Smart Meeting Mountain DesertFollow all the networking and special moments during our Smart Meeting Mountain/Desert. Our meeting experience includes one-on-one appointments with premier properties and destinations, networking activities, education sessions with expert speakers, a fabulous breakfast reception, lunch and upscale accommodations designed to make your job easier.

Follow @Smartmeetings or check out #SmartMtgs on Twitter for the latest Smart Meeting Mountain/Desert updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in our next event? Click here to register.



 

International and highly-attended tradeshow, IMEX America, presses forward, proving that business really is their pleasure. Noticing a trend across the board, companies are recognizing a staggering spike in millennials and are drinking them in — and loving their fresh perspective! Renowned hotel, the Hyatt, is especially aware of this rise in young energy, and  is proud to present rockstar customer service while offering a parade of unique options including a seasonal banquet menu and delicious fare from local farms and vendors.

IMEX attendee, Radisson, is making waves and has partnered with Meeting Professionals International, (MPI), in creating a certification program for their hotel staff. Over the last five years, they’ve invested $600,000,000 in upgrades. (Yes, you read that right.)

As health consciousness continues to rise, IMEX15 saddles up! This year’s event preaches awareness of health and wellness with their brand new Be Well at IMEX program. The show hosts an array of seminars, health workshops and a meditation room proving there really is no place like “om.” IMEX America knows that trends come and go, but being healthy never goes out of style.

smart-meetings-tv-LP-image imex-2015-meet-the-hyatt-lp
healthy-imex-trends-2015 radisson-teams-up-with-mpi

 


 


 
 

Convention Industry CouncilKate Patay, CPCE, executive director of sales and marketing for Creative Coverings

The Convention Industry Council (CIC) honored eight outstanding leaders and innovators during a lively event at 2015 IMEX America in Las Vegas last week. The CIC’s Hall of Leaders and Pacesetter Awards celebration—held Oct. 12 in the Marquee Ballroom at MGM Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino—featured a new cocktail reception format, with appetizers, drinks and cocktails, as well as a DJ-led post-party gathering. The event had customarily featured a formal black-tie dinner.

Five leaders were inducted into the organization’s Hall of Leaders: Patricia Faris Barlow, CEM, the CEO of Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center and Fidees; Larry Luteran, former senior vice president of group sales and industry relations for Hilton Worldwide; Jane E. Schuldt, CIS, CITE, the founder and president of World Marketing Group, Ltd.; Craig Smith, former president of Freeman Audio Visual, Inc.; and Amy Spatrisano, CMP, a former principal for Meet Green.

During the past three decades, the Hall of Leaders has recognized 119 pioneers who have been major contributors to the convention industry through their intelligence, leadership, ideas, innovation, influence and risk-taking.

The Pacesetter Awards, a natural extension of the Hall of Leaders,  recognize emerging  industry leaders and supporters whose recent and current achievements have had a very positive influence. This year’s recipients are Rafael Hernandez, CEM, the publisher and CEO of Masexpos Congresos & Convenciones magazine; Kate Patay, CPCE, the executive director of sales and marketing for Creative Coverings; and Kinga Socko, conference specialist for the Poland Convention Bureau.

Perhaps the most resounding reason to attend IMEX America is to build meaningful, lasting and direct relationships with countless companies and groups. This year’s event, which hosted exhibitors from 150 countries, allowed participants to network broadly with international groups. Representatives from Mexico, London, Scotland, Dubai and Japan were present at this year’s trade show.

Many new trends are making waves this year. True to form, technology played a notable role at IMEX, with companies sharing digital marketing tools, mobile app developments and staying conscious of the power of social media. International business travelers can now enjoy unlimited connectivity, including downloading a free app that allows them to communicate directly with hotel staff. Another notable trend is the consideration companies are showing regarding moving meetings into the digital space.

The undeniable influx of millennials into the workforce and meeting industry has increased companies’ awareness of technology and the challenges these younger contemporaries pose.

For more on IMEX 15, click here.

IMEX ‘15 unveiled some interesting aspects of the meetings industry. Companies are noticing that participants want to have unique experiences; they want to engage in a meeting, not just attend one. Face-to-face meetings are still the most highly-valued, even in this digital age. One notable trend is that guests hold high the importance of having a single point of contact when planning. So many organizations are giving them just that.

Throughout the bustling, spacious event space, another trend was obvious. Among the most talked about of these new movements is the increase and importance of health and wellness. Many hotels and destination sites are offering healthier fare, opportunities to stay active, avenues to help guests relax and refresh and are providing a menu of local products. Some companies believe they have the millennial demographic to thank for this shift in ideas — and ideals.

For more on IMEX 15, click here.

For those already missing the excitement of Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress (or those who are kicking themselves because they wish they had been in Las Vegas last week), organizers left you with something to look forward to. Visit Indy will be hosting WEC 2018 June 2 through 5, 2018 at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.

We sat down with Visit Indy President and CEO Leonard Hoops to find out what we can expect when we get there and his answer was that just as drivers at the Indy 500 make 800 left turns in every race, visitors will find surprises around every turn.

1. Incredible Accessibility

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is consistently rated No. 1 in reader satisfaction surveys and by the Airport Council International. The reason is simple. Because it was the first airport built after the September 11, 2001 attack, designers built in the spaces needed to address security in a post-9-11 world. Travelers are fueled by local restaurants so they can get a taste of the local cuisine before they even leave the terminal. And it is a legitimate 15 minutes to downtown hotels.

In the last three years, as the group room-nights metric increased from 600,000 to 900,000 and tech companies expanded (including Salesforce’s second-largest site in the world), the number of flights to the West Coast has dramatically increased with multiple airlines competing for that business. Hoops also let us in on the news that a trans-Atlantic non-stop flight is in the works.

2. Deep Convention Infrastructure Roots

Indianapolis’s economy started as a supplier to the Detroit auto industry. Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a test track for auto manufacturers and now holds the biggest one-day annual sporting event in the world, The Indy 500, which drew 350,000 for the 100th running this year. Then-Mayor Richard Lugar saw the economy changing in the late 1960s and made a commitment to transform the downtown into a place for holding conventions and sporting events. Today, 12 hotels with 4,700 rooms are connected to the convention center by a skyway. It is home to 250 restaurants in walking distance of the conference center and was named Conde Nast Traveler’s Most Underrated Food City and one of Zagat’s Hottest Food Cities.

The Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008 (it was built before they had even secured The Colts as a local team). Seven NCAA final four events have been held there. The convention center is going through its fifth expansion and is connected to the stadium, which brings capacity to 749,000 without ever stepping foot outside, making temperature a non-issue. All of this led to it being named USA Today’s No. 1 convention city in 2014.

3. Hoosier Hospitality

Visit Indy wants to build on that sports and blue collar industrial meeting base by raising its profile with corporate meeting planners. The city already hosts three trade shows a year with over 60,000 attendees and numerous national associations based in Chicago and D.C. come back annually for their conventions. “Corporate planners tend to book with shorter timelines so they can fill in holes and aren’t quite as rate sensitive,” Hoops says. “And once they are here, they are always impressed by the Hoosier hospitality and the convenience of the many amenities.”

Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI saw the location as a perfect fit because so much of the membership is in that part of the country.  Hoops is sure that once attendees get a taste of the city’s extensive hospitality infrastructure and award-winning cocktail sauce, they will want to bring their groups back. See you in Indy.

IMEX America, in its fifth year of production, has surpassed previous impressive marks and shattered its own records. The bustling three-day event hosted over 10,000 participants and suppliers from more than 150 countries. With an astounding number of international representatives from London, Scotland, Japan, Dubai, Colombia and Monaco, just to name a few, the trade show was a parade of diversity.

The tech-heavy trade show highlighted several brand new tech developments, including a content marketing tool called Brojure, and a mobile app released by AM Resort which allows guests to communicate directly with hotel staff. Planners and suppliers alike, had the immense opportunity to grow powerful and lasting relationships, network, schedule appointments and foster one another’s crafts. Smart Meetings TV caught many of the newest trends at the popular trade show, including an undeniable influx of millennials in the workforce, a focus on technology, continued appreciation for face-face-meetings, and a salute to health and wellness.

Perhaps one of the most notable trends is that planners are looking to engage and participate in their meetings – not just attend them. Attendees are looking for truly unique experiences and companies are meeting the challenge head-on.

Smart Meetings TV, the media company’s newest addition, had two crews circulating the show-room floor and captured all of the excitement. Smart Meetings gave away five luxurious hotel stays and the company’s CEO, Marin Bright, said “Anyone who’s anyone has been at IMEX for the last three days.”

IMEX America was held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. The organization looks forward to hosting their 6th production in 2016.

imex-2015-serious-fun trends-of-the-trade-imex-america
hot-trends-imex-15 hot-destinations-2015
all-in-a-day-work-imex-2015

2016-digital-nichee-awards-imageWe’ve done it again! Coming off of two wins for Best eNewsletter and Best Trade Publication (for our October 2015 issue) at the Western Publishers Association’s 2016 Maggie Awards in June, Smart Meetings has racked up two more trophies at the 2016 Digital Nichee Awards, which were announced during the Niche Digital Conference 2016, held Sept. 19–21 at Embassy Suites Denver-Downtown Convention Center.

Designed specifically to meet the ever-changing needs of niche media companies and digital publishers, the three-day event offered insightful workshops, networking events and inspiring keynotes from thought leaders in digital media. Topics discussed at the conference included content marketing, user generated content, social media and email marketing.

This is Smart Meetings’ second consecutive win for Best Niche eNewsletter and first win for Innovation in Niche Media. The Best eNewsletter category recognizes best-in-class newsletters that demonstrate excellence in design, content, audience segmentation and more.

Want to stay updated on the latest industry news? Subscribe to our free e-newsletter

“We are honored and excited to win Best Niche eNewsletter and Innovation in Niche Media. It is a testament to our hard work in delivering compelling news to our audience in the most user-friendly format,” says Miguel A. Sedano, assistant digital director for Smart Meetings.

Smart Meetings’ award-winning eNewsletter, which was redesigned and launched in August 2015, is one of planners’ favorite ways to stay updated on what’s trending in the industry. Delivered to meeting planners’ inboxes twice weekly, the newsletter features news, meeting planning trends, tips and tools, destination highlights and much more.

Smartmeetings.com was redesigned and unveiled in May 2015 with a sleek and completely responsive design. Smart Meetings is the meetings and events industry’s leading trade publication. Featuring breaking news, exclusive interviews with top influencers, in-depth features and exciting destination stories, Smart Meetings is the first choice for meeting and event planners worldwide.

sixth-annual-imex-america

IMEX America was hotter than ever this year, drawing a record 12,227 meetings and events professionals to Las Vegas Oct. 18-20 for a 14 percent increase over 2015. It’s unquestionably a place to see and be seen, as Sands Expo Center transformed into a celebration of all things meetings and events, from one-on-one appointments between planners and suppliers to showcasing the newest trends in trade show technology.

The hosted buyers program has become a very popular way to get destinations, hotels and resorts, and products in front of meeting planners. This year, IMEX America saw a 6 percent increase in the number of hosted buyers, with 3,216 from 60 countries. The United States and Canada were well represented, accounting for 73 percent. But the show also drew meeting decision-makers from as far away as China, India, Australia, Japan and Russia.

There were a record 60,000 prescheduled appointments between hosted buyers and suppliers for a 5 percent increase.

The word is obviously out that IMEX America is a place to do meeting business. This year, a record 3,250 exhibiting companies participated, marking a 4.8 percent increase. There were 69 new booths and an equal number that increased exhibitions spaces for the largest IMEX America ever.

IMEX America has evolved into a truly international affair, with exhibitors coming to Las Vegas from 139 countries. There were more than 100 members of the media in attendance from 16 countries.

Smart Meetings TV was everywhere during the show, conducting insightful interviews and having some fun. To get a feel for the trade show floor, visit our Smart Meetings TV report.

To learn more about the tech that was on display during the show, check out our blog.

asae annual meeting 2017

This week, ASAE built buzz for its upcoming annual meeting and exposition by announcing the event’s keynote and game-changing speakers. The 2017 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition will come to Toronto August 12–15. Nearly 5,000 association professionals and industry partners are expected to attend.

Attendees will be treated to a closing keynote by Jeff Henderson, an executive chef for brands such as Caesars and Bellagio. Henderson is also The New York Times bestselling author of Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove.

The chef’s personal reinvention will be a component of the address. He will also use inspirational anecdotes to demonstrate how diversity results in organizational benefits, including increased staff retention and more confident, productive teams.

In addition, the conference will present five game-changing speakers from outside the association community. These game changers will share their diverse perspectives and innovative ideas with attendees:

–Major Mary Jennings “MJ” Hegar, executive coach and consultant and former Air National Guard pilot, will present Be the Change.
–Daniel Lerner, New York University psychology professor and author of U Thrive, will speak on Balanced Obsession: The Science of Happiness and Success.
–Luvvie Ajayi, executive director of The Red Pump Project, will motivate with her talk I’m Judging You: Do Better.
–Nyle DiMarco, deaf activist and winner of America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars, will inspire in a presentation titled Living out Loud.
–Chris Bailey, author of The Productivity Project, will discuss how to Be More Awesome: A Fresh Approach to Productivity.

Also on the docket for the ASAE Annual Meeting are more than 120 education sessions, preconference workshops and masterclasses designed to enhance career and knowledge pathways for professionals in the association and nonprofit sectors.

“We are excited for this year’s meeting in Toronto. Chef Jeff Henderson, the five game changers, and education session leaders will provide attendees with inspiration, new ideas and different perspectives on a variety of association management topics and challenges they are facing,” said ASAE President and CEO John H. Graham IV, FASAE, CAE. “Participants will bring back innovative solutions to their organization.”

Registration is now open, and a comprehensive ASAE Annual Meeting website has launched.