Creating a theme for a corporate event is serious business. The right theme ties a meeting together and helps focus attendees on their organization’s core objective for the meeting and often the coming year. Well conceived and executed, the right theme can move employees to innovate, ideate, change direction, energize, create, collaborate and tackle the challenges necessary to outshine the competition, raise the most funds or whatever else a company may desire.

Current Trends

One challenge for planners is creating something memorable and new each meeting, especially today when one-offs and extreme customization are the norm.

According to Valerie Meinen, president of Wyoming-based Unimaginable Wows, it’s not only about a unique experience for the group; it’s about making the experience “personal for each attendee.”

For me, she states, “The goal is bringing normally introverted, intellectually brilliant individuals together without them realizing they’re actually networking. Personalizing the experience is paramount.”

Tiffany Eck, CMP, associate director, convention services, with Visit Denver, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, says, “The most memorable events are those that are customized to the group, provide interactive options and have unique surprises and delights.”

Adolfo Solórzano Z., senior creative manager with AlliedPRA South Florida, says interactivity is primary but notes that it’s evolving. “Tech is one of the most popular themes I see with corporate groups,” he says. “Adapting tech, tech and creativity, tech and social, tech and when it left us behind! Meetings and events have become much more interactive, from arts and crafts to graffiti painting to giant Lite-Brite walls to virtual reality simulations,” he says.

“However,” he adds, “live-feed walls, hashtags and such have almost become ‘before and after’ while ‘during’ has shifted toward interactive tech such as virtual reality, which has gotten pretty great, versus social tech, which has become a cliché of not living in the moment.”

In addition to creating memorable experiences for attendees, Eck says, interest in the local has definitely increased. “Meetings can take attendees away from their families and time in the office for days at a time; it is important to ensure that attendees find value in both the meeting agenda and the city to which they’ve traveled. Experiencing local flavor at events adds significant value to productive days.”

Meinen sees an emphasis on the local as well, noting that, “opening visitors’ eyes to the wonder of an area and helping them see the beauty of a region” can elevate a meeting.

Popular culture also continues to drive some themes, which can work in concert with a local aspect as well. Rich Mergo, director of development for the Sunshine Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established to answer the dreams of chronically ill, physically challenged and abused children from limited-income families, went with a Galactic Gala theme for an event held at B Resort & Spa in Orlando, which also brought in members of the local community, who appeared in Star Wars costumes.

When all is said and done, notes Solórzano Z., today it’s about providing attendees with “an emotional and experiential point of view.”

The venue chosen is often key, along with menus, drinks, décor, lighting and activities.

The Roaring ’20s

The Roaring ‘20s and a surprise speakeasy after-party were central themes for a reception at HelmsBriscoe’s 2016 Western Regional Meeting in Denver. “As part of our bid, Visit Denver was responsible for hosting the Thursday night event,” Eck says, “traditionally a two- to three-hour heavy appetizer/ food station networking reception. HelmsBriscoe suggested changing the format to a seated dinner. I inquired what everyone typically did after the event and learned that many attendees find their way to a local bar. I asked if we could add an after-party to our dinner, and the clients loved the idea.

“We knew we wanted to use the Seawell Ballroom in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We sent an RFP to our DMCs asking for theme ideas that included a cocktail reception, seated dinner and an after-party. Nine ideas were submitted. We narrowed those down to three, and HelmsBriscoe chose the Roaring ‘20s/speakeasy theme, which they felt would best resonate with attendees.”

Eck says the 1920s art deco and speakeasy theme was incorporated into every aspect of the event, “from our amenity cards to the menus and the table décor. We were even able to get servers to wear fedoras, gloves and beads, and our band dressed the part as well.”

During the cocktail reception, guests were able to take photos with a 1920s Rolls Royce positioned under a vintage marquee. Guests were escorted to the ballroom with a brass band. Upon entering, an aerialist was pouring champagne.”

The room was set with three different table configurations — rectangle, square and circle — each shape with its own linen and floral styles. Each table also had “Did You Know” signs with fun facts from the 1920s. “There was a beaded drape separating the dinner from the speakeasy,” Eck notes, “but it simply appeared to be another elegant design element. As dinner finished, a voice over the loudspeaker directed attendees to turn their attention to the drape, which was lifted up to reveal the Denver Speakeasy and After-Party. The band started playing and attendees finished the evening dancing, playing casino-style games and creating lasting memories at the photo booth.”

Attendees also were encouraged to wear cocktail attire, and many of the women went all out in flapper dresses. “While attendees were in their meetings, Visit Denver delivered custom amenities to their hotel rooms,” Eck adds. “Women received either beads or boas, and the men received fedoras. It was fun to watch everyone walk up to the reception dressed as if it were 1920.”

The biggest challenge, Eck says, was strategically trying to fit a reception, dinner and after-party in a three-hour window without feeling rushed. Dinner was expedited with pre-set salads and one menu option, though a vegetarian option was available on request. Dessert was served at the “speakeasy.”

The event was a huge success. Ronnee Levin, coordinator, Western region, for HelmsBriscoe, says, “The biggest ‘wow’ of our three-day meeting was the spectacular 1920s-themed dinner and speakeasy after-party. Tiffany and her team’s attention to detail were impeccable. Our group of 150 seasoned meeting planners raved with reviews of the evening, and their photos flooded our social media pages. Without a doubt, this night was the highlight of our meeting agenda!”

Park City Teambuilding

Last August, Meinen worked with GoEngineer, a 3-D printing and design and manufacturing software reseller on an event focused on teambuilding. “Our overriding theme with this annual event is to develop individual colleagues through collaborative interactions,” Meinen says. Based at Westgate Resort & Spa Park City in Park City, Utah, the event drew 175 attendees. Every aspect of the meeting was designed to support the teambuilding objective — not always in obvious ways.

“One of the coolest design elements of this event rests in the beauty of the Westgate Resort and its surrounding mountains,” Meinen says. “It’s important to balance consistency and routine for attendees while still revealing new spaces at the resort they may not be aware of from one year to the next. The game room, for example, helped attendees get off their devices and enjoy interactive time so they could get to know one another better.”

An outdoor raptor demonstration did triple duty. Simply watching these magnificent birds fly and return to the naturalists was an amazing shared experience for the group. But the event was also an icebreaker, putting “everyone at ease and on equal footing for the rest of the week,” Meinen notes. They added photo ops with the hawks and owls, which Meinen says was “super popular and again allowed bonding and shared memories to enhance these colleagues’ future business interactions.”

F&B provided a way to create a local experience and support the teambuilding objective. “No one wants to come to Park City and have a beer they can drink back home,” Meinen notes. “They want to try the local brew masters’ offerings. The same holds true for eats. Using a butter knife to cut into a steak at Edge Steakhouse is a must-do while in the area. Our dinner group of 18 elected to dine on the patio with two huge gas fireplaces roaring on either side of our table. I had no idea it would create such an organic networking environment! It was a touch chilly that evening, so between courses our guests got up, stretched their legs and gathered around these two fireplaces to swap stories.”

While it’s no surprise that branding was incorporated into the event, it was done here with an employee-centric twist. “Throughout the course of the year,” Meinen says, “we track all customer feedback of our colleagues, and we get a boatload of praises and fist bumps. We took the best of these testimonials and created signage everywhere to showcase the talent in this company. Because the testimonials were personal, each was different. To say that we besieged the Westgate Park City with these branded pieces of awesomeness is an understatement. At the end of the week, the attendees got to take their own signage home with them, whether it was a tabletop tent card or a real estate-sized sign.”

Going above and beyond traditional teambuilding and group activities was also paramount. “These folks take their jobs very seriously but themselves not so much,” Meinen says. “Capturing their silly side and offering a release and decompression zone was key.”

Mingling colleagues who didn’t know each other, they combined “great aspects from different experiences and intertwined them” into one super afternoon of fun. The group rode the Red Pine gondola but with custom crossword puzzles to solve on the way. There were flying quad copters, archery, water balloons and other competitive events, and relay races in adult Big Wheels. “We took our competitive nature to the next level and raced these ‘toys’ with reckless hilarity,” Meinen notes. “GoEngineer’s owner, CEO and CFO even volunteered to pedal out on them, creating a huge reveal to a mob of 175 people.”

Meinen believes creating a successful theme is dependent on a planner really knowing the client. “Get to know your client extremely well, recognize what their core values and cultural nuances are and ignore no detail, no matter how small,” she advises.

Old Florida

In January, Solórzano Z. worked with a New England-based technology and security company to create a leadership conference for 40. The theme they chose was “Old Florida,” which provided a sense of place, a sense of history of the area and was appropriately high-end, classic, fun and inspiring — all of which resonated with this group.

“The St. Regis Bal Harbor, where they were staying, is in an area that embodies the classic Miami Beach, Florida and modern-wealth aesthetic,” Solórzano Z. says. “It’s right on the water, across the street from one of our high-end malls in a quieter area and ideal for the demographic of this group.”

The event featured classic Miami and Miami Beach activities, including an art deco tour and a final Rat Pack-themed reception at a historic venue, The Forge, a working forge in the 1930s and now one of Miami’s high-end landmark restaurants. “The main dining room’s chandelier is from the old Paris Opera House,” Solórzano Z. notes. “There are Tiffany stained-glass windows and the wine cellar houses more than 300,000 vintages.” His personal favorite element? Napoleon’s writing desk from the Revolutionary War.

The event began with classic cocktails in the courtyard of the East Room. “The men dressed in suits and fedoras, and the women were elegant in dresses and stoles,” Solórzano Z. says. “They were then taken on a sommelier-guided tour of the famed cellar, where they ‘met’ the bantering duo of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, who eventually led them to the main dining area. Amber lighting, elegantly draped crystal centerpieces on distressed looking copper linens set the tone and tied the classic and old look together beautifully. Frank and Dean entertained the crowd with their improvised comedy routine and were backed by a five-piece band that supported them through their hits.”

This event, Solórzano Z. says, was highly memorable. “It not only had the most history but it brought on nostalgia and humor.”

The AlliedPRA team worked with The Forge to create a menu appropriate to the time period. “The dinner was not a typical modern menu of molecular cuisines or deconstructed who’s it and what’s it,” Solórzano Z. says. “It was Colorado rack of lamb and purée, dry-aged prime New York strip with roasted potatoes and other delicious and elegantly simplistic food.”

The fact that the client had a seasoned planner who “knew her ins and outs with precision,” minimized challenges. One function was moved from outdoors to indoors, but Solórzano Z. says this team “with decades in the business” made that “a minor detour that was barely noticed.”

He believes the most important thing a planner can do to create a successful event is to listen. “I can’t stress listening enough,” he says. ”Your most successful themed events are those in which you invested the time and questions into your client. Research the company. Where have they been and where are they going? Did something great recently happen? Was there a new product or a change in the executive team? As with every creative process, the more you’ve studied the subject the more precise your final product will be. We all know the devil’s in the details.”

Galactic Gala

Not all events can or should be constructed in the same way. For Mergo, it’s important to set the galas in the Orlando area where the Sunshine Foundation’s Dream Village, recipient of funds raised during this event, is located. “By keeping the event local, we are able to reach a larger number of our area corporate sponsors, supporters and donors, and keep our costs down by minimizing expenses for travel,” he says.

For one event, a galactic theme made sense. “Our gala was scheduled to take place a little over a month prior to the release of “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.” The film was generating a lot of media attention and fan interest, and we wanted to tie into that energy with a theme people could be excited to be a part of,” he says. “We have a great relationship with the area chapter of the 501st Legion, whose members had expressed an interest in volunteering appearances. The Star Wars theme allowed a large number of 501st Legion volunteers to appear in costume for the occasion.”

The existing décor of B Resort & Spa also lent itself to the theme. “From the blue-and-gray color scheme of the ballroom to the white, almost futuristic atmosphere of the lobby, it was easy to imagine the hotel’s existing décor as part of our theming. We were especially delighted that the round prism chandeliers in the ballroom were perfect to enhance the galactic theme,” Mergo says.

“We used digital projection to transform the ballroom walls into scenes reminiscent of Star Wars landscapes and ship interiors. Our centerpieces were constructed in designs that focused on futuristic elements and incorporated the silver and crystal highlights of the room. Of course, it also helped to have Boba Fett, Stormtroopers, Darth Vader and other key characters from the films mingling with guests and posing for photos.”

Additionally, Mergo says the B Resort & Spa catering team “did a wonderful job incorporating our theme with their existing menu items. Our guests were delighted to find appetizer choices such as Obi wan Kabob-ies or Chewbacon Candy, and entrée selections such as Boba Fettucine. Even custom cupcakes donated by a local vendor were adorned with likenesses of Stormtroopers and Darth Vader. The bar featured red and blue specialty cocktails, signifying the rebel or imperial side, as well as a green Yoda-themed non-alcoholic beverage for our under-age guests. Drinks were passed on lighted trays and featured glow sticks in the glasses matching the color of the drink.”

Even some silent auction items were themed to the movie, including replica gowns and a custom dress inspired by the designer’s love of the movie franchise.

Mergo’s advice for planners creating a themed event is to immerse guests in the theme from the outset. “Start with the first piece of collateral they receive — save-the-dates or invitations — and follow up with reminders of the theme throughout the event,” he advises. “Party favors, menu items, specialty drinks, table décor — these are all areas that can easily be themed. Even if actual menu items cannot be themed, the names of the items on a menu card can be. Don’t overlook opportunities to sneak the theme in where it’s least expected, such as goody-bag gift items or specialty desserts.”

In the end, a well-executed theme can provide a year’s worth of inspiring moments and memories for those attending, which in turn can lead to positive results in a variety of expected and unexpected ways.                                                                                                              C&IT

The 2017 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festivals (pictured here) served as a learning lab on mega events for planners taking part in MPI’s Experiential Event Series. Credit: Danny Matson/SXSW

While the phrase “memorable meeting” is surely cliché, it still denotes a goal that most planners have. Meetings must leave a lasting, positive impression on attendees, and that is best achieved when great content is combined with a hospitality experience that is both high quality and distinctive.

A planner may not be involved in the content, but the design of the surrounding event is certainly his or her province. And what has evolved is the way those elements are made memorable: The approach is now more strategic, carefully taking into account desired outcomes, attendee demographics, corporate brand and more.

So it’s no longer as simple as booking a popular band or city tour; these add-ons may help attendees remember the meeting a year later, but they won’t necessarily engage attendees with the host company’s goals and identity. Hence the terminological shift from “memorable” to “engaging.” It’s the latter kind of experience that planners want to create today, specifically because it will lead to a better return (i.e., “return on experience”).

Fortunately, trade associations have been providing education that supports planners in their quest for ROE. For example, MPI’s three-day Event Design Certificate (EDC) course includes an EventCanvas, a visual tool that helps a planner develop an event by considering its “promise, how it helps stakeholders to get their jobs done, resolving pains and creating gains within a set framework of commitment and expected return.” A related tool is the EmpathyMap, which maps out what each type of participant should come away from the event knowing, doing and feeling.

Experiential Event Series

Renowned festivals, political conventions, sporting events and trade shows also can educate on impactful event design, and MPI has capitalized on this resource for the benefit of its members. The MPI Experiential Event Series, launched two years ago, offers participants an immersive experience at these events to learn not only their design, but also their execution in terms of crisis management, marketing strategy and other aspects. This year’s lineup includes South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festivals, the Royal Caribbean Experience, C2 Montreal and the Indianapolis 500, with the Venice International Film Festival upcoming in September and the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival in November.

“We started with a wish list of which events really meet the criteria of what this brand is: high-profile events that our members wouldn’t normally have behind-the scenes access to, and that would give them good learning opportunities,” explains Matthew Marcial, V.P., Education & Events, MPI. “The first event we did was the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. We also did the Consumer Electronics Show and South by Southwest (SXSW) that inaugural year. SXSW is the only one that we’ve repeated thus far because it’s been so popular.”

The events in the series fall into four categories: entertainment events, culinary events, sporting events and “mega events” such as SXSW and the Democratic National Convention. “We’ve found that many of the planners will find segments they have a special interest in learning more about,” says Marcial. “So the certificate program that we (tie) to each event tailors very specific education to each of those areas.”

For example, the C2 Montreal program this past May conferred participants the EDC, the Indianapolis 500 program conferred the MPI Sports Event Management Certificate, and the Venice International Film Festival will confer the MPI Festival Production Certificate with Entertainment Focus. Participants are able to meet with specific individuals from different areas of event production for Q&As; network among an intimate group of 30 or so other participants; and venture out and experience the event for themselves, Marcial adds. “We always build in time so they can explore the event on their own from an attendee perspective.”

Interestingly, the series has drawn a lot of interest from senior-level corporate planners, “who have kind of stepped away from traditional education,” says Marcial. “They have found a lot more value in this type of learning than they have in programs they previously participated in. We’ve seen a lot of repeat participation as well from those senior planners. We have several folks who’ve been to more than a couple of the experiential events, and a couple who have been to four or five.”

Lennox Roadshow

Indeed, the value of learning how these highly successful events deliver ROE for attendees can’t be overestimated. Most of them are not corporate meetings, but their organizers do face the same challenge of creating a compelling experience every year. Similarly, the planning team at Richardson, Texas-based Lennox Industries Inc. is tasked with delivering an engaging Lennox Roadshow annually.

One year, for example, the team created a “Lennoxpalooza” with a rock ‘n’ roll theme. “We do change it up every year with some type of theme pertinent to what’s happening that particular year, and they just get better and better every year,” says Cecilia Daddio, CMP, senior manager, events and incentives.

Echoing MPI’s idea, she explains that Lennox has found value in sending their own staff to SXSW to obtain ideas. “We do utilize SXSW as a source of education. At last year’s SXSW, we took a lead on how we can enhance our trade show aspect of the Roadshow by giving mic time to our sponsors or vendors on the trade show floor, instead of just thanking them. So we’re going to incorporate that this year.”

Local festivals and events are also a touchstone for the planning team. “On a local basis we go to food festivals and wine-tasting festivals — we take in as many of the local ones as we can. We partner closely with the CVB of the city we’re going to, and they notify us of any upcoming events that might be a learning situation,” Daddio adds.

Creating Buzz

Most companies that stage meetings have at least one event where experiential design is especially important, and Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar Inc. has several: its exhibitions at ConExpo and MINExpo, as well as its dealer meetings.

“Those are the events where we really need to create that buzz and that excitement for our attendees. For our dealer meetings in particular, we pay attention to more enhancements than we would for just a normal conference,” explains Angela Baer, CMP, corporate meeting planner at the company. While she has not yet been able to participate in the MPI Experiential Event Series, Baer says she “would have loved” to take advantage of the Indy 500 program. “I am personally interested in upping my game.”

Like all great sporting events that include musical entertainment, the Indy 500 knows its audience. Last May’s installment offered top-tier mainstream country, with Keith Urban and Dustin Lynch performing at the Firestone Legends Day Concert on the day before the race. A variety of up-and-coming acts representing hip-hop, EDM and other genres took the stage at the SnakePit on the first day.

Similarly, Baer knows her audience well when it comes to selecting musical acts that will resonate with them. “For MINExpo we had Sara Evans and the Doobie Brothers, because our main audience for that was (middle-aged) mining guys and their wives. So that type of music hit the country and hit the rock. And everybody loved it; our CEO really loved it. Having done this a while, I know what will fly and what won’t.”

She also knows how to exercise a certain restraint in regards to another common approach to engagement: interactivity. Overall, meeting attendees do want more interaction with presenters as well as entertainment that is hands-on and immersive, such as the Brooklyn Bowl event Caterpillar hosted for its attendees at MINExpo in Las Vegas.

“That went over very well; we’re definitely doing it again. But I think that if you offer too much (interactive entertainment) it can be overwhelming, at least for our audience,” she notes. “You’ve got machine testing and then you’ve got demos and then parties, and then you’re doing something at a racetrack…so I try to strive for something in-between driving a stock car and a boring cocktail reception.”

The takeaway is that planners should not be seduced by a trendy form of entertainment without first considering that activity in the context of everything else their guests will be doing throughout the event.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Some trends are worth following, however, even if it means readjusting a meeting schedule.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are increasingly part of annual sales meetings, incentive programs and other types of corporate events for several reasons: They are intrinsically worthwhile, they are important to the image of the host company, and they engage today’s attendee with the company and its values, perhaps more so than entertainment or teambuilding that lacks a CSR dimension.

“The biggest (factor) I would say truthfully to get customers engaged in any program is the giving back,” Daddio asserts. Toward that end, “we really have minimized the onstage time (at our meetings). Instead of going 20 minutes long we may go 15, but when you have five or six (presentations), that saves you 30-45 minutes to be able to do some type of (charity) event, such as building bicycles.”

So in lieu of holding the CSR event pre or post meeting, Lennox programs now blend that activity with the main program. “We started it last year and will keep it up because we’ve gotten rave reviews on our surveys,” she adds.

Setting the Bar

Once a planner succeeds in creating an engaging experience around a meeting’s content, the bar for the quality of the experience is set at a certain level. And some planners feel it is expected that the next installment of that meeting will raise the bar even higher. This expectation may be misguided, however: An even more engaging experience would be great, but all that is really needed is one that is just as engaging.

“I don’t know if I would say we need to ‘top’ last year,” says Baer. Rather, “we need to give the same ‘level’ that we have in previous years. And for some of my meetings we do have to be a little careful because we don’t want to have a dealer meeting one year that is totally over the top, and then the next one where they’re expecting that (level) and we don’t do that. So if we do bring in a top-tier band, how are we going to be able to do that next year and the year after?”

Of course, maintaining the same quality of experience doesn’t preclude variety. The meeting may not offer “something better,” but should offer “something just as good, but different” in order to continue to spark interest. That is the traditional thinking behind incentive program design.

Last year, Lennox took its 600-attendee incentive trip to a very unusual reward destination: Berlin.

“It was about trying to get (qualifiers) excited about Berlin when their thoughts may only be the (historical) negatives of the city. But it’s a new generation and they’ve rebuilt the city, so we definitely wanted to encompass that flavor,” Daddio relates.

Toward showcasing the new Berlin, Daddio’s team arranged a creative activity for participants where they individually painted canvases to express themselves and their surroundings at each stop on a bus tour. Then during an evening festival in the traditional Berlin style, their work was unexpectedly displayed.

“With them creating that artwork and then displaying it as if they were at a gallery, it was just a phenomenal ending to that event,” says Daddio. And the post-event survey replies bore out the quality of the experience and the site choice, e.g.: “I never would have gone there on my own, I’m so glad I did.”

SMMP’s Big-Picture Focus on Experiential

Participant experience is clearly critical to the overall ROI of an incentive trip, as that experience motivates attendees’ future attempts to qualify. But the experiential aspect for many other types of meetings is also being increasingly recognized as important to ROI, as it furthers engagement in a way that mere content delivery cannot. Based on that rationale, Global Business Travel Association has added “Participant Experience” to its SMM Wheel, along with more familiar elements of strategic meetings management such as Sourcing & Procurement and Data Analysis & Reporting.

Although it may not be obvious, a strategic meetings management program (SMMP) can support the success of meetings from an experiential standpoint. There is a tendency to focus on creating an engaging experience at the individual meeting, but an SMMP focuses on the big picture: Are all of a company’s mission-critical meetings living up to certain standards, including the quality of the participant experience? “Companies worry about the experiential (aspect) for the one-off meeting, but an SMMP looks at ensuring the mission-critical ones have it and that they all connect to the greater company strategy,” explains Victoria Johnson, CMP, CMM, global manager, strategic meetings management program, global meetings and events for Northbrook, Illinois-based Underwriters Laboratories LLC. Under a mature SMMP, not only will the experiential quality of a given meeting be sustained every year, but likewise for all other significant meetings, and especially any customer-facing programs.

Three Steps to Consistency

Johnson maintains there are three aspects to achieving that consistency across meetings: “The first piece that all of your meetings look and feel the same. The second piece is, are they brand consistent? For example, if a company is trying to say we’re a thought leader in technology, and they’re not using a meeting app, that’s incongruent with who they say they are. And the third piece is how you are designing the meetings,” which includes gearing experiences toward desired outcomes for participants. And part of the protocols under an SMMP would be a careful assessment of those outcomes by anyone charged with planning a mission-critical meeting. For instance, instead of simply booking a band for the final-night event because the budget can accommodate it, “start from, what are we trying to accomplish? Why are we getting a big band? Do we want to reward the attendees?” says Johnson.

In addition, the records on past meetings spend and vendor usage maintained under an SMMP can assist planners in creating an engaging experience cost-effectively. That information allows one to channel spend when possible to preferred vendors not only in lodging and transportation, but also in AV, décor, entertainment, etc., in order to obtain leverage on pricing.

The Freedom to ‘Go for It’

When a meeting achieves ROE while respecting the cost-control priorities of procurement, the planning team ends up looking good in the eyes of upper management. As a result, planners often become more trusted in their area of expertise, and given more free rein to exercise their creativity for future events.

Daddio, who has planned meetings at Lennox for 17 years, recalls that “everything was so structured when I first started. As far as décor it was always the same, the starched linens with the flower centerpiece, and the meals were typically chicken. Now it’s more freestyle. It’s no longer, ‘let’s sit down and discuss blow by blow what this agenda is going to entail.’ You get more, ‘I trust you, go for it. I can’t wait to experience it myself.’ ”   C&IT

Terri Woodin, CMP, is Vice President of Marketing & Global Meeting Services for Meeting Sites Resource in Irvine, California, a strategic meetings management solutions organization with a 24-year track record of meeting excellence. Terri has 30 years of hotel catering, conference services and sales experience, plus five years of meeting planning experience. She is a guest lecturer at Michigan State University, The School of Hospitality Business, from which she  graduated in 1988. Terri can be reached at twoodlin@meetingsites.net.

The planner submits a Request for Proposal, but is it enough to be accepted by a hotel? Conversely, is the product/service supplier being an effective advisor to ensure the planner responds “Yes” to their RFP? Let’s take a closer look at how a lack of understanding of common business practices on both sides of the transaction affects how each views the RFP, and learn strategies for both sides to win in the RFP process.

THE KNOWLEDGE GAP

What is driving this knowledge gap? To start, the compressed business climate continues with May marking the 87th consecutive month of RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) growth. RevPAR is used in the hotel industry to make an assessment regarding a hotel’s operations and its ability to fill its available rooms at an average rate. Increasing a property’s RevPAR means that its average room rate and/or its occupancy rate are increasing. This continues to affect the Group segment with room rates projected to increase at a rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2017 combined with limited occupancy due to strong demand.

THE IMPACT

Given limited availability and high rates, planners are doing “high level” searches with limited information in the RFP and sending them to numerous properties to determine if there is availability and what the rates look like so they can advise stakeholders of which destinations might be an option. The problem is that a hotel declines their RFP due to having no rooms or space available without an explanation as to what that means, because revenue management says there is not enough information in the RFP to be able to bid on it.

THE RESULT

The planner accepts there is no availability and does not ask why there are no rooms or space available (citywide, rooms-to-space ratio, pattern, compression in hotel, definite business on the books, etc.) and proceeds to advise their stakeholder that there is no availability. Door closed.

The supplier misses out on the potential business because they have allowed transactional revenue management procedures to drive the process instead of becoming advisors to the planner by sharing that there is room availability with rates in the mid $200s and asking the planner for more information in order to provide a detailed proposal. Door left open.

The planner can then circle back to the supplier that advises and provides direction as to how to get to “Yes” on their RFP, and also learn along the way how the hotel evaluates its business. This provides a learning experience for both sides through communication that creates a win-win for both sides..

THE SOLUTION

Ensuring that planners and suppliers understand one another is what can help close the gaps in this process.

Planners:

Consider how hotels value their business and understand the variables that influence pricing and availability, so they can get to “Yes” on RFPs. Factors important to hotels include:

• Transient demand
• Arrival/departure patterns: flexibility
• Rooms-to-space ratio
• Group food & beverage spend
• Sleeping room spend
• Seasonality: demand over your dates
• History
• Lead time
• Value of total account business
• Repeat business potential
• Multiyear contracts
• Incremental/ancillary revenue
• Risk (contract clauses)
• Other groups contracted over same dates

Assess your leverage by understanding average industry profit margins and how your RFP contributes:

• Rooms: 77 percent
• Group F&B: 38 percent
• F&B outlets: 19 percent
• Recreation/spa: 15 percent
• Retail/misc. departments: 15 percent

Suppliers:

• Consider how you administer the revenue management process to change your level of involvement from reacting to becoming an advisor.
• Be specific in your decline: No available rooms or no space is not a reason for a decline. Ask why there is no availability — is it citywide, definite business on the books, rooms-to-space ratio, patterns or something else.
• Offer solutions: What do they have to change to get a “Yes” on their requested dates rather than just asking if they have alternate dates?
• Be a trusted advisor: You know your hotel best so manage the process rather than letting the revenue management process manage you, and help your client get to “Yes” and your property to get the business (revenue).
• Think outside the box: It’s not what you book but what you move! Build a wall between groups and put the puzzle together by getting creative.

Dates, rates and space: If you responded “Yes” to the RFP but changed the client’s requested specifications, then be an advisor, rather than saying you can do it when you really can’t. If the client finds out after you have been short-listed, they will ask you to map the space flow. Be ready to identify exactly what you changed in your response.

MANAGING THE GAP TO GET TO YES
When Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) meets Hotel Revenue Management (HRM):

• SMM delivers measureable value to meeting stakeholders.
• HRM maximizes revenues/profitability.
• Utilize strategic RFP process; break down all meeting components.
• Assess total revenues/account value/variables over meeting dates.
• Emphasize overall goals and objectives, and determine flexibility points.
• Success requires open, honest communication at all stages of the RFP process.

4 STEPS TO VALUE-BASED COMMUNICATIONS

1. Utilize strategic RFP.
2. Leverage your history, revenue contributions and future potential.
3. Share your flexibility.
4. Have a conversation to learn what the hotel needs and convey what you need with understanding to move to “Yes” for your RFP

CONCLUSIONS

Education and training is so important in your position as well as in how the other side operates within their processes. If your company is not providing training that helps you do your job better, then seek avenues to learn and grow.

Planners need to understand both the purpose of the event and what it requires for success, and then communicate with the organization they work for and the venue they are partnering with, to execute the best outcome for attendees and stakeholders. Bridge the gap of communication, and understanding will be possible for both sides.

Suppliers need to move away from transactional RFP responses and be advisors and provide solutions to the planner’s thought process of what’s in it for me (WIFM) to design an experience that exceeds expectations throughout the RFP process. Be forward thinking and assist clients to understand the current environment and conditions that affect hotels, stakeholders and the industry.  C&IT

Paul Van Deventer speaking at the MPI Media Briefing and Breakfast at WEC 2017 with MPI Chair/ConferenceDirect CEO Brian Stevens. Credit: Orange Photography

Editor’s Note: Following this year’s Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, we asked MPI President and CEO Paul Van Deventer to reflect on a range of industry issues.

Q Explain how and why this year’s WEC was different. Why did you select Las Vegas for this event? What are the key takeaways you hope planners experienced?

A The WEC 2017 program was designed to stimulate the senses and inspire attendees to think beyond the ballroom, with all of the content building on our theme “stop planning meetings and start designing experiences.” It covered timely and relevant issues that matter to our industry, from security and crisis management, women in leadership, integration of technology, the sourcing of engaging content, to the latest engagement techniques that foster learning.

WEC provides numerous opportunities to gain the education needed to get certified as a meeting professional, refresh business relationships and gain important new friends and allies in the meeting and event industry. You won’t find the same content or education anywhere else, with each breakout session filled with timely, actionable advice that can be immediately applied to your work. MPI looks for opportunities to try new concepts and take risks on behalf of our attendees, looking for opportunities to create teaching moments. For example, when one of our keynote speakers unexpectedly cancelled at the “12th hour,” we created a real-time learning workshop for attendees on how they could manage a similar situation.

For WEC, as well as other MPI signature events, locations are selected through a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process, which considers factors such as location benefits, meeting venue facilities, pricing, hotel offerings, destination accessibility, unique options and local MPI community support. Our host partners, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and MGM Resorts International, were wonderful to work with; their hospitality, accommodations and overall event support were superb.

Q What are the most timely and relevant issues meeting planners are most concerned about? How is MPI helping planners deal with these challenges?

A There are so many critical issues confronting meeting planners and our industry, including meeting design, risk management, travel restrictions, shorter planning times, budget constraints and the integration of technology. Specific to risk management and contingency planning, these have become a critical component of the DNA of meeting planning, including preparation, partner/venue coordination, response and recovery.

We recognize that MPI can play an integral role in helping the global meeting community in this area and thus, we are partnering with the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi, an organization with a proven methodology and track record for creating safety and security best practices, on the development of educational courses that can immediately benefit our community. In addition we are partnering with NCS4 on a five-year, pan-industry initiative to create the first global gold standards for safety and security for meeting and event organizers.

Q How is the approach to risk management in the meetings industry changing in the face of increasing meeting disruptors, such as terror threats, major weather events, cyberthreats, active shooters?

A Contingency planning, disaster management and preparedness, and the safety and security of attendees have become a primary responsibility and expectation of planners. They need to educate themselves on best practices in risk management, contingency planning, partner coordination and communication.

Q What are you learning as co-chair of Meetings Mean Business? What are some of your immediate and long-range goals?

A As co-chair of Meetings Mean Business, I am reminded often that promoting and advocating for our industry cannot be achieved by a single company or organization. More than ever, we must band together as a community and share our story with a united voice.

This year our goals are to (1) generate greater awareness of the industry’s value among policymakers, business leaders and the media; (2) create new proof points and engagement opportunities for coalition members and supporters; (3) broaden our base to include planners and to reach a more global audience; and (4) strengthen our infrastructure for communications and advocacy.

Q How do you think the divided political landscape, rising nationalism and travel ban efforts are affecting the meetings industry? Which White House policies are affecting our industry for better or for worse?

A As I mentioned in my speech during the WEC 2017 Opening General Session, our industry is under attack — from discriminatory legislation, global terrorism and, ironically, by misplaced reaction by some to the threat of terrorism. These threats to the free flow of people limit the effectiveness of live events, and thereby stifle innovation and progress driven by our industry. As a community, each and every one of us has an obligation to advocate for this industry, to promote the value it brings to society and to bring awareness to the pressure it is under.

Q Are meeting budgets keeping pace with costs? Do you see any swing away from the seller’s market? What about lead times?

A We are working to wrap up our next MPI Meetings Outlook report, which is scheduled to be released the first week of August. Without giving away too much, I can tell you we are finding in our research that the industry is projected for a continued healthy market, with indications of anticipated increases in employment, business conditions, and both live and virtual attendance. Also, research respondents envision a seller’s market continuing through next year, with continued pressure on planners’ budgets.

Q Are there any new education and/or certificate or certification programs coming from the MPI Academy? Which of the existing programs are the most popular with meeting professionals? Are there any other new career development initiatives in the offing?

A I am proud of the enhancements we’ve made to our educational programming with the strategic focus achieved since the introduction of the MPI Academy. Our members continue to tell us that education is one of the most important and valued member benefits, so I am excited about the progress we have made in expanding the MPI Academy and our portfolio of educational offerings including webinars, streaming content, our popular Experiential Event Series, certificate courses, and more.

We recently issued a press release announcing a variety of new offerings as part of our new Executive Education Series. These include the Women in Leadership Program and a designation program for the MPI Experiential Event Series. We are also collaborating with the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi to develop educational programming and resources, with the first course — Emergency Preparedness for Meetings and Events — which debuted at WEC 2017. We will soon launch online versions of Meeting Essentials2 and Going Local.

In addition, the academy is working to create e-learning modules of the Basics Bootcamp: Meeting Fundamentals certificate course launching in 2018, the addition of new webinars each week and the development of new education partnerships.

Q How has your restructured membership model been received?

A Our redesigned membership model is resonating well within the community. Last year, we gained 4,985 new members and in the months leading up to WEC 2017, we had 245 registered attendees become new members.

Q How has technology most changed the meetings industry and how challenging has it been for you to keep pace?

A Technology is transforming our industry; from behind-the-scenes logistics to in-person audience engagement, livestreaming and enhanced networking, it is creating a range of efficiencies and flexibility in the way we work and design events. In the 10 years since the launch of the first smartphone, it has exponentially increased the ways we engage with our audiences, and the ways those audiences engage with each other — from networking and business exchanges and educational delivery. It has encouraged innovation in eco-fying our events, reducing waste and energy use.

Based on our own experiences at MPI, we recommend meeting professionals make sure they take the time to fully understand (a) the challenge/opportunity they want a technology to address; (b) what tech solution best suits that need; (c) what the risks of implementation are (and how to reduce them); and (d) whether those risks are worth the decision to implement.

Q What encouraging signs do you see ahead for the U.S. and the global meetings industry?

A When the global economy is doing well, market conditions are certainly more favorable for our industry. The resulting investments in infrastructure and budget increases relieve some of the pressures experienced within the meeting and event industry. On the other hand, when economic development is lagging, meeting professionals have proven to be resilient and creative in finding ways to conduct business despite the challenges faced with room demand, smaller budgets, shorter lead times, etc.

Q MPI is becoming more global in scope than ever before. Where do you envision the organization in the next 10 years?

A We have a very solid plan in place for strategic growth; though change is inevitable and anything can happen over the next 10 years. For now, I can tell you MPI’s priorities are focused in five key areas:

• Help our volunteer leaders be successful.
• Provide the tools and resources to support our most important delivery channel — our chapters.
• Expand and leverage strategic partnerships.
• Provide relevant and timely educational offerings.
• Redesigning and updating our digital environment.

Q What in your opinion are the biggest areas of change meeting planners and the meetings industry will face in the coming year?

A Our industry is under attack because of threats to the free flow of travel. Face-to-face meetings drive innovation, political advancement and economic growth. But if we can’t meet, we can’t facilitate change, and we can’t facilitate advancement. And with the tragic increase in terrorist occurrences, the responsibility for the safety and security of attendees has been moved to the forefront of planning efforts and planner accountability.

It is great to see more industry leaders speaking up and promoting the contributions of the industry to outside stakeholders, and with the Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) campaign, meeting professionals around the world have rallied and used their voices to champion for our community. I believe we are starting to gain some traction with our advocacy efforts, but there is more work to be done this year and in the foreseeable future.C&IT

Atlantic City is undergoing several key transformations to resurrect its appeal to a wider leisure and business market. It’s becoming a more family-friendly destination by diversifying activities and entertainment options, expanding core groups beyond Northeastern-based businesses and associations, and expanding meeting and convention spaces to host larger groups.

Meet AC, the destination’s CVB, is spearheading the transformations with impressive results. In 2016, Meet AC booked 260 meetings and conventions representing 289,422 hotel room nights and more than 863,602 convention delegates.

The growth is continuing this year. “Meet AC had a record year in event bookings and a year in advancing Atlantic City’s image in the meetings and convention market,” says Jim Wood, president and CEO of Meet AC. “Meet AC looks forward to selling and marketing the destination to book future meetings, conventions and sporting events.”

The Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC) contributes to the growth by offering 486,600 sf of exhibit space, 45 meeting rooms and more than 32,000 sf of prefunction space.

The ACCC recently hosted a four-day meeting for 6,000 sales representatives, employees and customers of 5linx, a Rochester, New York-based multilevel marketing company. The company plans to meet in Atlantic City again in 2018 and 2019.

Incentives and Service

5linx chose Atlantic City in part because of the value. “There are great incentives both with the hotels and CVB to conduct meetings in Atlantic City,” says Denise Nowak, vice president of marketing and meeting planner. “That helped to sway corporate’s decision to consider having more events in town.”

5linx was also impressed by Meet AC’s extensive research of the group’s needs. “They attended our event in other cities to get a good background as to what can be expected, and were proactive in addressing issues we had in other cities so that we did not face them in Atlantic City.” says Nowak.

Atlantic City was one of two finalists for the meetings.  “Corporate voted for Atlantic City. Corporate has always liked having events there since the convention and visitors bureau provides assistance with publicizing the event with welcome signage at the airport, along the streets, etc. It’s also easy to get around Atlantic City with the jitneys. Our people like the activities and there is much to do at night.”

The ACCC hosted most meetings and events, including a new product launch and a keynote speech by motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Service was outstanding, says Nowak.

“The convention center went above and beyond to provide for our group,” Nowak says. “We hold numerous large conferences throughout the country each year, and the CVB (Meet AC) has always done more than other cities to welcome our event. Our attendance was larger than expected so we had to change our meeting space and they were able to accommodate us.”

Meeting at Caesars

Functions also were held at 5linx’s headquarters hotel Caesars Atlantic City, which features 28,000 sf of meeting and event space that can host groups of all sizes within its 17,135-sf Palladium Ballroom and 10 meeting rooms ranging in size from 490 sf to 1,262 sf.

“The Caesars property was utilized for our dinner for our 250 top leaders,” says Nowak. “Space was also used at the location on Saturday morning, where over 1,000 attended a worship service prior to the event starting.”

Planners such as Nowak are benefiting from the $200 million that Caesars Entertainment is investing to upgrade its Atlantic City casino properties.

Bally’s Atlantic City spent $3 million to upgrade its Gold Rush-themed Wild Wild West area and remodel its luxury Jubilee guest rooms. Bally’s, located in the middle of the Boardwalk, offers 1,760 guest rooms and 80,000 sf of versatile meeting space in 28 rooms, all on one floor.

Caesars Entertainment recently completed more than $30 million in enhancements to Harrah’s Resort. The hotel’s upgrades include the addition of several new restaurants; a complete restoration of its iconic pool and nightclub, The Pool After Dark; and a fresh redesign and enhancement of 450 guest rooms and suites in the Bayview Tower.

More Meeting Space

Harrah’s also invested $125 million in its new 100,000-sf Waterfront Conference Center, the biggest convention center-hotel facility between Boston and Baltimore. The facility boasts LEED Silver Certification and features two 50,000-sf ballrooms and 64,000 sf of meeting space.

The Claridge, a Radisson Hotel reopened in 2014 as a fully restored historic hotel with 483 renovated guest rooms. The property, home to the Holtzman Art Gallery, debuted additional conference space, adding 15,000 sf to meet the growing demand for conference space throughout Atlantic City. This brings Claridge’s conference space to 100,000 sf, including a 6,400-sf room and four smaller conference and boardrooms. In addition, The Claridge boasts an elegantly renovated ballroom and recently opened Atlantic City’s first rooftop bar, VUE, with expansive views.

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa’s 18,000-sf Central Conference Center (CCC) is part of the $50 million the property is spending on new projects. The CCC offers five customizable meeting rooms, a 6,500-sf ballroom as well as a boardroom and office. In addition, the facility boasts state-of-the-art internet access, HD digital projection and sound systems. The 2,000-room Borgata offers a total of more than 106,000 sf of meeting, event and convention space among its three main venues: The Event Center (70,000 sf), The Water Club (18,000 sf) and the new Central Conference Center (18,000 sf). Borgata’s sister property, the Water Club at Borgata, offers 800 guest rooms and 36,000 sf of meeting space.

Resorts Casino Hotel’s new 15,000-sf conference center is part of the property’s $100 million upgrade. Located at the northern end of the Boardwalk, the enhancements are helping the 942-room property to once again become an East Coast beachfront, boardwalk and tourism property. Resorts  also offers two theaters seating 300 and 1,350 people, respectively, and total meeting space of 64,000 sf.

Meeting at Resorts Casino Hotel

Resorts Casino Hotel recently hosted a four-day meeting for 525 medical personnel by the Philadelphia-based Jefferson Ultrasound Radiology Education Institute (JUREI). The group has met at Resorts the last three years and recently signed contracts through 2020 because of all the property offers.

“In sourcing other locations, there was no better offer in regards to room rate, amenities and other negotiated contract items,” says Jodi Markizon, CMP, manager, JUREI. “The sleeping rooms have been recently renovated or are currently in the process. The hotel is in a central location on the Boardwalk. “There is good food at reasonable prices and an abundance of meeting space that matches our needs.”

The new conference center played a key role in Markizon signing future meetings. “Prior to the conference center being built, we were a good fit for the meeting space,” says Markizon. ”Once the conference center was built, we had the opportunity to add concurrent sessions in a beautiful new setting with all the latest technology. We held our reception in the exhibit hall to let participants meet and mingle while enjoying food and beverage.”

The top-notch service keeps Markizon returning. “This is where Resorts truly shines,” she says. “We developed relationships with the staff, and they know our needs. For example, they know that one of our speakers likes a special chair, a special mouse and a specific water. They make sure that all that is available for her. We often have last-minute room reservation changes with arrivals, departures or type of room, and they always accommodate us.”

InContact Inc., a Sandy, Utah-based provider of cloud-based customer communication systems, recently held its three-day annual regional sales meeting at Resorts Hotel for 16 attendees for the second consecutive year.

Jarrett Cummings, vice present sales for InContact, cites Resorts Hotel’s service as a prime reason for returning.

“They are very attentive to our needs,” says Cummings. “Service isn’t just a job for them. They really do want us to have a great time. The feeling is echoed from the time you walk in until the time you leave by everyone from the bellman to the waiters to the event staff. One of our sales engineers said, ‘You can really tell everyone wants our business and appreciates us.’ ”

The stellar service combined with the cost-effective “all-included” packages proved to be a good combination. “Everything is included in your room rate, or can be,” Cummings  says. “There is no nickel-and-diming for meeting rooms, internet, projectors, conferences, phones, etc.”

Cummings describes the all-inclusive service: “We had a private cocktail party at the Landshark Bar on the beach with heavy appetizers and hors d’oeuvres with beer and wine included,” says Cummings. “The food just kept coming. The second night we had dinner at Gallagher’s Steak House. It was everything you expect from a steak house and more. The food was included and drinks were extra.”

Cummings notes that breakfast, which was held every day at Breadsticks, was included in the room rate and allowed for attendees to order off the regular menu. “They just take the meal expenses off our room bill at the end of the stay. What a great way to do it.”

Tropicana Upgrades

Last year, Tropicana completed $40 million in renovations that included 500 Havana Tower hotel rooms, the North Tower casino and five new shows that will be featured on Tropicana’s Multimedia Light and Sound Show featured on the Boardwalk. The project also includes a redesigned hotel entrance at Pacific Avenue. The property’s new multimillion-dollar AtlantiCare LifeCenter includes the most comprehensive gym facility in Atlantic City.

Earlier this year, Chef Jose Garces opened three new restaurants concepts. Olón, inspired by the Ecuadorian beach town of the same name, offers seafood cuisine and includes two private dining areas seating a total of 60 people. Okatshe features Japanese cuisine, 50 sakes, and seats 80 for private functions. Bar Olón is a 60-seat, double-sided bar and lounge located between the two restaurants.

As part of the Tropicana’s efforts to offer more non-gaming activities, it introduced Escape AC, a 60-minute team game that challenges groups of two to 10 people to “escape” a room in 60 minutes using clues. The teambuilding game bonds participants by requiring them to communicate, use teamwork and think critically. Executives can assess a group’s performance from a viewing room.

The Tropicana offers 122,000 sf of meeting space including an 18,000-sf column-free ballroom that accommodates up to 1,800 attendees for meetings. Meeting space also includes 50 function rooms and the Grand Exposition Center, which handles groups of 10 to 2,000 people and 113 8-by-10-foot exhibit booths.

Other Atlantic City Happenings

The landmark, 872-room Showboat Atlantic City, which reopened in July 2016 as a non-casino property, plans to add a $40 million multi-use event center at its location on the Boardwalk, according to The Press of Atlantic City. Also    it remains unclear when TEN, formerly Revel, will reopen. Both properties will be without casinos for now, but there are plans to eventually use the gaming floors in some way.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn recently closed a deal to sell the Trump Taj Mahal casino to Hard Rock International and two New Jersey investors. A sale price was not announced. Hard Rock International plans to invest $300 million to renovate and rebrand the property.

Over the last several years, the 724-room Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina has undergone an extensive $150 million propertywide renovation and expansion. Upgraded areas include The Showrooms, casino floor, Spa & Salon, pool deck and Landry’s Signature Restaurants — the Chart House and Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse. Spaces available for group events include the 12,000-sf Haven Night Club.

Borgata opened a new Italian-American themed restaurant, Angeline, featuring celebrity chef Michael Symon. Borgata’s other big-name chef-branded dining options include Wolfgang Puck American Grille, Bobby Flay Steak, Izakaya Modern Japanese Pub (Michael Schulson), The Water Club (Geoffrey Zakarian), as well as Old Homestead Steak House (restaurateurs Marc and Greg Sherry). Borgata also introduced a new 3,200-sf outdoor pool and beer garden that can be used as an entertainment gathering spot at night. The Borgata’s projects also include the new 18,000-sf Premier nightclub, which opened May 2016. The space is designed as “a theatrical experience for partygoers” and competes against blockbuster clubs in Las Vegas, New York and Miami, according to the resort. Tiered booths tilt toward a DJ station, stage and “digital proscenium.” Carved-stone bars 35 feet long flank the main room, with a horseshoe-shaped mezzanine and 25-foot-wide digitally programmable chandelier hanging overhead.

Upgrades at Resorts Casino Hotel include room renovations and a $35 million enhancement to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Café and LandShark Bar & Grill located within Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville-themed entertainment complex.

Atlantic City has grown way beyond its roots as a prime East Coast gaming magnet. It is now a prime destination for leisure and business travelers from across the nation, with a growing range of not only entertainment and activities, but sophisticated facilities and service aimed at its growing meeting and convention market.  C&IT

A block party at Universal CityWalk.

When Gerald G. Longo, CMP, director, global congresses and events at medical products company Abbott considered hosting an event at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, he recognized the theme park’s appeal to a wide and vast audience with a mix of demographics.

“Theme parks offer turnkey, built-in interactive and entertainment features to keep your group entirely engaged,” Longo says. “We held a closing party of our national sales meeting with 1,300 attendees at Universal Orlando Resort.” And it was a great success.

Theme parks appeal to planners for their “one stop shop” advantages for meeting venues and entertainment options.

Exclusive Access

Recently, Bernadette Stark, vice president of conference and events for Travel Leaders Group, the parent company of Travel Leaders Network, held the company’s 2017 Travel Leaders Network International Conference at Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando. Nearly 2,000 attendees enjoyed several planned events at Universal’s theme parks. In fact, Universal closed Universal Studios Florida to the general public so that the Travel Leaders Network attendees had an exclusive night of dining, shopping and entertainment.

During the company’s conference, Travel Leaders offered behind-the-scenes tours, allowing attendees to experience new attractions, as well as some pre- and post-conference activities.

“We have held other company events at theme park locations in previous years,” Stark says. “This year is different because of our sheer size. We are a larger company now and, in fact, our conference is sold out with a waitlist. With a higher number of attendees, we were able to negotiate more opportunities for our participants.”

At SeaWorld Orlando, many companies rely on the theme park’s variety of offerings that appeal to corporate meeting attendees.

Asking to remain anonymous, a corporate meeting planner who frequently turns to SeaWorld to accommodate various events for her large company, says theme parks provide a great deal of variety.

“Most theme parks provide activities that are great for all ages — allowing everyone in a group or family to find something they will enjoy,” she says. “The built-in décor and capacity to create culinary delights for large groups is a huge benefit for planners looking for an inclusive option.”

The planner’s Orlando events have included using sections of the park with thrill rides and animal encounters for her corporate group; and the entire park for family-friendly events that ended with a memorable show and fireworks.

“Know what your group is looking for from their experience, such as rides, education, fun, distance and exclusivity,” she says. “Planners need to understand the size of the group may not lend itself to a buyout and, in fact, might be better (off) containing the group to a specific section of the park to make if feel full and festive. Ask what’s going on that time of year. For example, will the park be decorated for a holiday or special event? These decorations can be an added benefit for the group and create a built-in theme for the food and fun.”

Something for Everyone

Jennifer Olsen, CMP, senior manager, event sales at SeaWorld, explains that SeaWorld offers something for every attendee — from thrilling roller coasters to inspiring animal encounters and shows, along with unique spaces for meetings and events.

“Theme parks are a great option because they offer experiences that most times attendees can’t get anywhere else. They also offer efficiency as the backdrop is there, with no need for the additional expense of theming,” Olsen says. “We have a wide range of group packages. Smaller groups love our plated dinner at Sharks Underwater Grill, and a favorite for mid- to large-size groups is our Thrill and Chill package featuring the backdrop of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, and our amazing coasters, Kraken Unleashed and Manta.”

Forums Inc., a corporate event planning company that focuses on planning forums, conferences and other events for Fortune 500 corporations, is based out of Miami and has done several events at Orlando theme parks.

According to Crystal Fernandez, event coordinator at Forums, theme parks are a good option because they provide a relaxed, fun experience for attendees.

“When an organizer offers a free pass, it makes the attendee feel like they are being taken care of. In the case of a planned activity at the park, the experience is not only fun, it allows for networking,” Fernandez says. “We normally suggest that clients pair at least one executive with each group of attendees so that they can get to know their partners, customers, etc. These types of activities create unforgettable memories, and clients want their attendees to associate their company with the experience. It also allows executives to create a bond with the partners, employees and customers.”

Forums Inc. often allows attendees to enjoy the parks with their families at venues such as Universal Studios where there are plenty of roller coasters for the families to enjoy.

“We either provide the attendees with a complimentary ticket to enjoy with their family, or on other occasions we give the attendee an entrance and meal voucher that they can use during their day at the park,” Fernandez says.

Forums Inc. also has organized teambuilding activities including scavenger hunts at theme parks, which have proven to be popular experiences for attendees of all ages.

“In this case, we would set it up similar to the ‘Amazing Race’ where attendees split up in teams, and we hide clues,” Fernandez says. They have to search for the clues and then find certain items and take photos with them as proof. We provide them with cameras and selfie sticks. The winning team wins a prize.”

Theme Parks as Learning Labs

When Sharon Fisher, CEO of Play With a Purpose, a meeting planning company that offers teambuilding events, orchestrates events in several theme parks in Orlando, she embraces the atmosphere of fun.

“While many of the events we do in the theme parks are teambuilding events, many are unique training and learning events using the parks as a backdrop,” Fisher says. “One group we were working with was undergoing Six Sigma/Lean training, and we custom-designed an entire training program at a theme park that put their learning to use. We also do ‘Experience Excursions’ that benchmark great experiences and then facilitate discussions on how to incorporate that learning into businesses.”

Recently, Fisher and her team created a customized learning excursion for a client advisory board meeting. Attendees visited various venues and theme parks in Orlando for an inside look at their approach to customer service, which helped to give the client a benchmark for their own services. Then Fisher facilitated an innovative thinking session around those examples, which translated the ideas they had gathered into practical services they could provide in their facilities.

“We have also held charity-based iPad hunts whereby teams explored the theme park while gathering items to be donated to a charity,” Fisher says. “And a recent ‘Lean Thinking’ practicum included a client working on learning the principles and steps involved in implementing Lean Thinking/Six Sigma into their business. We created a six-step event that mimicked the process, and they visited specific areas in the theme park to practice the steps.”

Fisher stresses that attendees love theme parks because they provide a novel and out-of-the-ordinary place for networking and learning. And even though attendees may be “working,” it feels more like play, so it can spark creativity and innovative thinking.

“Theme Parks make great ‘learning labs’ — if topics for the conference include customer service, logistics, lean thinking, innovation, engagement or any myriad of topics, you can use what happens at theme parks to benchmark against and learn from,” Fisher says.

“For incentives, most parks have behind-the-scenes tours and opportunities that give guests an exclusive and VIP experience they couldn’t have on their own. Plus they offer after-hours events for privacy and group exclusivity.”

Expert Event Planning

When meeting planners attempt to plan an event at an expansive theme park, it is vital that they take advantage of onsite event planning expertise, which large parks such as Universal Orlando and Disney have down to a science.

For example, at Universal Orlando there are five hotels, three theme parks, and the CityWalk entertainment complex on a single, compact campus. Vincent LaRuffa, senior vice president resort sales and marketing at Universal Orlando Resort, says, “We provide experiences that connect organizations to their attendees in a way that is truly remarkable, taking every opportunity to engage, inspire and entertain attendees by finding ways to reinforce corporate messages in ways that are unforgettable and unbelievably immersive, creating excitement surrounding the event and message. Corporate meeting planners are working with the same team that brings our TV productions, ride openings, concerts and internal events to life, so they can rest assured we are dedicated to making their meeting the best it can be.”

LaRuffa adds, “Because our destination is compact and easy to navigate, when attendee schedules call for free time, they’ll enjoy convenient access to an outstanding collection of dining, nightlife and entertainment options by way of water taxi, shuttle bus or walking paths around the resort.”

Universal Orlando’s 5,200-room Loews Meeting Complex contains 295,000 sf of indoor meeting space and 97,000 sf of outdoor space. Plus, all five hotels in the complex are within walking distance or a quick shuttle ride to the Universal theme parks and Universal CityWalk, the resort’s shopping, dining and entertainment district.

Going Small

If planners are looking for a smaller theme park experience, Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a great fit. Kristin Maneval, director of sales at Hersheypark, says they can offer groups discounted admission tickets, a company picnic and a catered event in a private space; or a private, after-hours experience with rides and catering.

“The park includes private caterings, customized food and beverage offerings, entertainment options and exclusive VIP after-hours events,” Maneval says. “We utilize six covered, outdoor catering locations to host groups to build team camaraderie.”

Likewise, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, customizes events for groups according to their needs. The park is situated on the banks of the James River surrounded by the Historic Triangle of Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown.

“We don’t have meeting spaces like you would find in a hotel, but we do have theater space that might be open in between shows, and we also have a large outdoor picnic area,” says Lynn Fisher, account executive at Busch Gardens.

“We offer three different types of picnic packages in spring, summer and fall where groups can choose from an array of food options,” Fisher says, noting that teambuilding and awards ceremonies also can accommodated in picnic area. “The best thing about having a meeting with us,” she says, “is that once the meeting is over the group can enjoy everything our park has to offer.”

Attendees can experience Busch Gardens’ nine villages centered on six countries, such as the Parisian streets of France and hamlets of Scotland; seven roller coasters including the new hybrid wooden coaster InvadR; Sesame Street-themed attractions; animal conservation education; and more.

More Possibilities

The many theme parks across the country offer a range of unique experiences, from reliving American life during colonial times at historic Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, to basking in Bluegrass music and Southern-style dining at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Considered to be the “Entertainment Capital of Los Angeles,” Universal Studios Hollywood is the only theme park to offer guests access to a working movie and television studio, in addition to two hotels, turnkey event venues and an immersive entertainment experience. They also offer partial or complete buyouts to groups of various sizes.

“It’s a great place for anyone, particularly groups, to visit because we bring film and television shows to life with attractions and thrill rides guests from all over the world can experience,” says Crystal Williams, manager, international publicity at Universal Studios Hollywood. “Depending on the type of event, we offer different options to make group events memorable. For example, our Globe Theatre is a great location for customizable meetings, luncheons, dinners, receptions, award shows or charitable events.”

Key Considerations

Longo at Abbott points out that there are some special planning requirements that meeting planners need to consider when orchestrating an event at a theme park destination.

“These include cost, convenience, quality, value and ROI,” Longo says.

According to Williams, when planning a meeting or event at a theme park, meeting planners need to be transparent in what the desired goals are for each event and/or meeting. “Be sure to communicate group and event specifications and allow for ample time to plan every detail of the event,” Williams says. “And be flexible with dates and event start times.”

Fernandez also recommends planners suggest to the client that attendees sign a liability waiver in case they become injured due to any accident caused by their behavior.

For planned activities in a park, event staff should be available to assist attendees. A “help” phone number should be given to the attendees as well as a predetermined meeting point where staff will be on hand to help. Attendees also should be provided with plenty of sunscreen and water.

Also, planners should be sure to compare apples to apples when it comes to proposals from theme parks. Different venues use different styles and standards when outlining the event inclusions and options.

“Details are everything. Think about the small stuff,” Fernandez says. “What will make the experience unforgettable? Get as creative as possible so that the activity is fun. Also think about networking — you want the attendees to be able to make strong connections with each other.”  C&IT

Constructing a custom-built galleon for a spectacular closing night event on the beach in Los Cabos was no mean feat for ITA Group and Terramar. Credit: ITA Group

If there is a reliable formula for the creation of a major meeting or incentive program that succeeds in spectacular fashion, it often includes an effective collaboration between the meeting planner and a destination management company. And, without a doubt, there is a simple, clear equation for a productive and mutually satisfying planner-DMC relationship.

It includes what might be dubbed the three C’s: creativity, collaboration and communication.

To illustrate three diverse examples of DMC success stories, Corporate & Incentive Travel spoke with a trio of planners and their DMC partners in order to identify the traits that make such collaborations work.

Float My Boat (Before It  Sinks)

ITA Group, an independent meeting planning company based in West Des Moines, Iowa, faced one of the industry’s worst possible nightmares after learning, in the midst of planning an April 2016 incentive program that would take 150 qualifiers plus spouses and guests to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, that its local destination management company had suddenly gone out of business — vanished, with many questions lingering in the air.

Enter Cabo San Lucas-based DMC Terramar. David Abers, CMP, ITA’s lead program manager, met Terramar’s Senior Account Manager Cheryl Miller on an emergency site inspection trip. And the duo set about transforming a potential disaster into a rousing success.

Abers and Miller faced several daunting challenges. The JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa was under construction and would open just six weeks before the high-end group arrived.

In addition, the program’s signature element, a closing-night event that would feature a custom-built galleon on the beach as its spectacular venue, was in jeopardy. Saving it would be complicated and expensive. “We had been planning to build an enormous ‘ship’ on the beach, and the hotel had said they were going to bulldoze the beach to make it level and just perfect for our event,” Abers says. “But then we ran into unexpected zoning problems during the construction of the ship. And at that point, things started to unravel because the former DMC had been going out of business, and we had no idea what had been going on. So we had to go down there and figure out what we needed to do to continue on with the scheduled program. And we had very good meetings with Terramar and Cheryl. Fortunately, she was able to pick up the existing program proposal. But she also made it much better than it originally was, which improved the overall execution of the program.”

Miller’s first action, taken under duress, was to assess the overall program and make sure it could be delivered, as planned and on budget, she says. “We also wanted to make sure that activities were being done the way we would have proposed them, and that the budget was accurate, and so on,” she says. “In other words, we wanted to make sure the program was viable, as proposed.”

A major element of accomplishing that was for Abers and Miller to work together to make the original client-approved budget work in the face of unexpectedly rising costs for the closing-night event. One important key to their ultimate success was that Abers and his ITA team were able to re-crunch their numbers and find savings that could be shifted elsewhere to sustain the event’s bottom line.

Meanwhile, with the custom-built “ship” venue for their closing night suddenly thrown into doubt, Miller stepped in and found a solution to the problem. “She and the owners of Terramar really came to the rescue,” Abers says. They knew the people who owned the property adjacent to the JW Marriott, and they were able to lease that property for us so we could build the ship and execute our big event as envisioned.” However, the acquisition of permits to stage the event presented another obstacle that had to be overcome. And then better sand had to be brought in to make the beach setting more aesthetically pleasing.

The end result: The program came off in spectacular fashion. “The event turned out to be phenomenal,” Abers says. “And at the end of the night, we did a sensational fireworks display over the ship. The client and all of the attendees were thrilled. And no one but Cheryl and me knew how much work had gone into pulling it off.”

The most important key to success, Miller says, was an honest and trusting relationship forged under pressure between strangers. “My stress level in taking over a program that faced such challenges was up there,” Miller says. “But David and I were very much on the same page in terms of what his client expected and what we had to do to address the various issues and make the program a success.”

As a result of their shared success, ITA has worked with Terramar on two additional incentive programs, for other clients in Cabo San Lucas, and they are now working together on a 2019 program to Panama on behalf of the original client. In addition to its Cabo San Lucas headquarters, Terramar has offices in Cancun, Mexico and Panama.

“The keys to the relationship are open, honest communication and mutual trust,” Abers says. “And with regard to the importance of those things, this was a learning experience for me.”

High Energy, High Impact

When it comes to its annual user conference held each March, Pleasanton, California-based software supplier Ellie Mae has a simple goal: It wants to be able to claim the most sensational event in its industry. In order to achieve that lofty goal, for the last two years the event has been held at the tony Wynn Las Vegas hotel. And Susan Chenoweth, Ellie Mae’s senior vice president of marketing, has worked with Activity Planners, one of the city’s most acclaimed DMCs, and its president, Stephanie Arone, DMCP.

“We rely on Stephanie and her team for many elements of the event,” Chenoweth says. “But one key is that each fall, we come up with a major marketing campaign and theme for the company for the following year. And then that theme is promoted at our conference and carried out throughout the year. And it’s always used in a big way at our conference.”

The theme for this year’s event was “License to Succeed.” And, Chenoweth says, what that meant for Ellie Mae’s customers was to “get all of the tools and techniques they need to be successful with our software, successful in their business and successful as individuals.”

Chenoweth relied on Activity Planners to bring the theme to life for the conference. “And that meant carrying it out through a number of elements of the conference,” Chenoweth says, “but most importantly on the main stage for our opening general session.”

Working as a team, Chenoweth and Arone developed a James Bond/007-based “superspy/superhero” theme. For example, registered attendees applied for their licenses to succeed and were granted secret code names and badges. The theme also was carried out through all marketing and promotional materials and across the various meeting venues at the Wynn.

“The planning for this event starts the year before, and once the theme is set, then we go through a lot of ideas to see how to best deliver it,” Arone says. “For example, there are a lot of ways you can do a spy or James Bond theme, so it’s a matter of clarifying and refining how it can be made to work best for this particular group. And to do that right is actually a complex project.”

A primary focus this year was a blockbuster, high-energy production for the opening general session, designed to deliver the wow factor with a capital W. Program elements included a custom-produced, theme-based video and a live production that culminated in a Las Vegas magician-level “reveal,” or surprise physical introduction, on the general session’s main stage, of company CEO and president Jonathan Corr. An illusion worthy of David Copperfield used a phone booth to transform a stunt man, dressed as a superhero, into the CEO in dramatic fashion.

The custom-built magical phone booth was then moved into the exhibit hall to host photo shoots with attendees and costumed superheroes.
In another spectacular flourish, stunt professionals on motorcycles roared into the opening general session. “They rode the motorcycles up the aisles, and it was incredibly exciting,” Arone says. Adds Chenoweth: “Can you imagine what we had to go through to make that happen? But it was well worth all the effort. It was really amazing. People were really shocked.” And that was exactly the reaction Ellie Mae wanted. “Our goal is to really wake people up and get them going,” Chenoweth says. “We want high energy, high impact, right from the start.”

In a budget-conscious era, not many corporate clients aspire to, or are willing to, pay the cost of such creative and sensational meeting attributes, Arone notes. “The level of commitment that Ellie Mae makes to really deliver a spectacular attendee experience is at the high end of the scale,” she says. “It’s very important to them as an organization. But not many companies these days think that way or are willing to make the investment that is required to do something that unique and spectacular.”

The result? This year’s conference drew 3,000 attendees, up from 2,200 in 2016.

“And one of the reasons our conference has grown so dramatically over the last several years is that our attendees have such a great experience,” Chenoweth says. “If they’re going to take the time and spend the money to attend, we want to make sure the event is very special to them and that they are as excited and engaged as they can possibly be. So we work very hard to deliver an awesome experience. And really great partners like Activity Planners play a major role in that.”

The Big Easy, the Hard Way

When the Pacific Rim division of a major information technology company began planning its high-end spring 2017 incentive program for 42 attendees, the identification and selection of a destination that would offer a truly unique experience was at the core of the exercise.

Working with the Melbourne, Australia-based incentive house 212ºF, the company ultimately opted for New Orleans and its French Quarter landmark hotel, the Royal Sonesta.

Why The Big Easy? “When my client was looking at destinations, they wanted one that would be a genuine experience, something their attendees would typically not be able to do on their own, and something that was a party,” says 212ºF Account Director Tanya Henneman, who led the planning of the program. “But they also wanted culture and history.”

New Orleans fit that bill perfectly. However, given the timing of the trip — during Mardi Gras in February — a central issue became delivering an authentic experience of the singular culture and cuisine of New Orleans, and not just the world-famous celebratory madness of Mardi Gras.

Accomplishing those dual goals required special expertise and experience. As a result, 212ºF turned to DMC Hosts New Orleans, the local outpost of worldwide DMC Hosts Global.

“The challenge,” says Hosts New Orleans Associate Director of Sales Yvonne Collazo, CIS, “was operating a high-end incentive program of this caliber during Mardi Gras. There are a lot of unique obstacles that are created for a group during Mardi Gras. So that meant we had to have many detailed conversations during the planning process about what was realistic. For example, the client wanted to do the closing event on Fat Tuesday. Operating in the French Quarter on the final day of Mardi Gras presents unique challenges for obvious reasons. And those kinds of considerations really applied to the entire program because of Mardi Gras. For example, we didn’t want the group to get stuck behind a parade, because then you’re part of that parade for as long as it goes on.”

Despite such a challenge, based on its longstanding and exceptional local expertise, Hosts New Orleans created a spectacular program that showcased the very best of the city, while also capturing the singular magic of Mardi Gras.

Program highlights included an opening night “New Orleans Food Experience” at one of the French Quarter’s renowned restaurants, which features an outdoor patio and live jazz. Another classic New Orleans experience included a po’boy event based on the city’s legendary sandwiches, created in the 1920s and typically featuring roast beef, local specialty andouille sausage, or fried seafood served on crisp, light French bread with an array of condiments.

Other program high points included an interactive mixology experience with a live musical performance at the Royal Sonesta’s Jazz Playhouse, and a lunch and sea plane/airboat outing at time-honored offsite venue Bayou Barn in swamp country outside the city. A dinner highlight was a New Orleans-style feast at Court of the Two Sisters, one of the French Quarter’s oldest and most beloved restaurants.

The most unique and thrilling high point was VIP admittance to an exclusive Mardi Gras ball hosted by one of the city’s most celebrated Mardi Gras “super krewes,” the Orpheus parade, produced in the 1990s by Harry Connick Jr.

“The Orpheuscapade was at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and it was a very sophisticated black-tie ball,” says Hosts New Orleans Director of Operations Carol Padgett. “Our attendees were hosted by the captain of the krewe. That’s an experience that very few people from outside New Orleans ever get to have. Our group got a police escort from the parade to the party. It’s something you remember forever.”

On their last day in the city, attendees experienced a speakeasy-themed gala event — An Evening of Fringe, Feathers and Fedoras — at the Napoleon House, one of the most iconic destinations in the city. The gala featured handsome gangsters and beautiful flappers who greeted guests with feather boas and fedoras on arrival, an absinthe tasting station, a six-course menu with premium beverages and wines, and a late night burlesque performance.

Although the program generated rave reviews from the client and attendees, for Henneman the most satisfying part of the experience was working so successfully with Hosts New Orleans. “The biggest thing for me was that they actually listened,” she says. “They paid very careful attention to exactly what we said we wanted, what we were aiming for as an experience. And a big part of that was that we wanted something different, something really special. And not only did they bring it all to life, but they brought it to life just as I had imagined it. They really came through. Everybody loved the experience they had. But for me as the planner, the main thing was that my DMC perfectly executed my vision. They delivered exactly what I wanted and hoped for. And we got the best of both worlds, the Mardi Gras experience and the traditional New Orleans experience.”

The end result: The new planner-DMC relationship has blossomed beyond New Orleans, and 212ºF will now work with Hosts Global in various destinations around the world for future events on behalf of multiple clients .C&IT

The GBTA Meetings Committee provides meetings management guidance, education and innovation through industry thought leadership. The GBTA Meetings Committee works to be the preeminent source of knowledge and strategic thinking on the state of meetings management for the industry by developing and maintaining educational materials and producing and communicating high-quality content on emerging trends in meetings management. www.gbta.org

Could an elimination of agency commissions in the hotel industry happen, like the elimination of airline commissions did in 1995? With the mounting pressure toward increased profits by hotel owners and the evolving nature of the hotel industry, further impacted by the mergers and acquisitions in recent years, industry leaders are looking for additional revenue sources in all corners of the hotel P&L. A big potential target is the commissions paid on every room night booked through an agency or meetings management company.

Commissions have historically been a channel-marketing fee that hotels offer to intermediaries when they place volume at their hotel, and were seen by the hotels as compensation for the use of the intermediaries’ sales channel. In recent years, hotels began looking at all cost-reduction opportunities, including commissions.

Three different models exist for how commissions are utilized by intermediaries:

• Intermediaries use commission as a revenue stream.
• Intermediaries use commission as part of their revenue stream, and may use a fee-based model for other services.
• Intermediaries return commissions to the customer or customer takes commission directly from the hotel.

The Impact of Commissions

Three major players are impacted by the payment of commissions:

1. Hoteliers and their owners who pay the commissions.
2. Corporations and associations that may or may not receive the commissions back from their intermediaries and use them to offset the costs of their managed meetings program.
3. Intermediaries that receive payment for the use of their sales channels that may, or may not, return those commissions to their clients.

In a GBTA Meetings Committee survey of medium to large companies across industry verticals, 50 percent of companies responded that they rely on commissions to support some part of their meetings management program.

Paying commissions on hotel rooms associated with meetings has been an inherent part of hoteliers’ expenses, and they have historically found value in paying commission to intermediaries for the use of their sales channel.

For those intermediaries that use commissions as some, or all, of their revenue stream, commissions are extremely important. For intermediaries that offer sourcing only, commissions are their main source of revenue. For others, commissions are part of their revenue while fee-based services might make up the rest.

Likelihood of Elimination

While we have no definitive answer, we note that there are differing opinions on the issue.

As one of the hotel chains shared, “Owners are pushing hotels to maximize profits, reduce costs and evaluate all cost-of-sale points, to a greater degree in recent years. Due to increased financial obligations to banks, increased business costs and competition, owners are challenging hotels to find savings in all areas more than ever.”

If you are an intermediary or company that is funded in whole or part by commissions, Tony Wagner, vice president Americas, for CWT M&E, has reassuring words for you: “Hoteliers may evaluate the structure of their sales channel compensation model (e.g. commissions) and incentives — all good businesses do — but no, I do not believe commissions will be eliminated in the M&E space. The difference between hotels and airlines is fragmentation. (Unlike airlines), the hotel industry is massively fragmented. What’s key is that hoteliers understand the risk and bottom-line impact if they eliminated this channel compensation and others did not.”

Mark Harris, on behalf of the UK-based Hotel Business Agents Association (HBBA), in the white paper “Money for Nothing,” says, “The industry consensus is that change will come; the issues are the degree, and the speed at which the switch to fees takes place. It will take time, because this will be a huge step-change here that will need many disconnected parties to take the same steps at the same time — no easy task!”

Potential Impact

Intermediaries that rely on commissions as a sole source of revenue will face a significant impact. Some could end up closing shop as they may not be able to show any other value. Intermediaries that use commissions as part of their revenue could have an easier time shifting to the fee-based model as they already utilize that model for other services and customers are accustomed to it.

For the corporations and associations that receive commissions back and use these commissions to fund some or their entire program, a significant impact would be felt. Ninety percent of our survey respondents rely on commissions to offset the cost of their meetings management program, and 42 percent said they would need to find another way to pay for their entire program if hotel commissions were reduced, or went away completely.

It would seem that hoteliers might not feel the negative impact as seemingly their profits would go up since they are not paying commission. Jerry Horan, president and COO of ConferenceDirect, sees it differently: Hotels don’t have enough sales resources to cover every account. Lose the channel, lose the business opportunity.

He also believes that the client decides how to drive the business and will continue to do so. A reduction or change in commission structure by hotels will steer the customer to another brand, shifting market share.

Mitigation Strategies

No one can predict the future, and the best advice we can provide is to be prepared.

Mike Bingham, managing partner at BottomLine Group, says, “Those in the meeting supply chain, including the SMM industry advocates, have worked hard to mature the category. Like the transient world, those who can articulate and define the value of their programs will have no problems explaining a shift in the underlying supply change economics. One could argue that if companies had to invest in SMMP, versus relying on commissions to pay for the program, there would be more stakeholder support for the business case.”

If you are a company or association using the services of an intermediary, have a conversation now that clearly identifies what is at risk if the commission model were to change, and how as business partners you could lessen the impact. Also, begin to articulate clearly the value of your SMM within your company now.

The GBTA Meetings Committee also recommends viewing the new training offering called “Corporate Meetings Program and Design: It’s About TIME,” which has a module on building a business case that is useful for a new program as well as proving the value of an existing program.

We can never be certain if this change could come, but one thing is certain; if it does, it will be very disruptive to the industry, so take the time now to make sure you have a plan. C&IT

Credit: Las Vegas News Bureau

Las Vegas answers the challenge for groups that return to the same destination time and again but want the experience to be new and different each time.

Properties continually expand, renovate and add more meeting space, dining experiences, attractions, unique venues, upscale shopping sites, entertainment and technology. Las Vegas offers more than 150,000 hotel rooms and more than 11 million sf of meeting and exhibit space with more under development. And Las Vegas continues to develop more non-gaming activities for family-friendly meetings.

It’s no wonder that, for the 23rd consecutive year, Trade Show News Network named Las Vegas the No. 1 trade show destination in the U.S. In addition, according to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority’s (LVCVA) 2016 Visitor Profile Study, 27 percent of visitors were in Las Vegas for the first time, compared to 11 percent in 2015.

Caesars Delivers

Las Vegas’ expertise in hosting meeting and convention groups means more groups are repeat visitors. For example, Bloomington, Indiana-based Solution Tree, an educational service provider, has held its 1,800-person, 2½-day educational conference at Caesars Palace every year since 2006. The company has signed through 2020, and plans to sign in 2021, says Renee Marshall, CMP, director of events, Solution Tree.

Caesars’ history and familiarity with the group pays dividends. “Our value is tremendous,” says Marshall. “Since we have a long history with Caesars, they give us amazing concessions that help our bottom line. We love everyone we work with from the sales team to the onsite contacts who execute the event.”

Caesars was an ideal property for several reasons. “It met our needs because of the location on The Strip, the restaurants in the hotel and the attached mall,” says Marshall. “It has flexible space to allow breakouts to be larger or smaller, and has a large room for general sessions. We don’t do a lot of entertainment and activities as we are strictly a content-based event. We sometimes do a small dinner with our presenters in the hotel, but nothing for our attendees.”

Planners like it when a property offers concessions without requesting them. That’s what Caesars did. “We increased our room pickup and food and beverage commitment due to our high registrations,” says Marshall. “Our sales manager could have just increased the room and F&B commitment, but instead of doing only that she also gave us additional concessions because our registrations were higher than expected. The concessions saved us thousands of dollars.”

Caesars Palace is one of several Caesars Entertainment properties, and a new addition is coming soon. Caesars’ CEO Mark Frissora recently told Bloomberg TV that, after the company emerges from bankruptcy later this year, he wants to develop 90 acres of land it owns in front of Caesars Palace.

Caesars also is adding newly renovated suites to its most exclusive collection of luxury accommodations at its Las Vegas resorts. By year-end, Caesars will have renovated more than 800 suites, increasing guest options from multiroom suites to elite two-story duplexes and grand villas that encompass more than 11,000 sf. More than 2,000 suites and villas are available for viewing online as part of Caesars Suites (www.CaesarsSuites.com).

Renovations include suites such as the Julius Tower and Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace; 231 newly restyled suites at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino; and 11 newly renovated mini-villas at Caesars Palace available for booking in August 2017. The renovations come after an upgrade in 2016 of 4,800 total rooms at Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Paris Las Vegas and Harrah’s Las Vegas.

Small Meetings No Small Matter

Las Vegas once had a reputation for not totally embracing small meetings. Not anymore. Small-meeting groups continue to flock to Las Vegas.

One company that recently held a three-day “boot camp” training for employees at the Luxor Las Vegas chose Caesars properties “because of their reputation, location and service,” says the meeting’s planner. “This year, we chose Luxor since it provided a great location and an onsite sales team that highlighted a brand new meeting space with a stellar onsite convention and AV team. We were one of the first groups to hold a meeting in this newly built meeting space. The space was perfect for our size group,” the planner continues. “We utilized the conference space, meeting space and hotel accommodations; having everything conveniently in one place helped us make the best use of everyone’s time.”

The group used two adjacent meeting rooms at the hotel, one for the general session and one for a one-on-one and vendor networking event where employees conducted individual 15-minute appointments with specific. preferred partners of their choice.

For entertainment, the group held a “Welcome to Boot Camp” reception in the Velvet Room. “It was a great opportunity for everyone to network, share experiences and get geared up and ready for the Boot Camp ahead,” says the planner. “The atmosphere was perfect and everyone had a wonderful time.”

Some planners complain that Las Vegas is pricey, especially for small groups. But “the value was great,” says the planner. “The Luxor Las Vegas offers a reasonably priced destination that is easily accessible for people in many markets. The low group room rate and the meeting space fit our needs perfectly.”

MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts International boasts a plethora of properties on The Strip, including MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Bellagio, Aria Resort & Casino, Delano Las Vegas, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Luxor Hotel & Casino, Circus Circus Las Vegas, Excalibur Hotel & Casino, New York New York Hotel & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa and Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.

The size, grandeur and service of MGM properties attract groups of all types and sizes. Mandalay Bay, for example, is hosting more and larger conventions and trade shows due to the $70 million expansion last year of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The facility added 350,000 sf of meeting, ballroom and exhibit space, bringing the total to 2.1 million sf. The improvements helped Mandalay Bay recently sign Microsoft to a multiyear contract to hold its annual event of 30,000 technology professionals at Mandalay Bay and several other MGM properties.

The all-suite luxury Delano Las Vegas, one of three distinct hotel experiences at Mandalay Bay, offers 20,000 sf of indoor meeting space encompassing 31 meeting rooms. Dining and eating spaces include the South Beach-inspired Delano Beach Club, which offers group buyouts for receptions. Guests can network at Delano’s Sage Living room with its overstuffed couches, back-support chairs, coffee tables and end tables. Groups can use the room’s two 52-inch, flat-screen TVs for presentations in a relaxed setting.

Another MGM property Aria Resort & Casino is undergoing a $154 million expansion of its convention center that will add 200,000 sf of meeting space with state-of-the-art technology. The project includes indoor and outdoor spaces, and a glass-enclosed venue with panoramic views of the new T-Mobile Arena and The Park. Overall, the project will add 500,000 sf of meeting and event space upon completion in February 2018.

Aria and Vdara both recently added cutting-edge digital tablets to all guest suites. The tablets allow guests to order an array of services including in-suite dining, spa services, show tickets and the latest information about hotel activities. Aria also added check-in via mobile phones.

Off The Strip

A constant challenge for planners is keeping groups focused and in attendance at meetings in the city that never sleeps.

“Vegas is high energy,” says Mike May, president and corporate meeting planner for Spear One, a meetings, incentives and event planning firm. “It’s popular for driving attendance and audience anticipation, especially for customer events, user groups, product launches, sales kickoffs, private trade shows and training conferences. But attendees might skip part of the meeting and hit the casino floor. Or, they’re bleary-eyed, exhausted and struggle to be fully mentally engaged.”

That’s why some groups elect to meet off The Strip. “Groups looking to combine networking, relationship-building and educational content might enjoy an off-Strip resort in the Henderson area and have access to The Strip, without having attendees lose focus,” says May.

One choice for groups desiring to be near but off The Strip is Red Rock Resort & Casino, which recently hosted a 21/2-day meeting for 350 clients of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, a Minneapolis-based professional services firm.

“I love the location of the Red Rock,” says Lisa Jeans, project manager, executive team, CliftonLarsonAllen. “It is a 20-minute drive from the airport, and it offers all of the amenities of properties on The Strip, but on a smaller scale and much more private. Whenever I walk into the Red Rock, it feels like they have undergone a renovation. I feel that way because everything always looks new. I think that is very rare to find in a property.”

The Red Rock was perfect for a variety of activities and amenities. “A welcome reception was held in the Crimson Lounge, which is located off the casino floor,” says Jeans. “This is an excellent venue for a reception, as it allows for an indoor/outdoor reception. It has cabanas outside around the pool, which have individual heaters, if needed. They put together an awesome lighting package for us, including our logo, which just added to the ambience.”

In addition, a dinner was held in a portion of the Red Rock Ballroom. “This was not a themed dinner, as our goal was to encourage networking,” says Jeans. “We had food stations and multiple bars throughout the ballroom, and I hired a crooner from the Las Vegas area to provide some evening entertainment.”

Jeans raves about the service, especially from the convention services manager. “Whenever I am onsite at the Red Rock, I feel like I am their only client,” says Jeans. “Their staff truly is an extension of the event staff onsite. My CSM and her staff did an incredible job with the food stations, which allowed for the greatest flow in the space. We received rave reviews from the attendees. We have held events at the Red Rock in the past and will do so again in the future.”

Wynn Resorts

Properties with a worldwide reputation for luxury include Wynn Resorts, which has received more Forbes Five Star Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world. The luxurious and spacious Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas offer a combined 290,000 sf of function space and 4,750 guest rooms.

According to Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn in a late April earnings call, the Wynn board of directors has approved phase-one construction of the new Wynn Paradise Park that will begin in December 2017 or January 2018. The master-planned park will replace the Wynn Golf Club with a 1,000- 2,000-room hotel tower and 260,000 sf of beachfront meeting and ballroom space overlooking a 20-acre lagoon — offering water sports activities — and a white sand beach and 4,000-foot boardwalk. Cabanas, attractions and food service also are planned. The phased $1.5 billion project is slated for a 2019 completion.

In addition, Wynn is expanding its distinctive luxury shopping experiences with the construction of Wynn Plaza, a 75,000-sf retail Strip-front expansion scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2018. The Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas already offer the 7,000-sf Wynn Collection boutique and the 99,000-sf Wynn Esplanade. And Wynn re-opened Parasol Up after its renovation last year that included a new design, updated technology and new bar menu.

Guests sometimes use Wynn’s plentiful space for interactive and teambuilding activities, including a program of workshops that Wynn Las Vegas introduced recently. The workshops are led by Wynn experts including master chefs, mixologists, DJs and sommeliers.

Experiential Events

The Wynn’s offerings are examples of how Las Vegas continues to offer new activities to provide fresh experiences for groups that return again and again. But some groups prefer the same activities, according to Elizabeth Hansen, national sales manager, AlliedPRA Las Vegas.

“One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes it is OK to offer an activity again, especially if it was very popular and not every guest was able to participate,” says Hansen. “One easy way to reinvent Las Vegas for repeat visiting groups is to try and chose a theme that we can embrace in décor, entertainment, activities and events.”

Hansen offers an example. “One group, for example, was an incentive trip that came to Las Vegas for several years in a row and hosted a poker tournament each time,” says Hansen. “In order to make it feel exciting and new we changed the theme to it each time — Vintage Vegas one time and James Bond the next time, with entertainers on hand to help set the scene.”

The millennial generation has impacted the ways in which Las Vegas is reinventing itself. “Las Vegas has embraced the experiential state of mind that millennials have pushed forward but other attendees are really on board with at their events,” says Hansen. “This means that the typical four-walled nightclub or restaurant with a pretty view just isn’t enough anymore.”

Hansen says that participants want events that encourage interaction among attendees and with the venue. “You no longer have to bring in those activities to a lot of the venues here in Vegas now because they are already there,” says Hansen. “Venues like Brooklyn Bowl, Topgolf, Gold Spike Downtown, and the Beer Park have made a huge impact on the city.”

More Changes Afoot

Other venues throughout Las Vegas are offering more of everything.

A stand-alone option is Meet Las Vegas on South 4th Street, a high-tech venue with three floors of event and meeting space where groups can take over one floor or all. Because each floor is truly a blank space, the possibilities for creating a one-of-a-kind event are limitless. The first floor offers a total of 5,427 sf, the second 5,131 sf and the third 2,775 sf. In addition, an outdoor pavilion provides an additional 8,412 sf. Sales, event and catering teams can assist with every phase of planning and designing.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has completed phase one of its $13 million Casino Tower remodeling, which included renovation of 640 guest rooms and suites. In addition, The Hard Rock added about 18,000 sf of meeting and convention space, and the 28,000-sf Artist Ballroom was remodeled. MB Steak debuted earlier this year at the Hard Rock, following the opening of Oyster Bar, a full-service bar and restaurant offering seafood.

After a recent expansion, Tropicana Las Vegas’ all-new conference facility is divisible into as many as 38 breakout rooms and includes a 25,000-sf ballroom, the 55,000-sf Trinidad Pavilion — suitable for large general sessions and exhibits accommodating up to 4,800 attendees — and elaborate venues such as the Havana Room and Sky Beach Club. The newly transformed Tropicana Theater is a modern-yet-classic venue featuring a magnificent crystal chandelier, custom banquette seating areas, dark wood flooring and premium audio-visual technology. Overall, Tropicana Las Vegas offers more than 100,000 sf of flexible meeting and exhibition space in a convenient location on The Strip just minutes from the airport, major convention centers and top entertainment stadiums.

The 3,500-room Flamingo Las Vegas will commence a $90 million renovation of 1,270 rooms in August 2017 and complete the project in the second quarter of 2018. The renovated rooms will keep the property’s signature pink theme and feature retro-chic designs reflecting the hotel’s history as a mainstay of the Las Vegas Strip. New room designs feature hues of gold and flamingo pink, reflecting the Flamingo’s flamboyance.

MGM Grand recently broke ground on a 250,000-sf expansion of its conference center that will connect to the existing conference center on all three levels. Scheduled for completion in fall 2018, the new space will include two large ballrooms spanning 49,000 sf and 32,000 sf, three junior ballrooms and an outdoor event space. When complete, the expansion will give MGM Grand a total of 850,000 sf of meeting and convention space. As part of the expansion, Stay Well Meetings — the industry’s first-ever wellness meetings experience, which launched at the hotel in 2014 — also will expand its footprint by 22,000 sf and encompass the conference center’s entire second floor.

The 1,003-room Plaza Hotel & Casino, which has the largest ballroom in downtown Las Vegas at 19,000 sf, is currently conducting a multimillion-dollar renovation to the 30,000 sf of ballroom and convention space on its third floor. This renovation, to be completed this summer, will include numerous upgrades including partitioning, lighting, projection capabilities, a new portable stage and more. The Plaza also plans to expand its convention space with 12,000 sf of additional breakout rooms and a new business center to open fall 2017. Also recently opened was the Plaza Event Center, a 5,000-sf special event space with two stages, 18 large screen HD televisions, two projectors and a modern sound system. The Plaza Event Center accommodates 200 people in a range of seating options, and hosts live entertainment crowds of up to 300 people. The space is available for private-party buyouts.

The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation that includes all 493 guest rooms and is expected to be completed by fall. Meeting space is plentiful with 100,000 sf of indoor and outdoor space, including a 20,000-sf ballroom and 30 flexible spaces. Other meeting areas include gardens, poolside decks and lakeside beaches. In addition, The Westin provides access to three golf courses including the 18-hole Reflection Bay golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Guests at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, The Palazzo and Sands Expo can network in small groups, get online and relax in a 1,170-sf pop-up lounge. The lounge, created in conjunction with Zappos and staffed by its team members, is located on The Venetian’s second level and includes a six-seat conference room. The Venetian also launched its Facebook Messenger direct booking channel, allowing guests to book directly through social messaging.

The planned Las Vegas Convention Center expansion and renovation will be completed in a phased approach with a projected completion date of 2023. Phase one will be the construction of the new 1.4-million-sf expansion with 600,000 sf of exhibit space and the accompanying meeting rooms and support space. This phase is projected to be complete by 2021. The second phase will be the complete renovation of the existing 3.2-million-sf facility. The phased approach allows for continued use of the facilities without disruption during the construction. Upon completion, the LVCC will have 2 million sf of exhibition space, more than any facility except Chicago’s McCormick Place. The project also includes a major technology upgrade over the next six years that allows companies to illustrate their brands throughout the LVCC. Maps, schedules and information will be added to digital service kiosks

Being the nation’s No. 1 destination isn’t enough for Las Vegas as it relentlessly strives to boost its advantages over competitors. Part of the effort is continuing the transition from the gaming capital of the U.S. to a well-rounded entertainment capital to ensure an even more eclectic menu of options for planners and their groups. C&IT

Business partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are a corporate meeting planner, marketing agency, CVB, live event agency, DMC, rental company, entertainment agency, technology provider or social media curator, it has become even more important to create cohesive working relationships to provide the end client or attendee with the best possible meeting or event experience.

For Maureen Sojka, event planner at Creative Marketing Alliance, a full-service marketing agency located in Princeton, New Jersey, establishing these professional relationships provides her with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

“For example, when sourcing a location you have never been to, your best option is to reach out to the CVB for the most up-to-date information,” Sojka says. If you come across a new contract clause, you can reach out to your colleagues in the industry and see if they are experiencing the same thing and how they addressed it.”

Colleagues also are a valuable resource when selecting new vendors. However, the vendors themselves also can be helpful.

“I recently contracted with a transportation company who provided a referral for a Trivia Contest emcee who turned out to be the hit of our evening event,” Sojka says.

Building professional relationships is important in most industries, but even more so in the meetings and events industry, which is relationship-based.

Trust Is Crucial

As Lynnette Offen Gerber, CMM, CMP, manager of global accounts at HelmsBriscoe explains, meeting a hotel supplier, for example, could help a meeting planner decide between whether they want to do business with Hotel A versus Hotel B.

“It actually can be crucial,” Gerber says. “People want to do business with people they know and trust.”

Relationships have been crucial in Gerber’s own career: In her previous two positions, she had already known people at the organizations, which not only gained her entrée, but helped her ultimately get hired.

“Additionally, if a crisis comes up in a meeting or convention, working with those you have partnerships with will better help you solve the problem,” she says. “With the relationship already established, you are more likely to share information, and you are inclined to work together. You both are motivated as well.”

Patrick Burkhardt, chief idea person at Luxpitality, a San Diego-based hospitality company that connects new-age businesses with unique hotels for corporate events or teambonding experiences, says that his company continually partners with other entities in the meetings and events field to create mutually beneficial outcomes. Luxpitality partners with some of the top hotels and businesses in the U.S. and Europe, and prides itself on harnessing local partnerships to provide clients completely customized group trip experiences. Burkhardt has more than a decade of experience in the hospitality industry and served as president of Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Southern California, the largest chapter in the world.

“We work with hotels, and that’s what we excel in. However we aren’t as savvy when it comes to executing ground-service activities and offsite venues for our groups,” Burkhardt says. “So we partnered with an amazing company called Hosts Global Alliance. They share the same global footprint as us but excel in all these services. We help them with hotels, and they help us with destination management services.”

‘Coopetition’ and a Changing Industry

Corporate meeting planners and other entities within the meeting-planning sphere share the same goal: to provide memorable meetings and events that provide an impactful outcome for attendees and companies alike.

Take Kathy Miller, for example. Miller is CEO of Total Event Resources, a Chicago meeting and event planning company that produces innovative events for Fortune 1000 companies, major trade associations and not-for-profit organizations She says that the meetings and events industry has changed drastically, especially when it comes to business relationships.

Gone are the days when supplier partners stay in their “lane” when it comes to who manages what. For instance, the off-premise caterer used to manage food and beverage only. Now caterers can be “full service” — offering clients solutions and management for entertainment, tenting, lighting, rentals, venue selection and more.

“There are days when we are partnering with a caterer and other days when we are competing for the same business,” Miller says. “It’s no longer black and white, it’s very gray, which is why one day they are your partner and the next they are your competitor. Hence the word ‘coopetition,’ we partner — cooperate — with our competitors that may also be our ‘preferred partners.’ ”

For Miller, business relationships enhance her company’s learning curve, as their partners bring new and innovative ideas to Total Event Resources on a continual basis, giving Miller and her team the platform to be uber-creative in the proposal process.

“In Chicago, and I believe in other major cities where meetings and events are plentiful, we are finding that venues are popping up all over and are being bought and managed by a variety of supplier partners including scenic design firms, caterers, event agencies and DMCs,” Miller says. “This makes the venue search and management process interesting for the live event agencies like us. Again, one day we are partnering with a scenic design firm to provide all the design elements and the next time we are competing with them.”

Helping Reduce Costs

For Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York, relationships, quite frankly, are “everything.” This is especially important when a meeting group wants to book something on short notice.

“Relationships are also important in New York City when traffic can completely alter the timing of an after-hours event or product launch,” Shackman says. “We have worked with the NYPD to speed transportation and meeting logistics when unrelated problems could throw off timing. Relationships also help for meetings on a budget.”

Shackman Associates also has piggybacked luncheons with other groups at hotels to save meeting planners thousands of dollars. Pulling this off successfully is dependent upon continuing communication with key hotel and venue staff.

“Understanding who else might be meeting at a hotel helps us discover potential opportunities for sharing food and beverage,” Shackman says.   “When we piggybacked a luncheon at a five-star hotel, we noticed that our group of 750 attendees was similar in size and demographics to another one, so our relationships with the hotel event management team led the same menu to be prepared for 1,500 people, which obviously saved costs with a larger order.”

Establishing Strategic Relationships

Today, much of the meeting and events business is built upon reputation and word of mouth. David Jacobson, who has more than 15 years of professional events experience, is the CEO of TrivWorks, a corporate entertainment and teambuilding company. He understands that to be successful, meeting and event professionals cannot operate within a vacuum. Collaborating with other industry professionals not only extends the planner’s reach, but also provides access to talent, venues and offerings they otherwise wouldn’t be able to deliver on their own.

“Be bold and approach those whom you genuinely feel there is the potential for a mutually beneficial collaboration,” Jacobson says. “The best types of strategic partnerships are those where both sides stand to gain tremendous value over the long-term; when seeking out potential partners — be it individuals, organizations or venues — think about what you have to offer, as well as what you could potentially do together as far as synergies. But don’t be shy — the worst you can be told is ‘no’ ”!

Jacobson says the biggest mistake corporate meeting professionals make when trying to establish partnerships within the industry is only thinking of the immediate, short-term benefit, and only thinking about what they’ll get in return.

“That probably won’t get you very far. You will likely be much more successful if you approach partnerships not as quick hits, but as strategic investments, where both you and your potential partners’ interests are well-aligned, and a mutual benefit is clearly outlined upfront,” Jacobson says.

Richard Heby, marketing manager at LiquidSpace, a network for on-demand workspace, including event spaces, says corporate meeting planners should know what they expect to offer and what they can expect to receive from the partnership, but they shouldn’t be afraid to reach out if they don’t have a complete multiyear plan. “It’s so easy to connect these days — so go and connect,” Heby says.

Strategic partnerships have been the key to LiquidSpace’s success, because the company works to connect venues with professionals, startups and other enterprises looking for space. “We partner with coworking spaces, business centers, hotels, private companies and direct landlords,” Heby explains. Their network benefits everyone involved by injecting speed, technology and simplicity into the space discovery and rental process. That includes space for meetings, events, training sessions, team offsite events, flexible office space and more.

And great partnerships often will pay dividends in exclusivity and referrals.

Networking

When establishing professional relationships within the meeting and event industry, planners are advised to reach out and identify those people or companies they prefer to work with, understand the value they can offer potential partners and what is expected from them in return.

Sojka recommends networking at industry events such as IMEX, PCMA, MPI, SITE, etc., and reaching out to the CVBs regarding upcoming site visits to learn more about their destinations.

Gerber also stresses that establishing relationships is easiest through joining a professional organization and becoming involved with it. Gerber was on the executive board of MPI Minnesota twice and she says that it has been crucial to her success.

“Not only do you get to meet people, but you also get to demonstrate your abilities and knowledge to them,” Gerber says. “That can be priceless for your career. It is definitely worth the time you invest in it.”

Leveraging LinkedIn

And it’s important to remember that sometimes long-term partnerships begin with simple gestures, such as connecting via professional websites including LinkedIn, which can be a very powerful tool for connecting with industry players and generating business leads. Having a LinkedIn page facilitates engagement with followers, sharing potential meeting and event opportunities, and being available as a trusted resource.

LinkedIn also allows planners to connect with potential industry partners by sharing industry-related blog content, participating in Q&A sessions or even displaying a call to action in your summary. As an added feature, LinkedIn provides analytics, which enable users to measure just how effective their updates are.

Providing industry-related blog content on LinkedIn also is an excellent strategy for gaining exposure from new audiences, while catering to an existing network and industry partners. But the goal is to provide shareable content — something followers would be genuinely interested in seeing, and would consider sharing to their own followers. The result is exposure that increases exponentially, particularly when content goes viral.

Participating in Q&A sessions related to the industry is a powerful way to build stronger connections and demonstrate industry expertise. The key is to add value to the conversation. The end goal is to establish partnerships with others within the meeting and events industry.

Getting an Edge on the Competition

“If our partnership with a vendor is unique, it gives a selling edge over our competition. Referrals are an obvious bonus of partnerships,” says James Bennett, president of Firefly Team Events in Los Angeles. “A less obvious benefit is that each of your partners may be a privately owned business. As a small business, we have growing pains and struggles. I can reach out to some of my partners and have a heart-to-heart with an owner who’s probably gone through similar situations. It’s extremely valuable to have a network of peers that know your journey.”

Recently one of Firefly Team Events’ planner partners added all of the company’s products to their website. For Bennett and his team, that is like having an additional sales team promoting their clients.

“It allows us a wider reach and gives our partner a larger service offering,” Bennett says. “It’s a beautiful win/win for both of us.”

Bennett has found that industry events are great for a first introduction, but it is vital that meeting planners follow up after those connections are initially made.

“Many of our partnerships with fellow suppliers are forged in the heat of battle while working for the same clients,” Bennett says. “With our hotel partners, we reach out to them quarterly and try to schedule face-to-face time with their teams as well as FAMs.”

Sojka advises other corporate meeting planners to avoid the common mistake of not moving outside of their circle. “The more inclusive, the wider the range of contacts, the broader the base of knowledge,” Sojka says.

And reputation is everything. “Nothing is worth losing your reputation over. Be honest, hardworking and true to your core values,” Bennett says. “For us, we’re trying to keep our clients happy, healthy and engaged.” C&IT