Smart Meetings | Page 164 of 602 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect an interview with new CEO Eric Lochner and analysis from Smart Meetings event tech correspondent Brandt Krueger.

Event platform MeetingPlay and meeting management SaaS provider Aventri announced today that they will merge to create a full-service event software company under a new name to be determined in the coming months. The deal, backed by a growth equity investment from Sunstone Partners and Camden Partners, is positioned as a blend of technology and service to close gaps in the planning process and deliver a full-service solution for meetings ranging from 100 people to more than 200,000.

New CEO Eric Lochner, who was previously president and CEO of Steele Compliance Solutions, saw the combination as a benefit for meeting professionals looking for seamless solutions. “We have a strong opportunity to deepen the process of hosting in-person, hybrid and virtual events and are excited to be able to better support meeting planners and event organizers while offering a wider range of products and experiences,” he said.

Lochner has extensive experience in scaling companies organically and through acquisition. He said the meetings industry as one that is in need of a clear leader. “There are some 800-lb. gorillas out there, but a company that offers the value proposition of customer service with innovative technology can leap frog ahead,” he said.

MeetingPlay and Aventri powered a combined total of more than 50,000 events each year for more than 10,000 companies and 7 million attendees. Washington D.C.-based MeetingPlay has been developing its virtual and hybrid technology for more 10 years. Joe Schwinger, co-founder and former CEO of MeetingPlay, shared with Smart Meetings in November that he was focused on enabling meaningful interactive content on all platforms with robust reporting. He will remain with the company in an executive role.

Aventri, which was founded in 2008, had grown into a global provider of data-driven solutions for event sourcing, marketing, registration, onsite technology, data security and reporting. Former Aventri CEO Jim Sharpe will remain a shareholder and advisor to the new company.

The combined company now employs 350 people in the United States, United Kingdom, India and Australia. “Each has different cultures and time zones,” observed Lochner. “Our job is to bring the best of all these worlds together because we are more than just our product, the people doing the work are just as important.”

Combined Solution Set

The two companies will integrate their software platforms to create an array of products to fit the needs of technology, financial services, travel, hospitality, health services and association clients. Lochner sees an opportunity to simplify Aventri’s robust offerings and deliver what he calls digestible solutions with white glove service. “We need to quickly deliver a solution that works for all types of meetings [hybrid, virtual and in-person], automates pre-conference tasks, holds their had during the conference and takes care of everything that comes after,” he said.

Capabilities include:

Event Marketing Website and Registration to create a seamless attendee journey from beginning to end.
Virtual and Hybrid Event Platform using technology to create lifelike experiences for virtual attendees. The platform will provide virtual and onsite attendees with unified engagement features like chat, Q&A, network matchmaking, and video conferencing that enables participants in the same room and across the world to connect instantly.
Mobile App to boost engagement and deliver ROI metrics, while keeping participants safe.

More: 8 Ways to Measure Virtual Event Performance and ROI

Inevitable?

Last August, event-tech consultant Corbin Ball predicted that the robust landscape of virtual/hybrid companies would eventually be whittled down. “The problem is that there are more than 100 virtual/hybrid event platforms out there—many having started up during the pandemic. Not all will survive,” he said.

Smart Meetings event technology correspondent Brandt Krueger agreed. “I’ve lately started thinking we’re going to see an accelerated growth in the number of mergers and acquisitions this year, rather than a tapering off. I think more companies will be looking to take on the likes of Cvent by becoming “one stop shops” for event management, registration, online/hybrid, audience engagement.”

Some started making their moves last year. Videoconferencing company Zoom purchased contact center technology provider Five9 for almost $15 billion, Intrado (now Notified) acquired event management company Hubb, Hopin acquired Attendify and Cvent Holding Corp. and Dragoneer Growth Opportunities formed a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to go public.

As of Monday, CES is planning to go forward in Las Vegas, Jan. 5-8, 2022. But with news of the Omicron variant changing day-to-day, conference organizers and sponsors are using the skills they’ve acquired in Covid times: flexibility and leveraging virtual options to replace some face-to-face experiences.

The conference formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show hosted by Consumer Technology Association (CTA) attracted 180,000 attendees as recently as 2019, and maxed out in 2015 with 3,600 exhibitors and 170,000 professional and industry attendees. This year may see fewer people wandering the venue halls Las Vegas Convention Center, but promoters are confident that the show will go on, with some pandemic tweaks.

Because of the recent Omicron spike, a few big sponsors—including Twitter and Meta (formerly Facebook)—have pulled out of in-person attendance, while considering virtual options. Meanwhile, Amazon has opted out entirely.

These are challenging times for large, in-person events, and companies are aware of participants’ concerns. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of Consumer Technology Association (CTA), said in a statement that their organization’s flagship event is responding to pandemic concerns. Shapiro said CES was confident in moving forward, while also maintaining the importance of safe in-person interactions. All Covid protocols will be observed at the meeting space, and people who choose not to travel will be accommodated with some digital options.

“At CTA, we believe passionately that innovation and technology will make a better world,” he said. “CES is the world’s largest innovation event, and we have thousands of people coming from around the world to see and show products that will make life better.”

Shapiro emphasized that his company’s employees would not have to travel to Las Vegas if they were concerned about health risks.

Health and Safety

Hybrid meeting programs offer a silver lining. This is a tech conference, after all—participants know how to manage virtual events. Chris Meyer, CEO of Chris Meyer Global and consultant for CLEAR, is currently planning to be at CES in person, because he has confidence in the organization.

“I went through 9/11 with CES, and they always went the extra mile to have all pieces in place,” he said. “I am going to be there to see what they’re going to do with a large crowd like this.”

Meyer added that every company needs to make its own decision, but he’s looking forward to the conference.

The combination of in-person and virtual experiences is designed to be interactive and dazzling. Vendors will host virtual experiences to familiarize participants with their products, and some companies still plan to be on site.

Sylvia Kindlain, account manager at ThinkInk Communications, believes that CES 2022 will be successful because of the number of precautions taken at the venue. But Kindlain also is aware of how quickly circumstances are changing, and how hybrid meetings can help people attend regardless of where they are, or what they decide is safe for them.

“As companies grapple with cross-border travel restrictions and increased restrictions, which will undoubtedly impact both CES and National Retail Federation’s Big Show (scheduled for Jan 16-18 at Javits Center in New York City) physical attendance rates, we’ll see a different kind of surge in several areas,” she said. “More hybrid events to accommodate local in-person attendees and international virtual attendees, and overall smaller event formats.”

Safe Travels

Safety is the watchword for everyone involved in this global event. CES wants all attendees to be safe and healthy, and participate in the best way for them. Hybrid is becoming an increasingly popular flexibility plan that allows organizers of conferences of all sizes to adjust as conditions on the ground change, while giving attendees options for how they would like to participate.

The way U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow explained it, CES is a model for business trade event organizers. “Gary Shapiro and his team at CTA are to be commended for navigating today’s challenges while ensuring that attendees can build meaningful relationships and plan for the future of technology,” he said in a statement.

See also: Meeting Safety Trends in 2022

IMEX Frankfurt, the European sister of IMEX America announced today that they will move the 20th anniversary show from April 26-28 to May 31-June 2, 2022.

“The recent rise in Omicron cases combined with our desire to give our business community certainty has led us to push IMEX in Frankfurt back by five weeks,” said IMEX CEO Carina Bauer. She said the announcement was being made now to allow clients, customers, supplies and partners the time to prepare.

She added that she is confident that the program can go forward after having to cancel two years in a row. “Rest assured, now that we’ve delivered a successful IMEX America for 8,500 people under carefully controlled health and safety conditions, we’re on your side and confident in our experience and ability to deliver a business-strong, safe, secure and enjoyable 20th anniversary IMEX in Frankfurt this May.”

The surge from the Omicron variant is leading to more postponements and virtual shifts around the world. Although the new Covid wave is seen as less serious for most who contract it, especially if they are vaccinated and boosted, the threat of spreading the disease has affected some high-profile gatherings, including postponement of the Grammy Awards, previously scheduled for Jan. 31 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Sundance Film Festival also announced that it will be entirely virtual.

Staying the Course

The exterior of Las Vegas Convention Center. The roof has a large wave in the center. The walls are all glass — Las Vegas Convention Center

CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics show, is going forward as planned at the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center with some sponsors, including Amazon and Meta, participating virtually. Also being livestreamed, the Indy Autonomous Challenge @ CES at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is still set to show off self-driving car development at speeds of up to 180 mph.

ASI, the convention for the promo industry, wrapped up an event today for 3,000 suppliers and distributors at Orlando County Convention Center. The industry is suffering from the double-whammy of Covid and supply chain struggles, but an estimated 70 percent of what are considered the top 40 suppliers exhibited. An attendee survey found that 96% of ASI attendees said live events are critical to product sourcing.

World of Concrete, one of the first big events to return to Las Vegas Convention Center last year, confirmed that they plan to move ahead with an in-person event Jan. 18-20 this year. “While your success is a top priority, your safety is too,” the company that puts on the global construction conference said in a statement. “We want to reassure you that the event will take place, and that we will put safety at the heart of the event experience so we are able to reconnect nd get back to business, while keeping our community safe.”

PCMA confirmed today that it is moving ahead with Convening Leaders at CAESARS FORUM Jan. 9-12. PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat saw the decision to stay the course as a responsibility and a privilege. “The last two years have made us all question what matters personally and professionally. We have been reflecting on our purpose and what matters to all of us in our current environment. Our industry propels all other industries, building communities and careers,” he said in a statement to attendees. “The time has come for the business events industry to act—to build our future safely and be resolute about our purpose.”

The event will be offered in person with masks and vaccines required (a booster shot is “strongly encouraged”) or as an online experience through a partnership with JUNO platform. Live sessions will be available on-demand within 24 hours for 60 days following the event. The event will kick off a year-round online community announced at IMEX America in November.

“I know how difficult this is, especially when many decisions are out of our control. However, in life we should always respond and never react—these circumstances are what we have all prepared for, it is where we excel. We cannot lose sight of the importance of being safe…and listening to the facts delivered by medical experts so we can continue to run our businesses effectively and evolve our profession,” Karamat concluded.

Event Adjustments

Michael Dalton, senior vice president of strategy at LEO Events calls these adjustments “sidestepping” and said the industry is getting closer to considering a program an “event,” whether it is in-person, virtual or hybrid; and the shifts between the “venues” will be more fluid.

“In 2020 we will probably find ourselves again referring to them simply as events without the constant need to qualify what kind: Live, hybrid, or virtual. They are all events, and events are happening,” Dalton told Smart Meetings.

That observation was mirrored in a statement by Pepper Dombrowski, director of sales at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who said she has four meetings in-house this week, all with Covid protocols in place. “The volume of leads for 2022 is very high,” she said. Companies are telling her they are holding events because it is important for their business. “We have to learn to live with COVID and still serve our customers, employees and vendors.”

It really doesn’t get easier than candlelit slow yoga with your group. Unless, of course, you could book it in a few clicks through your hotel’s website.

Noble House Hotels & Resorts, the luxury boutique hotel brand based in Seattle, has partnered with a new and growing Austin tech company, Way, that serves destinations and their communities. Way’s program puts local artists, small businesses and the regional experiences they provide on the property’s website, so hotel guests can book directly with the small business. As guest demand for an authentic, engaging experience in the surrounding community and culture increases, technology plug-ins are making it easier for meeting professionals to meet the needs of attendees without additional research and contracts.

Founded in the spring of 2020, the tech company serves independent and brand hotels from North America to Europe. The Edgewater Hotel was the first property in Seattle to debut Way’s program on their website, and a few other Noble House resorts have since joined on.

Noble House properties River Terrace Inn, Hotel Terra Jackson Hole and Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa have launched Way’s program on their websites, and Jekyll Island Club Resort goes live this week with theirs. Kona Kai Resort & Spa, San Diego Mission Bay Resort, L’Auberge Del Mar and Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa plan to launch the program shortly after.

While other hospitality companies also use Way’s program, such as Bunkhouse hotels and The Boca Raton, Noble House’s program launch at roughly half of their properties is the largest scale implementation of the program and most involved partnership yet.

Noble House takes celebrating their two dozen properties’ communities seriously, to the point that the brand has become known for being more than a get-away. A stay at Noble House now entails travel experiences that support the property’s community of small businesses, according to Noble House Hotels & Resorts CMO Scott Colee.

Leading by Local Experiences

Each hotel is responsible for identifying local partners it deems ‘friends of the hotel.’ “Essentially, these are local businesses who host regular events in the community—the CVB, parks, nonprofits in our neighborhoods, wineries, theaters, etc.,” Colee said in a statement. He remarked that the locals are the heart of each of their destinations. This approach is reflected in both its new partnership and the increased accessibility of connections and revenue that partnership creates for small businesses next-door.

The properties’ “Featured Experiences” pages have a sleek aesthetic and intuitive, user-friendly functions. Hotel guests and any visitor to the website will find an organized and attractively laid-out collection of local events and services. The design of the site and its filter options make finding the right type of outing for you and your group an easy process. Guests can search by date, type—wellness, culinary, family, art, active, etc.—and “vibe,” such as chill or intense. And before even clicking on an enticing experience, each experience host has a bio visible to the visitor, increasing exposure for that entrepreneur or creator.

Bring Your Business Travelers into Town

Way’s program lists the capacity for each experience, and Noble House properties currently offer multiple immersive group-geared experiences ideal for event and travel planners with business and incentive travel in mind.

“The added benefit and edge that this program will give us for group business is part of what piqued our interest,” Colee went on. The Edgewater offers a “cocktail and mocktail lab,” a fun night for a small group. Business groups can also sign up for the Teton Village Scavenger Hunt—what could turn out to be a rewarding team bonding activity—through Teton Mountain Lodge’s “Local Experiences” page.

Way also makes it easy for a small business owner in the community to become a host, accessible through each participating property’s experiences page. The self-proclaimed brand-building tech company is effective—its program is designed in such a way as to build its own brand and brand loyalty, while also building its partners’ through its own integrated, synthesizing product. And this system drives revenue back to locals and their businesses.

Edgewater and properties like it, through the digital avenue erected by Way’s software, work to foster compelling experiences that enchant the cities’ guests and better their communities.

Feature photo by Courtney Cantor at Hamilton Exhibits

The global event marketing agency Hamilton has been recognized with an EDDIE award for an exceptionally smart move in February. The company transitioned from immersive brand events to vaccination events. Their national meeting development and brand communication expertise, along with a substantial existing vendor network, allowed the team to smoothly shift to helping Indiana vaccinate its community.

Transitioning the Mission

A nurse performing a Covid test through a car window — Event on Ivy Tech Community College campus in Sellersburg; Photo credit: Courtney Cantor

Nearly all of Hamilton’s scheduled industry bookings were called off in 2020. But, as the agency was already an award-winning event brand known for its immersive experiences for big client companies, the transition to mass vaccination efforts came quite naturally.

The company took a proactive approach to changing business plans amid the pandemic and the medical staff and space shortages it has created. Its first pivot in 2020 equipped schools and businesses with CDC-approved resources and structures so they could remain open safety. By February 2021, the agency was ready to take supporting their community through events to the next level. It planned vaccination activations that resulted in 200,000 people receiving “the jab” in the state.

“Hamilton has stepped up several times this year in critical ways to help the Indiana Department of Health,” said Kristina Box, MD, Indiana commissioner of health, and noted that its valuable expertise worked seamlessly with the state department staff in planning and executing vaccine operations.

Hamilton organized mass vaccination efforts for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) and the U.S. Department of Defense to bring vaccination events to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, University of Notre Dame, Gary (a FEMA site), the Ivy Tech Community College campus in Sellersburg and additional locations and mobile sites.

Sometimes a storm blew in and Hamilton’s heating facilities were put to the test; other times, the best space was a building in desperate need of renovations, or supplies would begin to dwindle due to supply chain hang-ups. Through it all, Hamilton’s team worked closely with its extensive network, preparing and transitioning spaces as the agency transitioned its mission.

A Humbling Award to Affirm Noble Efforts

A drive-through Covid testing site at University of Notre Dame — Event at University of Notre Dame; Photo credit: Courtney Cantor

Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) chose Hamilton to receive the 2021 EDDIE award for the Best Industry Pivot, formally presented on Dec. 1 at EDPA’s ACCESS Conference.

“Being named for this award was most unusual and humbling, as Hamilton was privileged to be selected to support a high-intensity statewide effort that helped save thousands of lives and helped keep people out of emergency rooms and hospitals,” said CEO Jason Weddle, reflecting on the impact of his agency’s event services transition.

Now, Hamilton is back to offering its traditional services as the event industry returns, but it still also offers vaccine event support and safety products. The agency has also added a new line of specialty government and non-profit event services.

Hamilton not only found a way to bring in revenue during a state of uncertainty for in-person event companies but did so in a way that benefited the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in its community—ultimately expanding its services in the process.

Plan with Confidence

Melbourne is the place where creativity and innovation come together to deliver great events, exciting places to explore and cutting-edge advancements that are globally acclaimed.

It’s vibrant. It’s sophisticated. It’s distinguished. It’s progressive and so very unexpected. This welcoming city offers a multitude of ever-changing and exclusive experiences to accommodate every business event and delegate.

Crowned ‘Oceania’s Leading Meetings and Conference Destination’ at 2021 World Travel Awards, for the eighth year running, Melbourne offers international associations and professional conference organisers the highest concentration of conference facilities in Australia, including the iconic Melbourne Convention and Exhibitions Centre – one of the largest event spaces in the southern hemisphere.

This world-class business events destination has an enviable city-wide collaborative reputation supported by an innovative and sustainable event supply chain, quality accommodation and WOW experiences unique to Melbourne.

Its infrastructure paves the way for highly successful business events and corporate incentive groups. The compact city is easy to navigate and invites delegates to discover its creative culture, expressed in its food, fashion, events, arts and music scene. Or for those wanting to explore further afield, the unique natural beauty of regional Victoria is just a short trip away.

Melbourne continues to be a major drawcard for many international associations. Currently, 123 international and national business events are confirmed from now till 2028 worth more than $803 million and expected to attract close to 134,000 delegates filling over 385,000 room nights across the city.

For the many international associations that have chosen Melbourne for their conference, it’s often said access to the city’s world-leading research institutes and connections to academics, enables powerful knowledge sharing at their event and significantly contributed to breakthrough legacies that help shape the future of their industry.

This is supported by Victoria’s lead agency for acquiring and delivering business events, the Melbourne Convention Bureau’s (MCB) Knowledge Partnership Program. Among its collaborators are the Doherty Institute, AusBiotech, the Burnet Institute, Bio21 Institute, Swinburne University, RMIT and Melbourne Connect.

So right now, as travel is starting up across the region, it’s the best time to start planning your event in this captivating city where greatest minds meet.

Victoria has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world, with over 90 per cent of its eligible community fully vaccinated. The city is operating as a vaccinated economy which allows business events of all types, from conferences to trade exhibitions to take place.

Health and safety remain paramount and with mandatory vaccinations for attendance at events, a level of comfort to venues, event organisers and delegates is ensured. Every venue has its own COVID-safe plan which provides clarity to planners. The guidelines are clear, and it’s easy to do business.

MCB’s Safe Events Melbourne microsite can assist with planning your event in Melbourne with confidence.

Melbourne’s hotel boom continues with world class accommodation open for new bookings in 2022 and beyond providing exciting new options for professional conference organisers and associations, looking to host their next conference in Melbourne. From the Oakwood Premier Melbourne – the first Oakwood Premier hotel in Australia, the Hyatt Centric by Hyatt boasting spectacular views across Melbourne’s Yarra River and with the hotly anticipated Ritz-Carlton – destined to be an attraction in its own right as the tallest hotel in Australia when it opens in 2022.

Opening in 2022, the hotly anticipated The Ritz-Carlton will take centre stage in the city skyline – pegged to be one of the tallest hotel in Australia. Featuring 257 luxury guest rooms and suites with quality finishes, guests will enjoy state-of-the-art bathrooms, breathtaking views, luxurious amenities including day spa, restaurants and bars, concierge services, function rooms, business centre, 500-seat grand ballroom, and outdoor garden terrace.

Event planners will delight in the classic and sophisticated meeting and event spaces total 2,781sqm, and include The Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom, inspired by the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria, complete with expansive pre-function space, 7m high ceilings and impressive floor to ceiling feature-window.

This is one hotel that will certainly be a showstopper. Upon arrival guests will enter the hotel lobby via the porte-cochere and take a direct elevator straight to the hotel’s sky check-in on level 80, where breathtaking panoramic views across Melbourne’s CBD and beyond can be enjoyed.

CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park is Melbourne’s newest events space. Located in the heart of the city’s bustling sporting and entertainment precinct, also home of the Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam Tournament, CENTREPIECE at Melbourne Park has been designed with conference and events in mind.

Designed to offer a complete conference centre within one venue, expect logistics to be easy and space to be state-of-the-art with quality finishes throughout. Its 2,000 sqm pillarless ballroom will offer spectacular views of the Melbourne city skyline through its expansive windows and outdoor terraces. Once completed, this will be the perfect venue to host cocktail parties for up to 3,000 guests, a dinner for up to 1,400 guests or a boardroom event for as little as 10 guests. With 15 breakout rooms, including an auditorium that will seat 250 guests, CENTREPIECE exudes flexibility. Built with ultimate flexibility, this impressive three-story venue has capabilities to host events small and large, including intimate dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, gala awards evenings, tradeshows and more.

Immerse your next event in Australia’s new Digital Art Gallery only in Melbourne. THE LUME Melbourne located at Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, is a multi-sensory experience and epic adventure into art and digital projections on an unrivalled scale. Unlike traditional events, additional styling and entertainment aren’t required within as your event becomes one with the immersive art that takes over all the senses, and projections which reach four storeys tall. An event at THE LUME Melbourne will remain an unforgettable experience for all your guests. THE LUME Melbourne offers a range of exclusive event packages including thoughtfully curated menus, sound, and tech support to help you create an unforgettable multi-sensory event experience.

This is a really exciting offering, perfect for incentive groups and the varied spaces both indoor and outdoor across site cater to a variety of business events.

Want to learn more? Discover how Melbourne Convention Bureau can help bring your next business event to life in Melbourne. Alternatively you can contact the team at [email protected].

Carly Skinner

A portrait of Carly Skinner. She is a woman with long black hair and a black blouse

Skinner joined Makeready hospitality company’s Emeline hotel in Charleston, South Carolina as general manager. She brings 14 years of hotel management experience to the position, most recently working at Proper Hotels and Residences’ The Hotel June as general manager in Los Angeles. Skinner has been hotel manager at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood and Dream Hotel Group’s Dream Hollywood location.

Martin Wormull and John Stack

Two portraits of Martin Wormull and John Stack. Wormull is a white man with short brown hair and a stubbled beard. Stack is a bald brown man with a white stubbled beard

Conrad Nashville, a Conrad Hotels & Resorts property with Hilton opening in May 2022, named Wormull general manager and Stack director of sales and marketing.

Wormull has been in luxury brand and boutique hotel management for three decades. Most recently, he was general manager at The Candler Hotel Atlanta, Curio Collection by Hilton. Wormull has also been general manager for Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach and Conrad Miami. Additionally, he held senior and executive positions at Hilton Glasgow in the U.K., The Drake hotel in Chicago and Hilton Brands, where he served as senior director of brand performance.

Stack joins the property with 25 years of sales and executive management experience. His most recent position was at Loews Hotels & Co in New York as director of sales and marketing. Stack has also held a long list of sales and marketing directorships at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Swissotel Chicago, Marriott International and The Peninsula Hotels.

Kristi Cotten-Morris and Yajaira Torres

Two portraits of Kristi Cotten-Morris and Yajaira Torres. Cotten-Morris is a white woman with chin-length brown hair. Torres is a brown woman with curly highlighted hair

Cotten-Morris is now general manager and Torres is director of sales and marketing at Hyatt Centric Buckhead Atlanta.

A 26-year hospitality management veteran, Cotten-Morris rejoins Hyatt Hotels in a new role. During her career, Cotten-Morris was director of rooms at several other Hyatt properties, including Hyatt Regency Savannah, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina and Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. She was most recently general manager of The Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia.

Torres brings over 13 years of sales and marketing management experience and has her own extensive history with Hyatt Hotels. Torres was previously director of sales at Hyatt Place Atlanta/Duluth/Johns Creek, Hyatt Place Coconut Point and Hyatt Place Manatí and has worked in similar positions at several more properties. Torres was also corporate sales and marketing director at Concord Hospitality Enterprises in North Carolina before assuming her most recent position as dual director of sales and marketing at Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami and Hyatt Place Miami Airport-East.

Julianne Juergens

A black and white portrait of Julianne Juergens. She is an older white woman with short white hair and a black suit jacket

Tarrytown House Estate Hotel appointed Juergens director of sales and marketing. Juergens has been a leader in hospitality and sales and marketing management for over 30 years. Most recently director of corporate sales at Marriott International, Juergens has also held directorships and managerial roles at properties belonging to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Starhotels International, AKA hotel residences, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and more.

Doris Goh

A sepia portrait of Doris Goh. She is an Asian woman with long dark hair and a sheer blouse

COMO Hotels and Resorts, a Singapore-based hotel brand with international properties, named Goh vice president of commercial. Goh has over 25 years of experience in hospitality management and sales and marketing at the executive level. Most recently, Goh worked as an independent strategic marketing specialist and consultant. She was also chief marketing officer at Asia Land and Sea in Singapore and has held leadership roles with Singapore Mandarin International, Alila Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and more.

Stacey King Brogan

A black and white portrait of Stacey King Brogan. She is a white woman with hair in a bun and glasses on her head

Springboard Hospitality’s The Virginian Lodge in Jackson, Wyoming hired Brogan as general manager. The Virginian Lodge reopens this month after lengthy renovations with Brogan as an integral project leader. Her most recent role was general manager of Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa at Jackson Hole, where she served as general manager. Previously, Brogan was general manager of Lodge at Jackson Hole and owned a small business, Luxe Vines.

Daniel Earle

A portrait of Daniel Earle. He is a tan man with combed black hair, a stubbled beard and a black suit

Hard Rock International in Hollywood, Florida welcomes Earle as director of global travel industry sales. Earle has served in hospitality strategy and sales and marketing leadership internationally for over 20 years. Most recently, he was regional director of sales and revenue at Performance Hospitality in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Earle has also been director of revenue management at Hilton London Paddington, Waldorf Astoria New York, Loews Hotels and Hilton Worldwide and was director of business development at Hilton Worldwide.

Mike Mahaffey

A portrait of Mike Mahaffey. He is an older white man with combed white hair and a grey plaid suit

Mahaffey was appointed executive vice president of show and event services at INSPIRE, a Dallas event tech company. Since 1993, Mahaffey was most recently senior vice president of client solutions at Freeman Company in Dallas for nearly 30 years.

While events were being further hybridized, event tech was getting better and smarter. Now approaching the end of a year of recovery across industries—and with no end to hybrid meetings and events in sight—we’re taking a look back to our favorite programs and platforms. This year, meeting professionals and event tech experts have determined and developed a variety of resources for building, organizing and managing effective and compelling online and in-person gatherings—and those that fall in between.

We’ve written about dozens of the most game-changing apps and strategical resources for event professionals in the last 11 months; and it’s time to get with the program. Here’s what will work smart, for you.

FICP Chats Answers Your Q’s about Hybrid

In March, Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP) launched a new virtual education series, FICP Chats, to confront the most challenging parts of the hybridization of the event industry. It turns out a pandemic-stricken community of event, medical and technology professionals have lots to say. Leaders and participants talk strategy for attendee engagement, flexibility and collaboration, successful, trust-eliciting Covid protocol and some of the best platforms for event management. Meeting professionals and hoteliers have insights to share on the future of meetings and how to continue making a hybrid recovery.

The Event Tech Resource Guide for Planners

In May, we posted a collection of insights from event tech experts on tips and services for running virtual events. Allseated co-founder Sandy Hammer reimagines the virtual events experience, exVo; MeetingPlay CEO reveals his top ten tried and true tips for creating engaging, interactive events; and several seasoned female event and event tech professionals, among others, give their own strategical tips on leading and developing safe virtual experiences.

Health and Wellness Tips for Anxious Times

Sitting in meetings and attending conferences from behind our computer screens means even less physical activity and more time directly in front of a screen; that’s why having a strategy for staying healthy in a hybridized world is so important. The event industry is reconfiguring priorities, talking and preparing methods and resources for self-care. Event and medical professionals divulge what healthy options have changed at hotel properties, how to increase attendee wellness and strategies for managing a collective, newfound anxiety around the in-person.

Top 10 Apps for Meeting Professionals

In search of the most faithful and invaluable online helpers this November, meeting planners and other professionals in our community formed a list of the best mobile apps for event management. Headspace offers meditation on-the-road; the Roaming Hunger food tracker helps you find food quick in an unfamiliar place; PackPoint tells you exactly what to pack, based on the destination, weather and duration of your trip. Among others, these apps put some relief of the burden of business travel in your palm.

Demystifying Covid Testing: The Differences, Access and What It All Means for Travelers

If you’re traveling abroad, you are going to take a Covid test most likely to board your plane and most definitely before reentering the U.S.—even if you’re an American citizen. But Covid testing is far from straightforward, and getting and keeping all your vaccination and testing documentation organized while traversing through airports is stressful and leaves you susceptible to losing valuable information. So, at the end of November, we covered some of the best apps for traveling that safely store all your Covid records on your mobile device. Providing proof has been simplified.

There’s a lot of information out there about how to better your career as a meeting professional. Throughout the year, Smart Meetings has invited professionals from different corners of the event planning world to impart their knowledge.

While there are many more webinars from the year you can watch, here are six (and their respective summarized stories) that we’ve curated that sums up the year quite well.

Give the People the Hybrid They Want

Attendees want engaging content—and they want it now! There are several ways to do this, which includes priming your chat box, changing up the flow of your virtual events and making it intimate, all of which is expanded upon in this webinar.

(Summary: Are Your Attendees Engaged? Three Experts Share How They Do It)

One Step Ahead, Predicting the Future of Event Technology

Brian Ludwig is no psychic but he does have an interest in the future; specifically, the future of event technology. During this webinar, Ludwig shows the many advancements meeting professionals may come into contact with in the near and distant future, such as second-floor public transport, futuristic venues and self-driving luggage.

(Summary: Flying Taxis and Self-directed Luggage: Predicting the Future of Events)

Vital Lessons from Covid-era Medical Meetings

Two medical meeting professionals share their experiences and the lessons they’ve learned planning events around considerations such as changing CDC protocols, managing attendee comfort levels and rules for medical programming. They also discuss how to know if you should cut your in-person event and go virtual.

(Summary: Lessons from the Front: Covid-era Med Meetings)

Backstage Pass: Producing Compelling Content that Drives Engagement

What makes content compelling? It begins with stating your objective. From there it doesn’t exactly become a breeze, but it does make it much easier. In this webinar, hosted by Cvent’s Alyssa Peltier and Julie Haddox, share content’s relation to the event marketer and what creating compelling content really means. You’ll find worthwhile tips from field experts in there, as well.

(Summary: How to Produce Compelling Content that Drives Engagement)

Harness the Power of Negotiation to Master Your Post-Covid Events Career

Negotiation is an essential skill in business, meetings and life. Alison Fragale, associate professor of organizational behavior at University of North Carolina, goes over some of the misconceptions people have about negotiating and why they need not fear believing in themselves.

(Summary: Harness the Power of Negotiation for Post-Covid Success)

Post-Pandemic Clauses You Need to Know

Attorney, author and faculty legal advisor Ty M. Sheaks discusses what to, and not to, include in your next venue contract, as well as common law principles to refer to if your contract lacks a specific clause, and other contractual considerations.

(Summary: Contract Negotiation: Post-Pandemic Clauses You Need to Know)

“Post-pandemic” is proving a fickle term. The Omicron variant reaching San Francisco this week serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to take proper safety and health measures when on business travel.

This year, we’ve written about not only some of the best tips for travelers in the aftermath of the pandemic and amid viral variant resurgences, but also on major steps the travel industry took to ensure the health and wellness of business travelers.

The pandemic and the time it took away from air travel and in-person meetings have revealed ways to safeguard—and even improve—the health of meeting professionals and the way we conduct meetings. As business travel and in-person corporate meetings reemerge, the industry is preparing more health-sensitive, accessible and efficient spaces for traveling groups.

These tips and takeaways from over the receding year help ease traveling for work.

Understanding the Impact of Travel on Attendees

“Nonstop travel—with all that time spent away from family, being in different time zones and constantly on the move—can have a negative impact, mentally and physically,” we wrote. The good news is, the sudden pause the pandemic brought to business travel gave us the time and space to realize it.

In April, we covered how to manage the impact travel can have on the overall health of meeting professionals, so as not to inhibit productivity or the ability to achieve meeting goals. We emphasized the importance of incorporating wellness-focused activities into programs, how post-meeting surveys can help gauge what needs to change and more.

Kayak Launches Free Corporate Travel Solution

“‘Kayak for Business brings the leisure travel experience to the outdated interface of the corporate travel world.’”

Even before its official launch in July, online travel agency (OTA) Kayak had thousands of companies signed up for its new Kayak for Business. The free service offers expense integration, price prediction and competition, discounted corporate rates and flexible blending of business and leisure, among other features and perks.

WTTC Aims to Aid Travel Recovery with ‘Inclusive & Accessible Guidelines’

“Providing accessible travel is both a social imperative and a business opportunity.”

We can and should be doing more to support meeting professionals with disabilities, especially when our meeting spaces fail to be accessible to every present, or would-be present, attendee.

In August, we reviewed World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) new “Inclusive & Accessible Guidelines.” Gathering insights and approaches from private-sector travel and tourism leaders, travel and disability experts and intergovernmental organizations led WTTC to determine four key pillars for reorganizing meetings and meeting venues to accommodate attendees with disabilities.

The guidelines elaborate on collaboration tactics among businesses, destinations, venues and meeting and event planners, highlight the gaps in accessibility knowledge, experience and service in the industry, and highlight the importance of creating respectful and accessible environments and more.

Flight Cancellations by the Thousands—Does Your Travel Insurance Cover the Cost?

“As winter weather adds even more unpredictability to business travel, consider adding travel insurance to your trip to-do list.”

Mid-November flight cancellations and delays at Southwest Airlines due to weather and traffic control issues had business and leisure travelers recently returned to the skies questioning their next moves and looking for a safety net.

And now, with the uncertainty Omicron poses to international travel, in particular, travelers ought to have a plan before heading outbound. What do you do when your flight is canceled hours before or delayed hours at the gate, and what can be done to prevent negative financial repercussions?

We posted tips on choosing travel insurance, catching the fine print and making your flights ( plan two-plus hours between connections, for instance) and what your travel delay, trip interruption and missed connection insurance benefits should cover.

Demystifying Covid Testing: The Differences, Access and What It All Means for Travelers

“Even with travel restrictions loosened, testing requirements and Covid-related rules still can make travel tricky.”

International travel these days almost always requires that you get a test beforehand and before your return trip to the U.S. Some U.S. states and territories, such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico, are still mandating some visitors to show a negative test upon arrival.

And the type of Covid test you take matters, too. In anticipation of the holiday travel rush, we collected all the things to pay attention to regarding Covid testing for your trip: the differences between Covid tests,which types are the most reliable, domestic and international travel restrictions, how to provide proof at the airport and resources for locating the nearest available testing sites to you.

Covid testing can get complicated—let us decomplicate the process a bit for you. Oh, and of course, happy travels!