planning

The meetings and events industry doesn’t have an industry-wide ethical code, leaving planners to rely on their own personal code.

Can We Talk?

What's trending for the New Year? We ask area experts about what's coming in food, decor, technology and venues.

On July 13-16, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis hosted the X Games for the first year of a two-year hosting. The X Games are expected to bring 100,000 people to Minneapolis and the Mall of America over the weekend, which will give national and international media exposure; as well as the 8,300 hospitality and tourism jobs that the X Games will bring to the city.

Under 5 percent is what Carmen Callo, executive chef at Centerplate, estimates is the percentage of special dietary requests he received about five years ago. Today, as he oversees catering at Colorado Convention Center in Denver, he and his team are cooking for groups where 15 to 20 percent of attendees have special dietary requirements.

Organization is key to a planners’ success; a system for staying on track makes for a sense of control, even for the largest of workloads. But keeping track of daily tasks, upcoming events and goals can be overwhelming, and rarely are all those things recorded in one place. That is until the Bullet Journal took hold. Ryder Carroll, inventor of the Bullet Journal, calls it “an analog system for the digital age that will help you track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future."

Chris Rowley, the Mount Pleasant Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's executive director, recently acquired her certification as a Government Meeting Specialist from the Society of Government Meeting Professionals .

The SGMP certifies employees of government entities through the voluntary GMS program whose  goal is to teach planners and suppliers to plan meetings and events in the most effective way possible for their government employers. The program requires participants to fulfill the ethical, personal and professional requirements that the SGMP specifies.

A Rolex watch, Waterford Crystal, a Birdie in golf. Wouldn’t you say these are examples of excellence? So, how do you define excellence for your meetings, your career or your life?

When I was studying for the CMP exam, Goals and Objectives (G&O) were drummed into us as the ultimate basis for every decision we would make and by which we would evaluate the outcomes. G&O is the very definition of excellence.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) recommends having a formal, written plan in place that identifies potential emergency conditions and what procedures will be followed to minimize or prevent the loss of life and property.

Though they're lumped in with destination meetings and conferences, incentive trips are a special class of event. Many of the “basics” are similar— food and beverage, flights, hotel accommodations—but the priorities are completely different. As a planner, it’s critical to adjust your approach to this unique style of event to ensure your attendees enjoy their once-in-a-lifetime experience.