About the author:

Author: Micki Lubek, CMP

Micki Lubek, CMP  is a corporate event planner in the financial sector in Toronto. She was voted “Planner Member of the Year” by MPI in 2016.  She is a passionate session presenter at industry events and continues to be an industry mentor. She believes that in this fast-paced world of digital innovation, face-to-face interactions and meetings are still the best way to build relationships and trust. Her articles centre around communication and overcoming communication barriers to building trust.

Articles by Micki Lubek, CMP

  • The insider’s guide to internal meeting spaces

    There are times when corporate planners are tasked with planning events in an internal meeting space. Usually, this means planning meetings in office buildings while managing client expectations – and what they expect is the same standard as if the meeting was held in a purpose-built venue. Perceived convenience and cost savings become the deciding factors for internal meetings, however there can be hidden costs and inconveniences that should be considered. Moving meetings into the office are rarely as simple…

  • How to act with urgency to build trust with your clients

    Very early in my career as a planner, my boss had shared with me some harsh feedback from a client. The client had remarked that I did not appear to have a sense of urgency. I was surprised by this. I asked, “Did the events not go off well? Did I not deliver on deadline?” My boss confirmed that yes, I did all those things – but it was the pace in which I walked when we were on site…

  • Great events start with great engagement – even on a volunteer committee

    The typical experience of a volunteer committee unfolds as predictably as if scripted. A table is filled with enthusiastic committee members. A gung-ho committee chair. Possibly cupcakes. Then just as predictably, members drop off one by one. Other priorities, apathy and life take over. With event day looming, the few remaining end up with lion’s share of work. Sadly, a once enthusiastic crew can succumb to dysfunction and under-performance. Thankfully, there are volunteer committees that are getting it right. They…

  • The meeting sales package is dead

    There, I said it. Although the printed glossy folders with picture brochures, menus, venue specs and offers still exist, meeting sales packages have outgrown their usefulness – according to most planners. Blame it on the nomadic way we work today. On any given day our “office” can be our home, the car, Starbucks – work is the thing we do, not the place we go. Those of us who do still work in physical offices are noticing an evolution in…

  • Event planner grievances with food and beverage: What venues have to say

    Planners are from Mars, chefs are from Venus (or in this case, Venues!) I recently sat down with Toronto meeting and event manager Tina Aprile, CMP, who works in a popular downtown Toronto hotel. Wanting perspective from the venue side, I hoped to discuss some of my grievances when it comes to food and beverage. ML: What is the main disconnect that you experience between planners and venues when it comes to F+B? TA: It comes down to priorities and…

  • RSVP etiquette: Why we are tentative to RSVP to events

    If you’re old enough, you remember when RSVPs used to be straightforward. You got an invitation, you made a decision and you sent a response to advise accordingly. Today, despite technological advances in sending and capturing responses, this process has become anything but simple. The edges of RSVP etiquette are blurring and planners are feeling the ramifications. It is now common – even expected that there will be a large percentage of people who will not respond, and this number…