Covid and Meetings: A Reality Check

When it comes to developing creative, out-of-the-box meeting experiences, independent hotels provide a number of appealing options for event planners. In this episode of Eventful, created in partnership with the Caribe Royale Orlando, we delve into the advantages of working with independent properties, by looking in depth at Caribe Royale’s approach to events. We speak with the property’s managing director, Amaury Piedra about how he and his team works with meeting planners to create exceptional events—and how input from meeting planners has shaped new, major upgrades to the property. For a bigger-picture perspective on the value of independent hotels, we also spoke with Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International, which serves as a global sales arm for independent hotels for meetings, incentives and conventions. He shared what he thinks sets independents apart and how planners can leverage their offerings. Listen to the in-depth conversation in our latest episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, and remember to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.This episode was created in partnership with Caribe Royale Orlando.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attorney Joshua Grimes provides a legal perspective on duty of care, cancellation clauses and more when planning events in states with controversial legislation. Many meeting professionals believe controversial issues like abortion rights are political concerns that have no bearing on their jobs. But that isn't true, says industry attorney Joshua Grimes, Esq., president of Grimes Law Offices, LLC. In this episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, Grimes talks with Northstar's Loren Edelstein about the potential risks legislation could pose to meeting organizers and attendees. This timely and important discussion covers: • Why controversial legislation shouldn't be dismissed as "politics" (0.15) • How laws regarding bathroom use, prenatal health care, undocumented immigrants and other concerns can directly affect meetings and attendees (1.00) • Possible workarounds for meeting successfully where such laws exist (3:30) • The effectiveness of nondiscrimination clauses in meeting contracts (5:00) • Duty of care, liability and other legal concerns (9:15) • Weighing the decision to cancel an event (12:00) • Why planners, suppliers and industry associations should be having candid conversations about legislative issues (14:15)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the future hold for our business and personal lives? Risk-management expert Bruce McIndoe, president of McIndoe Risk Advisory, LLC,  tackles that topic in this enlightening discussion with Northstar’s Loren Edelstein. From weather disasters to robotic companions, here’s what to expect in the years ahead. 1:20 Why meeting planners should anticipate more frequent and intense weather events5:00 How hybrid events provide a number of benefits, among them a good resiliency strategy7:00 Why human resources should be collaborating with meeting and event planners9:20 The growing need for internal meetings as more organizations have remote workforces11:20 Strategies for recognizing and supporting employees with mental health issues15:20 Where and when robots will replace humans in the hospitality industry18:05 How automation will solve the problem of staff shortages21:20 When to expect flying taxis and personal drones to be in wide use22:20 How education will be geared toward gig workers vs. career professionals23:50 The role of companion robots that will support humanoid unitsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creating an emergency response plan is one of the many responsibilities that fall on an event planner's plate. While they hope to never need to execute it, sometimes disaster strikes mid-meeting. On this episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, Senior Associate Editor Elise Schoening spoke with LaToya Williams, manager of global accounts for HelmsBrice, who was on Turks and Caicos with an incentive group when Hurricane Fiona tore through the Caribbean. The storm cut short the incentive program and forced the group to shelter in place while the worst of the hurricane passed through. The podcast was recorded while Williams was still on the island. In it, she shares her experience of real-time crisis management and offers advice for other meeting planners who find themselves in the midst of an emergency. Since recording, Williams and all 83 attendees have made it home safely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Salaries have recovered, but the pay gap between women and men has widened. In conjunction with the publications of the 2022 Northstar Meetings Group/Meetingjobs-Cadre Salary Survey, we discuss the findings with Dawn Penfold, president of Meetingjobs.com, in this episode of Eventful, the Podcast for Meeting Professionals. Salaries for planners have recovered from the pandemic, but the pay gap between men and women widened over the past two years. Contemplating this and other statistics from the survey, Penfold adds thoughts on what’s currently happening in the job market and which industry segments are looking for planners.In this episode, we discuss: • The rise in base pay for meeting planners• The pay gap between women and men• How certification affects planner salaries• Planners’ stress levels• How the pandemic affected planners’ jobs• What would make planners happier in their jobs• How hiring continues to shift in the meetings industrySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Mitchell, an integrated marketing and event strategist with a background in the television industry, believes virtual-event tech platforms are scrambling for business now because the entire business model of the past two years was based on false assumptions. Most planners did not want to be digital marketers, he says, which created a bifurcated market for in-person and digital. In this discussion with Northstar Meetings Group executive editor Michael Shapiro, Mitchell explains what he sees as the central disconnect between the tech platforms and meeting planners, the misguided ways in which the technology was targeted over the past two years, and how recent data should make it clear where virtual events can and should still play a significant role. In this wide-ranging discussion in which both Mitchell and Shapiro steadfastly avoid using the 'h' word, Mitchell addresses the need to blend in-person and digital content and reach a target audience despite the challenges. Among his key points: • Virtual event platforms should not have been designed to mimic a planner's in-person event workflow (1:40) • Digital marketers are the real customers of virtual-event technology (4:18) • The events industry's reliance on the hospitality industry creates conflicts of interest with tech (7:04) • We have a bifurcated marketplace, as in-person and virtual events have different value propositions (12:17) • Mitchell predicts which large tech companies will become event-tech game-changers (16:37) • Organizations have to think like media companies in the way they deliver content (21:48) • Different business models will emerge to facilitate in-person and digital audience blending (25:29) Listen to the in-depth conversation in our latest episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, and remember to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President and CEO Paul Van DeVenter discusses how the events industry organization had to find ways to remain viable during the pandemic — lessons that resulted in a new structure and focus. Staying relevant to members was not a problem for MPI over the past two years, according to president and CEO Paul Van DeVenter. More difficult was finding a way to stay financially viable. In this podcast discussion with Northstar’s Sarah J.F. Braley, Van DeVenter describes how the association's structure was redesigned, how pandemic lessons learned are being applied to MPI's in-person events and how to achieve the goals that have been set in the group's five-year plan (among them, bringing the community size to 250,000 people by 2027; having a 40,000-person customer base; bringing in 20 percent of the association's revenue from outside North America; and having more than 20 affiliate partners). The association is now focused on creating a stronger meeting professional community that isn’t solely based on membership. Among Van DeVenters insights are: How Covid underscored the importance of organizations like MPI (1:20) How MPI restructured in order to stay financially viable over the past two years (3:38) Challenges Van DeVenter faced at MPI and as volunteer chair for the Events Industry Council (9:15) How lessons learned during the pandemic are being applied to MPI's in-person events (11:09) How attendee desires have changed (13:24) What associations took away from the pandemic (15:40) Reaching MPI’s 2027 goals (16:35) Bold predictions going forward (19:33)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deception is rampant in the business world today, says body-language expert Traci Brown. After suffering significant losses, meeting planners and suppliers are more apt to bend the truth or omit important information to seal a deal. In this discussion with Northstar’s Loren Edelstein, Brown reveals the verbal and physical clues that subconsciously coincide with lying. Key topics addressed: Why lying is so prevalent today (1:45) How deception can take many forms, including lies of omission (3:15) The danger of “alternative facts,” bold-faced denials and “deep-fake video” (3:45) Why there’s less transparency in hotel negotiations today (5:00) Clues that suggest someone is lying or holding back information (6:48) Why performance guarantees aren’t effective (8:30) How communication is critical for avoiding and resolving problems (10:00) Identifying signs of deception in a phone call  (10:50) Why you should trust your gut; believe it the first time and take action (12:20) How paying close attention is the most important way to spot deception (13:00) What to do or say when you suspect a problem (13:50) How to present yourself as authoritative and trustworthy in negotiations (14:35) A simple hand trick that will give you confidence (15:00) How confidence is reflected in your choice of words (16:55) Where to go for more information on reading body language (18:40) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past few years, hundreds of meeting and event planners have made commitments to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2030, 2040 or 2050. To date, however, relatively few have taken significant steps to accomplish those critical initiatives, says Fiona Pelham, CEO of Positive Impact Events. Among those who have acted is Amy Kramer, market and product innovation leader for Maritz Global Events. In this episode of Eventful, Northstar's Loren Edelstein talks with Pelham and Kramer about the process of implementing sustainable business practices and supporting the sustainability efforts of clients and suppliers. Among topics discussed are: • What is the Race to Zero Accelerator Program and how do you join? (1:40)• The process of launching a sustainability program (2:48)• Resources and tools to use for measuring progress (5:59)• The process of reporting on sustainability initiatives and achievements (8:08) • How the internal commitment begins with a mindset shift (11:47)• How to address cost concerns (13:24)• Why today's voluntary measures could become mandates in the near future (17:38)• How to start with an assessment and set small goals (22:51)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2020, David Peckinpaugh was running Maritz Global Meetings, the third-party planning division of Maritz Holdings. By this past January, Peckinpaugh had been promoted to president and CEO of the overall company, but he had to make a lot of tough decisions along the way. In this episode of the Eventful Podcast, Peckinpaugh discusses the hurdles that remain as business rebounds: Filling open positions, monitoring hotel service levels and managing ever-changing contract terms. Although building back isn’t easy, Peckinpaugh says he has never felt more optimistic about the future of the events industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.