Planning Tips for Meeting Planners
Expert advice: Face-to-face networking in a world of smartphones
Smartphones, with their easy access to texting, email, Google searches and social media, seem to have a magnetic pull whenever people have a free minute. That presents a challenge for meeting planners
How to boost meeting attendance
What's the worst thing that could happen to a meeting planner? Sure, the list is endless, and a flood of bad memories is probably washing over you right now. (Some may include actual floods .) But it's
Catching the eye of the self-educated buyer
Are you an SEB? Most likely, but don't worry. Its not a bad thing. An SEB, or self-educated buyer, is someone who does their homework before reaching out to traditional sales channels. They are
Convention center app offers indoor GPS
When you're traveling by car to an unfamiliar place, how much do you rely on your phones mapping app and the turn-by-turn directions? Or maybe you use a GPS tool like Garmin or Magellan? Either way,
Green meetings matter
Incorporating sustainability into meetings and events has been around long enough that its a given for many organizations, but not all. According to the 2015 Meetings Focus Trends Survey , only
Mixing business with pleasure
Some say you should never mix business with pleasure. But we're here to tell you that it just might be a great way to increase attendance at your event. How? By highlighting how your attendees can
Provide an Option for Attendees to Give Back
Has puppy cuddling ever been on your meeting agenda? What about bike building? Those are some fun examples of giving back events that can be included at your next meeting or conference. Volunteer
Don't miss out on the power of video
Here are some fun facts from comScore Inc. and eMarketer : Last year, in the month of December alone, 188.2 million people in the U.S. viewed 52.4 billion online videos. More than half of people
4 Keys to a Smooth Registration
Typically, the first touch point an attendee has with an event or meeting is registration. Whether they are signing up online or showing up at the door, that's what will give them their first
The Cost of Technology
Technology needs connected to meetings and events are changing with each new innovation. (Remember when you had to wait for a paper survey to let a speaker know what you thought?) It's safe to say
Is it time to rethink your floor plan? Not necessarily
Have you ever noticed that most trade show floor plans are similar? There's a reason for that, said Carolyn Alt, senior show manager at ShowSpan , which holds shows in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Grand
5 Reasons Why Meetings Matter
Do meetings really matter? The recession that bottomed out in 2009 had many organizations considering that as they looked at their dwindling budgets. A recent survey shows the meeting industry, after
Planning the alternate outing for the non-golfers
The golf outing is a mainstay of many conferences and events. But along with it comes the challenge of planning an alternate outing for non-golfers that appeals to a wide variety of interests. For
Consider Modeling Your Meeting After TEDx
Last month, TEDx celebrated its 10,000 th event . According to the TEDBlog , since the authorized local offshoot of the original TED conference started in 2009, they have been held at an average rate
A CAB Could Improve Your Next Meeting
When it comes to getting feedback from meeting attendees, surveys and evaluation forms only go so far. Wouldn't it be great to be able to sit down and really talk to some customers when you're
Coworking spaces offer innovative meeting sites
The growing trend of shared workspace is creating a new option for meeting and event planners looking for ways to shake up the breakout session. Shared workspaces, or coworking spaces , are sites
What are the deal-breakers?
When it comes to choosing a destination for a meeting or event, there will always be certain factors that push the decision one way or the other: Type of facility or meeting space Rates,
CVBs, DMOs offer free services
Why argue with free? CVBs and DMOs offer a wide variety of free services to help meeting planners make their events successful. Why? It's in their best interest - a happy customer is a repeat
How to meet during inclement weather
We've all had a cancelled or delayed flight due to conditions, or a route planned on roads that just aren't drivable. The polar vortex affected thousands of travelers this year, many of whom were
Finding Inspiration Wherever You Go
Amy Young has been a meeting planner for more than 20 years, but she never runs out of ideas.That's because she sees the world differently. "Pay attention to the world around you," said Young,
Going Back to School
The new year is a great time to try something different. Instead of planning your next event at the tried and true convention centers or hotel meeting rooms, take a look at the colleges or
Benefits of Offsite Meetings and Tips for Successfully Planning One
You know the drill. There's a meeting, there's a budget, and you need to find the most effective venue to deliver the message. One of your first decisions is whether to hold the meeting offsite.
Meeting Over a Holiday: Something to Look Into for Your Next Meeting or Event
For as long as Liz Heinzman can remember, she has never celebrated Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. Her feast was always moved to another day because Thanksgiving was spent traveling to the annual
Build Excitement, Deliver Information with an Event Microsite
More and more CVBs are expanding their roles when it comes to working with event planners by offering services above and beyond securing venues and hotel space. They are partnering with planners to
Attracting and Engaging Millennials at Your Event
If you're wondering about attracting young professionals, often referred to as Millennials or GenY, and want them to engage at your event or conference its important to recognize that this is the
Damage Control: How to deal with bad speakers (and avoid booking them in the first place)
As president of both the National Speakers Bureau and the International Association of Speakers Bureaus , Brian D. Palmer is a magnet for stories. "People who plan events love telling about things
Networking with purpose: Attend in-person events prepared to solve a problem
Networking is a valuable business activity when done correctly, but it takes work. Too often networking events can be dominated by forced, awkward interactions and banal banter while exchanging
Need help? When done right, hiring an intern can be a win-win.
Every event planner has that moment - possibly daily = when they wish they could clone themselves to get more things done. One possible solution arrives every summer in the form of a fresh crop of
Wrap Up Right: Work with your host city's CVB to evaluate your meeting...and proactively…
Veteran meeting planners know that an event isn't over when the last speaker leaves the stage, the last exhibit is packed up or the last attendee checks out. An event isn't truly put to bed until
Certified Tourism Ambassadors: A friendly, knowledgeable guide to your city
All guests want their hotel staff, and others they encounter in a destination town, to be friendly and knowledgeable. But what if they could prove they were friendly and knowledgeable with an official
Loyalty and Low Costs Rule: Arranging Air Travel For Meeting Attendees
When was the last time you booked group air travel for your event? Some experts say those occasions are becoming more and more rare. The reason? Online sites like Priceline and Expedia have
4 Ways Working With Your Local CVB/DMO Can Save You Time and Money
A few days before the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids last January, Betsy Purcell, MMCAssociation Manager, realized that in addition to all the other tasks on her plate, she had about two
Keeping it Real: The Value of Accurate Site Visits
How real is your site visit? Nancy Beecher, director of programming for the Michigan Women of the Church of God , learned that one of hers was not as real as it should have been. "The ladies were
Repeating the "Wow" Factor: How to Keep Your Next Event Fresh
You just wrapped up a stellar meeting. Comment cards filled with praise are coming in. The social media buzz was frequent and loaded with take-away nuggets of wisdom. You feel like a rock star. So,
Saying "Thank You" to clients...with food.
Danke. Merci. Grazie. Gracias. Obrigado. Thank you. No matter how you say it, its a key part of maintaining client relationships. Plus, its just plain nice. "On a typical sales call, we're always
Family-Friendly Appeal: Why and How To Offer Child Care at Your Event
When Steve Cauble planned the 2013 annual meeting of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel , it included childcare and ministry programming for 500 children. "We not only had 22 rooms of
Disaster Averted: With good planning, even a record-breaking flood does not have to ruin…
Floods, evacuations and chaos rarely leave people smiling, but a few weeks after Tammy Brown faced all three at her SkillsUSA Michigan state conference in Grand Rapids, she can't help but smile.
Tips for Using Outlook, Excel And Word More Efficiently
Event planners in the Lansing, MI area recently had the opportunity to attend a Lunch & Learn technology seminar hosted by Experience Grand Rapids. During the seminar Kim Young , Director of
To Pull Off A Successful Meeting, Get Organized.
In our post last week on what makes some businesses - and meeting planners! - successful while others flounder and fail , one thing became evident: discipline and organization are essential to both
Should Pantone Color Trends Influence Your Event?
Tennis courts. That was the venue Jennifer Ederer, owner of Modern Day Floral in Grand Rapids, MI, worked with as she planned a large corporate event last summer. Her client wanted the event to
The Art of Timing: To Inject Excitement Into Your Meetings, Plan Them During City Events
For Kathy Woronko, manager of brand event experiences at Steelcase Corp ., holding the office furniture manufacturers dealer conference in their hometown of Grand Rapids made perfect sense. "We have
Jazz Up Your Next Meeting With a Themed Event
Considering a theme party for your next meeting? Maybe a luau or an under-the-sea adventure? Veteran event planner Amy Young, CMP, has one thing to say: Go big, or go home. "If you're going to do
Build a Better FAM Trip: An Amazing Race and CEU Credits in Grand Rapids
Event planners, this questions for you: Did your last FAM trip include playing Jeopardy or the Amazing Race with other attendees? Or earning CEU credits? If not, you weren't in Grand Rapids, MI.
Creating Customized Conference Experiences: Interview with Steven Stout
In the "old days" - say, 6 or 7 years ago - meeting planners focused primarily on logistics: The questions of when and where they would hold their conference and what types of facilities were
