high tea
Photo Credit: Fairmont Royal York

Meeting professionals are turning to traditional English tea parties to create brilliant royal wedding celebrations for mere commoners. Whether you’re planning for a monarch, CEO or everyday person, every successful event requires the same key components: invitations, dress code, food, drinks, music, decorations and photos. This guide takes inspiration from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s impending ceremony and reception on May 19 to provide planners with realistic ways to treat each and every one of their guests like kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes and duchesses.

Invitations

It has become commonplace to rely on digital invitations and RSVPs, but there is still something special about sending traditional printed stationery for formal affairs. The envelope and its contents are a potential attendee’s first impression and can set the tone for an event yet to happen.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enlisted the services of Barnard & Westwood Fine Printers & Bookbinders, the company the groom’s family has been using since 1985. According to Kensington Palace’s Twitter account, @KensingtonRoyal, Lottie Small “printed all of the invitations in a process known as die stamping, on a machine from the 1930s that she affectionately nicknamed Maude.”

Invite your attendees to VIP treatment at these royal-approved venues.

The invitations feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink. They are otherwise rather simple: black script ink printed on white cardstock. Planners could simply print replicas on their own or with the help of a graphic designer.

Dress Code

The world is anxiously waiting to see Markle’s show-stopping bridal gown, but strict fashion etiquette applies to guests who scored a coveted invite. If a planner is looking to recreate a royal themed affair, guests can be encouraged to dress according to this protocol to really immerse themselves in the full experience.

Women are expected to wear hats or fascinators. Many Americans aren’t familiar with the term “fascinator.” They are elaborate headbands or barrettes often adorned with feathers, flowers or lace. At a recent press event to promote the new made-for-tv movie Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance, Lifetime Television publicity director Kristine Tiongco held a high tea at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, a service the hotel offers daily in The Living Room. She gave each guest a fascinator as a party favor. The room was also decorated with costumes that the actress who portrayed Markle wore in the film.

Chapel Hats at Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, has a wide selection if you or your guests are looking for a costume. Or, you can hire a flower crown vendor to custom-make crowns for your guests. Smart Meetings did this at an event in Newport Beach in February.

chapel hats for the royal wedding

The fellas are expected to look dapper in a morning coat or a lounge suit, which is simply a suit. In the United States, men typically assume a tuxedo is appropriate for a black-tie affair, however, according to mytuxedocatalog.com, tuxedos are actually meant to be worn after 6 p.m. For daytime events, such as Prince Harry and Markle’s wedding, men should dress in a cutaway tailcoat or morning coat that is either black or charcoal grey with a single button closure and a peak lapel. This is to be paired with striped or checked trousers, collared shirt, grey or pastel colored vest and light grey, pale or patterned tie. The gents can accessorize with a top hat, pocket square, gloves and a cane.

Food & Beverage

A party wouldn’t be a party without eating and drinking! Here’s how to nosh and sip like the monarchs.

Main Dishes

The Royal Kitchens at Windsor Castle, led by head chef Mark Flanagan are preparing tasty cuisine for guests attending the reception. Without revealing too many details, he said fresh produce, such as asparagus, will be served.

“Luckily, the seasons have just fallen perfectly and that’s become the main focus in the decision making of the menus,” he said. “The couple have been very involved in every detail of it.”

Should you be planning a British-inspired high-tea, finger sandwiches and scones are two common menu items. That’s what London and Partners and Lifetime served at their themed-functions, and is what’s available at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts throughout North America and the United Kingdom as their nod to the royal wedding.

Fairmont
Photo Credit: Ashley Piperni

You can eat like the royals in private dining rooms at Giada, located inside The Cromwell in Las Vegas. When Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Santa Barbara, California, for a polo match in July 2011, Giada De Laurentiis catered the event.

“I was floored when they gave it to me. There’s been a lot of things that I’ve done, and in my work life, it’s probably one of my highlights,” she told Popsugar.

The celebrity chef’s new restaurant, GDL Italian by Giada, opens this week at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.

Dessert

De Laurentiis has passed the spatula to another American for Prince Harry and Markle’s wedding. When life hands her lemons, pastry chef Claire Ptak makes wedding cake. Originally from California, just like Markle, the owner of London bakery Violet Cakes has been commissioned to bake a lemon elderflower cake, according to Buckingham Palace. It’ll “incorporate the bright flavours of spring,” the palace Tweeted. “It will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.”

Fairmont St. Andrews in Scotland will display an oversized lemon elderflower wedding cake as they livestream the vows. Guests can take home a slice as a souvenir. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that slices of cake from previous royal weddings, such as those of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and Prince William and Kate Middleton, will be going up for auction by Julien’s Auctions on June 23 in Las Vegas. But, they are well-beyond their expiration date to be eaten.

On this side of the Atlantic Ocean, the popular donut chain, Dunkin’ Donuts, introduced a limited-edition Royal Love Donut, available from May 14-May 20. The heart-shaped confection is filled with jelly and frosted with chocolate icing and a drizzle of strawberry, and will leave your attendees licking their lips. It is even packaged in a castle-shaped box that reads, “Happily Ever After.”

Dunkin Donuts

Drinks

Just like Lifetime did for their event, it is easy to utilize a hotel’s high-tea service for your private meeting. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are offering specials aligned with the royal nuptials. Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is featuring Markle’s tea of preference, a blend of licorice and green tea, for the entire month of May.

How do you keep an event like this safe? Read here to find out.

London and Partners took notice of Markle’s now-deleted Instagram account, observing she says yes way to rosé prosecco, so they’ll be popping open the bubbly at IMEX. They also created a signature cocktail, The Royal Cup. Ingredients include elderflower gin and tonic water with a lemon garnish.

Last month, grocery chain Trader Joe’s released a new Lemon Elderflower Soda, using the flavor of the royal’s wedding cake. Described on the store’s website as “light, brilliant and refreshing,” this springy drink is perfect for your royal party.

fairmont grand del mar
Photo Credit: Fairmont Grand Del Mar

Many places are putting unique spins on cocktails fit for a royal. The Savoy in London, which has hosted royal family members for dinners, events and celebrations, concocted the Royal Welcome. It has a light and aromatic blend of Italicus Roselio di bergamotto, Bombay Sapphire gin, champagne syrup, yuzu, peychauds bitters and English sparkling wine. The Windsor, which mixes Boodles Proper British gin with lavender-infused Lillet Blanc, lemon and a pilsner float, is being served at Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego.

At Paris Las Vegas, the mixologists at Gordon Ramsay Steak are spiking Earl Grey tea to create The Gin Windsor for the entire month of May. The limited-edition cocktail mixes Bombay Sapphire Gin and Earl Grey tea. It is topped with honey-infused simple syrup and fresh-squeezed lemon juice before being shaken. The martini glass is garnished with a sprig of fresh lavender to incorporate the aroma of the English countryside.

Floral Arrangements

Philippa Craddock, a London-based florist, has been hired to make the floral displays in St. George’s Chapel, the site of the ceremony. Kensington Palace revealed that she’ll use roses and peonies from The Crown Estate and Windsor Great Park’s gardens. Whenever possible, she’s incorporating flowers and plants that are currently in season. This includes branches of beech, birch and hornbeam, white garden roses, peonies and foxgloves.

The palace added, “The Royal Parks will supply some pollinator-friendly plants from their wildflower meadows, which will be incorporated into the floral designs. These plants provide a great habitat for bees and help to nurture and sustain entire ecosystems by promoting a healthy and biodiverse environment.”

“The process has been highly collaborative, free-flowing, creative and fun,” Craddock says of working with the Prince and his bride. “The final designs will represent them as a couple, which I always aim to achieve in my work, with local sourcing, seasonality and sustainability being at the forefront.”

At IMEX, currently underway in Frankfurt, Germany, London & Partners will host a wedding breakfast for attendees. They’ll decorate their stand “with an explosion of traditional spring flowers, chosen to reflect the wedding bouquet and our city’s outdoor spaces,” the CVB told Smart Meetings. Flowers include peonies, which they said are Markle’s favorite flower and a symbol of good fortune and a happy marriage. Roses, the national flower of England and a symbol for love, will be incorporated too. London and Partners believe Markle is attracted to light pink, peach and orange varieties. They also said that the royal bride placed mason jars of hydrangeas around her home.

Music

Wedding bells won’t be the only thing ringing during the ceremony at St. George’s Chapel. The couple is incorporating a lot of music into the ritual. They’ve asked choirs, an orchestra, cellist, trumpeters and organ player to perform.

Planners can host groups big and small for a gospel brunch at House of Blues locations nationwide. Or, enjoy the sounds of an organ by booking an event at theaters, such as Radio City Music Hall in New York City or El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.

Photography

After tying the knot, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be posing for official photographs at Windsor Castle, taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski. He previously photographed the couple for their engagement shoot at Frogmore House.

To bring Britain to your party, create a royal-themed photo booth, Have some fun with props, such as crowns, fascinators and more. On the trade show floor at IMEX, London and Partners is doing just that. They are giving visitors the opportunity to take a photo in front of a Buckingham Palace backdrop.

Tiongco unleashed a couple of corgis, the breed of dog that Queen Elizabeth II has as pets, at the Lifetime movie event she planned. The royal pooches created a pup-ular photo opp for guests.

Photo Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for A+E NETWORKS

As you look around in restaurants, on street corners and in our workplaces, you will recognize “the state of monomaniacal obliviousness” that overcomes fellow humans when they’re “absorbed in an activity to the exclusion of everything else,” in the words of Henry Alford, author of Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That: A Modern Guide to Manners.

In other words, they’re all starting at their phones. If that smartphone-distracted person happens to be someone you’re trying to have a conversation over dinner or meeting with, should you be offended?

“To treat the person standing in front of you as secondary to your phone is usually, as the kids say, a micro-aggression,” Alford told The New York Times.

At the very least, it’s bad manners, declares none other than Miss Manners herself—also known as Judith Martin, whose column on proper behavior is syndicated in newspapers across the country. What would she do if someone became engrossed in a phone during dinner? “If that happens, that’s when dinner ends,” she says.

Dennis Hunter, a blogger and self-professed smartphone addict, offers this remedy: “Sometimes when my partner and I sit down to dinner, we put our phones face down on the table—or better yet, leave them in the other room—and agree not to check them until we’ve finished our dinner together. Some people have adopted even more extreme measures: When you’re out to dinner with a group, everyone stacks their phones in the middle of the table, and the first one to check their phone picks up the tab.”

Another etiquette expert, Maralee McKee, takes an even harder line. “Unless you’re a doctor on call, keep your phone off the table,” she says. “The only things that belong on a table are food and the things needed to eat it.”

In the Old West, gunfighters were asked to check their six-shooters at the door. Are we moving toward a time when social hosts and meeting planners ask attendees to park their phones at the door?

h hotel la

H Hotel Los Angeles

This stylish new lifestyle abode, which joined Curio Collection by Hilton, practically overlooks Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)—and offers a free airport shuttle 24/7. Its 168 guest rooms have chic furnishings and a 55-inch HDTV. With a boardroom, four versatile conference rooms and catering options, up to 40 attendees can take a meeting.

hotel saranac

Hotel Saranac, Saranac Lake, New York

The sole survivor of 13 properties that surrounded Saranac Lake in the 1920s, this 102-room classic has been revived by a $30 million investment. Pine, birch and maple infuse treatments at the spa, and an Adirondacks-to-table menu is served at the rustic-chic restaurant. A magnificent ballroom, outdoor terrace and three meeting rooms total more than 6,000 sq. ft.

river's edge

River’s Edge Hotel, Portland

Scandinavian minimalist design guided the property-wide renovation of this 100-room hotel on a tree-lined bend of Willamette River in Portland’s South Waterfront. A 500-square-foot riverside lawn complements 3,500 sq. ft. of gathering space that has water and rolling hillside views. Up to 120 can be accommodated for events. The spa, with 10 treatment rooms, is the city’s largest.

ritz-carlton

The Whitley, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Atlanta

In one of Atlanta’s most upscale neighborhoods, a long-time star has been reborn. Formerly The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, it now honors Buckhead founder John Whitley. A new ballroom with crystal chandeliers and private alfresco terrace ups meetings allure, and pairs with 30 more event spaces covering more than 30,000 sq. ft. Redoing the 507 guest rooms is next.

Women have made huge advances when it comes to entering the workforce, but there are still barriers to be overcome. While it’s easy to assume that this is not the case in the meetings industry, where women make up a majority of the work force, the unfortunate truth is that some women still struggle with everything from pay gaps to sexual aggression. Smart Meetings talked to Sarah Moshman, the documentary filmmaker behind The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things, and Olga Mizrahi, author of The Gig Is Up: Thrive in the Gig Economy Where Old Jobs are Obsolete and Freelancing is the Future, for their advice on how to advance in any industry.

Don’t Worry About Being Popular

Many women aim to please more often than they should, especially when it comes to standing their ground regarding ideas or appeasing others. “There are unconscious biases where women feel the need to be ‘liked’ and don’t want to be seen as too aggressive or bossy,” Moshman says. Mizrahi agrees that “women are being brought up to be polite and caregivers.” But while it’s nice to be on good terms with colleagues, you don’t have to be everybody’s best friend.

Be Confident in What You Do

Studies show that men will apply for jobs they are less qualified for more often than women. “There is a term we have come to know as the confidence gap for women not believing in their abilities,” Moshman says. This can result in women passing on potential raises and promotions should they feel slightly inadequate. They may also share credit when the spotlight lands on them. But being confident in your skills can improve your office experience big time. “Feeling empowered comes from confidence in who you are and what you do,” says Mizrahi.

Ignore the Double Standard

“For so long, women have often been encouraged to embrace their masculine traits to blend in with their co-workers in male-dominated industries,” Moshman says. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg pointed this out in her LeanIn campaign, but “playing by their rules in their system presents its own challenges.” It can cause cognitive dissonance for those wanting to embrace their femininity without sacrificing respect from colleagues. For a simple way to combat this, both Moshman and Mizrahi suggest dressing in what makes you feel like a boss and bringing your A-Game to the table at the next meeting. If you’re feeling especially brave, you can call out those who are encouraging the double standard—subconsciously or not.

Express Yo’ Self Your Way

If you are more of an introvert and work better in smaller groups or on your own, don’t try and change yourself to fit into a large company. While it’s important to push yourself, feeling extremely out of your comfort zone can have the opposite effect. If your workplace but thrives on extraversion, it can be helpful to find work friends and allies you can bounce ideas off of and confide in. If your office is more on the quiet side while you are outgoing, use your enthusiasm to inspire others who may feel shy or doubt their abilities. Find a way to express yourself in a way that feels authentic to you.

Stand Up for Yourself

Again, confidence—and a healthy plan B—is key when it comes to standing up for yourself. “If we have financial confidence, and confidence in our talents that we will be okay no matter what, then we can feel more comfortable standing up for ourselves,” Moshman says. Mizrahi reasserts that rising to the top requires “confidence and really embracing in an extreme way your best traits, and not being afraid to say what those best traits are.” So, don’t back down when your peers question a decision—stand strong and explain why your idea is the best idea.  Even if it doesn’t pan out, people will remember your confidence and assertiveness.

Germany’s forward-thinking use of technology, industry expertise and innovative inventions is turning heads on site selection committees throughout the world. A number of recent studies have shown the country’s popularity as a meetings destination.

Petra Hedorfer, CEO of Germany Travel (GNTB) and chairwoman of the German Convention Bureau Administrative Board (GCB), credits budget-friendly transportation, venues, hotels and F&B as a few of the reasons the country has become an international favorite. “Germany’s wide range of expertise in different industry sectors and fields of science considerably contributes to the country’s strength as a meeting destination, providing organizers with an ideal framework for their events,” she said.

The Data Doesn’t Lie

Need more convincing? For the 14th time in a row, Germany took first place in Europe in the most recent International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) survey, drawing 682 annual international association meetings (with more than 50 attendees) booked there in 2017.

And recently, the GNTB European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) and GCB released their annual study, “Meeting & Event Barometer,” following hospitality trends throughout the country. Sending out surveys to 4,000 event venues offering a minimum seating capacity of 100 and 8,000 organizers worldwide, the study was created to follow trend forecasts, including digitalization and internationalism. Respondents revealed that technology is becoming more relevant, global participation continues to rise and event venues of all types continue to pop up around the country.

Technology is King

Germany has jumped on the trend to integrate technology, such as AR, in meetings. An estimated 24 percent of German and international meeting and conference planners utilize technology in their events, essentially combining physical components with the virtual. This has also changed how meetings are held; smaller meetings with fewer than 50 participants are transitioning into becoming fully digital.

“For smaller events, organizers increasingly use virtual formats to enable exchange and networking,” says EVVC President Joachim Konig. “At the same time, tech tools also enrich physical meetings and conferences, resulting in an increase of hybrid events. Overall, the digital transformation is therefore an opportunity for anyone operating in the events sector.”

Attendees Continue to Show Up

The steady stream of name tags is resulting in a positive economic effect. “Thirty-one percent of promotable business trips…can be attributed to meetings and conferences,” says Hedorfer.

In 2017, more participants than ever led to a total of 405 million delegates. Mid-sized events grew by 2.7 percent. And internationalization has also led to a total of 36 million global participants—an increase of 10.9 percent compared to 2016. “The steady growth in international event participants in Germany by more than 150 percent over a period of 12 years clearly shows that the German meetings and conference market is considerably shaped by internationalization,” says Matthias Schultze, managing director of GCB.

Event Venues are Thriving

Germany offers plenty of venues, and if you’re looking for one that can fit more than 100 attendees, you’re in luck. With 7,405 conference hotels and event venues, you have more options than ever; it’s an increase of 1.3 percent from 2016. One reason for the increase? There are plenty of renovations of spaces such as museums, castles and studios, creating inventive spaces different from your standard hotel.

Last Thursday’s eruption of Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii isn’t the authentic and hyper-local experience most meeting planners are looking for. But top officials ranging from Hawaii Governor David Ige to George Szigeti, president and CEO of Hawaii Tourism Authority, want prospective visitors to know it isn’t a reason to stay away, either.

“We have heard from people around the world concerned about Hawaii’s welfare and want to reassure everyone that this is limited to a remote region on the slopes of Kilauea volcano. Everywhere else in the Hawaiian Islands is not affected,” said Ige in a statement.

Szigeti urged travelers with a Hawaii trip booked or planned to come despite the eruption, lava flows that have so far destroyed nearly three dozen structures, mostly homes, hundreds of magnitude 2.0 to 4.0 earthquakes (and one with a magnitude of 6.9) and dangerously high levels of sulfur dioxide in the eruption area. “No flights into airports anywhere in Hawaii have being impacted by Kilauea volcano, and the area where the lava is coming to the surface is very far away from resort areas throughout the Hawaiian Islands,” he said. Visitors can enjoy their experience in Hawaii “to the fullest” as long as they stay out of areas closed to the public.

The closest resort areas, in Kona and the Kohala Coast on the island of Hawaii’s west side, are more than 100 miles away from where red lava is spewing into the air and flow is occurring. These areas are further shielded by the mountains of Maunakea and Maunaloa. Resort areas located on Oahu and Kauai, and in Maui County, are located hundreds of miles from the volcano.

A Smart Meetings observer in Waikiki confirmed that Oahu is conducting business as usual, and that the main island for tourism in the state is “not affected by the volcano.”

Kilauea has been an active volcano since 1983 and is one of Hawaii’s most popular attractions via helicopter or visits to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There is currently a no-fly zone declared over Kilauea. The national park was closed late last week but partially reopened yesterday with limited services.

At least nine fissures erupted overnight Sunday near the Leilani Estates neighborhood on the southeastern part of the island, in the Puna district. “There’s no sign of it slowing down,” Talmadge Magno, the civil defense administrator for the County of Hawaii, said Sunday at a news conference. “We had some pauses yesterday, but it seems like there’s a lot of magma underground.”

Last week Hawaii County ordered evacuations of areas where about 1,800 people live. Fountains of lava have reached heights of 330 feet, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

american airlines

Sorry, no chickens, spiders or sugar gliders on this American Airlines flight. Miniature horses might still be OK, though.

American Airlines has joined United, Delta and Alaska Airlines in tightening rules for emotional support animals on its flights. It has also formally banned a long list of critters.

Starting July 1, the nation’s largest air carrier will require travelers with “psychiatric service” animals to contact American’s Special Assistance Desk 48 hours prior to departure with a form or letter from a mental health professional, as well as another form attesting that the animal won’t relieve itself on the flight.

The new rules totally forbid cabin entry for amphibians, ferrets, goats, hedgehogs, insects, reptiles, rodents, spiders, sugar gliders, “non-household” birds and almost any animal with tusks, horns or hooves. The exception is a miniature horse trained as a service animal—unless the horse is unclean or has an odor, which is not allowed in any animal.

No animal may growl, attempt to bite anyone or lunge at other passengers. Nor may they protrude or block aisles, occupy a seat or eat from tray tables. If an animal is “smaller than a 2-year-old child,” it may sit on its owner’s lap, according to the new regulations.

Service animals in general are still allowed if they are “specifically trained to perform functions for individuals with disabilities,” such as deafness, blindness and mobility impairments.

“As the requirements for transporting each type of animal differ,” the airline said, “our employees are trained to ask certain questions to determine the classification applicable to your animal.”

People from the world over agree New York is known for its pizza and bagels. Native New Yorkers are especially passionate about it. Although the busiest convention center in the entire nation, Jacob. K. Javits Convention Center, is in Manhattan, residents of the Empire State do often travel elsewhere to attend meetings—and they miss their pizza and bagels.

Meeting professionals, of course, want to make their attendees feel at home while they’re away. One way to accomplish that is by incorporating hometown flavors into the catering menu. Bagels and cream cheese are often a go-to option at breakfast because they are simple to grab-and-go. The universality of pizza makes it a popular selection for lunch.

Alas, New Yorkers often lament, they just don’t taste the same.

Temporarily, at least, a solution is at hand. JetBlue is offering a Pie in the Sky promotion between New York’s JFK airport and Los Angeles’ LAX. From May 9-11, the airline has committed to home delivering 350 ready-to-eat, hot pizza pies daily from Patsy’s Pizzeria of East Harlem to select zip codes in the City of Angels.

“The quality and safety of the pizza is of the utmost importance. A designated pizzaiolo (a specially trained pizza chef) has overseen the logistics of the pizza’s journey to ensure quality is maintained throughout the process,” the airline says in the FAQ section of its website. “The process by which the pizza is being prepped and transported for its journey ensures that it will not only be safe, but also delicious!”

If you’re planning a meeting in L.A. tomorrow, stay up late today to place an order at midnight before supplies run out. Film director Spike Lee participated in the airline’s promotion by teaching proper pizza-eating etiquette in a video posted on JetBlue’s YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=61&v=NLbnwuRdfw4

Periodic Table of Pizza Pi

Cooking and mixing ingredients really is similar to being in the chemistry lab. Chefs are culinary scientists. In terms of pizza dough and bagels, though, it all comes down to H2O.

“The water used to make dough for bagels and pizza, I would imagine comes from the tap, so any minerals that are dissolved in the water will be incorporated and react with whatever agents are used—baking soda, baking powder,” explained Shawn Fisher, a hydrologist for the United States Geological Survey, in a video posted by Business Insider. “If it’s not filtered or if it’s filtered to remove just the chlorine, those will ultimately affect how the dough rises or is baked. So, on Long Island and in the city, the water that’s used tends to produce good bagels, in my opinion.”

Cloning New York Water

Executive chefs at hotels, resorts and convention centers, such as Hilton Orlando’s Louis Martorano, have learned to tinker with their local water to make dough that might fool finicky New York taste buds. And if that chemistry is beyond most of us, there’s another option on the horizon. New York WaterMaker is a patent-pending water “replication system” that converts water anywhere to the same molecular structure as water found pouring out of New York faucets.

“We haven’t even released the New York WaterMaker to the public, and yet we have received numerous inquiries from restaurant chains and franchises interested in hearing more about our system,” Paul Errigo, president and CEO of New York WaterMaker, said in a March press release. “I’m not sure how they’re hearing about us, but we’re confident this will be a game changer for the culinary world.”

The system was introduced at the 2018 International Pizza Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, held March 19–22.

Hey, this water stuff is serious. Just ask TV personality Larry King, who is an investor in the Beverly Hills location of the franchise The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. The chain created a proprietary water treatment system called “Brooklyn Water Works.” It replicates the natural composition of the water found in the Catskill Mountains that supplies the H2O that flows through the tap in Brooklyn. The tank is even on display in the restaurant to show diners how it’s done. Besides the 90210, there are locations throughout Florida and one shop in Massachusetts. They do catering for events.

C2's Sky Lab
Photo Credit: C2 International

As thousands of event professionals from all over the globe flooded the IMEX Frankfurt Expo halls on the first day of the international event, the opportunities for forging new connections, discovering the latest in event tech and learning something along the way flowed like red wine at a hosted bar. For those who could not make the trip, IMEX CEO Carina Bauer and her team are making it easy to grow along at home by sharing insights and feeds.

Here are three lessons already coming out of the Spring conference, as well as possible modifications for making them your own.

1. Get outside your comfort zone.

As part of a new three-year partnership with C2 International, an experiential Play Room is literally hanging attendees in the air—in a sky lab designed to put people in a higher frame of mind for heightened creativity.

Modification: For those who do not have a boardroom attached to a harness, staging a meeting in an unusual environment with the goal of actively involving participants can still result in out-of-the-meeting-room solutions.

2. Consider your legacy.

This talking point is designed to help planners focus on the long-term impacts of everything they do. That can include the political, personal, environmental and social impact of their decisions about everything from where to meet and what to serve to who to invite and how much paper to print.

Modification: There can be a lot to consider, but even adding one sustainability or CSR activity can infuse a meeting with meaning that lasts long after the pipe-and-drape has been removed.

3. Celebrate.

As always, IMEX started with a party. SITE Nite Europe raised money for the SITE Foundation as attendees caught up with old friends and made new ones in the photo booth with the silver-jumpsuited DJ. For alphabet-affiliated groups—AIPC, DI, ESAE, IACC, IAEE, IAPCO, ICCA, PCMA and ASAE—Association Day ended with their own event at Depot 1899.

Modification: Why wait for the open bar? Start the party as soon as attendees walk into the registration area, with music, champagne and a chance to mingle. It’s always time for networking somewhere.

The U.S. still dominates overall in hosting international association meetings, but Barcelona is the top city, according to a new International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) study. The Spanish city is followed by four other perennial European favorites.

The report found an additional 346 annual meetings rotating throughout the world last year, for a total of 12,558—the highest number ever recorded in the study.

Photo Credit: ICCA

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk noted the importance to scientific research of annual association meetings that rotate countries and include more than 50 attendees. “We are still in a period of revolutionary change in terms of scientific and technological advancement, which are transforming traditional association fields such as health care and trade,” he said. “To make sense of the tsunami of new data and information, association communities need to meet. Not just at their traditional, well-established meetings, but in new gatherings specifically invented to serve new academic fields or to reach out to new audiences.”

Barcelona was the site of 195 meetings in 2017 (including International Trademark Association—INTA— which was attended by more than 10,000, its largest gathering in 138 years), putting it just above last year’s top destinations of Paris (190 events and 112,000 attendees, including the European and Americas committees for treatment and research into multiple sclerosis and the IAS Conference on HIV), Vienna (also 190 meetings and ground zero for The Innovative Vienna 2020 initiative), Berlin (185 meetings) and London (177 meetings).

In fact, the same cities have made the list’s top five the last three years. Only Amsterdam fell out of 2017’s top 10, making room for Prague, which rose to the eighth slot. Two Asian cities made the top 10 list—Singapore and Seoul, which stayed steady at the sixth and tenth spots.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the INTA gathering that was in Barcelona last year? It moves to Seattle, Washington, this month.