Meetings Today Podcast

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson and Maritz Chief Legal Officer Jill Blood discuss AI in event contracts, attendee data privacy, intellectual property and practical risk planning.Learn how the Maritz legal chief navigates AI in event contracts, protects attendee data, vets technology vendors and balances duty of care with creating memorable experiences.Hear practical strategies for managing risk, planning for contingencies and safeguarding meetings- and events-related intellectual property.

F&B is the main course of the session experience, not an offput moment "between sessions." Intentional culinary design can create connection, reinforce a meeting’s message, sustain attention and make an event feel genuinely distinctive. This episode reframes F&B from a logistical line item into a strategic part of the attendee journey. Rather than asking, “What should we serve?”, the conversation explores, “What do we want attendees to feel, do, and remember at this point in the program?”

Meeting attendance is only one measure of success. In this Meetings Today podcast, MCI USA President, Strategic Events, Meetings & Incentives Shawn Pierce explains how event planners can measure return on investment, return on experience and attendee value.Explore strategies for smaller networking groups, personalized event agendas, meaningful connections and post-event follow-up that make conferences relevant and impactful.

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson caught up with Visit Orlando President & CEO Casandra Matej at IMEX America 2026 to learn about what’s new in the biggest meetings destination in North America. From a half-billion-dollar expansion of Orange County Convention Center to a major meeting space addition at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin—and major news on the group dining front—this Central Florida standout is always shining.

Cvent’s Mike Dietrich details major new AI research from Forrester Consulting that is the first offering of the new Cvent Center for Event Insights, which is focused on tackling some of the biggest issues in the industry. How will AI impact your job as an event planner and how can you rise to the challenge of harnessing this powerful new technology? Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson sat down with Mike Dietrich, VP of The Cvent Center for Event Insights, launched during Smart Monday at IMEX America 2026, to parse a major new events industry AI study the event tech giant partnered with Forrester Consulting to release. While AI is making the case for live experiences, event marketing departments are still struggling prove ROI. Here’s how AI may impact your role as a meeting planner and the industry as a whole.

Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality Business is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2027, having spent a century preparing students for careers in meetings and events as well as in other segments of the hospitality industry.Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson interviewed MSU alumni and meetings industry veteran Gary Hernbroth, chief motivating officer for Training for Winners, along with recent graduates Sydney Morrison and Madison Cloran, about what the college offers for the future leaders of the meetings industry as well as valuable tips for young people just breaking in.

Philadelphia CVB’s Brea Webster Stanko shares planning lessons for event professionals on branding, attendee journeys, security and venue logistics culled from the city’s epic run of marquee sporting events, FIFA World Cup and the MLB All-Star Game, this summer.

The Broadmoor’s Cloud Camp offers meeting and event planners a secluded Colorado Rocky Mountains setting for executive retreats, board meetings, incentive groups and small-team gatherings.In this Meetings Today podcast, Tyler Davidson speaks with Duane Zobrist, CEO of Resort Outfitters, which designs and operates outdoor resort experiences at the property, including falconry, kayaking, mountain biking and custom group activations. Zobrist shares why Cloud Camp stands out for small groups.

As attendees become more intentional about where and how they spend their time, event organizers face a critical question: Does their event offer something people can't get from a screen? In this Meetings Today Podcast, reporter Taylor Smith speaks with Emily Laufgraben, senior marketing insights manager at Maritz and author of the company's "NextGen Proofing Your Events" report, about how planners can design more relevant, credible and connection-driven experiences.Laufgraben explores how today's attendees are looking for meaningful conversations, genuine belonging, hands-on experiences and opportunities to explore a destination in an authentic way. She explains why traditional networking receptions can fall short and how organizers can provide the structure, reassurance and smaller-group settings that help people make valuable connections. And she examines the growing importance of authenticity throughout it all.Her central advice is simple: Stay curious, ask meaningful questions and avoid assumptions. By focusing on purpose, trust and human connection, planners can create events that attendees choose to attend, and remember.

Despite the recent trade tension between the American and Canadian governments, Canada is seeing strong demand from U.S.-based meeting and incentive groups for 2027 and 2028. In this brief Meetings Today podcast, Destination Canada’s Virginie De Visscher details which industry sectors are meeting regularly in Canada, how Canada’s event-legacy strategy supports corporate CSR objectives and why authentic Indigenous and local experiences are so popular for U.S.-based incentive groups.