Recently I was preparing for a presentation to a group of meeting professionals, entitled “Designing with Flexibility.” The plan was to share ideas about how in a COVID/post COVID world we need to be even more flexible when planning, as the rules/protocols/guidelines are every changing. So, I did some research in industry magazines and blogs, […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Timing is Everything!Meetings are rarely smooth sailing. You plan, you anticipate, you prepare and more often than not, something will not go exactly as planned. It might not be a major problem such as a natural disaster, or an oversold hotel, but if you have thought things through and have a supportive team, you will overcome the […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Meetings – Trick or Treat?Most people in my profession cringe when asked: “what do you do?” Why? Because the ‘easy’ answer, “I’m a meeting planner” gets the response – “oh, a party planner, what fun!” The more complicated answer “I’m an experience curator” or “I’m a connection facilitator” or “I’m an event professional” get blank stares. How to best […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Meeting Professionals – Really Magicians!Have you ever attended a meeting/workshop that sounded great and yet when the speakers started talking you wondered why you were there? Well, that was me recently – I had signed up for a seminar about the new tax code and it was marketed to “small business, entrepreneurs and enterprises …” As a small business […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Why the Heck Am I Here (at this meeting)?Recently, I attended two conferences (seems like I say that a lot, but it’s true). Both were in the hospitality industry and both used a meeting app. In my non-technical opinion (as an attendee and a user of both apps), one was infinitely more successful and engaging. I won’t tell you what platforms were used […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Meeting Apps – Engaging or Annoying?[This is the third part in a three part series – hope you’ve enjoyed reading it! Here are links to Part 1 & Part 2 if you’ve missed them] Part of being prepared is being flexible. It’s a trait shared by meeting professionals (both planners and suppliers), speakers and meeting facilitators. As a facilitator, part […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Be Prepared – Facilitators Ready for Anything[This is part 2 in a 3 part series – if you missed Part 1, click here] As a parent, it makes me smile when my kids ask me work-related questions as it shows me they ‘get’ what I do. My son (who is a college junior) has been fortunate this past year to be […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Be Prepared – Is Your Team Ready?[This is the first of a three part series] When asked about required traits for meeting planning – being organized, flexible and prepared for anything always seem to come to the top of my mind. Over the past few months I’ve been part of or have heard about situations where the ‘be prepared’ aspect definitely […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Be Prepared – not just a slogan for Boy ScoutsLast week I had the opportunity to participate in a new conference – Connect New England. This conference was a great representation of a partnership between the planner and the venue. This resulted in a multifaceted display of the planner’s vision to showcase the destination and its local food and heritage throughout the conference. The […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Connecting in ConnecticutThis time of year I love to snuggle on the couch with my family (yes, teenagers still do that!) and watch holiday movies. The other evening I was watching The Santa Clause 2 (one of my modern favorites!). One of my favorite scenes in the movie is during the staff Christmas party when Scott Calvin […]
Continue Reading... Comments Off on Games at Meetings – Why Not?