Meetings Today Podcast

A massive disruption in incentive travel programs has occurred in the last five years, with the global pandemic upending the very definition of top performer rewards and an influx of young people entering the workforce turning traditional programs on their ear.Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Casey Epley, product director, incentives and engagement for Maritz, arguably the inventor of the modern incentive program, to see how the life cycle, inclusions and platforms for incentives has changed and how you can stay ahead of the curve.

In this Meetings Today podcast, senior contributor Jeff Heilman speaks with Destination DC President and CEO Elliott Ferguson at IMEX America 2024 in Las Vegas about the impact of Election 2024 on meetings and events, Destination DC’s new Connected Campus program for planners, sustainability and more.

Jill Blood, vice president and deputy general council for global meetings giant Maritz, is on the forefront of legal issues that are impacting the meetings and events industry. Meetings Today Vice President & Chief Content Director Tyler Davidson sat down with Blood at IMEX America 2024 to discover what legal issues are keeping planners and the organizations they work for up at night. From data privacy and AI workstreams to increasing costs colliding with shorter meeting time frames, it seems it's never been this complicated for those in the meetings industry. Find out what needs to be on your radar.

Taylor Smith sat down this morning with Hyatt’s Senior Vice President of Events Steve Enselein live on the IMEX America 2024 trade show floor to talk all the latest and greatest news in the Hyatt world that meeting planners should be aware of, including enhancements to Together by Hyatt and how planners can incorporate more sustainability and wellness into their Hyatt events. Tune in now!

Visit Phoenix is spiking the ball in the end zone via the launching of its Phoenix Sports and Events Commission, hoping to build on its success hosting marquee sports events such as Super Bowls and Final Fours. We tapped Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer, and Jane Vukovich, director of destination services, to discover how this new division will also focus on cultural, music and other big events. Plus, Jane Vukovich shares how the DMO can provide soup-to-nuts service to meeting planners bringing any type of event to the Valley of the Sun.

To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today launched "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue. Heather Spangler, associate professor and event management certificate coordinator at the University of Iowa, educates and inspires students to become the industry's newest professionals, guaranteeing she helps set the industry up for a successful future. In 2015, Spangler founded the University of Iowa’s Event Management Certificate, which draws 250 of the university’s best and brightest students each year. She is dedicated to providing a hands-on program focused on real-world skills and connections. Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with this Trendsetter to hear her story and learn more about the creation of the Event Management Certificate program and how Spangler makes it her mission to shape tomorrow's talent.

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt sits down with Anca Platon Trifan, the CEO of Tree-Fan Events and Fit Mindful Mavens who is also one of the foremost experts on artificial intelligence and AV technology in the industry. Learn how AI is currently being used in the industry, how it will be used and what its limitations are in this jam-packed podcast episode.

Our weekly Trendsetter Tuesday podcast series checks in with Rachel Andrews, senior director of global meetings and events for meetings and events industry technology giant Cvent. After signing on with Cvent in 2011, Andrews built its event program from the ground up. Fourteen years later, she leads a team of 30 managing some 1,200 events every year. She also has catapulted Cvent’s annual user conference, Cvent CONNECT, into a globally recognized industry event. Andrews is also the co-host of Cvent’s Great Events podcast and is an MPI International Board of Directors member, sought-after speaker and respected mentor and leader.

Debbie Garcia is the CEO of Virsitour, an online directory for meeting and event planners that allows them to experience virtual site tours of hotel and event venues from around the world. She is also a certified meeting planner and serves as the vice president of finance for MPI’s Tennessee chapter. As part of our weekly Trendsetter Tuesday podcast series, Meetings Today digital content coordinator Logan Pratt sat down with Garcia to learn why she still believes in the value of virtual site tours and how she got to be where she is in the industry today.

Independent planner Chase Brunson is the foremost advocate for transgendered people in the meetings and events industry, frequently speaking for top industry associations such as MPI and PCMA. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Brunson to discover his journey and learn key tips for his planner colleagues to implement in their programs to ensure their events are welcoming to all attendees.

From the sprawling new Omni PGA Frisco Resort to major professional sporting facilities and a growing downtown, Frisco, Texas, is making moves in the meetings and events world. Christina Decker, director of sales and services for Visit Frisco, explains the phenomenal growth of this Metroplex town and how the many additions and upcoming venues will dramatically increase its meetings and events clout.

To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today launched "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue. Dr. Brandi Baldwin, CEO of Millennial Ventures, has made a massive effort to help companies and industry professionals thrive in their work environments. Dr. Baldwin was named a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter by Meetings Today for her efforts to develop cutting edge strategies that foster equitable and thriving company cultures. Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with this Trendsetter to hear her story and learn more about what it means to make a difference.

To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today launched "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue. Dami Kim is a wellness warrior who's been practicing how to effectively care for her physical, emotional and mental well-being for 26 years. Now, as director of Body & Brain Wellness, she is helping some of the most stressed professionals in the world do the same. Kim was named a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter by Meetings Today for her desire to educate the industry through innovative and transformative practices fueled by her passion for helping others. Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with this Trendsetter to see how she turned her own life around and found her passion for helping others do the same.

Jim Spellos, president of Meeting U., has always been in the top echelon of meetings industry technology educators and speakers. AI such as ChatGPT has further fueled his fascination of transformative tech. Spellos was named a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter by Meetings Today for his arguably unrivaled understanding of AI as it relates to the meetings industry. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with him to get his take on AI and what may lie beyond.

In this Meetings Today podcast for "The Z," Taylor Smith has a vulnerable conversation with Christy Renee Stehle, an award-winning hospitality professional, leadership trainer and professional speaker, about how to increase your magnetic presence to cultivate connections that make people remember you.

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt interviews David T. Stevens, one of the foremost wellness and fitness experts in the meetings and events industry on what the future of wellness looks like in the industry and how planners should be implementing wellness into their event agendas and how they can stay ahead of wellness trends.

To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today is introducing "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue. In this episode, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down for a conversation with Kristine Iverson, founder and president of CROW Practice, to learn about how she started her own live events wellness company, discovered the leadership techniques that work for her and what it means to her to be a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter.

To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today is introducing "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue. For our first episode, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down for a conversation with Alicia Jenelle, director of experience design at The Jenelle Group, to learn more about her story in meetings and events as well as what it means to her to be a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter.

Omni Hotels & Resorts Chief Sales Officer Dan Surette talks about how the Dallas-based brand offers a change of pace from other major hotel companies, from its unique ownership model and meetings and events offerings to the new Select Guest Program and dedication to employee growth and retention. Surette also delves into recent and upcoming openings as well as what the hotel sales veteran sees as macro trends impacting an industry getting its stride following the dark days of the pandemic.

A year after taking the reins of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC), 27-year NCVC vet Deana Ivey shares her in-depth Music City expertise and what’s new in the destination. With a new NFL stadium and dreams of hosting a Super Bowl, in addition to phenomenal hotel and event venue growth in the last few years, Music City is hotter than a plate of Nashville Hot Chicken. Discover what the NCVC has been up to since the retirement of former bureau chief and industry icon Butch Spyridon retired, as well as what it's like to live in the "Capital of Country Music," where you just may bump shopping carts with a low-key celebrity when out on a grocery run.

And now for something completely different... Association meetings thought-leader KiKi L'Italien, editor-in-chief of Association Chat and VP of marketing and community engagement at Big Red M, has put together what promises to be quite the party bus experience to shuttle ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo attendees from suburban D.C. to the convention in Cleveland, with conviviality and general merriment sure to ensue. Discover how this outside-of-the-box networking road trip came together, and whether any DMOs or association-business craving properties along the way are marketing-savvy enough to provide the 2024 Association Chat Road Trip a reason for a pit stop. L'Talien is joined by association consultancy vet Michael Butera, president and CEO of Association ActiVision, to discuss the current state of the segment, including a significant change to this year's ASAE Annual and some of the major challenges and opportunities ahead. Are you on the bus?

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt interviews Stephen Cutchins, one of the foremost experts on accessibility in the meetings and events industry on what the future of accessibility looks like in the industry and how planners can better incorporate accessibility in their events. Stephen Cutchins joined Cvent in 2022 as senior manager of accessibility and has spent over 15 years helping clients achieve accessibility-related goals. In prior work leading accessibility programs, he worked closely with People with Disabilities, including those who were Blind, Deaf, or had physical disabilities. Stephen has a passion as well as firsthand experience understanding how People with Disabilities use the web. As Cvent’s Senior Manager of Accessibility, Stephen works to ensure that our products are both usable and enjoyable by attendees who have disabilities.

Meetings industry veteran Gary Hernbroth, chief motivating officer for Training for Winners and popular business events industry speaker, has co-authored Twist the Familiar, a book detailing the stories of high-achievers and how their journey can create authentic pathways to success. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Hernbroth about his new book as well as macro trends that are shaping both the business word and meetings industry as we adjust to work and meetings life after the pandemic.

In this episode of the Meetings Today Podcast, Senior Content Director Danielle LeBreck speaks with Arlette Garibay, director of sales for Greater Ontario, California (GOCAL) about the destination's rapidly growing amenities for meetings and events. Sponsored by Greater Ontario, California (GOCAL)

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt interviews Dahlia El Gazzar, one of the leading voices in event and marketing technology to find out how planners can and should be utilizing new technologies to better market their events.

As MPI's 2024 World Education Congress continues in Louisville, Kentucky, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with Jessie States, vice president of MPI Academy, to discuss all things education, from planning sessions for this year's conference to what's on the horizon for MPI Academy. Curious about what your skill set should include in the future? Tune in now to learn more.

This year's MPI World Education Congress (WEC) is taking place May 20-22 in Louisville, Kentucky. On day two of the event, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with MPI President and CEO Paul Van Deventer to talk WEC numbers, industry trends, the rise of AI and what's next for MPI.

In this Meetings Today Podcast for Taylor Smith's "The Z: Planning for the Industry's Next Generation," Smith chats with Mandi Graziano, vice president of global accounts for HPN Global, about the importance of networking in the meetings and events industry, the reality of how awkward it can be and ideas for how to make networking feel more natural. Tune in now for some tips and tricks from Graziano to keep in mind at your next networking event.

Zoe Moore, proprietor of Zoe Moore Consultancy, is one of the leading consultants and proponents of DEI, or diversity equity and inclusion, in the meetings and events industry. Having co-chaired MPI's Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee and more recently leading Event Leadership Institute’s Event DEI Strategist certification course—and also an event planner—Moore has a uniquely qualified expertise on DEI and a keen perspective on why the concept is currently under attack. Moore shares her unfiltered thoughts on the current state of DEI, or EDI, as she prefers to refer to it, with Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson. If you're curious about DEI (aka EDI), this podcast is for you, as it illustrates its basic concepts as well as dives deeper to provide further understanding on what has recently become a politically charged topic.

In this episode of the Meetings Today Podcast, Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer for Visit Phoenix, checks in with Danielle LeBreck about the rapid growth in Phoenix, especially in the technology sector. Learn how this expansion brings big potential for meetings and conventions. *Sponsored by Visit Phoenix

In this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt sits down with event technology expert and founder of Endless Events, Will Curran, to find out more about the future of event technology. Curran and Pratt discuss everything from AI to AR and Curran's newest project, leading Bizzabo's wearable event technology brand, Klik.

Late meeting and event registration keeping you up at night with heartburn and night sweats? Don't fret, planner! The later the registration the more ancillary spend an attendee drops at an event. Maritz has released a groundbreaking Registration Insights Report that collected data over three years from 360,000 registrations at 30 tradeshows. Emily Laufgraben, market insight manager for the global meetings and events giant, reveals the sweet spot between fretting over late arrivals and taking their event spend to the bank. According to a robust new survey from Maritz, late event registration translates into more ancillary meetings spend by attendees. Discover where this sweet spot between heartburn and revenue generation lies.

In the first ever episode of the Fast Forward podcast, host Logan Pratt sits down with hybrid meetings expert Bill Reed, who shares why meeting planners should still consider planning a hybrid event, and discusses the benefit of incorporating hybrid elements to events even four years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jason Dunn, CEO of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), has been a leader in hospitality and DMO diversity and inclusion efforts for decades, from his time at Visit Cincy—where he rose to be the DMO's first Black vice president after initially participating in a travel boycott of the destination—to lead NCBMP in November 2022. Now, after a little more than a year at the helm of NCBMP, Dunn reflects on his work there as well as where the meetings and events industry is in terms of diversity and inclusion, the nuanced issue of travel boycotts and advisories, and the generational challenge of persuading young people to consider a career in the meetings and hospitality industries.

Dominique Bonds, director of engagement for the Pennsylvania Convention Center, shares her vision as new president of Event Service Professionals Association, including DEIAB, generational shifts in the world of event service profs, sustainability and the evolution of the role of being the No. 1 on-the-ground point of contact for meeting and event planners. Bonds also fills us in on some of the big annual shows coming to Philly and the destination's big plans for 2026.

When most people think of standup comedy, they typically think of crude Netflix specials or dank nightclubs with comedians swearing like sailors. But when Greg Schwem takes the stage, you can hear the audience laughing about topics such as sales meetings, corporate websites or business advertising campaigns.

Visit Indy’s president and CEO made his debut as the new Chair of PCMA’s 2024 Board of Directors and Trustees known by vanquishing the association’s president and CEO, Sherrif Karamat, on the pickleball court at Convening Leaders (CL). Thus sanctified, Hoops later sat down with Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson to discuss the record-setting attendance and other happenings at CL—including the epic pickleball showdown—as well as the many exciting new developments happening in Indy.

In this Meetings Today Podcast for Taylor Smith's "The Z: Planning for the Industry's Next Generation," Smith sits down with Luke Goetting, an award-winning communications expert, founder of Puffingston Presentations and a Gen Z speaker who specializes in crafting engaging, interactive experiences for audiences around the world. As a Millennial company leader, Goetting coaches Gen Z employees on how to maximize their effectiveness at work and consults with clients aiming to inspire Gen Z. His expertise has helped him learn and develop invaluable tactics for navigating the challenges and opportunities of working with Gen Z, fostering a collaborative and productive environment that aligns with the expectations of this tech-savvy and socially conscious generation. From virtual meeting etiquette to leveraging innovative technologies, tune in now for some tips from Goetting on fostering collaborative and productive environments for incoming professionals.

As the leader of perhaps the most unique meetings and events draw in the U.S. if not the world, Destination DC President & CEO Elliott Ferguson oversees an operation that represents everything from world-class museums and global government event venues to iconic hotels and a cuisine scene that has taken a seat at the table of top dining destinations. Meetings Today caught up with Ferguson on the bustling floor of The District exhibitor area at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 to discuss Destination DC's Only One D.C. marketing campaign, new hotels and meetings venues on the scene, its status as the first city in the world to achieve Platinum level LEED for Cities and Sustainability District, and his and the bureau's ongoing efforts leading DEI and supplier diversity initiatives.

From AI and generational shifts to rethinking event design, supplier diversity, prices and the latest and greatest innovation impacting the meetings and events industry, Maritz President & CEO David Peckinpaugh is an authority on what's coming down the pike in the business events world. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Peckinpaugh at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 to discover what the leader of one of the biggest MICE companies in the world is seeing, including whether hybrid and virtual meetings are fading post-pandemic. What lays in store for you in 2024?

From major new ultra-luxe properties such as Evermore Orlando Resort and the Conrad Orlando, the high-speed Brightline train linking Orlando to Miami and a cuisine scene that is raking in recognition from Michelin, Central Florida's meetings and events magnet is an attractive force. We sat down with Visit Orlando Chief Sales Officer Mike Waterman at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 to discover what's new in a destination Cvent designates as the top meetings draw in the U.S., along with the most recent meetings numbers.

Visit Irving Texas Executive Director Maura Gast shares how this Dallas Metroplex convention magnet, often described as the "headquarters of headquarters" due to the proliferation of Fortune 500 HQs, has transformed into an entertainment mecca and Bleisure draw. Gast also details the new Ritz-Carlton taking over for the Four Seasons as well as the most recent meeting facility news and the 50th anniversary of Las Colinas, one of the first master-planned communities of its kind that has become a foundation of the destination.

From AI and attrition to data privacy and security, these are the top legal issues currently impacting the meetings and events industry. We tapped the expertise of Jill Blood, VP, deputy general counsel for global meetings and events giant Maritz, along with Sarah Kiefer, VP, Brand, to see what legal issues are expected to be top of mind in 2024.

Mark Vincent, emergency preparedness manager for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, talks about his job ensuring attendee security at the 220-acre convention complex and provides tips for any meeting and event planner to consider to help ensure the safety of their gatherings.

Meetings Today's Taylor Smith joined World of Hyatt at the company's headquarters in downtown Chicago as one of the first to learn about the brand's latest loyalty program updates, including new perks for meeting planners. Beth Lubotsky, head of loyalty strategy for World of Hyatt, shares how planners, as well as attendees and leisure travelers, stand to benefit via the revamped loyalty program.

Prices for meetings and events essentials have skyrocketed and show no signs of easing, especially room rates in the upscale hotel and resort segment that are the bedroom of business events. In fact, the upper tiers of the hotel chain scale are experiencing room rate increases hovering around a jaw-dropping 30%. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Maritz COO Steve O'Malley, one of the most respected trends experts in the meetings and events industry, to discuss the global events giant's latest survey, timed to be released at IMEX America 2023. O'Malley also delves into how events programs are changing due to the new generation entering the business world, as well as how a polarized U.S. political atmosphere is impacting where organizations are holding meetings.

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson sat down with PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat at IMEX America 2023, where the association revealed the enhanced versions of artificial intelligence software Spark, to discover the major impact this tool made by and for meeting professionals will have on the business events industry.

Meetings Today Vice President & Chief Content Director Tyler Davidson sat down with Amy Kramer, innovation leader, and Aaron Dorsey, vice president of product management, for Maritz at IMEX America 2023 to get their take on how AI will transform the meetings industry, as well as other tech trends business event planners should have on their radar.

During IMEX’s Smart Monday powered by MPI, SITE Chief Marketing Officer Padraic Gilligan took to the stage to moderate a panel discussion breaking down the data. We caught up with Gilligan after the panel to learn more about this new report from SITE and to find out more about where the meetings and events industry is headed.

Greater Phoenix is on a growth spurt that is welcoming new industries into the Valley of the Sun, with a robust tech sector in particular leading the way. Deborah Lahti, director of resort and hotel sales for Visit Phoenix, shares how the fifth-largest city in the U.S. is continuing to expand, with spectacular new hotels and resorts and improvements to traditional favorites transforming its meetings and events offering. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Lahti to discover more about the impressive new resorts coming online and also learn about some of the top offsite event venue options in Greater Phoenix.