On February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed and 17 more wounded. It seemed yet another tragic shooting of numerous innocent victims that provokes intense political and media interest for a few days and then is eclipsed by other events. In this case, the Parkland shooting has gained a momentum that has grown in news coverage, causing a number a special interest groups to wade into the…
Event Branding & Marketing
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Digital vs. paper: Which will win the battle of meetings communication?
By Phil Rappoport Could the fun and age-old “selection game” of Rock-Paper-Scissors become “App-Paper-Scissors?” Which one would top the other in a one-on-one duel by meeting professionals and their delegates? Can the app and a pair of scissors turn paper into shreds, or will paper still have a place? Judging by the surge of mobile app usage in the meetings and events industry over the past five years, one would think that apps are clearly in the driver’s seat and…
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What do you know about sponsorship?
Reinventing sponsorships using creativity and customization When it comes to sponsorship, the competition is real – and tough. In order to survive it, we need to rethink what potential sponsors are looking for. Thirty years ago, it was a logo on a poster and a program, and a thank you after the event. But that’s no longer the case. Today corporations don’t care about logo exposure on your materials and websites. It has become such a given – logo placement,…
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The challenges faced by event food and beverage teams
From addressing food allergies to dealing with shrinking budgets and tighter-than-ever timelines, venue food and beverage teams face a host of challenges with every event they help organize. Corporate Meetings and Events magazine recently spoke with senior leaders at several successful event venues to learn about how these hard-working teams address such challenges to create exceptional experiences for planners and guest alike. Participants: Jason Bangerter, Executive Chef; Virgilio Vea, Director of Food and Beverage; and Kate Mackay, Director of Sales…
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Social media: Just because you can, does not mean you should
Americans touch their smart telephones 2600 times per day, as cited in a study by The Economist. According to Group M, Americans spend, on average, almost four hours per day of personal time online, over four hours per day in Britain and almost five hours in Hong Kong. That does not include being online at work! These statistics highlight the seemingly unstoppable growth of social media in our lives. The benefits of this new technology have been extraordinary. Anyone can…
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Meetings industry forecast: Hot topics and trends for Canadian meetings in 2018
By Yma Sherry A few weeks back, American Express Meetings & Events released the highly anticipated 2018 Global Meetings & Events Forecast. Now in its seventh edition, the Forecast aims to help meeting professionals and executives strategically direct and make effective use of their meeting investment to demonstrate the value of managed corporate meetings programs. Looking ahead to 2018, the meetings and events industry is thriving. We’re seeing steady and increasing investment driven by increased competition for global market share,…
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How to deal with difficult clients
In the events and hospitality industry, dealing with clients on a regular basis is part of the job. Whether you are a planner, hotelier or supplier, your goal is to make clients happy and do your best to meet their demands. At times, however, the demands become excessive and difficult to manage. This is where it becomes important to maintain a positive client relationship (even if it seems impossible at times), and do your best to keep the client happy…
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Building event value by creating trust
When I began writing Intentional Event Design: Our Professional Opportunity, it was to delve into and provide information on designing events that are people-centric and purpose-driven. The more I wrote, the more I realized it came down to one thing: using meetings to build trust – in the organization, between teams, and between solution providers and their potential clients. To create environments that allow the time and space for conversations is part art and part (neuro) science, and deeply understanding…
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When to walk away when planning an event
As an event planner, you are only as good as your last event. If something does not seem right to you, it may be time to walk away. Early on in my career, I learned an important lesson. I had earned a reputation for producing great themed events. A third-party client approached me to plan a themed dinner offsite at an attraction. I sent a proposal and their client was thrilled and approved it as presented. Well, things began to…
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Trend Watch – Association Meetings in 2018
Over the next few months, the team at Redstone will be taking the time to look at what we can change or improve on in our association meeting planning in 2018 – particularly those that will require increasing a budget line or two – in order to be able to bring the organizations we work with into the future. Here are two important areas where our team will be learning, training and increasing our budgets in order to better serve…
