Meeting virtually is incredibly convenient and easy, but it leaves a lot to be desired, such as the absence of the ritual handshake and the reading of body language. Not only do these help communicators connect on a deeper level, but it gives them a better understanding of the verbal and nonverbal landscape—something meeting virtually can’t quite do. As we get back to meeting face-to-face, why not freshen up your understanding about what these communicative behaviors mean?

This is what Jonathan Bradshaw, behavioral science researcher, social skills trainer and coach, wants to help meeting professionals do. Bradshaw is the creator of welovelive.tv, a series about the behavioral science behind human interaction. Beginning May 3, Bradshaw will release an episode each Monday of the month that will touch on different behaviors and norms of in-person meetings, such as handshakes, decision-making and negotiation, and will provide insight on how to master them.

More from Jonathan Bradshaw: The Unexpected Behavior Powering Exceptional Business Events

“In business, meeting face-to-face outperforms meetings virtually in so many different areas,” says Bradshaw. “When it comes to negotiation, likeability, building rapport, nonverbal communication and meeting emotions, face-to-face can’t be beat.”

Cryptocurrencies have found a new home in Nashville, Tennessee. Bobby Hotel and The Westin Nashville have become the first two hotels in the city, and two of the first properties in the United States, to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment.

In partnership with BitPay, guests at these two properties can use cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and Stablecoin for room stays, event bookings—including weddings and private group dinners—and any of the outlets in the properties.

“As Bitcoin and cryptocurrency become more widely accepted forms of payment globally, it was important to find a way to provide our guests with the access and convenience of utilizing these currencies when visiting Bobby,” says Jeff Crabiel, area general manager for Bobby Hotel. “We’re thrilled to lead the charge within Nashville…as we continue to seek out opportunities to better serve our guests, and the needs of today’s traveler.”

Guests using cryptocurrency as payment during their stay can scan a QR code on check-out through one of the many cypto wallet applications.

Using cryptocurrency to pay isn’t limited to hotel stays, either. Travel search platform Expedia has partnered with travel booking platform Travala to allow visitors to use Bitcoin, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash when paying for flights, accommodations and car rentals. Travala, a travel search engine as well, supports more than more than 30 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dash and Travala, the website’s native cryptocurrency. A report by Travala indicated that 59 percent of hotel bookings made through the platform had used cryptocurrencies, with Bitcoin accounting for 21 percent of transactions.

The Ven at Embassy Row, Washington D.C.

Named the Danish word for “friend,” the 231-room Tribute Portfolio hotel opened this March in Dupont Circle. The hotel embraces the Scandinavian concept of “hygge” with elements like minimalist design, tea service and rooftop sunrise yoga classes to invigorate guests. Three flexible meeting spaces total 1,358 sq. ft. to rendezvous, with a private dining room and rooftop pool and bar also available to reserve. The Red Line Metro Station is just minutes away to whisk guests to the capitol’s many landmarks and attractions.

Hyatt House and Hyatt Place Tampa Downtown, Florida

The 17-story building just across from Tampa’s city hall offers guests a unique layout with a single lobby serving both the 230-room Hyatt Place and the 115-room Hyatt House. Design harkens to the area’s Havana influences, with jewel and citrus shades, tropical leaf motifs and vintage Cuban movie posters. The property has 3,600 sq. ft. of event space, a heated rooftop pool, fitness center and lobby floor restaurant. Its proximity to downtown Tampa, Tampa Convention Center and Tampa Riverwalk is a further plus.

The Pendry West Hollywood, Los Angeles

Old Hollywood glamour meets modern luxury at this newly opened Los Angeles property. With 149 Art Deco-inspired guest rooms and suites, 13,948 sq. ft. of meeting space and sweeping city views right on the Sunset Strip, it’s perfectly suited for guests wanting to soak up L.A.’s art and entertainment scene. And they don’t even have to leave the hotel. A private social club, rooftop pool and bowling alley are located on property, as well as an entertainment venue, screening room and curated art collection—plus two Wolfgang Puck-created restaurants.

106 Jefferson, Huntsville, Alabama

This Curio Collection by Hilton property opens this summer with 115 guest rooms in downtown Huntsville—the self-proclaimed “space city” gets a nod to its key role in the U.S. space program via the hotel’s rooftop bar and eatery (Baker + Able), named for  the first primates to survive a test flight into space. A grand ballroom and 2,000 sq. ft. of event space provide for smaller gatherings, in addition to the rooftop bar and a private dining room. Space-race era modern design, 12 luxury suites, chef-driven restaurant Revivalist and a 24-hour fitness center are just some of the other perks taking this property to new heights.

 

Andrew Dryden and Christopher Toy

Toy (left) and Dryden (right)

Dryden is general manager and Toy is director of sales for Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District in Texas.

Dryden most recently worked with Aloft Philadelphia Downtown as hotel manager. Before this, Dryden was director of guest services at Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue and front office manager at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia. He’s also held roles in F&B, including banquet manager for Columbia Sussex Hotels in Philadelphia and management positions for White Lodging Services.

Toy was previously director of sales and marketing for The Ruby Hotel in Round Rock, Texas, and 7A Ranch in Wimberly, Texas. Toy worked as director of sales and marketing for Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown Convention Center and Embassy Suites Austin Arboretum; before this, he worked with DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown San Antonio, in the same role.

Nicolas Messian

Messian is general manager for Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick, Canada. Messian was previously hotel manager for Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He has worked with hotels in Europe, the Middle East, North America and the Caribbean, including The Ritz Carlton, Toronto; Dorchester Hotel in London and Royal Mirage in Dubai, also in the United Arab Emirates.

Kara Franker

Franker has been named CEO for Visit Estes Park in Colorado, effective early May. Before Estes Park, Franker worked as senior vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Lauderdale in Florida. Before joining Visit Lauderdale, Franker founded her own communications and marketing firm. An experienced journalist, she has been featured in Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Travel Channel and HGTV.

Andrew Pawlowski and Ashley Ramirez

Pawlowski (left) and Ramirez (right)

Pawlowski is director of sales and Ramirez is general manager for Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton Indianapolis Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

Ramirez has spent the last decade with Hilton Hotels, most recently as director of rooms and human resources for Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville Indianapolis Conference Center.

Pawlowski was previously sales manager for Embassy Suites Plainfield Indianapolis Airport. He also worked as sales manager for Silversmith Hotel Chicago Downtown.

Sonya Bradley

Bradley, chief marketing officer for Visit Sacramento for the last 15 years, will become chief of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for the DMO, a role that was designed by Bradley herself. She currently serves as chair of California Travel Association DEI committee.

Lissa Frenkel

Frenkel is CEO for Charleston Gaillard Center in South Carolina. Frenkel recently worked as managing director for Park Avenue Armory in New York City. Before that, Frenkel worked at Lincoln Center Development Project, a cultural redevelopment of the Lincoln Center complex in Manhattan.

Marshall Hilliard

Hilliard is vice president of sales for Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau in North Carolina. Hilliard has held leadership positions with Hilton Hotels; Westin Hotels & Resorts; Bissell Hotels; and The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel in Boston; he has also held positions in Atlanta, New Orleans and Charlotte, North Carolina. He recently worked as area director of sales and marketing for Renaissance Asheville.

Attendees will soon have the chance to travel around Las Vegas Convention Center at warp speed—or it’ll feel like it, anyway, compared to the long walks of yesteryear. In June, when the convention center welcomes World of Concrete, its first major convention, the Elon Musk’s first-ever underground transportation solution will be operating.

Meeting professionals will traverse the convention center’s 200-acre campus 40 feet underground in Tesla’s all-electric vehicles. “We are excited to have partnered with Elon’s company to bring this transportation first to our valued convention customers,” says Steve Hill, president and CEO of LVCVA. “The expanded Loop system, when developed, will be a game-changer and a new must-experience attraction for our visitors.”

Musk’s The Boring Company created two one-way, 0.8-mile tunnels and three passenger stations, connecting the main convention center to the 1.4-million-square-foot West Hall expansion. The transportation system will allow up to 4,400 attendees to traverse the convention center in under two minutes. “Vehicles have capacity to go 150 mph but will travel at 35 to 40 mph due to the short distance of the tunnels. The system will be staffed with drivers initially, with the plan to operate them autonomously in the future,” according to a press release.

See also: Work Set to Begin on Las Vegas’ Futuristic Transportation Loop

There are also plans to expand further throughout the resort corridor, known as the Vegas Loop, easing traffic congestion and offering a new way to transport as far as downtown Las Vegas, throughout the Strip, to Allegiant Stadium and, ultimately, to McCarran International Airport (LAS).

“We’re grateful to LVCVA and all local stakeholders for providing us the opportunity to construct our first commercial project in one of the world’s most dynamic destinations,” says Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company. “We are proud to have developed and delivered an exciting transportation solution to the Las Vegas Convention Center.”

Editor’s Note: The pivot to digital events over the last year revealed that a lot of value delivered at face-to-face meetings can effectively be online. One of the big exceptions, however, was incentive programs. It can be difficult to use the same screen that delivers daily tasks for celebrating achievements. Julie Sibthorp, senior director of corporate meeting and events with CHG Healthcare (and a Smart Woman in Meetings Award winner) was undaunted in the face of the challenge and shared the thought process behind the company’s graceful pirouette to an alternative celebration.

Julie Sibthorp

Background: CHG Healthcare had to cancel the past two President’s Club incentive trips due to international travel restrictions to Grand Cayman in 2020 and Vancouver Canada in 2021. We still wanted to celebrate our 600 winners for all their successes for the past two years, but doing this in-person was proving to be difficult.

New Purpose: We rebranded this event from a destination-specific group outing to a President’s Club Bon Voyage. This year, we’re allowing our qualifiers to plan their own trips when they want with whomever they want.

Features of Modified Celebration

In addition to the virtual celebration on April 22, we shipped a series of gifts directly to attendees’ homes. This included:

  1. A build-your-own-sweets box from SugarWish, along with a custom message from their direct leader.
  2. President’s Club award with a formal invitation for the celebration.
  3. A ‘party in a box’ that includes glassware, a sparkling beverage, accoutrements and confetti poppers.
  4. Travel vouchers. These are custom-branded Mastercard cards that can be used as a credit card. While we hope our winners use them to plan the trip of a lifetime, we understand that some may not feel comfortable traveling just yet. In that case, they’re free to use the gift card however they want.
  5. A virtual gifting suite revealed during the virtual celebration.

Production Values

A virtual celebration is scheduled for April 22. Over the past four months, the company has pivoted from meeting planners to productions specialists. We created a virtual show with entertainment, celebrity cameos, CHG’s Some Awesome News (a play on John Krasinski’s Some Good News) and comedian Jim Gaffigan. A virtual photo booth, Bella Strings musical entertainment with video feed of our executives getting ready at home, dream vacation photo montage featuring our people during their pre-pandemic travels, custom verbiage to Dr’s Seuss’s “Oh the Places You Will Eventually Go” and a sketch using CHG leaders reading aloud add humor to the show. A U-request Live Band will lead an interactive dance party to finish out the night.

Lessons Learned

Our people are working harder than ever. Don’t give the qualifiers cash and pretend that is the same as an incentive trip. Advocate for them. Fight for the budget to celebrate them. Make the qualifiers feel recognized. They need it now more than ever.

This is the time to find the most creative people on your team to take on the task of how to entertain and celebrate our people differently. Encourage them to think outside of the box with virtual event production. A good editor is a virtual event planner’s best friend.

Annie Gingrich, senior corporate meeting manager overseeing CHG’s President’s Club agreed with the need to try new things. “There’s no roadmap for a virtual incentive. While it has felt daunting to produce a plan from scratch, it has also opened up so many opportunities!” Not having our people in the office means we can surprise them at home with gifts and recognition which they love! Keep challenging the status quo around how you have rewarded and celebrated in the past.

Gingrich also advocated for finding reliable vendors. “Find a great production partner. We partnered with Muse Event Management for our production needs. Our virtual event is all entertainment and we know people don’t want to sit in front of a computer for one minute longer than they need to. We started with great ideas and Muse has helped us refine them. They are working around the clock to ensure our event is engaging and funny—something that people will want to tune in to!”

Finally, don’t forget to brand the event and include multiple touch points of communication, engagement, tangible and virtual experiences. “Create a lasting memory, one that builds loyalty and engagement. You must wow the qualifiers multiple times over the course of a few months,” Gingrich concluded.

When you are planning for an inspiring event, you probably don’t want to imagine the possibility of your hard work going to waste, but the pandemic illustrated why it’s important to prepare for the chance that your meeting may need to be canceled due to circumstances completely outside your control. Here are some vital event insurance tips.

Planning for the What Ifs

Whether you’re planning an in-person or online event, it’s important to have a contingency plan in place.

What if your event can’t go ahead as planned? A new wave of the pandemic variant might trigger lockdowns in your area, banning in-person events. Or maybe new regulations will be triggered, requiring you to rearrange how your event works because a hall that should seat 200 people will only seat 50 with appropriate social distancing.

Even virtual events could be subject to disruption. You might have booked a speaker, for instance, only for them to have a family crisis that means they’re unavailable. Plus, there’s a good chance that somebody—whether that’s you, speakers, or attendees—will have technical issues of some sort on the day.

Insurance Must-Haves

Event cancellation insurance can give you much-needed peace of mind. The last thing you want is to be lying awake the night before worrying about the financial hit to your company if the event has to be canceled. There are lots of options for events cancellation insurance out there, so shop around to find something that suits your needs.

Make sure that the policy you purchase will cover cancellations due to Covid-19. Many policies don’t cover event organizers in the event of a cancellation due to a communicable disease.

You should also look for (reliable) online testimonials. While companies will, inevitably, use their most favorable reviews on their own website, you can try third-party websites to see what customers are saying. You may also want to look at what customers are saying on Twitter or other social media sites.

Less obvious, but still critical, look for a company with a strong online presence, through their website, blog, and/or social media accounts. A solid online presence is a good sign that the company is established and reputable, and easy to contact if you have any issues. You may also want to see how responsive the insurance company appears to be to questions on Twitter, Facebook, or even in blog comments.

What to Include in Your Insurance Policy: Key Tips

When you’re choosing an insurance policy, you’ll want to look out for:

  • How much the deductible is compared to the premium? Remember, your company will need to pay the deductible before the insurance company pays any other costs. You may think it’s best to opt for a low deductible (e.g. $1,000) rather than a higher one (e.g. $5,000) … but your premiums might be significantly lower with the higher deductible, so it is a balancing act.
  • What types of insurance are included in the policy? You may just want event cancellation insurance, or you may want to get several types of insurance to cover things like your liability if someone is injured at an event.
  • What exactly is covered by the policy? For instance, it’s common for labor disputes to be excluded along with adverse weather events. You’re also very unlikely to be covered if you choose to cancel the event because of low ticket sales.

Preparing for the Next Crisis

Businesses all over the world have been hugely disrupted by Covid-19. Some have thrived, others have adapted and some have sadly failed due to the pressures caused by the crisis.

While we don’t know how the Covid-19 pandemic will end or quite what the world will look like in 2022 and beyond, one thing is for certain: at some point, your business is going to face another crisis. It could be something as simple as a new competitor in your area or a PR disaster for your company. But it’s important to be prepared.

Some key things you can do now include:

  • Go digital. Chances are, your company has already ended up making huge strides in this area. Perhaps employees have been working from home for the first time in 2020-21 and much more communication is taking place electronically. Maybe you’ve moved from physical servers to cloud servers. The more you can do to make your operations digital, the better.
  • Pay attention to cybersecurity. With sensitive business information and customer data increasingly being stored in the cloud, it’s more important than ever to have robust security measures in place. Strengthen your security now—otherwise, the next crisis you face could be a data breach that exposes customers’ private data, netting your business a huge fine coupled with a loss of customer confidence.
  • Have cash reserves in place. If a crisis meant that you couldn’t provide your product or service for a month, what would happen? For some companies, this would be ruinous, as they don’t have anything in reserve. If you know you’d struggle to make payroll if things went badly, then it’s time to cut costs and make sure you have cash in the bank to cover your company’s running expenses for at least a couple of months.

While you may not be able to predict exactly when the next crisis will happen or what form it will take, making sure your company is as resilient as possible will help you navigate it with ease. Instead of desperately struggling to survive, you’ll be in a great position to adapt to the new circumstances so your company can continue to thrive.

Rupert Jones is a financial independence geek who strongly believes in the power of networking. He spends his time helping people leverage secrets of financial wealth and process to achieve financial freedom.

Smart Stars voting season is officially open

Each year, our premier planner’s choice award recognizes the best properties, venues and destinations in the industry, based off the actual experiences of Smart Meetings‘ subscribers. If you’ve had a hotel or DMO go above and beyond for you during this tumultuous year—or simply stepped into a ballroom that took your breath away—this is your chance to nominate suppliers as the industry’s best across a number of exciting categories. New this year: Best Hybrid-Ready and Best Protocol Partner.

Submitting your vote is quick and easy

Review the 2021 ballot of distinguished hospitality brands and vote for your favorite in each category or write in your choice at the link below.

Enter to win a free stay at one of the winning properties

Due to the intense interest and many close contests, voting has been extended to June 1.  Plus, everyone who votes will be entered to win a stay at a Smart Stars-winning property. We call that a win-win!

The top-rated properties will be featured in the July issue of Smart Meetings and an interactive online site dedicated to delivering solutions. Meeting professionals everywhere look to this list as their go-to because they know it has been vetted by their peers as partners who will deliver magnificent experiences.

Just last week, California unveiled plans to reopen June 15, much to the excitement of the tourism and event industry. Not to be outdone, beginning June 1, Nevada will also be operating at full capacity, says Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Both Sisolak and Steve Hill, president and CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, believe the vaccines have played a large role is moving the ball forward, with Sisolak saying their introduction “changed the game.”

See also: California to Fully Reopen June 15

“The wide availability and rapid administration of vaccines will allow our valued events industry to reconvene with confidence and in its entirety,” Hill says. “Las Vegas will continue providing the gold standard for health, wellness and safety precautions for the benefit of its workforce, the community and our visitors.”

As of May 1, Sisolak says the state will leave social distancing mandates up to individual counties. In doing so, the governor made it known the state is well aware some counties may choose to go slower. “Each county in Nevada is unique and has different factors to consider: rural or urban settings, community transmission rates in the area, and vaccine administration, among a few,” he says.

Sisolak emphasizes the timeline requires Nevadans to continue getting vaccinated and wearing masks; through the transition, the mask mandate is to remain in place.

“I wish I could give all Nevadans an exact timeline as to when we can tuck away our masks—but public health officials made it clear that in order to reach our goal of reopening on June 1, we must make sure Nevadans stay masked. It would be irresponsible for me as your governor to ignore that advice. Additionally, it’s a commonsense bargain—if we all continue to wear masks, it will help ensure we can reopen our state by June 1,” Sisolak said in his official announcement.

Looking for small, cozy and intimate post-meeting spaces? The private dining room—PDR, if you’re really cool—may be as cozy as it can possibly get. The private dining room is where ideas are shared, networking is done and stories are told over great food and wine.

Even if small meeting spaces aren’t something you’re looking for, these might inspire a second thought.

Zuma, Miami

Indulge in modern Japanese cuisine while overlooking the Miami River in Zuma Miami’s private dining room and terrace. Zuma offers customizable pairing menus, featuring sake, cocktails and premium wine.

MDRD at Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Chic and Spanish-inspired, MDRD sits atop Amway Grand Plaza, providing views of the city and Grand River. Private dining rooms feature hand-painted murals from local artist Maddie Jackson that depict Spanish-themed scenes. MDRD can host dinners for 10 to 200 attendees.

Sear + Sea at JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa

Located in the newly opened JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, Sear + Sea offers seafood and grilled specialties, including Angus beef, Strawberry Grouper fish and 1,300 bottles of wine. For guaranteed guest engagement, it also offers awe-inspiring tableside preparations.

Buya, Miami

In the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, Buya offers a Japanese-inspired private dining experience. In addition to the private rooms, the restaurant houses a secret cocktail den called Golden Gai (after the area in Tokyo known for small bars and a lively nightlife). The menu features shareable and larger dishes that include tempura beech mushroom, pork belly buns and karaage chicken.

Marguax at JW Marriott Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Ambiently French from name to dining selections, the aptly named Bordeaux room offers an across-the-pond experience without the plane ticket. Try the seafood tower paired with fine wines. The space can host groups of up to 18.

The Keeneland Room and Keene Place Mansion at Keeneland Racecourse, Lexington, Kentucky

Featuring custom menus created by executive chef Marc Therrien, The Keeneland Room offers access to a clubhouse with panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows with racetrack views, as well as an outdoor patio for fresh-air gatherings. Or dine in the more secluded Keene Place Mansion, the oldest building on the historic property.