MEETINGS OUTLOOK
■
CONVENTION CENTER DESIGN
■
MARKETING YOURSELF
AUGUST 2015
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Volume 3, Issue 7
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MANAGING EDITOR
EDITOR
EDITOR
DIGITAL EDITOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
DESIGN AND PREPRESS
COVER DESIGN
COVER PHOTO
Is cautiously optimistic
and a wee bit excited
about a certain movie
opening, at the time
of this magazine’s
printing, in 141 days.
Rich Luna, rluna@mpiweb.org
Jeff Daigle, jdaigle@mpiweb.org
Blair Potter, bpotter@mpiweb.org
Michael Pinchera, mpinchera@mpiweb.org
Rowland Stiteler, rstiteler@mpiweb.org
Jeff Loy, jloy@mpiweb.org
Holly Smith, hsmith@mpiweb.org
Javier Adame, jadame@mpiweb.org
Sherry Gritch, SG2Designs, sherry@sgproductions.net
Jeff Daigle
Serravision Photography
MPI ADVERTISING STAFF
CANADA
Susan Prophet
sprophet@mpiweb.org • (905) 815-1381
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA
Pierre Fernandez
pfernandez@mpiweb.org • +33 628 83 84 82
AL, AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WV, WY
Katri Laurimaa
klaurimaa@mpiweb.org • (817) 251-9891
CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA
Cheryl Hatcher
chatcher@mpiweb.org • (850) 345-9815
AK, AZ, CA, DE, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, MEXICO
Angie Kimmel
akimmel@mpiweb.org • (636) 273-5816
MPI EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
PRESIDENT & CEO
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Paul Van Deventer, pvandeventer@mpiweb.org
Michael Woody, mwoody@mpiweb.org
Daniel Gilmartin, dgilmartin@mpiweb.org
Darren Temple, dtemple@mpiweb.org
Consumed live termites
and ant larva in Belize.
INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairman of the Board
Kevin Kirby, The KIRBY Consulting Group LLC
Chairwoman-elect
Fiona Pelham, Sustainable Events Ltd. and Positive Impact
Vice Chairwoman of Finance
Erin Tench, CMP, CMM, The Pennsylvania State University
Vice Chairman
Brian Stevens, ConferenceDirect
Immediate Past Chairman
Michael Dominguez, MGM Resorts International
Would be like to be
portrayed on the big
screen by Rene Russo.
BOARD MEMBERS
Amanda Armstrong, CMP, Enterprise Holdings
Krzysztof Celuch, PhD, CMM, CITE, CIS, Warsaw School of Tourism and Hospitality Management / Poland Convention Bureau
Angie Duncan, CMP, CMM, Touch Associates
Annette Gregg, CMP, CMM, MBA, LPL Financial
Anne Hamilton, Disney Worldwide Shared Services
Gerrit Jessen, CMP, CMM, MCI Deutschland GmbH
Allison Kinsley, CMP, CMM, Kinsley Meetings
Michael Massari, Caesars Entertainment
Audra Narikawa, CMP, Capital Group
Alisa Peters, CMP, CMM, Experient Inc.
Ken Sanders, Freeman Audio Visual Solutions
Marti Winer, Drew University
Was born at
9:12 p.m.
on 9/12.
BOARD REPRESENTATIVES
MPI Foundation Board Representative
Stephen Revetria, Giants Enterprises
LEGAL COUNSEL
Jonathan T. Howe, Esq., Howe & Hutton Ltd.
The Meeting Professional® (Print ISSN: #2329-8510, Digital Edition ISSN: #2329-8529) is printed monthly, except the months of January and October, by
Meeting Professionals International (MPI), a professional association of meeting and event planners and suppliers.
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Please recycle this magazine and the polybag or pass
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
50
HOW TO
MARKET
YOURSELF
(EFFECTIVELY)
Take control of the career path
you’re on and build your own
brand.
54
57
CREATING SPACE
MEETINGS OUTLOOK
The designers of convention and
conference centers have latched onto
the idea of getting input from planners
in order to help make meetings and
events work better.
With continued intelligent growth in
the industry, meeting professionals
are showing a renewed focus on
attendee “wants” and going beyond
“needs” as they strive to do much
more with just a little more.
MPIWEB.ORG 5
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26
18
CONTENTS
THE LOBBY
16 MAKING YOUR EVENT
PICTURE-PERFECT
VIEWPOINTS
The benefits of working with a professional
event photographer.
30 PEAK SPEAKERS
18 LONG LIVE THE
MEETING INDUSTRY!
5 ways to maximize your meeting’s presenters.
Meetings and events helped Richad Mitha
understand the power of face to face.
42
20 EXPLORING THE
GERMAN FLORENCE
From dazzling views to diverse meeting space,
why Dresden is a must-see city.
32 THE CORPORATE
MEETING SANDBOX
Learning to play well with your teammates
will impact the satisfaction and success of
your corporate events.
22 THE COST OF VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality is now more accessible than ever—
it’s time for meeting professionals to dig in and
learn specifics about the technology.
SHOWCASE
24 THE NEXT LEVEL
38 GET SMART
Nikki Sayers knew education would be key
to her success as an entrepreneur, and the
MPI Foundation was there to help.
26 DOG DAYS
The socialization of assistance dogs is an
important aspect of MPI’s World Education
Congress.
Forward-thinking cities from around the world
are convening to create better environments
for their citizens.
32
42 CENTER STAGE
The Texas capital’s event industry is riding a
wave of 21st-century tech, but still has its boots
planted firmly in centuries-old tradition.
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FROM THE EDITOR
THE SIZZLE
IS BACK
THE HUMIDITY IS HIGH and temperatures are creeping ever closer
to the century mark on a daily
basis in our little corner of the
world. Can’t say these dog days of
summer are my most favorite time
of the year.
The meeting and event industry
is hot, too, and that’s something
worth celebrating with a cold
beverage of choice (Dr Pepper for
this Texan!).
Our third quarterly Meetings
Outlook report (Page 57) indicates
that intelligent growth in the industry is continuing as meeting
and event professionals show a
renewed focus on attendee
“wants” such as big-name speakers, entertainment and shoulder
days. The report also shows that
meeting and event professionals
are going beyond “needs” as they
strive to do much more with just a
little more—a strong meetings
market juxtaposed with budgets
disproportionate to costs.
“The sizzle is back,” says Chris-
tian Savelli (MPI Carolinas Chapter), former senior director of
business intelligence for MPI. “It’s
about having meetings—and making them more interesting.”
Our writer Elaine Pofeldt has
once again expertly weaved a
strong narrative based on survey
data that comes from you, the
members who participate in our
Business Research Panel. She found
a spot-on example of what the
numbers are telling us: At Vision,
Experian’s annual conference, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was the keynote, Kool
& the Gang provided the entertainment and basketball legend Magic
Johnson closed the show.
“This, alone, may have been
worth the price of admission—not
to mention, oh, by the way, we had
some great educational workshops,” says Bob Walker (MPI
Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter), SVP of
client solutions at Freeman.
The report delves into other
data-driven analysis, such as an
increase in domestic corporate
business and the addition of fun,
charitable activities at meetings
and events.
Another aspect worth noting is
the contrast of a strong meetings
market for experienced professionals and younger peers. It’s a climate of growth that experienced
professionals have not seen in
some time, but for newer professionals, this is something new.
“Maybe 50 percent of people in
the marketplace—planners, suppliers, attendees—don’t have a history
of understanding what a prosperous meetings market may even look
like,” says Bill Voegeli (MPI Georgia
Chapter), president of Association
Insights, the Atlanta-area research
irm that conducts the survey.
Here’s hoping that when the fall
season and cooler temperatures
arrive that the meeting and event
industry stays hot. Now that’s a
climate I can live with.
We’re proud to announce that
Meetings Outlook has received a
Gold Azbee Award from the American Society of Business Publication
Editors for Original Research. It is
truly an honor we share with our
members because of your commitment and time in participating in
the research and development of
the editorial.
I would like to recognize our
team at Global: Marj Atkinson,
MPI’s research manager; Voegeli
and Savelli, who crunch the numbers; writer Pofeldt and editor
Michael Pinchera; managing editor
Blair Potter; and the designer who
pulls it all together, Holly Smith.
If you would like to participate
in Meetings Outlook and other MPI
research throughout the year, with
chances to win prizes, please contact research@mpiweb.org and we
will add you to our Business Research Panel.
Meetings Outlook is developed in
partnership with VISIT DENVER
and supported in partnership with
IMEX Group.
Until next time …
Rich Luna
Editor in Chief
rluna@mpiweb.org
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FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN
The MPI Foundation would like to
thank Gus Vonderheide for serving as
our 2014-2015 chairman of the MPI
Foundation Global Board of Trustees.
During his chairmanship, the Foundation fully implemented the transition
from research initiatives and building
content to an endowment model
focused on delivering value to MPI
members and chapters through
educational opportunities.
During his term as chair we exceeded all of our goals related to fundraising, the number of grants and scholarships provided to our community and,
most importantly, engagement with
our chapters.
Please join us in thanking Gus
Vonderheide for his passion and
commitment to serving our members
and supporting the growth and
development of our industry.
THE POSSIBILITIES
ARE ENDLESS
I COULDN’T BE MORE PLEASED to
take on the role of chairman of
the MPI Foundation at this exciting time in our development. I
have spent the last seven years
serving on the Foundation board,
and it has been tremendously
rewarding to participate in giving
back to the industry that has
given us so much. We want to
thank all of our individual members, corporate contributors and
volunteers who made the past
year such an outstanding success.
Some of that success is due in
part to the very clear mission and
direction that has been set for the
MPI Foundation moving forward.
The Foundation is squarely focused on providing grants and
scholarships to support growth
and advancement in our industry.
These important investments
allow us to support: students who
are just learning about the opportunities available in the meeting
and event industry so we can
continue to attract the best talent;
our members when they need it
most, be it an opportunity to
advance their career to the next
level or a time of transition because we should never stop learning; and our chapters, who are
working extremely hard to deliver
top-notch education opportunities
at the local level. Lastly, we support pan-industry initiatives that
help grow all of our businesses
and the viability of our industry.
Your Foundation team is very
pleased to share that nearly US$1
million has been distributed since
January of 2014 in grants, scholarships and support of pan-industry initiatives. In the past year,
grants and scholarships awarded
have more than doubled from the
previous year.
We are going to continue to
challenge all of our colleagues and
industry partners to make a contribution in some way this year to
support the work of the Foundation and help us shape the future
of our industry—whether that be
an event that your chapter will
host to support the Chairman’s
Challenge, an individual gift or a
corporate contribution to demon-
strate your support and engagement. In fact, you can send a text
to 80888 (available with most
U.S. wireless carriers) with the
message of MPIF to make a $10
contribution to the MPI Foundation right now—every contribution makes a difference.
Moving forward, we will continue to identify opportunities to
increase grants and scholarships
available while we ensure that
the Foundation is strong and
sustainable for many years to
come. With your continued
engagement and support the
possibilities are endless.
Together, we’re giant.
Stephen Revetria
MPI Foundation
Chairman, 2015-2016
Senior Vice President,
Giants Enterprises
For more information,
please visit www.mpiweb.org/
foundation.
10 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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CONTRIBUTORS
WENDY HELFENBAUM
is a Montreal-based writer
and TV producer whose
destination spotlights,
profiles and trend pieces
have appeared in Collaborate, Ignite, Corporate
Meetings & Events and
Costco Connection.
Whether you’re happy in
your current position, thinking about a lateral move
within your organization or
have one foot out the door,
marketing yourself should
always be top of mind. The
meeting professionals
I spoke with for “How
to Market Yourself
(Effectively)” (Page 50),
share one significant thing
in common: They’ve each
taken a firm grasp of their
career paths, and realize
fully well that if they don’t
determine the direction
they wish to take, nobody
else will.
PETER GORMAN is an
award-winning investigative journalist who’s covered stories from the
streets of Bombay to the
Peruvian jungle.
As a professional speaker, I
appreciate the efforts of the
people seeking to create
effective and expertly functional meeting venues
(“Creating Space,” Page
54) because I’ve experienced
the reality of how not to
design a meeting venue.
One year, the organizer of
an event in Peru at which I
was speaking selected an
exotic property but didn’t
check on the features—the
conference was held in a
five-story hotel that had no
elevators so people were
stuck running up and down
stairs for days. Speakers
arrived at fourth-floor
rooms dripping with sweat
and many of the attendees
who couldn’t handle stairs
well, or at all, simply waited
to hear reports of the speakers they’d flown 3,000 miles
to hear.
ELAINE POFELDT writes
about careers and entrepreneurship for publications including Forbes, Fortune, Money, CNBC and Inc.
ROWLAND STITELER,
a veteran meeting industry journalist, is a writer
and editor for The Meeting
Professional.
In reporting for “Meetings
Outlook” (Page 57), I
learned that professional
basketball legend Magic
Johnson keynoted Experian’s annual conference—
an anecdote that brought
back fond memories of a
corporate meeting I attended for a past employer in
the early 2000s. A large
group of us flew from New
York to stay in Lanai, Hawaii, for a week. In between
surfing, boating and massages was the event—and
Magic Johnson was our
keynote. It’s been years
since I’ve attended a meeting with that much splash,
but I’m hopeful we’ll see a
little more over-the-top fun
coming back to meetings
now that the industry is
shifting into a place of
prosperity.
Digital age, smidgital age.
Some concepts never
change—especially the
adage that knowledge is
power. I was reminded of
that while researching
about the Smart City Expo
Montréal (“Get Smart,”
Page 38). This, the largest
French-speaking city in the
Western Hemisphere,
aspires to become the
“smartest” city in the world
over the next few years by
sharing a vast amount of
information with its citizens. The city plans to
almost be its own hacker,
publishing online an avalanche of details about
every function of city government. The idea is that
the more Montréalers know
about their government,
the easier they can shape it.
I love that idea—knowledge really is power. Just as
it was when mankind lived
in caves, the more we know
about how our tribe functions, the better off we are.
MARIA LENHART is a
former senior editor at
Meetings & Conventions
and Meetings Focus, and
has won numerous awards
for travel writing, including a prestigious Lowell
Thomas Award from the
Society of American Travel
Writers.
Although an incredibly large
percentage of the population now has the capability
to easily record events with
smartphones or digital cameras, almost no one can do
it as well as professional
event photographers
(“Making Your Event
Picture-Perfect,” Page 16).
As a long-time journalist in
the meeting and event
industry, I’ve worked with
many talented photographers over the years and I’m
always grateful for what
they can do. Just as with
event planning, using
photos to tell a compelling
story and create a lasting
record requires the eye and
expertise of a pro.
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WHO WE ARE 18 TOP SPOTS 20
YOUR COMMUNITY 24 HAVE A MOMENT 26
BUDGETING FOR
VIRTUAL REALITY
On the cusp of the virtual reality revolution, the cost to
incorporate this immersive technology into meetings
and events starts at a mere US$3.
PAGE 22
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ESSENTIALS
MAKING YOUR EVENT
PICTURE-PERFECT
The benefits of working with a professional event photographer.
BY MARIA LENHART
W
hile not always given high priority, selecting the
right professional event photographer—and
forming an effective partnership—may be no less
crucial to realizing the goals of a meeting than securing the right venue or keynote speaker.
“Photography can be overlooked as a key budget item, but
you’ve got to consider the future value and uses of those images,”
says event photo specialist Josh Power, owner of Josh Power Photography in Hampton Roads, Va. “It’s not just about keepsakes for
the attendees, but about telling a story and creating an emotional
impact that makes people want to attend the next event.”
Despite the fact that mobile technology has turned almost everyone into a shutterbug, a professional is required for the job. Jody
Brandes, CMP (MPI Northern California Chapter), senior meeting
planner for Genentech, emphasizes that this is especially true if
the images will be blasted out on social media or, as in the case of
Genentech, reserved for the company’s internal website and
publications.
“Sometimes people think it’s a cost savings to hire a friend or
rely on the attendees, but you’re not likely to get the quality or the
amount of images you need,” she says. “A professional will take
thousands of photos and narrow it down to hundreds—and they
will all be good.”
Look for Business Event Experience
When it comes to choosing a photographer, one with a solid
track record shooting business events is important. Photographing corporate meetings, conventions, trade shows or incentive programs requires a different set of skills than those
needed for studio work or social events such as weddings.
“A business event photographer has to deal with far more
complex environments and situations, where the lighting conditions are always changing and you are working on the ly,”
Power says. “During the course of an event you may be photographing breakout sessions in dark hotel rooms, awards
presentations, a dinner party on the beach, boat excursions
or even camel rides.”
An event photographer also needs to have the professionalism and personality required to interact with a variety of
people at the event, including attendees, venue staff, company
executives and VIP guests.
“The photographer will be representing your organization
or client, just as you are,” Power says. “They need to be viewed
as part of the planning team, not a separate entity.”
When hiring a photographer, Brandes looks carefully at
portfolios of past work to ensure that the photographer’s
style is right for the range of images she requires.
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“Ask yourself what
you’re going to need—is it
just photos of the keynote
speaker or do you also
want fun photos of people
in more casual environments? If [the latter], is the
photographer comfortable
with doing both?” she says.
“You need to look at what
they’ve done before.”
“Photography is
not just about
keepsakes for
the attendees, but
about telling
a story and
creating an
emotional
impact that
makes people
want to attend
the next
event.”
Don’t Spare the Details
Part of successfully integrating the photographer into the planning team is sharing information. The more details about the
event that the photographer knows beforehand, the better prepared they will be to achieve the desired results.
“Some planners get frustrated because I ask a million and
one questions, but it’s important that I know as much as possible, so I can custom tailor my services,” says Curtis Tarpley (MPI
Sacramento/Sierra Nevada Chapter), owner of Express Event
Imaging in Sacramento, Calif. “Will there be green-screen photography, executive portraiture? Are we dealing with a union
house that requires extra set-up time? Who are the vendors
coming in?”
Brandes makes it a practice to run through the meeting’s
agenda with the photographer and discuss what kind of photos
she wants from each stage of the event. Going over the agenda
carefully helps the photographer prepare for the conditions
and challenges involved.
“They need to know the logistics of the space, things like the
distances between meeting rooms where sessions are going on
at the same time,” she says. “A large group photo may require a
ladder and an assistant—[the photographers] need to be prepared for this.”
Having the photographer look at the sites and set-ups prior
to the event is also extremely bene icial, according to Power.
“I can let you know exactly what you will see in the picture,
including what backgrounds may be challenging,” he says. “For
instance, at one event the background was spoiled by a shiny
oil painting right behind the speaker’s podium. Even if we can’t
change the background, it’s helpful to know what to prepare
for.”
Power also advises that any time events include surprise
elements such as ireworks displays or celebrity guests, the
photographer should always be let in on those details.
“If there’s a VIP coming in, say the governor will only
be there for 20 minutes, we need to be prepared,” he says.
“Otherwise we will not be in position and can easily miss
the shot.”
Costs and Contracts
Even when a planner has a long-standing relationship with
a photographer, it’s important to have a contract that addresses all the requirements and conditions of the speci ic
event.
“Every event is different and every event needs a contract,” Tarpley says. “It protects the client, the planner and
the photographer—and doesn’t leave any gray areas.”
When it comes to pricing, Tarpley advises checking
closely for any potential hidden costs and, if possible, getting the photographer to agree on a lat rate.
And while it may add to the cost, he believes it’s important that the photographer agree to bring backup equipment in case anything goes awry.
“I always let the planner know early on that we will provide backup for everything we use—cameras, lash, lenses,
computers, printers,” he says. “This is what makes me conident that I can complete the project.”
After the Event
A major consideration is how the images will be shared
with attendees as well as their potential to document the
event and stimulate interest in future events. With the
constant evolution of social media and digital technology,
event photographers can offer a greater range of options
than ever before.
“When we irst started in the business, the newest thing
was giving attendees an actual print of the event to take
home with them,” Tarpley says. “This is still great and we
do a ton of printing on site, but now we can have a photo
live and ready to post on Facebook or Pinterest within three
seconds.”
It’s a great bene it to receive a link to all of the event
images in order to easily access and share them as needed,
but an often overlooked bene it in a long-term partnership
is the ability to ask photographers to ind speci ic images
from past events they’ve shot for the company.
“You may want to locate a certain image, but not remember exactly which meeting it was from or the date,”
Brandes says. “Good professional photographers document
their photos and can get you copies of what you need.” ■
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WHO WE ARE
18 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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RICHAD MITHA
MPI FRANCE-SWITZERLAND CHAPTER
I was working in the telecommunications industry, but frustrated with the lack of interaction
at our internal seminars. So my business partner and I decided to change that. As a result, in 2010
we created a mobile application—myQaa, which stands for My Questions And Answers—to allow
people to express themselves during meetings.
I’ve created three companies in three countries so far! The most memorable day of my career was
the day we incorporated myQaa. On that same day we held our irst event in Mountain View, Calif., in
Microsoft’s of ice.
Making our meetings more effective is an ongoing challenge, so my goal is to ind ways in which
digital technology can help us create more valuable meetings—events where people learn more and
connect with whom they want to meet.
Hiring is the most difficult part of my job. Everyone has to share the same vision and passion
for what we do.
Long live the meeting industry! It has made me understand the power of meeting people face
to face. This is how most business deals are done, how we make breakthroughs and meet future
business partners, clients or even lifelong friends.
I was invited to an MPI event by a colleague, and I immediately saw the value in being a member.
Shortly after that I became involved in the board and am now the VP of inance for the MPI FranceSwitzerland Chapter. It has made a huge impact in my career, because now I’m recognized as a thought
leader within the European meeting industry. It’s provided me with many speaking opportunities,
education and access to the most brilliant minds.
The introduction of mobile and the ability to retrieve data is the biggest advancement during my
time in the meeting industry and is key to measuring the effectiveness of trade shows, for example.
Meeting professionals must get up to date on event technology and understand how it can help
them meet their event objectives. More training on other areas such as strategic meetings management,
measurement and meeting design is needed, too. We also need more processes in place: standard procedures to get better ROI, design more interactive meetings, measure results, etc.
I’m passionate about men’s shoes, what we call in France Soulier. Selecting
a pair of shoes is a personal, if not intimate experience. I believe men should pay
more attention to their shoes. They should look carefully when selecting a pair
of shoes: the leather quality, the way they’re crafted, their comfort and design.
Richad Mitha is
co-founder of myQaa
and has been an MPI
member since 2013.
Photo by Jeff Loy
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TOP SPOTS
EXPLORING THE
GERMAN FLORENCE
THERE IS MUCH THAT’S BEEN SAID about
Dresden, the German city that straddles
the Elbe, one of the major rivers in central Europe.
• It’s been called the “German Florence,” a lattering reference to the
Italian city known as the birthplace of
the Renaissance.
• It’s considered the greenest city in
Germany, with 63 percent of the city
being green areas or forests.
• It’s also known as the “Jewel Box” for
its baroque and rococo city center.
Well, here’s a hot news lash: After
spending four mid-May days touring
Dresden and the area, it’s hard to argue
with any of the above. Whether it was
the nighttime view atop the city’s most
famous landmark, the Frauenkirche
(Church of our Lady)—where I witnessed an impromptu wedding ceremony—or learning about the city’s diverse
meeting and event space, Dresden is a
must-see in Germany.
The city may not get the attention
of Munich, Berlin or even Frankfurt,
but it’s well worth the visit. Whether
for pleasure or for meetings, the area
offers a range of hotels and conference
and meeting space in the midst of historical sights and impressive museums,
many within walking distance of the city
center.
In a trip that yielded many memories, one of the most relaxing and in-
sightful was a nearly two-hour tour on
the Elbe River aboard the salon ship
Graϔin Cosel, one of 13 vessels in the oldest and largest paddle-steamer leet in
the world.
Paddle-steamers have been on these
waters for nearly 180 years and the current leet includes seven steamers built
before 1898, the oldest being the Stadt
Wehlen in 1879 (later this month, all the
ships will participate in the 17th annual
Steamship Festival).
But on this day, our group is aboard
the Graϔin Cosel, a nearly 250-footlong ship, for the “palace tour.” Within
minutes after departing the docks in
downtown Dresden, we have views to
the north of three castles, the so-called
20 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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u’re
While yeo...
her
(6) © CHRISTOPH MÜNCH
The Dresden Royal Palace was home for
nearly 400 years to royalty, the most famous
being Augustus the Strong, who also served
as king of Poland. Today, the royal palace is
home to museums that include the historic
Green Vault. A must-see is a cherry stone
carved with 185 faces.
The castle is the former summer residence
of the Saxon kings and is considered to be
the most important example of Chinoiserie
architecture in Europe.
Elbe palaces on Loschwitz Heights. The
Albrechtsberg Palace, Lingner Palace
and Palace Eckberg were all built on the
grounds of a vineyard within 11 years of
each other around 1850. Today, they are
home to events and festivals, a restaurant
and a hotel.
The views on both sides are breathtaking—riverfront homes, park, locals
riding horseback along the shores and
families around picnic baskets enjoying a
sunny, mild May day.
We reach our inal destination, the
Pillnitz Castle, which has been in exis-
tence since the 14th century. The castle
is the former summer residence of the
Saxon kings and is considered to be the
most important example of Chinoiserie
architecture in Europe (a re lection of
Chinese artistic in luences). While the
buildings are indeed beautiful, I suspect
my wife, in her ongoing battle with whatto-do with our back yard, would be more
impressed with the grounds surrounding
the castle—the Baroque lower garden
with its centerpiece pond and fountain,
the more than 230-year-old camellia tree
(said to be one of the oldest in Europe
and protected by
a glass house on
rails during winter), the English
garden, a Chinese pavilion, a
conifer garden
… and that’s just
getting started
on the nearly
one-square-mile
park.
Semper Opera House, located near the
Elbe River, is home to the opera, ballet and
concerts. Originally built by Gottfried Semper
in 1841, it has been rebuilt after being
damaged by fire and flood over the years,
but is still regarded as one of the most
beautiful opera houses in Europe.
Augustus the Strong’s influence can be felt
outside the city at Schloss Wackerbarth.
Once the site of the king’s lavish parties, it
is now home to one of Europe’s first winegrowing estates, which includes a baroque
castle and gardens.
Area hotels include the Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski (pictured), built by Saxon
king Augustus the Strong for his mistress; the
Westin Bellevue Dresden, with views of Dresden’s skyline; and options in the historic old
town such as the Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe
and the Swissotel Dresden Am Schloss.
—RICH LUNA
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TECHNOLOGY
THE COST OF
VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality is now more accessible than ever —
it’s time for meeting professionals to dig in and learn
specifics about the technology.
BY MICHAEL PINCHERA
A
round the December holiday season—and for
the six months thereafter—virtual reality (VR)
will begin its ascension into the mainstream with
long-anticipated consumer releases of high-end
VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Sony’s
Project Morpheus. This will increase the options available
for creating immersive attendee experiences while driving
a revolution in communications, entertainment and understanding of the world—and will also in luence meeting and
event design.
The essential irst step to understanding VR is trying it
out personally—only then can you truly realize the potential impact. At a minimum, 10-15 million people—less than
0.25 percent of the world’s population—have experienced
modern VR over the last two-and-a-half years using either of
the two currently dominant platforms (Oculus Rift developer
kits, Google Cardboard).
The most affordable way in which to incorporate VR
into meetings and events right now is by simply making the
equipment available to your audience. Much like with mobile
apps, countless VR programs already exist—from games (battling dinosaurs, racing vehicles) to unique experiences ( loating in space, riding a roller coaster, strolling through a city or
building). Most are just referred to as “experiences,” but all are
intended to provide a realistic feeling of presence. These can be
used for a variety of reasons such as to attract visitors to a trade
show booth or to bond a team through a shared experience
they’ve never before had.
And because the vast majority of people haven’t tried VR—
and aren’t likely to do so until it’s fully adopted by the mainstream—planners that leverage this technology between now
and the end of 2016 will enjoy the bene its of sharing a serious
wow factor while acting as architects of the industry’s future.
Brass Tacks
The cost to share VR at meetings and events depends upon the
way in which you seek to use the technology—and it’s quite a
range. (Note: The cost to create an original VR experience is a
whole separate discussion—see sidebar for some D.I.Y. info.)
Even though headset manufacturers haven’t of icially re-
22 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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CC DAVID GALLAGHER
leased inal pricing information for the irst major wave of consumer-ready VR equipment, we can get an idea of the anticipated costs to incorporate the technology in the simplest way
(sharing already-existing VR experiences) at your meeting or
event by examining the currently available options.
The essential first step
to understanding VR is
trying it out personally—
only then can you truly
realize the potential
impact.
The low end of effective VR headsets is the Google Cardboard platform. Download a VR experience from your smartphone’s app store and place the device into a simple headset.
It’s mobile, only has one wire (headphones) and is the most
accessible format (but not the most immersive) with which to
introduce people to VR—it’s an impressive starting point.
If you already own headphones and one of the many Cardboard-compatible smartphones then the cost to experience
and share VR is just that of the headset, which can be as cheap
as $3 for a generic model. Better-quality headsets, such as
Unof icial Cardboard or variants made of plastic, start at $25
each. Either way, the branding and sponsorship opportunities
are great—headsets can be custom-printed with your logo or
that of a sponsor and given out to participants as a functional
reminder of their irst time in VR.
The $350 Oculus Rift DK2 is a different story altogether,
but provides the most immersive VR experiences currently
available. Because this headset must be wired to a high-end PC
on which to run, it’s not mobile—you can’t walk around and
hand it off to people to try; they have to come to you. Even if
you already have a computer monitor, keyboard, mouse, pair of
headphones and game controller in your inventory, you likely
don’t have a suitable PC—so add at least $1,000 to the overall
cost, due to the recommended specs (processor: Intel i5-4590
equivalent or greater; RAM: 8GB; graphics card: NVIDIA GTX
970 or AMD 290 equivalent or greater). If you wish to make the
Oculus Rift DK2 semi portable, you’ll need one of the very few
speci ic laptops that can handle its demands (at least $1,700)—
and no, it doesn’t work on Mac.
Since the currently available Oculus Rift is a developer’s kit
(hence “DK”), it still has some bugs and quirks. To manage that,
you’ll want someone experienced with the Oculus Rift to troubleshoot on site—if such a person isn’t on staff, plan on $100$150/hour for the contract labor. ■
D.I.Y. VR
So you’ve got the hardware necessary to introduce people to virtual
reality (VR) by using existing experiences created by other people, but
you really want your audience to
be immersed in your own original,
branded virtual world. How much will
that set you back? There are too many
variables to fully address this, but one
real, possible answer: Free.
It’s not difficult to create a fullCGI VR experience—but it’ll take
practice and skill to make a good one.
Both Unreal Engine and Unity—the
leading software suites used to create
VR experiences—are user friendly
(“drag and drop”) and available at
no cost. Yes, you can create a virtual
world using powerful software for
free. However, depending on the VR
experience you make, there may be
other costs: Unreal Engine (www.
unrealengine.com) charges a 5 percent royalty on VR experiences that
earn more than US$3,000 per quarter;
Unity (www.unity3d.com) sells an
enhanced edition of its software that
starts at $75 per month.
Keep in mind, although the
software is robust and free, purely customized content—such as
360-degree video and original 3-D
renderings—carry a production cost
just as with any other medium. An
apt comparison: You can create and
publish a website for free, but you’ll
need to pay someone else to develop
the content—unless you write it all
yourself or find volunteers to do so.
MPIWEB.ORG 23
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YOUR COMMUNITY
UR
MARKNYDOAR
CA’s La loEok at your upcoming
Here
vents:
industry e
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INCENTIVEWORKS
.com
Toronto
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www.incenti
19
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MPI SELECTS
FUTURE WEC
DESTINATIONS
MPI HAS ANNOUNCED the future loca-
tions and dates for its signature event,
the World Education Congress (WEC),
which will be held in Atlantic City in
2016, followed by Las Vegas, Indianapolis and Toronto.
Through WEC, MPI delivers premier
education, business and networking opportunities in North America, attracting
more than 2,000 attendees, including
corporate, third-party and association
planners; suppliers; students; industry
faculty and more. MPI follows a competitive RFP process for all of its signature
events and considers factors such as
location bene its, meeting venue facilities,
pricing, hotel offerings, destination accessibility, unique options and local support.
SEPT.
9-10
he Jersey Shore, Atlantic
Located on the
City is a resort city known for its popus, beach and boardwalk,
lar casino hotels,
as well as ine dining, shopping and
tertainment. The new
world-class entertainment.
tic City Waterfront
Harrah’s Atlantic
nter—host property
Conference Center—host
—offers 100,000
for WEC 2016—offers
square feet of meeting space and
rt technology.
state-of-the-art
Starting in 2016, MPI will hold WEC
ne to early July timeframe.
during the June
de based
This strategic decision was made
on membership feedback regarding
scheduling con licts with summer vacation plans, school breaks, Canada’s Civic
Holiday and other industry events.
For more information about WEC and
IMEX
AMER
MPI S
mar
m
ICA
✓
t Mon
day o
n Oct
. 12
Las V
e
www gas
.imex
amer
ica
.com
OCT.
13-1
5
✓MPI pro
viding
educa
tion
other upcoming MPI events, visit www.
mpiweb.org/events.
WEC 2016
WEC 2017
WEC 2018
WEC 2019
June 11-14
Harrah’s Waterfront
Conference Center
Atlantic City N.J.
July 9-12
MGM Grand
Las Vegas
June 2-5
Indiana Convention
Center & Lucas
Oil Stadium
Indianapolis
June 11-14
Metro Toronto
Convention Centre
24 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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THE NEXT
LEVEL
Nikki Sayers, CMP (MPI Toronto Chapter),
CEO/meeting designer for Nikki Sayers
Events, knew education would be the key
to success when she started her own
company in 2012. That’s why she applied
for, and received, The International Centre
helped me solidify the decision,” she says.
WEC Scholarship from the MPI Foundation,
“I have always been an entrepreneurial
which enabled her to attend the 2014
spirit at heart, and working for someone
World Education Congress in Minneapolis.
else every day was slowly diminishing my
“The safety of the ‘corporate payspirit. I knew there was more out there
check’ every two weeks goes away along
for me to accomplish and I was curious to
with beginning a business,” she says. “I
see what I could build on my own.”
knew the education at WEC was imperaSince attending WEC, Sayers has made
tive to taking my business to the next
many connections throughout North
level, and by applying for the scholarAmerica and discovered a niche she’s
ship it took off some of the inancial
pursuing within her business—meeting
burden of attending. As
design within the technola business owner you
ogy and engineering
The International Cenmust continually invest
sector of the meeting
tre WEC Scholarship
in yourself to move
industry.
from the MPI Foundaforward in our
“At WEC, I was able to
fast-changing economy
expand my network and
tion enabled her to
to stay relevant, and
attend the 2014 World zone in on people I really
this scholarship allowed
needed to consult and
Education Congress in
me the means to do
speak with as I embark
Minneapolis.
this. This is one of my
on this new endeavor of
favorite quotes and
my business,” she says.
hangs in my of ice (by Robin Sharma):
“WEC gave me the opportunity to start
‘To double your income and success,
conversations with connections I had
triple your investment in personal develalready built on Twitter that would have
opment and professional mastery.’”
never happened without being face to
Sayers discussed the possibility of
face. How do you put a price tag on this
starting her own company for a few years
type of connection?”
with a small group of MPI Toronto Chapter
To learn more about MPI Foundation
colleagues that she had become close with
scholarships and how they can help you
while volunteering.
advance your career, visit www.mpiweb.
“Their encouragement to just do it
org/foundation.
ADVANCE YOUR CAREER
WITH A CMM
Is earning your CMM a priority in 2015?
MPI and GBTA have teamed up to
bring you an updated Certi icate in
Meeting Management program that will
bolster your business management
skills and advance your career.
There are several CMM programs to
choose from and several MPI Foundation
scholarships available to assist with your
expenses. Upcoming program locations
and dates for this year include Denver,
Aug. 27-30; Dominican Republic, Oct.
1-4; and Anaheim, Calif., Nov. 12-15.
To take advantage of upcoming programs, all you have to do is ill out an
application. Once your application is
completed and accepted, you will be
able to register to attend any upcoming
CMM program in 2015 and beyond. If
you have already illed out an application and been accepted, choose a location and register today.
For more information and to register,
go to gbta.org/cmm.
MPIWEB.ORG 25
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HAVE A MOMENT
26 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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DOG DAYS
WHERE:
Minneapolis
WHEN:
August 3, 2014
Puppy cuddling, sponsored by Visit Norfolk, is
one the most popular
activities at MPI’s World
Education Congress
(WEC). The cuddling is
enjoyable for both human
and canine, but also provides valuable socialization training for assistance dogs that aid
people with physical
disabilities or who are
deaf or hard of hearing.
The 2015 WEC in San
Francisco (Aug. 1-4) continues this tradition.
ORANGE PHOTOGRAPHY
WHAT:
MPIWEB.ORG 27
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VIEWPOINTS
Peak Speakers 30 | The Corporate Meeting Sandbox 32
The merry-go-round
reminds me of times
when I spun my
wheels based on
someone else’s
momentum...and
then there’s the
seesaw. A metaphor
for life if ever there was
one. Sometimes you’re
up. Sometimes you’re
down. I prefer the
swings. You get to
choose how much
you get out of it
based on how much
you put into it.
PAGE 32
MPIWEB.ORG 29
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SPEAKERS
BY ANDREA DRIESSEN
Andrea (MPI Washington State Chapter) is chief boredom buster for No More Boring Meetings in Seattle.
She’s been busting boredom and building engagement in events for more than 25 years. An award-winning
business owner, Andrea has also published her insights in The Huffington Post, The American City Business
Journals, Investors’ Business Daily and more. Visit www.NoMoreBoringMeetings.com and follow her on
Twitter (@nomoreboring).
PEAK SPEAKERS
5 Ways to Maximize Your Meeting’s Presenters
WHETHER YOU INVITE external keynoters,
subject-matter experts, breakout session
presenters or a combination of these
speakers to your meetings, you invest a
great deal of time, effort and money to
involve others in delivering actionable
content. And with more than 1.5 million
people worldwide watching TED talks
every day, audiences everywhere have
come to expect speakers to be exceptionally compelling, engaging and memorable.
So how can you make the most of all
speakers’ time and talent? There are ive
easy ways.
1. SCHEDULE A MESSAGE-CONTINUITY
CONFERENCE CALL
This one phone call can take your meetings from mediocre to memorable. How it
works: Invite to a conference call all of
your meeting-message stakeholders who
play signi icant roles in sharing expertise.
Your goals are to air and then reinforce
the most important “meta-message” takeaways for your audience. Invariably—in
the simple act of conversation—otherwise
unknown themes and patterns emerge.
Connections and common ground are
found that boost each speaker’s impact.
This call also ensures that any content
redundancies and contradictions are
revealed and removed in advance, so you
can make the most of every minute.
Trying to convey too many messages
can mean very little sticks. Often, we communicate more—and more is remembered—when we communicate in strategic, streamlined, uni ied ways. What if
attendees only remember one or two
tweets’ worth of content? In fact, that may
be all they remember. So intentionally
plan for this reality and seed key messages by beginning with this conference call.
30 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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The power of more
is usually inversely
true for things such
as information and
choice. In these cases, more isn’t often
better—it’s just
more.
2. REMEMBER: LESS IS MORE
Speaking of communicating too much, it’s
natural to assume that more of something
is better. Who wouldn’t want more money, more time…more ice cream?! But
here’s what’s weird: The power of more
is usually inversely true for things such as
information and choice. In these cases,
more isn’t often better—it’s just more. In
fact, sometimes more is less.
In his book The Paradox of Choice: Why
More Is Less, Barry Schwartz shows us
why having more choices leads to poorer
decisions. Sound counter-intuitive?
Advising hundreds of individuals and
groups on external speaker selections and
agenda designs over the last 15 years, I
see organizations often held captive by
this paradox.
There’s a common, yet false, belief that
the more experts considered for a speaker
slot, the better the inal speaker choice,
and the better the audience experience.
What happens instead: mired decision
making, analysis paralysis, information
overload and people whose minds learn
and recall less. Save yourself effort and
aspirin, as you boost learning and group
morale, by heeding the paradox of choice.
In short, aim not for more for the sake of
more, but less for the sake of success.
Begin with the end in mind by identifying your top meeting goals in advance.
(Seems obvious, and yet is extraordinarily
rare!)
Then, before even one speaker or subject matter expert is named, ask, “What do
we want our audience to think, feel, do
and/or believe after the session?”
This key question alone will elevate
your discussion, add discipline to your
speaker-selection process and focus everyone’s thinking on the most important
outcomes. For example, if you want the
audience to become more accountable
about their results and their projects,
eliminate any speaker whose message
doesn’t deliver on this point.
Then list your top four or ive criteria
for your best- it expert. Name recognition
that drives registration? Industry experience? Help with marketing the program?
Fee? Compare every speaker to each of
these parameters. Those who don’t it are
out of the running. Seems harsh, but it’s
endlessly helpful.
You’ll now really see how less is
more—the seeming paradox. You’ll have
just three to ive of the very best speaker
choices, and all it your top goals.
3. BOOKEND YOUR CONTENT
Start and end your meeting by reinforcing
(“bookending”) your theme, goals and key
messages. My clients add elements such as
unifying skits, retrospective videos, talk
shows, custom songs, graphic illustration
and games that reinforce main points and
tie metaphorical and memorable “ribbons”
around programming.
Perhaps your meeting starts with a
keynote in which you announce a new
company initiative and ends with an
all-voices heard, customized company
anthem, featuring how this initiative will be
executed—sending everyone off on the
highest possible note. Whether an hour, a
day or a week in length, your meeting—
when bookended—will be more memorable, tweetable and rave-worthy.
4. SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Here are three simple, no-cost stress
relievers.
• Presenters from out of town? Lessen
anxiety and create a safety net by noting
in contracts that incoming lights should
be booked with at least one backup light
in case of delays or cancellations.
• Ensure the room setup maximizes everyone’s ability to hear and see speakers, as well as share insights among
participants (this is not as standard as
you might think).
• Never change how professional speakers’ introductions will be read without
their permission. You could throw them
off, and throw off their performances.
5. GOT ACCOUNTABILITY?
I developed what I call the Post-Program
Pair Up to easily boost attendees’ accountability and results. Simply pair participants (by seat numbers, napkin colors,
personal choice) and explain that they’ve
just met their “accountability buddy” for
the next 30 days.
Then ask each person to record at least
one goal related to the meeting that they’ll
commit to completing in the next month,
and have them check in with one another.
You’ll gain immeasurable buy-in and
accountability from attendees who’ve made
critical, in-person connections they may not
have otherwise, and build stronger results
tied to the agenda.
Want even broader results from the top
down? Beyond attendees forming accountability pairs, have organizational leadership
commit to what they’re going to achieve.
They email the entire organization about
what they’ll do differently, and report progress—and challenges. As the meeting professional, you can highlight some audience
members each week to recognize the accomplishments of everyone.
Voila: You’ve maximized accountability,
engagement, leadership transparency and
performance. ■
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TRENDS
BY HEATHER HANSEN O’NEILL
Heather is an award-winning speaker, author and connection expert helping
associations and companies create better leaders and more cohesive teams.
She’s also former VP of education for the MPI WestField Chapter.
Contact her at www.innovativeteamdevelopment.com.
THE CORPORATE
MEETING SANDBOX
Learning to play well with your teammates
will impact the satisfaction and success
of your corporate events.
AT THE PLAYGROUND, blue sky, warm sun
on my back, light breeze blowing my hair,
grass between my toes, sandals tossed
aside. As I wait for my son to inish his
game, I realize how very much the playground resembles life.
The merry-go-round reminds me of
times when I spun my wheels based on
someone else’s momentum, left dizzy.
32 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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I prefer the swings. You get to choose
how much you get out of it based on how
much you put into it. A light push and you
can enjoy the scenery and a gentle rocking.
It’s always good to come back to that place
of peace. But if you want to add a little
extra effort you can ly—feel the wind in
your hair and the rush of adrenaline.
Ahhh…and then there’s the seesaw. A
metaphor for life if ever there was one.
Sometimes you’re up. Sometimes you’re
down. But the quality of the experience
has a lot to do with the people you
choose to play with.
Speaking of playing with others, the
sandbox comes to mind.
As meeting professionals it’s important to play nicely in the sandbox—to
learn how to share the toys and how to
make sure no one throws sand. But before getting to the tools for improving
your playground relationships, let’s discuss who is in your sandbox.
As a corporate planner, you have
Find ways to join
your team together
and build stronger
relationships among
them. Fun activities
like after-hours
events or an adventure work well.
many important people that can directly
impact the quality of your day as well as
the likelihood you will achieve your goals.
Understand who is on your team, how
they in luence you, how you can improve
the relationship and why. This consideration is one of the most powerful things
you can do to enhance your productivity
and daily satisfaction.
Take a moment right now and ask
yourself, “Who’s on my team?” What was
your answer?
• Your client?
• Your boss?
• Your assistant?
• Other planners?
• Someone from another department?
• The suppliers you use?
• The internal tech guru that makes sure
all your crazy ideas actually work?
Now think about what you do to cultivate these relationships. Do you acknowledge them as part of your team? Do you
show them appreciation and respect? Do
you communicate in a way that helps you
all work toward a common goal? Do you
know what they need and want?
I’ve heard stories of MPI boards expecting so much from their in-kind suppliers that the relationship is broken. And
when the time comes and they are needed for a corporate event the trust is gone
and the bare minimum is given. Creating
a vicious cycle.
I’ve also heard stories from MPI members that raved about their support teams
in other cities—glowing accolades about
how the team at the conference location
not only did everything the client and planner envisioned, but went over and above
to exceed all expectations. That’s teamwork that builds powerful, long-term
relationships.
Which stories do you want to tell?
“When you are running a large meeting you have to have reliable people on
your team so you can divide and conquer,”
says Renee T. Mulvey, CMP, senior project
manager, global employee meetings,
American Express Global Business Travel.
“Across the board you have to recognize
the team’s strength and assign portions
based upon their strengths. This way
everyone owns a piece of the puzzle. It’s
less likely for things to fall through the
cracks and team members will have a
stake in the success of the event.”
When deciding who is on your team,
have you also considered the following?
• Your MPI chapter?
• Your signi icant other?
• Your kids?
• Strategic alliances?
• The person who cleans your home so
you can focus?
Remember that your sandbox is much
larger than you may realize.
The ability to cooperate, communicate
and share duties with your spouse is what
will reduce stress and help to foster creativity that will seep out into your job.
That’s teamwork.
Setting expectations with your children
so they know when to let you work on a
big event, secure in the fact that concentrated time with them is on the horizon?
That’s teamwork.
The fact that you can pick up the phone
and call an MPI connection for a replacement speaker when your keynote speaker
is stuck at the airport during a storm?
That’s teamwork. Make sense?
Are there opportunities for you to look
at the people on your team and consciously
make a decision to understand them better?
Here’s a list of questions, ideas and actions
you can take to improve your relationships
and the quality of your time in the sandbox.
• Make a list of your team players.
• Each week choose someone from your
list to acknowledge. A handwritten
note, a reward, praise at the next
meeting or surprise compensation—
make sure everyone gets recognized
for their contributions.
• Find ways to join your team together
and build stronger relationships among
them. Fun activities like after-hours
events or an adventure work well.
• Periodically check in. Ask them what
they need, what suggestions they
have, and if there’s something they
want to learn or try. You’d be amazed
at the impressive ideas that come
from these questions.
There are many things you can do to
strengthen your team, increase satisfaction
and ultimately create more successful corporate events. Play along. Enjoy the process
and share your success stories with me at
heather@ irein ive.com. Be on the lookout
for the next segment in this series: The
Event Supplier Sandbox. ■
MPIWEB.ORG 33
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SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT
Greater Fort
Lauderdale CVB
WWW.SUNNY.ORG/MEETINGS
G
reater Fort Lauderdale has all the elements of a
successful meeting in one dynamic destination
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is a breeze at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) with more than 600 daily lights.
When you land, you’re already in the heart of the city,
just three miles from hotels, the LEED Gold-certi ied
Broward County Convention Center, Port Everglades,
attractions, the beaches and just about anywhere else
attendees want to be. Stretch that meeting budget
much further, as Greater Fort Lauderdale was recently
ranked No. 1 with the lowest tax-burden out of the top
50 U.S. cities.
ON THE HORIZON
More than 1,000 new hotel rooms are scheduled to
come online in 2015, with the openings of the Margaritaville Beach Resort, Conrad Hotel, the Four Seasons
and others. Additionally, more than $200 million in
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FLL news: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is in the midst of a major renovation,
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experience. On the international front, lights from
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airport—a direct result of new international service
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Peru; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Montego Bay,
Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Service
from Mexico City begins in October, and Quito, Ecuador,
in 2016. Copa Airlines has lights from Panama City,
Panama. Azul Airlines has service from Campinas/Sao
Paulo, Brazil. TAME Airlines has new lights from Quito
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SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors
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community. Get down to business with our new digital
meeting planner at www.sunny.org/meetings.
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SHOWCASE
Better, Smarter Cities 38 | Tradition Meets Technology 42
Austin traces its
roots as a meeting
destination back to
the days when the first
attendees rode into
town and sought out
beer, barbecue and
boarding houses to
sustain themselves
through the
legislative sessions.
PAGE 42
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SMART CITY EXPO MONTRÉAL
Get Smart
Forward-thinking cities from around the world are convening
to create better environments for their citizens.
BY ROWLAND STITELER
O
ne thing that proves the viability and adaptability of meeting
as a key tool for coalescing diverse groups to achieve common goals is the way smart people are continually using meetings for new purposes.
The irst-ever Smart City Expo Montréal,
held in March, is a prime example.
Representatives of forward-thinking cities from around the world convened at the
Palais des congrès de Montréal convention
and exhibition center to share best practices, strategies and successes in pursuit of
a core group of goals, all off which center
around improving life for their residents
through programs that involve technology
and a commitment to open, citizen-partici-
patory government.
The shared, core principles of the conference partners include urban resilience,
open government, sustainable mobility and
energy and climate-change solutions. These
highly relevant, 21st-century principles are
not unlike the agenda being discussed by associations, coalitions and councils of urban
governments all over the world these days.
But Smart City Montréal was something different in terms of the “glue” that brought the
cities together. It was not an annual meeting
of an association or a coalition. It was the
power of the concepts addressed during the
conference itself.
“The cities focused upon at the conference were not necessarily members of a
coalition or an association per se, so they
were not a structured group,” says Francois
Morin, president and CEO of Éventium, a
Montréal-based international conference
and exhibition company that planned the
conference. “We picked 10 North American
cities to survey their citizens on their opinions and expectations based on the core issues facing urban areas going forward.”
Éventium worked with Québec-based
Groupe Ciriuz to conduct an online survey
on how people perceive smart cities in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, New York,
Montréal, Toronto, San Francisco, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.
Morin says the survey, a tool frequently
used by smart cities to make government
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AMELIE DESROCHERS (2)
“The goal of Smart
Cities is to address
ongoing challenges now, share best
practices, share
creative use of
technology and
other tools and
work together to
create strategies
and solutions now
that will serve urban
dwellers now and in
the future.”
more interactive and citizen-responsive, was
key to the conference because the information
it gathered was discussed at the conference
and will be part of the information base that
in luences the North American Smart Cities
dialogue going forward.
Additionally, dozens of other municipalities
committed to the smart-cities concept were
represented at the Montréal conference, with
experts from Boston to Barcelona and Copenhagen to Puebla, Mexico, serving as speakers
and discussion facilitators. Among the speakers
were experts representing prestiguous learning institutions such as the Massachuesetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and private-industry leaders including Seimens, Cisco and ABB
(a century-old, Switzerland-based electrical
systems equipment manufacturer that is also
the parent company of Westinghouse).
This blue-chip group of companies also
were exhibitors at Smart City Montréal, as the
conference employed another tried-and-true
mechanism used to help fund conferences
around the world—the trade show. The trade
show element allowed representatives of cities and the companies that consult with cities
on operating strategies to update themselves
on the latest technologies out there to help cities be “smart.”
A group of more than 80 speakers that are
focused on smart cities gave presentations
throughout the three-day conference and participated in group discussions with attendees.
A sampling of the presentations included
those by Assaf Biderman, founder and associate director of the Senseable City Lab at MIT,
who spoke on the use of Internet-enabled
devices for human-to-human communication
and how there will be an estimated 50 billion
connected devices in the world by 2020; M.
Harout Chitilian, who spoke on Montréal’s
goal to become the top smart city in the world,
including a plan to provide free broadband
through the center city; and Jaume Illa, smart
region manager for the City Council of Barce-
lona, who spoke on how the Spanish city, with
an urban area that includes 50 municipalities
and a population of almost 4 million, manages
systems dealing with everything from street
lighting to civic participation in government
using smart-city concepts.
But the key element of lasting impact was
the discussion.
“You can have 200 smartphones in a parking lot and that does not make it a smart parking lot,” Morin says. “It’s discussion, collaboration and ideas shared by human beings that
make smart strategies move forward.”
In that sense, the open and all-inclusive discussions at the conference were re lective of a
key to the strategy smart cities share—highly
interactive communication between government and citizens, designed to be closer and
closer to real-time in luence on how government functions.
“The core goal behind all Smart Cities discussions and activities is, ‘How can a city improve citizen services?’” Morin says. “That is
the key background assumption beyond developing Smart Cities. The other background
assumption is that 75 percent of all the
world’s citizens will be urban dwellers in 50
years; that will increase the number of people
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One of the things
that makes Montréal
very attractive for this
expo is that not only is
the physical infrastructure in place
for a conference
with good hotels
and a good convention center —it has
the political infrastructure as well.
living in cities signi icantly. So the goal of
Smart Cities is to address ongoing challenges now, share best practices, share creative
use of technology and other tools and work
together to create strategies and solutions
now that will serve urban dwellers now and
in the future.”
MONTRÉAL MOMENTUM
In March 2014, Montréal created the Bureau de la ville
intelligente et numérique, in
order to become a world leader among smart and digital
cities. The bureau’s mission is
to devise a Montréal strategy
around four concepts: collecting, communicating, coordinating and collaborating.
A new milestone was
achieved last fall with a consultation process that brought
together Montréalers who
discussed and shared ideas on
their needs and expectations,
according to Montréal Mayor
Denis Coderre.
Coderre, who took of ice in
2013 and has made a priority of the city’s
movement into the hierarchy of smart cities
worldwide, created the bureau with the goal
of becoming the world’s leading smart and
digital city by the end of a four-year initiative from 2014 through 2017.
“Montréal, Smart and Digital City is an
ambitious project that builds on our collective intelligence to forge a distinctive Montréal-based model,” Coderre says. “Institutional and private sectors
have joined with city workers and Montréal citizens in
an ongoing dialogue, playing
active roles in formulating
this strategy. Montréal, Smart
and Digital City, will be built
by citizens, for citizens.”
The goals of the initiative
are centered around increasing the quality of life for the
citizens of Montréal. Collection involves increasing the
openness of government by
releasing bulk data and developing a platform through
which citizens of the city
can boost their control over
public resources. Communication involves developing
wired and Wi-Fi networks
accessible by the public and
creating new local technology and learning centers.
Coordinating involves developing smart transport, infrastructure, security, energy,
water and environmental management
systems. Collaboration involves helping
private and institutional stakeholders set
up networks of technology incubators and
accelerators, addressing the needs of technology start-ups and encouraging use of the
public space for testing innovative solutions
to municipal issues.
Montréal has been cited both in the media and by other smart cities for various
achievements in “smartness,” if you will, including the largest bicycle-sharing system
in North America with 5,000 bikes and 450
pickup/drop-off stations. The city is also
initiative-friendly, with a clear pathway for
citizen petition campaigns to result in laws
and policy changes in city government.
And with the city owning the electric utility, which offers Internet service, Montréal
has a more than 80 percent saturation of
Internet connectivity.
“One of the things that makes Montréal
very attractive for this expo is that not only
is the physical infrastructure in place for a
conference with good hotels and a good
convention center—it has the political infrastructure as well,” Morin says. “This is a city
that is focused on the smart-city concept.”
After the conclusion of Smart City Montréal in March 2015, the city debuted an
interactive website with details about more
than 180 public projects for the city taking
place over the next three years.
Morin expects more than one Smart
Cities conference in 2016, including one in
Montréal and one in Vancouver, with a possible conference in Boston. ■
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MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE
Center Stage
The Texas capital’s event industry is riding a wave of 21st-century
tech, but still has its boots planted firmly in centuries-old tradition.
BY ROWLAND STITELER
H
aving been the capital of Texas— irst the Republic and
then the state—for 179 years
now, Austin traces its roots
as a meeting destination back to the days
when the irst attendees (buckskin-clad
lawmakers on horseback) rode into town
and sought out beer, barbecue and boarding
houses to sustain themselves through the
legislative sessions.
Fast forward almost two centuries and
you’ll ind Austin still relies on some of its
venues from the 19th century, including Victorian-era brick buildings housing historic
hotels such as the Driskill (built in 1886)
and an array of bars and restaurants that
serve up everything from nouvelle cuisine
to the same style of smoky barbecue that
the legislators on horseback treasured in the
Antebellum era. Austin has preserved and
revered the architecture of a bygone century,
which has resulted in almost a dozen individual historic districts that are also renowned
for entertainment and dining—all of them
within walking distance or a very short cab
ride from the city’s convention center.
AN ATTRACTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE
Congress Avenue, for instance, is home to
a popular and versatile entertainment ven-
ue, the Paramount Theater, celebrating its
100th anniversary this year and offering a
coveted stage for performers ranging from
virtuoso iddle players (pictured above) to
standup comedians. Austin has been billing
itself as “The Live Music Capital of the World”
since 1991, and is home to more than 8,000
professional musicians who perform in the
more than 250 live music venues in the city.
Several of these venues are located in the
6th Street entertainment district, which is
an easy walk from the heart of “Meetings
Central” in the city—the convention center
and the 8,300 nearby hotel rooms.
The 2nd Street district features an al-
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most endless selection of eateries, such as
Lamberts Barbecue, housed in a former general store that opened in 1873. Lambert’s is
a perennial denizen of Texas Monthly’s “Best
Barbecue in Texas” coverage. Collectively,
the food offered around Austin was saluted
in the July issue of Travel & Leisure under the
headline, “It’s Of icial: Austin is America’s
Next Great Food Town.”
But while the allure of the historic buildings in central Austin and the food, spirits
and entertainment that abound within them
has provided a key
component of an attractive meetings infrastructure, there is
another element that
has brought the Texas
capital to a new echelon that is all 21st century. With the world
headquarters of Dell
computers (in nearby
Round Rock) and a
broad collection of other high-tech hardware
and software purveyors located there, Austin has become what some refer to as “The
Silicon Hills” (referring to geography: the city
is located in the Texas Hill Country).
Flights between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and San Jose International
(near Silicon Valley) have increased in recent
years, and there’s been a 158 percent increase
in technology industry meeting bookings in
Austin over the past three years versus the
ive previous years.
The primary way
in which attendees
learn new trends
and practices in
medical information technology
is through the
conference
programming.
MARCIA WILLIAMS, CMP, CMM
WHAT I
LEARNED
President,
EVENTive Management LLC
MPI Texas Hill
Country Chapter
“The meetings and events community is excited
to see the growth of new hotels opening soon in
Austin as downtown has been short on hotel space for quite some time.
The newly opened JW Marriott Austin adds to the balance of style, size
and pricing when planning a conference in Austin.”
TECH MECCA
“Austin has got a lot of buzz to it now, especially with regard to technology,” says Ray
Naegele, CPA, director of inancial and administrative services for the Medical Library
Association (MLA) Inc., the world’s largest
association of medical librarians and healthinformation-gathering professionals.
The association brought 2,200 attendees
to Austin this year for its annual conference.
While membership is spread throughout
North America, about 15 percent of attendees
to the annual conference are from the United
Kingdom, mainland Europe and Asia.
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Naegele—whose duties include planning and oversight of conferences—says
that in recent years, medical libraries have
replaced endless shelves of bound volumes
and rows of periodical stacks with computer hardware and conference rooms.
“What used to involve information on paper has given way to digital information that
can be shared among medical professionals,” he says. “And medical librarians now
not only facilitate access to that digital information, they have been teachers in how
to effectively use the technology, which, of
course, constantly evolves and proliferates.”
Medical librarians now not only facilitate access
to digital information, they have been teachers
in how to effectively use the technology.
One of the key functions of the annual
conference is for association members to
update themselves on the use of the latest
information technology, both through presentations by speakers and the extensive
trade show.
“This year we had 98
exhibitors,” says Tina
Vickery, conference manager for Hall-Erickson
Inc., a contractor for the
MLA conference. “The
available space in the
Austin Convention Center
(250,000 square feet of
exhibit space and 60,000
square feet of meeting
space) and the availability of the Austin Hilton
across the street from the
hotel (80,000 square feet
of meeting space, 801
guest rooms) made for a
really good combination
in which both meeting
events and exhibitions
could be housed near
each other.”
The trade show component of the MLA, which
features the latest in both
hardware and software
for the digital retrieval,
storage and dissemina-
tion of medical information, is also there for
the attendees to see and touch, and is ready
to be explained to the attendees by its creators and marketers.
A MASSIVE LEARNING ENDEAVOR
But the primary way in which attendees
learn new trends and practices in medical
information technology is through the conference programming itself, both in presentations to the group as a whole and in smaller,
focused instructional breakout sessions and
poster-board presentations, for which technical conferences such as the MLA annual
event are famous.
“We have at least a dozen breakout sessions going concurrently throughout the
day, every day,” Vickery says.
The structure of the massive learning
endeavor was four blocks of eight sessions
per day.
“The presenters have 15 minutes each,
and each speaker has his or her PowerPoint
presentations all cued up and ready to go
when the previous presentation ends,” Naegele says. “We made audio copies of every
one of the presentations, so all our attendees could go back and watch the PowerPoint
along with the oral presentation.”
This asset becomes a powerful tool for
attendees and presenters alike.
“No attendee can get to every last presentation he or she wants to, because some of
the presentations on the attendee’s ‘must-
44 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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see’ list may be simultaneous,” Naegele says,
adding that the digitally recorded presentations give the presenters a chance to go back
and review, with any tweaking and updating
needed going forward.
Add the poster-board sessions and other small sessions in the alcoves of the convention center and across the street at the
Hilton, and the area around the convention
center was a lurry of learning activities,
as is often the case at conferences such as
the MLA. And the activity was not con ined
to just that location. Because of a need for
hands-on learning sessions with medical
information retrieval and storage data, the
MLA conference availed itself of computer
labs at nearby Austin Community College.
Still another institution of higher learning in Austin, the new University of Texas
at Austin Dell Medical School, which begins
operation next year, offered an inspiring and
highly educational side trip for the conference attendees.
“They are building a brand-new medical
school at the University of Texas and they are
really doing it right,” Naegele says.
Dean Andrew Dillon, PhD, who directs the
University of Texas School of Information
and is an expert in information technology,
was a speaker at the opening session of the
MLA conference.
“He invited us to come over and visit the
new medical school, and we may have surprised him, but just about 200 of us did just
that—most impressive new facility,” Naegele says.
idea that you can walk right out the door of
the convention center and you are on 6th
Street puts you in the middle of a lot of good
gathering places immediately.”
From bistros to beer joints, dance halls
to symphony halls, Austin just about has
it all in terms of offsite entertainment and
dining. And lodging is the midst of a new
wave of growth right now. Earlier this year,
a 1,012-room JW Marriott hotel was built
two blocks from the convention center. Another round of construction including a new
Westin, a Kimpton property, a Starwood
Aloft/Element and a 1,066-room Fairmont
hotel will grow the downtown hotel room
inventory from its current 8,300 guest
rooms to 11,000 in 2017.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
has seen an upsurge in lights as well, moving Austin to the third-largest airlift capacity among Texas cities, with 300 daily lights
(including nonstop service from London on
British Airways) and served a record 10.7
million passengers last year. ■
THE PLACE FOR FACE TO FACE
But even with this vast array of tech-driven
learning experiences at the MLA conference, traditional, face-to-face networking
still plays a vital role.
“For many of our attendees, that is the
key reason they attend,” Naegele says.
“There is just no substitute for getting together with mentors, peers and colleagues
and doing everything from catching up with
each to sharing ideas and best practices.”
And that relates back to the original part
of Austin’s meetings-support infrastructure—the one that was already building itself in the 1830s.
“For night events, our attendees like to
be on their own, gather in their own small
groups and get together for camaraderie
and networking,” Naegele says. “And the
MPIWEB.ORG 45
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SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT
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WWW.MEETHAWAII.COM
I
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Hawai‘i’s location in the center of the Paci ic inspires
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Honolulu’s Hawai‘i Convention Center (HCC) is a
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The HCC is located in the heart of cosmopolitan Honolulu, surrounded by museums, cultural centers and
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There are more than 30,000 hotel rooms with a wide
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All major airlines have daily direct lights to O‘ahu and
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In Hawai‘i, you’ll ind genuine caring that re lects our
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Hawai‘i has an endless number of extraordinary activities and cultural attractions across six islands, each
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The inspiring atmosphere of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i
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10. PROFESSIONAL MEETING SERVICES
The highly experienced and knowledgeable Meet
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To begin planning your next meeting in the Hawaiian Islands, please contact the Meet Hawai‘i Team at
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7/23/15 11:31 AM
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FEATURES
The razzle-dazzle
element that’s
returning to
meetings reflects
a trend toward
intelligent growth
that has meeting
professionals
feeling increasingly
optimistic.
MEETINGS OUTLOOK
PAGE 57
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CAREER
How to
(Effectively)
BY WENDY HELFENBAUM
50 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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Think about the
job you’re doing
How did you get here? Maybe serendipity played a role: A former colleague got in
touch about an opening, or perhaps you met somebody at a conference who happened to be looking for someone just like you.
Want a more strategic way to ensure career advancement? Take control of the
path you’re on and build your own brand, whether it’s within your organization or
out on your own, says Dawn Rasmussen, CMP, CTP, CARW (MPI Oregon Chapter),
president of Portland, Ore.-based Path inder Writing and Career Services and author of Forget Job Security: Build Your Marketability!
“So many people do such a bad job of marketing themselves. Being a good marketer is not tooting your horn so much as educating people about how you help,”
says Rasmussen, whose company offers résumé, cover letter and job search coaching services.
“A boss is not immediately in touch with what an employee does every single
minute of the day, so it’s a matter of keeping them aware of your wins and your
successes, and tying that back to how it’s helping the company,” she says.
Think about how you can position yourself for advancement, whether you’re actively or passively looking in that direction, Rasmussen suggests. And keep adding
to your body of knowledge through professional development.
“Employers like to hire or retain subject matter experts; as long as you continue
to feed the organization good ideas, new concepts and applications to help advance
it forward, then you’re seen as a positive contributor who’s learning things and then
sharing with your peers,” she says. “That puts you in ‘generous expert’ sharing
mode, and in the driver’s seat.”
Another way to speed ahead: Raise your hand.
“If you want to stretch yourself, learn new skills or expose yourself to new situations, volunteer for some of the more dif icult projects,” Rasmussen says. “Yes,
it’s tough and stressful, but you’ll come away with skills you didn’t have before.”
Feel like more of a backseat driver? Rasmussen says marketing yourself is
learned behavior, especially for introverts.
“Nobody else is in charge of your career except you. Nobody’s going to say,
‘You’re doing such a good job; we’re going to give you the world.’ You’re going to
have to model behavior to get to where you want to be,” says Rasmussen, adding
that showing how you’re in luencing outcomes might mean taking credit where it’s
due and holding yourself accountable when mistakes are made.
Meeting pros should regularly ask themselves:
• I’m happy in my job, but how can I do it better?
• How do I continue to learn, evolve and be a positive contributor?
• How am I building my leadership pro ile?
• How can I develop the skillsets that will make me desirable for promotion?
“If you are looking for employment, position yourself so you’re already front-ofmind before the job even becomes open,” she says.
MPIWEB.ORG 51
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THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, professionalss can
effectively bu
uild businesss relationshipss—and
reputations—
—on variouss platforms, inccluding
LinkedIn, Twiitter, Facebo
ook and Pintere
est. The
2014 Social Reecruiting Su
urvvey by Jobvite
e
revealed thatt 93 percentt of recruiters fi
find
candidates th
hrough sociial media.
ut“People think social media is an ou
bound effort, but it’s nott just about you
constantly pu
ushing out in
nformation,” saays
social media strategist Lissa McKenzie, founder
of Montreal-b
based McKe
enzie Moxie Me
edia.
“You have to be just as strategic in you
ur
inbound tacttics—makin
ng sure you’re using
the right keywords and hashtags to de
escribe
yourself and in your posstss so that peop
ple can
easily find yo
ou.”
op tips:
Here are McKenzie’s to
Expand your reach.
Understand what keywo
ord
ds leaders in your
industry use. “These are the terms they’’re
going to use to find you.. Don’t just read
d their
tweets and posts; go to company webssites.
Notice the wo
ords they usse in their blogss and
mission statement. You want to mirror the
culture so peo
ople in HR see you’re already integrated into it.”
Think like an ‘intrepreneur,’ not an
employee.
Marry what you do best with how you can
help your org
ganization. “A
An intrepreneu
ur works
in a corporate
e environme
ent, but has the
e mindset of an entrrepreneur. Itt’ss a question off working smarter fo
or advancem
ment within the
e same
company or in another company.”
Don’t just follow people on Twitter;
create lists so you can categorize
them.
“You need to really leveraage those Twittter lists,
and check the
em often, th
hrough Twitter or
through a soccial media dashboard. Now
w you’re
hawking to 20 people, no
ot 2,000.”
Connect with the right social media
community.
“Connectionss mean savin
ng money for your
company, so go deeper with your relationships, not wid
der.”
Are you practicing strategic meetings management? You should be. Rasmussen
says that most planners and suppliers are accustomed to providing some form of
recap and projected result from meetings and events.
“But it’s really important to see that increased attendance or sponsorships are
actually your contributions to the organization,” she says. “This is your own results
record that shows how well you perform.”
Thinking about updating your résumé? Start taking notes about yourself. Rasmussen
is always amazed when clients admit they rarely keep track of their accomplishments.
“This lack of metrics turns off employers,” she warns. “They’re reading résumés,
looking to see what you did for your current or previous companies as a way to
gauge how you’re going to be able to perform for them. It’s not about tasks; it’s about
performance: Answer their needs irst, and anything else is just gravy.”
Build On Your Strengths, Promote Your Worth
Amanda Young’s sprint up the corporate ladder began as a toddler.
“I have been planning events since I was two, I’ve been told,” laughs Young, Americas event leader for GE Healthcare in Charleston, S.C.
“I love the art of corporate events, and the planning process. I’m very aggressive
with my career; that’s how I got to GE: I thought big and I went big,” she says.
Since her irst job with Hyatt Hotels in Boston, followed by meeting planning positions at tech irms Wall Street Systems and Blackbaud, Young has always looked far
ahead.
“I never went for the dream job: I always went for the job that would give me
access to what I wanted to do,” she explains. “I networked a lot and discovered that
IT was a good way to get into event marketing. I worked with international teams,
and allowed myself to be put on any project. I think that’s essential for meeting
planner survival: You have to adapt constantly. At the same time, I made sure to keep
my résumé up to date and keep my eye on other jobs.”
At a user conference in Monte Carlo, for example, Young shadowed the head planner
to absorb as much as she could. That helped her get noticed by Blackbaud’s top brass.
“In the interview, I was very logistics-focused: ‘I know rooming blocks, I could
help with education, here’s a project plan I put together.’ I spoke to what tactical
work they needed done,” she recalls. “That’s what they were looking for, so that’s
how I marketed myself.”
Plugging the gaps in your knowledge is another sure- ire way to get noticed.
When one of Young’s bosses praised her efforts while also pointing out where she
could improve, she welcomed the feedback.
“He taught me how to igure out metrics for events. I’d never thought about that,”
she says. “I could talk about ROI, but I didn’t know how to generate ROI stats. I was
open to the criticism, and to learning and changing. That’s when my career went
from being tactics-focused to more results-oriented.”
Learning new skills helped Young gain the con idence to further pitch her abilities. In one 20-minute meeting, she convinced two supervisors to combine all their
Engage in meaningful conversation.
Spread the love.
LinkedIn grou
ups are a gre
eat way to stayy in
touch with cu
urrent and former co-worke
ers
who can conn
nect you to people that yo
ou want
to work with.. It’s also use
eful to find out which
industries and
d companie
es are hiring.
“Give kudos wherever th
heyy’re deserved.. Be
generous and
d value not just the people
e on
your team, bu
ut your supp
pliers. Then you
ur
caterer or saillboat captaiin will retweet you to
their networkks. That has huge value, because
they’re sharin
ng your succcess with their audiences.”
Show off your successes on Instagram
and Pinterest.
Totally transfo
ormed a balllrroom? Post so
ome
before-and-affter shots or videos online..
52 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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“A lack of metrics
turns off employers. They’re
reading résumés,
looking to see
what you did for
your current or
previous companies as a way
to gauge how
you’re going to
be able to perform for them.
It’s not about
tasks; it’s about
performance.”
user conferences into one Washington D.C.based event, which she then led.
After ramping up her LinkedIn pro ile to
further position herself as a thought leader,
a recruiter from GE took notice, offering her
a job running GE Healthcare’s technology
conference, Centricity Live.
Although she loves her current work,
Young continues to think strategically about
her career. She recently set up a Twitter handle (@meetingdiaries) to complement her
LinkedIn blog.
“I’m not keeping my eyes open for other
jobs, because I’m happy, but I speak at conferences and do many career chats, continuing to grow my network with thought leadership, which I think is the right thing for
me,” she says.
Networking + Industry Involvement =
Easy Marketing
As an accomplished associations meeting professional and vice president of member engagement for the Financial Services Institute in
Alexandria, Va., Michelle Allgauer, CMP, CMM,
BOM, CAE (MPI Potomac Chapter), has learned
that bumps in the road can easily be managed
if you have a strong support team that welcomes your networking and marketing efforts.
“I’m very competitive, and I’ve always
wanted to progress in my career,” Allgauer
says. “But you can’t do that in a silo; you need
to tell people, ‘Professional development is
very important to me; can you support me through my certi ications?’ Or, ‘I’d really
like to pick up a project and get experience.’”
After working in hotel management for several Hyatt properties in Boston and
Washington, D.C., Allgauer landed a string of successful association positions with
the American Bankers Association; America’s Community Bankers; and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).
“AWHONN was a pivotal job for me,” she recalls. “I’d been thinking about getting
my CMP for quite some time, and decided I needed to get my certi ication to show
them I was as committed to my profession as they were to theirs. I wanted to be
seen not just as a meeting planner, but as a strategic team member. My certi ications
helped me advance and aligned me with promotions or new job offers.”
Then, while working as director of education for the Solar Electric Power Association—what she’d thought was her dream job—Allgauer was laid off. The support
she’d built up through her network proved useful during her intensive marketing
efforts to land a new position.
Allgauer has chaired MPI’s Knowledge Advisory Council for several years and
continues to set goals for herself and provide advice to others through workshops.
“I strongly believe that when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones we become stronger and more capable than we ever imagined,” she says.
Aug_Marketing Yourself Feature.indd 53
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DESIGN
Creating Space
The designers of convention and conference center spaces
are seeking input from planners in order to help make
meetings and events more effective.
BY PETER GORMAN
I
f you were customizing a new home for your family, you
wouldn’t just give the architect the freedom to design
whatever he or she wanted—you’d want to share what it
is you want and let them design to that. Well, those
responsible for building or renovating meeting spaces
have come to terms with the idea that since meeting planners are the people to whom they’ll be selling those spaces, it only makes sense to ask those planners for input regarding
what they want in a meeting space.
“It is absolutely vital to have customer input when designing a
meeting space,” says Michael Massari (MPI Philadelphia Area Chapter), senior vice president of sales and operations for Caesars Entertainment. Massari helped oversee the development of the Harrah’s
Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, which, when completed this year, will be the largest meeting facility from Baltimore to
Boston.
He says that in the designing of that space, three distinct areas of
client input were utilized. Those areas included the sales department, the operational team and the clients themselves.
“First was the sales department,” he says. “You ask them what the
clients have told them with regards to what they need in a space in
order to sell more of what they’re selling. Then you ask the operational team what the clients tell them they need in order to execute better
conferences. You need to ind out what the customers are giving them
positive and negative feedback on, and then address those issues.
“Finally, you call the customer directly and ask them what their
wish list includes. You show them the actual architectural plans and
let them show you where the gaps are in those plans. It’s got to be
all about the customer.”
Gwen Wilson, public relations manager for the Orange County
Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, attests to the value of customer input in designing a meeting space.
“We have a client advisory board (CAB) with event show managers culled from our client list,” she says. “They meet with us once a
year and tell us what we need to do to improve our space.”
During a current US$187 million renovation to
the OCCC, Wilson says several ideas brought up by
the CAB have been incorporated into the design.
“They told us we need more lexible space, additional boardrooms, more ballroom space,” she says.
“So we took meeting rooms and turned them into
boardrooms for smaller meetings. We converted an
exhibition space into a ballroom space. We put balconies on some rooms so that they can be used for
cocktail meetings.”
One of the ideas that Wilson found especially insightful was soft
seating.
“We were told that standing in the hallways for small, impromptu
meetings was simply uncomfortable, so we designed living room areas throughout the center with chairs and couches that make you feel
like you’re sitting in someone’s home. Very comfortable,” she says.
The OCCC has also increased digital signage for marketing and
sponsorship opportunities, expanded Wi-Fi in the building and added way inding monitors throughout the building because, Wilson
says, “with 7 million square feet you can get turned around.”
“Basically, our clients told us what worked for them and we built
it,” she says.
Sara Gruber, CTA, senior brand manager – communications for
the San Antonio CVB, has similar experience working with planner
input when augmenting spaces.
“We used our CAB extensively to assist in our new convention center deign,” she says. “We actually had the architects come in and meet
directly with our CAB [so they could] share each others’ opinions and
offer constructive criticism. And the big win was to keep the design
group focused on making sure the building lends itself to the total
meeting experience, rather than just making the exhibit halls bigger.”
Among the speci ics offered up by San Antonio’s CAB: build the
exhibit halls and multi-purpose rooms without pillars, to allow
for general sessions of up to 7,000 people; make the new meeting
rooms large enough to hold larger classroom-style meetings and still
54 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL AUGUST 2015
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“Call the customer
directly and ask them
what their wish list
includes. You show
them the actual architectural plans and let
them show you where
the gaps are in those
plans. It’s got to
be all about the
customer.”
subdivide in order to
accommodate up to 60
simultaneous meetings;
and add a new ballroom.
Not all client input
involves the front of the
house, however.
“When we irst started the process of building our convention center we had a core group of corporate and association meeting
professionals who were a focus group for us,” says Maura Gast
(MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter), executive director of the Irving
(Texas) CVB.
That input proved incredibly valuable.
“One of the best suggestions came from a corporate meeting
planner who encouraged us not to mess with the surface corridors
and not to mess with the kitchen,” Gast remembers. “She’d been in
a lot of convention centers and meeting spaces where the corridors
to and from the back of the house and the kitchen were
skinnied-down to save on budget, creating a situation that restricted servers from getting food out to the ballroom. Same with the
kitchen: Make it smaller and the food comes out slower. We took
that to heart.”
Gast’s focus group also suggested that the convention center incorporate pre-function space, so that if there were multiple users on
a loor they could be kept separated; as much lexible space as possible; and outdoor spaces.
“They also asked that we build the space giving attendees the ability to see natural light as much as possible, and to make sure there
was extra room on the loading dock,” she says. “The planners made
so many good suggestions it’s hard to count them all. They said we’d
be better off with two smaller elevators rather than one huge one, so
that in the off chance that one went out, we’d still have another. In
the end, when it was time to pull the trigger to make valuable engineering decisions, we made them from a perspective informed by
meeting planners.”
And Gast and her team have continued to make changes since the
building opened in 2011.
“The building becomes its own living, breathing focus group,”
she says.
One of the planners in Gast’s focus group was Sheryl Black, now
an asset manager for the American Airlines Training & Conference
Center.
“Having been a meeting planner, I remembered talking to people
who worked in the back of the house and how they wanted to have
the right tools to do a great job,” Black says. “And they always asked
for things like more table storage space, wide hallways to and from
the service area, that sort of thing. So that’s what we passed on to
Gast. And I’m happy that someone followed through with my ideas.
In the end, we all want it to work and to work well.”
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DEVELOPED IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH
MEETINGS
With continued intelligent growth in the industry, meeting
professionals are showing a renewed focus on attendee
“wants”—big-name speakers, entertainment and shoulder
days—and going beyond “needs” as they strive to do much
more with just a little more.
2015 SUMMER EDITION
Meetings Outlook_Summer-2015.indd 57
7/23/15 12:05 PM
THE PRICE OF
ADMISSION
A renewed focus on attendee engagement,
based on their “wants,” is emerging at a time
when planners are re-experiencing a strong
meetings market and facing challenges such
as budgets that are disproportionate to costs.
36%
of respondents are making
meetings more engaging by
participating in community
volunteerism at the site
of an event
MEETINGS
By Elaine Pofeldt
I
“The sizzle is back. It’s about
having meetings—and making
them more interesting.”
interesting.
CHRISTIAN SAVELLI
MPI Carolinas Chapter
Former senior director of business
intelligence for MPI
f you want to know where meetings are heading, look no
further than Vision, Experian’s annual conference. Former
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright opened as a
keynote for the May event at the Gaylord National Resort
and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., outside of
Washington, D.C.; Kool and the Gang provided the entertainment
for the crowd of about 650; and basketball legend Magic Johnson
closed the conference with a speech, walking down onto the loor
to take sel ies with attendees.
“This, alone, may have been worth the price of admission—
not to mention, oh, by the way, we had some great educational
workshops,” says Bob Walker (MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter),
83%
of meeting pros are tailoring
communications around the demographics
of their meetings and events
58 MPI MEETINGS OUTLOOK: 2015 Summer Edition
Meetings Outlook_Summer-2015.indd 58
7/23/15 12:05 PM
81%
of respondents say their CEOs have
witnessed how meetings/events yield
tremendous value for companies
SVP of client solutions at Freeman, a Dallas-based integrator of
solutions for live events that planned the gathering.
That conference was not an anomaly. With the industry thriving, meeting professionals are showing a renewed focus on attendee “wants”—big-name speakers, entertainment and shoulder
days—and going beyond meeting “needs” such as education.
Magic Johnson closed the conference
with a speech, walking down onto the
floor to take selfies with attendees.
“This, alone, may have been
worth the price of admission—
not to mention, oh, by the way,
we had some great educational
workshops.”
s.”
BOB WALKER
MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter
SVP of client solutions at Freeman
“The sizzle is back. It’s about having meetings—and making
them more interesting,” says Christian Savelli, formerly MPI’s senior director of business intelligence.
The razzle-dazzle element that’s returning to meetings relects a trend toward intelligent growth that has meeting professionals feeling increasingly optimistic. The majority of survey respondents—72 percent—expect business conditions to improve
in the coming year.
“We’re looking at business evolving into a place of prosperity,”
says Bill Voegeli (MPI Georgia Chapter), president of Association
Insights, the Atlanta-area research irm that conducts the survey.
For professionals who are relatively new to the industry, the
welcome uptick may be the irst time they have experienced a
market like this.
“Maybe 50 percent of people in the marketplace—planners,
suppliers and attendees—don’t have a history of understanding
what a prosperous meetings market even looks like,” Voegeli says.
FOCUS ON ATTENDEE
EXPERIENCE
When the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) was looking for a
city to hold its annual meeting this coming
November, Ellen Shortill, director, convention
and meetings, and her executive director
had to make a tough choice. It would be the
organization’s 90th anniversary meeting.
They could pick Denver, which offered more
offsite opportunities for fun and networking,
given its active restaurant scene, or another
city in a location that promised higher attendance because of its greater concentration of
members.
ASHA ultimately chose Denver because of
the positive impression the local environment would leave on members—one that its
leaders hope will inspire attendees to come
to future gatherings.
“It was the walkability of the city, how the
space is laid out,” Shortill says.
ASHA will be holding the roughly
13,000-person meeting at the Colorado
Convention Center, making it easy for participants to enjoy what the city has to offer.
The fun factor also helped lure the National Education Association (NEA) to Denver for
its annual meeting in the summer of 2014.
The city was an obvious choice. Each year,
the largest U.S. union attracts about 7,000
delegates. Not only is Denver conveniently
located in the middle of the country, with a
hub airport, but it also has abundant lodging,
notes Kimberly Dominguez, CFM, director
of conference and facilities management for
the NEA. The city has 8,400 rooms in easy
walking distance to the convention center.
“We used about 25 hotels in downtown
Denver and the suburban area,” Dominguez
says.
It didn’t hurt that the city—home to highly rated restaurants such as The Capital Grille
and Palace Arms—offered dining options to
please foodies in the crowd.
“The one thing I noticed that stood out
was the number of restaurants that are in
that downtown metro area,” Dominguez says.
“There are a lot of chef-owned restaurants
that are very unique. “
That helped make the city appealing for
those who wanted to stay in the city longer.
“We don’t have a whole lot of free time, so
some p
people extend the trip,” she says.
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Meetings Outlook_Summer-2015.indd 59
59
7/23/15 12:05 PM
ATTENDANCE
GROWTH
ATTENDANCE AT BOTH LIVE AND VIRTUAL
MEETINGS AND EVENTS IS STILL EXPECTED
TO INCREASE WITH LIVE ATTENDANCE
NUMBERS GROWING AT A FASTER PACE.
TODAY
ONE YEAR AGO
LIVE ATTENDANCE
%
62
29%
9%
53%
33%
15%
Predict an increase
Predict no change
Predict a decrease
Predict an increase
Predict no change
Predict a decrease
VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE
57%
39%
4%
68%
26%
7%
Predict an increase
Predict no change
Predict a decrease
e
Predict an increase
nge
Predict no change
crease
Predict a decrease
LIVE GROWTH TREND
100%
Respondents
reporting growth
%
53
Respondents
reporting no change
Respondents
reporting decline
33%
15%
64%
60%
62%
27%
26%
30%
29%
14%
10%
10%
9%
DEC ‘14
MAR ‘15
JUN ‘15
59%
%
0
JUN ‘14
SEP ‘14
INTELLIGENT GROWTH
CONTINUES
Domestic corporate business is setting the pace for the positive movement in the industry. This sector shows the greatest
promise, with 48 percent of respondents saying this is where
they have seen the most growth. Many respondents are also
seeing an increase in business from domestic associations,
with 22 percent reporting that this sector is seeing the largest
upswing. This is keeping many meeting professionals busier
than they have been in years.
“I travel extensively around the country,” says Julie Walker (MPI Middle Pennsylvania Chapter), managing partner at
Choice Meetings in Harrisburg, Pa., who often works with
pharmaceutical companies. “At every hotel I utilize, every
“Every sales manager I speak with
has commented they are setting
record numbers for sales. It is the
best quarter they’ve ever had. That
seems to be replicated across the U.S.”
JULIE WALKER
MPI Middle Pennsylvania Chapter
Managing partner at Choice Meetings
60 MPI MEETINGS OUTLOOK: 2015 Summer Edition
Meetings Outlook_Summer-2015.indd 60
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BUSINESS
CONDITIONS
PREDICTED BUSINESS CONDITIONS REMAIN
VERY STRONG, EVEN MORE POSITIVE THAN
A YEAR AGO.
72%
Predict better
business conditions
Predict no change in
business conditions
Predict worse
business conditions
65%
18%
24%
TODAY
ONE YEAR AGO
10%
12%
sales manager I speak with has commented they are setting
“He was all excited and said the meeting was back on,”
record numbers for sales. It is the best quarter they’ve ever
she says. “It’s going to happen in October.”
had. That seems to be replicated across the U.S. It’s just crazy.”
The client asked for a statement of work, budget and hoStill, this isn’t 2007. The trend toward intelligent growth—
tel availability—by the end of the next day.
one that irst emerged in the 2015 spring edition of Meetings
McQuone was in Washington, D.C., at another event and
Outlook
Outlook—is continuing. Meeting professionals are doing
had no time to do the work, but she didn’t want to delay
more, but
bu many must be creative in stretching budgets that
responding at the moment the client had re-engaged. So she
haven
haven’t yet returned to levels that would offset rising costs for
got creative and called on a colleague who is transitioning
F&
F&B and guest rooms. As the latest survey found, 33 percent
from a corporate job to his own business to see if he could
of respondents expect their budget to remain lat for the next
take it on. His expertise was site selection and, she says, the
year, while 39 percent expect only a small increase (1 percent
work he did was “perfect.” She submitted the paperwork on
to 5 percent).
time and kept the project in motion.
“They are not being asked to do more with less,” Voege“You need to have all your contacts in place and a really
li says. “They’re being asked to do much more with a little
good base of people you trust,” McQuone says. “That is why
more.”
MPI has become my No. 1 networking resource. The minAgainst this backdrop, many organizers are proceeding
ute I go to a meeting I just connect with people and l always
cautiously and giving the green light to meetings only when
keep that Rolodex full.”
they are certain their budget has come
through or the meeting is absolutely essential. Ask Walker. She had only two weeks’ lead
“You need to have all your contacts in place
time to put together an advisory board meeting of 15 to 30 people in June for a pharmaand a really good base of people you trust.
ceutical company that was getting ready to
That is why MPI has become my No. 1 networking
launch a new product. What made the gathering manageable was her network.
resource. The minute I go to a meeting I just connect
“We have a great relationship with the
with people and l always keep that Rolodex full.”
Grand Hyatt at DFW airport,” she says.
She is not alone in inding that good relationships are critical to getting things done
in the current environment. In June, Colleen
McQuone (MPI Georgia Chapter), president
COLLEEN MCQUONE
MPI Georgia Chapter
of meeting and event services for McQ1
President of meeting and event services
Meetings in Atlanta, got a call from a pharmafor McQ1 Meetings
ceutical client that had postponed a meeting
in January.
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7/27/15 8:38 AM
EMPLOYMENT
TRENDS
JOBS ARE COMING BACK TO THE MEETING
AND EVENT INDUSTRY, BUT ORGANIZATIONS
ARE INCREASINGLY BRINGING ON PERSONNEL
IN A CONTRACT OR PART-TIME ROLE TO START.
FULL-TIME
PART-TIME
CONTRACT
%
33
INCREASE
%
30
INCREASE
%
44
INCREASE
%
56
FLAT
%
62
FLAT
%
48
FLAT
%
12
DECREASE
%
8
DECREASE
DECR
%
8
DECREASE
BILL VOEGELI
MPI Georgia Chapter
President of Association Insights
RE-EXPERIENCING A STRONG
MEETINGS MARKET
For experienced meeting professionals, the current climate
of growth is a blast from the past, but for younger peers,
it is bringing unfamiliar challenges. Ellen Shortill, director,
convention and meetings for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in Rockville, Md., has
found herself mentoring such colleagues.
Recently, when one such planner sent ASHA’s specs and
budget to a venue, the venue responded with a menu that
was three times the amount the group planned to spend.
Shortill’s colleague was not sure how to respond. “Don’t
even look at that offer,” Shortill told her. She advised her
“Maybe 50 percent of people in the
marketplace don’t have a history of
understanding what a prosperous
meetings market even looks like.”
colleague to write back and say, “I told you what my budget is. I
need to see what you can do with it—not just upsell me.”
In a different case, another more junior planner pointed out
that a hotel was trying to charge more than what was speci ied
in an existing rate agreement. Shortill commended the planner
for catching the discrepancy, and then suggested going back to
the hotel, pointing out that the association did US$400,000 to
$500,000 worth of business there annually and saying, “Those
kinds of mistakes are not acceptable.”
With the current market conditions such conversations are
likely to become more common.
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HOW YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE HANDLING
PLANNING FOR THE COMMUNICATION
STYLES OF VARIOUS GENERATIONS
EXPERIENCING MEETINGS AND EVENTS.
PLANNING
FOR MULTIPLE
GENERATIONS
17%
“We don’t
do anything
about this
yet”
4%
Tailored for small meetings
and events only
14%
Tailored for major events only
25%
Tailored in a limited way for every
event, big and small
40%
Comprehensively tailored
for every event
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
To meet attendees’ “wants” for engaging meetings that go
beyond bread-and-butter needs, some planners are adding
fun, charitable activities. Thirty-six percent of respondents
report their organizations have participated in community
volunteerism at the site of an event.
Facilitating such events is CultureShoc, a culturedevelopment irm that offers services such as team-building and engagement programs. Pete Honsberger (MPI
Ohio Chapter) has seen high demand for a hands-on charitable component to meetings as the company’s director of
client services.
“We’ve been inding over the last couple of years that
corporate social responsibility is very popular,” Honsberger says. “Every organization, especially the larger ones,
wants their employees to do service projects. They want to
be seen as an organization that supports the community.”
One example of how CultureShoc has pulled this off
was a three-hour-long team-building session for about 90
executives from a large bank in the Charlotte, N.C., area in
May. After forming small groups, the executives tackled
challenges such as lipping a large tarp they were standing
on without exchanging a word.
When they completed each challenge successfully, they
got to pick an item to put in a “success package” for a military veteran who was entering the job market. These items
ranged from a high-quality pen to gas cards. The bank distributed the success packages through Charlotte Bridge
Home, a local nonpro it that helps veterans transition from
the military.
For another recent meeting of about 40 inancial-services
executives at Punderson Manor Lodge and Conference Center
in Ohio State Park, CultureShoc ordered unassembled kitchen
islands from IKEA. The attendees divided into small groups
and built the islands.
“We threw in blindfolds,” Honsberger adds mischievously.
The islands were then donated to Habitat for Humanity of
Summit County, Ohio, for use in eight houses it’s building this
year. Beyond giving back, many clients ind meetings like this
can be very engaging, Honsberger says.
“It’s pretty cool to see what people can do when they buy
into the cause,” he says. “It’s very hard to be a skeptic when
you are buying a brand new bike for a child or putting together a care package for veterans.” ■
Meetings Outlook is developed in partnership
with VISIT DENVER.
Meetings Outlook is supported in partnership
with IMEX Group.
Research conducted by Association Insights.
© 2015 Meeting Professionals International
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SPECIAL SECTION:
Northeast
CONTENTS
Northeast Special Section.indd 65
PAGES 66-67
PAGES 68-69
Meet AC
NYC & Company
7/23/15 2:02 PM
NORTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Meet AC
WWW.MEETINAC.COM
A
tlantic City offers round-the-clock fun and
excitement after the work and meetings
are through. Year round, day or night,
whatever you are looking for in a destination,
Atlantic City’s got it. Atlantic City features ive
miles of scenic beach and Boardwalk that you can
enjoy at any time of the year. Take a stroll on the
famous, historic Boardwalk, bask in the glowing
sun and take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. Millions of
visitors stroll, ride a bicycle or tour the Boardwalk
on the famous rolling chairs.
Atlantic City is made up of 15,630 irst-class
hotel rooms that offer the perfect accommodations
for your attendees’ complete comfort and
relaxation. Atlantic City features casino resorts
with full resort amenities that range from an adult
to a family-friendly atmosphere. The hotel and
casino properties consist of meeting facilities and
a surplus of unique event venues. The Atlantic City
Convention Center provides 486,600 contiguous
square feet of exhibit space, as well as 45 meeting
rooms, ample pre-function space and all the
amenities you would expect.
You can unwind and dine with plentiful dining
options all customized to it your convention
delegates’ taste buds with brand name eateries
and celebrity chefs. A hot spot at Resorts Casino
Hotel and on the Atlantic City Boardwalk is the
innovative Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville entertainment complex, a destination appealing to
visitors yearning for an island adventure.
The Entertainment Capital of the Jersey Shore
Atlantic City offers round-the-clock
fun and excitement after the work and
meetings are through. Year round, day
or night, whatever you are looking for
in a destination, Atlantic City’s got it.
offers comedians, concerts and shows that will
have you laughing and singing all night long.
Shopaholics can shop till they drop at our tax-free
shopping outlet, Tanger Outlets The Walk, with
over 100 retail stores that won’t disappoint with
incredible deals and just steps from of the
convention center.
Atlantic City is proud to host the 2016 MPI
World Education Congress (WEC) at the new
Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center, which is
scheduled for completion in early September and
offers 100,000 square feet of meeting space and a
irst-class meetings experience with state-of-theart technology.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Caesars
Entertainment in hosting MPI’s 2016 WEC,” says
Jim Wood, president and CEO of Meet AC. “This is a
strategic direction for Meet AC and for Atlantic City
as we continue to diversify our mix of business.
Showcasing Atlantic City to over 1,000 meeting
planners and over 2,000 total attendees will
de initely help us grow the meetings and conventions market.”
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NORTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
NYC & Company
WWW.NYCGO.COM/MEETINGPLANNERS
N
EW IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City is forever evolving with
its constant in lux of new, exciting things
to see and do. Home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other U.S. city, and an enormous
concentration of industry leaders, NYC is a place
you can be certain business gets done. And after
business hours, delegates can experience the
latest trends and innovations at restaurants,
shops, shows and museums and explore the
city’s many parks and diverse neighborhoods.
Highlights in New York City for 2015
include the much-anticipated opening of
One World Observatory; the relocation of
the Whitney Museum of American Art in the
Meatpacking District near the High Line; the
opening of the $1.4 billion Fulton Center, which
serves as a hub for nine subway lines; the
tournament-quality Trump Golf Links at Ferry
Point in the Bronx; and the fully-restored Kings
Theatre in Brooklyn.
New York City’s hotel pipeline is more
dynamic than ever with development spanning
all ive boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens,
the Bronx and Staten Island. By late 2014,
there were a record 102,000 hotel guest rooms
in New York City, and property development
continues to grow on a scale not often seen in
comparable U.S. destinations. In fact, NYC’s hotel
inventory is set to grow by an additional 22,000
hotel rooms in the next three years. These new
hotels will offer a wide variety of price points,
With a record 6.1 million meeting
delegates visiting in 2014, New
York City is well positioned as a
meeting destination that your
attendees will look forward to.
styles, services and specialties, providing lots
of opportunities to bring meetings, events and
incentive trips of all sizes to the city.
NYC: THE PLACE TO MAKE IT
With a record 6.1 million meeting delegates
visiting in 2014, New York City is well positioned as a meeting destination that your
attendees will look forward to. New York City
has an energy that can’t be found anywhere else,
with 24,000 restaurants, shopping for every
budget, an unparalleled variety of event spaces,
bustling nightlife and world-class arts and
entertainment.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
There is no better time to plan your next
meeting or event in New York City, and no
better team to work with to make it happen.
For unsurpassed results, let NYC & Company’s
experienced team make your planning ef icient
and cost-effective. Contact us at (212) 484-1218
or email us at conventionsales@nycgo.com to
Make It NYC for your next meeting.
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SPECIAL SECTION:
Las Vegas
CONTENTS
PAGES 72-73
PAGES 82-83
The Signature at
MGM Grand
ARIA
PAGES 74-75
The Cosmopolitan
of Las Vegas
Caesars
Entertainment
PAGES 76-77
Wynn Las Vegas and
Encore
PAGES 86-87
Blue Man Group Las
Vegas
PAGES 88-89
PAGES 78-79
Luxor Hotel & Casino
Mandalay Bay, Las
Vegas
PAGES 90-91
PAGES 80-81
The Mirage
Vegas Special Section.indd 71
PAGES 84-85
Vdara Hotel & Spa
PAGES 92-93
Palms Casino Resort
7/27/15 8:54 AM
LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
The Signature at
MGM Grand
WWW.SIGNATUREMGMGRAND.COM
W
elcome to the intersection of excitement and indulgence. The Signature
at MGM Grand gives guests the best
of both worlds, providing access to incredible dining, entertainment and nightlife at MGM Grand,
and to the luxury of The Signature where they can
recover and recharge for the next round.
Venture outside the suite and enjoy a swim in
one of three secluded pools, a workout in the
state-of-the-art itness center, cocktails and bar
bites while watching your favorite sports at
The Lounge or a bite to eat at the gourmet deli,
Delights. In-suite dining and premier concierge
services are also available.
Meeting Space
Whether an intimate meeting or a large conference, The Signature team’s attention to detail
creates the right ambiance for a lawless event.
With 4,000 square feet of high-end meeting
space, The Signature offers exceptionally lexible
meeting space that can be con igured for any kind
of business function. Focusing on intimate groups
from 10 to 80 guests, our lobby-level meeting
space provides a convenient setting for executive
meetings, incentive groups or social events. Stateof-the-art audiovisual allows for a seamless integration of computer, video and audio equipment.
Restaurants, Bars and Lounges
The Signature provides direct access to MGM
Grand and its wide variety of dining and entertainment experiences. Enjoy star-studded events
at the Grand Garden Arena. Indulge in worldclass shows, dining and nightlife at a variety of
restaurants and lounges. Revel in the beauty of
our stunning new nightclub, Hakkasan, or treat
yourself to new levels of relaxation and rejuvenation at The Grand Spa and Cristophe Salon.
Accommodations
Each suite is appointed with upscale linens and
pillow-top beds, lat-screen TVs, a full kitchen
with Sub-Zero, Miele and Bosch appliances and
lavish bathrooms featuring Jacuzzi tubs and
plush robes. Most suites also have balconies with
breathtaking views of the Strip and mountains.
Amenities
The Signature consists of three all-suite towers
adjacent to MGM Grand, setting new standards
in personalized service and amenities. This
non-smoking, non-gaming retreat is illed with
natural light and designed with modern touches
that both soothe and re-energize. From the gated
entry and private check-in to gorgeous suites in
which no detail has been overlooked, this is not
your typical Vegas resort.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Caesars Entertainment
WWW.CAESARSMEANSBUSINESS.COM
I
n a city like Las Vegas that thrives on
offering the unexpected, one thing that is
expected is a variety of meeting venues
that can offer groups a one-of-a-kind experience. Las Vegas has some of the most incredible hotels, award-winning restaurants and
spectacular entertainment. It’s a city that is
always reinventing itself.
For meeting planners who need a cutting-edge, unconventional experience, Caesars
Entertainment offers The LINQ Promenade,
the Las Vegas Strip’s irst open-air shopping,
dining and entertainment district located
between the new The LINQ Hotel & Casino
and the Flamingo. This irst-class experience
combined with live street and venue entertainment offers energy unlike any other.
The LINQ Promenade’s highlight is the
world’s tallest observation wheel, the High
Roller. Groups can rent a single cabin up to the
entire wheel for their private use. Cabins can
even accommodate a bartender with a roll-on
bar. The High Roller features 28 spherical,
glass-enclosed cabins. Each cabin weighs
44,000 pounds and can hold up to 40 people,
totaling 1,120 at full capacity. Standing 550
feet tall, it has more than 2,000 LED lights that
create a stunning display. The High Roller lights
up each evening with changing colors and patterns, which can be branded for special events.
After the ride, the event can continue in
The LINQ Promenade is the
Las Vegas Strip’s first openair shopping, dining and
entertainment district located
between the new The LINQ Hotel
& Casino and the Flamingo.
the High Roller Wheel House event space with
a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the
wheel while giving guests an inside look at the
behind-the-scene mechanics.
In addition, High Roller’s LED display
customization can be coordinated with The
Vortex at The LINQ’s Strip-facing entrance, a
stunning architectural element and outdoor
event space with almost 20,000 square feet
that will open this summer. The Vortex is
embedded with LED lights that can be timed
to create a visual masterpiece unlike any
other. The Vortex is conveniently connected
to The LINQ Hotel & Casino, with its fresh,
modern hotel rooms and newly redesigned
casino loor, all designed with the social media
and technology-savvy traveler in mind. When
meeting planners want to make a stunning
impact on their attendees, The LINQ Hotel &
Casino and LINQ Promenade make the perfect
destination.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Wynn Las Vegas and Encore
WWW.WYNNMEETINGS.COM
U
nparalleled Excellence at This Pair of
Award-Winning Resorts
Steve Wynn has been anticipating the
needs and desires of his guests for more than four
decades, and during that time has not only played
an integral role in reshaping the Las Vegas skyline,
but also has elevated what it means to enjoy the full
breadth of the luxury resort experience.
For those planning and attending meetings or conventions at his pair of signature resorts, that translates
to a keen understanding of designing well-appointed
conference spaces and out itting them with state-of-theart amenities. But Wynn knows a successful stay means
so much more than this, which is why he’s passionate
about offering exceptional options beyond your business needs, from a diverse array of delectable restaurants to a roster of globally respected retail labels, from
a pair of ultra-luxurious spas to the most sumptuous
rooms and suites on the Las Vegas Strip.
Wynn and his team have crafted 260,000 square
feet of meeting spaces that combine comfortable,
sophisticated design with details sure to both inspire
and dazzle. Tailored to meet the needs of groups
both large and small, many meeting spaces are
out itted with dramatic, loor-to-ceiling windows
and open-air terraces that offer breathtaking views
of the expansive pools of Wynn and Encore or the
verdant, oasis-like serenity of the Wynn Golf Club.
Wynn’s in-house Production Services team is also
ready to assist with your tech needs, whether you
require state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities
or customized equipment and effects—including
the latest in LED lighting and video systems—to
make the most of your presentations. Meanwhile,
Wynn’s outstanding Catering Services team, helmed
by award-winning executive chef James Benson, is
devoted to designing personalized menus that combine restaurant-quality cuisine with guest-friendly
attention to gluten, vegan or other dietary needs.
Beyond your meetings, you’ll want to make the
most of your Las Vegas experience, and there’s
no place quite like Wynn Las Vegas and Encore to
partake of the city’s “best of the best” lifestyle. Chefs
who have received accolades from The Michelin Guide
and the James Beard Foundation are ready with a
luscious array of ine- and casual-dining options.
Your meetings also can be offset with signature treatments in their pair of Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star
Award-winning spas, or scheduled around an early
morning or late-afternoon round on the rolling green
hills of the par-70 Wynn Golf Club. For glittering
entertainment, you can’t ask for shows more sensational than Le Rêve - The Dream, an in-the-round
aquatic spectacle, or Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers,
recently voted “Best New Show” in Las Vegas.
Is it any wonder Wynn Resorts have captured
more Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards than any
other casino resort in the world? An unforgettable
stay awaits, with every detail expertly and exquisitely planned. All you need to do is ask.
For more information, call (866) 770-7089 or
visit wynnmeetings.com.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
WWW.MANDALAYBAY.COM/CONVENTIONS
O
ne Resort. Three Hotels.
Inϐinite Possibilities.
Leaders from the automotive, technology, fashion and other major industries
choose Mandalay Bay for their most important events. And it’s no surprise. This 120-acre
resort with its golden beach and lush landscape is also a business person’s paradise,
with 1.7 million square feet of lexible meeting
and exhibit space. An additional 350,000
square feet is currently being added, which
will make Mandalay Bay the largest convention facility on the Las Vegas Strip.
Three Hotels in One Tropical Location
Mandalay Bay is home to three world-class
hotels: Mandalay Bay, with a complete room
remodel currently underway, the inspired allsuite Delano and the luxurious Four Seasons
Hotel. With 4,752 rooms and suites at Mandalay Bay Resort, there’s enough variety to satisfy
all your attendees’ tastes. Plus you can easily
differentiate between levels of achievers.
Enticing Amenities
Your guests will also enjoy the resort’s unique
amenities, like its golden beach and sparkling
wave pool, the perfect location for a relaxing
day or memorable corporate event. The resort
This 120-acre resort with its
golden beach and lush landscape
is also a business person’s
paradise, with 1.7 million square
feet of flexible meeting and
exhibit space. An additional
350,000 square feet is currently
being added.
has an array of celebrity-chef restaurants,
including innovative Kumi Japanese Restaurant + Bar from famed chef Akira Back, and
a wide range of delectable catering options.
Mandalay Bay is also home to the hit show
Michael Jackson ONE TM by Cirque du Soleil ®
and LIGHT, the revolutionary nightclub.
The Perfect Setting for Your Success
Currently, the resort can accommodate groups
as small as 30, or upwards of 30,000. Plus,
it has 21 Certi ied Meeting Professionals on
staff, so you can relax and feel like a guest at
your own gathering. You’re invited to hold
your next meeting at Mandalay Bay. The true
resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
The Mirage
WWW.MEETMIRAGE.COM
D
iscover Your Dream Destination
for Meetings and Events
Rise to any occasion at The
Mirage Las Vegas, featuring 170,000 square
feet of lexible ballrooms, boardrooms and
breakout spaces. Impress your guests with
our unique venues and attractions. Enjoy
effortless load-in and setup with every
meeting space on ground level, while guest
rooms and elevators are steps away. And
with our 4 Green Keys rating by Green
Key Global, you can rest assured that your
meeting or event will be socially responsible and sustainable.
LUXURY ROOMS & SUITES
Have your guests check into one of our
luxury rooms or upscale guest suites, all
furnished with AAA Four-Diamond amenities, Sealy Posturepedic pillow-top beds,
desks for working, free Wi-Fi, LED TVs and
iHome docks.
UNIQUE MEETING VENUES
Whether it’s a trade show or an intimate
company event, we have a selection of
meeting spaces with state-of-the-art
equipment and attentive staff to help you
customize every detail. The open space of
the pillar-less Mirage Events Center and
Grand Ballroom offer a perfect backdrop
Rise to any occasion at The
Mirage Las Vegas, featuring
170,000 square feet of flexible
ballrooms, boardrooms and
breakout spaces. Impress your
guests with our unique venues
and attractions.
to a main event, while the Nassau Boardroom and 26 breakout rooms provide more
lexible settings.
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
Bring your guests beyond a business
experience with our 11 world-class dining
venues, perfect for any size group or occasion. Then give them a reason to laugh, sing
and dance with performances from Terry
Fator, Aces of Comedy, The Beatles LOVE by
Cirque du Soliel and Boyz II Men.
Whatever the occasion, there’s no limit
to how much you can accomplish when you
host your dream meeting at The Mirage.
For more information, visit Meetmirage.
com or contact meetings@mirage.com and
(866) 291-1013.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
ARIA
WWW.ARIA.COM
A
RIA’s casino is second to none. Its
relaxed, naturally lit atmosphere
combines modern sophistication,
exceptional service and astonishing sustainability. Advanced technology puri ies 90
percent of the air every hour for outstanding
casino air quality. These cutting-edge elements elevate the visit for any casino player.
For guests feeling lucky, the casino loor
at ARIA is an ever-changing sea of engaging,
high-payout machines. There’s even SPIN, a
high-limit slot area with unique high-stakes
gaming and a dedicated team to elevate the
experience. What players put on the line is
nothing compared to what they can walk
away with.
And ARIA offers game tables in plush
lounges, where wonderful cocktails create
the perfect environment for a big win. Game
loor massages create a spa-like experience,
while High Limit Lounge players enjoy riveting games in style beyond measure.
For those interested in watching a different
kind of game, ARIA’s casino also features a
Race & Sports Book that shows up to 200 live
events at once. Guests can watch every play
from couches and lounge chairs, enjoying full
drink and food service. A VIP section offers
Advanced technology purifies
90 percent of the air every
hour for outstanding casino
air quality. These cutting-edge
elements elevate the visit for
any casino player.
stellar treatment, while the most IPT betting
stations on The Strip allow horse and dog race
fans to place bets without leaving their seats.
Whether guests are sports fans, table
gamers or slot enthusiasts, they’ll ind that
an exceptional casino experience is in the
cards every time they visit ARIA. This is how
we Vegas.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
The Cosmopolitan
of Las Vegas
WWW.COSMOPOLITANLASVEGAS.COM
T
he Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a
unique luxury resort and casino unlike
anything else on The Strip. This original destination features residential-styled
living spaces with private terraces, a oneof-a-kind restaurant collection and vibrant
nightlife. Combine it all with hand-selected
boutiques, an unrivaled Pool District, a
100,000-square-foot casino and the serenity
of Sahra Spa & Hammam to rede ine your Las
Vegas experience.
With breathtaking views and nearly
200,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting
space, this luxury resort is adding new and
exciting dimensions to the meeting experience. A broad selection of meeting-customizable room types can accommodate groups
from 10 to 5,000. Spanning three loors, the
meeting and convention space offers eight
ballrooms ranging from 7,000 to 40,000 square
feet, with strategically placed elevators allowing easy access to guest rooms. Space on the
fourth level is complemented by direct access
to the Boulevard Pool, making it the perfect
location for outdoor events.
By learning about your meeting’s purpose
and goals, your meeting professional can
personalize each area to meet your speci ic
needs. They then work closely with you to
create an event that brings that purpose to life
by designing the environment, selecting entertainment and crafting menus that will align
with your goals all while setting the desired
mood for attendees. Our gourmet chefs curate
a personalized menu for your group, or choose
from extensive selections that include internationally inspired receptions, buffet spreads and
themed action stations.
One of the most recent additions to The
Cosmopolitan is The Chelsea, an event space
inspired by some of the world’s most iconic venues. The Chelsea is an event and performance
space that is a stunning combination of industrial grit and artistic glamour. The Chelsea can
accommodate more than 3,000 guests and host
a diverse range of events. The transformable
space features cast-glass chandeliers, a vintage
lobby bar, private VIP opera boxes and a decorative grand stair. In addition, remnant brick tiling,
an eclectic collection of stage production props
and the latest technology seamlessly woven
throughout will come together to create a brilliant backdrop for conference attendees.
Visit cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or call
(877) 763-2267 to learn more.
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LINDSEY BEST
LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Blue Man Group Las Vegas
WWW.BLUEMAN.COM/LASVEGAS
T
he award-winning phenomenon Blue Man
Group Las Vegas has been wowing audiences
of all ages for years with its wildly inventive
and hysterically funny production. Electrifying the
crowd, Blue Man Group’s engaging show is the perfect
way to boost morale, inspire creativity and celebrate
milestones for corporate meetings and groups. The
recently evolved show combines new instruments,
music, video and lighting with the group’s iconic
vignettes, all designed to create an unforgettable
experience. The result is inventive, thought-provoking,
hilarious and 100 percent Blue Man Group.
The production comes to life making an unparalleled experience through colorful displays, audience
interaction, extraordinary props and wildly outrageous music. The infectious tunes are created by Blue
Man Group’s Kleinulum, an energizing, large-scale set
of chimes; and Smoke Drum, a drum that emits mystical smoke rings; among other instruments. In addition,
vibrant visual effects, conversations expressed entirely
through emojis and an analysis of today’s pop culture
engage all the senses for a full-blown breathtaking
theatrical masterpiece.
Known for generating the ultimate show inale,
Blue Man Group has taken the celebration up a notch.
Inspired by the popular party vibe of Las Vegas,
Blue Man Group has amped up the volume, visuals,
excitement and euphoria of its show-ending climax.
Projection mapping, lasers, UV-ray reactive confetti
and strobes unleash a whole new spectrum of color
over guests as they dance the night away. It’s the
perfect ending (or beginning) to a night in the most
exciting city on earth.
Whether it is business or pleasure, groups can
enjoy Blue Man Group’s thrilling new add-ons including VIP and Behind the Blue Experiences, private
meet-and-greets, exclusive transportation to and from
the venue, private performances and more.
Guests can partake in the VIP Experience ($199 per
person or $175 per person for groups of 10 or more),
which includes a premium ticket to the show, a private,
post-show meet-and-greet with cast members, one
complimentary drink inside the theater and a signature Blue Man Group luminescent souvenir.
The Behind the Blue Experience ($55 per person +
any type of ticket) allows guests to get up-close-andpersonal with our most exclusive experience to date.
The 90-minute, behind-the-scenes tour is available on
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays prior to the irst
performance of the night. Guests will get an inside
perspective of what it takes to put on an award-winning Las Vegas production, a backstage journey
through the colorful world of Blue Man Group with a
tour of the show’s wildly inventive instruments, props
and exclusive access and viewing of our nightly sound
check with the cast and crew from that evening’s
performance.
For more information on Blue Man Group and its
customizable group options, visit www.blueman.
com/lasvegas or call (800) blueman. Fans can keep
up with the latest Blue Man Group Las Vegas news
and events by following them on Facebook (facebook.
com/bluemangroup) and Twitter (@BMGVegas) or by
checking out the hashtag #DareToLive.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Luxor Hotel & Casino
WWW.LUXOR.COM/MEETINGS
W
ith its sleek black pyramid shape and
beam of light radiating into the night
sky, Luxor Hotel & Casino is de initely
not your typical resort, inside or out. When it
comes to meetings and conventions, business as
usual is never on the agenda.
Meeting Space
Boasting 20,000 square feet of customizable
ballroom space, Luxor is ideal for meetings, banquets and conventions. Groups of 20 to 1,000 can
it comfortably within its personalized meeting
space. For a meeting experience as unique as the
property itself, an additional 7,000 square feet of
unconventional meeting spaces is available, including Centra Bar & Lounge, Aurora Lounge, TENDER
steak & seafood and the Oasis Pool, which features
an expansive deck and 19 private cabanas.
Also, make your meeting something worth
savoring with the help of Luxor’s Catering and
Banquet Department. Custom menus to it every
taste and budget in a choice of lavors from
around the world make business at Luxor the
ultimate pleasure.
We’ve Got the Power
These days, it’s all about staying connected. From
state-of-the-art audiovisual technology and a
full-service business center offering fax, computer
and copy services to Wi-Fi capabilities in your
meeting space and throughout the hotel, they put
power in the palm of your hand. Their staff will
also be at your service, giving you the power to
focus on what matters most—success.
Amenities
Treat your group to an evening of unexpected
entertainment at Luxor. They have something
for everyone, including the magic of Criss Angel
Believe from Cirque du Soleil, the antics of red-hot
comedian Carrot Top and the dynamic moves
from dance sensation Jabbawockeez. Fuel up with
tempting fare from their restaurants. Rice & Company fuses modern Japanese lavors with innovative recipes while TENDER steak & seafood offers
six different types of beef and fresh seafood lown
in daily from Hawaii, California, New York and
Alaska. Public House boasts more than 20 beers
on tap, delicious comfort food and all your favorite
sports on more than 30 TVs while T&T (Tacos and
Tequila) offers Mexican food that rocks. If feeling
good is your bottom line, Nurture Spa & Salon
offers an array of services including massages,
signature facials, body treatments and more.
Nightlife
The sun never sets on excitement at Luxor. Located
in the center of the action, Centra Bar & Lounge
is perfect for people-watching with a cocktail
or playing some poker at the bar. LAX Lounge
lets groups mingle in an intimate atmosphere,
before turning up the volume in the all-new LAX
Nightclub with the best Top 40 Dance DJs and live
interactive entertainment every weekend.
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Vdara Hotel & Spa
®
WWW.VDARA.COM
A
ccess to Las Vegas, or Escape from
it all.
Vdara Hotel & Spa at ARIA® Las Vegas
is a AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Four-Star
Award-winning, non-gaming, smoke-free,
eco-friendly, all-suite boutique retreat ideally
situated between ARIA Resort & Casino and
Bellagio® on the Las Vegas strip. Access all the
gaming, dining, shopping and nightlife Las Vegas
has to offer... or escape from it all.
Vdara’s 1,495 suites are luxuriously appointed with open loor plans and horizontal
windows that deliver expansive views of the
city and mountains. For added convenience,
each unit features a kitchen for guests wishing
to prepare their own meals. Solidifying Vdara’s
commitment to sustainability, it has achieved
LEED® Gold certi ication (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green
Building Council. Vdara has also received a “5
Green Keys” rating, the highest honor possible
from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program.
ESPA at Vdara, where indulging has been elevated to an art form, features an 18,000-squarefoot, two-level Spa, Salon, Smoothie Bar and
Fitness Center. Perched upon the porte-cochère
is Pool & Lounge Vdara. Relax and socialize in
an interactive environment surrounded by illustrious views and cabanas featuring semi-private plunge pools or unwind with handcrafted
cocktails and gourmet appetizers at the bar and
lounge. Indulge in culinary creations at Market
Café Vdara or enjoy them in your luxurious
accommodations with in-suite dining. Kick
off your Vegas days, or nights, in style at VICE
VERSA Patio & Lounge.
Vdara’s exceptional and intimate service
extends to the meeting spaces—specializing in
smaller groups from 10 to 300 guests. Meetings
held at Vdara are handled by our experienced
staff, in spaces designed with nature and lexibility in mind. More than 16,500 square feet of
ground-level conference space provides a convenient setting for incentive meetings, general
sessions or food and beverage gatherings. The
meeting space includes a 4,000-square-foot ballroom, three additional meeting rooms averaging
820 square feet each, a 14-person executive
boardroom and a stunning pre-function area.
Vdara’s re ined meeting space boasts state-ofthe-art technology offerings and lexibility. The
space is equipped with the latest technology,
including built-in audiovisual systems with
Crestron control of lighting, sound and video;
drop-down, high-de inition projectors and
screens; patchable iber, Ethernet, IPTV, broadband and wireless capabilities; and lexible
power distribution.
For those who prefer the lexibility of an
outdoor event, Vdara’s vibrant Pool & Lounge
Vdara is available for private events for up to
500 guests and provides a dynamic backdrop of
ARIA Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas strip.
To experience Vdara, visit Vdara.com.
90 ADVERTISEMENT
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LAS VEGAS SPECIAL SECTION
Palms Casino Resort
WWW.PALMS.COM
W
hether you’re hosting an intimate
meeting or a large convention,
Palms Casino Resort, located just
blocks away from the bustling Las Vegas Strip,
is the perfect location for your next event.
The resort features more than 60,000 square
feet of prime conference space including The
Pearl, a state-of- the-art concert theater, and
more than 20,000 square feet of ballroom
and breakout space. Let our hardworking and
experienced team create a customized package to it your every need.
Our unique themed Fantasy penthouses
such as the Hardwood Suite, which boasts a
half-size basketball court and locker room,
and the King Pin Suite, featuring a bowling alley and pool table, will provide your
guests with an out-of-the-box team-building
experience.
Located on the top loor of the renowned
Fantasy Tower, Moon Nightclub features a
celestial retractable roof for a remarkable
view of the starry night sky. The mezzanine
level offers guests a spectacular balcony with
breathtaking views of the famed Las Vegas
Strip below.
Named Lounge of the Year by Nightclub &
Bar magazine in the 2014 Las Vegas Awards,
Ghostbar offers a sensual, sophisticated atmosphere, a hypnotizing dance loor, lavish VIP
booths and an intimate patio. The legendary
ultra-lounge sits on the 55th loor of the Ivory
Tower and sports a sleek and sexy recent
renovation. Your guests will be in awe on
Ghostbar’s outdoor sky deck that provides a
mesmerizing, 360-degree view of the glittering city skyline.
Retreat to a tropical oasis at Palms Pool &
Dayclub, complete with stylish cabanas and
daybeds, padded lounge chairs, VIP bottle service, a delicious specialty cocktail and dining
menu and an attentive staff. Surrounded by
palm trees and crisp waterfalls, the luxurious
getaway features four spacious bars; three
ultra-luxe, two-story bungalows; top DJs; and
live entertainment.
The culinary scene at Palms offers great
variety and versatility for both large and
smaller groups. Palms’ award-winning
restaurant portfolio includes celebrity hot
spot N9NE Steakhouse, the Michelin-starred
Alize, Nove Italiano, 24 Seven Cafe, Bistro
Buffet and the authentic Chinese restaurant
Lao Sze Chuan, led by renowned Chicago chef
Tony Hu.
Palms’ international in-house catering team,
award-winning restaurants, vibrant nightlife
venues, sprawling pool and freshly remodeled
guest rooms will make your next corporate
affair anything but business as usual.
92 ADVERTISEMENT
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MPI PARTNERS
STRATEGIC
SIGNATURE
ELITE
PREFERRED
PREMIER
CHOICE
ALHI - Associated Luxury Hotels
International
Colorado Springs Convention
& Visitors Bureau
Greater Birmingham Convention
& Visitors Bureau
Greater Raleigh Convention &
Visitors Bureau
94 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL
August Sponsors.indd 94
Live Nation Special Events
Legends Attractions & One
World Observatory
NYC & Company
PC Nametag
Tourisme Montreal
Travel Alberta
Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau
Visit Orlando
Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
Visit Seattle
AUGUST 2015
7/27/15 12:03 PM
MPI FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTORS
LEGEND
EDUCATION
CORPORATE
($50,000+ Annual)
($25,000+ Annual)
($12,500+ Annual)
ANNUAL EDUCATION
($10,000 and below)
Air Canada
Allstream Centre
American Paper Company
Associated Luxury Hotels International
Cascadia Motivation Inc
Crowne Plaza Hotels Canada
Direct Energy Centre
Dusseldorf Congress
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Freeman AV Canada
Green Key Global
M&IT
Maritz Travel
One Smooth Stone
Porter Airlines
Social Tables
Tourism Quebec
Tourism Toronto
Visit Orlando
The MPI Foundation would like to recognize
and thank these organizations for their
contributions. Through their generosity,
the MPI Foundation is able to provide MPI
members with professional development
and career opportunities through
scholarships, grants and pan-industry
research initiatives.
MPIWEB.ORG 95
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UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
“One of the most rewarding aspects of
being a part of the meeting industry is
the opportunity to not only make an
impact on the industry through
volunteerism and collaboration
efforts, but also to mentor
future leaders.”
—Robyn Mietkiewicz, CMP, CMM
MPI Orange County Chapter
Recipient of the 2014 Member
of the Year RISE Award
What do this year’s RISE Awards recipients
think about the honor and the meeting
industry? Find out in next month’s issue
of The Meeting Professional.
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