make Reno a destination that’s just as exciting as its more glitzy neighbor. Find out what’s new and enticing in Nevada’s two largest metro areas.

Las Vegas

“Las Vegas is a dynamic, exciting city unlike any other, and we’re constantly evolving,” says Amy Riley, CEM, senior director of business sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Whether it’s an entertainer, restaurant concept, event venue or hotel, there’s something new to see pretty much every time you set foot in the city.

“From the fine-dining restaurants to the 24-hour coffee shops to the entertainment and nightlife and shows, everything is right there at your fingertips,” says Bryan Gay, CMP, senior vice president of sales and conventions for the SLS Las Vegas.

Guests will never lack things to do — and everything they might want to do is a stone’s throw away, which keeps transportation costs low and guests eager to keep coming back.

One of the best things about Las Vegas is that it offers something for everyone.

“There’s something for groups of all budgets, whether you’re very cost-conscious or whether the sky’s the limit,” says Gus Tejeda, director of marketing for the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas. “Along with that, there’s myriad hotel options, from budget to five-star. This city has the best meeting space options on the planet, with the ability to accommodate meetings ranging in size from 10 to 10,000. It really lends itself to any type or size of group.”

“We host approximately 22,000 meetings and conventions each year…. Simply put, we’re the experts and the industry leader for hosting meetings and conventions.” — Amy Riley, CEM

The Four Seasons was recently home to an event that showcases why Las Vegas is an ideal destination for businesses wanting to provide memorable experiences for employees. It was called Cash Bash, and it’s an annual incentive trip for regional sales managers at Subaru of America, Inc.

“The reason we go to Las Vegas is, generally speaking, it offers everything our sales managers and we want when we offer a program,” says Linden Calder, national director of retail operations training for Subaru of America, Inc. “They are sophisticated people with high incomes who are highly educated. They like the shows and restaurants. There’s good weather, and the flights in and out are easy and available. There’s a high level of customer service.

“When you want to put together a themed event, there is no easier or better place than Las Vegas,” Calder adds.

For 2018, Cash Bash’s décor and activities were based on a popular children’s book and movie. As people arrived on Sunday, they could grab snacks and drinks and watch football in a hospitality suite, which was decorated to look like the story’s famous tea party. The main incentive program took place in a stage set to look like something found on the other side of the looking glass. (Subaru worked with Absolute Amusements to bring the storybook land to life.) At a long-drive golfing championship, people hit balls that looked like hedgehogs with clubs done up to look like long-necked birds. People were delighted by the little details from the story.

Subaru had been to the Four Seasons before and typically doesn’t go back to the same hotel twice. However, “I was impressed with the people at the Four Seasons and the way they demonstrated their desire for our business,” says Calder. “The level of service they showed us was the type of service I’d like to extend to customers and the way things should be done by our sales managers. They were perfect partners to produce the event.”

Part of the great service that’s available throughout Las Vegas comes from the level of experience of the typical service industry employee.

“We’ve been the No. 1 trade show destination in the country for the past 24 consecutive years, according to the Trade Show News Network,” said Riley. “We host approximately 22,000 meetings and conventions each year, with 70 percent welcoming 500 people or less, and we hosted a record-breaking 6.6 million delegates in 2017. Simply put, we’re the experts and the industry leader for hosting meetings and conventions.”

Steve Blanner, senior vice president of hotel sales for Wynn Las Vegas, strongly advises meeting planners to take advantage of that expertise. “The whole city revolves around travel and tourism, so we’re experts. It’s important to ask questions and get the most out of wherever you are. Really listen to what people are suggesting. They know their hotels.”

Another standout aspect of Las Vegas is the wide array of entertainment options that are available. The ability to see world-class concerts, plays and other shows gets people excited about coming to Las Vegas. They’re more likely to register for conferences and compete for incentive trips. Companies shouldn’t feel like they have to pay for large parties or major performers at their events if they don’t want to. There’s no worry that guests will get bored; there’s something happening in Las Vegas 24/7.

However, corporations that want to put on their own special events have an added advantage when they come to Las Vegas. Due to the fact that there are already so many celebrities in Las Vegas for residencies or special events, it’s often possible to arrange for big-name performers without having to pay for their transportation costs. Ross recalls a recent event for a group of 12,000 people that included a themed dinner on the lawn followed by a performance by Kelly Clarkson. Caesars was able to schedule Lenny Kravitz for another corporate meeting.

Even if you decide to provide your own entertainment, Ross recommends allowing plenty of time for people to explore the many other things Las Vegas has to offer.

“Do an evening event from 7 to 9, for example, then let people enjoy the city,” he says. “Strategize and use the city wisely.”

Amid the amazing-built environment of Las Vegas, it can be easy to lose sight of getting attendees outside and taking advantage of the beautiful weather. But that’s something more people are looking for in this day and age.

“They don’t want to sit in a box boardroom all day long,” says Blanner. “They’re looking for rooms with natural light or patios. That’s really where we’ve carved out our own niche. A lot of our meeting rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows. A lot have balconies overlooking the golf course or pool.”

Outdoor offerings will improve with the addition of a 300,000-square-foot event facility slated to open in 2020. The two-story building will include a 20,000-square-foot outdoor pavilion for receptions and other gatherings. It will complement the recently opened Wynn Plaza, a 70,000-square-foot shopping center that includes a fitness center by SoulCycle and organic coffee and tea shop called Urth Caffe.

The Wynn is far from the only property making improvements right now. According to the LVCVA, more than $19 billion is being invested in Las Vegas facilities right now. The new CAESARS FORUM Conference Center will be a 550,000-square-foot facility with 300,000 square feet of meeting space, including the two largest pillarless ballrooms in the world.

Harrah’s Las Vegas, the LINQ and the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino will all be directly accessible from the conference center. It is expected to open in 2020.

The SLS, which was purchased by Meruelo Group early last year, recently started a $100 million renovation. The casino and one hotel tower will be finished by the third quarter of this year. Upgrades to the remaining towers and common areas will begin after that.

Thanks to some changes that have already been made, large events can now inquire about using the marquis and temporarily rebranding their hotel with their company’s name and logo.

“A recent client had their branding all over the property, which was great for the attendees because they felt like it was their place,” says Gay. “We can really present their brand very well.”

“Over the past year or so, several properties have undergone significant renovations and/or rebranding, including the Monte Carlo, which has rebranded as Park MGM, as well as the boutique NoMad Las Vegas,” says Riley. “Additionally, the Palms Casino Resort has enjoyed an extensive renovation, and last fall, Waldorf Astoria opened in the former home of the Mandarin Oriental. On the north end of the Strip, Resorts World is under construction, and the former site of the Fontainebleau is expected to open in the early 2020s as The Drew.

“Another significant update is the Las Vegas Convention Center District,” Riley continued. “The expansion and complete renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center will add 600,000 square feet of exhibit space, new meeting rooms and other amenities.”

Construction on the expansion started in September and will be completed in 2021. An overhaul of the existing facility will start after that and should wrap up by 2023.

Reno

Reno was established during the California Gold Rush in the 19th century, and it’s experiencing a gold rush of a different sort today. Dozens of businesses have set up facilities in northern Nevada in recent years, including companies such as Tesla and Switch, says Larragueta with the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. A tech firm called Blockchains, LLC recently purchased 64,000 acres at the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center and is getting ready to open a new office and research center. The concentration of innovative companies makes Reno an interesting place for businesses to visit and learn more about what their peers are doing.

Local event properties are going through some big changes. Meruelo Group bought the Grand Sierra Resort a few years and has put more than $200 million into improving to the meeting space, restaurants, pool, fitness center and more. Marnell Gaming purchased the Nugget Casino Resort in Sparks in 2016.

“The property is in the midst of a complete and total renovation, floor to ceiling, wall to wall,” says Randy Kennedy, director of marketing communication for the Nugget.

All 788 rooms in the west tower have been renovated. The east tower, which has more than 600 rooms, will be spruced up this year. The lobby, casino and 110,000-square-foot convention space have all been completely redone. There’s a new sports-themed restaurant and bar called Game On.

“Marnell Gaming is really bullish on the Reno market,” Kennedy added. “They’ve voted with their dollars and have put a lot of capital into the property.”

As these large companies have invested in local properties, it’s spurred redevelopment at other local resorts and hotels. The rooms and food court at Circus Circus Reno were recently renovated, and the Eldorado Resort Casino is currently doing a refresh of all guest rooms. The Silver Legacy Resort Casino just opened the largest spa in the region. The former Fitzgerald Hotel has become the Whitney Peak Hotel, and the old Siena Hotel has transformed into the Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel, a trendy spot with features like bocce ball and Reno’s longest bar.

Whatever hotel you choose, Karen Nichols, president of Red Carpet Events and Design, a local destination management company and corporate event planning firm, says great service is a given.

“We are an events town. We’re used to having different entities come in and do events, and that translates to the corporate business, as well. Our hotels are phenomenal in regard to knowing what the business traveler needs. They’re well-versed in events because we have so many.”

People looking to offer unique local experiences to guests have several options. The Midtown neighborhood has become a trendy spot for restaurants, breweries, art galleries and independent shops.

“We get lots of people who want to have the Burning Man experience,” says Nichols. “Reno is the closest big city to Burning Man. The community has a strong presence in the Reno area, and they do phenomenal community art projects. There are amazing mural tours that have incorporated Burning Man art, as well as works by local muralists and artists.”

Groups can also arrange to go to The Generator, a maker studio that hosts many of the people who make large art pieces for Burning Man. It provides classes and a glimpse into where some of the festival’s magic happens.

The community plays host to several large special events throughout the year. The Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off, which has been named the best barbecue festival in the country, draws large crowds over Labor Day weekend. Hot August Nights and Street Vibrations, a motorcycle rally, are other popular events. Festivals like these give visitors a chance to experience something different. (Alternatively, they give planners dates to work around, since hotel availability is often quite limited during these community-wide events, Kennedy points out.)

“Reno is a great market, as far as close-by getaways,” says Kennedy. “Lake Tahoe is 45 minutes from our door. Some of the best resorts in the world are surrounding Lake Tahoe. There are at least 30 golf courses within a 45-minute range of Reno. It’s a fabulous outdoor playground.”

Nichols was involved in an event for NCAA Division I basketball coaches that was sponsored by an athletic apparel company. The gathering took place at a Lake Tahoe resort and involved activities such as a chili cook-off, riding electric bikes around the lake, boating and plenty of other outdoor adventures.

“In my business, what we’re trying to do is foster connections between people,” she says. “Going to Lake Tahoe and being in a kayak with someone — it creates that closeness that’s missing when you have a meeting between four walls.”

For those who are less interested in outdoor activities, nearby Virginia City is a historic mining town with old Victorian homes, saloons, museums and other attractions. And, Reno has great shopping, including a large outlet mall and a Scheels location that pegs itself “the world’s largest all-sports store.”

Event attendees will never lack for things to do in “the biggest little city in the world.” C&IT

Philip Eidsvold, CIS, CITP, is One10 Senior Director, Client Services and SITE President-Elect. Eidsvold and the One10 team were active in establishing the curriculum for the CITP study modules and exam and partnered with SITE as one of the incentive travel industry advisers responsible for designing this new certification.

The Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) developed the Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) designation earlier this year to standardize and verify the skills of incentive travel professionals while promoting overall expertise across the industry and bringing validity to the profession. Since its debut last summer, more than 75 industry professionals have earned their CITP designation. So, is certification right for you? Let’s explore some of the potential benefits of CITP certification.

Get Noticed

When you take the time to become certified, it is a clear indication to your peers, colleagues, clients and others — in and outside of your industry — that you have taken significant measures to increase your knowledge and expertise in the field. Certification demonstrates commitment and dedication to your profession.

This gold-star recognition validates a passion for your career and enables you to stand out in a sea of otherwise similar professionals. The addition of a certification acronym behind your title quickly denotes you are a leader and expert in your field — someone that others look to for guidance, input and recommendations.

Find Your Dream Job!

Certification can open doors and serve as a stepping stone to new career opportunities, including your dream job. Certified employee candidates are far more likely to be hired than non-certified professionals.

Remember the above information about standing out in the crowd of industry professionals? Certification demonstrates to prospective employers that you are committed to the job and/or industry and will be an exceptional brand ambassador who will add value.

Organizations love to boast about certified employees because they are a walking, talking, living “commercial” for the excellence of the organization.

Add Value

The certified professional not only adds value to your career, but certification also adds value for your employer. We have seen a growing number of organizations that submit RFPs or bids for business inquire about the number of employees with a certification at the bidding organization.

In many cases, business is awarded to organizations that have the most employees with certifications, which underscores industry knowledge, commitment, excellence and quality.

This benefit is especially helpful when seeking approval for certification expenses and continuing education investments internally.

Keep Learning to Stay Current and Relevant

Certification keeps you current with industry skills and trends, while also making you extremely relevant. By having a valid certification, you are demonstrating to the world you are up to speed with the latest and greatest your industry has to offer. Plus, you’ve taken the exam to prove it!

Certifications require the professional to obtain continuing education points or re-certifications in order to maintain a valid designation.

This is especially important in the meetings and events industry, where it is critical to be on top of the latest trends, compliance matters and ways to minimize risk — both financial and legal.

Make More!

Research has shown that professionals with certification are typically compensated at a higher rate of pay than those without certification.

In fact, results from a 2018 salary survey from the Professional Convention Management Association noted planners who hold the Certified Meeting Professional designation earned an average of $10,500 more per year than colleagues in the field without the designation. That is a substantial compensation increase! We anticipate higher wages are extremely promising with the newly established Certified Incentive Travel Professional designation.

Worth Pursuing

There are a number of reasons people choose certification; however, the most important is it’s something you’re excited to pursue and that you view it as more than just another item to check off the career checklist.

Certification in the field you are passionate about allows you to demonstrate your capabilities, gain additional experience in the industry and work toward a higher salary.

Another way to think about certification is it’s like achieving a mini-degree without needing to go back to school. It can be one of the best things you do for your career as it readily shows others you have a high level of competence in your field and that you not only have an interest in your profession, but you take pride in your growth. C&IT

Custom experiences, such as ball pits or photo booths, make events more memorable. Credit: Red Velvet Events

Orchestrating entertainment at any meeting or event can be challenging. Just ask Danielle Berman, founder and CEO at DB Consulting Firm in Baltimore, who has hosted several events for corporations of all sizes.

At a recent conference, Berman embraced the entertainment component by running logistics for a casino night-themed cocktail hour. In addition to overseeing a casino company, which brought tables, dealers and the games along with them, Berman managed the food and drink for the evening. Winners at the tables received raffle tickets for a chance to be awarded more prizes.

The result? “Guests thoroughly enjoyed it,” Berman says. “It was a fun and exciting way to have a networking cocktail party and close out an event.”

As Berman explains, entertainment is becoming a bigger part of corporate events, especially on a larger scale. “Nearly every corporate event I throw has some kind of cocktail reception, from small networking cocktails to themed casino nights or musical entertainment to close out the agenda,” Berman says. “Even more so, there is a push for engaging speakers or inspirational entertainment from outside of the industry.”

Amy Grace Collins, event planner and owner of Amy Grace Events, says that today’s event entertainment trends are moving toward intimate and meaningful experiences that participants feel use their valuable time properly and walk away with action items that can be immediately implemented.

“Main speakers are still a large draw, and VIP experiences to meet and greet with speakers can be added to help entice your attendees to register early and/or pay an additional fee for intimate access,” Collins says.

Over the years, the types of entertainment gracing stages at various corporate events has changed significantly. Creating big blowout bashes were the trend a few years back, as attendees began to want to feel a part of a movement of people — and size mattered.

“Event organizers would feel a sense of panic if the event wasn’t filling up or the seating had the image of being sparse,” Collins says. “Now, the more intimate the entertainment lineup, the better.”

“Planners are now designing in unstructured moments for serious play, creating experiences around food consumption and delivery … and selecting unexpected venues that are an entertaining adventure for the attendee.” — Brent Turner

In addition, corporate events have gotten more comfortable incorporating event entertainment over the years. Now you see appropriate event entertainment often closing out corporate events; whereas before, there was pressure from big companies not to just “throw a party.” Rather, more meeting planners are trying to make sure the entertainment is applicable to the group meeting and the industry in which they are found.

“Attendees also want small groups. They want main stage speaker access and the ability to ask questions in breakout sessions,” Collins says. “They are willing to pay a significant amount for this access over a cheaper experience that’s less intimate.”

Brent Turner, senior vice president of marketing strategy at Cramer in Norwood, Massachusetts, says the corporate meetings and events industry is now in a “festivalization” era for all types of meetings and events.

“The hallmarks of large-scale music festivals, with experiential pillars like end-to-end music, experiential food, campus-like environments to explore and unstructured time for community collaboration, is changing how we design and build our events,” he says. “This festivalization-shift is best embodied at scale with Dreamforce and in-depth with C2 Montreal, but is also being deployed in small leadership meetings, large sales meetings, external launch events and across the meetings and events landscape.”

As Turner explains, the tried-and-true structure of “Sit in Ballrooms in the Day, Move Around with Entertainment at Night” does not align with the expectations and behaviors of today’s attendees. People want a much more active experience, regardless of the type of meeting or event they are attending.

The biggest shift being experienced in corporate meetings and events is one from “passive” to “active” entertainment. Turner says that while classic entertainment acts — where the attendees passively sit back and watch — still have their important role in meetings and events, attendees don’t want to sit still all day. They multitask. They move. And they want their moments of entertainment to be self-directed and interactive.

Festivalization Trend

“The best results, as we’ve heard from attendees, have been in some smaller explorations,” Turner says. From adding entertainment to food (like blender bikes) to bringing in unexpected selfie stations (like tiny rooms) to having roving talent (like an improv troop walking the halls during breaks) — these are moments of surprise and consistently delighting attendees in ways that traditional entertainment investments have been lacking.

“To hit these shifting attendee expectations and capture this festivalization trend, meeting planners are also reimagining how entertainment is designed into a program,” Turner says. “Planners are now designing in unstructured moments for serious play, creating experiences around food consumption and delivery, bringing in pets — especially puppies — for moments of levity, and, where possible, selecting unexpected venues that are, in their own right, an entertaining adventure for the attendee.”

Samantha Hoffer, account manager, Event Services at metroConnections, says she is seeing several different types of entertainment options being embraced by corporations and their subsequent meeting attendees. These include:

Entertainment and activities at events that interact with guests get them involved in the program and networking with each other. “This is huge with corporate incentives since attendees are at a recognition event, interactive entertainment coupled with a giveaway is very popular,” Hoffer says.

Entertainment with some type of social tie-in is also favored. Live entertainment acts that were featured on well-known TV shows such as “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent” and “American Idol” are big selling points to clients. “Entertainment acts will travel anywhere, so the sky is the limit,” Hoffer says.

Attendees are also drawn to entertainment that ties into the location. This applies to both live and interactive activities at events.

“For example, if the event is taking place in the south, clients will tend to ask for a more country-style band and then maybe we will tie in a Southern-themed photo booth and/or an interactive oyster-tasting,” Hoffer says.

According to Cindy Lo, DMCP, president and event strategist at Red Velvet Events, corporations are asking for entertainment that is “Instagrammable” because those that work with a marketing eye understand the power of good visuals.

“Attendees are asking to be inspired,” Lo says. “So for creative event agencies, it’s so important to really understand who the audience is and how they are wired to get that right mix. Remember, everyone is NOT going to be inspired the same way. And since there’s always a budget to stay within, know that NOT all inspiring ideas are crazy expensive, either.” It’s really important to know the client and the audience and approach each client’s event entertainment needs.

Having been in the industry now just shy of 16 years, Lo and her team at Red Velvet Events are very fortunate to have experienced quite a bit of success in this area.

Be On Brand

“Recently, it’s been the interactive custom experiences that have won over our clients’ hearts,” Lo says. “For example, recently for an alcoholic beverage client, we dressed up our walking greeters as ‘walking limes’ to be in theme with the evening’s event vs. just having our standard company uniforms on the greeters holding custom directional signs. We wanted to make it fun and on brand to their company culture.”

Some types of entertainment trends Nicole Chattin, CMP, senior program manager at Brightspot Incentives & Events, is seeing for corporate and incentive travel events include technology, keeping it local/authentic, interactive, magic/illusion and food and beverage.

“Event entertainment has gone high-tech in recent years,” Chattin says. Drone shows come to mind, with hundreds of synchronized drones dancing in the sky to spell out a company’s logo. 3D projection mapping is popular and a way to use technology in place of traditional décor and entertainment. A video or image projected onto a wall provides a moving backdrop for a performance. Instant gratification plays out with audience-controlled bands that let guests request songs live via a touchscreen kiosk or smartphone.

“Why hire a regular DJ when you can hire a visual DJ?” Chattin asks. “Build the stage backdrop and DJ booth with LED panels and hire a visual DJ who plays exhilarating music that is complemented by videos.”

Magic also is becoming popular again with magicians, hypnotists, illusionists and mentalists allowing an audience to unleash their intellect.

“Keep entertainment local and authentic to the destination — a country band in Texas, junkanoo dancers in The Bahamas, Mayan-costumed greeters in Riviera Maya and Polynesian dancers in Kauai,” Chattin says. “And get creative food and beverage-themed entertainment with living tables and champagne skirts.”

During a recent dinner event that Chattin helped manage, entertainers, such as aerialists, dancers and jugglers, performed vignettes on different small stages between each course, keeping the audience engaged. At another event, dueling pianists played while guests sang along, allowing audience participation. At a Kauai Welcome Reception, a cast of 12 Polynesian dancers and musicians performed, which was a hit especially when the executives went on stage to learn to hula dance. During a Farewell Dinner in a Portuguese monastery, a Gregorian choir sang while guests arrived, creating a unique, authentic experience. At an Awards Dinner in Riviera Maya, guests were welcomed with Mayan-costumed greeters, video-mapping swirled around the temple backdrop and Mayan dancers performed.

“The goal with event entertainment is to keep the audience engaged, interested, excited and inspired year after year,” Chattin says.

Biggest Challenges

Thanks to social media, finding entertainment ideas can be very forthcoming, but finding unique entertainment can be challenging. As Lo explains, it used to be those planners that were well-traveled usually brought the coolest and newest ideas to the table. But now that we have social media, the new ideas are shared so quickly that meeting planners have a much smaller window to use the idea before it becomes what she calls, “been there, done that.”

“And to be completely honest, there is no idea that is 100 percent completely new in my opinion,” Lo says. “It’s about how a planner can take something that once was a great idea, and updating it to the current way we take in entertainment.”

One of the biggest challenges facing meeting and event planners who are orchestrating entertainment for soirees of all sizes is ensuring that guests stay engaged in the process and that their work world doesn’t suck them back into the mundane of the day.

“Make sure the breakouts are as excellent as the main stage and create space for them to connect with the right people to foster business connections worthy of returning to the same event year after year,” Collins says.

Speaker schedules can also prove to be difficult to orchestrate. In-demand speakers can take months (or sometimes years) to book and having the time and the funds to put out ahead of ticket sales can sometimes be problematic.

Another challenge with event entertainment is making sure that it fits with the audience. Meeting planners want the audience to enjoy it, not feel like it’s completely out of place or a show to distract them.

“It’s important that the event entertainment is a value add for the event and doesn’t completely take the event over,” Berman says. “In a corporate event setting, event entertainment should complement the event, not overpower it.”

According to Turner, when shifting from the classic “entertainment goes here” structure — for example, when entertainment is a set activity or at a set time in the agenda — to an “always-on” activated experience, where there are moments of entertainment throughout the meeting or event, the biggest challenges are buy-in and coordination.

“As with any large shift to a tried-and-true structure, getting buy-in from all stakeholders is always a challenge,” Turner says. “Then, once there is buy-in, these smaller-but-always-on entertainment moments require more coordination and management to fully deliver on their potential.”

For Lo, timing of entertainment is perhaps the most challenging aspect of entertainment orchestration. “This is not just how long of a performance, but understanding where the attendees are coming from and how fast can you get them organized and seated — if that’s how they are supposed to view the entertainment — so that you can begin your actual planned entertainment,” Lo says.

For Chattin some challenges in orchestrating event entertainment include budget constraints, travel challenges, sufficient rooms in room block for added entertainment, audio-visual needs, indoor vs. outdoor events and power needs, appealing to corporations, key stakeholders and attendees’ needs and wants.

Steps to Take

Meeting planners need to get the schedule of events out early. This will allow people time to fully research the breakouts and speakers. The earlier a planner can confirm and lock in event entertainment the better, as usually there is an added layer of logistics that has to go into their segment of the event.

“A planner doesn’t want to leave it until the last minute, or all the hard work they’ve put in to planning a smooth event will fizzle when people see how unorganized the entertainment part is,” Berman says.

“Allowing them the time to create their perfect day is paramount,” Collins says. “Take the time to create amazing descriptions of each aspect of the event so that people want to attend.”

If the budget allows, invest in an event app. This will allow a meeting planner the opportunity to push updates and fully communicate with attendees about event entertainment options.

“Communication is key,” Hoffer says. “There are a lot of logistics that go into entertainment, so asking all the right questions about needs, time lines, etc., up front, will help a planner budget correctly and help with those last-minute requests or changes onsite.”

Also, Hoffer suggests taking notes from previous years. Pay attention to what worked with the group and what didn’t work with the group. Apply that knowledge to future programs.

“Use one band in multiple ways,” Hoffer says. “This will save on budget and also provide a dynamic experience for guests. Use a couple of band members for an acoustic duo during cocktails, then add more band members for a full live band experience during dinner and for the after party.”

Chattin recommends streamlining the event entertainment process by submitting an RFP with general information about the program, history of previous destinations and entertainment hired, objective and goals of the program, demographics and budget.

“Communication is imperative throughout the planning process,” Chattin says. “All details should be outlined in a signed agreement between both parties, including event date, travel and hotel requirements, green room, rider and rehearsal needs and more.” C&IT

Associations

Roger Dow, president and CEO, U.S. Travel Association

As we near 2019, domestic economic fundamentals remain solid, with business and consumer confidence alike sustaining their recent highs. Domestic leisure travel volume will continue its growth trend, increasing 1.8 percent next year, supported by solid gains in employment and personal income. Increases in corporate profits and investment will help push domestic business travel to 1.8 percent growth, as well.

We will also see international inbound travel grow at a slower rate of 3.2 percent in 2019. Despite the forecasted increase in international arrivals, the U.S. faces a decline in market share of global long-haul travelers. America’s share of the international travel market slid from 13.8 percent in 2015 to 12.2 percent in 2017, and that trend looks set to continue. This is why U.S. Travel advocates for a bold new national strategy on travel and tourism that includes extending Brand USA; expanding and enhancing the Visa Waiver Program; growing trusted traveler programs such as Global Entry and Preclearance; and adding port-of-entry screening personnel.

We expect a good year for travel in 2019, but it could be even better.

Philip J. Eidsvold, CIS, CITP SITE President-Elect

As the fastest-growing and with the highest per-person spend in the MICE industry, 2019 is poised to be a very strong year for incentive travel. By all indicators, use of incentive travel as a key business strategy is growing at a brisk rate; and organizations are leveraging incentive travel in new and different ways to drive employee retention, learning and development initiatives and even health and wellness goals. The 2018 Incentive Travel Index study, powered by SITE and in partnership with FICP and IRF, revealed that globally, 65 percent of buyers are increasing the number of incentive travel qualifier. And what’s interesting is that Asia is leading the way with 73 percent, which is a testament to the adoption of incentive travel in this very important emerging market. The growth and increased use of incentive travel is an output of many influences; chief among them, a strong global economy and very competitive job market.

Per-person budgets will rise in 2019, and much of that is due to increased focus on new and compelling technology to enhance the incentive travel experience. From mobile apps to advanced production elements and Wi-Fi, technology is becoming an increasingly important part of the development and deployment of incentive travel programs for communications and operations.

Optimism is high around incentive travel for buyer and suppliers alike, despite world events and political volatility. The threat of terror groups is the largest area of concern; however, we are seeing it decrease year after year as the world is adjusting to our “new normal.” On the political front, important elections and the tightening of border security between nations are increasingly seen as having a negative impact on the incentive travel industry.

Other trends for 2019 include the rise of all-inclusive resorts being used for incentive travel. All-inclusive resorts see the value in incentive travel and are partnering with DMCs to create compelling offerings and are willing to be more flexible with the planning to meet expectations required to deliver a true incentive travel-quality experience. Of special note on this topic is the growth of “ultra-all-inclusive” properties that specifically cater to the high demands of incentive travel.

And finally, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will continue to be an important element of incentive travel itineraries with significant growth and focus on CSR in Europe and Asia.

Paul VanDeventer, president and CEO, MPI

In 2019, we are predicting a healthy period of growth in the meetings industry. According to the 2018 Meetings Outlook survey results, we are seeing increased attendance in both live and virtual events.

Meetings are becoming more frequent and larger, yet shorter in duration. There is an increased focus on events for niche groups.

More organizations are focusing on specific topics that have a higher impact for the intended audience. There is an interest in engaging meeting spaces, as the ballroom trend is beginning to fade, and outdoor experiences are introduced.

More groups of all sizes are interested in health. This includes healthy foods and refillable water bottles to avoid plastic cups and bottles.

Technology continues to be weaved throughout meeting presentations in new ways. At one conference, attendees were asked to text their input to a central number, and it was recorded on an electronic map onstage.

There is less of an emphasis on traditional PowerPoint, while some presenters employ decidedly low-tech tools, such as flip charts, white boards and glass walls.

In the next year, we will see new ways to engage multiple generations in an impactful way.

Sherrif Karamat, CAE president and CEO, PCMA

There are so many factors that constantly generate concern and change in the business events industry. As the world’s largest network of business events strategists, PCMA advises our members to always consider the impact of consolidation, budgets, safety and security, and food and beverage.

Now, however, business events strategists must factor in other environmental concerns, such as global trade policies, regulations and referendums. For example, we see the impacts of GDPR and Brexit.

These are not typically issues the business events industry has needed to consider. But as the sector continues to expand internationally, so does the portfolio of concerns for business events organizers.

Artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on the workforce and consumer customization is another area I will be watching closely for signals of where the business events industry is heading.

And I am monitoring how urbanization will affect cities, services and the way we work. I believe the effect of urbanization has the potential to transform global political structures, though the ultimate impact of the phenomenon is not yet understood.

Hoteliers

Frank Passanante, senior vice president, Hilton Worldwide Sales – Americas

Meeting attendees’ expectations are continuing to increase as it relates to every facet of the meeting — from the design of the room, to food and beverage offerings and, of course, meeting content. As hospitality leaders, it’s our responsibility to both evolve and inspire.

Our 100-year history in meetings and events tells us there is no one-size-fits-all answer for meeting planning. Today, meeting professionals tell us that they are looking for flexible spaces and creative, budget-friendly ways to host more mindful or sustainable events.

There is a greater demand for more unique and flexible spaces. Among Hilton’s 15 different brands, there are a variety of options for those looking for unconventional spaces to host more intimate gatherings, such as team trainings and workshops.

Sustainable elements and purpose-driven activities are no longer a request but an expectation among meeting attendees. It’s crucial that meeting providers implement these elements seamlessly into programming — both in terms of budget and timing vs. as a costly or timely add-on. Hilton’s “Meet With Purpose” program was created specifically in response to growing demand in this area and enables more productive, meaningful and memorable meetings. Today, we offer half a dozen rewarding give-back opportunities that are sure to inspire — from group meal packing activities to preparing floral arrangements for local nonprofits.

Michael Massari, senior vice president and vice president of meeting sales and operations, Caesars Entertainment

Based on what we’re seeing across our 40 U.S. properties, we are extremely optimistic that the future of meetings is bright. Our confidence in the industry is underscored by the significant capital investments our company is making to develop new conference facilities in key markets like Atlantic City and Las Vegas. While meetings are growing larger in size, planners continue to be highly focused on finding unique experiences to engage their attendees. Hyper-local offerings and health and mindfulness themes are not new, but still in demand. We’ve also heard from our clients that they want to get their attendees out of the meeting room to have the opportunity to experience a sense of place wherever they are meeting, which is why we’re developing Las Vegas’ first dedicated outdoor meeting space, the FORUM Plaza, a 100,000-square-foot venue which will open in conjunction with our new CAESARS FORUM conference center in 2020. We expect 2019 to be a record year for the meetings industry, and we’re excited to be part of its continued evolution and growth.

Carol Lynch, vice president, global sales, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Strong relationships will be a key advantage for planners in 2019 as they navigate growth and change in the group segment. We’re seeing three major trends coming up again and again: consolidation, commissions and privacy. Having solid partner relationships will help planners steer through these challenges as hotel and other travel companies continue to consolidate, challenging the status quo for negotiations and contracting for planners.

Additionally, commissions changes will impact budgets and revenues for customers and intermediaries alike, making relationships and partnerships that much more important.

We’re also hearing from planners that privacy and security is an increasingly present challenge with new compliance needs like GDPR changing the game.

And 2019 also has a lot of growth in store for the group segment, not only in North America but also in China, Europe and Latin America. Travelers are crossing borders today more than ever before, and planners can look to their hotel partners for exciting new destinations. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is keeping pace, rapidly expanding the footprint of its midscale and upscale brands in these regions, including meetings leader Dolce Hotels and Resorts by Wyndham — a brand which pioneered the Complete Meetings Package and continues to innovate with nutritional menu items supporting meeting productivity — as well as its Wyndham and Wyndham Grand brands, which announced new hotels coming in the Greek Isles, Georgia, Mexico and Cyprus next year.

Michael Dominguez, chief sales officer, MGM Resorts International

I would think that 2019 will have a great deal of uncertainty and volatility, much like the markets. The economy should remain strong as employment is very positive, as is consumer confidence. However, interest rates, inflation and trade concerns will persist.

The M&A activity in business and in our industries will continue to change the landscape and create much risk and opportunity. We see this in all vertical industries with a lot of activity in the tech sector. These mergers will redefine what the tech industry looks like for years to come. In our industry, you continue to see the merger of smaller hotel brands, as well as DMCs and tech in our industries. Very disruptive, but very exciting.

We are excited about 2019, as we will have the new Park MGM completely done, Eataly opened, New Space open at MGM Grand, and Lady Gaga, Aerosmith and Britney residencies all beginning. We enter the year with a strong group base of business with no signs of our group business slowing down.

Dan Surette, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Omni Hotels

As Omni Hotels & Resorts heads into 2019, we are predicting another very strong year for the brand. With $1.5 billion in growth and expansion, including the $150 million renovation project at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, along with new properties underway in Oklahoma City and the Seaport District in Boston, Omni is poised to continue to sustain its position as a leader in the marketplace, especially among the groups and meetings industry.

An example of this is the creation of our new group loyalty program, Omni Select Planner (the only group loyalty program to offer planners immediate redeemable rewards and benefits), where we are able to capture what our groups and meetings planners are seeking; therefore, allowing us to cater to their needs.

DMCs

Jennifer Patino, DMCP, CEO, Hosts Global

2019 predictions show a year with growth in the incentive market, however no/little growth in budgets. Due to escalating costs, we are seeing a shift in destinations selected with greater consideration of lift and hotel costs as the number of qualifiers continues to grow. Hosts is seeing growth in corporate meetings and events as well; however, booking windows continue to be compressed. More procurement involvement has led Hosts Global to differentiate ourselves with leadership in areas where procurement finds great value; proactive emergency preparedness planning to GDPR compliance and other regulatory requirements that have become part of the procurement process in guiding company’s meeting spend and needs. Overall, we are optimistic about meetings and events with anticipated growth of 10 percent over 2018.

Catherine Chaulet, president, Global DMC Partners

Global DMC Partners recently released our top destination predictions for 2019. The data used for this study was compiled from leads for meetings and events taking place around the world in 2018 and 2019. By analyzing the data, we found that secondary markets and new destinations are seeing increased interest as new experiences are sought after. As a result, tried-and-true top destinations such as New York, London and Paris should consider creating unexpected offerings and highlight off-the-beaten-path venues in order to continue to attract interest for repeat business.

As we have been closely monitoring, safety and security, as well as data privacy, will continue to be a focus for our industry in 2019. While destinations need to maintain their unique identity, they must rise to new global standards for the assurance of safety, security and privacy. We at GDP are dedicated to sharing information, valuable insights and best practices to our DMC partners and clients, staying ahead of and addressing important topics, such as data privacy, ethics, safety and security or contingency planning.

Through our conversations with meeting planners, we also recognize that there is an increased demand for efficient, easy-to-use technology for attendee engagement. Planners are still challenged in not only encouraging attendees to download and utilize the apps but also in educating them how to use the technology. Cost-effective, easily useable and engaging app-driven technology is a big opportunity to help shape the future of our industry.

Chris Lee, CEO, ACCESS Destination Services

My industry predictions for 2019 can be broken down into several distinct categories:
Technology will continue to be a huge force in our industry, in ways even bigger than we could have imagined just 10 years ago. Voice and facial recognition will become much more commonplace as it relates to security (more on that below). Virtual and Augmented Reality will find its way into site inspections and room/design planning, and as technology improves, social media will be an even more powerful hub for live, streaming, “virtual” events.

The global reality is that security planning is not optimal. Event producers will have to begin developing written security and EP plans for each meeting or event they produce and work closely with local hotels and DMCs to implement them. These plans will have to be communicated in advance to participants via privately sourced member groups or secure email. Plain clothes security personnel will better monitor security by blending in with the attendees.

Being creative or thinking outside the box isn’t going to cut it in the future. Event planners should expect to have provable, repeatable methods in place to guarantee that creativity finds its way into their events consistently — regardless of personnel. Methods like Design Thinking or Innovation Labs combine both the art and science that is event production.

Most well-produced events will successfully engage your sense of site, sound and taste, but our sense of touch and smell is often overlooked, and there’s so much potential to create experiences and events that utilize all of our senses. I think we’ll see more planners experiment with bringing multi-sensory experiences — both virtually and in reality — into their events.

Society continues to evolve its social consciousness and mindfulness, and I only see that continuing to grow on an exponential scale. Neuroscientist Sam Harris calls it our “growing circle of compassion,” and it’s something our industry will continue to embrace. We expect so much from the destinations in which we plan meetings and events, and both planners and participants alike want to give back to those destinations whenever they can.

Related to CSR and sustainability — local, responsible sourcing will become an even bigger concern. The concept of farm-to-table and local craft beers and spirits isn’t going away any time soon, and I believe we’ll see a major push for most event elements to be local, including entertainment, speakers and décor. C&IT

Similar to most professions, the skill set of the successful meeting planner includes effective communication, attention to detail, organization, time management and multitasking. But many of the skills in the event-planning trade go beyond basic logistical abilities and are no less important. Following is a close look at what veteran planners regard as their top skills, the first considered instrumental to elevating one’s role in a corporation and making a greater impact.

Influence

Planners will often have a vision about how events and processes can be improved, and getting stakeholders to subscribe to that vision becomes a vital people skill. “I feel the greatest skill needed to be a successful event planner is influence,” says Judy Payne, CMP, director, meetings and travel at Grapevine, Texas-based GameStop. When trying to persuade executives across the company to adopt a change in the way meetings are run, Payne has learned to “pitch to their passion” in order to get them excited about a new idea she is presenting.

Admittedly, she was not the most proficient influencer early on in her career. “Originally, I would go in with my passion, what makes me tick, and I would try to pitch that and convince people that my view is the right one,” she explains. “And then along the way, I learned to fine-tune my pitch and better understand my audience, better learn who I’m speaking with. I learn their passion, what makes them tick, and then reframe my ideas to help them see it from their perspective.”

Individual meetings with stakeholders may be necessary. “Pitch it to the person individually to get them on board before sitting down in the boardroom to discuss it. That way, you already have their buy-in,” she advises.

“I feel the greatest skill needed to be a successful event planner is influence.” — Judy Payne, CMP

Thanks to her ability to influence, Payne has been able to institute changes that have significantly improved the attendee experience at GameStop meetings. For example, she has convinced executives to move the opening general session to Monday morning from Sunday night. As attendees arrived on Sunday, the session drew quite a bit of energy from that first-day buzz. But on the negative side, attendees also found it hard to get to the general session on time.

“It’s a lot more casual now [since the session was moved]. We lost the rush and excitement, but the attendees now feel a lot more comfortable, and they don’t have the pressure. We’ve created more things for them to do on the arrival day and instead kick it off with a dinner. But reformatting the whole arrival took a little convincing,” Payne relates. “Some of the executives are more numbers driven, so I would go in with surveys from the past four years and show how many responders on the surveys would say the arrival day is too hectic. So depending on how they approach leadership, I would change my pitch.”

Influence is also an invaluable skill when it comes to implementing one of the most impactful changes to a company’s meetings business: the creation of a strategic meetings management program (SMMP). Reflecting the importance of getting company-wide buy-in to the SMMP, the GBTA has updated its SMMP Wheel (a circular chart depicting the primary elements of such a program) to feature “stakeholder engagement” at the center of the wheel. In trying to influence department heads to support and help develop the program, “you need to shift your conversation based on stakeholder needs,” says Victoria Johnson, CMM, CMP, global manager, Strategic Meetings Management Program at Northbrook, Illinois-based UL LLC. “You have to show stakeholders the ‘what’s in it for me’: Here are your goals, and here is how the SMMP will help to achieve those goals. For example, if I go to the security team, I talk about duty of care. Sure, they’re glad I’m saving money, but they care about the duty of care piece that SMM can offer. For the chief legal officer, here’s the contractual piece and how we avoid risk. The CFO cares about the savings, so you talk about the savings. Marketing cares about the ROI, so here’s how we helped to track ROI and customer journey.”

It should be added that influence is not just about speaking persuasively, but also about being the kind of person that inspires confidence. Stakeholders “must have confidence in your abilities or they would not agree with the recommendations that you’re making,” notes Sharon L. Schenk, CMP, director of conventions and event management for CCA Global Partners. “You’ve got to build that foundation of trust first.” Even if the planner is a new hire, there is likely already some level of confidence in his or her abilities.

“When they hired you, they knew you were bringing a skill set that they realized they needed,” she says. “And you obviously have references as a planner; you bring a portfolio of past programs and a list of accomplishments.”

Negotiation

Influence is certainly an aspect of negotiation, as one party is attempting to persuade the other to accept their terms. But negotiation also involves accommodating the other party’s needs and goals, in order to achieve an agreement that is as mutually favorable as possible. Given the ongoing seller’s market in the hotel industry, negotiating is one of the planner’s most valuable skills, perhaps more than ever.

“It’s a skill that can always be improved upon,” says Schenk. “I’ve taken courses in negotiation, and I think one of the big things is to be quiet, which is not easy. You have a conversation and say, ‘This is what I’m looking for,’ and then be quiet and give the other person an opportunity to think about it and come back. That’s just one of the basics of negotiation.”

The result may not be a reduction in pricing, but a different kind of added value. “Although I may not be able to get the pricing down on the hotel exactly where I want it, I could negotiate better amenities, like suites, or things that don’t necessarily get thrown in for free as concessions,” Payne explains.

Presentation Skills

In some scenarios where a planner is trying to influence internal executives, a presentation is called for. It’s an opportunity for a planner to shine in front of upper management and build that confidence, so honing presentation skills is advantageous. “Any planner who wants to change his or her job needs to learn presentation skills,” says Johnson.

Part of that is learning how to make the talk concise and focused. “We’re detail-oriented, and the C suite often does not want to hear the details,” she adds.

Beyond the presentations a planner may deliver at work, they might want to present at industry conferences, thus raising their profile in the field.

At UL, presentation skills are taught through a Global Leader Program and various courses offered by UL University. Johnson also recommends planners join Toastmasters International, especially if their company can pay for the membership.

Adaptability

While a planner can affect positive change via influence, he or she must also be able to adapt to unforeseen negative occurrences. And that itself is a skill. “Being able to adapt to (what seems to be constant) change is key,” according to Kim Hentges, CMP, senior planner, events and incentives with Richardson, Texas-based Lennox Industries Inc. She provides a few examples of unforeseen circumstances she has had to contend with in her work:

• For an international meeting, the poster signs and sponsorship meter board signs were ordered locally and ended up all being 8 ½-by-11 inches.
• A less-experienced industry colleague was hired to manage the team.
• Budgets were not increased as needed to create that “wow” customer experience and to meet the annual expense increases of common program elements.
• On an international group incentive trip, the airline carrier canceled several flights back to the States, affecting approximately 200 attendees, including executives.
• A work laptop crashed on the first day of a five-day program.

Dealing with these kinds of situations is a matter of resourcefulness, as well as keeping a cool head under pressure. Indeed, one might add stress management to the planner’s skill set.

Risk Management

Keeping one’s planning skills sharp is assisted by attending sessions at industry conferences, and a skill that especially benefits from regular education is risk management.

“When it comes to training and classes, I really feel like [it’s a priority to learn] the latest and greatest when it comes to safety and security and the ever-changing legal issues that we deal with,” Payne says. “We’re kind of in the midst of the planning when it comes to AV and design. I feel like those things come a lot more naturally. But it’s dealing with the safety and security of our attendees that is usually at the forefront of my training.”

Schenk concurs on the importance of staying abreast of trends in this area. “Risk management and security is top of mind for me,” she says. “You just have no idea when something’s going to happen, whether a natural disaster or person out to make a point. I’m working with our executive teams to put together procedures for disasters onsite. Until recently, we’ve depended on the venue to make sure that we were safe, especially if you’re in a hotel where doors are open and people can come and go with no scanning and no security.”

Schenk adds that discussing emergency procedures with hotels and DMCs is part of her site inspections and pre-cons. And informing attendees about those procedures without overly alarming them is a skill in itself.

Creativity

A very broad skill that plays into event design, branding, promotion and other areas, creativity is a trait of many planners, but for some it must be developed. In either case, creativity benefits from a group effort. “I’m lucky that my whole team is pretty creative,” says Payne. “We challenge each other with outside-the-box thinking. Anytime we go to an event or a conference, anytime we see something that’s cool that draws our eye, we ask if it can be applied at our event and used to help create engagement or excitement with our attendees. I require my team to make five impactful changes to our event every year. They don’t have to be big changes where it takes a lot of work, but they have to be something the attendees will see so they know we’re trying to evolve the event.”

Payne recalls being inspired to use a comic book theme at one meeting, which resulted in powerful engagement. “I reached out to our store operations team and had them find any fantastic comments from customers on our store leaders, who are our attendees. Then I created these comic book walls all over the building,” she says. “Instead of ‘Bam’ and ‘Pow’ in the word bubbles, I put in the comments from our customers and listed the attendee’s name and store number. So when you went to registration or to the café, you could find a comment that was written about you from our customers for all the attendees to see. They were very customized callouts, and there were a few hundred of them all around the conference just to really showcase the passion of customer service when it comes to our stores. Everybody loved them. They were taking pictures with them and trying to see if they had one; it was almost like a scavenger hunt.”

The importance of creative ideas like this one in today’s meetings landscape should not be underestimated. “People are increasingly expecting an experience that’s memorable, even though it’s a business meeting,” Schenk observes. “They want to leave inspired.”

Tech-savvy

Some companies rely on third parties to integrate their event tech tools, from conference websites to apps to registration software. But it can be advantageous for the in-house planner to take on that role, or at least be well-versed in those tools. Payne’s internal team, for example, handles event website design. “We taught ourselves how to code first. Then we went into a design course and learned to be a little better at it,” she relates. “Even when we do outsource [design work], something may change last minute, such as the text or a theme. And instead of having to send it out [to be fixed], having to pay design fees and worry about last-minute printing deadlines, I’m able to do all the updates myself. We’ve learned the whole Adobe Creative Suite. I know Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. I write my show guides from front to back myself, design it and do all the images. Everything we can, we’ve brought in-house, which helps reduce our costs a lot.”

Tech-savvy is also helpful when establishing an SMMP. Johnson, for example, is in the process of integrating Cvent’s event management software into UL’s CRM tool so that marketing and sales can access attendee data. And that functionality helps to “sell” the SMMP to those departments. “Right now, it is unknown across the enterprise who’s going to all of our events that are customers. An SMMP can do that via the Cvent tool,” says Johnson in describing her pitch to sales and marketing executives.

Relationship-building

This skill is a key to success in many careers, but especially in meeting planning. Strong supplier relationships can ultimately mean a better experience for attendees. “Over time, business relationships can evolve, and the benefits are abundant,” Hentges remarks. “Due to these type of relationships, small acts of kindness can improve the look and feel of an event and enhance the customer experience by [for example] receiving comped upgraded napkins and chairs, receiving destination hats complimentary to use as teambuilding giveaways and getting the DJ extended 30 minutes for ‘one more song’ at no additional cost because the DJ is having fun with the attendees.”

Planner colleagues can pave the way to new supplier relationships and provide overall knowledge sharing. “Reach out to your professional relationships to receive supplier partner referrals, learn about a resort/hotel or destination that you may not have been familiar with and share experiences in general, as we all can learn from each other,” Hentges advises.

Networking and maintaining industry relationships is a skill, yet that skill can’t be exercised without effective time management. A planner needs to budget the time to maintain connections and even attend industry events held by organizations such as MPI, PCMA and IMEX, which may be challenging with a busy schedule.

Schenk, who has more than 25 years of relationship-building in the industry, still finds it worthwhile to attend these events because it “reinvigorates me personally and professionally to meet new people and to reconnect with friends and industry colleagues.” In doing so, planners may even learn about new skills whose acquisition would bolster their performance and success. C&IT

Gone are the days when job quotes were written on the back of business cards or on paper napkins. Today, most meeting and event proposals average a dozen pages in length and are often supplemented with corporate or product brochures, drawings and contracts.

From the event planner’s point of view, writing a request for proposal (RFP) can be one of the most time-consuming and difficult challenges they face. So what is the best way to create an RFP that streamlines the process of receiving estimates and proposed solutions in writing and helps establish a strong planner/vendor sales relationship?

Elements of the Process

There are many different types of services requested through RFPs within the meetings and events industry. From small intimate soirees to expansive, multi-day corporate offsite meetings, RFPs take many forms.

According to hospitality industry trainer Lynne Wellish, CMP, CHSE, CHO, RFPs are vital components because they are often the first line of communication between a meeting planner and a property.

“Meeting planners need to research and find venues that fit meeting space and guest room needs,” Wellish says. “Be specific and precise with check-in date, departure date, guest room count and number of suites. Send an agenda or time line that reflects actual needs.”

Some key questions to ask include: When does the AV load in? Prior to the guests checking in, do you need a 24-hour hold on the meeting space? What time frame does the hotel allow for setting up or taking down elements of the meeting or event? How do you handle emergencies?

“If there is an unknown or the client has not finalized details, be honest,” Wellish says. “Remember, sometimes a venue is just not a fit. Be as flexible as you can.”

Wellish says meeting space needs, size, set-up and room rental are some of the most important elements of any RFP. They should also include:

• Arrival and departure patterns, as well as peak nights and suites’ needs
• Food and beverage needs and budget
• Options for Wi-Fi and AV

“Ask if any competitors will be in the hotel over the same dates,” Wellish says. “Check to see if any construction or renovations to the property are scheduled. What is on the wish list of concessions from the planners? How far out is the cut-off date and discussion of attrition? Are there any charges not listed that the planner is responsible for, such as parking, resort fees, fee for early check-in or under departure?”

The overall insight is to be as thorough as possible and to tailor your RFP to the specific service requested — whether it is for hotel space, technology, meeting and event production services, creative, marketing, catering, audio-visual or entertainment.

“The ultimate goal is to find a win-win situation … finding the best venue for a program where both meeting planner and hotel find a common ground for a positive and profitable outcome.”
— Genny Castleberry, CMP

Keri McIntosh, senior vice president of events at The Castle Group, says every meeting RFP should clearly define the needs and specifications of the program.

“The more information provided in the RFP, the better for both parties,” she says. “It’s important to include a response date and decision date in the RFP so that the time line is clear. We also request that the hotel outline any additional fees (such as resort fees, service charges and taxes) so we are aware of total costs when budgeting.”

Vital elements of the RFP are the room block needs, the meeting dates and the meeting space required. It should be noted if the dates are firm or flexible, including the day of the week pattern.

“To set expectations, desired concessions, such as complimentary room upgrades, waived fees and discounts on services, should be provided in the RFP,” McIntosh says. “It is also a great idea to include the group’s background, meeting objectives, previous meeting history and any ‘hot button items’ so that the hotel is aware and can address them.”

According to Genny Castleberry, CMP, director of sourcing at Brightspot Incentives and Events, in today’s sellers’ market, meeting planners need to be thorough and outline all requirements in their RFP.

“Be up front and share valuable information about the program and meeting to arm the reader with key points which will help the hotel sales manager assess the worth of the RFP and also quickly understand the planner’s expectations in terms of proposal content and negotiable vs. non-negotiable elements,” Castleberry says. “Most importantly, the meeting planner needs to understand that space and rates are not guaranteed until an agreement has been signed — time is of the essence in this current market.”

Also, meeting planners should be selective to whom they send their RFP. Limiting the number of venues that receive the RFP — and informing the venues of this number — provides each with a better chance to win the business. For example, knowing they have a one in five chance or a one in 75 chance may change the venue’s perspective on responding and the thoroughness in which they do so.

Mistakes to Avoid

The RFP is a road map to creating a successful meeting or event for both the planner and the property. Sometimes there is not enough detail when an RFP is originally sent or parts don’t match what is being proposed, so a supplier may have to reach out to the planner to receive more information on the event. The more detail that is provided makes the RFP process much smoother for both parties. And this results in a successful event.

So what are common mistakes made within RFPs or the RFP process that can affect a meeting planner and the event they are planning?

Knowing the true budget and being able to manage it and share it with your partners is paramount. Go online and look at the meeting space that is being proposed by the venue. Will your group actually fit in the room layout you want? Wellish often reaches out to peers to see if they have used that venue before and if there are any challenges she should know about.

“Planners need to double-check the RFP for accuracy; sometimes, RFPs are crafted by procurement, and details may be lost in translation,” Wellish says.

Also be sure to stay away from a basic, cookie-cutter RFP template. Every meeting and company is different, so list what is important to the planner, the decision-makers and the attendees. Don’t be afraid to tell a property what the final decision is based on, what has worked well in the past, the budget and the main goal of the meeting being planned.

McIntosh says that once it’s determined that a hotel has available dates and is a good fit, planners need to make sure they are holding the space on a first option basis and request a realistic option date, especially if the decision-making process can be a lengthy one.

“Keep an open line of communication during the RFP process,” McIntosh says. “You would not want your best option to fall to another group. Another potential pitfall is not including the proper load-in and strike time into the meeting space requirements. If there is significant setup for the meeting, consult with the production crew or the hotel AV department in order to factor enough time for rigging, load-in, testing and rehearsals into the equation. Ideally, a planner would want this to be on straight time, not overnight or overtime.”

Castleberry has seen a variety of mistakes being made on the part of planners as it relates to RFPs and the hotel sales process. For instance, a delayed process can cause problems when the meeting planner or corporation involved doesn’t make quick decisions to secure or contract the chosen property.

“The fear on the part of the meeting planner to not disclose their true budget and pain points from the onset can also be an issue,” Castleberry says.

Asking hotels for their very best offer from the get-go is a must as time is a luxury that those within the industry simply can’t waste.

“The meeting planner needs to understand the hotel’s perspective as well and how many e-RFPs flood their inbox daily,” Castleberry says.

One other common mistake she sees planners make is having a lack of respect or professionalism when working with a hotel sales manager. They may exude a sense of entitlement about the company they represent and what they should be offered.

“The ultimate goal is to find a win-win situation with any hoteliers — finding the best venue for a program where both meeting planner and hotel find a common ground for a positive and profitable outcome,” Castleberry says.

Planners need to look at the bigger picture and not just the property they are booking for an event, but what hotel chain and what other programs they might be able to reserve within that entity.

“It goes back to the ethical question of doing the right thing,” Castleberry says. “This industry is such a small circle when you analyze it. You never know who your next client, employee or employer will be, and you never want to burn your bridges or have a poor reputation as it will spread faster than [something on] social media. These types of actions may deter planners from ever booking a property or hotel chain in the future.”

Partners in Progress

For many planners and hotel sales professionals, the RFP is the true icebreaker, opening up the conversation and establishing a relationship. In a world of electronic RFPs, it is still important for planners to forge solid relationships with hotel contacts.

Here’s why: Global hotel sales representatives can make the RFP process easier for planners. From a planner’s perspective, hotels often use standard responses and don’t take the time to prepare a custom response.

Planners should look for properties that are willing to take the extra time and respond with the same level of detail that the planner and their team has prepared and requested.

In an era where personal relationships have taken a backseat to electronic communication, it is so important for a meeting and event planner to be as specific as possible in every email. Also, planners need to take time to pick up the phone and discuss pressing matters or important questions rather than sending an email.

“Being able to connect with your hotel sales manager and talk through situations will be so much more beneficial than trying to convey the information in an email,” Castleberry says.

“Having a sales rep that knows your group can make all the difference,” McIntosh says. “For example, if they understand your needs, less time is wasted on properties that will not fit. They may pitch a perfect property that you weren’t even considering and can work collaboratively with you to plan for long-term goals.”

Ultimately, both parties should be seeking the best fit for the program. If it doesn’t work on one occasion, it might be better for another.

“When a hospitality sales executive contacts the planner, be certain the questions are relevant to the RFP and clarify some cloudy points,” Wellish says. “This attention to detail becomes the foundation and will foster a positive working relationship.”

Wellish likes to build the relationship via phone and speak directly to the hospitality sales executive to introduce herself and her program. To follow up, she sends the RFP and the communication begins.

“It is crucial to pick up the phone and talk through any changes as soon as they occur,” Wellish says. “Each call and email is a touch point to continue building the relationship.”

One of the most common mistakes she sees meeting planners make that can affect the hotel sales relationship is not responding to phone calls and emails, on either side. Constant open communication is the key to a meeting’s success.

Castleberry advises other meeting planners to stay in touch through the sourcing phase of the meeting or events. It’s important to keep the hotel sales manager appraised of the time line and decision-making process and share any dilemma that a meeting planner may run into while they assess all of the options.

“Sometimes the timing can really work in your favor, such as at the end-of-quarter or end-of-year deal where some extra benefits might be added to your proposal for the sake of closing a deal within a certain time frame,” Castleberry says. “Put all your cards on the table and share any challenges you may face — be it budget, proposed meeting space or any other elements which prevent you from booking this hotel.”

In the end, it’s important to stay in touch. “In negotiations, open and honest communication is important along with the need to be flexible and think creatively,” McIntosh says. “Also, when the final hotel is selected, it is proper etiquette to contact all parties that received the RFP and inform them so that the hotels that did not make the cut can take the space off hold. All parties in the meeting industry depend on each other, so it is good business to play fair and not burn bridges.”

Hotels and convention centers are holding valuable meeting spaces and guest rooms that could be sold to another group, so it is crucial to keep the line of communication open with all of the vendors. And be ready to explain why their site was not selected to host the meeting.

“Remember it is a win-win game. Lack of interest, incorrect information and asking for too much can mean big delays in the sales process,” Wellish says. “A planner must know the true value of their meeting, and the venue can be honest from there. Not always is it a good fit or perfect match.” C&IT

Now that the stigma of going to gaming resorts like Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City has eased, companies are free to focus on the many other amenities they offer. Credit: Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City

When Steve van der Molen first began working for Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City, many companies were leery to host meetings at gaming resorts. They were nervous to expose their attendees to the gaming portion of the property and all of the perceived problems that gambling can bring.

That’s not really the case anymore. “Over the years, people have seen gaming as an acceptable form of entertainment,” says van der Molen, who is now vice president, meeting operations, Atlantic City, and oversees meeting operations at the company’s properties along the eastern seaboard, including Caesars Palace, Harrah’s Resort and Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino. “Today, it’s considered more of an amenity. People can use it or not, and it’s not the distraction people thought it was 16 years ago.”

Now that the stigma of going to a gaming resort has eased, companies are free to focus on the many benefits they offer.

“The big difference is you have a lot of things under one roof,” says van der Molen. Business travelers can find all of the amenities they need to be successful at meetings. But when the day’s events are over, they have a variety of ways to spend their time or mingle with colleagues. Depending on the property, options may include restaurants, bars, music or other live shows, pools, fitness facilities and shopping.

“We call them integrated resorts because they have so much to offer,” says van der Molen. “You can literally spend four or five days at the property, and you don’t have to eat at the same restaurants or bars. There are different and ever-changing entertainment options.”

The wide variety of things to do is a real benefit to both planners and attendees, who can take advantage of multiple entertainment options without much effort. “Gaming resorts can be a great place for meetings because they offer attendees a chance to do something fun and different after a long day of meetings,” says Abby Kahn, vice president of global events at the technology solutions company Numerix. “When we do our annual kickoff sales meeting at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa [in Atlantic City], it allows my colleagues the chance to socialize in a way that wouldn’t be possible at just a hotel.”

“When you do a sales meeting for as many as 2,000 people, you end up with the gambit of people,” says Shelley Williams, director of events for Seacret Direct, which manufactures skincare products from ingredients sourced from the Dead Sea. “Some people like to relax, some people like to dance, some people want to go to the pool. Some people like to gamble. Talking Stick Resort and Casino [in Scottsdale, Arizona] gives people everything they need. Last year, when I was finished with the event for the day, my whole group was dancing in the mid-bar and having a great time — and I could watch them do that.”

“No matter what type of event you are hosting, when you come to Las Vegas as a destination, the opportunities you have at the value and price points you have are unbelievable.” — Stephanie Glanzer, CMP

Conference participants can feel connected without having to engage in the same activities or spend every waking moment together, she adds.

Located on Cable Beach, Baha Mar in Nassau, The Bahamas, is an oceanfront property with 1,800 rooms among three hotels: the Rosewood, the SLS and the Grand Hyatt. While the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar features the Caribbean’s largest casino — 100,000 square feet of world-class gaming, including the latest slot machines, table games and live entertainment, it has so much more to offer.

Complete with beautiful ocean views, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar boasts 200,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor event space. An event held in the 82,000-square-foot Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center surrounds attendees with a magnificent collection of Bahamian art. Planners can choose from one of three nautical-inspired ballrooms — the 29,600-square-foot Grand Ballroom, the 19,610-square-foot Andros Ballroom and the 15,725-square-foot New Providence Ballroom, as well as a 2,000-seat entertainment venue, 16 breakout meeting rooms or lush outdoor spaces to accommodate groups of any size. And, located throughout Baha Mar are facilities and amenities that guests of all the hotels can access, including a golf course, kids club, racquet club, a luxurious spa, art gallery, more than 20 restaurants and bars. And, a trip to The Bahamas wouldn’t be complete without soaking up the sun by any of the six onsite pools or on the miles of beautiful beaches. After a day of meetings, attendees can stroll through the nearby open-air Straw Market, where local craftsmen sell handwoven items, island souvenirs and other charming goods.

Bang For Your Buck

Another benefit to gaming resorts is that they can be quite affordable. “No matter what type of event you are hosting, when you come to Las Vegas as a destination, the opportunities you have at the value and price points you have are unbelievable,” says Stephanie Glanzer, CMP, vice president of sales at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and Delano Las Vegas.

The large resorts do brisk business with leisure travelers on the weekends, but they need ways to keep their properties full during the week. Offering great deals on hotel rooms and meeting spaces allows them to stay busy all seven days of the week.

Because gaming resorts have so many amenities, planners can also create experiences for their groups without the cost of transportation or outside experience companies.

Mandalay Bay hosts Cirque du Soleil troupes in its performance space, and convention staff can arrange for small groups to have meet-and-greets with cast members before attending shows. “It gives them that exclusive, ‘in-the-know’ feel,” says Glanzer.

“We’ve been doing a lot of dine-around functions where it’s not the entire group going to one restaurant, but kind of a pub crawl where you go from restaurant to restaurant within the resort,” she adds. That’s possible within large resorts because there are so many different eating establishments.

Gaming resorts will often allow planners to do full restaurant buy-outs so they can host dinners or special events. Williams is using that to her advantage for her upcoming event. She’s planning a special dinner called “Light Up Your Life” that will be available only to the company’s top-performing salespeople. It will be held in Talking Stick’s Orange Sky Restaurant, so named for its stunning views of the desert sunset. The meal will take place at sundown and be lit entirely by candlelight, giving the room its own glow as participants watch the sun sink toward the horizon.

“Harrah’s has a Viking Cooking School, which is a fun experience where you and your colleagues can get together and do this cooking experience,” says van der Molen. “It’s two to three hours, and you cook with a chef and prepare your own meal. They teach cutting techniques, you make your own marinades, then as a group, you eat the meal that you prepared yourselves. Those are the types of things you wouldn’t see at other properties. You would have to venture out into the city to find those things.”

The grand size of many resorts’ spaces also allows them to do some fun things. “We had a group last week that was in our foyer space, and they actually built out a tiny beach with hammocks so that in between meetings, exhibits and general sessions, people could sit in these hammocks and put their feet in the sand,” says Glanzer.

She encourages planners to lean on their convention services manager for advice about the best ways to utilize the property. “We see everything that happens every day,” she points out. “Take advantage of the knowledge and experience your hotel contacts have. They know the layout of the space and what works and what people like to do.”

Size Matters

In addition to their physical size, gaming resorts often have some oversized amenities that you wouldn’t find at a more conventional property. The Pool at Harrah’s Resort is one of the largest covered pools on the East Coast and is set under a giant dome. “During the day, it’s a nice, balmy 80 degrees,” says van der Molen. “At night, we bring the temperature down to about 70 degrees and do group receptions or meals there. Around 10 p.m. on certain nights of the week, it turns into a night club environment. It’s rated one of the top 20 nightclubs in the U.S.”

Groups that want to use the space for private parties can glam it up with floating lights in the pool, tropical décor or a sign with their company logo on the DJ booth. The pool, nightclub, fitness center and all the guest rooms in the Bayview Tower were renovated last year, making the facility very up-to-date and modern-looking. A $56 million renovation of the guest rooms in the Harbor Tower is planned for next spring.

One of the advantages to using a family of gaming resorts like Caesars is that they often allow planners to utilize all their properties for events and gatherings. “Within our organization here in Atlantic City, meeting organizers and conferences have the option to take the food and beverage minimum and apply it not only at this resort, but at Bally’s and Caesars,” says van der Molen. “You can have your opening or closing reception somewhere else or have flexibility for where you have your meals. It’s the same in Las Vegas.”

Planners organizing smaller events or who like a more intimate feeling to their meetings and conventions can still have great success with gaming resorts. Not all of them are city-sized complexes with urban entertainment. “The thing I love about Talking Stick is it’s not five miles to walk to the convention space,” says Williams. “It’s compact — not in a small way, but things are close. The rooms are beautiful, and people love to stay there.”

The new ilani in Ridgefield, Washington, is located 20 miles north of Portland in a semi-rural setting. “We have access to the city, and it’s convenient because we’re right off the highway,” says president and general manager Kara Fox-LaRose. However, because it’s not in the middle of a city, “we have a beautiful landscape around us. You can see three mountains from our facility. If you’re going to be here for a few days and are looking to engage in some sort of outdoor recreation or want to have a retreat built into your itinerary, we have plenty of options. We’re close to the Columbia River, and there are many wineries and breweries nearby. We’re close to a golf course.” Attractions such as the beach and mountains are a short drive away.

Keeping Attendees Focused

Corporate executives sometimes worry that the many amenities offered by gaming resorts will distract event participants from the things they’re supposed to be doing at the event.

Glanzer assures them that’s not the case. “There are great statistics from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority that [reveal] trade show attendance is higher when groups come to Las Vegas because people want to come here,” she says. Participation in meetings and other events also tends to be higher because people realize if they blow off their meetings or other obligations, they might not get to come to Las Vegas in the future.

Fox-LaRose offers a similar perspective. “Meeting planners sometimes hesitate to have events at gaming resorts because of the gambling and perception of what that brings, or the concern that it will be a distraction and you won’t retain those people in the meeting,” she says. “What we’ve found is our meeting planners tend to see a higher level of attendance.” The attraction of being in a beautiful, fun setting serves as an incentive and attracts more participants.

Companies may also worry that the lure of gambling may prove too great for employees and guests to ignore. Again, Glanzer says that usually isn’t true. “People don’t really come to Las Vegas anymore to gamble. There are too many other amenities to take advantage of,” she says.

Keep in mind, too, that the gambling part of resorts typically isn’t “in your face” the way it used to be. “Our property is designed in a way that people are able to navigate around the casino floor if they’re not interested and access the other amenities,” says Fox-LaRose.

The best thing planners can do to make sure participants attend all of the event sessions is to build free time into the agenda so people feel like they’ll have a chance to explore the city. If they know there will be opportunities to eat out, take in shows and do the things they want to do, they won’t feel like they need to skip programmatic elements.

“I try to make sure that we have a lot of meetings and group activities planned so that there is not much time to get distracted,” says Kahn. “After all of the meeting events are completed, attendees are welcome to enjoy the casino floor and all it has to offer.

However, we have pretty strict rules that are explained by our CEO at the start of our event: ‘Have as much fun as you’d like, but show up the next day ready to listen and participate.’ It’s up to everyone to act responsibly and know that they are representing our company while at the meeting.”

While you don’t want the resort to be too much of a distraction to attendees, there’s no reason not to play it up when you’re trying to attract people to an event. “In your marketing materials you can say, ‘You can do almost anything you want here. You can even gamble if you want to,’” says Williams.

Companies might even look at creative ways to make the gambling more fun and somewhat less risky for attendees. “We offer all attendees some casino chips as a welcome gift so they can enjoy the games without fear of losing too much of their own money,” says Kahn.

Safety and Security

Williams brings up a benefit to gaming resorts that many planners may not think about.
Because there is so much money moving around, most properties have very tight security. In a time when more and more groups are concerned about the safety of their guests, that can be a real benefit.

“There are stringent rules at gaming resorts,” says Williams. “You know there are cameras everywhere. The resorts are ready for anything because they’re a gaming property. You know you’re secure.”

The other thing planners should keep in mind is that they might not have the same access to the space they’re accustomed to.

“Planners often think they can just wander around the back hallways,” says Williams. “But you have to have the right passes to go many places within the building. Make sure you have the right credentials from your convention services manager.” C&IT

The when, where, why and how of education sessions has changed, and innovation keeps coming. Much of the current philosophy related to delivering content has evolved not from education theory but from the world of design, particularly “design thinking,” popularized by David Kelly, founder of IDEO and Stanford’s design school. A primary tenet of design thinking is putting the user at the center of the experience.

We asked six experts for their take on trends, innovations and successes in content delivery. Their insights provide a blueprint for designing education sessions that engage attendees and deliver on stakeholder goals.

To start, prioritizing goals and objectives and understanding audience demographics and needs is critical. You can’t design a session without first answering important questions.

The Questions

Carol Norfleet, MBA, CMP, DMCP, strategic account manager with PRA Nashville, says there are four questions she always asks:

• What is the goal of the meeting; why are we having it?
• What do we want participants to do differently when they leave the meeting?
• What are the participants’ demographics, and how do different groups learn?
• Where are we? The physical space (city, venue, meeting room) can help support learning or it can be a hurdle to get past.

Norfleet says even the term “attendee” is no longer viable and that, too, impacts education sessions. “We have participants today — not attendees. People coming to our meetings and events want to be part of the education experience, not passive listeners. You have to involve them, and you have to customize the experience for each one. Personalization in learning is becoming more mainstream.”

Lisa Meller, CMP, CED, CIS, managing director of Meller Performance Events Group in Irvine, California, uses the ACE acronym to put a plan in place: Audience, Context, Engagement. In terms of context, she says, planners must ask, “How does this event relate to other important elements in stakeholders’ lives, personally and professionally? Does it make sense? What do attendees and stakeholders at all levels need to accomplish as a result of this meeting? Then design around how you can deliver it,” she says.

“We like to say, ‘The way you set/design a room is the body language of your meeting.’ If you want participants to collaborate and innovate, you need to design the room for that.” — Sarah Michel

Sarah Michel, Velvet Chainsaw’s vice president, professional connexity, in Fort Collins, Colorado, says planners must answer not just the big-picture questions but also those related to details, including, “What do you want your participants/attendees to be doing during the session?”

Karen Kotowski, CMP, CAE, chief executive officer of the Events Industry Council, also notes planners must understand how session design can facilitate participant sharing and interaction. “Adult learners have as much to share as they have to learn. Provide an opportunity for them to be part of the education process,” she says.

Michael Costa, general manager of PRA New York, references many of the same questions and adds another: How many participants is the right number? Planners, he says, “must keep the number manageable to create an environment that encourages active participation.”

And of course, planners must also ask themselves how they can create what they need within certain parameters. Kristi Casey Sanders, CMP, CMM, DES, HMCC, director of community for MPI, puts budget and other restrictions and limitations among the top four considerations for creating education sessions.

The Trends

Education delivery isn’t static; it’s impacted by evolving trends and perceptions.

Overscheduling as a negative was noted by several experts. “People are paying more attention to the neuroscience of learning and utilizing techniques that help people retain information and be more participatory in their learning,” Sanders says. “Many MPI Academy professional certificate courses are now structured so information is ‘chunked’ and surrounded by breaks for interaction to incorporate group work and give participants time for reflection. Those techniques reinforce learning and memory.”

Michel says the brain actually shuts down when it can’t process anymore, which makes “chunking” content and allowing time for reflection and connection imperative. “When we schedule people all day with only 10-minute breaks and no time for reflection, we overstimulate the brain, and it will shut down. That’s why many afternoon sessions are empty.”

Kotowski likes to ensure “hang time” for participants. “So many programs are overscheduled in order to fill in as much content as possible in the short time available. Adults need to process what they’ve learned and make sense of it so they can apply it to their daily lives. This happens most effectively when you allow time in the schedule for participants to recharge and connect.”

Norfleet agrees. “I’m a big proponent of programmed ‘white space,’” she says. “We required our participants to walk out of one session right into another and then another without giving them time to process and absorb what they heard and experienced just 15 minutes before. We think if we’re not filling every minute with education that time is being wasted — and this expectation comes from the event owner down. What’s missed is that if there were time to reflect and review ‘a-ha’ moments with fellow participants, information retention would be greater, thereby causing a stronger ROI in the end.”

Another trend Norfleet sees is the “death” of the talking head. “It’s a whole new day for presenters. Anyone relying solely on a PowerPoint deck is missing their own opportunity to grow. Presenters, and especially lecturers, are having to step up their game as educators,” she says. “Educating through edu-tainment (education + entertainment) is trending. I saw Vinh Giang at PCMA in January and was so taken with his use of magic as his metaphor. His session was engaging and educational.”

“Also, I’m a big fan of story­telling as a way to expound information,” Norfleet continues. “If I hear a relatable story, I am more likely to connect with the message and remember what was said rather than reading a slide of words or hearing a list of facts recited. Weave me a story and I will connect.”

Meller points to crowd sourcing, among other things. “More and more, we’re seeing crowd-sourced content incorporated into meetings; whereby, the audience’s sources of knowledge and experience shape and influence conversations with the speakers.Lecture-style, passive content delivery is growing more abbreviated and concise to allow time for attendees to digest the material, actively engage in meaningful conversation and apply it to their lives,” she says. “Room formats are also changing to allow for more dynamic movement (around) the room during a session, and time is divided into smaller chunks that allow for diversity in how it is spent during a session or a day.”

She says there are a multitude of ways to facilitate crowd-sourced content into meetings, meaning that education isn’t relegated just to education sessions.

“At MPI’s South Coast Edcon 2018,” Meller says, “we designed Ted-style general assembly topics allowing for deeper dives into the subject matter in workshops that allowed attendees to exchange peer-to-peer and attendee-speaker ideas, work through personal challenges in the solution-center room and focus on actionable next steps. We changed up the format to bring non-traditional room sets into the general assembly, expo hall and workshops.

“We encouraged use of fishbowls, rotations among tables by topic, dotmocracy voting for end-of-day topics and sponsor-moderated educational discussions as ‘watercooler chats’ in the marketplace,” she adds.

Crowd knowledge and experience, Michel notes, impact the role of speakers, as well as the design of learning spaces.

“With the information age we live in, the speaker is no longer the smartest person in the room. The collective wisdom of the room is much stronger than one voice. The speaker role is shifting to facilitator, guide and ‘sense-maker.’ We’re designing ‘participant-centric’ learning spaces where the focus is on the learner/participant instead of the expert/speaker,” she says.

Costa notices increased visuals in presentations. “I see more video-based presentations, using real-life and current events as examples of points presenters are trying to convey. It all boils down to creating a presentation that attendees can relate to,” he says.

Even if content comprises statistical information, such as financial metrics, he adds, “It should be presented in a clear, concise manner with emphasis on visuals. Visuals are an important tool to avoid losing participants’ interest. No one wants to sit in front of a series of slides full of words that the session leader is reading to them.”

AI & Other Trending Technology

The future is here — and still coming. Technology greatly impacts the meeting space, and its impact on education will only increase. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is just one example.
“AI allows us to move far out of the physical environment and into places we couldn’t otherwise experience,” Meller notes. “We can stretch our reach considerably into other realms, other worlds, in a way we could previously only imagine.

“Now we gain perspective, too, from others of different cultures around the globe and even in fantasy worlds like never before. The use of AI can help us discover more about ourselves in a roundabout way.”

Sanders says use of AI is limited — for now.

“Chatbots allow for interesting real-time interactions where people can learn things by texting back and forth with an AI-enabled bot,” she says. “Interactive polls can create word clouds from audience input. You can put an AI robot in the room and let people have conversations with it. You can have people use Google Translate to communicate in different languages and some other translation services, like Stenopoly, that can provide real-time, closed-captioning in dual languages.”

Keeping up with technology may be the most challenging aspect of designing successful learning environments because it changes so rapidly, and some audiences have expectations that the latest technology will be in use.

Interactivity

Interactivity remains a meeting focus, but how much is the right amount and can you have too much?

That depends on the content and makeup of the audience, Meller says. “If we’re talking about interacting with other people as the question, yes, there could be too much for very introverted people or people who don’t feel safe sharing ideas or in interpersonal situations. We need for people to feel safe, secure and open.”

Interactivity isn’t just people-to-people, she points out. “Interactivity with animals, with equipment, with technology, with food in the kitchen or with arts and crafts materials are other ways to incorporate ‘interactivity’ for a hands-on experience.”

It’s often about options. “If a presenter doesn’t give people permission to opt out of what isn’t comfortable or tries to get everyone to participate, the interaction become too much for some,” Sanders says. “Depending on the topic, the audience may want a sage on the stage dispensing pearls of wisdom, and if they don’t get it, they might feel cheated. But there’s a lot of room between a lecture format and something that’s 100 percent group work to crowd source solutions. Know what your audience needs and that will help you program what’s appropriate.”

Kotowski says participants still want to hear from experts. “That’s why they’re coming to the event,” she says. “However, they don’t want to be lectured at. Designing sessions where an expert shares some content followed by an interactive segment can highlight the expertise of the speaker and allow adult learners to fully engage.”

But interactivity must have a purpose. “Breaking up a lecture with an activity should be part of getting the educational message across, not just something to take up time,” Norfleet says. “I present a session on ADA accommodations. Rather than lecture about what needs to be in a venue for ADA compliance, I take participants on a field trip around the venue, having each one take turns on crutches and in a wheelchair. That activity resonates much more with them than if I just talked about it. The activity is critical. Is taking five minutes to discuss ADA with your neighbor useful? Maybe not.”

Seating

Seating set-up is the element demanding out-of-the-box thinking.

“Space matters,” Michel says. “We like to say, ‘The way you set/design a room is the body language of your meeting.’ If you want participants to collaborate and innovate, you need to design the room for that. You might need lightweight furniture that’s easily moved around the room or multiple types of seating and tables. We need to allow collaborative participants to transform the space themselves, moving things around. We need to allow them to create what they need for the experience that they’re having at the moment. Collaboration and innovation need we spaces, not I spaces.”

Norfleet believes, “Getting off of the traditional ballroom/meeting room chair can add energy and adventure to an event. When participants see the room set in a different way, they know the educational experience is going to be different. We’ve used yoga balls, hay bales and quilts on the ground. Soft seating in living room arrangements continues to be popular, adding a sense of coziness often missing in business meetings. Yes, this is business but we’re people first, and when we connect on a human level, we’re more open to learning.

“If you have to use banquet seats in rows,” she says, “at least angle the rows in a chevron so participants are looking straight onto the stage area rather than turning their head all day. It’s the little things that count.”

Meller likes mixed seating. “Pods for theater seating, others as couches and chairs, and interesting groupings or combinations of high communal tables, hi-boys and cocktail rounds can be fun. We set the room to give attendees options for what they like in order for them to learn and comfortably attend,” she says. “I’m a kinetic learner, for example, and I’d rather stand and move than be seat-belted into a theater-style chair. I’d gravitate toward high-top tables perhaps in the perimeters of the room that allow me to do it my way. Additionally, setting stages in the center of the room with AV all around so every vantage point offers visibility and nearly equal views resonates with many groups. It’s not generally expected and is exciting.”

Sanders references a successful environment at WEC 2017. “We had a room where the Velvet Chainsaw team curated deep-dive sessions to help learners think differently about how they encourage attendees to connect, learn and play at their events. The room was set so people rotated to different activity stations to fill out worksheets, experiment, discuss and play with different concepts. Much of the learning was self-directed through these action stations. You could feel the energy in the room, and the ratings for a couple of those sessions were among the highest we got that year,” she says.

Non-linear set-up works for Costa. “Circular/oval arrangements seem to work well as these enable everyone to have eye contact without straining to do so. They also put everyone at par with each other — no one is at the ‘head of the table,’” he says.

As for the old-school classroom set- up, there’s still a place for that, too, but in limited situations, such as presenting “one-way” information to beginners or presenting highly technical information, abstracts or briefings.

As Meller notes, “I think there’s also a place for paper and pen. We just can’t rely on this as the sole factor in an environment, but it can be a grounding point for more dynamic interaction.”

Best Practices

How can planners create the best educations sessions?

For Sanders, it’s about nailing down basics. “Know who you’re serving, how you want them to feel and what you want them to do. Then look for educators who can collaborate with you on designing the optimal learning environment,” she says.

Costa emphasizes the audience. “Know your audience in advance, understand the demographic and tailor the session to that audience,” he says. “If the demographic varies significantly, find those common denominators and capitalize on them.”

Kotowski encourages planners to envision how they want participants to feel after the event. “Let your imagination run wild then back into the ways you can work to create that atmosphere. Listen to all ideas and stay connected to your education or content team,” she says.

Meller suggests planners get out there to see other programs and session formats in person in order to have an arsenal of ideas they know firsthand work or don’t. “Think about your attendees and who they are as people. Ask them what they want and need and put yourself in their shoes,” she says. “Life is fun. So are events. Think of how you can make your attendees happy on the inside as a vehicle for learning, and the results will come.”

And it comes full circle. “Go back to asking, ‘Why?’” Norfleet advises. “Why are we having this educational opportunity? Why do people want to come? Why are we setting the room the way it has always been set? Most of all,” she says, “Be brave! Be brave to try something new … a presenter, a room set, a meeting format. They all may not be successful but at least you tried — and I think more times than not it will be a success. Just trying something new is a win.” C&IT