Meetings are shifting away from the traditional and moving towards new, modern, and fun spaces that allow creativity and innovation to flow freely. Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., started a new meeting initiative, called ideate sessions.
The creative, fun, colorful nature of children inspired these meeting sessions. Ideate sessions are approved by kids, and made for those who are kids at heart. Researchers have found that bright, fun spaces encourage increased creativity and productivity.
The sessions will take place in the Mighty Oaks room, which is used for both kids programming and meetings. During “Ideate” meetings, corporate groups can work on chalkboards and play foosball, all while taking in the views of the property’s lawn, oak trees, and lagoon.
Breaks from meetings are also becoming more important, and the Sawgrass Marriott team encourages groups to incorporate exercise or other play activities to increase the team’s energy. They also suggest providing snacks for your team or offering five minutes to allow members to recharge.
On May 4, Knowland, a provider of meetings and events intelligence data, released its monthly report for April 2022. The data showed a significant increase in meetings activity, with a 323% increase over April 2021, including a 3.7% recovery of events from March to April 2022.
Additional information included:
• In April 2022, the average number of attendees per event was 118, compared to 63 in April 2021 and 74 in April 2019.
Meetings & Events Pulse Survey also reveals that a majority of companies are currently hiring.
The SaaS platform, Wix.com, has released a new builder for business owners, planners and venue operators to create customized seating maps. Users can also assign ticket pricing based on the location of individual seats, and any variation of seating can be mapped, including tables, rows of seats, areas with general seating (e.g., a standing-room-only area), reserved VIP sections, or a combination of options.