Credit: Angie Proctor

The idea of incorporating elements of health and wellness into meetings is no longer out of the box or trendy. It’s what’s expected, just as it is in the everyday world.

That, of course, is good news, because the days of sitting for hours in windowless meeting rooms and breaks devoted primarily to the intake of caffeine and sugar were not good for us — and, ultimately, not optimal for productive learning, creative brainstorming or teambuilding, either.

Yet that doesn’t mean planners have to reinvent the meeting wheel. There are endless ways of bringing elements of health and wellness into a meeting — via food choices, break options, connection to nearby health and wellness venues, meeting structure and setting.

Hotels often already have necessary elements in place, especially with today’s chefs well-attuned to dietary health and wellness spaces and/or instructors already onsite in the form of spas, fitness staff and robust activity rosters.

The makeup of a particular group often drives the decision as to what works and what doesn’t when it comes to adding health and wellness to a meeting.

Matt Marvel, director of business development and marketing at Jordan & Skala Engineers and co-founder of Georgia Built and BUILT National, typically incorporates wellness into his meetings, as he has for an upcoming event at Sea Island Resort in Georgia.

“We make sure all events and meetings allow time for wellness,” he says, “including workouts, downtime and group activities. As for food, all of our meals and menus have turned healthy and, we hope, smart — lots of lean proteins, vegetables and salads. We’re staying away from anything fried, heavy starches and junk food in general. Time is also key. We make sure not to eat dinner too late; before 7 p.m. is our preference.”

“Wellness is here to stay. I think it’s essential to keep everyone engaged and energized and feeling their best. Active and healthy and balanced — work less, play more and live longer! It’s not a bad plan.”
— Matt Marvel

About Sea Island, he says, “I can’t think of many places in the United States that offer the variety of wellness activities that Sea Island does, along with the setting it’s in and the beauty of what has been created there. It’s something special. To have the opportunity to have your event there and do the activities that you would like is so nice. Sea Island is helping us create Beach Olympics one afternoon and also our own specialized Sea Island Spring, the resort’s version of the ‘Amazing Race.’ We’re bringing in multiple fitness instructors to help with morning classes; we’ll have yoga each day, daily group runs, biking and more.”

Marvel’s group will use many of the resort’s activities and facilities, including the beach and beach club, spa and workout areas, tennis, golf, biking and kayaking. “We have met with members of each team, and they’re helping plan events where the schedule allows,” he says.

Although adding wellness foods and activities may impact the budget, Marvel calls it “minimal at best.” He says there’s no question that attendees want healthier options.

“We just finished an event where we offered cups of celery and carrots with hummus during a break, and our attendees went crazy. Everyone is still going to want that cookie from time to time,” he adds, “but healthier options are being asked for and preferred, such as nuts, veggies and hummus, fruit, etc. Plus, I don’t think it’s the cookie we’re super worried about. It’s the processed junk food and heavy starches that need to go — chips and fries, for sure.”

While Sea Island raises the bar on health and wellness for groups, Marvel says many hotels should consider improvements.

“Mini bars need to be redone with better options. And most hotels are super far behind with workout rooms, what those rooms offer and where they’re located,” he says. “Hotels should make them more prominent, make them bigger and bring in more natural lighting. I travel every week, and there are hotels I truly love but struggle booking my stay there because the workout facilities are so bad or so small and limited. Basement areas with no windows are the worst. In-room workout options would be nice. If guests could order kits from the front desk and have them delivered to their room, or just have some things in the closet, that would be great.”

In the end, Marvel says, “Wellness is here to stay. I think it’s essential to keep everyone engaged and energized and feeling their best. Active and healthy and balanced — work less, play more and live longer! It’s not a bad plan.”

Managing Stress

Kristin Hems, CMP, and Annie Rector, CMP, the COO and CEO, respectively, of Kansas-based Third Avenue Events, brought a Mazda National Lifestyle Program to California’s Rancho Valencia, where wellness figured prominently in the event.

“Providing an opportunity for attendees to be able to completely unplug and tune in to their own body and mental needs allows them to fully engage during particularly challenging or stressful parts of an event. By focusing a specified amount of time daily to wellness or health awareness, we’re creating an environment of encouragement and positive mental energy. Caring about attendees encourages them to care for themselves,” Hems says.

“Depending on the schedule and group goals,” she continues, “we try to encourage clients to set aside at least an hour daily for attendees to focus their energies on themselves or an exercise activity to help reduce stress and combat mental fatigue.”

The team at Rancho Valencia was very receptive to Rector and Hems’ requests to add both meditation and yoga sessions to each group of hosted attendees. “We worked closely with the spa team to select instructors and shape sessions to benefit and complement the rest of the program,” Hems says.

Food is an area of focus, as well. “We take dietary considerations very seriously and try to provide balanced and health-conscious menus,” Rector says, noting that snack foods are often driven by the client’s own preferences. “If healthy options are important to a client or their event, we make it a priority to be selective in offerings during breaks. One thing we have found that works nicely is to not offer dessert with both lunch and dinner, but to offer a dessert option as the afternoon break.”

Hems believes a significant number of attendees take advantage of healthy options when offered, including morning yoga and other programs. “It truly depends on the group and the demographic of the attendee,” she says, “but we’ve seen as much as 50 percent participation in scheduled wellness and health activities.”

While the planners know added activities can impact budget regardless of whether part of a heath or wellness angle, Rector says, “we think it’s important to consider all aspects of the event during the planning phase and build a budget that meets the financial goals and overall objectives of the event.”

And they believe, too, that wellness has become part of the core culture of the country. “The larger population and the working generation now are putting a greater focus on health and wellness overall, Rector says. “The more opportunities we, as planners, can offer attendees to achieve health and wellness goals while in a new and often stressful environment, the more appreciatively attendees seem to respond. With increased focus from both sides — planners and attendees — this could be a piece of meetings that stays around for quite a while.”

Run With It

Corinne McCanse Schmidt, president, Corinne McCanse Events, Inc., also believes incorporating wellness into a meeting is beneficial to attendees and stakeholders and that including wellness in meetings and events is more than a passing trend. “I think it is here to stay,” she says.

In terms of how she builds wellness into her meetings, Schmidt says she most typically focuses on offering healthy food choices.

“But there’s one meeting,” she says, “where we offer a morning run. Last year, the Westin Copley Place coordinated a morning run for our leadership exchange participants. The group met the hotel’s running concierges in the lobby at 6 a.m. We have about 35 people, and there were five running guides to lead them on a wonderful route of about three miles through Boston. We also had a group of walkers that did about a mile.”

After the Boston Fun Run, Schmidt says, the same group asked to do it again the following year. “The hotel we used didn’t offer running support, but we had two of our staff, who are avid runners, lead the group on a very informal morning run. We will probably continue to do so annually.”

Schmidt says she hasn’t seen much of an impact on her budget when incorporating wellness elements, though The Westin Copley Place offered its run as a complimentary service. Still, she says, “I haven’t seen a big difference in the food and beverage budget.”

Schmidt’s attendees have specifically told her they appreciate the inclusion of healthy options; however, she does think attendees really want healthier break foods or just believe they should want them? Schmidt says, “I think it’s 50/50.”

Yet when hotels offer morning yoga and other healthy activities as an option for meetings, Schmidt believes her attendees do attend these sessions.

In terms of break foods, she says, “I usually order a combination of whole fruit, some kind of protein bar or raw bar, nuts and cookies.”

Tasha Miller, lead planner and partner at Meant2B Events, speaks to the beneficial aspects of meetings with a wellness component.

“Incorporating wellness and health into a meeting or event is beneficial to keep attendees alert and engaged,” she says. “Keeping one’s mind, body and soul nourished will help keep one’s attention longer; by investing into attendees, they will invest more into you and the meeting.”

Miller, who has brought multiple events to the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, says that one thing she’s changed about her meetings is that now she has attendees, “take a moment to write down everything that is on their brain, then have them see what is adding unnecessary stress and how can they eliminate it.”

She says it’s important to give attendees time during meetings to talk and use the restroom, and to provide mid-meeting snacks and beverages. She also includes breakout periods of standing up and stretching because, “sitting during a long meeting can make you tense so that you start thinking how miserable and uncomfortable you are.”

And, of course, she says, “Keeping people fed and hydrated is huge. You will keep your attendees alert by providing light refreshments so they don’t become hungry or get a headache from lack of food or water.”

Miller says, “More and more groups are heading into selecting and adding environments, venues or different aspects of wellness to their meetings.”

And though certain additions, including food and beverage, as well as allocating more time in the schedule for wellness activities, can increase a budget, she thinks wellness is going to continue to be more a part of meetings.

“I see attendees more often going for healthier options vs. unhealthy options unless they are not given an option,” she says. And when hotels and planners offer such activities as morning yoga or other pre-meeting activities, she believes attendees are taking advantage of them. “It’s a way to engage attendees,” she notes, “rather than just depending on speakers to engage them.”

Mind and Body Balance

Innisbrook, a Salamander Resort, in Palm Harbor, Florida, is another property that lends itself well to meetings with a health and wellness component. “The grounds at Innisbrook are ideal for encompassing stress reduction and rejuvenation exercises and sessions,” says Angie Proctor, who has brought a group of aquatic exercise experts there for meetings.

As someone involved in the exercise industry, Proctor believes that adding wellness to any meeting can be highly beneficial. “It provides a great stress reduction in the learning or meeting day and allows for an escape to recharge the brain and energy systems,” she says.

For her group, the day typically begins and ends with specific types of health and wellness activities. “Even though our events are physical in nature, we have found it beneficial to begin each day with a wake-up session of indoor- and outdoor-type movement, and (end the day) with yoga or classes to balance both the mind and body,” she says.

Like others, Proctor says that when morning yoga or other types of healthy activities are offered as part of a meeting, not every attendee will participate. “Not the entire delegation,” she says, “but a healthy percentage of them.”

Proctor notes that post-conference survey and feedback responses have indicated that most of her attendees do “appreciate the breaks and/or wind-up and wind-down sessions in the schedule,” and she doesn’t believe that there has been a negative impact on the budget. “It’s an added benefit for everyone,” she says.

But when all is said and done, do attendees actually want healthier food options or, on some level, prefer the more traditional cookies and other sugary snacks? Proctor says definitively, “They want them.”

Like many other things, break foods are a matter of balance. “They also want something satisfying,” she says. “They are putting out a lot of energy on any given topic of the meeting, and a little extra treat is always a good thing — especially if meals are healthy, balanced and appropriate amounts of proteins provided.”

Proctor wishes hotels would offer more quick-service spa treatments for meetings. “I would like to see more promoting of reflexology and tension-reduction massages in chairs, loungers and so on, so that attendees can get a quick fix without having to go the whole way to the spa, undress, etc. When people are at a conference venue, the time for a full spa service simply isn’t readily available,” she points out.

Incorporating health and wellness into meetings is definitely, in Proctor’s view, not a passing trend. “It’s a lifestyle,” she says. “Anyone thinking otherwise needs to pull their head out of the sand trap!”

Considering all of the health and wellness elements now in place at many meetings, it seems a given that such practices are only going to increase as time goes on and more attendees make health and wellness a core element of their daily lives. C&IT

After an incredible open-air jeep excursion, attendees enjoyed an outdoor lunch on the red rocks with a majestic view of Sedona. Credit: Pink Jeep Tours

As the chill of winter settles over most of the U.S., one state is assured to be enjoying milder months and outdoor environments at its peak: Arizona.

An enviable blend of desert and mountain settings, Mexican and Native American cultures, and iconic sights ranging from the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley, Arizona offers a surprisingly exotic backdrop for memorable meetings.

The Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan area, home to more than two-thirds of Arizona’s population, holds the bulk of the state’s meeting space, but don’t overlook outlying cities for something different, especially for small and mid-sized events.

Such was the case for the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), which normally alternates East and West Coast sites for its Power Summit.

“It’s a networking event and a bit of a reunion each year,” says Tricia Walter, MASI, manager of corporate events for ASI. “We bring in decision-makers, the owners and presidents, and we’ve had multimillion-dollar deals done at the events. But we were looking for a different destination.”

Tucson

The company has been heavy on California and Florida locations, and for last October’s meeting, Walter says ASI wanted a change — a “newer, sharper, hotter destination. We wanted warm weather so we could do outside activities, and last year we received an invitation from Visit Tucson to check out several properties. It gave us a chance to check out the dining and activities like horseback riding.”

ASI chose the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa for the Power Summit. At 575 rooms, the resort is Tucson’s largest, located in the saguaro cactus-dotted foothills overlooking the city, yet just six miles from downtown. The property has 80,768 square feet of event space, including a 19,836-square-foot ballroom, while other features include 27 holes of championship golf at the Starr Pass Golf Club and a 20,000-square-foot, full-service spa, which just completed a renovation in September.

“It’s a beautiful resort,” says Walter. “We’ve stayed at a JW before but we’re not loyal to any one specific brand. We needed a hotel with enough ballroom space to build a stage for our Power Summit. It’s a different stage every year with panelists and keynote speakers, but we need a minimum of 11,000 to 12,000 square feet in the ballroom, so the JW’s was big enough.

“We also require dinners to be held outside if possible, weather permitting,” she continues. “For our welcome night reception, we brought in a mobile escape room, so we needed the square footage — the Starr Circle and Foyer area was more than enough to accommodate this.”

ASI’s annual event draws 200 suppliers and distributors of promotional products. “Anything you can put a logo on — that’s our people,” says Walter. One piece of the resort’s AV arsenal proved ideal for the Power Summit.

“They had an LED projector for a filtered gobo image, so our logo could be projected,” explains Walter. “It was significant in price, but being a promotional product company our specialty is that we can brand anything. The resort said we’ve got this beautiful mountain to light up, so we could actually brand a mountain!

“We’ve heard nothing but terrific things about the food at the JW,” she adds. “The first night welcome dinner was a buffet-style barbecue, and all our people could not stop raving. The second night was our awards dinner, a plated dinner with assigned seating.”

Walter says ASI likes to keep its 200 attendees close but planned two offsite activities — guests could choose between horseback riding and autobahn racing. Horseback riding was offered at Cocoraque Ranch, a 45-minute ride from the resort, while the Autobahn Indoor Speedway was 15 minutes away in Tucson.

“It was adult go-carts,” explains Walter. “They went about 40 mph, and there were a few minor accidents but no injuries. They enjoyed it. We have a pretty competitive group, and they took great pride telling us about the collisions. The horseback riding was a lot of fun, but those horses had a mind of their own.”

Stephanie Turner-Scott, ASI’s director of corporate marketing, says there were other advantages to holding the Power Summit in Tucson.

“The cost was a little cheaper, and we probably had a little higher attendance from the West Coast,” suggests Turner-Scott. “East Coast attendees don’t mind traveling west, but our West Coast attendees don’t like traveling east in the fall as much.”

“Some of the feedback we got before the event was a little apprehensive about Tucson,” notes Turner-Scott. “But once they arrived, and they got a chance to relax, calm down and settle in, they said, ‘Wow, look at this view.’ It’s just that they’re used to California and Florida, and this was a totally different experience — they didn’t know what they were walking into.”

One other amenity at the resort proved helpful for the budget. “Kudos to the JW for having a UPS Store on site,” says Turner-Scott. “We had a presentation that was going to be handled like a Publishers Clearing House, with an oversized check for a local charity. By the time we got the check printed, it would have cost us a lot to ship it. I worked directly with Melissa at the UPS Store, and she saved us a significant amount of money.”

The JW Event Concierge meeting services app was designed with planners in mind and another asset for the ASI team.

“Even if I was in middle of a session, I could key in requests — whether it was moving boxes or asking them to start the coffee break early,” explains Walter, who downloaded the app prior to arrival. “Andrew Lopez was our events services manager, and he was amazing. No sooner did I send a request through the app, and he was on it and making whatever I requested or needed happen.

“The staff that assisted me the most at the JW was our Event Manager Kenzie Swenson,” Walter continues. “I had a few last-minute changes with menus, seating set-up, etc., and no sooner did I let Kenzie know, she was quick to make the changes. Her assistant, Eli Moreno, was also very helpful and would step in and assist when I couldn’t reach Kenzie. And Rena Caldwell is the sales merchandiser — she assisted me greatly with our golf outing activity that we offered to our attendees on the first day of our event.”

Tucson’s tourism picture lagged the rest of Arizona’s following the 2008-09 recession, but a resurgence of interest has bubbled over the last couple years. The opening of a 136-room Marriott-operated AC Hotel Tucson Downtown last fall — the first new hotel downtown since the 1970s — has helped lure locals and visitors into the city, as has a growing menu of restaurants and bars. The Arizona Daily Star reports that five additional hotel projects are in the pipeline for downtown, including a sorely needed $20 million, 125-room hotel adjacent to the Tucson Convention Center.

Existing properties are also getting fresh attention. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson – Reid Park is currently undergoing a $16 million renovation that will enhance the hotel’s common areas, including the lobby, restaurants, meeting facilities and courtyards. The hotel offers more than 22,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, and a new dining venue, Crystals, has been added. Improvements to the expansive pool area and landscaping are underway and a remodel of the 287 guest rooms will be completed in early 2019.

Meanwhile, the Hilton Tucson East, in midtown Tucson, celebrated its 30th anniversary with an $8 million makeover that was unveiled in April. The renovation covered all 232 guest rooms, and upgrades to meeting rooms and the 4,743-square-foot Rosewood Ballroom and swimming pool area, plus a new restaurant and bar, and modernized HVAC and water systems.

Sedona

Sedona, renowned for its scenic beauty but perfect for smaller meetings, is a city of just 10,000 residents set amid red rock landscapes and swaying sycamore trees, and tempting with endless outdoor adventure activities. Just three Sedona hotels offer more than 5,000 square feet of meeting facilities, including the 137-room Poco Diablo Resort and the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock, which has more than 14,000 square feet of indoor event space.

For a meeting of 30 hotel suppliers last April, Liza Lampi, with Eventive Meetings, brought her group to Sedona with “truly memorable” results.

“We chose Sedona for its unique beauty of the red rock country, which was different than previous incentive trips that had been offered,” explains Lampi, who booked the incentive group into the destination spa retreat, Enchantment Resort. “This was a VIP trip, and Sedona offered relaxation and adventure all in one close area. Enchantment is far from the city itself, but the Sedona atmosphere and experience encompasses you as soon as you drive in.

“The resort is located in Boynton Canyon amid large red rock formations,” adds Lampi. “The rooms are uniquely designed casitas equipped with fireplaces and private balconies, and nestled right in the red rocks so you can walk out your door and go on a hike. Our attendees were only there for three days, but the location really made them feel like they unplugged from the world, which is unique in such a short time span.”

“We chose Sedona for its unique beauty of the red rock country, which was different than previous incentive trips that had been offered.”
— Liza Lampi

The 218-room resort offers a variety of conference facilities located within the Meeting Village, including three separate ballrooms ranging up to 5,100 square feet and each with floor-to-ceiling windows.

In total, Enchantment has 12,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and an additional 32,000 square feet of outdoor function space, perfect for events under the stars. In addition to of the renowned spa, activities available at the 70-acre resort include golf and yoga, with hiking and mountain biking on abundant trails.

For Lampi’s group, the attention to detail started right on arrival. “We like to have a private check-in for our guests to minimize the amount of time they spend traveling and maximize the time they have enjoying their trip,” she says. “The hotel pre-assigned rooms and set up an exclusive hotel registration desk right next to our hospitality desk so we could streamline the process and get attendees started on their relaxation. Because the property is so spread out, they use golf carts and bell staff to bring guests and their luggage to their rooms. In addition, you can call any time to be picked up and brought somewhere on property — all the bell staff were extremely friendly and engaging.”

The biggest challenge Lampi says she encountered at Enchantment was transportation. “The resort is 129 miles from the Phoenix airport through canyons and long roads. We only had three days, with attendees flying in from all over the country. Therefore, timely and flexible transportation was necessary,” she says. “We worked with Hello! Arizona, who did a great job monitoring flights and making changes to keep attendees moving on this short trip.” At 34 miles, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is closer to Enchantment, but offers only limited air service, all via Phoenix.

The location also meant that Wi-Fi and cell access was constrained inside the canyon. “The hotel was fully communicative about this, but in this day and age, you rely so heavily on your phone that it’s hard when you don’t have it. We had to be proactive and hope that things were coming together as planned, as we didn’t always have communication of what was happening elsewhere,” she says.

But otherwise, the remote location lived up to the resort’s name. “Our welcome dinner was outdoors nestled among the red rocks,” adds Lampi. “The hotel decked out the outdoor patio with a mixture of seating lounges, table centerpieces and custom lighting. It really gave a relaxed and upscale feeling for the first evening.”

Lampi also organized an offsite open-air jeep adventure with Pink Adventure Tours.

“We took the group through the Broken Arrow Trail in Coconino National Forest,” explains Lampi. “It was amazing and picturesque, combined with rugged, off-road adventure. The certified interpretive guides were extremely knowledgeable and entertaining with facts ranging from Arizona’s history, to Hollywood movies shot on the trail, to geological rock formations. We ended the jeep tour with an outdoor lunch on the red rocks. Pink Adventure Tours and a local caterer were able to set up a full, functioning barbecue and cooked onsite along with full seating and buffets. Our guests enjoyed a delicious meal among a majestic backdrop of blue skies and red rock formations. It was truly memorable.”

Scottsdale

With more than 40,000 hotel rooms combined, the Phoenix-Scottsdale Metropolitan area represents the vast majority of Arizona’s bounty of meeting options. The combined destination is percolating with real estate developments.

In June, the area’s largest hotel, the 1,000-room Sheraton Grand Phoenix was acquired from the city by Marriott International for $255 million. A “significant” renovation of the 10-year-old hotel is planned for 2019, and will include updates to the 110,000 square feet of meeting space. Also next year, a 200-room AC Hotel Downtown Phoenix is slated to open at Arizona Center, providing visitors an urban-inspired, select-service lodging option.

In Scottsdale, the 250-acre Phoenician resort just completed its most extensive renovation since the hotel opened in 1988. A redesign of guest rooms and common areas was completed in 2016-17, while last spring saw the opening of a new athletic club and three-story spa facility. The Phoenician Golf Course was also redesigned and re-routed from 27 to 18 holes, a 10-month project that was completed in November.

This year, the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa unveiled its new 15,000-square-foot Paradise Ballroom, along with another 20,000 square feet of outdoor and prefunction space. The additions bring the resort’s total meeting and event space to 95,000 square feet. Floor-to-ceiling windows radiate natural light and provide views of Mummy Mountain, and the ballroom is the first in Marriott’s portfolio to display artwork from J. Willard “Bill” Marriott Jr.’s personal collection.

“Phoenix-Scottsdale is always a solid choice to hold meetings,” says Randy Meacham, president of World’s Finest Meetings, a Colorado Springs-based meeting and incentive planning company.

Last December, Meacham organized a last-minute VIP meeting for 15 of the top executives from a large company specializing in supply chain technology solutions. “Their preference was warm weather and an easy location for airlift. Since the CEO and other top VIPs were attending, I had to find a unique, high-end property. It had to have meeting space that was amazing and offer our attendees privacy to get to work.”

Meacham’s solution: The 119-room Royal Palms Resort and Spa, part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection.

“The architecture defines individuality from start to finish,” says Meacham. “From meeting space, guest rooms, dining and common areas, Royal Palms defines the phrase one-of-a-kind. The service levels of the staff make you feel special and valued, and the food and beverage is outstanding. My client wanted all of their functions in-house and, as a result, was not disappointed.”

Situated below Camelback Mountain, the Mediterranean-style Royal Palms caters to smaller groups, with 10 indoor meeting spaces, multiple outdoor patios, along with garden and pool settings. The largest meeting room is the Estrella Salon, topping out at 2,450 square feet, but the property’s total event space covers more than 20,000 square feet, much of it facing mountain views. The resort’s various meeting options blur the lines between indoor and outdoor, including two new spaces added this year, Camelback Vista and Orange Grove — 3,600 square feet of outdoor areas that offer the requisite mountain vistas.

“My clients deserve the highest ethics and standards the hospitality business can bring, and it is our duty to recommend properties that will deliver and exceed their expectations,” adds Meacham. “The result was a successful meeting and a happy client. A day after the meeting concluded, the CEO personally wrote me an email and thanked me for arranging their meeting at the Royal Palms and wants to go back. These comments were music to my ears.

“It’s gratifying when hoteliers take pride in their properties and go overboard to assure success,” he concludes. C&IT

Think of planning and executing meeting budgets as a numbers juggling act that starts when an event is conceived and continues until it ends. Throughout the process, planners must create budgets that satisfy stakeholders, provide memorable attendee experiences and control costs.

Planning event budgets can be challenging. Budgets come in all sizes, and methods for planning them vary. However, the more planners know about formulating, tracking and managing budgets, the more they can stretch spending.

Precisely planning budgets is especially crucial during periods of shrinking budgets, but it’s also key when they are rising as they are now.

According to Cvent’s 2018 Global Planner Sourcing report, 52 percent of planners say their event budgets have increased from last year, and 71 percent said they are certain about what they can spend.

Budgets are rising as event size is increasing. According to Cvent, the number of meetings with more than 100 attendees have grown, while those with 100 attendees or less have declined. Meanwhile, price and discounts remain important to planners, and the desire to provide memorable experiences are still paramount.

A survey by Convene reports similar results. It says 42 percent of planners expect to see budgets rise in the next year, while 44 percent expect them to remain the same. Thirty percent say budgets for attendee experiences will rise. Price is the top factor driving venue selection.

Rising Costs

Whether budgets will increase enough to keep up with rising costs is an open question, and some planners are pessimistic about the prospect.

According to Jennifer Murphy, director of meetings, incentives, conventions and events for Marlborough, Massachusetts-based Atlas Travel & Incentives, “I think budgets will never increase at the same rate as costs. I’m continually shocked to see hotel banquet menu pricing these days and wonder how the price of a continental breakfast has soared to over $45 per person at many resorts. Meeting stakeholders are sending attendees to hotel restaurants and telling them to expense a $20 breakfast to avoid paying the exorbitant F&B costs. It’s creating more work for organizations to manage those reports and get true meeting budget data.”

“A good planner will know where the maximum profit lies with venues and vendors, and will know how to negotiate for benefits and services.”
— Carroll Reuben, CMP, CMM

Murphy says that, for the most part, she sees budgets shrinking, particularly in organizations that conduct mostly meetings of internal people and don’t necessarily identify true ROI benefits. Such organizations are quick to decrease budgets, or cancel a meeting entirely, without weighing the consequences, she adds.

On the other hand, Murphy does see exceptions. “We have worked with a few companies that have pulled resources from different departments to increase the budget for a meeting,” she says. “Specifically, the marketing department will sometimes cover the cost of that must-have keynote speaker, and HR might handle the room gifts to make the overall budget impact less costly to one department.”

Cat Butler, director of operations – project and onsite management for Chicago-based BCD Meetings & Events, sees a mixed bag. “In recent years, we have experienced stable budgets from some clients and fluctuations in others,” she says. “Depending on the state of a client’s industry, we have seen both growth and decline. In either case, clients have become more demanding for their planning partners and agencies to demonstrate methods that measure financial ROI. We need to clearly illustrate value for cost on all services provided.”

Other planners see budgets rising along with costs.

“It’s a fact of life, the cost of doing business rises every year,” says Carroll Reuben, CMP, CMM, of Los Angeles-based Meeting Excellence, an event planning and management firm. “The rises will keep up with costs, though it’s up to planners to negotiate and work hard to control the increases. Planners must always strive to deliver the best attendee experience.”

According to Amy Gagner, planner and account manager for Schaumburg, Illinois-based Creative Group Inc., “Clients’ budgets will need to increase to keep up with industry demand because the economy has bounced back, and meetings are in more demand than in years past. The bottom line is if you have more money, you can create a better attendee experience. There are many ways to accomplish this task, which would be determined and driven by your target audience and your client’s goals and objectives for the experience.”

Enhanced Experiences

Butler agrees that planners fortunate enough to see real budget increases may be able to enhance attendee experiences. For example, she says, planners with more to spend can focus on programs such as premium gifting experiences, enhanced mobile apps and top-tier experiences for elite attendee audiences.

Butler cites other areas, as well. “We can also allocate more funds to registration website design and offer live chat registration,” she says. “Investments can also be made in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) components that give back to the host community. For clients prioritizing data analysis, we can increase a budget for defining data strategy, managing data and taking a deep dive into data analysis for long-term event consultation. This list is as long as the planner’s and client’s imaginations.”

Successful budget planning must include some basic principles that can ensure accuracy and streamline the process. And planners must treat a budget as an investment that has to be diligently planned to correctly calculate ROI. In addition, it’s crucial to start the budget planning process early and proceed strategically, using a detailed event budget history. If there is no budget history for a meeting, create one.

Experienced planners offer the following tips on budget planning.

Butler suggests, “Start by assessing the client’s event goals. To motivate? Celebrate? Reward? Have a clear understanding of the brand and image so you can recommend the best solutions for their event design, technology and communication strategies. Recommend the best destinations with the right products and services (including airlift) and ensure it all fits inside their budget.”

Greg Jenkins, partner at Long Beach, California-based Bravo Productions, an event planning company, offers an example of goal-focused budgeting. “If your goal is increasing sales by inviting key potential customers, there should be an allocation for making a great first impression, whether through creative presentation of food or selection of the most appropriate venue that attracts guests,” he says. “Adequate dollars also will be needed on the back end to follow up with customers post-event. View the big picture, and put money into the function that has the most impact and will help you achieve your goals.”

Estimate Every Cost

List budget categories and line items, then research the costs for each item and come up with estimates.

According to Butler, “Work through the budget logically and bucket items such as air, guest rooms, program agenda, etc. From there, you can map your needs more specifically, considering ground transportation, F&B, activities, meeting rooms, production, apps, site inspection, printed materials, etc. Don’t let budget constraints hinder creativity. Sometimes the most challenging budgets can bring out the most creativity in a team, forcing it to be resourceful and think outside of the box.”

Write a description for every budget item to know exactly what it funds in case cuts must be made later. Be detailed. For example, a line item for a gift bag should include a description, count and price of each item.

When it comes to venue selection and pricing, don’t put too much weight on recommendations from other planners. According to the Cvent survey, peer recommendations are the top influence on venue sourcing decisions.

Allocate funds to areas that provide the most value for event goals, attendees and stakeholders. Make every dollar count, says Jenkins.

“Some planners make the mistake of spending lots of money on what I call ‘trinkets and trash’ that many guests will not appreciate, throw away or pass on to someone else. Plastic mugs, key rings and pens cost money (and don’t appreciably enhance the experience), and those dollars might better be utilized for food service or an event element that will be much more memorable,” he adds.

Include fixed ancillary expenses items, such as service charges, resort fees, sales and occupancy taxes and other costs usually not included in quoted prices. According to Jackie Wood, chief experience officer for Seattle-based Sparkwood Events, “I think that the extra fees and hidden costs can derail a budget. Most planners know about resort fees, service charges and taxes, but there can be a list of additional charges that get tacked on, such as administrative fees, Wi-Fi connections, parking, room delivery, etc. It adds up in the end.”

Communicate Constantly

Keep stakeholders in the loop throughout the budgeting process. Address concerns. Offer cost-cutting options. According to Kelly Fuller, CMP, CIS, planner and account manager, Creative Group, Inc., “The biggest mistake is not keeping clients informed. Always be up front about where the budget sits as you’re planning. Clients always appreciate being kept abreast of current numbers. It’s the best way to show your stewardship of their budget, whether it’s letting them know you are over budget, or that there are extra funds in one area that can be used in another.”

Set aside part of the budget for unexpected expenses. This is especially important for outdoor events, which are subject to weather changes. Also, even the most well-prepared budgets can drift higher and cause last-minute surprises. Some planners add 10 to 20 percent to budgets for emergencies. According to Murphy, “One of our best practices is to encourage our clients to include an executive discretionary fund that allows them to add spending on-site but with clear parameters on how it can be spent.”

Immediately update budgets for changes in estimates, pricing, receipts, quotes and other information as soon as possible. Maintain a real-time attendee count. Planners can incur extra costs because a surprising drop in the number of attendees can cause loss of perks and privileges based on attendance.

Murphy describes her approach on keeping the budget current. “I encourage my team to update their clients’ budgets each time a change is made so that they see how it impacts the overall budget and perhaps identify other areas that may no longer be needed because of that change,” she says. “Most times, planners only worry about increasing the budget when costs go up but forget to do it when costs are removed or decreased. However, this can backfire since it could prevent new things from being added due to cost concern.”

Reuben suggests using another term for the word “budget” can encourage planners to update frequently. “The term budget is a misnomer,” she says. “We should really call it a financial projection. It is a dynamic process that starts as soon as the event is identified and continues throughout the planning and execution, and even after the event is over for final accounting.”

Errors can ruin a budget and meeting if they aren’t caught. According to Butler, “The biggest mistakes start with inaccuracies at the get-go. Pay attention to detail when reviewing contract terms and conditions. Inserting incorrect data can result in significant incorrect totals.”

Butler cites an example: “Failing to calculate taxes into the budget or inputting the net value rather than gross could impact the final budget by 20 percent depending on where the event is held. Create the budget and get a second set of eyes. Collaborating with your sourcing and planning teammates should catch these types of mistakes prior to the budget being sent to the client,” she adds.

Budget-cutting Tips

Experienced planners offer the following practices to identify savings.

Act as consultants for budget savings. “Make informed recommendations that help clients stay focused on the end goal, rather than on big-ticket items, such as F&B, entertainment and production,” says Butler. “Be consistently mindful of the primary event goals and objectives, as this will then help you identify areas for budget savings. For example, if well-being is a top priority, then elements associated with this objective should be least likely to be removed as they will have the biggest impact on the end goals of the event.”

Negotiate, calculate and be flexible. “A good planner will know where the maximum profit lies with venues and vendors, and will know how to negotiate for benefits and services,” says Reuben. “Ask for discounts if certain conditions can be met like prompt payment by check or cash instead of credit card (which costs vendors 3 percent). If you pay cash, you could ask for the 3 percent as a discount. With F&B, piggy-back on the menu of another event held in the same place at the same time, allowing the chef to bulk-buy. Don’t just buy off the printed menu.”

Examine the impact of cost cuts on attendee experiences. According to Murphy, “We look for value savings because sometimes reducing the cost of a service isn’t always in a meeting’s best interests. Ask yourself, ‘Does this reduction lead to a positive attendee experience?’ It is important to avoid having them feel the event was mediocre.”

Suppose a group wants two dinners, and the budget allows for one to be a great experience but the other to be so-so. In that case, says Murphy, “I believe in removing an entire dinner, giving the group an evening at leisure, and applying the savings to build up another evening dinner. It’s better to have one ‘wow’ event than two non-stellar events.”

Consider using speakers and entertainers that live in or near the region where the meeting is held. This cuts travel costs. Contact the talent directly instead of through an agency to save on fees. Another suggestion: Book the same talent for two different events that are held in the same area within a year or two.

Mix Meeting Formats

“Consider changing the format of meetings so they can be shorter, and the balance of the program be held online with webcasts,” says Reuben. “The use of technology, particularly communications technology in the form of customized apps and other media, will help to contain costs.”

Don’t fail to plan for greater than expected food consumption at receptions not followed by dinner. Attendees may treat the reception as the last meal of the day and drive up catering costs.

Obtain at least three quotes from each vendor, including those who have offered good prices in the past. There’s always a chance of beating the price of “go-to” vendors.

Don’t use several separate online meeting management services. Instead, consider an integrated event management system that combines services because it’s typically less costly and more efficient.

Consider how lower- or higher-than-expected attendance can impact the budget. For example, receiving 100 more attendees than expected in a breakout room can mean higher costs for F&B or AV.

Planners must not be lured into a false sense of security by the overall increase in meeting budgets and should continuously work to control costs because prices may rise. Economic experts cite the possibility of inflation due to the combination of a hot economy and rising interest rates.

However, diligent budget planning can help control costs in any economy. Moreover, careful budgeting can help planners achieve meeting goals and defend outlays to stakeholders. C&IT

Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs is an IACC-certified meeting facility with more than 40,000 square feet of function space and offers many engaging experiences. Credit: Kevin Syms

Since Wyndham acquired Dolce in 2015, the company has welcomed four properties to the Dolce portfolio, the latest being last fall’s addition of Cheyenne Mountain Resort. The Colorado Springs property, distinguished by AAA Four Diamond status, exemplifies the conference center that promises an engaging experience well beyond the conference room. Participants can enjoy an 18-hole championship Pete Dye-designed golf course, Alluvia Spa and Wellness Retreat, five swimming pools and even a private 35-acre recreation lake. While the property is a sophisticated meeting facility with more than 40,000 square feet of function space and IACC certification, it is also an immersive Rocky Mountain experience across 200 scenic acres.

Indeed, the conference center stereotype is that of a devoted, “no-frills” training facility. Yet there is no reason why a full-fledged conference center can’t be coupled with robust destination appeal and recreational offerings.

Dolce underscores this point with its new “Trails of Discovery” program introduced at five of its European properties. Over four to five hours, the trails lead participants through vineyards, historic landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Examples include a treasure hunt-style adventure at the Hotel Dolce Frégate Provence, an equestrian challenge at Dolce Chantilly and a journey through the Torres Vedras region, former summer retreat of the Portuguese royal family, at the Dolce CampoReal Lisboa.

While destination immersion may be the focus of an incentive program, it is completely
ancillary for most conference center clientele. Still, “one can draw the conclusion that being in a location that is desirable for attendees to visit is not a bad thing. It helps the attendees be more engaged in the program,” observes Amy Durocher, director, global accounts, with Scottsdale, Arizona-based site sourcing firm Global Cynergies, LLC. A longtime client of the Dolce brand, Global Cynergies has brought corporate groups to the Dolce CampoReal (30 minutes from Lisbon, Portugal), the Dolce La Hulpe Brussels (La Hulpe, Belgium) and the Dolce Sitges Hotel & Spa (Barcelona, Spain). Durocher has found these properties ideal for executive education programs of 30 to 40 for Fortune 500 companies.

“We chose the conference center for its location, size, flexibility in space and setup. Vendors and guests can stay at the same location as the event, which is a huge draw for us.” — Kellie Dooley

The centers “have really been able to meet the needs of my clients, who need multiple breakouts for small group work and a general session room with typically built-in AV, which is conducive to faculty-led sessions,” Durocher explains. “The attendees are in such intensive sessions with programs that are five days long, and they’re doing advanced-level classroom work. So, the Dolce properties have the ergonomic chairs, lighting that isn’t a strain on people’s eyes and features that lend more of a classroom-type environment to the facility. It works well for those types of intensive groups.”

Another beneficial feature is classrooms with tiered seating. “That’s not something you’re going to run across in a standard hotel; it would be more the exception than the norm,” says Durocher. “Yet they also have great restaurants and locations that are conducive to getting out into nature and exploring the landscape. My clients also like that they’re close to major airports, but they’re not in the city center. For their type of programs, that works well because they are able to keep their attendees focused and not lose them to the distractions of being right on main street in an urban area.”

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean, the Dolce Sitges Hotel & Spa is about 35 minutes away from the Barcelona city center. Durocher highlights the Dolce Sitges as “an absolutely beautiful location that has ocean views and the town below. It has a spa and indoor pool, which are elevated features compared to a lot of properties in the conference center space. So if you have a particular client who is looking for meeting space in the conference center style but still wants to give their group a more upscale experience, then that particular property is a great match because it really does lend a sense of luxury.” The opulent aspect complements 23,400 square feet of dedicated meeting space.

The Dolce CampoReal is about 30 minutes from Lisbon, in view of the Socorro and Archeira Mountains. Property highlights include more than 23,100 square feet of meeting space, an 18-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a Turkish bath, equestrian center and garden terrace with F&B service.

“They get really high marks on F&B and service levels from attendees,” Durocher remarks. “For the coffee breaks, they have hubs where they set up refreshments and make sure there are healthy options. That’s always something my clients are looking for.”

Durocher has partnered with Dolce since before its acquisition by Wyndham. “One of the things that’s been very attractive since Wyndham came in with Dolce has been the points program. That’s something that is a benefit to my client and was not in place when they were their own entity,” she says.

In addition, Dolce has “always been extremely collaborative in my dealings with them. If things haven’t gone the way my clients wanted them to, they’ve always been willing to jump in there and find a solution to keep the client happy.”

Rhonda Walton, program coordinator for Siemens Corporation, has also partnered with Dolce since before the acquisition. Among the brand’s properties she has successfully utilized for global executive leadership programs is the Q Center, set on 95 acres and featuring 150,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space.

“Q Center is a huge campus, but you don’t feel that, you don’t feel like there are 5,000 people at this location,” Walton observes.

Conveniences

And the transportation logistics are streamlined. Located about 45 minutes from downtown Chicago, the Q Center offers its own transportation service.

“So I can just tell my group, ‘Here is this number or here is the registration link — just go in and put in your request,’” says Walton.

The meeting rooms themselves offer many conveniences, she adds. “The Q Center has been a plus for me over other hotels because their meeting space has all these white boards, and we use a lot of posters. So, for me, that’s phenomenal because they have white boards with magnets that I use to hang up posters that connect to the wall, and it makes life so much easier.”

The size of the facility allows Siemens to run concurrent programs on two separate floors, and facility staff create company-branded signs with team names for the different breakout rooms. Between sessions, the Q Center offers various teambuilding events. On one occasion, the staff organized margarita- and nacho-making competitions for Siemens participants, Walton relates.

“A key thing for me is the food because our attendees are there for weeks, and I want to have food that’s high-quality, with a diversity in taste because it’s a program where we have a diverse ethnic group of people.” The Q Center meets all those requirements, she notes.

The Summit, A Dolce Hotel, is a new-build hotel and conference center located less than 10 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The hotel offers 22,000 square feet of function space, including 16 individual meeting rooms. Groups also have at their disposal an eight-story atrium, a rooftop garden and a health club.

A reopening that is making headlines in the conference center world is the Monterey Conference Center. The California property debuted its $60 million renovation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in January. Situated in downtown Monterey since 1977, the new facility is modernized, LEED-certified and houses more than 40,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. It is adjacent to the newly renovated Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay and connected to the Monterey Marriott. In total, the properties offer 85,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, 19,150 square feet of exhibition space and 700 hotel rooms.

Just a few years ago, The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center completed a $75 million expansion and renovation. The project replaced 206 lodge-style rooms with Fairway Pines III, added a new wing of 184 guest rooms and suites and renovated 222 existing guest rooms and suites in the Fairway Pines I and II guest wings.

In addition, the 60,000 square feet of meeting space was revitalized, the lobby was renovated using native Texas stone, and a 156-seat steakhouse and 1,005-foot lazy river were added. All wireless connectivity was upgraded to provide bandwidth internet speeds up to 1Gbps. A fine example of a conference center that is part of a diversion-rich property, the 402-room Woodlands Resort features four onsite restaurants, two golf courses, 21 tennis courts and more than 200 miles of nature trails.

In 2017, The National Conference Center, in Leesburg, Virginia, completed a multimillion-dollar renovation. The project redid the exteriors with a patriotic motif; refurbished the lobby, adding a “living room” for guests; redecorated the guest rooms and renovated the 900-seat dining room. Also last year, The National received the Hotel of the Year award from the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, and GM Geoff Lawson was named Hotelier of the Year by the VRLTA.

Teambuilding Activities

Located just 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and 35 miles from Washington, D.C., The National Conference Center houses 917 guest rooms and more than 265,000 square feet of function space, including a 16,552-square-foot ballroom. The facility prides itself on being at the forefront of teambuilding and leadership development, supported by its partnership with The Browne Center for Innovative Learning. The program “Challenge by Choice,” an experiential teambuilding program designed for participants of all physical abilities, was introduced at the 2017 Reston Herndon Meeting Planners (RHMP) Summer Camp.

A wide selection of teambuilding activities is also available at Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, set on a 150-acre estate. Options include a scavenger hunt, basketball free throw, putting contests and a golf simulator competition. Participants of intensive conference sessions can also benefit from a 15- to 30-minute stretching or light exercise routine, led by a SMART Golf & Fitness Instruction staff member.

The 386-room Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center features more than 42,000 square feet of IACC-certified event space, including a 13,432-square-foot Grand Ballroom and 36 meeting rooms. Other property features of note include the Audubon-certified 18-hole Willow Crest Golf Club and a 145-seat amphitheater and outdoor pavilion.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Emory Conference Center Hotel in Georgia is home to what is billed as the largest amphitheater in the Southeast, seating up to 240 attendees. That facility complements more than 32,000 square feet of conference space, including a 5,376-square-foot ballroom.

During their free time, attendees can explore 26 acres of forest preserve, or stay inside and play at Wisteria Lanes — an onsite bowling alley. Located near downtown Atlanta, the 325-room property is connected to the Houston Mill House via a short walking bridge. The 1920s Georgian fieldstone manor makes a quaint setting for a special event, surrounded by gardens and oak trees.

Conference centers like the Woodlands, Oak Brook Hills and Emory take full advantage of their natural surroundings in order to both foster a sense of seclusion and afford attendees recreational activities. While the South San Francisco Conference Center does not offer acres of nature, it ranks among the most environmentally conscious centers in the nation. Certified LEED Gold for Existing Buildings in 2015, the South San Francisco Conference Center is a model of sustainable practices and would appeal to groups who prioritize green meetings.

For example, the facility diverts and recycles high volumes of materials, does not print brochures, maintains a food composting program and green cleaning program and features water stations with reusable water containers.

The South San Francisco Conference Center is located 15 minutes from San Francisco and 20 minutes from Silicon Valley. Featuring complete wireless connectivity, the meeting space spans 20,500 square feet, including a Grand Ballroom divisible into 10 meeting rooms.

Another conveniently located conference center out west is the IACC-certified Conference Center of Las Vegas (CCLV), rebranded from IPEC Las Vegas in 2016. Located just five minutes from McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip, this sleek, modern facility offers more than 20,000 square feet of flexible function space suitable for groups of 50 to 720 attendees; onsite overnight accommodations are available for up to 190 attendees.

Highlights of the function space include a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and 5,000-square-foot reception foyer with a 29-foot-high ceiling. Events are supported by state-of-the-art AV (including two 22-foot-high LED screens in the reception foyer and south lobby) and a 2,500-square-foot kitchen.

Given resources like these, the CCLV can host a variety of events, and it’s worth bearing in mind that a well-equipped conference center may be ideal for corporate events beyond the training or education session.

For example, Queen Bee Market, a San Diego-based artisan market, held two events at the CCLV over three days, says company co-owner Kellie Dooley. The first one was craft night, “a ticketed event for 50 guests that included a catered dinner and dessert, swag bags, raffle items and three crafts done onsite and led by a renowned craft leader. The second one was Queen Bee Market, a handmade and vintage shopping experience that was open to the public. It featured 70 vendors that sold handmade and vintage goods, as well as food trucks and live music. More than a thousand shoppers attended the event.”

While an IACC-certified venue typically does not host events such as these, the CCLV had advantages for the Market. “We chose the conference center for its location, size, flexibility in space and setup,” Dooley explains. “We require a surround-sound system and liked the ability to display our logo in their many AV screens throughout the facility. We also loved that it serves as a private hotel, as well. Vendors and guests can stay at the same location as the event, which is a huge draw for us.”

From a service perspective, the CCLV went the extra mile: Sales & Operations Director Catherine Price and her staff “were there every moment for any request we had.”

In addition, “they provided a free continental breakfast to the guests staying at the hotel, which was very nice,” Dooley notes.

Today’s conference center market is so diverse that planners do well to eschew stereotypical ideas about how they can be utilized. They may be suitable for customer-
facing events, or perhaps internal meetings where a recreation and reward aspect is an important complement to learning. And as Dolce’s European properties are demonstrating, destination immersion is within the scope of today’s conference center, as well. C&IT

The 2019 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, released by American Express Global Business Travel Meetings & Events in October, gives planners and stakeholders in the meetings industry reason for optimism.

Issa Jouaneh, senior vice president and general manager, American Express Meetings & Events, a division of American Express Global Business Travel, provides some insight into the new report.

“The meetings industry has bounced back after its dramatic slowdown 10 years ago to settle into a new normal of steady and stable growth,” he says. “After four consecutive years of growth in both spend and number of attendees, meetings are thriving, and incentives have not just come back, but continue to grow.”

Yet even in positive economic times, changes related to client demands,
attendee needs and the evolution of tools and the way in which meetings are constructed put pressures on planners and, ultimately, budgets.

Trends & Changes

One continuing disrupter impacting all facets of meetings is technology.

“The evolution of technology is having a substantial impact on meeting budgets,” Jouaneh says, “particularly regarding the end-to-end management of delivery and the attendee experience. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and facial recognition, and the ongoing development of mobile-app and hybrid-meeting solutions, are creating innovation and value-add opportunities for both meeting owners and attendees.”

Consolidation and growth, Jouaneh continues, are also changing things up. “Consolidation across the industry and the rise of new players creates an environment where meeting planners have an eclectic range of choice and capabilities but are under significant pressure to meet growing demands. Meetings activity is expected to grow across all meeting types and regions in 2019. Meetings will be both larger and longer, with
attendees increasing as much as 2.4 percent and meeting length growing up to 1.9 percent in some regions.”

“The No. 1 challenge that can throw off a budget is other people, specifically, those in a decision-making position.” — Alison Milgram, CMP, DES

While economic and geopolitical influences continue to spark uncertainty and affect budgets, Jouaneh says, “The meetings industry remains resilient and focused on creating successful experiences. The localization of meetings programs is a growing trend as planners across the globe look to add flexibility and nuance to offerings that address specific market needs and drive program adoption.”

The 2019 Forecast also shows that attention is shifting to the attendee experience. “Planners indicate that if they were to receive [a bigger] budget for a meeting, they would put it first toward content and other ways to enhance the attendee experience. Planners seem to be increasing focus beyond the logistics to ensuring the meeting achieves its stated purpose,” Jouaneh says.

And then there’s the increasing gap between meeting budgets and spend, which is anticipated to continue in 2019. “Meetings activity and expenses across all regions, including hotel rates and airfare, are expected to rise faster than the associated increases to budget,” Jouaneh says. “For example, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipating a 1.1 percent rise in group hotel rates alongside only a 0.86 percent rise in spend. This dynamic creates a continued need for meeting owners to clearly articulate their desired outcomes for meetings, so budget can be allocated to items that directly support meeting goals — particularly when tough choices need to be made during the planning process.”

Despite tightening budgets and an underlying shift in funding, Jouaneh says, “Planners are managing competing demands for strong meetings activity and optimal attendee experiences to establish a healthy and optimistic outlook for the meetings and events industry on both a global and regional level.”

The nitty-gritty details often have just as much of an impact as larger global concerns. Alison Milgram, CMP, DES, director of events with PCMA, points to evolving technology, as well, but says that for the newest group of meeting-goers, face-to-face time is also important — and that, too, impacts budgets.

“In just the last few years, Generation Z has begun to enter the workforce, and therefore, has become an attendee for our events. Millennials, we know, are all about the tech; however, Z has come in, and while they’re incredibly savvy when it comes to tech, they are also craving the F2F experience,” she says. “As planners putting together a budget, we need to shift our focus and ensure that both tech and F2F have the financial support to be outstanding, and that can be costly.”

Additionally, Milgram says, “I’ve seen a significant increase in event cancellation insurance costs. With everything going on in the world, it’s not just earthquakes and hurricanes we have to worry about. It used to be a quick calculation of a dollar amount times anticipated attendance. Not so simple anymore, and while this expense is maybe 3 to 4 percent of an overall expense budget, cutting back on the coverage because it wasn’t properly budgeted will cost far more in the end.”

Emily Thibodeau, CMP, CITP, senior director operations, event management with Maritz Travel Company, says she’s seeing increasing client demand for more personalized experiences, as well as high expectations around technology, and both add to the budget.

“[Clients] request events that allow guests to experience things that they couldn’t do on their own,” she says. “I see that even in meetings. In addition to extra budget for personal experiences, we see increased budgets for technology items such as onsite implementation of RFID, interest in facial recognition check-in or mobile apps, which are now almost standard.”

But, she continues, “The most revolutionary thing I’ve been reading lately is that corporations are a bit more cash rich today. Fortune 500 companies have more in the bank than they’ve ever had in history, allowing them to continue to support the budget for meetings and incentives. While there’s still pressure to get more done for less, companies are investing in experiences, rewards and recognition for their teams, perhaps more than in the past.”

For Amy Maxey, manager, global conferences and events at Hyland Software, two trends are impacting budget. “Costs and competition are on the rise,” she says. “Compression in the marketplace has definitely impacted budget planning. Hotels and meeting venues are being less aggressive with incentives as the demand for meeting space increases.”

In terms of competition, she says, “We have a lot of folks tell us that due to budget limitations, they can only attend one conference every year or every other year. Many times, organizations have to alternate employees, as well. We offer alumni and group discounts to help encourage group and multi-year attendance. We also offer added incentives, such as discounts on future training, to help justify the expense.”

Competition is coming not just from other meetings but from leisure travelers, too, notes Thibodeau. “Hotels continue to see revenue generation through more transient travel, which makes booking group travel more competitive. I see our budgets affected by this such that clients are feeling they don’t have as much room for negotiation as they previously had or where decisions are having to be made earlier than they normally would be.”

Challenges Big & Small

Regardless of the economic situation or time period, planners will face challenges and have to find ways to mitigate them.

“Our 2019 Global Meetings and Events Forecast predicts 2019 will be a busy year for the industry,” says Jouaneh. But, he notes, with global expenses increasing at a faster rate than meetings budgets, planners are being challenged to master this increased volume and maintain an effective ROI despite limited funds. More than half of planners surveyed, including 68 percent of North American planners, say they are working with smaller commission pools from which to fund their meetings.

“Mitigating this problem requires a commitment to creating strategic meetings that prioritize the attendee experience and embrace technology to meet an explicitly defined goal,” Jouaneh says. “This trend is growing across all regions, with 52 percent of planners in Europe implementing an explicitly defined meeting policy, and 42 percent in both North America and Central/South America following suit. The Asia-Pacific region has been slower to adopt this change, with only 27 percent claiming to have dedicated meeting plans. Even as funding for meetings undergoes a significant shift, planners and hoteliers are adjusting appropriately to establish a bright future for the industry.”

For Milgram, short-term bookings and meetings are present major challenges. “If you don’t know where the event will be, it’s hard to budget properly,” she says. “An East Coast meeting is more than likely going to be more expensive than a Midwest one, although that’s not always the case, either. Chicago in the fall, for example, can be expensive.”

Maxey points to big-ticket items coming up late in the game, including increased attendance. “When you’re paying $60 for a meal and $200 for an evening event ticket, 100 additional attendees can be a huge impact on a non-revenue-generating event,” she says. “For larger budget items, I suggest signing multi-year agreements, as long as you build in service clauses.

“Working with Experient, we’ve found that signing multi-year contracts gives the venue more flexibility to offer higher incentives since the revenue impact on a multi-year deal is so much more lucrative to them.”

Her company went through a comprehensive RFP process this year for some of its biggest line items, such as AV, hardware rental and exhibitor services. “That helped to contain costs,” Maxey notes. “We were able to successfully negotiate five-year deals with each of those vendors and saved more than $1 million over a five-year period. Not only did we see more negotiating power due to multiple years and competing vendors but locking in rates now gives us peace of mind and allows us to better plan long term. It was a lot of work, but it’s nice to know that we’re locked and loaded for the next five years, and we don’t have to go back to the drawing board each year to renegotiate these agreements.”

Thibodeau emphasizes that even if companies have more cash on hand, planners are still expected to get more for less. “I think the biggest challenge our event managers face today with regard to budget is that even though the perception may be that companies are in a healthy place financially, there’s still that pressure to get more for less — to do it ‘better than last year’ for the same or less budget,” she says. “In order to mitigate potential problems, it’s important to understand the client’s priorities and the desired business results. By doing so, we can help allocate funds appropriately from the beginning.”

Budget-Busters

What’s most likely to throw a budget off? The most prevalent answer is the unforeseen and unexpected.

“Whether it’s something coming up during a site inspection that someone wasn’t aware of, a technology issue or even surprises on a program operation, it seems that unexpected costs that pop up are what most affect a budget,” Thibodeau says. “I think as these things happen it’s important to understand the why and be able to come to the table with solutions for resolution. In order to do this, we have to be communicative and transparent with clients and partners and work to negotiate a fair balance. Doing so enables us to re-allocate funds in the appropriate manner.”

For Milgram, “The No. 1 challenge that can throw off a budget is other people, specifically, those in a decision-making position. They get to a destination and just start ordering — equipment, food, additional signage, etc. — and because of their place in an organization, the venue and/or supplier may not come back and ask the planner before they go ahead and order. This can be a tough challenge to manage; however, making it clear with suppliers/vendors/venues that all requests must go through you first will at least help you track any onsite or additional expenses or perhaps find a better, more cost-efficient solution.”

Maxey points to last-minute items added by venues. “Sometimes you have to stand your ground, and you always have to reference what’s in the contract. We negotiated a flat rate for our Internet needs with one of our venues. While they were honoring the agreement, I noticed they tried to tack on a $10,000 facility fee last minute. Since it was not outlined in the contract, we fought the charge and won. Meeting planners have to be vigilant and look for all of the hidden fees. Doing a proforma invoice before you get onsite is a great way to tell if you and the venue are matching up on estimated charges and how they calculate costs.”

But the devil isn’t just in the details. Sometimes it’s in the big picture, too. “What’s most likely to throw off a budget isn’t a line item,” Jouaneh says, “but rather a lack of agreement among meeting owners and stakeholders about what is the desired outcome of the event.”

Drilling Down on Increases

Calculating the greatest increases impacting budgets today is no simple matter according to Jouaneh, who says increases vary depending on such things as meeting priorities and location.

“The 2019 Forecast discovered that budget line items prioritized by planners varies greatly by location,” he says. “For example, North American and European planners value ‘Property Type’ and ‘Air Lift & Access’ the most. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific and Central/South America meetings and events industries both place a larger emphasis on ‘Economic/Political’ stability.”

Milgram has been watching room rates rise over time. “Then, one day, you’re reviewing a proposal in a second-tier city and realize it’s costing more than the first-tier city you used a year ago,” she says.

That rise in cost may be worth it if a hotel has had a substantial renovation, she notes. “But that’s something a planner should investigate before committing.”

Echoing the 2019 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, Thibodeau sees overall costs outpacing inflation in all general program areas. “The most noticeable two increases I’ve seen in recent years, however, are related to hotels and airlines. Hotel prices, be it room rates, meeting space rentals or rising food and beverage minimums, have contributed to increased spend. But I’ve also consistently seen that clients are now willing to budget more for ancillary airline charges, such as seat assignments and baggage fees,” she says.

F&B is often a cost culprit. “Food and beverage seems to keep going up and up,” says Maxey. “I’ve been in this business for over 15 years, and it still crushes my soul to spend $7 or more on a can of Coke or bottled water or over $130 for a gallon of coffee. Attendees don’t see this side of things and would never expect these items to cost so much, so they can’t understand why we’re unable to offer free-flowing drinks and snacks throughout the day. Balancing attendee expectations with rising costs is not easy.”

Best Practices for Planners

So how do planners create accurate budgets in the face of changes and increases?

“Before creating a budget, “ Jouaneh says, “planners must first identify their ultimate goal. Strategic meetings built around explicitly defined results will help better prioritize budgets to satisfy the continued need for improved attendee experiences and integration of innovative technology. This commitment indicates meetings and events are being purposefully designed and executed — cementing their place as drivers of business outcomes.”

Thibodeau agrees. “My best advice is from the beginning to understand your client’s business objectives and what impressions attendees should walk away with. By defining expected outcomes first, it’s easier to take a consultative approach to designing a program. Understanding what kind of experiences you want to create to achieve those outcomes allows you to identify priorities and begin to budget an event.”

And for those unexpected challenges, take a proactive approach.

“Always have money set aside for additions or unforeseen circumstances,” says Maxey. “I budget for nonessential items separately and try to hold off contracting those items as long as I can. If costs for necessities are more than anticipated, I can escalate to management to see if the nonessential items can be cut or scaled back or if the company wants to increase the budget to offset the higher costs.”

Milgram advises taking detailed notes on what you were thinking or projecting when you put a budget into place. “Don’t just say the staff travel budget is ‘for 10 people.’ Who are those people? What’s the assumption for airfare? Taxis? Checked luggage? Of course, staff changes as do airline fees, but a baseline of what went into that figure to begin with will help down the line. If your budget system doesn’t allow for notes, make an Excel spreadsheet. If your budget is an Excel spreadsheet, be sure to add a note column and don’t be afraid to wrap that text a few times if necessary! You’ll be glad you did.” C&IT

Victor Sawi is vice president of sales and services. He is responsible for new client acquisition and the integrated efforts of the Client and Customer Services teams at Next Level Performance. Prior to joining the company, he worked in a wide array of industries, including retail, insurance and financial services/banking. His first encounter with Next Level Performance was as a client.

Clients often ask, “How can we be sure we have a world-class recognition program?” Here are some things to consider if you really want to make your recognition program as effective as it can be:

Know What Success Looks Like

In our business, we work with many different organizations across a wide range of industries. Success is different for every one of them.

Whether you are launching a new program or looking to invigorate your existing one, it is essential to know what the goals are. If you’re in the middle of a merger, defining culture and brand values may be the most important component of the program. If engagement survey scores show that enthusiasm just isn’t there, concentrate on increasing participation and stressing to managers the importance of their role.

While employee engagement and recognition are long-term strategies, the shorter-term understanding of what the issues are right now will influence where you invest effort and resources in the program.

And with communications, you can change your focus when you need to.

Know what you need to achieve today and be flexible enough to know when it’s time for a change. You will build a better program that lives in the real world of your organization.

Make It Easy For People

If your team is always on the road or includes remote workers, the program needs to be mobile-friendly. It used to be challenging to reach scattered workforces since not
everyone had access to a computer, but today, 85 percent of people ages 18 to 65 have a smartphone.

Whether they are in the office at a desktop computer or on a repair call, it is important to be sure that every member of the team feels valued and part of the community. What’s more, most of your workers expect a user-friendly, intuitive experience. If you want people to participate in a program, it has to be at least as easy as placing an order on a retail website. That’s a baseline expectation of every person in your company.

Never Stop Communicating

A steady stream of communications keeps the program front of mind.

At Next Level, we use our online Applaudit platform as the hub for company news, recognition and rewards of all kinds.

We give our team reasons to keep visiting the site with automated emails and callouts by managers for special recognitions or updates.

Managers are also given a pool of points to amplify the recognition experience with meaningful rewards.

The platform is the home of our day-to-day and annual recognition, as well as a place to communicate about our company values and goals. It creates social buzz in the office when colleagues celebrate one another’s efforts and achievements and has become an intrinsic part of our award-winning company culture.

Our frequent and engaging communications bring people back to this recognition center over and over, giving us the momentum we need to keep people connected with their colleagues and their goals.

Consider integrating your communications, from internal newsletters to printed mailings to e-statements for the biggest impact.

Commit Time and Effort

It’s not enough to just turn on a platform and wait for it to take root in your company. You, and every senior leader and manager, need to be actively committed to the program.

Too often, program owners are frustrated that “it isn’t working,” only to find out that it hasn’t been adopted by company influencers. If a team isn’t engaged, is their manager using the platform? When was the last time they received recognition?

Giving recognition and awarding points isn’t something that should be left to the last minute and distributed in haste to meet some kind of deadline.

Recognition should be in the moment, using the tools you provide, keeping everyone on track throughout the year. And that effort starts at the top, with company leaders championing the program day-to-day.

Take It Offline

Your online culture and your in-office culture must align to be authentic. And recognition has to be authentic to be meaningful for program participants.

It’s great to have recognition on the platform, but how do employees feel if no one ever says anything about it person-to-person? Managers and peers alike need to get up, go down the hall and say, “thank you” or “congratulations.”

Nothing replaces human interaction and the personal connections that are made as a result.

We know that employee engagement and recognition correlate to important business outcomes, including customer satisfaction, productivity and profitability. They also correlate to employee satisfaction and retention.

Expressing appreciation for the work people do is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s vital to the health of your company.

Commit to a program that works for your organization’s goals, values, culture and environment.

Consider working with a recognition or engagement company that can help you stay on track. You’ll reap the rewards of a workforce that cares about the organization, and about their contributions every day. That’s what makes a world-class program. C&IT

Managing incentive programs isn’t new. Despite the fact that more than 80 percent of
businesses now have some type of non-cash rewards and recognition programs, a recent study by the Incentive Research Foundation found that managers in this field do not have the same benchmarks and resources to rely on as managers in other industries.

Researchers of the study, “Voice of the Market, Part 2: Engaging Program Owners in the Incentive Marketplace,” interviewed 50 program managers representing a wide range of non-cash rewards programs who “spent anywhere from $25,000 to millions of dollars annually on programs that included one or more of the following types of reward: travel, award points, merchandise, gift cards and branded items.”

Among the insights gleaned from the study: Incentive and recognition program design and management is not universally included in standard business school curricula. A career in incentive and recognition program management is not broadly visible or relevant to most people entering the workforce. Resources are hard to find on the internet, since new program managers do not know what industry-specific search terms to use. Networking is a critical and valued source of learning for program managers.

We asked six industry professionals from across North America for their insights on how their careers in the incentive industry have progressed, and what they see as important for the future and for those coming into the industry today. All of our experts agreed on a few things, including the importance of certification, and most relayed that the critical resources they depended on early in their careers to learn the ins and outs of the job were their experienced colleagues and industry partners.

Beyond that, our experts had a variety of insights to benefit today’s incentive managers. Philip Eidsvold, CIS, CITP, senior director of client services at Minnesota-based One10, and president-elect of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), has spent his entire career in incentives — at the same incentive house.

“I started as a travel director in 1999, overseeing onsite operations for a wide array of award and recognition group travel programs. I landed in the world of incentives by chance, but quickly learned the industry,” he says. “It was made clear to us in our training that we were integral to the reward experience and that our guests worked very hard to earn the travel reward; therefore, their onsite experience had to be flawless and extraordinary.”

Like other incentive professionals, Eidsvold learned his job within his company, and he feels lucky to have been with a group that provided solid training and support. What has changed today, he says, is the increased importance of research and data related to incentives.

“As our industry has evolved, and especially after the great recession, there has been a major focus on driving the right kind of industry research and advocacy efforts that truly demonstrate the value of incentives,” he says. “We now have data-driven case studies
and other proof points that clearly articulate that incentives drive better business results.”

Eidsvold says challenges often come from lack of education or understanding of the process. “From an agency perspective, our largest challenges often occur when our client-stakeholder isn’t properly trained in incentives or doesn’t understand the value of the program from an ROI perspective. This often happens when a meeting planner is assigned to oversee an incentive travel program,” he notes. “Rather than focusing on the winner experience or the work the attendee must do to earn the reward, they tend to focus their time on logistics vs. experience, and thus, aren’t optimizing the incentive strategy. We spend a great deal of time educating our clients to clearly understand the mechanics of the incentive so their organization can best benefit from the investment.”

Eidsvold traces much of the trajectory of his career to involvement in SITE. “As the only industry association focused on the advancement of incentive travel, SITE offers a wide range of education and networking opportunities through events at a regional, chapter and global level,” he says. “These events are full of CMP-certified educational opportunities that keep my incentive travel practice on its toes and allow me to bring that expertise and experience to our clients.”

“There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the fruits of your labor come together and witness the positive impact of your work.” — Erica Gibbons, DMCP

Not surprisingly, Eidsvold recommends industry organizations as a good path for those starting out. “They provide foundational education opportunities and compelling data-driven research that will allow you to add value to your organization,” he says, noting that they also provide multiple opportunities for critical networking and relationship building.

To those starting out, he says, “Don’t be afraid to be assertive and ask questions! Find an industry mentor willing to coach you and offer advice on how you can maximize your career potential in the incentives space … because to be honest, it’s a great industry!”

Changes Over the Years

Gabrielle Spanton, executive vice president of business development for Host Global’s alliance of DMCs, says she has seen changes in both programs and award achievers over the 25 years she’s been in the business. Two areas in particular are, “No. 1, a higher demand for CSR activities that are unique and authentic to the destination, and No. 2, interest in destinations that were once considered ‘off-the-beaten track.’”

Additionally, Spanton says, award achievers have become more sophisticated and well-traveled, and many achieve awards over multiple years. Like Eidsvold, Spanton points to the company she worked for early in her career as her source of education and training.

“When I started my career, our industry lacked professional recognition, and we didn’t have the benefit of resources available today. I was fortunate to work for a company that provided outstanding training and education coupled with a client that was willing to take risks to go outside the traditional incentive box to create truly outstanding programs,” she says. “In short, my main resource has been a combination of practical experience and surrounding myself with highly creative colleagues.”

One thing Spanton wishes clients better understood is the timing required for incentive specialists to do their best job. “Companies are always looking for something unique that has never been done before yet provide very little time for brainstorming,” she says. “The most interesting and creative ideas come from collaboration and require more than a few days to cultivate. I think clients would be truly delighted with the outcome if they afforded their partners more time in the process.”

As for her best advice for those starting out, she echoes Eidsvold. “Find a mentor who is truly willing to share their knowledge and takes a genuine interest in helping you expand. A great mentor will be with you for years, so choose wisely,” she says.

Erica White, CMP, an Iowa-based client onboarding specialist, event operations, with ITA Group, says she got into the incentive industry by “dumb luck.” A friend got her a job as an event planner at a local venue. “While there, I was working with a bride that was employed at ITA Group. She gave me her business card and told me to reach out if I was interested in making a move from wedding planning to corporate event planning. The rest is history,” she says.

Like our other experts, White says her colleagues were her educators. “When I started out in corporate and incentive planning, I was lucky to be surrounded by experienced planners. If I did not have an engaged mentor sitting beside me, I would not have even known where to start,” she says. “Now, 12 years in, I have access to many resources to help keep me growing and relevant in our industry.”

White believes her biggest stumbling block early on was, “getting into the tactical weeds too early. I wanted to dive in and start choosing entertainment, décor and menus. I didn’t take the time to review historical data and truly understand the objectives of the event and the demographics of the attendees. With experience and the evolution of our industry, I’ve learned to first step back and develop a master plan. From there, I made sure each tactical decision is tied into the overall theme of the event.”

Budgets and unrealistic expectations are her most likely challenges today. “Many times, a client goes to an event that another organization did and then asks us to duplicate. Often, their budget won’t allow them to do exactly what they saw,” White says. “Finding a way to meet their expectations, within their budget, can feel nearly impossible at times. I’m pretty sure there isn’t an event planner that doesn’t struggle with, ‘I want it all, but I also don’t want to pay for it.’”

And then there are the questions that White says keep her up at night. “How can I make sure that I’m upping the program year over year? How can I make sure I’m keeping up with technology and experiential trends? How can I incorporate these exciting new ideas and still stay in budget?”

Find a Mentor

White’s top suggestion for those new in the field is to find a mentor. “Not just a point of contact to answer questions,” she says, “but someone willing to invest themselves to be part of your professional growth. This is such a great job, despite the stress, and having an advocate for yourself is important.”

It’s also important to remain humble, White adds. “Listen to fellow planners, listen to your suppliers and listen to your clients. There’s always something you don’t know or have yet to experience. Allow yourself to continue to learn and evolve in this industry.”

Theresa Link, CMP, CMM, a Minnesota-based senior buyer, event purchasing and industry relations, with ITA Group, has been in the industry for 25 years.

“I started as an executive assistant working for the head of a sales division,” Link says. “When I initially interviewed with that company, they described to me what his role entailed: Administering incentive sales trips, which allowed him to travel to amazing destinations as part of researching each incentive. I jokingly said, ‘That’s actually the job I want.’ Within the year, I had taken on responsibility for incentive trips. Over the years, I’ve transitioned to third-party incentive houses, as well as managing an in-house corporate meetings department. Currently, I work within the sourcing and purchasing arm for ITA Group, which focuses on creating powerful results by inspiring authentic, lasting emotional connections.”

That, in a nutshell, describes what incentive programs are supposed to achieve. But when Link started, there were no formal training programs in place to help her achieve that or plot a career path.

“Intuition plays a strong part in the success of any good planner, and I was fortunate to be able to find my way through my first endeavors,” she says. “Resources were far less accessible. You couldn’t Google how to do something or look at a hotel property online or connect easily with people around the world. As my career progressed, so did the industry. As I discovered resources, I took full advantage of training that was available, pursued my CMP and CMM, participated in MPI and FICP, attended SITE educational events and subscribed to many industry magazines.”

Get Creative

Surprisingly, Link says that the lack of formal training wasn’t a stumbling block. “I learned through trial and error, which was incredibly strong and meaningful — you don’t forget those lessons that are hard-earned,” she says.

Link believes that career progression is often about learning on the job, too. “This industry is constantly changing and evolving. The world seems to have gotten smaller and our reach to have gotten larger. Through technology, we can accomplish more than we could ever imagine when I began. But doing ‘more’ isn’t always what’s most important; doing ‘greater’ is the key,” she says. “As our clients and their clients become more well-traveled, attend more events and become savvier, we have to raise the bar creating memorable experiences that will resonate for a lifetime. My role continues to evolve along with the industry. I learn more about events and how to create meaningful connections through events each and every day.”

There are challenges related to those savvy clients who also have access to technology and can research destinations. It means, Links says, that incentive managers must dig even deeper into options and possibilities and be ever more creative.

“While the greatest challenge today might be that our clients have gotten smarter, that actually creates tremendous opportunity for us to be better and to partner together on amazing and memorable experiences,” she adds.

Ever-evolving technology is a proverbial double-edged sword for those new to the industry, as well. “This is and always has been a relationships industry,” Link notes. “It might be easy with current technology to forget this. I encourage anyone starting out to reach out to as many people as possible who are in the industry in whatever capacity. I encourage them to read industry publications, subscribe to industry emails/blogs and to join a local chapter of a relevant association. All of these items will build on each other and help them to make the connections that will likely become lifelong mentors. As a more senior planner, I believe it’s important to ‘turn around and give a hand to the next one in line.’ I’ve been fortunate to have benefited from these types of mentors and know that my colleagues are always eager to help someone start in this industry that we all love so much.”

Rick Lambert, president and CEO, Destinations, Inc., in Utah, is the third generation of his family working in the incentive business. “I’ve always wanted to be in travel and am living my dream,” he says.

He believes the resources within the industry have been incredible. “Talented and knowledgeable vendors have helped me learn about destinations I have not seen personally,” he says.

As for a career path, he sees that impacting his personal development and his company. “I see growing our company to be the leader in Utah and beyond. I will need to be adaptable to grow. I will need to stay on top of technology available to us. I will need to maintain the focus on delivering wow experiences,” adds Lambert.

Challenge, he notes, often relates to budgets. “Many of our customers have had the same budget for 10 years, and costs have increased significantly, especially in the last five years. This means the pressure is on to deliver more for less. Another challenge is avoiding being cookie-cutter and finding creative new enhancements.”

Lambert’s top advice for planners coming into the field: “Always learn. Recognize you may not have the answers and that saying, ‘I don’t know, but I will find out’ is an OK answer.”

Erica Gibbons, DMCP, regional president, Hosts Washington DC, Hosts Baltimore and Hosts Chicago, says she has relied throughout her career on “an amazing network of passionate planners within our Hosts offices and consortium of Hosts Global DMC members. Catching up with these business owners and experience designers — whether at formal Hosts Global Best Practices meeting, in a casual phone call or seeing what they are up to on Instagram — keeps up the cycle of sharing and encouragement required for continual creativity and professional inspiration.”

Gibbons believes the job has changed and will continue to change. “Ten years ago, these programs had a more standard agenda, i.e., three days, welcome reception, offsite, dine-around, a room drop every night,” she says. “Now, the sky’s the limit, especially for planners who love to get out of their comfort zone. Everything can be tailored for the individual/couple participating in the program. Agendas and itineraries used to need to have ‘something for everyone.’ Now it’s something for you, the individual. Your day doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s, yet you have this incredible shared experience, too.”

Feelings First, Details Second

There are some things Gibbons wishes she knew when she started. “I wish I knew that just because every logistical element went off without a hitch it doesn’t mean it was memorable. When you focus on the feeling first and details second, the details come together to support the emotional engagement ensuring guests are fulfilled and develop incredible memories,” she says.

And there are a few things she wishes clients better understood about creating incentive programs. “I wish our clients understood that if you want something truly ‘never been done before,’ you have to be willing to A) take a risk and B) provide the time needed to develop, vet and present what that program can be,” she says echoing Spanton. “When you need a proposal with a 72-hour deadline, the better course is to ask for something that has been done before (with great success) and customize it from there to fit the unique needs of your audience.

“Also,” she adds, “that the ‘never been done before’ experiences often can’t come with photographs! You have to be more open to collaborative brainstorming and visual storyboards that ultimately produce the experience you’re seeking. Most of our clients find this to be the fun part, and I’m lucky to work with so many awesome clients who are true partners in the process.”

To those coming into the industry, she says, “Be engaged. Be there onsite. Watch the guests and their interactions with the experience you designed. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the fruits of your labor come together and witness the positive impact of your work. Take time to take in the results.”

Our experts provided a multitude of insights and suggestions. Most of all, they made one thing very clear: The incentive industry is an amazing, creative and wonderful industry in which to work, learn and grow. C&IT

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) offers an assessment-based CMM certificate program taught by Indiana University faculty. Credit: Jessie States

The U.S. meetings industry is an economic powerhouse, with 1.9 million meetings in 2016 contributing $845 billion in economic impact, according to the Event Industry Council’s 2018 Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy Report.

Meetings require qualified, educated, knowledgeable planners who understand budgets, contracts, ROI and value, not to mention design, F&B, space requirements and transportation issues. Many planners must also understand legal and other intricacies of particular industries, as well as changing regulations that impact meetings.

Staying current with relevant continuing education and attaining certification makes planners more valuable in the meetings marketplace and arguably better at performing their jobs. Whether new to the industry or experienced, planners have many ways to ramp up their skills.

Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)

The most recognized industry certification is the CMP. Karen Kotowski, CMP, CAE, chief executive officer of the Events Industry Council (EIC), says, “Events Industry Council has delivered the CMP program since its inception in 1985. The CMP recognizes industry professionals who meet the established prerequisite education and experience requirements and pass a rigorously comprehensive exam designed to assure baselines competencies and to differentiate professionals. CMPs continue to demonstrate their professional competency through continuing education and experience every five years in order to maintain the credential.”

Candidates must have three years of event planning experience and a full-time job in the industry in order to apply.

“Recruiters and prospective employers recognize CMP Certification as the most prestigious designation in the growing industry.”

The value of the CMP program is in part monetary for planners — those with CMP certification earn about $10,000 more per year in salary than planners without it. Additionally, it may help with jobs.

“Certification opens the door to better and more opportunities. Clients’ expectations for meetings are higher than ever, and recruiters and prospective employers recognize CMP Certification as the most prestigious designation in the growing industry.” — Karen Kotowski, CMP, CAE

Yet the CMP’s value to the industry is even greater, raising the bar on professionalism in all areas.

“The CMP program aims to increase the professionalism of meeting management professionals in all sectors of the industry by identifying a comprehensive body of knowledge in the profession,” says Zibby Aman, senior manager, education, with PCMA. “The certification also works to promote industry standards, practices and ethics, which are designed to advance the art and science of meeting management. The certification helps to increase the value of Certified Meeting Professionals to their employers by maximizing the value received from the products and services provided by CMPs.”

PCMA is a preferred education provider for the CMP exam and offers an online CMP prep course. “The course is designed with pre-test/post-test handouts, as well as a full-length, timed practice exam to help learners prepare to take the exam, all while earning 68 clock hours to sit for the exam,” Aman says. “The EIC requires that 25 hours of continuing education credit is earned prior to registering for the exam. Our prep course enables learners to earn those credits while studying for the exam.”

Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP)

For planners interested in focusing on special events, there’s CSEP certification. “The CSEP is the only other openly recognized certification in the event planning industry,” Aman says, “and focuses more on special events than meeting planning. Just like with the CMP, candidates are required to have three years of experience in the industry and must be currently employed, or have been employed, in the special events industry in the last 12 months.”

Certified Meeting Management (CMM)

The CMM is different than the CMP. To start, it’s a certificate program, not a certification. “It’s important to note the distinction between certifications and certificates,” Aman says. “Certification is an accredited designation that demonstrates event planning expertise and experience. It’s a title that a planner earns after passing an exam after a set number of years of experience in planning events. A certificate is a document that proves you’ve taken a course for the purpose of learning about event planning; and that you’ve passed that particular program’s requirements for showing that you understand the material.”

The assessment-based CMM certificate is offered through MPI. “Our CMM certificate program prepares meeting professionals for leadership roles in the industry,” says Jessie States, CMM, manager of professional development at MPI. “It’s an intensive, three-phased executive education program that packs the highlights of a world-class graduate degree program into four days, followed by eight hours of advanced-level online coursework and a final project focused on solving a real-world, work-based problem. Taught by Indiana University faculty, the entire program takes 15 weeks to complete. Upon successful completion of the coursework, attendees earn 48 clock hours and 4.8 university CEUs. They also have the opportunity to earn three graduate credit hours, which can be applied to the Indiana University Kelley School’s Executive Degree Program (EDP) Business Management Certificate.”

The CMM, States adds, “is structured to complement the CMP and focuses on strategic initiatives and executive decision-making.”

According to Aman, “The CMM is an MBA-level executive education program for meeting professionals with more than seven years of experience, including a minimum of three years in management positions.”

Planners wishing to pursue a CMM have several options. “Many planners work toward their CMM by attending local colleges that have disciplines or curriculums designed to focus on the business events industry,” Aman says. “Other planners use the MPI program to complete the required course work and hours needed to gain the certification. In any program that prepares you for the CMM, courses are designed to develop the event professional’s ability to analyze business data, explore the skills necessary to succeed in managing teams and to gain exposure to finance, risk analysis and other components of managing a business. Any program that offers these types of higher business programs will be effective in preparing the event professional for the certification.

“For planners looking to build a career path that includes management and positions requiring thought leadership and c-suite positions, the CMM may be a great path toward building the core competencies required for these positions,” Aman adds. “It also demonstrates to potential employers your seriousness in becoming an industry leader.”

CMP — Healthcare (CMP-HC)

Planners in the medical and pharma industries need additional skills and knowledge. These meetings are highly regulated by the government and medical industry, here and internationally. There are regulations related to where these meetings can take place, who can sponsor them, who can lead education sessions, what kinds of giveaways are permitted to attendees and more.

The CMP-HC tests planners on the specifics of planning meetings in the healthcare space. “Events Industry Council launched the CMP-HC subspecialty in 2013 to respond to the need for event professionals in healthcare meeting management to have a way to distinguish themselves in the marketplace,” Kotowski says. “Since all CMP-HC holders must also hold a valid CMP certification, clients can see the CMP-HC as the badge of excellence in healthcare meetings management.”

To be eligible to take the CMP-HC exam, she says, “An individual must hold a valid and current CMP, have three years (36 months) of experience in healthcare meeting management and complete five hours of professional development specifically related to healthcare meeting management.”

Digital Event Strategist (DES)

“The DES credential,” Aman says, “is designed for event and meeting planners who want continuing education and training on the management and product of digital events. The DES certification course covers planning, producing and measuring results of live stream and digital engagement events.”

The desire for that credential may grow as technology continues to disrupt and influence how meetings are designed and experienced.

Today’s Trends Drive New Learning Options

“Current education trends for meeting planners align with those of the education industry in general,” says Melissa Majors, director, MPI Academy. “Technology is disrupting everything we do and is significantly influencing the way learners prefer to learn. They desire modernized experiences that provide immediate access to information needed to solve problems and delivered in a personalized way.

“As a result, we’re seeing a rise in use of digital learning solutions and increased demand for online courses, virtual events, online social learning, curated content and AI-powered experiences that predict your interests and make relevant recommendations.”

Aman agrees. “As we approach the digitalization of almost every industry, PCMA is always looking forward to how technology and digitization can inform the way we build education content. Specifically, how digital education and face-to-face education can inform each other to build greater participant engagement and interest through an open feedback loop that is constantly providing data and information to the types of content most relevant to participants.”

But it’s not just about tech. “While this past year was an innovative one for the events industry with technological trends taking center stage, the most frequent education request for content and resources I received this year were topics tied to event safety and security planning,” Aman adds. “And while risk and crisis management is not new, recent high-profile crises and headlines have led event planners to re-evaluate how they manage their event security. I believe many are coming to the realization they are not as prepared or comfortable as they would want to be. The EIC documented last year that the topic leading trend shaping event industry education is around safety and security.”

Risk management, Kotowski notes, has been a CMP domain for quite a while. “However, what that means has expanded as we deal with issues such as physical security, cybersecurity and the General Data Protection Regulation, for example. EIC’s Industry Insights Committee (formerly APEX), has taken on many of those issues and offers education and resources.”

EIC is exploring other areas, as well. “We’re tackling all the challenges that clients are asking CMPs to address in their events — micro-learning opportunities, virtual meetings, on-demand training and game-based learning,” Kotowski says. “That uniquely positions Events Industry Council to tackle these challenges head-on and try innovative approaches through education, especially at this year’s CMP Conclave, where we give our CMP participants an environment (to) test and experience these learning trends.
EIC is also looking at new specialty designations.

“We already offer the CMP-HC for healthcare meeting professionals,” Kotowski notes. “But we’re exploring other specialty certifications that would be valuable for our CMP community.”

Planners, stay tuned. C&IT

Americans are experiencing stress like never before.

According to the American Psychological Association, 43 percent of adults are suffering adverse health effects, and a large percentage of visits to doctors’ offices are the result of stress-related problems. In fact, a steady diet of stress is responsible for the majority of illnesses and has been linked to such life-threatening conditions as heart disease, cancer, stroke and immune system disorders. Emotional problems like depression, anxiety and insomnia are often traced back to stress. Unfortunately, the meetings and events environment is one of the highest stress-inducing industries in which to work. But stress can impede your ability to do your job effectively. And in the meetings and events industry, job effectiveness and client and attendee satisfaction are paramount to a meeting planner’s success.

According to Karen Fiorini, meeting planner and founder of Global Planning Source Inc., most planners think time is their biggest stress, but her observation is that managing relationships within a business context is the biggest stress.

“You always want to build toward making new relationships for the future of your business, but it is important to maintain the current relationships you have,” Fiorini says. “Another stress is the feeling of having to be ‘on’ 24/7, and juggling crises back at the office while putting out fires onsite.”

Amy Grace Collins, event planner and owner of Amy Grace Events, says that event planners are dealing with a unique set of stressors that many industries just don’t face. “We are, in many cases, managing one of the biggest dreams or wishes our clients have had in their lives,” Collins says. “At the end of the day, our clients have the final call, and many times, we may not feel that it’s the right one, which can be stressful when your reputation and brand are on the line.”

“Our clients have the final call … which can be stressful when your reputation and brand are on the line.” — Amy Grace Collins

These days, the three bandits that rob us of our productivity are stress, time constraints and procrastination. Americans are more stressed than ever. Events with very low budgets, including nonprofit events, tend to be some of the most stressful functions that corporate meeting and event planners face.

“There are always a lot of moving parts,” Collins says. “Many times, there are a higher number of vendors than we would typically work with because of donating services. And sometimes you have to pull tooth and nail to get some of the basic needs for an event due to limited funding.”

Fiorini has found that international travel outside of North America is often hardest for people to adjust to because they are out of their comfort zone due to time change, language barrier and difference in cuisine.

“I strive to make sure attendees have the comforts of home, but still embracing what the world has to offer and I want them to enjoy the experience of the destination,” Fiorini says.

Will Curran, chief event Einstein at Endless Events, says the key stressors event and meeting planners often face are time management and balancing all their tasks.

“Event planners wear many hats, from scheduling and budgeting to balancing clients and vendors,” Curran says. “Sometimes with so much going on and sudden changes, things fall through the cracks, and event planners often feel overwhelmed like they are racing the clock.”

Steps to Take

Changing our mindset about the role stress should play in our lives is an important step to take when managing stress in today’s meetings and events environment. In the extraordinarily stressful meetings and events industry, many skilled professionals somehow still believe that if they experience stress, they just aren’t trying hard enough.

Symptoms of stress are not symptoms of weakness. It’s unrealistic to believe we can prevent all stress; rather, we need to incorporate healthy stress reduction strategies to maintain physical and emotional balance in everyday life.

“We think the best way to handle event planning stress is to prioritize your tasks and roll with the punches,” Curran says. “By creating lists and prioritizing what is really important, event planners can have a clear plan to tackle their never-ending to-do list. Murphy’s law is strong in events — there will always be something that goes wrong, whether a caterer is delayed or flowers show up in the wrong color. Learning to roll with the punches at events can really help reduce stress during planning and events.”

Taking care of yourself emotionally may involve scheduling relaxation into your day: making sure you take a lunch and coffee break, getting regular massages, going for a walk and spending time deliberately focusing on positive things. In addition, allowing yourself to distinguish between a client’s problems and your own is important. Client service means attending to the needs of the client, but not taking on their woes.

“People need to put a priority on the things that keep them healthy and balanced,” Fiorini says. “And they need to schedule their priorities. In our industry, that’s not going to be possible every single day, but you counteract the busy workdays with time off. There is always time in your calendar to do the things that make you happy that are not always work-related. A work/life balance is the key to my success.”

Many factors contribute to stress and the ability to manage a work/life balance, but planners should consider focusing on their strengths and outsource the other professionals. “Don’t try and be all things to all people,” Fiorini says. “Know your peaks, your genius zone. Are you a morning person? Assign yourself tough, high-concentration tasks in the mornings. Don’t leave the tough tasks until it’s nighttime or vice versa. And make exercise a must-do, not a should-do.”

According to Collins, a meeting planner’s life, family and priorities must come first.

“Clients can easily become a dominating force in your day, and if you don’t set expectations in the beginning, it can become a constant disrupter in your personal life,” Collins says. “Late-night texts and emails filled with ‘panic’ of what’s a pain point for them, many times are standard industry issues which will easily be fixed. But because you’re managing a concerned client, you feel the need to immediately respond. This creates a dangerous precedence — namely, constant availability.”

Time Management

“I don’t have enough time.” Have you ever said that? It basically means that you want more hours in the day or you’re not using your allotted time to your best advantage. The reality is that most people don’t need more time, they just need to re-prioritize the time they’ve got.

Time is rationed out to every one of us at the same rate — 1,440 minutes a day, 365 days a year. What makes us good or bad time managers is how we use those minutes. Some people view time management as a quick gimmick to cram more activities into their life.

Actually, time management is a systematic process that helps you live your life the way you want to, efficiently and effectively. The result can be a far more satisfying and rewarding existence. Curran suggests planners set boundaries and allow time for self-care. Let your clients know your working hours and stick to them. If a client calls you at 10 p.m. and you have office hours clearly set, don’t pick up.

“If you don’t control stress, it controls you,” Collins says. “We’ve all been there. We have all let it creep into our lives and run us in a way that isn’t good for our health, our happiness or for those around us. The busier you get, the more stressed-out you’re going to get. I find a lot of friends in the industry say, ‘Well, when I make more money, I’ll …’ but no matter how much money they make, they don’t pause and find out the root cause and start to work on reducing it. You only live your life once. If you don’t take a moment to manage stress, your life will pass you by, and you will never feel a part of it.”

Meeting planners should take a step back. Practice a moment of gratitude. When you feel that stress creep in, pause for a minute and take a deep breath. Write down your stressors. Usually once written out, you can either accomplish them or feel they hold less validity on paper than in your mind.

“As event planners, we want to always do everything for the client. We want to make them happy and the event a success so often that when a client calls you at 9 p.m., you pick up your phone,” Curran says. “But don’t do this. It is possible to keep you and your client happy without being at their beck and call 24/7, which will surely overwhelm you.

“By doing this, you won’t feel like you are constantly on the clock and feel that urge to reply immediately,” he adds.

Another way to create a healthy work/life balance is to unplug. In today’s world, this is hard, but the rewards are great. As Curran explains, being constantly plugged-in can create
a lot of stress in an event/meeting planner’s life with the constant emails and notifications.

“Take a step away and spend time with friends, read a book, meditate or watch your favorite show,” Curran says. “You will feel so much better after a break.”

Embracing Available Tools

There are several apps and tools out that help meeting planners stay focused and eliminate stress and feeling overwhelmed. Below are a few of Curran’s favorites.

Sanebox: Like many professions, an event planner’s inbox can be a huge stressor. It’s a constant battle to make sure you are seeing the emails that are important and filtering through the spam. Sanebox helps by cleaning up and organizing your inbox so you can get your life back. With Sanebox, you can eliminate distractions, get notifications when someone opens important emails and make sure important emails stay right in your inbox so you can see them!

Todoist: Todoist is an app that allows you to make “to-do” lists and put deadlines on tasks. You can make as many separate lists as you would like to organize. It will send you reminders when tasks need to be completed. This app is very helpful to a busy planner juggling multiple tasks and jobs.

Trello: Curran uses Trello to create assembly lines for streamlined production. But there are so many uses that would benefit event planners. You can share a Trello board with your entire event team and move/assign tasks to the person that needs to handle each portion of your event. This not only makes it clear who is designated for each task, but allows event planners to have a quick glance at what progress is being made and what needs to be done.

Workout Apps/Subscriptions: It’s been proven time and time again that working out can greatly reduce stress. Event and meeting planners are constantly on the run and crunched for time. For this reason, Curran recommends a subscription-based workout program or app. These programs allow you to fit in a good workout anywhere with the click of a button and can accommodate any time restrictions and fitness levels.

“You are blessed to be working in a profession you love,” Collins says. “Enjoy it. We are truly blessed to help create moments and experiences for people on this planet to enjoy. So take a moment to enjoy what others in your life have planned for you.”

Curran agrees. “When it’s your off-time, really take breaks … whether that is going for a run outside or getting coffee with your friends,” he says. “You can’t help others if your cup is empty, so self-care is crucial to remain calm and in control as an event planner.”

If a planner does not get a handle on the stress of their job, they will more than likely burn out. On top of that, a meeting or event planner’s personal life and health will also suffer
for the abundance of stress, and it could affect their relationships, well-being and so much more.

“By establishing a work/life balance, you have time to spend doing things you love,” Curran says. “Recharging and de-stressing allows you to give it your all when you are back at your office and working events.” C&IT

These days, teambuilding activities are the “name of the game,” with companies and organizations of all sizes investing time, resources and energy into building better teams with fun, interactive, creative meetings and events.

The popularity of certain types of group participation exercises changes from year to year. Themed meetings are also likely to encourage attendance as prospective attendees anticipate what is to come.

Corporate event planner Beth Lawrence, president and CEO of Beth Lawrence LLC, says, “Teambuilding has actually become increasingly popular, in my opinion, as we become more and more dependent on technology. It’s ironic that in our tech-savvy and global society, we are now looking for more real-life connections. Almost every event I have planned has some sort of networking or teambuilding component.”

“Major corporations have implemented a more positive and fun work culture. …The future looks bright for more teambuilding within the corporate market.”
— Elizabeth Sherry

But these connections don’t just happen. Meeting and event planners have to provide opportunities for them to occur.

“Teambuilding has grown up,” says Bailey Roth, president of Redstone Agency, a boutique event management company. “These days, it’s more than just playing interactive — and, let’s be honest, sometimes silly — games. In the corporate world in particular, organizations want to create a culture that’s broadly relevant. In practice, that has meant a shift toward using teambuilding to develop longer-term relationships and communities based on a shared culture and mission, rather than short-term relationships based on transient factors. People want to build professional relationships that can last beyond a single conference or event. There’s no relay race for that.”

Roth stresses that teambuilding remains popular because collaboration and professional relationships will always be important. But the reality is a bit more nuanced: There are different kinds of teams and various types of teambuilding options.

“The first and more typical kind of teambuilding involves enhancing collaboration and relationships within a corporate environment,” Roth says.

Another type of teambuilding employs activities at events to make participants experience a connection to a cause or mission.

“As corporate event planners, we are always asking whether participants feel like they belong at our events,” Roth says. “Do they share the cause? Are they engaged with other participants? As long as we are asking those questions, there will be a need for
effective teambuilding.”

Elizabeth Sherry, meeting planner and engagement manager at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, says teambuilding activities in their once-traditional sense of creating the tallest structure out of spaghetti, tape and newspaper is out.

“But what is becoming more popular is creativity in engagement, such as having a Jenga competition spanning a day, or “forcing” people to have conversations with each other not about work, which in the end will create better synergy when work conversations begin again,” Sherry says.

Now teambuilding has transformed to gather people in order to actually have conversations and get to know each another on a personal level.

“I am sure technology has played a huge factor into why this has become more valuable today,” Sherry says. “Think of the last standard meeting you went to. Did everyone show up right at the time of meeting start? If they were there early, were they on their phones not talking with the person next to them? A decade ago, the five minutes of waiting would have been filled with talk about how someone’s kids were doing or how their parents’ health was. Now it is filled with ‘click,’ ‘tap’ and ‘swipe.’”

What’s Hot/What’s Not

There is a reason why so many meetings and events seem to be cookie-cutter productions. There are people to please and placate, funds to be allocated, guest lists to be trimmed and complex rules of etiquette to be followed.

It is no wonder that so many people end up with the same event they have attended a dozen times before. Why not orchestrate a teambuilding event that creates a distinctive atmosphere and helps these meetings stand out from the crowd?

As with any facet of the meetings and events industry, the popularity of certain types of teambuilding activities ebbs and flows from year to year.

Lawrence says two types of programs are gaining in popularity. These include event apps and gamification activities.

“There are branded apps that allow guests to connect prior to conferences and after, as well as Slack, which can be used to build community,” Lawrence says. “Onsite, there are gamification options within these apps or supplementary event technologies.”

In fact, Roth says technology is absolutely critical and, used effectively, can help foster the type of relationships and communities within the teambuilding arena.

“Technology allows people to connect pre- and post-event, facilitating connections beyond the breakfast buffet,” Roth says. “And it doesn’t have to be complicated. A tool as simple and accessible as an Instagram hashtag can go a long way. For those interested in exploring more sophisticated online community apps, I’d recommend looking at Poken by GES.”

While Sherry agrees that technology can be a great tool to engage meeting and event attendees, she thinks all planners should ask themselves what the goals are that they would like to get out of the meeting, and also ask, “Can we do it without technology?” “What would it look like?” or “Would technology enhance this vision?”

“For some companies, it does,” Sherry says. “If technology is an avenue a planner would like to explore, virtual reality goggles have become more and more popular. Digital art walls are an opportunity for a standard non-creative department to have to think outside the box. And geo-mapping scavenger hunts have been popular for a couple years.”

Aside from technology and gamification within apps, companies are often bringing their experiences onsite to conferences, such as ax-throwing venues, board game cafes and even ping-pong clubs. Many companies want a unique event that will not only appeal to those who have ‘been-there, done-that,’ but something personalized for their meeting that ties in their theme and brings their message to life.

At the moment, activities that account for work/life blend are popular, especially when they connect people based on a shared objective, such as wellness or mindfulness. Roth says examples include spin classes and other group fitness classes, volunteering as a group and activities that are intellectually stimulating like escape rooms.

“The trend very much favors activities involving a single, united group, so ‘color wars’ and other competitions involving multiple teams are out of favor,” Roth says. “That’s a positive development, in my view, because connections based on shared objectives are more likely to foster loyalty and appreciation of culture than those based on assignment to a given team in a competition.”

Charitable team activities are also favored. Companies and participants like that their event has a dual purpose — they are growing closer as a team and helping others at the same time. Some meetings and events find teams participating in a treasure hunt to collect items needed by a local charity — offering ways for teams to work together in a different way than a traditional “let’s stuff care packages” event.

Some meeting planners are also seeing an emerging teambuilding trend in the area of technology. Today’s scavenger hunts are taking a big leap forward by using smartphones and tablets, offering interactive technology that far surpasses the scavenger hunts of yesteryear whereby participants documented their success with Polaroid cameras.

So what’s not popular in teambuilding these days? “Classic” events, such as Wacky Olympics and Cardboard Boat Regattas, are “oh-so passé.” Also, planners have seen a long and successful run of reality television shows as teambuilding experiences. However, Survivor-type events to Dancing With the Stars themes are coming to an end. The exception to that is culinary teambuilding, which remains “hot,” bringing teams together through food.

What to Look For

When considering appropriate teambuilding activities, planners should talk to the teambuilding company about the group and what they hope to achieve with the event. The more information that can be shared with the teambuilding facilitator, the better job they can do at customizing the program to make sure it is a really great fit.

Be sure to trust the experts. A meeting or event planner may not know what’s best for their group, but a good teambuilding company can work with the planner to help determine what would be the perfect teambuilding opportunity.

In fact, a common mistake meeting professionals make is assuming that each teambuilding company will run programs the same way.

Remember every teambuilding company has different nuances to their programs and facilitators with different levels of experience running them. Be open to new ideas and ask lots of questions about anything that is confusing before the program.

Also, be sure to choose the right event for participants. For instance, just because a company VIP loves adventure sports, it doesn’t mean booking a high-risk activity is the way to go. You want to ensure everyone is comfortable — if it’s intimidating, it actually alienates people instead of bringing them closer.

Teambuilding also should never be a surprise, as it really defeats the purpose of bonding the team. If you planned a meeting last year and had dinner on the main night, will they remember what they had to eat? Probably not, but they will remember what they did, how they felt and what they experienced. Teambuilding done right can connect on so many levels.

Down the Road

For cost-conscious corporations, inexpensive teambuilding activities within the meetings and events arena are expected to gain momentum in the near future.

“Having a board game competition or a paper airplane tournament are simple, cheap and fun,” Sherry says. “Our company just hosted a potato sack race in the middle of our lobby. We got a lot of looks, but we had so much fun. Winners all got a bag of potatoes to take home.”

Lawrence adds that learning new skills together — like ax-throwing — is going to continue to be a trend because it’s something you can usually follow up with and do locally, as well. “Also, technology enables us to keep connections going long after the event is over,” Lawrence says.

Roth adds that the reality is people are experiencing a strain on their time. That’s why teambuilding that acknowledges the value of participants’ limited time is very important.

“I predict that teambuilding serves a secondary purpose, such as being active will become increasingly popular in the coming years, as demands on time continue to be a factor,” Roth says.

For many planners, teambuilding is the backbone to any organization’s culture. “The future of business will be working with companies that are like-minded in their approach with how they treat employees, whether it be direct benefits or culture,” Sherry says. “Major corporations have implemented a more positive and fun work culture. They are building their brand off of working with people who share the same vision. The future looks bright for more teambuilding within the corporate market.”

Options to Explore

Successful organizations have capitalized on the strategic value of meetings — they see the imperative of bringing people together to accomplish real business results. Engaging meeting and event attendees via unique teambuilding experiences can positively impact the bottom line. Teambuilding, if properly planned and executed, will inform, educate and inspire those who attend. It sends a loud message to all stakeholders that employees matter, are valued and that building a strong team mentality is vital to the success of an event and organization. Some key teambuilding ideas include:

One-Day Adventures

For meetings and events that feature teambuilding activities that can last an entire day, considering exploring private teambuilding resorts or a private ranch where teams can enjoy bonding activities, such as paintball, a ropes/challenge course, an eco-adventure race, a leadership challenge and zip line. The ropes/challenge course, for example, could provide a teambuilding program that incorporates communication, trust, problem-solving and fun.

City-exploring Options

Corporations can offer unique and memorable teambuilding activities and scavenger hunts, utilizing various parts of a city for these programs. An Amazing Race program, reminiscent of the popular reality show of the same name, could provide attendees with the opportunity to “race” through different parts of a city completing required tasks. Survivor-type games could include a series of physical challenges (for people of all fitness levels) that allow team members to test their mental and physical strengths.

Tackling Obstacles

Some teambuilding planning companies offer elevated obstacle courses set in the forests or woods. Suspended between the trees off the ground, obstacle courses range from Tarzan-style ropes to wobbly bridges, swinging logs, cargo nets, zip lines and even aerial surfboards.

Exploring Mental Prowess

Fast, flexible and trusted group activities are the name of the game for many corporations.
That’s why some meeting planners are embracing teambuilding activities that not only stimulate participants’ mental prowess but also help establish stronger communication and interactive skills among attendees. From crime investigation activities to smartphone scavenger hunts to philanthropic activities, attendees can participate in group activities that appeal to their interests.

Ranch-style Activities

Consider having your group bond while participating in authentic dude ranch activities, while celebrating “all things Old West.” Several ranches throughout the West and Southwest areas of the U.S. offer a variety of teambuilding activities that will enhance a group’s cooperation, decision-making skills and encourage teamwork. Some favorite teambuilding offerings include team penning and foot rodeos. In addition, special private group activities, exercises and events can be orchestrated to meet the needs of attendees. C&IT