Planners have been introducing many new approaches recently to meet an event’s objectives and goals, but one aspect of meetings that is still ripe for more changes is the refreshment break.
Janet Sperstad, program director for event management at Madison Technical College in Wisconsin, is seeing more meetings where sessions aren’t necessarily shorter, but speakers and topics within a session change every 20 minutes. At one session she attended, each changeover to a new speaker came with a five-minute break. Attendees could use the bathroom or check their smartphones—or simply relax while watching short comedy videos, slide shows of striking natural landscapes and other diversions.
“You can’t clench your fist for two hours straight, and your mind works the same way,” Sperstad says. “The purpose of the videos and slide shows is to activate a different part of the brain, allowing the concentration region to relax.”
Sperstad’s advice for implementing longer breaks is to use both white space and light space. The latter refers to natural elements such as sunlight, fresh air, plants, trees and moving water.
“Connecting to nature activates other regions of the brain and triggers the release of dopamine, oxytocin and other neurochemicals that refresh our cognitive abilities,” Sperstad says.
At National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia, extended breaks are taking place more frequently on a shaded outdoor plaza rather than the typical indoor spaces. During these breaks, the property’s chef encourages attendees to gather around the grill to observe how he seasons and prepares a few dishes. The outdoor elements, aroma of barbecue and casual cooking lesson rejuvenate people.
“Attendees are definitely coming back to their sessions with more energy,” says Kelli Mueller, director of conference services for National Conference Center.
As professional event planners grapple with security concerns at meetings, emergency preparedness has become a hot issue. Questions arise about who is responsible for ensuring that business meetings and association events are safe and secure environments (see “Zeroing In on Security” from the April issue of Smart Meetings magazine).
Regardless of who is responsible for handling security at hotels and other meeting venues, professional planners should prepare for worst-case scenarios—whether it be a power outage, an active shooter or the many other types of situations that develop.
One source of recommendations for dealing with tragedies at events is the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. This month, the TSA released guidelines to government, private industry and security personnel that respond to attacks at airports and other public venues.
The Public Area Security National Framework report recommends ways to prepare for—and possibly prevent—attacks, and then secure public spaces if one occurs. The recommendations are a result of last year’s terrorist attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul, as well as the 2017 shootings at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Florida.
“Government, industry and security stakeholders have a shared responsibility in developing this integrated framework because it requires a united effort to succeed,” the TSA report states, noting that drills provide first-responders the opportunity to identify obstacles. “These collaborative engagements help develop strategies for incident management and identify areas requiring additional partnerships or resources.”
Based on TSA’s recommendations, here is a list of tips for meeting planners to consider in preparing for emergencies.
Emergency Preparedness Tips
1. Cultivate Relationships with police, fire departments and other first-responders. Contact your local police department and schedule a meeting to discuss how to handle emergencies that might arise during an event or a meeting. Experts can offer advice about what to do—and what not to do—during a life-threatening situation.
2. Identify key individuals responsible for calling emergency medical personnel or contacting authorities if a life-threatening event occurs. Make sure you and the assigned team members have a list of correct phone numbers to call.
3. Develop a communications strategy in advance of the event. This should include community members, such as key convention and visitors bureau staff, hotel managers and venue employees responsible for coordinating actions during an emergency, including a fire or another life-threatening situation.
4. Expand threat awareness education through situational awareness campaigns, such as “See Something, Say Something.” Develop a list of suspicious activities to assist staff in monitoring behaviors that might indicate a potential threat. Make sure everyone in attendance at an event has registered for it, and don’t be shy about asking for identification.
5. Conduct workforce employee training with key individuals assigned to help monitor safety and security at events. Make sure everyone involved in security is aware of potential risks and how to respond if a threat occurs.
6. Organize and practice response drills with a law enforcement representative or another expert to demonstrate how best to respond during a life-threatening event such as an attendee suffering from a heart attack or someone wielding a weapon. Prepare a clear exit strategy for evacuations. Make copies of the room and venue floor plans. Distribute them to all attendees, with exits clearly marked.
Meeting professionals are very busy people who have to juggle many work-related responsibilities. Many people in this profession also hold the title of Dad. With Father’s Day on Sunday, let’s take a closer look at how dads can cope with and overcome the challenges associated with planning fabulous events while raising a family.
“When big events pop-up, event professionals will often focus the majority of their attention and emotional bank account on the particular project at hand. This could cause family to become upset if they don’t understand timelines or milestones for these kinds of projects,” Danna Schwerdt, a creative marketing specialist at Ungerboeck Software International in St. Louis, wrote in a February 2016 blog post. “It’s even possible for them to become jealous of the attention work receives.” Besides stressing the importance of communication, other solutions Schwerdt suggests are enlisting the help of your children by assigning them simple tasks such as alphabetizing name tags and stuffing swag bags.
The struggle of finding work/life balance is not unique to the event and meeting industry. Many careers take parents away from home for conferences, interviews, speaking engagements and more. Over the years, several notable household names have spoken out about their personal views on this hot-button issue.
Jimmy Kimmel says: Trust your team
Every parent hopes and prays for a perfectly healthy baby, but sadly not everyone is so lucky. Some families are forced to put everything else on hold, work included, to tend to a sick child, especially in an emergency situation. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel put family first and took an unexpected weeklong paternity leave in May 2017 to spend quality time with his newborn son Billy, who was born with a heart defect. His celebrity friends rallied behind him and stepped in as guest hosts. That is why, as a meeting professional, it is important to assemble a strong team you can rely on to take on additional responsibilities in a time of dire need. After his brief hiatus, Kimmel soon resumed his late night duties before heading home for overnight diaper duty.
Some meeting professionals have the luxury of working remotely from home, but this arrangement can pose unique challenges. BBC contributor Dr. Robert E. Kelly learned this lesson the hard way when his young daughter and son crashed his live television interview in a now-viral video clip. Many working parents can relate to the unexpected interruption.
“My real life sort of punched through the fake cover I had created for television. Right, there I am in my suit delivering my talking points or whatever and then suddenly reality bursts in,” he said at a press conference at Pusan National University in South Korea on March 15, 2017. “That’s my sense of why this is so resonant.” He admitted he was afraid the incident would destroy his career, but it’s instead given his entire family their 15 minutes of fame and serves as a testament to all working parents that kids can be unpredictable.
Mark Zuckerberg says: Take time off
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg became a posterchild for paternity leave when he announced, on where else but Facebook, his intent to take time off following the birth of his daughter. As the leader of a major global company, this proclamation set a new precedent for parents of any gender. He felt it was important to temporarily step aside and entrust his company to others while he focused on nurturing his new bundle of joy.
“This is a very personal decision, and I’ve decided to take 2 months of paternity leave when our daughter arrives,” he posted in November 2015. “Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families. At Facebook we offer our US employees up to 4 months of paid maternity or paternity leave which they can take throughout the year.”
President Barack Obama says: Choose quality over quantity
While in office, President Barack Obama was a busy man with a hectic travel and meeting schedule. His own father was absent from his life since a young age, so Obama made a conscious effort to be as present as possible in the upbringing of his two daughters.
“My job has kept me away from home more often than I liked, and the burden of raising two young girls would sometimes fall too heavily on Michelle,” he said in his Father’s Day address in June 2011. “More important than the quantity of hours we spend with them is the quality of those hours. Maybe it’s just asking about their day, or talking a walk together, but the smallest moments can have the biggest impact.”
Meeting professionals are tasked with making sure the audio of presentations is clear, that there’s no feedback and that it is at a comfortable volume—but what about the attendees who live in silence?
Rather than relying on microphones and speakers to receive a message, the deaf and hard of hearing depend on the talented hands of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. Not everyone is as fortunate as actress Marlee Matlin, who has a translator shadow her everywhere she goes. Most have to navigate the hearing world alone, and at meetings, planners and other organizers are responsible for making appropriate arrangements.
The fancy fingers of these highly trained professionals share the stage with the biggest stars and often steal the show from the main act. While the deaf cannot hear, they can feel music through its vibrations and enjoy attending concerts and festivals just as much as the hearing population. Signing song lyrics is a performance art that takes on a life of its own.
Interpreter Holly Maniatty has made a name for herself as the go-to person who offers ASL services at hip-hop concerts and festivals. According to USA Today, she is typically hired by the disability department to provide equal access to deaf music lovers. Concert-goers can request to have an interpreter present.
“As an interpreter, you’re only as successful as the last song you interpreted—or the 90 seconds someone caught and made viral—so I’ve been very fortunate that they were successful moments,” Maniatty told the newspaper. “If they are dropping with the beat and the crowd, bumpin’ to a particular rhyme, etc., [then] mission accomplished! Music is such a personal experience—to be a part of that for an audience is truly a privilege.”
In a video that went viral earlier this month, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Pluto made a little fan’s dreams come true when they communicated to him by signing, “Nice to meet you.” This was part of a trip put together by Olive Crest, an organization that treats and educates at-risk youth. “The child was ecstatic after meeting the characters because he didn’t know they would speak ‘his language,’” a rep for the group told KABC-TV.
This is not the first time Disney has received attention for sharing its magic with deaf visitors. Many videos exist on YouTube of interpreters performing on the sidelines of a parade route. They even manage to fingerspell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious with remarkable speed and precision!
ATX Television Festival, which took place June 7–10 in Austin, Texas, made sure to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility laws, and provided ASL interpreters at the presentations. Event attendee Brittany Kaplan took notice and praised their work for translating the panel discussions of television’s biggest stars. “Mad props to all of the ASL interpreters working super hard this weekend at #ATXTVs6,” she captioned a video on Twitter.
The International Association of Conference Interpreters published guidelines for meeting professionals to follow regarding where to position ASL interpreters at events, making sure the deaf attendees have a clear view without obstructions. The organization also recommends reducing distractions on the stage, positioning the ASL interpreter on a raised platform and making sure the interpreter is well lit so their hands, facial expressions and body gestures can be seen. Projecting ASL on a screen behind the speaker helps with visibility, and picture-in-picture (PIP) is one way to accomplish that.
ADA requirements state that “a ‘qualified’ interpreter means someone who is able to interpret effectively, accurately and impartially, both receptively and using any necessary specialized vocabulary.” Event professionals can find such a qualified person by referring to the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, or by reaching out to the state office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing or the local chapter of National Association for the Deaf. Be sure to plan ahead because it can be difficult to find an interpreter in a time crunch.
If an event professional cannot secure an interpreter, ADA suggests a couple of alternate options to provide effective communication to deaf attendees. Real-time captioning works like court reporting in which someone transcribes spoken word live. This can be done on-site or remotely. The words are then projected onto a screen to be read.
Video remote interpreting (VRI) offers ASL interpreting services via video conferencing using an off-site interpreter. For meeting professionals opting to go down this road, it is of utmost importance to make sure attendees requiring this assistance are positioned in a location with a clear view of the screen, and that there is no interruption in the video and audio connection.
In an infamous flub and major security breach, a man named Thamsanqa Jantjie appeared to be interpreting sign language during former President Barack Obama’s speech at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in Johannesburg in December 2013. The incident created outrage because he was not using actual signs and NBC News reported that he has a “history of schizophrenic episodes.” This should serve as a cautionary tale to event organizers to hire a qualified interpreter using a thorough vetting process.
When 2,500 meeting planners gathered at the MGM Grand in the entertainment capital of the world to learn and connect, it was inevitable that a party was going to break out. To be more accurate, a lot of parties took place up and down the Las Vegas Strip when Meeting Professionals International gathered there for its annual World Education Congress June 19-22.
The Rise Awards honored Ginny Fontain from the Carolinas Chapter as Member of the Year; Colleen Rickenbacher from the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter as Meeting Industry Leader; Natalie Beiro from the Potomac Chapter as young professional. Mike Dominguez, chief sales officer at MGM Resorts International, was given the Chair’s Award.
The Northern California Chapter was recognized for Marketplace Excellence and Educational Programming (also given to the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter). Texas Hill Country Chapter was awarded for Industry Advocacy for its high profile celebration of Global Meetings Day. And at a special MPI President’s Dinner at Caesars Palace, IMEX Group founder Ray Bloom was given the Industry Leader Award.
In between all the clapping, there was a lot of learning going on in the sessions and behind the scenes as MPI leadership tried new things and made adjustments when a keynote speaker backed out at the last minute and temperatures soared to 117 degrees. Here are some of the lessons that can be learned from what ended up being a memorable conference experience.
1. Always be ready to jump in with a Plan B.
When Keynote Speaker Magic Johnson informed MPI that he would not be able to speak at the attendee lunch the next day, planners came together to determine what resources were available (it was Vegas after all) and brought in the hip-hop dance crew Jabberwockeez. The audience loved it and it was another opportunity to show off the amenities of the area.
2. Be transparent.
While a number of the presentations talked about the importance of being authentic with attendees, MPI President and CEO Paul Van Deventer modeled the behavior. After the opening night went long, he acknowledged it during the opening general session and said the group was taking risks, trying new things and learning from it. Even more transparent was an interactive discussion at the lunch where Johnson was scheduled to speak that used the change of plans as a case study everyone could learn from.
3. Have a safety plan.
The well-being of attendees is always the first concern for planners, but only 50% have written risk management plans according to MPI research. Van Deventer stresses the importance of considering what you would do in a wide range of possible scenarios from a medical emergency to a live shooter at an event. Included in that is what to do when temperatures reach record highs as it did during the group’s time in Las Vegas. The MPI team quickly engaged shuttles to take attendees down the block to the opening festivities and installed misters and fans at the outside venue, The Park, where it was still over 90 degrees at 9:30 at night.
4. Allow magic to happen.
The theme of the event was “stop planning meetings and start designing experiences”. That means putting the pieces in place to allow attendees to make choices that are appropriate for how they want to learn and interact. It means tapping into the knowledge in the room rather than talking to them from the stage the entire time. It requires breaking information into smaller chunks to keep attendees engaged. It means letting go sometimes and enjoying the experience.
Finding the best event entertainment can be tricky. When evaluating your options, it’s important to maintain fundamental considerations, such as budget, timeliness and convenience. But there are some additional factors to assess, as well. For instance, corporate culture and client preferences are major aspects. Ultimately, the process can seem overwhelming, even to an expert planner. That’s why we’ve laid out some best practices and crucial considerations for making this decision.
Stay Within the “Fun” Budget
It’s wise to begin by crafting a specific budget for event entertainment. However, if the opportunity arises, or the occasion calls for it, the budget might need to expand. In these cases, it’s best to take any additional funds from the “fun” budget, meaning the more general budget for decor, food and entertainment.
It’s All about the Attendees
It may take a little extra research, but it is well worth ensuring the entertainment matches the interests of your attendees. Avoid choosing entertainment based on your personal tastes. Instead, consider the specific demographic you are trying to satisfy. Factors that will help guide your decision include age, profession, type of event and location. Niche entertainment groups are generally more risky, unless you’re certain that these attendees are fans. A safe bet would be music that covers popular hit through several time periods.
Be Extra Careful with Comedy
Everyone loves a good laugh. But since comedy can be a little controversial, it’s important at professional functions to make sure the individual or group you’re hiring keeps it clean, is family-friendly and avoids targeting others.
Do Your Research
So you found the perfect band for your demographic—now what? It’s time to make sure it is reliable. If the event entertainment wasn’t directly recommended to you, try to get references from past clients. Also, do your homework. Before signing off on anything, explore the web and look for video or audio recordings.
Stipulate Expectations Beforehand
You want to make the most of your entertainment, especially if you spent a pretty penny hosting it. Before the event, establish and then clearly communicate expectations with the entertainers. A few things you might want to include requesting are a question-answer session, social media posts, meet-and-greet and merchandise. It’s also necessary to diligently review specify dates, preferences, deposit deadlines and other logistics.
Religion is a very tricky topic in modern America. Ideally, there would be a simple way to make everyone feel accepted and accommodated. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Event professions are tasked with tactfully balancing appeasing non-religious individuals and those who practice a wide variety of religions.
An enduring symbol of religion in the United States is the Bible in the drawer at hotels, motels and inns. Since the turn of the 20th century, this accommodation has been as commonplace as hand soap. However, a 2016 survey by the hospitality analytics company STR found that over the last decade, Bibles are disappearing from hotel rooms. As recently as 2006, they could be found in 95 percent of hotels. By the end of 2016, this rate plummeted to 48 percent.
There are a few reasons for this massive shift. One is that hotels want to appeal to younger travelers. For instance, Marriott International properties supply the Bible and Book of Mormon in their guest rooms—except in their millennial-focused brands Moxy and Edition, which are Bible-free.
The shift could also be due to logistical issues. Shelves have been preferred over nightstands in many new hotels, making it difficult to discreetly put Bibles in guest rooms. Perhaps the most significant reason is that hotels want to avoid offending or upsetting guests, especially international travelers.
Plan Ahead
Depending on your specific group, it might be wise to consider how hotels deal with this topic when planning a meeting or event. If you are a planner for a religious group, then this decision may be especially important as you may wish to choose a hotel, and location, with aligned values.
Photo credit: Provenance Hotels
Some hotels have come up with innovative solutions. The boutique hotel company Provenance Hotels, offers a unique alternative to having Bibles in the drawers—a “spiritual menu.” Since 2009, the hotel has allowed guest to request a complimentary copy of any religious text for the duration of their stay.
The Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Portland, Oregon, also employs an interesting alternative. It offers a “quiet room” on the property’s fifth floor, allowing anyone to express their spirituality, whether it be through meditation, prayer or even deep reflection. In the quiet space, there is a small bookshelf with a Bible, Quran and a yoga mat.
Meeting and Event Tips
Here are some suggestions for planners looking for ways to make a meeting religiously, and non-religiously, tolerant.
Be mindful of all religious holidays. Don’t plan a meeting or event on the day, or even weekend, of a big religious holiday.
Offer a vegetarian option—it accommodates Hindus (no beef), Buddhists (no meat), Muslims (no pork) and Jews (kosher).
If you know attendees might have different religions, try not to link the party to one religious holiday. Or if you do, make sure other religions are acknowledged. For instance, a Christmas-themed party may instead choose a winter theme, or it could also incorporate aspects of Chanukah and Kwanza.
If a religiously-affiliated charity is involved, offer alternative contributions as well.
When working with a specific religious group, make sure you know the particulars about their customs, including any restrictions and special accommodations that may be necessary. Including a question about religious accommodations in a pre-event questionnaire might be one way to resolve this.
Have a zero-tolerance policy for any type of discrimination.
There are tons of moving parts when planning a meeting or an event—so many that skipping a beat almost seems inevitable. However, accommodating special needs is one area where you really can’t be careless. Planners are held responsible for considering and planning for all types of accommodations. Be sure to survey attendees during registration so you can plan ahead. A good rule of thumb is to specify that the survey be completed at least a month in advance for conferences and two weeks in advance for one-day events.
Here is a sample questionnaire, including the most crucial provisions.
A picture is worth a thousand words—especially on event day. All of the preparation, planning and, at times, agony have led up to this moment. Surely, no one wants to capture it more than the planner. All of this emotional investment makes for a delicate situation—and therefore one susceptible to mistakes. How can you ensure that the snaps are up to par at your next meeting or event? Depending on the size, an event will often warrant two very different types of photography. Here are some no-fail strategies for capturing all the right moments.
Live Coverage via Social Media
Typically, this is assigned to an individual on your team. For this task, you want to enlist someone who can be glued to their iPhone. They should be uploading images and videos in real time.
This type of photography is most successful when using someone who has the following:
Basic photography and editing skills
Knowledge of the latest social media features
Access to and familiarity with your company’s social media channels and strategy
Spare event time
An understanding of social media conventions, tone and functions
Enough industry familiarity to use the right hashtags and capture the proper moments
In contrast to a professional, the social media photographer wants to capture the highlights rather than every moment. After all, no one wants a cluttered social feed. Make sure they understand your audience and reasons for covering in real time.
Professional Photographer
Pretty much every event needs a professional photographer onsite. Sure, the social media pages might be glowing with interesting shots. Nonetheless, consider the full scope of your photography. Sure, social makes the list, but here are all of the ways you might be using the photography post-event:
Social media galleries
Digital articles
Magazine articles
Print and digital advertisements
Website
Future promotions
E-blasts
Newsletter
Press releases
So clearly, it’s important to have high-quality pictures for sharing and creating an overall brand image.
Having the title of professional photographer doesn’t mean they’ll do a good job or check off your particular boxes though. Here’s what you need to look for when enlisting a particular photographer, most of which can be found through testimonials, references or a portfolio:
Equipment
Proficiency
Specialty and style
Cost (cut down the hours if the budget demands)
Format capacities
Turnaround time (does it align with your needs?)
Any materials or meetings they might require in advance (and the timeline for that)
Now that you’ve found adequate support, it’s time to make sure nothing suffers from a miscommunication. This should all be debriefed at least several days in advance. Prepare the photographer by running through the following:
Reiterate the quote and make sure you are aware of any additional costs
What the photos will be used for post-event (be as specific as possible)
Preparation for the size and schedule
What type of credit is required, covering specific rights and permission
How many photos should be taken
The variety of formats expected
What must be captured
Time necessary to familiarize with the location (and when this can be done)
What’s your policy on photographing attendees—are they aware of this and what is the plan if they don’t wish to be captured
Another, different type of professional service is an instant photo company. These often involve costumes, graphics and other goofy touches. They are a very fun way for attendees to socialize and fill up their swag bags, along with capture their moments in a unique way. Here are a few examples.
Close your eyes and think about the last event you attended. More likely than not, alcohol was a central aspect. Cocktail parties, wine tastings and, more recently, craft brewery tours have become a staple of conference programs. Planners have to be careful to cater to the needs of non-drinkers in our midst as well.
Sobriety is more common than you think. According to statistics from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), 30 percent of American adults don’t consume alcohol. People choose sobriety for a variety of reasons—religion, a history alcoholism, family experiences, health issues, pregnancy, allergies, medications, a restrictive diet or general distaste. Drinkers might also choose to be sober at a given event. Regardless of the scenario, everyone deserves to be equally accommodated.
Here are a few ways to show these attendees a good time, while still offering alcohol.
In order to make the sizable group of sober attendees comfortable, they set up a lounge. In this area, they provide complimentary food and beverages, including Bavarian pretzels and craft sodas. For enjoyment, they provide free chair massages from massage therapists and movie screenings.
Allowing the nonalcoholic space reduces the feeling of being left out and eliminates the pressure to drink. However, this tactic is most successful at larger events.
Encourage Moderation
In addition to helping sober attendees feel more comfortable, offering appealing non-drinking options acknowledges the serious danger of drinking and driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that every day 28 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver.
As a planner, ensuring safety is your number one goal. This is immediately compromised when drinking gets out of hand. Here are a few tips to keep the drinking at bay.
Offer many activities in addition to drinking.
Use small cups.
Serve a variety of food throughout the entire event.
Provide many non-alcohol beverage options.
Stick with a beer and wine list, or make sure mixed drinks are being measured before serving.
Be mindful of the timing. People are less likely to overdo it during the day or the night before a work day.
Highlight that the event will be “kid-friendly” beforehand.
Don’t place the bar in the middle or near the entrance of a venue.
Be careful about the tone you set—try not to make any remarks which encourage drinking.
Provide Safe and Convenient Transportation
Being the designated driver can be a burden. Sober attendees might feel pressured to stick around throughout the event despite wanting to turn in for the evening. Even worse, this guilt could compel attendees who have been drinking to take the wheel.
Shuttles, taxis or discount Lyft promotions (which may be coordinated with the app) are all convenient, safe and affordable modes of transportation. Another alternative is holding the event at a venue which is walking distance, or within, a hotel.
Offer AA Meeting Opportunities
Typically this is only necessary if your event spans a number of days or requires travel, but offering a proximate Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), or other support group, could be crucial for any recovering alcoholics. At Burning Man Festival, several AA meetings are held onsite. You don’t have to necessarily organize these meetings yourself. Just make sure there are local opportunities or include a help line on your event materials or in the hotel. Events can definitely be trying, so you want to make sure support is accessible for individuals who may be struggling.
When 2,500 meeting planners gathered 
