I would say that I have a lot of food preferences. I like healthy food: nothing fried, no white sugar or processed food. I often have a hard time when the only options at conferences are sugary breakfast items or processed meat sandwiches. The frustration! I thought I had it hard… until I spoke with a few colleagues who have serious food allergies and heard what it is like to be in their situation. I now have a sense of…
News & Articles - planning
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Information – the most important tool of planning and executing events
The one major tool we have is information. We get our information based on the questions we ask, how information is gathered and how information is distributed. Asking the right questions Whenever I am speaking to a new or previous client, I begin by: Gathering the basic information about the program or event; Asking the client to clearly define the objectives and parting message; Asking where the program or event has been held before (if applicable), what worked and what…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Budgeting, Event Operations, Event Registration, Site Selection
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The impact of short lead times in meetings and event management
By Maria da Cunha, CTC, CMP Organizations are often focused on short-term economic planning where commitments to a meeting or event are confirmed last minute, often within 30 days of the event date. The 2008 financial crisis was a major contributor to the short lead times applied to meetings and events when inventory was readily available throughout the meetings and events industry. Business operations have also changed or adjusted to different management strategies which have resulted in short lead times…
Event Branding & Marketing, Event Budgeting, Event Operations, Meeting Community, Site Selection, The Business of Meetings
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Planning accessible events for every body
Chances are that if you are an event planner, you are able to move around quickly, you are agile and you are used to literally being on the run! It is a physically demanding job. This also means that because you are able-bodied, it might not occur to you to plan for people who are not as mobile. If this is not the case and you are always proactively planning for different abilities at your events, I congratulate you. This,…
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Choosing a new meeting destination: It’s all in the details
By Shannon Byck and David Drover There are various reasons for a company to decide to plan a meeting or incentive in a new destination: team building, incentive award, or training are just a few. When looking outside of your typical in-house or local meeting venue, a new destination provides your attendees with a unique environment that can build upon your companies’ goals for that meeting. There may be concerns about the additional costs (transportation, hotel costs, etc.) of using…
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Tips for hiring the best keynote speaker for your next event
Hiring the right keynote speaker for your corporate event or conference isn’t getting any easier. There seems to be more speakers than ever, on just about any topic. If you Google the term “keynote speaker,” there are over 19.2 million results. So what are some tips that will help you find the best possible speakers for your events? I asked a few of my colleagues at Speakers’ Spotlight who are dedicated to helping our clients do just this. Each of…
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The role of technology in event planning
By Kate Vasiloff, GBTA Foundation A new GBTA Foundation study revealed the most valued and most desired features when it comes to site sourcing technology. Conducted in partnership with Lanyon, the study is being released during a Lanyon Live breakout session. Meeting and event planning starts long before anyone sets foot onsite, of course, and many factors can greatly contribute to or detract from the success of an event. A majority of planners (57 per cent) use events or meeting…
Breaking News, Event Operations, Meeting Community, Social Media & Technology
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Event logistics for a mindful experience
By Leanne Andrecyk Logistics: the process of planning, organizing and managing activities. Born from the military arts, it is the essence of the event industry and the most important element of the craft. A true master of logistics can take event management from an activity to a scientific discipline. Event logistics can encompass all planning phases of an event; however the focus of this article is on the end game: the logistics of event execution with guest participation in mind.…
