APRIL 2013
INFLUENTIAL MEETING PROS
+
BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS
+
STORYTELLING
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Connecting the Dots
®
April 2013 • Volume 6 • Number 3
IN MID-MARCH AN URGENT MESSAGE WAS POSTED ON ONE OF MY FACEBOOK GROUPS.
My high school alma mater was facing budget cuts and the beloved journalism program
that provided me with so much hands-on experience and the teacher who had directed me
in the infancy of my career were both facing the chopping block.
It was a call to arms.
The One+ team was working on this issue at the same time, and I was reading our
cover story—a collection of vignettes about influential people making a difference in our
industry.
A few months ago we asked several people, very influential in their own right, who they
thought were the most influential people in our industry. This feature tells their stories.
As I thought about the timeliness of the connection between the Facebook message I
received and our cover story, I asked myself, “How would I have answered this question?
Who has most influenced me?”
My answer took me back a few years, but came with no hesitation—Dean Hume.
“Hume,” as we respectfully called him, started the student-run magazine (called The
Spark) and the journalism program at my high school alma mater in 1992. It was his passion,
and when I found The Spark at the end of my sophomore year in 1994, it became my passion, too. I spent two years on staff before graduating. For someone who had a love of words
and not enough athletic ability to make it onto a sports team, being a part of The Spark staff
not only gave me a group with which to belong, but it also taught me valuable skills I would
use throughout high school, college and beyond. Most importantly, though, Hume and the
program he created gave me confidence that I could provide value to the world.
Until that point, I was your typical high school student—good grades but no clear
direction. Hume and The Spark changed all that. From his leadership style to the knowledge he shared, Hume influenced my career direction and gave me the necessary tools I
needed to succeed.
I went on to study at one of the top journalism programs in the country and received two
scholarships, largely due to Hume’s influence. We kept in touch through college and when I
faced challenges, I found
myself calling him up for advice or using skills
fo
originally learned
learn at The Spark to help me find solutions.
When I wanted
to start my own publication after graduatw
ing college, I remember calling him and hearing the familiar,
“Go for it. You’ll
regret it if you don’t” on the other end of the
Y
telephone.
As I sat down to write a letter to my alma mater’s school
board members
memb in support of Hume and The Spark, all of these
memories came flooding back along with a flurry of emotions. It
had been a long time since I had connected the dots from
where
whe I started to where I am today—an amazing journey
ne influenced by an amazing mentor.
It had been a long time since Hume and I talked—
too
to long. So I finished my letter, hit send, closed my
computer
and picked up the phone.
c
“Hey Hume.”
And I heard that familiar voice again.
“Hey Dave.”
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF David Basler, dbasler@mpiweb.org
MANAGING EDITOR Blair Potter, bpotter@mpiweb.org
EDITOR Michael Pinchera, mpinchera@mpiweb.org
EDITOR Jason Hensel, jhensel@mpiweb.org
REPORTER Stephen Peters, speters@mpiweb.org
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Jeff Loy, jloy@mpiweb.org
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Daigle, jdaigle@mpiweb.org
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Javier Adame, jadame@mpiweb.org
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Holly Smith, hsmith@mpiweb.org
DESIGN AND PREPRESS Sherry Gritch, SG2Designs, sherry@sgproductions.net
COVER DESIGN Jeff Daigle, jdaigle@mpiweb.org
MPI ADVERTISING STAFF
Su Cheng Harris-Simpson, suchenghs@mpiweb.org, Phone: (10) 5869-3771 (Asia)
Katri Laurimaa, klaurimaa@mpiweb.org, Phone: (817) 251-9891
(AL, AR, CO, IA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK,
SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WV, WY)
Jennifer Mason, jmason@mpiweb.org, Phone: (772) 233-0678
(FL, GA, HI, MA, ME, MI, NH, NY, RI, VT, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico,
South America)
Lori Stockman, lstockman@mpiweb.org, Phone: (401) 315-2192
(AK, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, ID, MD, NJ, NV, OR, PA, WA)
Roben Brannon, Manager of Strategic Partnerships, rbrannon@mpiweb.org,
Phone: (972) 702-3043
MPI EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Cindy D’Aoust, Chief Operating Officer/Interim Chief Executive Officer
Sandra Riggins, Chief of Staff
Junior Tauvaa, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairman of the Board
Kevin Hinton, Associated Luxury Hotels International
Chairman-elect
Michael Dominguez, MGM Resorts International
Vice Chairman of Finance
Kevin Kirby, Hard Rock International
Vice Chairman
Carl Winston, San Diego State University
Immediate Past Chairman
Sebastien Tondeur, MCI Group Holding SA
BOARD MEMBERS
Krzysztof Celuch, CMM, CITE, Vistula University
Jordan D. Clark, Caesars Entertainment
Ricardo Ferreira, GRUPO ALATUR
Hattie Hill, CMM, Hattie Hill Enterprises Inc.
Cornelia Horner, CMP, American Land Title Association
Allison Kinsley, CMP, CMM, Kinsley Meetings
Carol Muldoon, CMM, KPMG LLP
Fiona Pelham, Sustainable Events Ltd.
Alisa Peters, CMP, CMM, Experient Inc.
Darren Temple, CTA, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau
Erin Tench, CMP, CMM, Penn State University
Stephanie Windham, CMP, ARIA Resort & Casino
Legal Counsel: Jonathan T. Howe, Esq., Howe & Hutton Ltd.
POSTMASTER: One+ (Print ISSN: 1943-1864, Digital Edition ISSN: 1947-6930) is printed
monthly, except the months of January and October, by Meeting Professionals International
(MPI), a professional association of meeting + event planners and suppliers. Send address
changes to One+, Meeting Professionals International, 3030 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700, Dallas,
TX, 75234-2759. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and additional mailing offices.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Members receive One+ as a membership benefit paid for by membership dues. Nonmembers may subscribe to the publication for $99 annually. “One+”
and the One+ logo are trademarks of MPI. © 2013, Meeting Professionals International,
Printed by RR Donnelley
CONTACT ONE+: Contact us online at www.mpioneplus.org or e-mail us at
editor@mpiweb.org. View our advertising, editorial and reprint policies online
at www.mpioneplus.org.
MPI VISION: Build a rich global meeting industry community
GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS:
Dallas, TX
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Beijing
Magazine printed on FSC Certified Paper. The body of One+ is printed
on 30 percent post-consumer-waste recycled content. Please recycle this
magazine or pass it along to a co-worker when you’re finished reading.
DAVID BASLER is editor in chief of One+. He can be reached at
dbasler@mpiweb.org. Follow him at www.twitter.com/onepluseditor.
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APRIL 2013
72
48 42
42 Business, Just Not
As Usual
The ins and outs of doing business
in China are what APEX learned on a
recent overseas trip.
BY KEVIN WOO
38
48 Curators in Chief
56
34 Wiki Meets
The annual Wikimania event brings participants
together to exchange ideas and develop better
ways to work together at the global level.
BY ARTEMIS SKORDILI
38 What’s the Big Idea?
More than 2,500 event professionals gathered
at IdeaFest to learn about the latest trends and
collaborate with peers to help create better,
more inspired events in the future.
BY ROB COTTER
Nine influential meeting pros who
are shaping the future—brought to
you by the people they’ve influenced
the most.
BY ELAINE POFELDT
56 Your Guide to
Behavioral Economics
Findings about pricing—ranging
from points of reference to payment
timing—that can help meeting
professionals better predict
customer choices.
34
BY MARIELA MCILWRAITH, CMP, CMM
60 Tell It Like It Is
The Moth propagates the power of
storytelling in all aspects of life—
and has helped make the timeless
practice hip again.
BY JENNA SCHNUER
60
mpiweb.org
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APRIL 2013
10
The BUZZ
A MESSAGE FROM THE COO
A Year of Positive
Transformation
14 Grand Plans
Progressive event design and high-tech implementation converge at TechCon.
12
IMPRESSIONS
There’s a lot of talk about
the sequester impacting
the industry, and most
readers are just plain
frustrated.
14
17
22
17 Unlock Your Potential
WEC speaker Jessica Jackley discusses success
through collaborative consumption.
TOP SPOTS
Hyatt Regency Chicago
unveils US$168 million
in renovations set to
transform the entire
property into a sleek,
technology-driven oasis
for all travelers.
16 Web Watch
Agree to handle one task at a time in 24 hours,
quickly come up with an invoice in a few clicks, see
all the moments captured from everyone at an event
and watch productivity increase with an easy-to-use
task manager.
18
22
18 Embracing New Formats
A Q&A with IMEX Frankfurt speaker Brita Moosmann
about the innovative BarCamp format.
19 Art of Travel
The Ostrich Pillow enables you to take power naps
anytime, anywhere.
24
IRRELEVANT
Monkey Business
20 Agenda
IMEX will welcome more than 3,500 exhibitors
representing 157 countries in Frankfurt, Germany.
64
YOUR COMMUNITY
MPI’s research is featured
in a new book, and there’s
still time to volunteer for an
MPI committee, advisory
council or task force.
24
26
Columns
26 Tapping Into Show Business
65
How adding just a little Hollywood pizazz could go a
long way in livening up your meetings.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The first of the U.K.
Economic Impact Study
results were released at
International Confex, and
the Canadian Economic
Impact Study is under way.
BY ANDREA DRIESSEN
28
30
The success of Kickstarter shows how co-creation could
do wonders for your meetings.
BY JACKIE MULLIGAN
66
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
30 Is Your Culture Infected?
Make better technology
decisions.
104
28 Is It Time To Kick-Start Your
Meetings?
Direct naysayers to become conversational partners to
help move culture forward, or break ties with them
immediately.
32
64
BY TIM SANDERS
UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
32 Choose Wisely
Public spaces can help
you be your best.
Technology presents a vast array of choices, but it’s up
to planners to decide which options will make their
events most successful.
BY DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF
65
104
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online:04.13
www.mpioneplus.org
The Tie Between
Convention Centers
and Educational Trends
M
Why Meetings Should Include
Focus and Play Time
J
8
one+
eff Hurt is one of my favorite
writers and presenters in the
industry. He always offers great
content on the Midcourse Corrections blog, and one of his
recent entries is no different.
It caught my eye because of
the neuroscience angle, and because he mentions David Rock,
who offers seven daily activities
we can perform to make our
minds healthier.
Let’s look at a couple of
those activities.
Focus Time: “All conferences should have dedicated time
where presenters and facilita-
tors allow attendees to consider
how they are going to apply the
content they’ve received.”
Play Time: “Every conference needs dedicated time
where attendees are allowed to
be spontaneous and creative.”
Hurt offers five other activities, via Rock, that we can apply to our meetings and events,
and I encourage you to visit his
site for more about them. And
be sure to check out Page 53,
where Hurt is featured as one of
our industry influencers.
—Jason Hensel
elissa Greenwood, SmartBrief ’s
senior education editor, recently
wrote about five educational trends
she saw at the SXSWedu Conference
and Festival in Austin, Texas.
Two trends, though, stuck out to me as immediately relevant to our industry: “let learning
be iffy” and “bring students in as curriculum
designers.”
“Learning should be iffy in the sense that
students don’t always know the outcome when
starting out, [Dale Dougherty, president and CEO
of Maker Media] explained, adding that makers
need three things: projects, process and practice
and space to create,” Greenwood wrote.
Space to create is right in line with what MPI’s
Future of Meetings research shows. Convention
center managers and architects should keep in
mind space in which to play, as it’s tantamount to
engagement and innovation.
Perhaps “bring students in as curriculum designers” should be amended to “bring attendees
in as curriculum designers.” This already happens
during un-conferences, at which participants lead
or facilitate discussions. What I’m talking about,
however, is offering space to attendees to create
their own content outside of what your event may
be focused on. Perhaps an attendee can see a
link in content that you don’t see. Encourage that
type of spontaneous or off-the-cuff creation and
engagement.
—Jason Hensel
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>
MESSAGE FROM THE COO
A Year of Positive Transformation
April 9 marks my first anniversary as part of
the MPI global team, and as I sat down to craft
this month’s column, I took a moment to look
through my previous comments in One+. As
expected, some clear themes jumped out at me.
format is being designed by you, our community. We are taking chances in creating a
unique educational experience based on your
input, so watch closely as we continue to share
the transformation.
A commitment to “return to the basics” at
MPI—doing fewer things and doing them better than ever before. We have made significant
investments in our internal talent, systems and
processes with the goal of becoming a more
valued asset to you and your career.
Since first making this commitment at the
World Education Congress (WEC) in St. Louis,
and by taking a focused approach to improving our events, you have told us that you’re
experiencing the positive changes—overall satisfaction and content satisfaction scores have
increased for every MPI event since.
The value of partnerships and the need to
collaborate. We are building relationships with
other industry associations, so together we can
tell our story as an industry, and we continue
to find unique partnerships that add to the
value of your membership.
For example, in October, we announced
that the MPI/GBTA LLC had been formed.
Our joint educational steering team is now
working hard to develop new manager-level
educational content—something else you’ll see
for the first time as part of WEC.
The value of creating human connections and
in listening to what our community has to
say. In the pastt 12 months, together
with our volunteer
nteer leadership,
we have personally
nally visited or
met members from more than
half of our chapters
apters around
the world. Using
ng the feedback
gained, we aree transforming the
way we do business:
siness: everything
from the look and feel of
this magazine to how we
create content at our
events—everything.
thing.
Here’s a great
eat
example. This
year’s WEC will
ill
be attendeedesigned—
everything from
m
the registration
n process to mobile tools to
content to speakers
akers
to the educational
onal
Lastly, I acknowledged the changes taking
place in our industry, associations and our
marketplace and the need for MPI to evolve
as well. To that
tha end, we have worked with
members of our European community
throughout
throughou the past year to develop
chapter model that better supa chapte
their environment. We are also
ports the
delivering new business intelligence
deliverin
help our chapter leaders better
tools to h
understand your needs.
understan
A lot has been accomplished
in one short year, and for that,
I want to thank each of you
who took time to meet with
us face-to-face, join us on our
Google Hangouts, participate
in surveys and challenge us to
think differently—I consider
th
your input my anniversary gift.
you
The MPI Foundation continues its drive
to provide innovative, career-building
thought leadership development
through the following key industry
partnerships.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Future of Meetings
Quest for Talent
Strategic Meetings Management
CINDY D’AOUST is COO and interim CEO of MPI.
Contact her at cdaoust@mpiweb.org.
10
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COO Message 0413.indd 10
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IMPRESSIONS
>>
Frustrated by the Sequester
[Re: “7 Ways the Sequester Could Impact Your Meetings,” March ‘13]
Thanks, Tamela, for such a comprehensive report on this “see-frustration”
(sequestration) plan impacting our meetings industry, our livelihood. It’s just
a “trave-sham-mockery” that this mess is the result of our political leaders
and pundits unable to collectively look beyond themselves for the greater
good of their constituents, their country. The system is seriously hemorrhaging and all we seemingly keep doing is applying Band-Aids—continuing
(broken promises) resolutions.
—Reggie
Follow One+ and
MPI Staff on Twitter
er
Cindy D’Aoust:
@CindyDAoust
David Basler:
@OnePlusEditor
Jason Hensel:
@pimplomat
Jessie States:
@Jessie_States
Michael Pinchera:
@mpinchera
Jeff Loy:
@JeffLoyMPI
MPI Headquarters:
@MPI
Clearing the Air
People Watching
Get Out of My Head
[Re: “What Would You Do?”
March ‘13]
Excellent and thorough article. I’m
hearing the need to have the conversation up front, whether it’s about
company policies or vendor expectations. Clear the air. If there is not a
fit (similar ethical principles), you’ll
figure it out ahead of time.
[Re: “Instant Gratification,”
March ‘13]
We all have different personality
types, which means we all react differently. As long as I have my coffee,
I am fine, but one can notice the
other personality types react if you
sit back and watch their response to
situations.
[Re: “Using Brain Waves,” Oct. ‘12]
No matter how far this technology
goes, I don’t think it would ever
be possible to read other people’s
thoughts, per se. What would be
more feasible, though, is the ability to better anticipate what other
people would do next based on his/
her actions and other body language.
This could be useful for a whole lot
of applications.
—Bridget DiCello
One+ Staff:
@MPIOnePlus
BLOGS
Like us on Facebook
tinyurl.com/FansOfOnePlus
E-mail the editorial team
editor@mpiweb.org.
12
one+
—HeresChicago
—Megaton Pte Ltd
>>
▼ PEAKS AND VALLEYS
“Could the GSA’s New Program
Affect the Industry?”
▼ PASSIONATE MEMBERS
“MPI TechCon Balances Technology
and Humanity”
▼ MAKING A CHANGE
“Richard Branson’s 6 Tips to Shake
Up Business Meetings”
POSTED BY: Christine
POSTED BY: HeresChicago.com
POSTED BY: Michelle Muir
Internal planners are key to the
success of any SMMP. As in the
corporate arena, it is also likely that
there are a number of events under
the direction of admins and other
staff who are not actual planners.
It is also likely there are peaks and
valleys in the meeting planning
process. Using third-party providers
as consultants and support planners would be cost effective and
efficient for any agency.
MPI Chicago Area Chapter has the
most passionate volunteers who
contribute to the success of the
chapter’s events, including TechCon.
This event was a huge success due
to those who gave back to their
membership with their time, motivation and energy.
Thanks for the tip. I am a clinical
nurse manager of two years now and
am scheduled to lead the two senior
nurse management meetings in April.
I have a great idea to make a change
that will give the leaders an opportunity to really dig deep prior to what I
am going to share (not PowerPoint!!),
so each person is inspired and
thought provoked enough to enable
a positive change for themselves and
for their colleagues.
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16
EDWARD FOX PHOTOGRAPHY
Grand Plans
Progressive event design and high-tech
implementation converge at TechCon.
BY JASON HENSEL, MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
17
18
19
14
one+
SNOW IS ON THE GROUND. STRONG WIND IS BLOWING. AND I’M LOST.
The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a large
campus, and the MPI Chicago Area Chapter’s TechCon—held this past February—is in one of these buildings. After ducking into the student center to warm
my fingers, I pull up the event app and determine that
I’m about 100 yards away. Thankfully, I’m a speedy
walker.
I see a lot of people climbing the steps as I approach
the building. TechCon grows every year, attracting local and European meeting professionals, so the masses
before me are no surprise.
One of the reasons for this growth is the great
speaker selection.
“There was a strong emphasis to select [speakers] from outside the industry,” said Kyle Hillman,
co-chair of TechCon. “While the meeting and event
industry has quality thought leaders, they tend to be
reused way too often. For the industry to grow, we
need new influences.”
Hillman says that there was a firewall between
sponsors and speakers, meaning that the two were not
tied together.
“It was key—as you can imagine, there was great
interest from sponsors to be content providers, but far
too often that leads to a demo conference, and as a
planner I can’t stand those events,” he said. “Ultimate-
ly, we wanted to find the best speakers for the event,
not who was willing to write a check.”
Additionally, Hillman says, speakers had to step up
and promote the event through pre-event articles, virtual interviews and social media channels.
It wasn’t just the speakers, though, that helped create a great conference. The venue was instrumental.
“As we are non-profit, profit-and-loss is a critical
component for the chapter when managing events,”
said Sean Lynch, president of the MPI Chicago Area
Chapter. “IIT met our criteria of being able to accommodate our 300-plus guests, our education sessions
Visit www.mpiweb.org/blog for more coverage of the
MPI Chicago Area Chapter’s TechCon.
and our interactive club-like exhibitor showcase (allowing living room furniture, F&B pods, varied lighting and hip music), and they allowed us use of other
sensory effects—fire elements and fog machines, for
example. Next, IIT had 20-foot ceilings, which we believed to be critical to the desired experience. Finally,
they had the power and Internet bandwidth and provided such on a favorable trade basis.”
You definitely noticed the use of bandwidth during the conference. Attendees were either tweeting bon
mots, participating in audience response surveys or
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engaging with the conference app. And if you didn’t have
an iPad, you could rent one on site all ready to go.
“They were pre-loaded with the event’s app, [productivity app] Evernote, the white paper from the research
session ‘Concerts to Conferences,’ as well as Web apps
for the audience response systems Conference.IO and
SlideKlowd, which were used in the breakouts,” Hillman
said.
This was part of a plan to have attendees experience
technology first-hand.
“If you think of other exhibit shows, vendors might
have the equipment in their booths—we wanted to make
sure the attendees could use it, experience it in real-world
applications,” Hillman said. “It is ultimately better for the
vendor and makes it more likely to be used by a planner.”
If attendees weren’t busy interacting with technology,
they were having face-to-face conversations in the exhibit
showcase area, where sponsors and clients chatted on
couches and chairs.
“The exhibit lounge was probably the greatest success
element we added,” Hillman said. “To be honest, it was
a huge educational undertaking to get sponsors onboard
and understanding of the concept. When you lead with,
‘We are banning all pull-up banners and pop-up displays,’
exhibitors get understandably nervous.”
The idea was based on reinventing the exhibitor and
planner experience.
“As a planner, I loathe exhibitor aisles with skirted tables and often find myself looking anywhere but at booth
areas so as not to create eye contact,” he said. “That is the
opposite of what exhibitors are paying for and only creates an adversarial vibe for planners. So we flipped it. The
lounge design created paths, not aisles, forcing attendees
to mingle and walk around people and furniture, not past
them. It also created lasting touch points for vendors in
a more relaxed networking approach rather than a hard
sell. A lot of suppliers have lost the art of connecting with
buyers—we created an atmosphere that brought that
back.”
Yes, technology may draw you there and may help
with that first step, but it’s the face-to-face connection that
seals the deal. The MPI Chicago Area Chapter realizes
that, and TechCon was a great success because of the balance between technology and humanity.
16
one+
FLOWFORMER
If you have a hard time focusing on doing
important tasks during the day, check out
Flowformer.com, a simple Web app that allows you to focus on doing, or not doing,
a single task during a 24-hour timeframe.
You simply go to the homepage, give
yourself a task and click “Agree.” After
agreeing, you will see a timer count down
displaying your written task.
ROBO INVOICE
If you need to quickly generate an invoice,
check out RoboInvoice.com. It lets you
generate an invoice in no time with a few
clicks. You don’t need to register or download software. Simply go to the website, fill
out invoice details (invoice No., date, price,
tax rate, etc.) and click “Print” to instantly
print your invoice. You can also download
it as a PDF file or save it for later.
MOMENT.ME
Moment.me collects all of the pictures,
videos and tweets from a single event
from everyone who was there and allows you to see a complete panoramic
of what happened at that event from
multiple points of view. There is no long
setup process. Simply post pictures,
tweets and videos as normal, and the
site does the rest for you.
PAPIRUS
This is a project management app that
lets you assign tasks to yourself and
other people (partners, employees,
colleagues, etc.), set goals, organize
workflow, watch progress and complete
projects in time.
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Unlock Your
Potential
WEC speaker Jessica Jackley
discusses success through
collaborative consumption.
BY MICHAEL PINCHERA, EDITOR
THE CROWDFUNDING MOVEMENT MEANS THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL on the planet with the willingness to work hard
To experience Jessica Jackley’s can’t-miss story
and rally support can receive help from the global comduring WEC in Las Vegas, July 20-23, register
munity, says Jessica Jackley, venture partner at the Colat mpiweb.org/wec. Planners: Apply now as a
laborative Fund and a Flash Point speaker at MPI’s World
hosted buyer and you could attend for free!
Education Congress (WEC), July 20-23 in Las Vegas.
“I think that’s a very beautiful and exciting thing,” she
and more fulfilling lives for all people.”
said.
An avid surfer, Jackley has fulfillment in the sport with
Thanks to Jackley’s pioneering efforts in starting Kiva.
org in 2005, the world is now abuzz with the possibilities direct business relevance.
“It’s the most amazing thing because there aren’t rules
of crowdfunding. And she’s continuing that essence with
the Collaborative Fund, a fund that invests in startups that and there’s never a static landscape,” Jackley said. “That
experience of throwing yourself
champion values around the
out into a constantly moving
shared economy and collaboraocean, where enormous waves
tive consumption and creation.
2013
are coming at you and you have
“The Collaborative Fund was
to take the risk of falling but
an early investor in Kickstarter
World Education Congress
getting up on top of it and actuand Task Rabbit—the kinds of
July 20–23 • Mandalay Bay • Las Vegas
ally riding the wave…you have
technologies that allow people
to make these game-time decito share and allow others to take
sions. Ride the wave or duck
advantage of research/resources
that they have,” she said. “Collaborative consumption is through. It’s all really helped me get better at thinking on
my feet and making real decisions every day.”
huge, and I think that’s where the economy is moving.
At WEC, Jackley aims to transform the way in which
“There’s a growing and quickening democratization of
entrepreneurship, which I love, so more and more people attendees see each other—a goal that was at the heart of
will understand they can participate in the stories and jour- Kiva: reframing the story.
“In changing the way someone sees another human beneys of entrepreneurs. I’m so hopeful that microfinancing
and crowdfunding will change the way that we see what’s ing, it necessarily changes the way they see themselves,”
possible for our lives and each other. So we’ll be able to she said. “So it comes full circle. I want anyone that hears
dream bigger, take bigger leaps of faith and really make my story to reframe the way they see themselves and unmore things happen in the world—make more abundant lock their own potential.”
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Embracing New Formats
BY MICHAEL PINCHERA, EDITOR
Brita Moosmann, PMP, MBA, principal
at Vesta Consulting and Yield for Profit, is
presenting two sessions on BarCamp and
hybrid event formats at IMEX Frankfurt,
May 21 (in English) and May 22 (in German). One+ recently spoke with her about
these topics and what delegates will take
away from her sessions.
When did you first become aware of the
BarCamp event style?
In the fall of 2009, I heard about a really
cool kind of event through my colleague
at the Hotel Management School of Hamburg. At the time, I was teaching social media marketing for the hospitality and event
industry, and he was teaching ecommerce
and tourism management. My colleague
said I should attend because it would be the
first BarCamp for the hotel industry in Germany, and combine a lot of social media
activity as well as personal interactive elements. The fact that
I had to organize my
event participation
through the event
wiki and that we
were going to interact
on so many different
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BarCamp: an open, participatory event structure for which attendees provide the
content and direction.
levels was promising. The camp took place
in October 2009 and was a blast—what a
breath of fresh air! And thus a new “BarCamper” was born!
Why were you so interested in it?
It intrigued me because I had been looking
for a way to attend a conference with more
participant involvement. I had been to an
open-space conference before, which was
really interesting, but it felt more rigorously controlled (the framework and content
planning) than I envisioned.
I was also really interested in the high
Internet and social media affinity of the
participants, and the fact that this event
format was more accessible due to the
relatively low conference fees (the absence
of keynote speakers and their expenses reduces the costs significantly).
Another aspect was the relatively small
size of the conference—usually 50 to 100
participants—because
this promised to allow for really deep
and rich interaction,
instead of quick networking chats over
coffee breaks.
But most importantly, I was always
appalled at how wasteful some conferences can be with regard to resources,
travel, etc. That this kind of unconference
avoids many of those unnecessary excesses was of keen interest for me, with my
professional focus on green meetings and
menu planning.
What is the No. 1 reason you’d recommend the BarCamp format to meeting
professionals?
Despite their simplicity, BarCamps provide
the nourishing ground for a rich and sustainable exchange of ideas and new developments. By engaging many stakeholders
in this way, this can result in exponential
learning outcomes for participants and
organizers alike, because they are inspired
and because they share freely.
Are there certain kinds of meetings or
events that you would strongly dissuade
from adopting a BarCamp format?
There are some BarCamps for hundreds
and even thousands of participants, but
I think the real BarCamp character gets
lost in such a huge gathering. Large events
could probably have a BarCamp element
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ART OF
TRAVEL
incorporated into the event, especially for
idea-generating tracks.
This format is also not suitable for events
that want to draw participants with big-name
speakers and involve sponsorship money in
exchange for product displays and marketplaces. Both are against BarCamp “rules.”
Are there other unconference formats that
appeal to you and to which you think meeting professionals should be paying more
attention?
The inclusion of hybrid elements in a more
traditional conference format is certainly
something to consider when planning events.
Another new trend that really appeals to
me are brain-stimulation events or experience
meetings, which combine creative spaces for
lots of experimentation with a brain food
plan: instead of muffins, coffee, etc., brain
food provides optimally balanced F&B for
increased concentration and keen senses.
This combination keeps participants bright
awake and alert—an especially suitable type
of event for executive retreats, brainstorming
and strategy planning meetings.
Ostrich Pillow
Toothettes
(OstrichPillow.com, US$99)
Ostrich Pillow is a new product that
enables easy power naps anytime,
anywhere. Ostrich Pillow’s unique
design offers a microenvironment in
which to take a cozy and comfortable
power nap at ease. It has been designed to allow you to create a little
private space within a public one, to
relax and unwind.
(Magellans.com, US$9.50)
Nothing is worse than fur on your teeth.
But when we’re traveling, sometimes it’s
hard to avoid. So here’s a real treat for the
long-haul traveler—Toothettes, which are
small portable, waterless toothbrushes.
They come individually wrapped, 20 to a
pack and work like a disposable toothbrush, but they require no water.
What is the No. 1 thing you hope IMEX Frankfurt attendees take away from your session?
Inspiration to participate in a BarCamp in
their respective field, in order to experience
how such an event format could replace or
enrich some of the more traditional event formats.
For details about all things IMEX Frankfurt, visit www.imex-frankfurt.com.
Mobile Foodie Survival Kit
Want More?
Visit the MPI blogs (www.mpiweb.org/blog)
this month for an exclusive Q&A with Song
Division Founder Andy Sharpe, as he shares
his thoughts on the place of music at events,
tech innovations and auto-tune.
Tugo Cup Holder
(goodtugo.com, US$12.95)
The Tugo is a cup holder that keeps
your drink suspended between the
upright handles of your rolling bag. Its
unique design keeps your cup level to
prevent sloshing. Easily attached and
removed, Tugo collapses to fit in any
pocket of your carry-on luggage.
(UncommonGoods.com, US$26)
For foodies, nothing is scarier than being
in a strange place where you’re subject
to sub-par food. With this handy Mobile
Foodie Survival Kit, you can doctor up
even the most unappetizing meal. It
comes stocked with organic herbs and
spices, plus indispensable extras like
wasabi. Containers are unlabeled so they
can be re-used for your favorite spices.
mpiweb.org
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AIBTM
June 11-13
Chicago
AIBTM is a leading global exhibition
for the U.S. meeting and event industry.
This year, meeting and event industry
professionals from around the world
will come together in Chicago for three
days of focused business. Meet with
more than 300 leading suppliers to the
meeting industry.
ASAE Springtime Expo
May 16
Washington, D.C.
Tailored specifically for the meeting industry professional, you will find everything
you need for successful meetings. Expand
and strengthen your industry contacts.
Explore hundreds of destinations, venues,
technology solutions and industry partners
in one afternoon. Educate yourself with
sessions on important meeting planning
trends and best practices.
IMEX
one+
May 29-30
Anaheim, Calif.
From its comprehensive educational program to personalized one-on-one meetings
with suppliers to peer-to-peer networking
for exchanging best practices, HSMAI’s
MEET Mid-America is the planning
industry’s ultimate resource for saving
attendees time, money and hassles while
keeping you on the cutting edge of your
profession.
International Pow Wow (IPW)
May 21-23
Frankfurt, Germany
Every year, more and more meeting and
event planners and marketing professionals come to IMEX, the world’s leading
exhibition for meetings, incentive travel
and event marketing. At IMEX, you’ll
find more than 3,500 exhibitors representing 157 countries including national and
regional tourist offices, convention and
visitor bureaus, hotels, conference and exhibition centers, cruise lines, airlines, spa
resorts and event management specialists.
20
HSMAI MEET West
June 8-12
Las Vegas
The U.S. Travel Association’s IPW is the
travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel
to the U.S.—not the typical trade show.
In three days of intensive pre-scheduled
business appointments, more than 1,000
U.S. travel organizations from every region
of the U.S. and up to 1,200 international
and domestic buyers from more than 70
countries conduct business negotiations
that result in the generation of more than
US$3.5 billion in future visits to the U.S..
Meeting Place Berlin
July 4-8
Berlin
Meeting Place Berlin is the platform
for international and national decision
makers in the field of congress meetings
and incentives and has developed into a
successful worldwide brand. Experience
the endless opportunities of the German
capital and see how unique Berlin is,
and make a note for your next event.
WEC
July 20-23
Las Vegas
At the 2013 World Education Congress in Las Vegas, you’ll find the
solutions for the challenges you face
and a new vision for yourself and the
meetings you plan. WEC is designed
to inspire, challenge and promote
new thinking. You’ll learn what to
keep, what to leave behind and what
to simply make better. Our goal is to
revitalize you so your meetings will
revitalize others.
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TOP
Spots
Hyatt Regency
Chicago
This month, the largest hotel in Chicago, and the largest Hyatt in the
world, will unveil a US$168 million
renovation set to transform the entire
property into a sleek, technologydriven oasis for all travelers.
As part of the many technological
upgrades to the property, the Hyatt
Regency Chicago will incorporate
iPad and kiosk check-in within the
lobby in addition to the traditional
face-to-face check-in. Upgrades have
been made to the Wi-Fi system, which
will have more than 800 wireless access points hidden throughout the
property. This will provide guests
with uninterrupted connections within the hotel.
The Hyatt Regency Chicago features more than 2,000 guest rooms
and 228,000 square feet of meeting
and event space.
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Turtle Bay Resort
Sheraton Tucuman Hotel
During the course of this year, Turtle Bay
Resort in Hawaii will embark on $60 million in upgrades throughout the property,
including all 397 guest rooms, Spa Luana
and fitness center, restaurants and the
main building roof and lobby area. The
resort features 28,000 square feet of function and pre-function space, which can
hold up to 600 guests.
Opening in May, the Sheraton Tucuman
Hotel will be nestled in the peaceful capital
of San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina. The
property features 125 spacious guest rooms
throughout eight floors, including six executive suites and the presidential suite. The
executive lounge on the top floor boasts
panoramic mountain vistas. There is also
more than 29,000 square feet of meeting
space featuring state-of-the-art technology.
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Radisson Blu Hotel, Basel
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Basel (Switzerland) offers 206 modern
rooms and suites with plenty of upscale amenities. The hotel is situated within five miles from the EuroAirport Basel/Mulhouse/
Freiburg, and 52 miles from Zurich International Airport. For meetings and events, the hotel boasts eight rooms that can span up to
5,300 square feet, holding up to 400 people.
Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort
The entire Marco Island (Florida) Marriott Beach Resort recently underwent a complete renovation, which included the
addition of a second golf course, renovation of one of the
resort’s three pools and an additional $9 million project overhauling the 727
guest rooms and
suites. The resort
features 225,000
square feet of indoor and outdoor
function space,
which can accommodate up to
2,000 attendees.
The Maslow
Earlier this year, Sun International
opened The Maslow hotel, located in the Sandton business district
in Johannesburg, South Africa.
There are 239 luxury rooms and
many other offerings within the
hotel, such as apartments and executive suites. The property has a
5,200-square-foot ballroom, a
2,300-square-foot
conference
room, a 2,690-square-foot preassembly area and a 50-seat auditorium for many meeting needs.
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T
N
A
V
E
L
E
R
R
I
MONKEY
BUSINESS
Bowling set with monkey-shaped pins (3” tall) and ball.
Hand painted. (Neatoshop.com, US$12.95)
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>> ENGAGEMENT
BY ANDREA DRIESSEN <<
TAPPING INTO
SHOW BUSINESS
How adding just a liƩle Hollywood pizazz could
go a long way in livening up your meeƟngs.
YOU’VE HEARD THE PHRASE,
“THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW
BUSINESS!” But did you know,
“There should be no business meeting without a little show business?”
It’s as true as Daniel Day Lewis’
portrayal of Lincoln.
For fun, engaging ways to help
participants learn and remember
critical content, look no further
than television, movies and theater.
Effective pacing, lighting, scripting,
staging, playfulness and buzz-worthy cultural references are integral
to successful meetings. Indeed, show
business offers a veritable Treasure
Island for meeting professionals.
Many of my clients’ events are
26
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more akin to shows than meetings.
By experiencing custom songs, company-themed games, educational
contests, movie parodies and hosted
talk shows, these audiences become
engaged in content that keeps their
attention—often at unprecedented
levels. Pop-culture references fasttrack engagement because they act
as contextual shorthand, making
your content cool and relatable.
MPI member and infotainer
Brian Walter has written, produced
and performed hundreds of custom
games and other engaging meeting
elements for events worldwide.
For example, Walter produces a
combination of “The Apprentice”
and “Shark Tank” TV shows—he
calls it Apprentice Tank. How it
works: Organizations identify a
business problem to solve, or throw
down a new product challenge
(a real problem, not a possible
scenario, because the power of Apprentice Tank is in the game’s very
serious purpose—the winning team’s
idea is actually funded).
Ideal audiences: those that can
be split into no more than eight to
10 teams of six to eight people. Led
by a project manager, teams get art
supplies, a limited time to problem
solve and—ideally to ensure focus—
no computers. You can put “data
heads” or subject-matter experts in
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“No maƩer how engaged aƩendees are, if you sit through
meeƟngs long enough, you’ll get bored. People know what it’s
like to feel engaged. Infotainment works because these formats
capture the head—and the heart.”
the room for statistical and research
assistance, as needed.
Each team presents a two-minute
pitch to an actual executive team,
who ask probing questions, “Shark
Tank” style. Execs pick the top
three teams, and finalists present
a one-minute re-pitch to the entire
audience, who, via anonymous
instant polling, make The People’s
Choice. The winning idea is funded
and implemented as a pilot in the
organization.
What’s going on here behind the
curtain? Your audience’s natural
competitive instincts are ignited.
Leaders appear in their very best
light because their strategic reasoning gets the spotlight. Teams are
engaged in a relevant problemsolving game that taps into wellknown pop culture references. And
your company enjoys a reality show
about your reality. All because you
tap Hollywood’s money for a big
meeting win.
James Greathouse, senior director
of operations at Wet Seal Inc., has
invited Walter to create meeting segments such as Apprentice Tank for
a range of retail companies.
Asked why these formats are
successful, Greathouse explains:
“Pop-cultural references re-recruit
meeting participants into the company culture. This is particularly
important in retail, an industry
whose brands are almost always
about having fun and being hip. So
company meetings must also be hip
and fun, or everyone senses, at best,
a disconnect between what the company stands for in public, and how
they are in private. At worst, they
leave the company for something
more authentic.
“No matter how engaged attendees are, if you sit through meetings
long enough, you’ll get bored,” he
continued. “People know what it’s
like to feel engaged. Infotainment
works because these formats capture
the head—and the heart.”
In the months or years after a
meeting, will attendees be able to
recall what an executive said? Not
likely. Will they remember the sense
of buy-in they felt when they played
Apprentice Tank, your organization’s version of “Jeopardy” or your
own “Minute to Win It” contest?
You bet your DVD collection of
“Lost” they will.
Theater also offers insights for
staging effective meetings. A member of the Speaker Hall of Fame,
show-business veteran and author
Victoria Labalme offers suggestions
to help meeting planners shine.
Viewed through the lens of a Tony
Awards production, here are some
of her tips.
• In lieu of wide center aisles in
meeting rooms, form center sections of seats with two side aisles.
Place additional seating on the
far right and far left to mimic the
design of a true theatrical space.
Center orchestra seats in theaters
are the hottest and priciest seats—
for good reason.
• A gap separating the stage and
audience is a big no-no. Labalme explains, “In theater, the
premium seats are both those in
the center and those closer to the
stage. Often, though, meeting
planners set up a moat separating
speakers from audiences, and this
distance creates physical, emotional and psychological disconnects—not ideal for connection,
transformation and learning.”
• Extra chairs and empty chairs:
At the Tony Awards, you won’t
see an empty seat. Professional
“seat fillers” actually fill the gaps.
How to accomplish this yourself?
Set about 5 percent fewer chairs
than you think you’ll need, and
add them as people arrive. Or
cordon off back rows until they’re
absolutely needed. Subliminally,
people think: “Wow, this is the
place to be—they even have to
add chairs!”
• Dead air is bad news, whether on
TV, radio or at your event. That’s
why music should be playing,
even at a low volume, as attendees arrive. Music creates a mood,
acts as a preview to a grander
experience and lifts energy.
As meeting producers, we design
and control what happens on and
off stage. You can step into the
spotlight yourself by taking advantage of the rich world of show business to boost your business. I can
already hear your attendees yelling,
“ENCORE!”
ANDREA DRIESSEN is chief
boredom buster for No
More Boring Meetings in
Seattle, Washington. She’s
been busting boredom and
bringing engagement,
games and productivity to
mission-critical meetings
for more than 20 years.
Visit www.NoMoreBoring
Meetings.com and follow
her on Twitter at @no
moreboring.
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>> FUTURE OF
MEETINGS
IS IT TIME
TO KICKͳ
START YOUR
MEETINGS?
JACKIE MULLIGAN <<
The success of Kickstarter shows
how co-creaƟon could do wonders
for your meeƟngs.
IN FUTURE OF MEETINGS RESEARCH,
THE CONCEPT OF DELEGATE-DRIVEN
CONTENT AND CO-CREATION of conferences is a constant theme. It fits
with the drive toward peer-to-peer
communications. The impact of this
trend is that businesses, to some extent, give up control. This was one
of the key concepts at the European
Meetings & Events Conference
presentation by Jonathan MacDonald titled “Decoding the Paradigm
Shifts that are Shaping Today’s and
Tomorrow’s Business.”
It seems to me, in live events,
this letting go of control is very
much a part of business. While a
meeting professional might believe
in control of the event, when it
starts, the attendees are very much
in the driving seat. Ultimately, their
decision to attend or not changes
everything—no matter how well the
meeting, seating and content has
been designed. Co-creation is really
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getting peer-to-peer financial support
for new enterprises and mostly new
products.
Games and product developers
have used the site very successfully.
After listening to fan rumblings and
having difficulties with getting publishers interested in their own ideas,
a group of developers led by Tim
Shafer, called Double Fine, decided
to find out if there would be real support for their work by going directly
to their fans. They used Kickstarter
and offered a range of options to
nothing new for the industry. So the
industry should be in great shape
for taking co-creation a few steps
further.
At the MCE CEE 2013 conference in Budapest, William Thomson of Gallus Events called out for
event organizers to see their roles as
experience creators and emphasized
the importance of making those
experiences memorable. But these
memorable experiences cannot be
created without deep knowledge
about what the clients want to
achieve and what the attendees will
value. How many meeting organizers/experience creators get time to
delve deep into needs and values?
How many organizers are caught up
with the logistics to the detriment of
the design of experiences?
It all starts with understanding
the needs and desires of the participants, and now and in the future,
that looks more like co-creation.
One of the most known co-creation and co-ownership models
is Kickstarter—a site dedicated to
back the product, which included everything from a simple thank you to
the promise of t-shirts, digital copies
of the game and box sets with signed
copies of artwork. They set a target
of a little more than US$603,000 and
gained more than $4.52 million—the
majority coming within 24 hours.
A new event called “Nine Worlds
GeekFest: an unconventional convention” appeared on Kickstarter
in February. That’s not surprising,
considering the fact that Kickstarter
is an easy way for any group to create their own events based on their
passions and values. Doubtless these
developments enhance competition,
but this also presents a tremendous
opportunity for meeting professionals
to find new ways of developing and
creating experiences. Think of what
you could do in this Kickstarter space
with a network of people who love
what you do or love what you share.
JACKIE MULLIGAN
is a principal lecturer in
events and director of enterprise for the International
Centre for Research in
Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Metropolitan
University UK, with more
than 20 years of experience
managing events, tourism
and communications. Follow
her on Twitter @jackiemulls
or email her at j.mulligan@
leedsmet.ac.uk.
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>> WET BLANKET
IS YOUR CULTURE
INFECTED?
Direct naysayers to become conversaƟonal partners to help
move culture forward, or break Ɵes with them immediately.
BY TIM SANDERS <<
CULTURE IS BEST DEFINED AS “THE WAY
THINGS ARE DONE AROUND HERE.”
For organizations, this means that its
culture stems from conversations, led
by leaders, about what we value and
how we get things done. Keyword:
conversation.
For more information on Nolan Bushnell or Finding The Next Steve Jobs,
visit http://NolanBushnell.com.
30
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Many of us have let the conversation dwell on safety and surviving “in
this economy.” For many new ideas
brought up at work, the conversation
has been riddled with “not worth the
risk” or “it’ll never work (perfectly).”
Creativity is a risky venture in this
culture.
This is a big mistake, according
to Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari,
which launched Steve Jobs’ career.
In the modern era of disruptive
technology and breakneck developments in the meeting industry, creativity is required to solve problems and
deliver a “wow” moment to clients
on budget. If you can’t problem solve
or innovate, your organization cannot
compete. The key is to promote a culture that celebrates novel ideas.
Bushnell is credited with reinventing how companies attract and engage
creative people, including introducing
the night shift, skunkworks projects and
letting the “A players” pick their own
projects. For day-to-day management
practice, one of his edicts applies here:
Neutralize the naysayers.
“They are easy to spot,” he writes in
his book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs:
How to Find, Hire, Keep and Nurture
Creative Talent, “because they’re the
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In the modern era of disrupƟve
technology and breakneck developments in the meeƟng industry, creaƟvity is required to solve
problems and deliver a “wow”
moment to clients on budget.
ones who prevent projects from taking
off, who quash creativity, who sap
imagination. They’ve gained power
and prestige by being the company
curmudgeon.”
Often, we promote them, due to
their consistency or lack of any mistakes or bad ideas being attributed to
them. But still, they are chewing away
at your company’s baseboards.
One of the best ways you can lead
the conversation is to challenge them
directly and stop rewarding them for
their prudent-paranoia. What if a coworker interrupts; “Can I play devil’s
advocate?”
When you play devil’s advocate
and launch an objection before you’ve
heard the whole idea, you often insult
the other person or put a damper on
their enthusiasm. Instead, if an idea
sounds problematic, ask them what
obstacles or adversity the idea would
have to fight through. Nine times of
out 10, they’ll rattle off the objection
you were about to launch and several
thoughtful answers you hadn’t anticipated. And they will keep bringing
imagination to work in the future.
At Atari, Bushnell had a different
tactic.
“If people didn’t feel comfortable with a new idea, I would allow
them to think only about how the
project could be better or come up
with ways to turn their apprehension
into enthusiasm,” he said. “Not only
did this policy save people from just
stamping a ‘no’ on projects, it forced
an atmosphere of collective problem
solving. Suddenly, even the naysayers
had to find ways to be imaginative,
creative and articulate enough to turn
a no into a yes.”
The key is to communicate that
creativity is valued in your culture.
Your actions create the following
dialogue at a visceral level: “Around
here, we solve problems and reinvent
our business often. Do that, and you’ll
be building a better foundation for
whatever the future brings.”
While pushing back might redirect
the conversation in some of your
people, sometimes you might need to
clean house. Actions speak louder than
words, and giving a naysayer the pink
slip is a conversational item of epic
proportions.
“I find it quite funny to watch this
group scamper to try and become
problem solvers when they realized
that the gig was up,” Bushnell wrote.
“And I also found that when one of
their ilk was fired, the others attempted
to be more helpful.”
If you’ve slipped into the habit of
naysaying, break it immediately. You
need to be a conversational partner
who moves your culture forward.
Sometimes you shoot ideas down because you think you are adding value
or worse, you don’t have a new idea of
your own. But are you really helping,
or just preserving the way things are?
In improv, there is a collaboration
device called the “yes-and” routine.
When a person suggests an action, you
build on it by saying, “Yes, and then
we should do this,” or “Yes, and then
we could take it that way.” Eventually
the idea sharpens or the joke gets really
funny. Comedian Louie Anderson
once told me, “The first time someone
jumps in with a ‘but-what-about’ question, the line of thinking is cut off.”
At some point, your creative partner will need to pitch the bank or the
boss, who’s role is to shoot down ideas
to minimize risk. Let that person play
the bad guy. Be the builder of ideas, the
explorer of concepts and the promoter
of innovation. You’ll find that you will
generate excitement both internally
and externally, leading others to see
you as a great person to bounce off
ideas.
TIM SANDERS is the
author of Today We are
Rich: Harnessing The
Power Of Total Confidence.
Visit www.twar.com to
read an excerpt, buy the
book or connect with
Sanders on Facebook.
When he isn’t giving
advice about speakers,
books or places to visit,
Sanders blogs at
www.SandersSays.com.
mpiweb.org
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>> A LA CARTE
D O U G L A S R U S H KO F F < <
CHOOSE WISELY
Technology presents a vast array of choices, but
it’s up to planners to decide which opƟons will
make their events most successful.
PERHAPS THE MOST DEFINING
CHARACTERISTIC OF TECHNOLOGY is
that it provides us with more choice.
Digital technology brings choice into
the foreground as never before. Not
only do we have more choices offered
to us per minute than we might ever
have imagined, but we are subjected
to a dizzying array of choices even
when we might not want them. It’s
a tyranny of choice that changes our
level of involvement in anything we
do. For those of us organizing experiences for others, it means choosing
when and when not to offer choices to
participants, who have come to expect
options for everything.
This puts the traditional event planner in a bind. On the one hand, people
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come to an event for the program. They
want to sit as one big group and go
through an experience together. On the
other hand, they are less likely to accept
a series of choices made on their behalf.
They get things customized everywhere
else, why shouldn’t they get it from a
conference, too?
So we see the rise of the multi-track
event, where planners employ some
combination of scheduling software and
social networks to allow participants to
chart their own path through the conference in advance, while still keeping track
of the people they’d like to be sitting
with.
In even a more extreme nod to interactivity, organizers employ one of the
“un-conference” methodologies, such
as open space or hackathons, where
attendees build an agenda together over
the course of the event. But attendees
are much less likely to pay for an event
where they are the content, and unconferencing tends to work only when the
invitees are being tasked with a specific
challenge that they really want to solve.
If anything, the ever-increasing number of choices both offered to and forced
upon us in daily digital life may actually
present an opportunity for events to do
the opposite. After all, digital choice is
about celebrating the individual through
constant personalization. But meetings
aren’t about individuals; they’re about
groups. And the hallmark for group
activity is collaboration. We surrender
some portion of our autonomy in order
to experience ourselves as a collective.
This is where the great planner becomes a true necessity. It is the planner’s
job to compose and frame an event in
a manner that conveys authority. Yes,
the planner can implicitly state, “I know
what is best for you.” While attendees
may be able to offer feedback through
evaluations and post-event surveys, this
need not be a constant, real-time flow
of data that alters the event in real time.
That’s the way websites work when they
are trying to keep a single individual
engaged.
No, an event is more like a pilgrimage. It happens when real people move
their real bodies many real miles to be
together. This effort already constitutes
a surrender of authority to whoever has
put the event together. That’s why it’s up
to the planner to live up to this expectation rather than shirk the responsibility
in the name of digital democracy. The
choice is yours.
DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF
is the author, most recently,
of Present Shock: When
Everything Happens Now
and a regular, special contributor on CNN’s Opinion
page. He can be contacted
at www.rushkoff.com.
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Wiki Meets
The annual Wikimania event brings participants together
to exchange ideas and develop better ways to work
together at the global level.
WIKIMANIA2012-REHMAN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
BY ARTEMIS SKORDILI
IT IS AN ORGANIZATION WITH 100,000 VOLUNTEERS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD contributing 24 million articles in 285 languages
to its sites—articles that can be edited by
anyone and have attracted an estimated 365
million readers. Since its 2001 launch, it has
redefined the way we get information from
the net, going on to become the most famous
and greatest reference work in Internet history and globally ranked as the sixth-most
popular website.
That organization is, of course, Wikipedia. So when such a young, global, unknowable, almost semi-mythical organization
decided that it would be holding an annual
meeting, the immediate question was ‘How
do you centralize such a global database of
people and information into a single event?’
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“What makes this
process interesting
is that, while there
are some year-toyear volunteers
that stick around,
the leadership
of the conference
changes each
year.”
Delegated Event Planning
The annual Wikimania conference, first held
in 2005 in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany,
was established as an opportunity for the
Wikimedia community and its projects, including Wikipedia, to get together, exchange
ideas and set new goals for developing better ways to work together at the global level.
One of the first challenges for the event was
how to decide the location that would fit the
diaspora of contributors and how to connect
it to organizational aims.
To solve this in the spirit of Wikipedia, a
format was set up whereby each year different teams from around the world form organizing committees to bid for the opportunity
to host Wikimania, effectively transferring
the power of event planning to delegates just
as their articles are entrusted to volunteer
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contributors. The conference is ultimately
destined for the city proposing the best location with supporting justification, determined by a jury examination of each option
via an online discussion.
Washington, D.C., took the prize for
2012’s eighth iteration of the event, held at
George Washington University from July 1214 and chosen for its government, culture,
media and academia interest to the general
goals of the Wikimania conference series.
“The organizing committee is a selfselecting team of volunteers that starts out
by writing a bid and then, should they be
awarded the bid, go on to organize the conference,” said James Hare, Wikimania 2012
coordinator. “At the core was a team of
veteran Wikipedia editors from all sorts of
different backgrounds based in the Washing-
ton, D.C., area, aided by program committee
members worldwide, all of whom were also
experienced Wikipedia editors.
“What makes this process interesting is
that, while there are some year-to-year volunteers that stick around, the leadership of
the conference changes each year,” Hare
said. “I wasn’t involved in Wikimania 2011
operations, and I won’t be involved in Wikimania 2013 operations. So, ultimately, what
happens to the conference depends on these
volunteers.”
The annually changing dynamic of this
delegate-planned event attracted more than
1,400 Wikipedians and volunteers from
more than 87 countries. Those attendees
were, in turn, invited to enliven the participatory spirit of the event by engaging with
the subject matter, the locale and, most importantly, each other.
“Wikimania is a three-day conference
with presentations on ideas and developments within the Wikimedia movement held
largely by a group of dedicated international
volunteers who donate their time and skills
to ensure that the attendees have a wonderful and enriching experience,” Hare said.
“Being at Wikimania, and particularly in
ROCK DRUM 2012 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
“Being at Wikimania,
and particularly in
Washington, D.C.,
provided a great
opportunity for
open culture and
free knowledge
enthusiasts to
share their
passion with
the world.”
Washington, D.C., provided a great opportunity for open culture and free knowledge
enthusiasts to share their passion with the
world.”
Knowledge Share Capital
For an organization with the core value
of passionately spreading free knowledge
to the widest possible audience, the 8th
Wikimania conference took place under
the appropriate banner of “Explore. Engage. Empower.” The program, alongside
offering the traditional conference formats of presentations, seminars and panel
discussions, spread its own knowledge
with a new launch and a fascinating new
initiative.
“Wikimania 2012 saw the launch of the
Wikimedia Chapters Association, an organization representing the Wikimedia chapters
throughout the world and set up to promote
coordination and accountability among
them as well as represent them on common
interests, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience and provide assistance
and support in organizational development,” Hare said.
Complementing this major knowledge
share launch in the Washington, D.C., event
was a pioneering initiative that further empowered delegates: the “un-conference
day”—a clean slate schedule day offering attendees free rein to participate in common
interests and consequently focus their engagement in topics they consider of interest
for their own pursuits.
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The launch and un-conference day were
just two elements of a packed program,
which was set off by a high-profile opening
ceremony featuring keynote speeches from
Ada Initiative co-founder Mary Gardiner
and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and included another 275 speakers over three days.
The program was arranged into five separate
tracks—on themes such as “WikiCulture
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and Community” and “Technology and Infrastructure”—to avoid material duplication
and offer maximum inclusion for knowledge acquisition. The speaker program was
also infused with additional profile speeches
from the executive director of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Sue Gardner, and the Wikimedia Foundation board of trustees.
The Value of Partnership
While insiders could use the event to benefit from the insights of Wikipedia’s leading
lights, as an organization it relies on benefactors and donations, shunning advertising and mainstream media as a policy and
restricting outreach. To get news of the event
beyond their community, organizers had to
engage alternative vehicles of communication that would not compromise the organization’s core values.
“As an event largely catered to the Wikimedia community, our base is mostly
heavily involved community members eager
to meet their online colleagues in person,”
Hare said. “However, we were also able
to promote the conference outside of our
base community by partnering with local
institutions, including the U.S. Department
of State Office of eDiplomacy and the Na-
PIERRE SELIM VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
For an organization
with the core value of
passionately spreading free knowledge to
the widest possible
audience, the 8th Wikimania conference took
place under the appropriate banner of
“Explore. Engage.
Empower.”
tional Archives and Records Administration.
We also had a media partnership with the
Broadcasting Board of Governors, which
is responsible for the Voice of America
broadcast.
“I would say that the local partnerships
and sponsorships we had helped the most
in promoting our event,” Hare added. “It
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SAMAT VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
allowed the conference to reach out to others who, while they may be interested in our
cause of widespread access to free information, may not be directly involved. We
hope to keep these partners involved in the
future.”
Volunteer Power, Event Success
The idiosyncrasies of Wikimania’s promotion, planning and knowledge sharing make
it a special event whose success is best gauged
Washington.indd 37
by its own organizational goals—the levels
of communication and information sharing
generated and whether the organization’s
core values of team spirit, collaboration and
volunteerism deliver a successful event.
“It was crucial, with almost the whole
central organization of the conference, including the conference leadership, volunteerpowered,” Hare said. “I am grateful that I
had the opportunity to work with an enthusiastic team of volunteers—Wikipedia
editors and enthusiasts based in D.C. and in
other parts of the world. By working together we were able to put together a conference
that was enjoyed by all.”
Organizer sentiment was mirrored in
feedback from a post-conference review
capturing participant impressions and comments on Wikimania 2012, collected to help
it evolve in the future.
“Attendees were largely impressed and
enthusiastic about the outcome of the conference,” Hare said. “There was much praise
during and after it.”
Like its mother Wikipedia website, Wikimania is on an annual pathway of growth
and expansion. However, those behind plotting its course and setting achievable new
goals were using the 2012 event as the opportunity to take stock of this trajectory and
make decisions on how best to manage it for
the future.
“Wikimania is kind of at a crossroads
now,” Hare said. “After everyone was impressed by Wikimania’s 2011 attendance,
that number doubled the following year.”
ARTEMIS SKORDILI is a frequent One+
contributor based in Athens, Greece.
3/25/13 11:01 AM
IDEAFEST
What’s the Big Idea?
More than 2,500 event professionals gathered at IdeaFest to
learn about the latest trends and collaborate with peers to
help create better, more inspired events in the future.
BY R O B COTT E R
BY R O B COTT E R
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
IN HER MUSING UPON THE MIND, ELEANOR
ROOSEVELT, the longest-serving first lady
as wife of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, certainly wouldn’t have been thinking of events as we in the meeting industry
know them. At the same time, her Jungian
analysis did manage to hit upon the industry’s thematic holy trinity—ideas, events
and people. More than half a century later,
this trinity is resonating with another former first lady, who is putting her energy
firmly into events as we know them.
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“Hillary Clinton is one of the biggest
proponents of using events and has proven that for people, they really are a secret
weapon that can be used as a version of
soft power,” said David Adler, CEO and
founder of BizBash Media and event consultant to the White House. “The whole
idea behind her work on this is to raise the
purpose and purposefulness of events.”
To elevate an event from just a calendar
option into something fit for soft power’s
secret weapons cache requires, according
to Adler, planners, exhibitors and attendees being able to maximize its core ideas. A
strategic objective emanating from no less
than the White House, BizBash has taken
up the mantle of this industry challenge in
creating IdeaFest, an event bringing meeting planners together to explore “what’s
new and what’s next” for the industry.
Their 2012 outing took place at the Javits
Center in New York, a prime spot for lubricating and liberating ideas given the
city’s global renown as one of creativity’s
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they ultimately attracted.
“We totally re-engineered our shows,
because we realized people want to walk
out with ideas that can be executed pretty
immediately and can inspire them,” Adler
said. “We don’t go into the nuts and bolts
of meeting and event planning; we focus on
inspiration.”
boiler rooms.
“We’re probably the only vehicle that
crosses all the aspects of an event, which
can be anything from trade shows or galas
to product launches or incentive meetings,
so we try to help people learn from one
event what they can do at another,” Adler
said about IdeaFest. “I view events as a
form of building your intellectual capital,
so we’re trying to break all the barriers and
allow people to peek over the fence to see
what other people are doing. We’re trying
to sell creativity and show that events have
to engage people, so our events are packed
with thought. The whole reason you go to
an event is to let your mind expand, and if
you’re planning an event you have to always put ideas into your idea bank.”
Intimacy with the governmental desire
to make events more purposeful through
better ideas helped the organizers set
IdeaFest on its way to becoming a flag carrier for innovation, but this meant having
to initially tap their own idea bank and
intellectual capital to meet the high expectations of the thousands of event planners
“We totally reengineered our
shows, because
we realized people
want to walk out
with ideas that can
be executed pretty
immediately and
can inspire them.
We don’t go into
the nuts and bolts
of meeting and event
planning; we focus
on inspiration.”
Combining the Ingredients
Checking the event ingredients list against
the perfect recipe for inspiration, everything had to be put through the event planner’s blender. First to go in was education,
in pursuit of the style that would be most
productive.
“For IdeaFest, we turned our education week on its head, and through our
2012 inaugural Event Innovation Forum,
we were basically doing TED-style,” Adler
said. “We kicked off in New York with
Bill Wasik from WIRED magazine, who
created the flash mob, and we only did
15-minute segments divided into exercises
where people did things such as balancing
feathers on their fingers. These were highlevel people with high levels of budget who
didn’t want to hear the details of ‘how to.”
They wanted to be inspired, hear lots of
speakers speak for a little amount of time
and offered a sampler of what they should
be thinking and doing. They loved that.”
The clipped forum segments fitting the
show’s new format were, at the same time,
enhanced by one of IdeaFest’s tech initiatives of how best to share its new ideas before, during and after the event.
“The Event Leadership Institute, which
co-presented the forum, is video training on
demand, so everything we do we try to capture and create into two-minute video segments,” Adler said. “You can then go right
to the area you want, on which we’ve built
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IDEAFEST (2)
our reputation. Education is no longer
about ‘sell and tell,’ but it’s about ‘ask and
engage.’ It simply means that every one
of the events and every one of the learning sessions has to make people think and
make people interact.”
Another tech innovation introduced
at IdeaFest was giving an extra nudge to
this interaction—one that helped boost the
output of the education segments by ensuring the right chemistry was in place for
optimum results.
“We involved really new software
programs for seating, looking at social
seating, as it’s all about where to place
people,” Adler said. “We’re pushing this
heavily, because social engineering at an
event is something that is not very well
cared about, but you don’t want to put the
wrong people next to the wrong people, so
taking the social graph and using it as part
of a seating plan is a whole new area that
we are getting into.”
Another new area that the organizers got into for their 2012 event was one
straight from their involvement in Washington—how to give it a more welcoming
feel.
“What we look at with shows and what
we’ve been doing with the White House
over the past four or five years is to instill
a more feminine perspective, the one that
says ‘let’s nurture people,’” Adler said.
“Events are about nurturing and hospitality, which in most cases are thought of as
female attributes and that is perhaps why
they haven’t, until now, been taken so seriously. So we’re putting an emphasis on
food, on education, on really reaching out
and being hospitable to people so they’ll be
interested in talking.
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That Special Connection
“When you’re selling something, if you just
do it on a transactional basis it doesn’t really work,” he added. “You have to find
something emotional. It’s all about creating
emotional connections, the unique connections, the ‘touch.’”
Making these connections was strongly
encouraged on the show floor, which was a
shop window stocked with panoply of new
and inspiring ideas from both the exhibitors and the organizers.
“The worst offense at an event is to be
bored and disengaged, so with us, you’re
seeing the latest trends with engagement,”
Adler said. “All the engagement stuff was
there: photo booths within cars, new apps
doing visitor ID checks on who was at the
booths, ice sculptures and even a Screaming Queens drag show to make sure people
were entertained. There’s a little bit about
every event that’s Mardi Gras day; it’s all
about the new brains and the new texts of
engagement.”
“After IdeaFest,
people go back
to their office and
they say, ‘Oh my
god, I have to do
that!’ That’s what
they get, and they
get to meet people
and see what other
people are doing,
too.”
When your event is offering a Mardi
Gras day, the most important thing is that
people get to know about it, and here
again, IdeaFest organizers shifted their idea
base into new terrain with their use of social media to spread the message.
“You need to have all of the social components in place, as we all use social media
at our events, which brings in people for
the next year,” Adler said. “If you can’t Instagram it, tweet it or Facebook it, it really
is a waste of money, and you’re seeing a
change in attitude to reflect this, too. We,
therefore, bring in all the top social media
people in the city and trend No. 1 on Twitter in the market when we have our show.
One year, we created a social media SWAT
team, where we brought in several social
media people to do nothing else but photograph and tweet and link on to a central
social media hub. So we didn’t just depend
on outside people, which was a really good
use of social media.”
At the close of IdeaFest 2012 and consuming the feedback through social media,
Adler was pleased at what participants had
taken from the show and was confident
of what they would go on to achieve with
their new idea artillery.
“Inspiration and ideas,” he said. “We
did a survey and the No. 1 thing people
fear at any event is that no one is going to
show up, no matter what it is. One of the
biggest insecurities is, ‘What am I going to
do next year?’ After IdeaFest, people go
back to their office and they say, ‘Oh my
god, I have to do that!’ That’s what they
get, and they get to meet people and see
what other people are doing, too.”
Participants were also pleased, as
they had the chance to dine from a full
menu offering food for thought of a seriously inspirational flavor. Borrowing
ever so slightly from Eleanor Roosevelt:
with IdeaFest, planners, exhibitors and
attendees have the opportunity to engage
the most powerful ideas in their events to
properly engage people in the most meaningful way. So make a deposit in your idea
bank, top up on your intellectual capital
and become a great mind when planning
for your next event.
ROB COTTER is a frequent One+ contributor based in Berlin, Germany.
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Business, Just Not As Usual
The ins and outs of doing business in China are what
APEX learned on a recent overseas trip.
BY R O B COTT E R
BY KEVIN WOO
IMAGINE YOURSELF AS AN EXECUTIVE IN
THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY. As such, you probably spend most of your time and effort
looking for ways to maximize your company’s profitability. This could happen by
reducing the number of wide-body jumbo
jets used for cross-country flights or cutting
back on the passenger experience. Eliminate food service? Sure, why not? Ditch the
blankets and pillows? Great idea. Charge
for baggage? Sounds like a good way to
earn a few extra dollars.
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But real life airline executives don’t
just tinker around the edges to increase
profitability. They look way beyond cutting out the amenities. The smart ones are
looking to China with its infinite possibilities. That’s because the Chinese are on the
move.
According to the International Air
Travel Association, within a decade Chinese foreign and domestic air travel will increase from 486 million passengers to 1.5
billion annually. By comparison, the num-
ber of people taking commercial flights in
the U.S. in 2012 was 732 million, with the
expectation that the U.S. market won’t
reach 1 billion passengers until 2024.
To handle this growth, the Chinese are
building 56 new airports and expanding
91 others. And let’s not forget the airplanes
that will be needed to carry all those passengers. By 2020, it’s expected that Chinese
airlines will add about 3,000 more planes
to their fleets. Some will be built domestically while others will be purchased from
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Meeting Tips
“You can’t come
to China, have a
meeting, create
a proposal and
then expect a
decision quickly.
Expect to have
multiple meetings
and exchange a
lot of emails. The
main thing that
Chinese people
are trying to do
during a meeting
(and during dinner) is to get to
know you.”
Boeing and Airbus.
In looking at the significant demand in
China’s airline industry, it might seem that
all a company would need to do to generate business would be to show up, put together a proposal and, bingo, start racking
up the sales.
That approach, says Dr. John Tu, is
guaranteed to backfire. Tu is a professor
at the Rochester (New York) Institute of
Technology’s Saunders College of Business.
He says the key to success—at least when
doing business in China—is to develop relationships over a long period of time.
“If you don’t have relationships, it
would be like working in the middle of a
scrum,” he said.
The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) is one organization that’s
doing business the right way to ensure that
it stays out of the scrum. APEX is an umbrella association composed of companies
that provide everything from in-flight television and movies to online booking and
check-in.
To help its own member’s companies
penetrate the Chinese market, APEX set
up a series of meetings with senior executives from Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Junyeao Airlines and Hong
Kong-based Cathay Pacific.
Before the APEX delegation met with
their Chinese counterparts, they spent a
significant amount of time studying how to
conduct business in China. For assistance,
APEX reached out to Kellen Company, an
association management firm with offices
in China.
Kellen provided briefings to the APEX
delegation regarding business meeting etiquette, profiles of the airlines and strategic
advice for how best to frame discussion
topics and questions.
“Our goal was to establish even better
relationships with China carriers who already were members of APEX and to create awareness among the other airlines of
APEX, its programs and services,” Kellen’s
Russell Lemieux said.
Kellen’s key value-add was coaching the
APEX delegation through the nuances of
doing business in China.
Most business travelers visiting China
won’t have time to immerse themselves
with weeks of preparation on proper
meeting etiquette. Here are eight quick
tips for successful meetings.
1. In the U.S. we tend to put everything
into a contract. That’s offensive to
the Chinese because it signifies
mistrust. Legal enforcement of contracts is a bit spotty in China, which
is why the Chinese will only do
business with those they know, trust
and consider family. That’s why
dinners and protracted conversations are important.
2. Before you arrive in China, learn
about its culture and some basic
words such as “hello,” “good-bye”
and “thank you.” The effort will go a
long way toward impressing your
hosts. It’s also likely that you’ll be
complimented on how well you
speak Chinese.
3. If you don’t speak Chinese, bring
someone who can translate for you.
This person should also be able to
help you interpret non-verbal communication.
4. Seniority is important in China. The
senior person will typically speak first
in a meeting. They’ll generally give
a short speech about the purpose of
the meeting and their company.
5. Younger, Western-educated Chinese
tend to be significantly different from
those born and educated in China.
The working relationships tend to be
more like those in the West.
6. It’s important to remember that
deals in China can take a year
or more to materialize.
7. Shaking hands is normal, but the
action is usually quite light.
8. You can bow a little during the
handshake, but it isn’t mandatory.
The Formalities
Tu says when one attends a meeting in
China it is more formal then attending one
in the West. For example, in China much
time is devoted to determining who enters
a meeting room first and the way seating
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Anyone who has
previously conducted business
in China knows
the secret behind
meetings—little
is actually accomplished. The “real”
business is conducted over meals,
usually dinner.
assignments are arranged to ensure proper
respect for the host. Walking into a meeting room is almost military-like. The most
senior member of the visiting delegation
enters first and the rest enter in descending
order of rank.
Upon entering the meeting room, each
person exchanges business cards with every other member of the Chinese delegation. Two hands are used to present the
card. When receiving a business card, it
must also be received with two hands
and studied carefully. For the Chinese, offering a business card to an invited guest
is considered to be sharing a piece of
themselves, therefore the card should be
honored.
After, guests are to remain standing
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until the host sits, taking the chair of honor at the head of the table. If the table is
round, the seat facing south is considered
the place of honor. The head of the visiting
delegation is expected to sit to the right of
the host with the rest of the delegation sitting in descending order of rank.
Anyone who has previously conducted
business in China knows the secret behind
meetings—little is actually accomplished.
The “real” business is conducted over
meals, usually dinner.
“The Chinese are very social people,”
Tu said. “They want to get to know you
and become friends.”
Tu says foreigners can expect lavish,
multi-course dinners that are accompanied
with plenty of smoking and drinking. And
once dinner is over, there is more drinking.
“Discussions (of a deal) usually take
place over several dinners before signing an
agreement,” Tu said. “[At dinner] there’s a
lot of drinking going on, and in many areas
in China, the more you drink the more they
treat you like family. The Chinese only do
business with people they know and like.”
Drinking is a favorite pastime among
Chinese businessmen. There was a time,
not that long ago, when guests were expected to outdrink their hosts. But drinking (and smoking) is still considered to be
a way of showing appreciation and becoming part of the family.
Apart from partaking in food and
drink, the most important rule that anyone
who conducts business in China should
know is to never embarrass the host delegation while in a meeting or out in public.
The concept of saving face is paramount
among the Chinese. If something comes up
in discussions that you don’t agree with,
don’t express contradiction while in public or argue about details. It is best to express discontentment by saying, “Let’s talk
about this at another opportunity,” which
is commonly understood to mean that you
are disagreement.
Tu says those unfamiliar with doing
business in China have a hard time grasping how long and drawn out the process
can be to secure business.
“You can’t come to China, have a meeting, create a proposal and then expect a
decision quickly,” Tu said. “Expect to have
multiple meetings and exchange a lot of
emails. The main thing that Chinese people
are trying to do during a meeting (and during dinner) is to get to know you.”
KEVIN WOO is a frequent One+ contributor based in California.
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Hard Rock Advertorial 0413.indd 46
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CURATORS
IN CHIEF
9
INFLUENTIAL MEETING PROS
WHO ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE—
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PEOPLE
THEY’VE INFLUENCED THE MOST.
BY ELAINE POFELDT
FEEL LIKE YOU’RE CONSTANTLY BOMBARDED WITH INFORMATION
you’d like to use but don’t have the time to sift through? You’re not alone. The
problem is so prevalent in organizations today it prompted Jonathan Spira,
chief analyst at Basex, a research and advisory firm focused on the knowledgeeconomy, to write Overload! How Too Much Information is Hazardous to
Your Organization, in which he offers strategies to combat it, such as reducing
the amount of email flooding company inboxes.
The answer to overload for many meeting professionals is to look to trusted colleagues for ideas on navigating a business world and life that’s changing
daily. These are the mentors, colleagues and experts who can share what is
really needed to make the right business decisions—and what’s safe to ignore.
Such informal curators of industry information are vital to helping the community manage through the uncertain path ahead.
We asked influential members of the meeting and event industry to tell us
about the visionaries who are shaping the way they think about meetings and
making work a lot more exciting. Some suggested one person, others a list.
Here is a sampling of industry leaders who are shaping the future of meetings.
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Influencer
Mike McAllen, co-owner of Grass
Shack Events & Media, host of Meetings
Podcast and co-founder of EventCamp
Anderson wasn’t planning to attend EventCamp in February 2011 when she started following the gathering’s
live online stream. She enjoyed being a virtual participant
in the event designed to bring together meeting professionals interested in using social media and technology
to create better events. But as she followed the progress
of the meeting, Anderson was increasingly intrigued.
“It was on the cutting edge of what meetings look
like,” said Anderson, a member of the MPI Greater Orlando Area Chapter. “I wanted to see what it was like in
the actual environment.”
And so Anderson headed to the airport and contacted
organizer McAllen via Twitter on her way. For Anderson,
it was a no brainer.
“WHEN MIKE SPEAKS, I LISTEN.”
“There are people in this industry who, when they say,
‘You should be here,’ ‘This is an important article to read’
or ‘This is a perspective others are starting to take,’ you
listen,” Anderson said. “It’s like the old E.F. Hutton
phrase: When Mike speaks, I listen.”
McAllen’s career as a former firefighter gave him a
strong foundation in the importance of building the right
team as he served past employers such as Bill Graham
Presents and Jack Morton Worldwide. Today, at Grass
Shack Media, he staffs, manages and produces conferences, video and media projects for corporate clients and
runs a startup called AVForPlanners.com to help planners
make better audiovisual choices.
“I’m not an out-in-front-of-the-camera kind of guy,”
he said. “I try to make things work.”
McAllen’s love of experimenting with production and
technology led him to co-found EventCamp in 2010, as
a safe place to try new things. It’s still going strong, with
upcoming events planned for the Middle East and
Australia.
McAllen’s current explorations center on apps and
new technologies such as Evernote, which he describes as
“an event binder in your mobile device.”
Influenced
Renea Anderson, meeting planner
for Albert Cichra Builders
Influencer
Joan Eisenstodt, chief strategist
and founder of Eisenstodt Associates
“[Eisenstodt] is a mentor to so many and a real advocate
of the industry,” said Gorin, an MPI member at large. “She
is one of the most recognized and respected people I know,
has run and contributed to the most influential email lists
in the industry and is a teacher to all.”
After 40 years in the meeting industry, many people
might lose their edge, but not Eisenstodt—a member of
MPI’s Community of Honorees and the MPI Potomac
Chapter. Recognizing the potential of technology to transform the industry long before many others, she founded
and moderated the MIMList, the well-known meeting and
hospitality industry email community. She eventually
launched Meetings Focus Forum, a networking site for
meeting professionals that, she jokes, a friend on the West
Coast calls his “morning newspaper.”
“My passion is connecting people through ideas,” she
said.
While Eisenstodt embraces technology, she has always
believed it has its limits.
“From the beginning of the first LISTSERV I moderated, people asked, ‘When are we going to get together?’”
she recalled. “People still want that.”
That trend has continued even though there are more
digital ways to meet now. One trend that interests her: informal meetings that spring up between groups of professionals who have met on social media, outside of the
association sphere.
“JOAN IS ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZED AND RESPECTED
PEOPLE I KNOW.”
“They’re not a formal association but they’re still gathering,” she said. “I think we’re going to see very different
ways that people choose to belong to groups in the future.”
At Eisenstodt Associates, the company she founded in
1981, this industry pioneer tackles projects from meeting
planning to consulting on staffing issues.
“Often, people I’ve worked with ask, ‘Can we have
lunch? I need a tune-up,’” she said. “Helping people grow
is what life is about and what everyone should be doing.”
Influenced
Eli Gorin, CMP, CMM, vice president
of global client relations at ABTS
Convention Services
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Influencer
Renee Radabaugh, president and
managing director, Paragon Events Inc.
When Radabaugh ran the MPI Southeast Educational Conference in Orlando last summer, she won a big fan in Fisher—
thanks to her cool-in-the-face response to unexpected construction at the original hotel and quick negotiations to move
it to a new hotel.
“She made it a real win, win, win—for both of the hotels
and our organization,” Fisher said. “She taught me to sit back
and look at things from every single perspective.”
Radabaugh, a meeting industry veteran who started her
15-employee company in 1989, was inspired by the challenge
of creating an event for other meeting pros.
“It really is a lot of pressure, but something we respond
well to,” said Radabaugh, executive director of the MPI
Greater Orlando Area Chapter.
“RENEE TAUGHT ME TO SIT BACK
AND LOOK AT THINGS FROM
EVERY SINGLE PERSPECTIVE.”
One secret weapon is a robust, for-credit university intern
program. Radabaugh works with 16 schools, including several Ivy League universities, to attract top talent from the next
generation, to help at her firm.
“We recognized that it is very important that they get more
than book studies,” Radabaugh said.
MPI Greater Orlando Area Chapter member Fisher says
Radabaugh’s mentoring left a strong impression.
“There were a couple of times in the course of the conference where I saw her pull one of the interns aside and teach
them in a nice, respectful, coaching kind of way,” Fisher said.
“She made sure they understood why they had to do what
they were supposed to do. She did it with a firm hand and a
loving heart.”
Influenced
Sharon Fisher, CEO and “IdeaSparker”
at Play with a Purpose
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Influencer
Christina Coster, co-founder, EventCamp,
freelance meeting and event planner
Coster is “the catalyst for so much change in the industry,”
according to Levin.
The pair met through a Twitter group, and came together
when Coster asked for volunteers to plan EventCamp.
“It’s much better to make a mistake at EventCamp than
with a client or someone you work for,” said Levin, a member of the MPI New Jersey Chapter.
Levin soon found herself involved in planning the first
EventCamp in New York (January 2010) and the next one
in Chicago. She came away with ideas she now uses in meetings, such as “the fishbowl,” in which delegates sit in two
circles, one wrapped around the other. Those who want to
talk move into the inner circle.
“CHRISTINA IS THE CATALYST
FOR SO MUCH CHANGE IN THE
INDUSTRY.”
“It’s a different way to have a group discussion and get
people involved,” Levin said.
Coster was inspired to launch EventCamp after planning
a 2009 “un-conference” in New York City called Social
Change Camp, at which participants drove the event, planning what they wanted to discuss when they got together.
“It was a huge learning experience for me,” Coster said.
She’s currently intrigued with the use of visual social media, such as Instagram, “to engage attendees, more than the
normal talking heads.” She’s also interested in how concerns
about climate change are shaping meetings—for instance,
more people are becoming concerned with topics such as
sourcing local food.
Influenced
Jessica Levin, MBA, CMP, CAE, president
and chief connector, Seven Degrees
Communications
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Influencer
Ruud Janssen, CMM, managing director
of TNOC | The New Objective Collective
Janssen is “an obvious choice,” according to Connolly, a
member of the MPI San Diego Chapter.
“He encompasses the spirit of collaboration and has
a broad, global view of the industry,” she said.
Janssen, a veteran marketing entrepreneur, specializes
in the meeting and event industry and owns and runs the
marketing group TNOC | The New Objective Collective.
In that role, he is an avid student of the varied ways that
different market segments behave at events.
“RUUD ENCOMPASSES THE SPIRIT
OF COLLABORATION AND HAS A
BROAD, GLOBAL VIEW OF THE
INDUSTRY.”
“I’m curious about what is going on in different, adjacent silos,” he said.
Janssen, who was on the team involved in MPI Foundation research into hybrid meetings, has recently experimented with hybrid chocolate-tasting events. At an MPI
conference in Belgium in January, he connected tasters in
Canada, England, Italy and the Netherlands to bring together the remote participants.
Janssen, a member of the MPI France-Switzerland
Chapter, thinks it’s essential for meeting organizers to
adapt to the increasing blending of online and offline
events.
“What’s surprising to me is that a lot of companies
are not noticing this change or adapting to it fast enough,”
he said.
He has also co-created a new meetings format called
“The Solution Room” with Mike van der Vijver at MindMeeting. In these interactive, 90-minute closing sessions,
participants devise their own action plans for change.
Janssen has held senior positions at Steigenberger Hotels and Resorts, contract catering firm Groupe Elior and
Congrex Group, an international management company
focused on meetings, events, conferences, association
management and other services. Janssen also designs university-level professional education programs in branding, conference organizing and related areas.
Influenced
Midori Connolly, principal at AVGirl
Productions
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Influencer
Jason Carroll, CMP, director of sales and
events for The Florida Aquarium and founder of the consulting firm Aspire Innovation
“Carroll is a past president of the MPI Tampa Bay Area
Chapter, and under his leadership, he brought our chapter to be recognized as No. 1 worldwide in six of the 10
measurements used to rank chapters,” Miseyko said.
Currently a member of the MPI Chapter Advisory
Council, Carroll previously instituted a connections campaign that measured the amount of member-to-member
business generated through his chapter’s own membership—and it turned out to be well into the millions of
dollars, Miseyko says. This program led to the MPI Tampa Bay Area Chapter winning the 2012 RISE Award for
Community Achievement in Marketplace Excellence (see
the December 2012 edition of One+ for a complete story
of this success).
“On a personal level, I have relied on this man to be
my spokesperson, emcee and star at the Southeast Educational Conference—one the most successful and profitable regional MPI chapter events—and watched him operate with finesse and professionalism that goes well
beyond his years,” said Miseyko, a member of the MPI
Tampa Bay Area Chapter. “He’s creating change in the
most positive way.”
“I HAVE RELIED ON JASON TO BE
MY SPOKESPERSON, EMCEE AND
STAR AT THE SOUTHEAST EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE, AND
WATCHED HIM OPERATE WITH
FINESSE AND PROFESSIONALISM
THAT GOES WELL BEYOND
HIS YEARS.”
Working as an actor in New York after Sept. 11, 2001,
Carroll got a job at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as
fiscal and events coordinator to make ends meet. He soon
discovered that his flair for the arts lent itself well to
events work (“I think events are entertainment”), and he
eventually became an events manager at New York University-Tisch School of the Arts before moving to Tampa
to join the Florida Aquarium as events coordinator in
2005. Today, the aquarium hosts 250 events a year.
One important trend Carroll is keeping his eye on: the
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advent of the hybrid planner, a topic that has elicited discussion, specifically in the Tampa Bay Area Chapter.
“The planner-supplier divide is not as wide as it used
to be,” he said.
For instance, once someone books a party at the
aquarium, his role extends from planning the event to
securing décor and entertainment.
“From snow cone machines to rock bands, we need
it all,” he said.
That presents an opportunity for more collaborative
relationships within the industry, so all can benefit.
“We have to be smart about how we spend our dollars,” he said. “I’ve been able to negotiate a lot of my
rates.”
Much of that, he says, is because of the strong working relationships he has with others in the industry.
Influenced
Richard Miseyko, CMP, CMM,
president of Site Search Inc.
and founder of XSITE
“JEFF AND DAVE HAVE A LOT
OF GREAT IDEAS ABOUT HOW
YOU CAN DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE
LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR
ATTENDEES.”
The inspiration for the firm’s name was a client’s description of Lutz’s contract negotiation skills. Hurt, who started his career in MPI’s professional development department in the late 1990s and went on to work on meetings
for the Promotional Products Association International
and co-found EventCamp, says industry players need to
be more discerning than ever to deliver great meetings.
“I really think that meeting professionals need to
think of themselves as content curators and strategists,”
Hurt said. “An art museum curator doesn’t display all
the art they have. They display their best assets.”
In the future, Lutz believes meeting planners who are
highly content focused—and understand how meetings
drive revenue for clients—will be the most sought after.
“I REALLY THINK THAT MEETING
PROFESSIONALS NEED TO THINK
OF THEMSELVES AS CONTENT
CURATORS AND STRATEGISTS.
AN ART MUSEUM CURATOR
DOESN’T DISPLAY ALL THE ART
THEY HAVE. THEY DISPLAY
THEIR BEST ASSETS.”
Influencers
Jeff Hurt, executive vice president, education and engagement for Velvet Chainsaw Consulting and co-founder, EventCamp; Dave Lutz, president of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting
“[Hurt and Lutz] are getting us to rethink the way we
design meetings and presentations,” said King, who follows the pair on Twitter and has met them at industry
events. “They have a lot of great ideas about how you
can design an effective learning experience for attendees.”
One example: At a trade show King attended, Hurt
and Lutz integrated a “Learning Lounge.”
“They were able to get tons of traction, tons of excitement, lots of tweets and social media buzz,” said King,
a member of the MPI Greater New York Chapter. “It
made me think that not every trade show has to have the
exact same format.”
At Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, Hurt and Lutz work
together to help organizations plan their annual meetings.
“The value placed on cost savings and avoidance will
be a given expectation,” he added.
Meeting professionals who carefully consider digital
participants’ experience in site selection will find themselves in demand, he says.
“Site selection will expand to include the screen the
attendee is viewing,” he said. “Location will be replaced
with the best venue or screen to accomplish learning, networking and collaboration.”
Influenced
Liz King, founder of Liz King Events
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Influencer
Flemming Fog, CEO and founder of
Wizerize A/S and Wizerize Inc.
When Adler first met Fog he became fascinated by the way
Wizerize used tools such as games to foster more collaborative relationships within professional groups.
“He opened my eyes to the power of using meeting design
for collaboration purposes,” Adler said. “He is one of the
revolutionary thinkers in this area. He has proven that if you
collaborate properly, the meeting goes from experiential to
transformational.” (Read a case study of Adler’s IdeaFest on
Page 38.)
Accordingly, Fog has been focusing on change management in recent years.
Influenced
David Adler, CEO and founder
of BizBash Media
“FLEMMING OPENED MY EYES TO
THE POWER OF USING MEETING
DESIGN FOR COLLABORATION
PURPOSES.”
“Especially for large corporations—helping [them] change
behavior and attitudes,” said Fog, a former partner in communications giant Y&R.
In 2005, he began to direct that interest into growing his
own company, Wizerize. Working with the global business
school INSEAD, he experimented with using business games
to engage audiences at events—and found he was onto
something.
“The whole framework is one of our methodologies for
getting people to collaborate and understand the dynamics of
collaboration,” he said.
Fog’s ultimate goal is to create meetings that help companies meet their larger goals.
“I think most people believe most large meetings are terrible,” he explained. “We’re working on how to use engagement tools and techniques to make meetings more powerful.”
ELAINE POFELDT is a former senior editor at FORTUNE Small Business and a regular contributor to One+. She is co-editor of 200KFreelancer.com,
a site for independent professionals.
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$
YOUR
GUIDE TO
BEHAVIORAL
ECONOMICS
BY MARIELA MCILWRAITH, CMP, CMM
Let’s face it; we are not all rational all of the time. I
certainly am not, and neither are my buying decisions. I
believe in retail therapy. “Buy one, get two free” gets me
all the time, even if it is more than I’ll ever need (explaining why I have yet to finish the Costco bulk salt I bought
in 2001). I spave: spend on things I don’t need so I can
imagine that I’m saving.
Behavioral economics helps bring some clarity to this
by taking into consideration both economics and
psychology to provide more predictability about our
irrationality.
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?
TOO MANY
CHOICES
When buyers are presented with too many options, they can become overwhelmed. Limiting the number
of choices can make it easier for
people to register for events.
Let’s start with something counter-intuitive. It would
make sense that the more options you give people, the
more likely they are to find something appealing and
make a choice. Yet, a 1995 study by Columbia University’s Sheena Iyengar found the opposite to be true: In
examining the results of sales of jam/jelly/preserves, when
shoppers were given either 24 or six varieties from which
to choose, sales were greater when fewer options were
offered. Interestingly, the study also found that the larger
variety attracted more interest, just not the corresponding
sales.
From the meeting planner perspective, consider the
number of choices you offer as part of your registration
process; from the supplier perspective, consider the number of options you offer to your clients. Alternatively,
make the decisions easier by providing tips for which
choice is best suited to your different demographic
groups or client needs. For instance, if you
rent event tech equipment, add information such as which equipment is most suitable based on
meeting room size.
X
DEFAULT
OPTION
Studies have shown a bias for
the status quo—meaning that
the default option you select is more
likely to be chosen. Consider registration
defaults accordingly.
People have a bias for the status quo. A 1988 study
by William Samuelson of Boston University and Richard
Zeckhauser of Harvard University found that a disproportionate number of individuals selected the status quo
(or default) option in a series of decision-making experiments. This has important implications in the meeting
industry when we consider the default options for
registration.
For example, offering a meeting bundle that includes
the social networking events as the default option will
likely result in higher attendance at the social events.
Another area to consider is inclusion on mailing lists.
Pre-selecting opt-in or opt-out as the default in this case
will yield different results. When making the decision of
which to select as the default, consider what you believe
to be the true intent of your participants and balance this
with the needs of other stakeholders.
PAYMENT
TIMING
Layaway or installment plan options
as well as delayed payment options that
make it easier for buyers to hold on to
their money longer are appealing and
can be applied to registration.
Nobody likes to part with money, and consequently,
delaying that parting has great appeal. Unfortunately,
this tends to manifest as meeting and event participants
registering close to the event date, resulting in unpredictable advance attendance numbers for event owners and
planners.
Offering a “pay later” option, coupled with other
incentives to register early, could enable planners to
have a better sense of registration numbers at an earlier
date, which can prove beneficial for attracting sponsors
and exhibitors, and subsequently enhance the overall
quality of the event itself.
%
REFERENCE
PRICE
Past prices influence your
sense of value. Charging
for something that used to be
free, or is often free, such as
Wi-Fi, will be met with resistance.
We all have expectations of what something should
cost based on experience. When a price diverts from this
reference price, it influences our sense of value. Airline
baggage fees and on-board meals are a perfect example.
Rationally, we can see the fees as being reasonable—
particularly when compared with overnight courier fees
or airport meals—however, our reference prices are not
these. Instead, our reference prices are based on years
of these services being free. For meetings and events,
reference prices come into play with items such as wireless Internet access in venues.
While we might understand that the installation of
the infrastructure could have been costly for the venue,
so many places offer free Internet access that many planners may be inclined to request any such fees be waived.
Venues that charge for wireless Internet access might do
well to consider offering two types of access: 1) a basic
option that is free but has limited bandwidth, based on
either the number of possible simultaneous connections
or the speed of data transfer, and 2) a pay upgrade option to provide faster speeds or unlimited simultaneous
connections.
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.99
PRICING IS
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Pricing lower than a competitor can be viewed as inferior
quality. Odd number pricing
(ending in .99 as an example) is
viewed as better value. Round numbers are viewed as higher quality.
Several years ago, I worked in hotel sales, and when
I followed up about a proposal that I had sent, I was
informed that they had selected another property with
a higher room rate. The client had chosen the other
property because they perceived it to be of higher quality based on the price, even though that wasn’t truly
the case. Depending on the positioning for your event,
product or service, you should consider if the price you
set will alter the perception of value.
A further example looks at odd-number pricing,
such as those that end in 95 or 99. Odd-number pricing results in the perception of better value. Conversely,
if you are positioning your event, product or service as
a high-end item, opting for an even-number price (such
as 1,000 instead of 999) may further support your
positioning.
!
ETHICS
AND
PRICING
Meeting professionals must exercise care
when using pricing strategies based on behavioral economics. Consider the needs of
your stakeholders and the impact to your
reputation.
As we examine behavioral economics and pricing,
keep in mind that professional ethics is paramount (see
the March issue of One+ for an extensive look at ethics in the meeting and event industry). The insights from
this field are helpful in predicting responses to different
pricing strategies and, specifically, whether or not you are
sending unintended signals about the value of your event.
A helpful reference point is to identify the likely intent
of your stakeholders and develop your strategies to support this. As you develop your pricing strategies, consider the impact on your reputation due to your decisions
and how best to meet the needs of your stakeholders.
MARIELA MCILWRAITH, CMP, CMM, is president of Meeting Change and actively involved in MPI and the Green Meeting Industry Council. She is the co-author of a textbook about ethics and social responsibity in the industry and is executive editor of the
Convention Industry Council Manual, 9th Edition. Follow her @meetingchange.
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PLANNER PRICING SURVEY
In late 2012, the Event Leadership Institute (ELI), in partnership with MPI and BizBash Media, surveyed approximately
300 meeting professionals to gauge a variety of factors relating to preferred pricing models, planner rates and salary.
The findings, published by the ELI as 2013 Planner Pricing Report: How & How Much Independent Planners Charge,
How & How Much Clients Want to Pay, reveal intriguing details about the most common practices and discrepancies
between planner and client assumptions.
Key Findings
Pricing Models
• Planners and clients both prefer a flat-fee pricing model
• Hourly pricing: the most common planner rates are
US$50-$99; clients are much more interested in this
model than planners actually realize
• Pricing based on a percentage of event budget: 41%
of planners charge 11-15%; only 5.9% charge more
than 25%
Independent Planner Compensation
• The average planner surveyed earns $6,381 per event
• 43% of planners make less than $50,000 per year
• 7% of planners make more than $150,000 per year
Commission or Kickback?
• Most planners never accept commissions from vendors or venues
(62% and 66%, respectively); 14% of planners accept such
commission “most of the time” or “always”
• 32% of planners never disclose accepting commissions; 50% of clients
would never work with such a planner again
• The less experience, the less disclosure: 54% of planners with less than
4 years of experience never disclose commissions; 50% with 4-7 years
of experience do the same
• Live and learn: 41% of planners with more than 15 years of experience
always disclose commissions
Traditional Offices: Unimportant
• 42% of clients say it is “not important” whether a planner works from
home or a traditional office
• 79% of clients are not overly concerned about a planner’s office situation
For a limited time, MPI members can download the ELI white paper for free! Register at
www.eventleadershipinstitute.com/course-details-Event-Planning-How-Muchto-Charge-White-Paper.aspx and then use promo code MPI_2013_Pricing. This special
promotion is only available through May 31, so grab the report now!
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DENISE OFELIA MANGEN
TELL IT LIKE IT IS
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THE MOTH PROPAGATES THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE—AND HAS HELPED MAKE THE
TIMELESS PRACTICE HIP AGAIN.
BY JENNA SCHNUER
here are many traits common to real New
Yorkers: A love of discussing how much they
pay for their apartments; the absolute confidence with which they hand out subway
advice; and the inability to keep the first appointment of
the day—it’s part of the narrative of New York life.
So it wasn’t a big surprise when Joan Firestone, executive director of New York-based storytelling organization, The Moth, emailed to change the next day’s interview
time. But Firestone had the most NYC-of-all reasons for
the change: She was going to former Mayor Ed Koch’s
funeral.
A lifelong New Yorker, Firestone has long been involved in two of the city’s driving forces: the arts and government. In fact, she worked with Koch at the intersection
of the two. A fierce advocate for women, the arts and artists, Firestone has been an independent theater producer,
the board chair of NYC’s Cherry Lane Theater—the city’s
oldest off-Broadway theater, a vice president for government affairs with the New York Women’s Agenda, president of the League of Professional Theater Women, assistant director to the State Arts Council, and the director of
economic development for the City of New York’s
Comptroller’s office.
“I’ve been in and out of city government for ages,”
Firestone says. “I really believe that if you want to promote
something, you have to be close to where the action is, and
so, my relationship to government is always based on arts
and education.”
In 2010, Firestone shifted her attention to storytelling.
That’s when she was invited to become interim director of
The Moth.
She was already familiar with The Moth when they
called on her to step in. She had been to some storytelling
events and even attended the annual gala, The Moth Ball.
After signing on, it quickly became clear that the interim
part of her title had to go.
“We worked so well together that the staff, the artistic director and producing director asked me to put my
name in the search, which I hadn’t intended to do,”
Firestone says.
And so she did.
Founded in New York in 1997, The Moth storytelling events were immediately popular. It’s not uncommon
for their lines to stretch around city blocks. They are
happenings—and for good reason.
“It entertains, but what it does primarily, it reaches
you where you are,” Firestone says of The Moth. “The
difference between theater and storytelling, in a way, is that
you go into a theater with a somewhat critical eye. You go
into The Moth and you totally empathize. A storyteller
may falter, cry or whatever; somebody has referred to it
as ‘Like the whole audience is holding hands under the
table,’ because there’s a oneness to the [events].”
At the heart of The Moth: Open-mic StorySLAMs
that give anybody brave enough five minutes in front of a
crowd to tell their story—always around the evening’s
theme and always without notes; and the director-driven
Moth Mainstage events that feature scheduled speakers.
In 2009, the organization launched The Moth Radio
Hour, a now-weekly show that gives the world the chance
to take in some of the best stories to hit Moth stages.
The radio show won a 2010 Peabody Award—
broadcasting’s most prestigious honor. In 2012, it won the
auspicious MacArthur Genius Award, which included a
US$750,000 prize, making it possible for The Moth Radio
Hour to go weekly. Already “the fastest-growing public
radio program ever,” the show is now available through
mpiweb.org
April-Feature-Profile-Moth(1c).indd 61
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3/19/13 11:26 AM
ROBIN DAMORE
JOAN FIRESTONE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
about 250 stations, streaming online and as a podcast.
By the time Firestone was invited to become interim director, the organization had added ongoing events in many other
cities as well as tours. And The Moth, in many ways, had kicked
off the modern storytelling movement. The Moth added a hearty
dose of hip to a tradition usually associated with campfires and
folk music gatherings and helped turn
one of the world’s oldest forms of entertainment into one of the trendiest
buzzwords.
Moths head right to light. But
Firestone and the rest of The Moth
staff know that their moth has to be
carefully tended so as not to flame
out. Considering The Moth’s popularity these days, a lesser caretaker
might have just let things go wild. But
Firestone quickly became as fierce
(and proud) a guardian of The Moth
as she has always been of theater. The
organization already hosts storytelling in 20 cities and, though they’ve
got growth on the brain, the group is
being very careful.
“Our branding is what makes
The Moth,” she says. “The ability for
our brilliant directors [and producers]
to have direct impact on what kind of a venue we go to—how
the storytellers are chosen, trained and so forth. The same process will happen as we move into Europe in 2014.”
Part of that caretaking has also included introducing the
power of storytelling to people who don’t usually get heard.
“What I am almost most proud of about my time here is
that we introduced workshops for high school students and marginalized adults,” Firestone says.
The Moth Community Education Programs include MothSHOP training programs and The Moth High School
StorySLAM—it’s like a storytelling version of debate club.
“When you get a high school student, who has no peer relations and has never been called on to talk in the class, and put
her in a situation where she’s taught to craft a story and to deliver it, and it’s true and it’s personal and it belongs to her, she’s
already changed who she is,” Firestone says.
She adds: “I’ll never forget the first story I heard several years
ago of a young woman in the Bronx, who was very timid and
had no relations, and nobody knew why because it was all internalized. She worked in the workshop to craft a story and then
everybody found out that her father had died, and that he played
a very large role in the Bronx community. She lost her father, but
she also lost her connection to the community. That was restored
the minute she got up and told the story.”
Like all good stories, there’s an arc
to Firestone’s time with The Moth. She
promised to stay for three years—and
that draws to a close this month. One
of the board members, the former head
of individual funding at Jazz at Lincoln
Center, will step into the job.
But you can’t just walk away from
family, so Firestone will stay with The
Moth as a board member.
“We will probably have the smoothest transition in not-for-profit history,”
she says.
Along with that spot on the board,
what’s next for Firestone?
“I haven’t been to a gallery in a very
long time, and so I’m back to being a
New York citizen part of my time,” she
says. “I have worked probably six days
a week often nine-to-10 hours a day [for
a long time]. I am a senior citizen, so I
think I’m ready to relax a little.”
A nice story but, considering Firestone’s record, there’s a
strong chance she’ll end up reworking that last line.
“Whhen you get a high schhool
studdent,, whoo has no peer relations annd haas nevver been called
on to taalkk in the claass, andd put her
in a situuationn wheere sheʼs taught
to crraft a stoory annd to deliver it,
and itʼs trrue and ittʼs persoonal and
it beelonggs too her, sheʼs alrready
channgedd whoo she is.”
JENNA SCHNUEER is a regular contributor to One+ and other business and travel publications. Read more of her work at
jennaschnuer.com.
SARAH STACKE PHOTOGRAPHY
Trained to Tell
Put the power of storytelling to work at your
next meeting. Along with its events, radio show
and education programs, The Moth offers the
MothSHOP Corporate Training Program and
customized storytelling events. For more information contact Kate Tellers, producer of MothSHOP Corporate events, at kate@themoth.org.
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>
YOUR COMMUNITY
New Book Features MPI Research
Future of Meetings and CSR research commissioned by MPI and conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University has been included in the third edition of Conferences and Conventions: A Global
Industry, published by Routledge and written by Tony Rogers.
The final chapter, “The Future: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities,” refers to findings from
the award-winning State of CSR paper and the Future of Meetings: A Topline Analysis of the
Industry’s Opportunities and Potential report.
Other research on SMM and virtual events commissioned by MPI is included as well—demonstrating the critical importance of thought leadership initiatives being driven by the organization.
Chapter Gives Up Cell Phones
In February, the MPI Northern California Chapter (MPINCC) hosted a
charitable cell phone drive at its annual
conference and exhibition. All donations
benefitted Next Door, a local Bay Area
shelter that provides victims of domestic
violence in Santa Clara County with safe,
effective alternatives to a life of fear, danger and few options.
Thirty-four phones were collected on
site, along with pledges to donate another
25-plus phones after the event. Next
Door submits these phones to a local
non-profit recycling partner, where they
are then recycled in an environmentally
safe and responsible manner. Proceeds
benefit essential support programs for
victims of abuse and their families, such as
Next Door.
In the end, the event garnered awareness for the charity by exposing the worthy
cause to the more than 1,000 conference
attendees. Many attendees expressed a
desire to host their own cell phone drive
and get their businesses involved in raising
funds for Next Door.
The cell phone drive marks the third
major initiative of MPINCC’s 2012-2013
Community Involvement Committee. This
year, the committee wanted to attract MPINCC members on multiple levels, in the
hopes of obtaining more chapter engagement and participation in regards to the
community it serves. It is accomplishing
this in three main ways:
• Educating members about sustainable conferences, with a behindthe-scenes tour of one of the most
green meetings in the U.S.: Oracle
Openworld.
• Creating opportunities to give
back to the community without
requiring time out of the office, such
as ‘drives’ in conjunction with an
MPI event.
• A hands-on project for those that
want to have a direct impact on the
community through active volunteerism. This will be the last project
of the year, with Project Homeless
Connect.
Get Involved and Volunteer With MPI
Online applications for those looking to serve on an MPI committee, advisory
council or task force for 2013-2014 will open April 1. Members currently serving on MPI committees, advisory councils and task forces will not need to
complete new applications.
Volunteer evaluation and interest forms for current volunteers will be distributed in early April, and all member appointments will be finalized by late
May. Newly appointed members will assume positions July 1.
Apply at www.mpiweb.org. For more information, contact Janice Parker at
(972) 702-3048 or jparker@mpiweb.org. Applications for international service
are due by 9 p.m. CDT, April 19.
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>>
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Economic Impact Studies at the Forefront
In mid March, the MPI Foundation announced the first of the U.K. Economic
Impact Study (UKEIS) results at International Confex. Spearheaded by the Foundation, the research was undertaken by the
International Centre for Research in Events,
Tourism and Hospitality (ICRETH) at Leeds
Metropolitan University on behalf of the
U.K. meetings industry.
Some key profile findings include:
• More than 1.3 million meetings took
place in the U.K. in 2011, attracting 116.1 million attendees, who
accounted for spending more than
US$20 billion.
• Meetings took place in 10,127 meeting venues across the U.K.
• More than 81 percent of meetings
were held for the corporate sector.
• The largest expense for meeting
organizations in the U.K. was venue
hire (17.4 percent)
For more in-depth information about the
UKEIS, visit www.mpiweb.org/UKEIS.
The Canadian Economic Impact Study
(CEIS) 3.0 is now under way. CEIS 3.0
will be a continuation of reporting first
published in the Canadian Economic Impact Study released in 2008 and updated
in 2009.
The goal of CEIS 3.0 is to quantify the
value delivered by the business events industry to their communities and economy, both
on a national and provincial level, in an
effort to have the meeting sector recognized
as a distinct and credible economic activity
within the Canadian economy.
Take Advantage of Scholarship Opportunities
The MPI Foundation is continually reinvesting money into the industry through grants, a
number of research studies and scholarships. The Foundation has a new sponsor for five
scholarships thanks to Hello! Destination Management. These scholarships offer corporate
planners the opportunity to attend the World Education Congress (WEC) 2013 in Las Vegas.
In addition to this new opportunity, the Foundation is also offering many other scholarships to assist with WEC 2013. There are six ConferenceDirect registration scholarships, two
Hard Rock Café International corporate planner scholarships and four MPI Toronto Chapter
Canadian member registration scholarships.
The Foundation also offers new MPI member scholarships from HelmsBriscoe and Disney Destinations—each offering three per month. There is also the Anna Lee Chabot-Crowne Plaza Hotels CMP
scholarship for Canadian members and the Larry Lee Memorial scholarship for IMEX America 2013.
To learn more about and apply for these scholarships, please visit www.mpiweb.org/MPIF/Scholarships.
INVESTORS The MPI Foundation thanks the following organizations and individuals for their generous support.
INVESTORS
Thought Leader
Freeman AV
Gaylord Entertainment
IHG
IMEX
Jumeirah
Marriott International
PSAV
Wyndham Hotel Group
INNOVATOR
Caesars Entertainment
Dallas CVB
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Rosen Hotels and Resorts
San Francisco Travel
Universal Orlando
ADVOCATE
Abu Dhabi Tourism Culture Authority
AT&T Park
AVT Event Technologies
Caesars Windsor
Canadian Tourism Commission
Las Vegas CVA
Loews
Mediasite by Sonic Foundry
GATEKEEPER
Benchmark Hospitality
MGM Resorts International
Reed Travel Exhibition
ASSOCIATE
Coast Hotels & Resorts
Fort Worth CVB
Visit Phoenix
CONTRIBUTOR
D.E. Systems Ltd
Visit Denver
CHAPTERS
Arizona Sunbelt
Chicago Area
Middle Pennsylvania
Montréal & Québec
Northern California
Ohio
Orange County
Philadelphia Area
Potomac (D.C. Area)
Rocky Mountain
Tampa Bay Area
U.K. and Ireland
Washington State
mpiweb.org
pg64-65 MPI Foundation.indd 65
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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
>
Tech Decisions
BY SAMANTHA DIXON, JACKIE MULLIGAN AND REINHOLD BEHRINGER
Meeting professionals see many challenges as they look to the future of events,
and one of the biggest is how to make better technology decisions in the face of so
many options. With that in mind, consider this flowchart based on MPI’s research
when considering new tech options.
WHY SHOULD
WE INVEST IN
TECHNOLOGY?
- MORE DISTRIBUTED MEETINGS & EVENTS
- MORE TABLETS AT EVENTS
- PERSONALIZED INFORMATION FOR DELEGATES
- MORE LIVE INTERACTIVE EVENTS
- MORE MOBILE APPS FOR USE AT EVENTS
WHAT’S NEXT?
HOW CAN THE RISKS
BE MANAGED?
- MORAL AND ETHICAL POLICIES
- SCALABILITY
- LONGEVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
- INNOVATION & LEADERSHIP
- RELIABILITY
- BRAND IMAGE
one+
- IDENTIFY THE RISKS
- IDENTIFY HOW MUCH OF A RISK
YOU CAN AFFORD TO TAKE
- REDUCED OPERATIONAL & INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS
- FLEX, RELIABLE & SCALABLE
- ADAPTABLE TO NEW APPLICATION AREAS
- LINKS WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING
- BASE FOR SHARING
- LACK OF CONTROL
LEASE OR BUY?
REDUCING AND
ACCEPTING THE RISK
66
AIM TO BE FUTURE READY RATHER THAN FUTURE PROOF
ASK THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS
WORKING IN
THE CLOUD
- TOTAL COSTS
- OUT OF/UP-TO-DATE TECHNOLOGY
- DEPRECIATION COSTS
- TAX BENEFITS
- OWNERSHIP ISSUES
- ADD “WOW” FACTOR
- EFFICIENCY AND COST SAVINGS
- REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT
- ENHANCE COMMUNICATION
- INCREASE FLEXIBILITY
- MEET CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
- THREATS & OPPORTUNITIES
- LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE
- HAVE A BACK-UP
- DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS
04.13
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Pages 68-69
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Pages 70-71
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Pages 72-73
ARIA Resort & Casino
Pages 74-75
Station Casinos
Pages 76-77
Circus Circus Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
Pages 78-79
Caesars Entertainment
Gaming Supplement 0413.indd 67
GAMING
MP I’S 2 0 1 3 GU IDE
3/20/13 9:30 AM
MPI’S MEETING GUIDE TO GAMING
2013
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
theborgata.com
Borgata has been recognized for its
outstanding work servicing meetings,
incentive travel programs, trade
shows and conventions by readers
of some of the industry’s most highly
regarded trade publications.
When you need a place with a proven track record for
brilliant meetings, the smart choice is Borgata Hotel
Casino & Spa and The Water Club. Escape, play and
engage in an atmosphere where inspiration comes
naturally. Whether you’re planning an event for 30 or
3,000 attendees, both have the service and amenities
to accommodate your needs in style. Here top-shelf
amenities and superb dining meet sophisticated and
technologically rich convention facilities.
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Find 70,000 square feet of flexible function space
with first-class service and amenities perfect for any
type of seminar, from sales and executive meetings to
regional conferences, trade shows and grand galas.
Hold a large conference at The Event Center, a column-free event space with audiovisual technology, a
full banquet menu and flexible meeting functionality.
Or book The Music Box if you need stage and stadium
seating for up to 1,000 guests. MIXX, a high-energy
nightclub, can hold receptions for up to 550 while
mur.mur, a cozy club, offers seating for up to 300.
Your downtime begins with 2,800 well-appointed
guest rooms, each a stunning and sumptuous retreat.
Between The Water Club at Borgata and Borgata
Hotel Casino & Spa there are so many ways for some
TLC with two spas, five indoor/outdoor pools and
five boutique shopping experiences. There are five
signature restaurants for the ultimate dining experience brought to you by world class chefs Bobby Flay,
Wolfgang Puck, Stephen Kalt and Michael Schulson,
along with The Water Club’s Lifestyle Culinary Consultant Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian—offering everything
from chic Italian, modern Japanese and upscale steaks
to contemporary American cuisine. Of course, the
excitement never stops at Borgata’s 161,000-squarefoot casino.
Close proximity to the Atlantic City International
Airport, Rail Terminal and Municipal Bus Terminal
makes getting here as effortless as being here or planning the perfect event. Borgata has been recognized
for its outstanding work servicing meetings, incentive
travel programs, trade shows and conventions by
readers of some of the industry’s most highly regarded
trade publications. Whether you’re slated for a small
or large gathering, professional staff will assist you
with all of your event planning needs.
Connect with a Borgata or Water Club meeting
planner to bring your innovative and inspirational
gathering to life. Whatever your industry, find all your
needs anticipated when you hold a meeting at this
fully integrated resort.
SUPPLEMENT
3/20/13 9:30 AM
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MPI’S MEETING GUIDE TO GAMING
2013
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
seminolehardrockhollywood.com
Ready to rock the meetings world…the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino features all the amenities
you need to roll out your next event and make it a
chart-topping hit! Whether orchestrating a meeting,
wedding or special event, our premier resort destination sets the stage for an encore performance!
Whether orchestrating a meeting,
wedding or special event, our
premier resort destination sets the
stage for an encore performance!
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Beyond our 500 stylish and spacious guest rooms
and suites are 40,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including a 16,000-square-foot grand ballroom
divisible into eight sections and several smaller rooms
for breakouts or board meetings. A 7,000-square-foot
poolside function area is also available.
Affording all the action you crave, the 140,000square-foot casino features 95 table games from
Blackjack and Mini-Baccarat to Three-Card Poker and
more than 2,600 of the most popular slots. High-end
gaming rooms for both slots and table games and the
Plum VIP Lounge offer Player’s Club Members with
Elite and Exclusive status a lavish experience. A nonsmoking gaming room also offers a variety of slots
and blackjack tables. Poker players can experience the
thrill of top tournament play at our award-winning
Poker Room that includes more than 40 tables offering various games and tournaments of Limit and No
Limit Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo and 7-Card Stud.
Rock stars, or guests who want to live like one,
can get pampered at the Rock Spa or bask in the
sun by a 4.5-acre lagoon-style pool. When it’s time
to tantalize your taste buds, there is a compilation of
culinary delights to choose from including Council
Oak Steaks & Seafood offering genuine, 100 percent
U.S.D.A. prime, dry-aged stockyard beef, the freshest
line-caught seafood from local waters and king crab
legs flown in fresh from the Bering Sea. Council Oak
also features an extensive wine-by-the-glass selection
and intimate wine-bar seating. Zagat also bestowed
the restaurant with a “Very Good to Excellent” rating
in “Food, Service and Décor.”
Just outside the casino doors, Seminole Paradise
fuses 20 shops, 11 restaurants, 11 bars and lounges.
Listen to international piano entertainers at Piano, let
loose at The Swamp Bar & Lounge, dance the night
away at Passion, Pangaea and Gryphon, catch a laugh
at the Improv or rock out at the multi-purpose Hard
Rock Live, suitable for large exhibitions, concerts and
sporting events.
Each experience is supported by Seminole Hard
Rock’s mission and motto: “Love all, serve all.”
For more information, call (954) 327-7625 or visit
www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.
SUPPLEMENT
3/20/13 9:31 AM
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MPI’S MEETING GUIDE TO GAMING
2013
ARIA Resort & Casino
arialasvegas.com
The resort features more than
300,000 square feet of space
including four ballrooms ranging in
size from 20,000 to 51,000 square
feet, three with fully functioning
theatrical stages.
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Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip,
ARIA Resort & Casino is a AAA Five Diamond
Award-winning destination that is different by
design.
As a resort with LEED Gold certification, ARIA
offers technologically advanced meeting and prefunction space, designed to bring the outdoor elements in. Your group will breathe clean, refreshing air
and enjoy the illumination of beautiful natural light
throughout three levels of flexible space. The resort
features more than 300,000 square feet of space
including four ballrooms ranging in size from 20,000
to 51,000 square feet, three with fully functioning
theatrical stages. Each level offers additional breakout meeting rooms from 800 to 3,400 square feet to
host smaller programs. Two executive boardrooms are
designed for intimate meetings with intricate presentation requirements such as videoconferencing and
incredible technology, taking production and execution to a new level.
The guest rooms and suites offer custom furnishings, lavish amenities, expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and integrated technologies, allowing guests to
customize their room features.
ARIA has assembled an impressive collection of
the world’s most critically acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs, including Masa Takayama, Shawn McClain,
Michael Mina, Julian Serrano, Jean-Georges Vongerichten
and Sirio Maccioni. Guests can also enjoy ARIA’s dynamic collection of lounges, bars and nightclubs.
At the entertainment centerpiece of ARIA, the
visionary creative team at Cirque du Soleil ® presents
ZarkanaTM, a visually stunning acrobatic spectacular. Set
in a world where physical ability meets the extraordinary, Zarkana is a spellbinding extravaganza that defies
the possible and will leave guests breathless.
The resort also features a luxurious Spa & Salon,
a fitness center, outdoor pools, an impressive casino
floor and extraordinary shopping. With spectacular
public spaces, world-class amenities and endless
temptations, ARIA Resort & Casino provides the premier meeting experience.
For information, contact (866) 718-2489 or
meetings@arialasvegas.com.
SUPPLEMENT
3/27/13 12:32 PM
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MPI’S MEETING GUIDE TO GAMING
2013
Station Casinos
rrgvr.com
Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa
and Casino and Red Rock Casino,
Resort and Spa are where luxury
meets fun in Las Vegas.
Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa and Casino and Red
Rock Casino, Resort and Spa are where luxury meets
fun in Las Vegas. Both resorts have earned the AAA
Four Diamond Award, and are members of Preferred
Hotels Group. Both provide unmatched levels of
exceptional amenities and service. Their highly professional staffs are dedicated to exceeding the needs
of your meeting or event. Each resort is located just
minutes away from McCarran International Airport
and the Las Vegas Strip.
“Excellent service is why we’ve brought our event
back to Green Valley Ranch for the past 10 years in a
row,” said Brian Sullivan of Great American Expo.
Green Valley Ranch offers a selection of awardwinning restaurants. You’ll find Hank’s Fine Steaks &
Martinis, Terra Verde Authentic Italian cuisine, SUSHI
+ SAKE, China Spice, Tides Oyster Bar, The Feast
Buffet, the 24-hour Grand Café, Turf Grill and a food
court featuring popular name-brand outlets.
Red Rock Resort features T-bones Chophouse and
Lounge, Terra Rossa Italian Restaurant, Hachi Modern
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Japanese, The Yard House, LBS: A Burger Joint, Lucille’s
Smokehouse Bar-B-Que (coming in 2013), the 24-hour
Grand Café, Feast Buffet, Sandbar Poolside Café and a
food court featuring popular name-brand outlets.
Both resorts have ample meeting space—65,000
square feet at Green Valley Ranch Resort and 94,000
square feet at Red Rock Resort. You’re sure to find the
perfect fit for any occasion.
Green Valley Ranch has 30 meeting rooms, including four ballrooms, the largest of which seats 2,300
guests. The sprawling Backyard features four separate
event locations and can accommodate private events
of up to 4,500 people.
Red Rock Resort offers many meeting rooms
with views of the sandbar pool backyard area. Four
ballrooms ranging from 5,000 square feet to 20,000
square feet can be converted into up to 21 rooms,
with 10 breakout rooms.
The guest rooms at both Green Valley Ranch and
Red Rock combine stylish luxury with all of the modern
amenities, including high-speed Internet access. Plus,
they both offer stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip
and their beautiful pool areas. The spacious standard
rooms are at least 500 square feet. And both resorts
boast some of the best suites in all of Las Vegas.
Great dining, friendly gaming, beautiful accommodations and personal service can always be found
at Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa & Casino and Red
Rock Casino, Resort & Spa. As the signature properties of the Station Casinos family, they represent
everything you could want from a Las Vegas getaway.
SUPPLEMENT
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MPI’S MEETING GUIDE TO GAMING
2013
Circus Circus Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
circuscircus.com
Looking for the best bet on the Las Vegas Strip? You’ll
always come out a winner at Circus Circus Las Vegas
Hotel and Casino. A Las Vegas icon located on the
Strip and featuring diverse meeting space, unbeatable
value, newly remodeled rooms and exhilarating entertainment will make your next meeting unforgettable.
Expert meeting planners can arrange events for up
to 500 guests no matter what the occasion. Circus
Circus Hotel Casino Meeting & Convention Facilities
have more than 21,400 square feet of fully functional
and flexible meeting, convention and banquet space
ideal for corporate events and promotions, meetings
and other business-minded functions.
Salon meeting spaces can be transformed and
customized for classroom- and theater-style seating.
For a more secluded option, Skyrise Tower meeting
rooms are located far from the casino action. A more
intimate option for meetings is the Executive Suite.
With two stories and a capacity of 150 people the
space is ideal for a meeting or small cocktail reception, including in-room catering and event services.
Meeting rooms vary from 400 to 8,579 square feet.
The resort also boasts 3,773 newly remodeled
rooms and suites, three full-size casinos, seven restaurants, seven bars and lounges, two swimming pools,
a wedding chapel, a Zagat-rated steakhouse, free
world-class circus acts and a lively carnival Midway.
The resort is also home to the world’s largest indoor
theme park, The Adventuredome, a five-acre indoor
park offering the perfect setting for any themed
event, day or night, with fun filled rides for thrill seekers of all ages. The Adventuredome is fully enclosed,
climate controlled and can accommodate up to 5,000
guests for a customized event.
Circus Circus is a recipient of the 4 Green Key rating from Green Key Global (GKG), the largest sustainable operations certification group in the world. The
Green Key rating is for environmental conservation.
GKG designates ratings to hotels that exemplify the
highest standards of environmental and social responsibility throughout their properties.
Bring your next business meeting under the Big Top.
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SUPPLEMENT
3/20/13 9:34 AM
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MPI’S MEETING GUIDE TO GAMING
2013
Caesars Entertainment
cetmeetings.com
contract them all separately—it’s conveniently consolidated into one contract, and it all counts toward a
single F&B minimum.
Enjoy elite perks and privileges. You’re a VIP, and
our Meeting Diamond program shows you how much
we appreciate you and value your business. You’ll enjoy VIP check-in, access to private Diamond Lounges,
complimentary use of fitness facilities and guaranteed
priority services at business centers, restaurants and
more! As an added bonus, planners can designate key
staff members and VIPs to enjoy Diamond status as
well.
Be rewarded with Total Rewards Meetings & Events,
a fully-integrated extension of Caesars Entertainment’s award-winning Total Rewards loyalty program.
Earn Reward Credits for meetings at any Caesars
Entertainment U.S. property, and redeem them by
rewarding yourself with something you’ve always
wanted, or apply toward future meetings programs.
Caesars Entertainment offers unparalleled diversity
from coast to coast. With one call or email, access
nearly 40 properties in 20 destinations, with 1.5
million square feet of meeting space and more than
42,000 guest rooms and suites.
In addition, no matter where you do business,
when you work with us you’ll experience the advantages of our unique organizational structure and
enjoy a host of benefits not available anywhere else.
We entirely rethought the way we do business.
The result? One team united nationwide, committed
to giving you a successful meeting experience. Our
in-market salespeople live and work in the communities where you live and work, providing dedicated
local contacts that can get to know you, understand
your needs and provide access to our entire portfolio.
Our local salespeople work at our properties and serve
local groups, giving you the best of both worlds!
Mix and match properties and venues within
a destination. Hold your opening reception in a
nightclub, your general session in a ballroom and dinner in a restaurant. There’s no need to negotiate and
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Be environmentally responsible, and feel good
knowing you’re working with an organization committed to environmental stewardship. In fact, we were
recently honored with the 2012 Silver IMEX GMIC
Green Supplier Award.
JUST THE FACTS:
• Nearly 40 properties across the U.S. in locations
such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Lake Tahoe,
New Orleans and Tunica, Mississippi
• Brands include Caesars, Harrah’s, Horseshoe,
Paris, Planet Hollywood, Flamingo and more
• A total of 1.5 million square feet of meeting
and event space and 42,000 rooms and suites
• One call or email gets you access to all of our
properties nationwide, with one contact, one
contract and one F&B minimum
• Enjoy unparalleled benefits with Total Rewards
Meetings & Events as well as our Meeting Diamond program
For more information, call (855) MEET-CET, email
meet@caesars.com or visit cetmeetings.com.
SUPPLEMENT
3/20/13 9:35 AM
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MPI STRATEGIC PARTNERS
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
GLOBAL PARTNERS
MPI MARKETSMART BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
TM
PREMIER PARTNERS
SIGNATURE PARTNERS
PREFERRED PARTNERS
CHOICE PARTNERS
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SPECIAL SECTION
Southeast
PAGES 82-83
Visit Orlando
PAGES 84-85
Myrtle Beach Area CVB
PAGES 86-87
Visit Florida
PAGES 88-89
Norfolk CVB
PAGES 90-91
Greater Miami CVB
PAGES 92-93
Country Music Hall of Fame
PAGES 94-95
Virginia Beach CVB
PAGES 96-97
Myrtle Beach Convention Center
PAGES 98-99
Greenville CVB
PAGE 100
Greensboro Area CVB
PAGE 101
Greater Raleigh CVB
PAGE 102
Oceanaire Resort Hotel
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Visit Orlando
orlandomeeting.com
I
In 2011, Orlando welcomed a record 55.1
million leisure and business travelers, and
expects to exceed that record and maintain its
position as the country’s top destination when
final figures for 2012 are released this spring.
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ndustry veteran George Armando Aguel has
recently been named the new president and
CEO for what’s considered the nation’s premier
destination marketing organization, Visit Orlando.
No stranger to the tourism industry, Aguel has
spent more than 35 years in executive-level sales
and marketing positions, most recently as senior vice
president of global corporate alliances and operating participants at The Walt Disney Company, where
he led worldwide management for the company’s
strategic corporate alliance agreements across all
business units of the company. Aguel also served as
senior vice president of worldwide sales and services
for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for more than two
decades, as well as general manager of The Disney
Institute.
“With extensive experience in both leisure and
business travel, George is perfectly positioned to
seamlessly direct our organization’s three-year strategic plan, as well as further enhance Visit Orlando’s
positioning in the marketplace,” said Paul Mears III,
chair of the Visit Orlando board of directors.
Throughout his career, Aguel has proven himself to be a leader in the industry, as well as in the
community. He has twice been recognized as one
of the “25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and
Marketing” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, and is among a select group
of industry professionals to receive the Academy of
Leaders Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and be inducted into the
Convention Liaison Council Hall of Leaders. He’s also
an ASAE Fellow and recipient of the Professional
Convention Management Association Professional
Achievement Award and the APEX award from Black
Meetings & Tourism. He has served as chairman of
Meeting Professionals International and as a board
member for numerous industry groups.
“After nearly 23 years as an Orlando resident, my
desire to serve this community has never been stronger,” said Aguel. “The Visit Orlando team leads the
industry in collaborating with member partners and
community partners to market our region around
the globe. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to
lead this highly respected team toward ensuring that
Orlando not only remains the vibrant travel brand it
is today, but continues to be positioned for prosperity in the decades to come.”
In 2011, Orlando welcomed a record 55.1 million
leisure and business travelers, and expects to exceed
that record and maintain its position as the country’s top destination when final figures for 2012 are
released this spring.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Myrtle Beach Area CVB
myrtlebeachmeetings.com
Known for its 60 miles of
pristine beaches, gracious
Southern hospitality and
a relaxed, comfortable
pace, the Myrtle Beach
area is an ideal setting
where business and pleasure go hand-in-hand.
M
yrtle Beach, South Carolina, is
where business meets pleasure!
Known for its 60 miles of pristine
beaches, gracious Southern hospitality and a
relaxed, comfortable pace, the Myrtle Beach
area is an ideal setting where business and
pleasure go hand-in-hand. In recent years, we
have added new upscale properties with plenty
of room accommodations, over-the-top meeting space, spectacular views and more.
Here are some of the top reasons to choose
the Myrtle Beach Area for your next meeting.
• Upscale Accommodations & Meeting
Facilities: You’ll find our chic ambience
and nostalgic flair are as refreshing as
our boutique hotels and properties. With
exceptional conference hotels, our accommodations and facilities are designed to
exceed the needs of travelers who are
accustomed to the very best. Complementing our accommodations and facilities is
the Myrtle Beach Convention Center with
250,000 square feet of flexible meeting
and exhibit space along with the Sheraton
Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel.
• Travel Accessibility: Getting here is easy,
whether you fly or drive. Myrtle Beach
International Airport is served by six major
airline carriers (Allegiant, United, Delta, Porter, Spirit and US Airways), with direct service from more than 20 major U.S. cities.
• Grow Attendance: With proven success
in growing group attendance, Myrtle Beach
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is also known for its pristine beaches, gracious Southern hospitality, ocean breezes
and a sunny and mild year-round climate,
with an average temperature of 74 degrees.
Watch your meeting numbers climb to new
heights.
• Entertainment and Recreation Options:
Play endless rounds of championship golf
on more than 100 golf courses. Unwind
with an abundance of sizzling nightlife and
amazing live entertainment choices. Discover
new gourmet delights and authentic Coastal
Carolina cuisine with dining options ranging from casual to fine dining. Explore and
deepen relationships with adventurous teambuilding activities and lively outdoor recreation options. Spend free-time shopping at
our outlet malls and local specialty boutiques.
Relax on one of our many beautiful beaches
and dream of next year’s meeting.
• Superior CVB Support: Planners are our
first and foremost priority, and we pride
ourselves in finding a way to deliver to meet
and exceed your expectations, for whatever
your group’s desire. We value your time and
want to make you successful.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is the chic
new destination choice for groups expecting only the best. For more information contact Danna Lilly, CMP, director of sales for the
Myrtle Beach Area CVB, at (843) 626-7444 or
Danna.Lilly@VisitMyrtleBeach.com.
Visit www.MyrtleBeachMeetings.com.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
VISIT FLORIDA
floridameetings.com
M
UST BE THE SUNSHINE… Florida
Meetings
The business of planning a meeting is anything but business as usual in the Sunshine State, where endless attractions, miles of
beaches and a cosmopolitan energy blended
with tropical relaxation keep things interesting
before, during and after meetings.
Meanwhile, meeting facilities in Florida continue to exceed industry standards and encompass everything from the nation’s second-largest convention center to trendsetting exhibit
halls and innovative conference venues that
break new ground in technological capabilities.
Hotels and resorts in Florida also get down to
business with state-of-the-art meeting space,
The business of planning
a meeting is anything
but business as usual
in the Sunshine State,
where endless attractions,
miles of beaches and
a cosmopolitan energy
blended with tropical
relaxation keep things
interesting before, during
and after meetings.
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outstanding rooms that meet every corporate
and leisure requirement and expert personnel
who make sure things run smoothly, from the
largest meeting down to the solo VIP business
or incentive traveler.
It’s a level of quality many planners have
come to expect in the Sunshine State. Yet
when it comes to unique venues for breakout
sessions and receptions, planners also appreciate the unexpected, and Florida delivers with
sites that include historic theaters, avant-garde
museums, sports stadiums, sun-splashed gardens and attractions galore.
All work and no play, though, can make
meeting delegates a bit restless, but a little
down time should get their spirits up. Private
charters on the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico or
paddling the state’s inland waterways are great
ways to recharge after a day in sessions. Shell
hunting and sunbathing are also popular along
the gold- and white-sand beaches that fringe
the shoreline for 1,200 miles. But for many
attendees, the preferred color is green, and
with its perpetually mild weather and scores of
challenging golf courses, Florida is on par with
the world’s top golf destinations.
Meanwhile, whether delegates feel like
power buying, bargain hunting or just browsing, Florida’s retail landscape includes designer
boutiques, whimsical souvenir shops, themed
malls and al fresco shopping promenades that
showcase the state’s balmy breezes and waterfront vistas.
And remember, you can have your meeting and eat well too, at restaurants that reflect
nearly every taste on the planet, from the Deep
South to South America.
In fact, with so much to see and experience
in the Sunshine State, attendees may find they
don’t have time to soak it all in, so be sure to
offer a few post-meeting itinerary options.
Whether they bring family along or just want
to spend a few more days in the sun, the
adventure is just beginning when the meeting
ends in Florida.
For more information on hosting your
next meeting or event in the Sunshine State,
contact Cheryl Hatcher, director of marketing
and events, at chatcher@VISITFLORIDA.org or
FloridaMeetings.com.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Norfolk CVB
visitnorfolktoday.com
The city’s central location, on the Eastern seaboard
and mere hours from two-thirds of the U.S.
population, make it not only a snap to reach, but
easy on the budget.
N
orfolk, the Heart of the Virginia
Waterfront, is a city known for its
scenic waterways, lush landscape,
thriving port, historic sites, moderate climate
and diverse outdoor, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The city’s central location,
on the Eastern seaboard and mere hours from
two-thirds of the U.S. population, make it not
only a snap to reach, but easy on the budget.
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Norfolk offers an international airport and
Amtrak train service.
Groups are accommodated in a wide variety of hotels. Norfolk’s downtown hotels are
within walking distance to the city’s most
popular attractions, including the city’s famed
“restaurant row” located on Granby Street,
the Chrysler Glass Studio, Battleship Wisconsin and Nauticus, to name a few.
Many of the city’s famed cultural centers,
historic theaters, museums, zoo and river
cruises double as alternative meeting venues.
Planners looking for a more traditional meeting or event space have all that they need in
Norfolk. Hotels provide over 5,000 rooms for
visitors and more than 500,000 square feet of
total meeting space, complete with the latest
in modern audio and visual equipment.
Sign up for one of Norfolk’s culinary tours!
With many options to choose from, you can
taste a sampling of Norfolk’s various culinary
delights, plus a chance to see historic sites
between stops. Norfolk has become well
known for its wide variety of cuisine and is
home to more than 80 chef-owned restaurants in the downtown area. Downtown
isn’t the only place to find eclectic entrees. A
whole host of restaurants dot the streets of
Ghent, the historic Freemason district, Ocean
View and other areas of the city. Norfolk is
also home to Virginia’s first urban winery, the
Mermaid Winery and new breweries.
Getting around the city has never been
easier with the debut of Virginia’s first light
rail system, “The Tide.” The Tide makes several stops throughout the city at Norfolk’s
most noted attractions, restaurants and retail
shops.
Norfolk’s location makes for easy day
trips to Virginia Beach’s beautiful oceanfront,
Colonial Williamsburg & Busch Gardens or the
Outer Banks of North Carolina, among others.
For additional information, call (800) 3683097, or visit www.visitnorfolktoday.com.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Greater Miami CVB
miamimeetings.com
Play in the surf. Play beach volleyball. Play
a round on the Blue Monster. Soak in the sun.
Build a sand palace. Shop for a whole new look
from the world’s largest collection of designer
boutiques. Café-hop along legendary Ocean
Drive or drink in the mural-covered walls of
Wynwood.
Sail the bay at sunset. Jog the boardwalk
at dawn. Tour restored MiMo (Miami Modern)
architectural treasures by moped. Eat dinner at
midnight, or breakfast at noon—al fresco.
If you’re looking for the most exciting, outstanding,
sensuous and memorable site to hold your next
meeting, three short words say it all: It’s So Miami.
L
ooking for the ideal meeting destination? It’s So Miami.
In a world filled with gathering
places, one seems to be on everyone’s lips.
Miami. It’s a true original. A destination that
defies categorizing, but invites rhapsodizing.
It’s spectacular beaches, world-class boutiques, the most trending hotels, clubs and
restaurants. It’s state-of-the-art performing arts
centers, a bustling downtown, major sports
venues, the 650,000-square-foot Miami Beach
Convention Center, two national parks and a
convergence of cultures unmatched in America.
It’s half tropical playground, half metropolis. Half art, architecture and music incubator,
half roadside attraction. Half nostalgic, half
futuristic. Half rooftop plunge pool, half ecowonderland and half global business capital.
But that’s only the halves of it. To get the
whole picture, you need to experience this
place. No tweetstream, blog post, executive
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summary or feature article can capture what
makes Miami so uniquely meeting-worthy.
You’ll find colors are brighter here. Tastes
are sweeter. Breezes, balmier. Time is more
fluid. Life, more relaxed. And meetings are
somehow amazingly more productive.
Just be sure to plan in plenty of beforeand-after-the-event time. Because whenever
they’ve got downtime, your attendees will be
itching to venture out. Everywhere they go
here, there’s something to explore—a burst
of exotic orchids, a brilliant colored macaw,
a fantastic new popup restaurant, a thoughtprovoking gallery show.
Refreshing experiences wait at every turn.
Sip a coconut through a straw. Savor a delicioso Cuban coffee, made fresh on almost any
block. Taste tropical fusion cuisine that’s setting
trends around the world, pastries that redefine
sweet and cocktails shaken to the beat of 24/7
nightlife.
Oh yeah, and all the meeting logistics you
need, too.
Miami’s hotels sported nearly 50,000 guest
rooms at last count. Our grand dames remain
forever young thanks to billions of dollars of
renovations, and in recent years they’ve been
joined by notable brand-new hotels flying
famous flags from around the globe.
Downtown, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut
Grove, Doral, Aventura and Miami Beach now
offer a huge array of accommodations, while
South Beach remains home to the world’s largest collection of restored Art Deco, Art Nouveau and intimate boutique hotels.
And you certainly won’t go hungry
here. New standout restaurants open each
month, sharing the stage with Miami’s worldrenowned superstars and homegrown classics.
With more than 5,000 eateries now on the
menu, choosing where to eat next is the real
challenge.
And when it comes to coming and going,
Miami’s got it going on. A decades-long
investment in transportation infrastructure
has made it easier than ever to get here and
to get around town. Miami International Airport boasts new terminals and high-speed
train service that whisks travelers from plane
to baggage claim and on to MIA’s new intermodal center—where groups can find rental
cars, taxis and limos, and public transportation all waiting for them in one convenient
place.
No doubt about it. If you’re looking for
the most exciting, outstanding, sensuous and
memorable site to hold your next meeting,
three short words say it all: It’s So Miami.
Visit miamimeetings.com or call (305)
539-3071 to learn more and to order your free
Meeting Planner Guide.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Country Music Hall of Fame
®
countrymusichalloffame.org/expansion-spaces
With the addition of
incredible new event
spaces, the institution is
positioning itself as an
important haven for those
wishing to experience a
one-of-a-kind meeting
environment—one set in
the heart of Nashville’s
crown jewel.
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W
ith the major expansion of the
Country Music Hall of Fame and
Museum in Nashville, Tennessee,
the city not only confirms itself as a major cultural asset but it continues to prove itself as one
of the country’s foremost meeting destinations.
The museum will more than double in
size, greatly increasing museum galleries and
archive areas. With the addition of incredible
new event spaces, the institution is positioning itself as an important haven for those
wishing to experience a one-ofa-kind meeting environment—
one set in the heart of Nashville’s
crown jewel.
The vision of a downtown
arts and entertainment campus,
which includes the museum, the
Schermerhorn Symphony Center,
the new Music City Center and
the Omni Hotel, has been guided under the
stewardship of Mayor Karl Dean.
“Since the museum opened in 2001, it has
become one of Nashville’s signature cultural
assets and a key economic engine,” Dean said
as the museum’s capital campaign launched.
The city has committed more than $30 million
to the expansion itself, revealing its unshakable
belief in the future of the institution.
Key to that future will be the new event
spaces within the museum, which include
the new, state-of-the-art, 800-seat CMA Theater; the breathtaking 10,000-square-foot,
glass-enclosed Event Hall overlooking the
downtown Nashville skyline; and connecting
outdoor Carlton Terrace, among others. These
will complement and build upon the popular,
award-winning spaces such as the Curb Conservatory, the Hall of Fame Rotunda and the
Ford Theater.
The CMA Theater will be a peerless Music
City venue for live concert performances. This
surprisingly intimate, 17,000-square-foot concert hall is designed for optimal acoustics and
will offer an unparalleled listening experience.
This unique space will be highly
adaptable, providing a perfect
setting for educational programs, fundraising events, panel
discussions, press conferences,
television broadcasts, sales meetings and much more.
This cutting-edge venue will
also feature 13,000 square feet
of high-capacity pre-function space on three
levels—main, mid-balcony and balcony. These
spaces will be ideal for receptions, networking, event registration and meet-and-greets as
anticipation builds outside the CMA Theater.
A flexible setting, the pre-function space may
also accommodate banquet dinners and receptions, or even silent auctions, trade shows or
event merchandise sales.
With the largest collection of country music
artifacts in the world, and the new expanded
footprint, the Country Music Hall of Fame and
Museum and the city of Nashville are becoming
partners in a cultural venture that has no limit.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Virginia Beach CVB
visitvirginiabeach.com
The CVB is excited
to offer groups the
opportunity to be
matched with a local
or international
charity or non-profit
organization seeking
voluntary support.
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V
irginia Beach is perfectly located in the
midst of a bustling metropolitan city
and on the edge of a dramatic coastline, providing the perfect backdrop for meetings, conventions and conferences. Boasting
the first convention center in the country to
achieve LEED Gold certification for Existing
Buildings, this world-class facility can hold
any size meeting imaginable with more than
500,000 gross square feet. Energy-saving lighting and HVAC systems, an extremely active
recycling and compost program and locally
grown, sustainable, organic ingredients and
meals all underscore the convention center’s
lead in hosting green meetings and reflect Virginia Beach’s tireless commitment to ecological stewardship. The facility offers the latest in
wired and wireless communications technologies including a wood-paneled, state-of-theart ballroom that utilizes programmable LED
lighting to provide innovative special effects
lighting.
The opportunity to improve the community
is being extended to groups planning a trip
to Virginia Beach. The CVB is excited to offer
groups the opportunity to be matched with
a local or international charity or non-profit
organization seeking voluntary support. The
corporate social responsibility (CSR) program,
“One Beach, One World,” broadens the
reach for groups wanting to help others. The
enhanced program has partnered with several organizations in six key areas: Combating
Homelessness, Hunger & Domestic Violence;
Assisting Youth & the Elderly; Supporting the
Armed Forces; Restoring & Protecting our Environment; Community Service General; and
International Outreach.
The Virginia Beach CVB not only prides itself
on excellent venue options and an innovative
CSR program but on the services offered by a
well-trained and experienced staff always prepared to provide exceptional service to meeting planners. Planners can get acquainted with
the staff via the “Meet the Team” feature on
the Virginia Beach Meetings website. Unique
and distinctive photos and bios are designed
to express all of the individual personalities
comprising the dynamic group of people that
work to create meetings and events unlike any
other. Customized lead generation and proposal coordination, professional assistance in
planning unique offsite events and public relations and marketing assistance are just a few of
the services offered to assist in making client’s
meetings and events a complete success.
For attendees looking to enjoy their down
time, Virginia Beach offers 35 miles of pristine
beaches, sumptuous coastal cuisine and a variety of attractions including the Virginia Aquarium and The Town Center of Virginia Beach.
Golf, outdoor adventure and wildlife viewing
are all activities that can be enjoyed nearly yearround with mild temperatures throughout the
majority of the year.
Centrally located just 20 minutes from
Norfolk International Airport and a mere fourhour drive from Washington, D.C.—and also
offering more than 12,000 hotel rooms citywide and more than 3,500 committable rooms
located within two-and-a-half miles of the convention center—the city continues to elevate
its position as a top meetings destination.
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Myrtle Beach Convention Center
myrtlebeachconventioncenter.com
aybe it’s that southern hospitality,
but the Myrtle Beach Convention
Center doesn’t just want to bring
people in to show off their 250,000 square
feet of state-of-the-art meeting space, or the
60 miles of pristine beaches and countless dining and retail options nearby. They’d hate to
see an event simply come and go—they’re in
the business of helping events grow and drive
attendance.
This is what they did for the XCON World
V, a comic convention and trade show, this
past May. By partnering with the Myrtle
Beach Convention Center, the convention’s
attendance skyrocketed from 500 in 2011
to 2,400 in 2012. The event featured more
than 100 exhibits, an Annual Indie Film Series and tons of comic celebrities and personalities to entertain attendees.
“Unique partnerships are essential,” said
Tiffany Andrews, sales and marketing administrator at the Myrtle Beach Convention
Center. “We don’t just lease convention and
meeting space, we care about your show.”
The convention center offers a
17,000-square-foot ballroom, fit for groups
of 1,000 or more, and 17 meeting rooms
that provide theater-style seating at breakout sessions for up to 200 people. A lush,
30,000-square-foot Event Plaza is a unique
space that’s perfect for receptions and large
outdoor activities.
And convenience is key, with 1,750 onsite parking spaces for attendees and convention center security monitors 24 hours
a day. Not to mention, South Carolina is a
right-to-work state, eliminating unnecessary expenses.
Conveniently attached to the convention center is the Sheraton Myrtle Beach
Convention Center Hotel with 400 newly
appointed guest rooms and suites, making
an easy commute for attendees.
For high-energy thrills, groups can head
to one of the newest attractions. Myrtle
Beach Zipline Adventures is the most heart
pounding and adrenaline pumping attraction your convention attendees ever
M
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The convention center offers a 17,000-square-foot
ballroom, fit for groups of 1,000 or more, and 17
meeting rooms that provide theater-style seating at
breakout sessions for up to 200 people.
experienced. The zipline is located on the imagination and challenge the mind. Wonsite of the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion. derworks offers interactive educational fun
The adrenaline experience begins with for all ages! The SkyWheel, which is sure
6 side-by-side racing ziplines. Riders are to elevate your perspective, measures an
zipped 600 feet from tower to tower at impressive 200 feet above sea level and is
speeds of up to 40 MPH, and the adventure the only observation wheel of its kind in
is completed with a jaw-dropping free-fall the U.S. The attraction boasts 42 climatefrom a 60-foot-tall tower. Pirates Voyage a controlled, Swiss-manufactured, fully enDolly Parton Company captivates audienc- closed gondolas and an impressive, one-ofes with spectacular acrobatic competition, a-kind LED lightshow to be held nightly.
live animals and a brand new original music
With all the accommodations of a great
score by Dolly Parton. Make no mistake— host city, and then some, it’s no wonder the
you will be immersed in a pirate’s adven- Myrtle Beach Convention Center wants to
ture experience as you enjoy a spectacular see your event stick around. A conference
five-course pirate feast. WonderWorks is an hotspot that’s expanding at a pace like this
amusement park for the mind combining is certainly one worth growing with.
education and entertainment in more than
For more information, visit www.myrtle
100 hands-on exhibits that will spark the beachconventioncenter.com.
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SOUTHEAST SPECIAL SECTION
Greenville CVB
greenvillecvb.com
a collection of restaurants featuring world-class
chefs. Classical concerts, ballets and musicals
keep The Peace Center for the Performing Arts
hopping, while the BI-LO Center welcomes
major concerts. The Greenville County Museum
of Art houses the world’s most extensive Andrew
Wyeth collection. The Fenway Park-inspired
Fluor Field is home to the Greenville Drive baseball team. And 20 minutes from downtown, the
BMW Performance Center proves the promise
of “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” For every
cute boutique, you’ll find a fabulous hiking trail.
For every café and coffee shop, you’ll discover
an outdoor sculpture or historic site. From the
Farmer’s Market to a trip down a white water
river, the greater Greenville area has it all.
GREENVILLE CVB/FIREWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
Greenville boasts venues large and small—from
flexible hotel meeting facilities to the TD
Convention Center, one of the largest convention
centers in the Southeast.
G
reenville, South Carolina, is a city so
fabulously unexpected they should
call it Surprisingville. In recent years,
Greenville has made nearly every Top 10 list
imaginable. Major accolades roll in as regularly
as the sunsets behind the nearby Blue Ridge
Mountains, from publications such as Fortune,
Money, Forbes and Condé Nast Traveler. And
yet, people are still surprised. By Greenville’s
unique blend of timeless southern charm and
unexpectedly cosmopolitan cool. By a thriving,
energized downtown that highlights the community’s passion for the arts, growing reputation as a hotbed for international enterprise and
staggering collection of natural attractions and
amenities.
There’sSoMuchToDoville.
In a place that could rely solely on natural beauty
and outdoor amenities to inspire visitation, you’ll
find countless diversions. Greenville is home to
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They’veGotThePerfectVenueville
For corporate events, trade shows, conferences and conventions of every size, Greenville
boasts venues large and small—from flexible
hotel meeting facilities to the TD Convention
Center, one of the largest convention centers
in the Southeast.
ISleptLikeABabyville
Making the most of your visit to Greenville
requires a good night’s rest. Fortunately, you’ll
find more than 8,500 hotel rooms, with most
located in convenient clusters. Full-service properties include the Westin Poinsett, Hyatt Regency,
Hilton, Marriott, Crowne Plaza and the Embassy
Suites Golf Resort and Conference Center. Selectservice hotels include Hampton Inn & Suites
Downtown Riverplace, Hampton Inn Greenville
Woodruff, Courtyard by Marriott Downtown or
GSP Airport, Holiday Inn Express Hotels & Suites
Downtown, Hilton Garden Inn and Fairfield Inn
by Marriott GSP—to name a few.
It’sInJustTheRightSpotville!
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest corner of South Carolina,
Greenville is centrally and conveniently located
between Atlanta and Charlotte on I-85. Air
travel is equally easy with the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, where multiple carriers—including Southwest Airlines—offer more
than 77 direct daily flights to 18 major markets.
For more information contact Todd Bertka,
vice president of sales for the Greenville, SC Convention & Visitors Bureau, at (864) 421-0000,
(800) 351-7180 or www.GreenvilleCVB.com.
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Greensboro Area CVB
visitgreensboronc.com
M
eet in the Center of it All—Greensboro is centrally located in the
heart of North Carolina, making
your event easily accessible for everyone!
With 87 accommodations, nearly 10,000
rooms and a variety of top-notch facilities
and offsite venues, Greensboro has something to fit every association’s needs.
The area is home to the largest privately
owned convention center complex between
Washington, D.C., and Atlanta; the Sheraton
Greensboro Hotel at Four Seasons/Joseph
S. Koury Convention Center offers 1,017
guest rooms and more than 250,000 square
feet of meeting space. The Greensboro Area
Convention & Visitors Bureau offers an abundance of convention and event services,
including facility and attraction information,
site inspections, assistance securing bid proposals, promotional brochures, media assistance and more. Piedmont Triad International
Airport provides daily service to and from U.S.
and Canadian cities, and Air Canada recently
added two direct daily flights between
Greensboro and Toronto.
The excitement doesn’t end when your
event is over—Greensboro is home to a
plethora of entertaining attractions and more
than 500 restaurants that offer pleasures
for every palate. Visit the International Civil
Rights Center & Museum, slip and slide at
Wet ‘N Wild water park and more. Greensboro is ready to roll out the red carpet!
With 87 accommodations, nearly 10,000 rooms and
a variety of top-notch facilities and offsite venues, Greensboro
has something to fit every association’s needs.
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Greater Raleigh CVB
mpi.visitraleigh.com
I
t’s nothing new for the Raleigh area to be
praised in the national press as one of the
best places in the country to live, work,
play…and meet, and we take those rankings
seriously.
Raleigh is a “can-do capital” according to
former Newsweek magazine, and by can-do,
we aren’t just waiting around for more awards
and honors to fall in our lap: We are constantly
creating, building and improving Greater
Raleigh to make it an even more appealing
meeting and visitor destination.
New to the scene, and already winning
awards, is the 126-room Hampton Inn & Suites
Glenwood South. This boutique-inspired hotel
offers 1,408 square feet of meeting space
and is located in downtown Raleigh’s trendy
Glenwood South entertainment district. Several miles north, the 136-room Hampton Inn
& Suites Raleigh/Crabtree offers 4,200 square
feet of meeting space in a location convenient
to the shopping and dining options of Raleigh’s
Crabtree Valley Mall.
With these two new properties, along with
renovations under way on two of downtown
Raleigh’s most celebrated hotels, the Sheraton
Raleigh Hotel and Clarion Hotel State Capital,
you can see why the area also was awarded
with the 2012 New or Renovated Meeting Site
Award by ConventionSouth magazine.
It’s nothing new for the Raleigh area to be praised in the national press
as one of the best places in the country to live, work, play…and meet,
and we take those rankings seriously.
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Oceanaire Resort Hotel
vacationrentalsvabeach.com/oceanaire
C
ome experience the rejuvenation of
the Virginia Beach, Virginia, oceanfront while meeting at our Oceanaire
Resort Hotel. With deluxe accommodations
and amenities, highly personalized service
and all ocean-view meeting rooms, Oceanaire
Resort Hotel is sure to impress you and your
attendees.
Oceanaire, the newest, luxury resort on
the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, offers 2,600
square feet of flexible function space with
state-of-the-art technology, plus 1,175 square
feet of pre-function space. Perched on the
10th floor, Oceanaire’s exclusive sundeck
and lounge offers an additional 4,300 square
feet of space with panoramic views of the
Atlantic Ocean. Your attendees will enjoy the
convenience of Norfolk International Airport,
located 18 miles from the oceanfront, servicing all major airlines.
As an incentive to bring your meetings
to the beach, you’ll receive up to 16 percent
commission if you book your next meeting or executive retreat at Oceanaire Resort
Hotel by September 30, 2013, for meetings
held in 2013. (Offer good for meetings held
by December 31, 2013, and is based on
availability.)
Contact our group sales team (877) 494-4611
or groupsales.resorts@phrinc.com.
With deluxe accommodations and amenities, highly personalized
service and all ocean-view meeting rooms, Oceanaire Resort Hotel
is sure to impress you and your attendees.
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UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN
“
I believe in a future where more
of our public spaces can be these kind of
profound sanctuaries to help us become our
best selves.”
—Candy Chang, artist, creator of “Before I Die” and speaker
Read Jason Hensel’s profile of Candy Chang in next
month’s edition of One+, and hear her during the
Opening General Session of MPI’s 2013 World Edu-
(CC) TULANE PUBLICATIONS
cation Congress in Las Vegas, July 20-23. Register
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today at www.mpiweb.org/WEC.
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