Sep 20
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, Trade Shows cvbs, hsmai affordable meeting, town crier
If a town crier sounds like something straight out of an historical novel, you may be surprised to know your town or city may have one! The American Guild of Town Criers is spreading the word about this ‘honorable position’.
The Annapolis, MD town crier (Squire Frederick) even made an appearance at HSMAI’s MEET National show earlier this month!
Katherine Markham, CHME, ConventionPlanit.com's Co-Founder, poses with Squire Frederick at HSMAI's MEET National
Historically, the role of the town crier was to spread the news of the day. The job has changed a little – according to Squire Frederick’s website, town criers celebrate a city’s rich history, achievements and struggles for liberty and civil rights for citizens.
Town criers across the country are available to make appearances at events. They’ll pose for photos, too. Check out Squire Frederick’s website for more information.
Aug 09
maureen-pickellTrade Shows ASAE & the Center, Event Industry Networking, st. louis
Followers of the CP.com blog who are restaurant connoisseurs – take a look at this menu:
White mac with spinach and artichokes, grilled vegetable and faro salad, pistachio and prickly pear salad, and ancho roasted chicken with pineapple salad.
No, I wasn’t dining at one of St. Louis’ finer restaurants…this was actually the lunch served Sunday at the ASAE Conference in the Expo Hall. Kudos to the catering service – and especially to their chef who came out from behind the scenes to see how everyone was enjoying the fare! Just another glimpse into the splendid hospitality extended by St. Louis and its provider partners.
Aug 08
maureen-pickellTrade Shows ASAE & the Center
Your CP.com blogger got up early yesterday morning in order not to miss the speaker at the Opening General Session – Tina Brown. She is currently editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, a news and aggregation website that has become one of the most visited sites since its launch in 2008.
Tina Brown
Last year “The Beast” merged with Newsweek magazine and together the two outlets combine “the warp speed 24/7 website with the depth, analysis and investigative power of a great print magazine,” as Brown puts it.
Your attentive Blogger couldn’t help but notice several similarities between The Daily Beast and CP.com. While Tina and her journalists scour the air waves to “curate” the most relevant stories to feature on the site, the CP staff finds the best suppliers to facilitate our planners job of placing events. In both cases, the sites deliver what the reader needs to know – and nothing more.
More to come…
Aug 08
maureen-pickellTrade Shows ASAE & the Center, Event Industry Networking, st. louis
“Heat me in St. Louis” could be this summer’s slogan for the city hosting the ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo being attended by your intrepid ConventionPlanit.com Blogger.
The three day conference with 5,000 attendees launched with the opening night reception held Saturday evening. With temperatures in the upper 90′s, the event was held outside on the grounds below the famous Gateway Arch.
Atendees had a wonderful time enjoying local cuisine presented by twelve St. Louis restaurants – ranging from char-grilled oysters, pizza and steak sliders to St. Louis’s own gooey butter cake and frozen custard.
Things “sizzled” even more when performers took the stage and showcased the city’s diverse musical influences. From local jazz singer Erin Bode to former Doobie Brother Michael MacDonald to St. Louis rapper Chingy, the evening was filled with eclectic sounds. A fantastic fireworks display capped the evening.
St. Louis may be reknowned for the 1904 World’s Fair, the Cardinals and Anheuser Busch – but they are also going to be recognized as a great city for a citywide event by the end of this meeting!
More later…
Aug 03
Ashley ChalmersTips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows attendee interaction, meeting experiences, meeting ideas
As the meetings industry emerges from the economic downturn, all organizations are putting more focus on strategies to drive attendance and manage costs.
At a Bisnow event held in Washington, DC, four association CEOs offered some of their best ideas in these areas.
The executives who led the session and the ideas they delivered include:
Julie Coons, President & CEO, Electronic Retailing Association
- Build community by driving attendees to the exhibit show floor by offering more activities, food, and networkingthere. Make your meeting space a “cocoon” where members can see everyone.
- Every industry has its rock stars – use them as speakers instead of paying for outside speakers.
Craig Purser, President and CEO, National Beer Wholesalers
- Make sure your meeting focuses on your mission. It should be like a seven-course meal rather than a country buffet – everyone will come away saying they enjoyed a “great meal.” Also, ask members what they want to consume before you set the menu.
- Pay attention to the “next generation customers” in your association and make sure you meet their needs.
Howard Nusbaum, President and CEO, American Resort Development Association
- Set up a “speed dating” session where members (customers) sit in an area of the exhibit hall and give exhibitors a chance to do a series of 10-minute presentations.
- Create “councils” that represent certain segments of individuals and have them plan activities at the meeting to personalize the involvement of members. This is especially useful for trade associations where the organization, not the individual, is the member.
- Associations are like churches and the CEO is like the minister – members are coming to your association to feel better about themselves. You have to give them a spirit of success.
All of them urged attendees to be bold, demonstrate leadership, and not be afraid to “blow up programs” and try new approaches.
Jul 20
Ashley ChalmersNews, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, meeting experiences, meeting guru, st. louis
Have you seen or heard about The Meeting Guru popping up at event industry functions lately?
What’s he all about? Is he a real meeting guru?
We went straight to the source to find out the scoop.
The guru is an elaborate marketing campaign for St. Louis during the months leading up to the ASAE Annual Meeting, August 6-9, 2011, at the America’s Center® convention complex in St. Louis.
“The inspiration for The Meeting Guru was Michael Scott’s character on the television show The Office,” explains Brian Hall, Chief Marketing Officer for the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission. In the show, Michael Scott plays the role of the boss, who Hall describes as “arrogant and cocky but oblivious to the fact that he is a bumbling idiot. We wanted to create a Michael Scott-like character that people would enjoy laughing at.”
We found The Meeting Guru to be most similar to “Ace Ventura,” one of our favorite Jim Carey characters. His exaggerated body language and eyebrow raise are spot on! (All righty then!)
Yours truly and CP Sales Director Carol Mills had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the Meeting Guru at the Springtime Expo in April
The Meeting Guru has been patrolling the meetings industry, promoting his “book,” The Meeting Guru: The Quintessential Guide to Successful Events.
At every turn, there he is, with a Mr. Spock-style raised eyebrow, an all-knowing smirk and even his own entourage.
“I’ll sign a copy of my book for you at the ASAE Annual Meeting,” he claims, “If there are any left!” (Don’t expect to find any).
In a series of funny videos on The Meeting Guru website under the “Guru Speakers Series” tab, the Guru delivers interesting and useful facts about St. Louis as a meeting destination, amidst a blizzard of half-baked business advice (with PowerPoint) and self-promotional one-liners.
The website also features “Guru Resources” (guess what city they are in) and a “Guru Gift Shop” (most items are “sold out”).
The website also claims that The Meeting Guru “has held event planner positions on 6 of the 7 continents.” But Hall insists “he has only planned meetings here in St. Louis because he knows better!”
“Thousands of people have visited the website and checked out the videos,” Hall adds. “The number of people who have clicked the social media sites has been really encouraging. People enjoyed the joke and thought the antics of The Meeting Guru were very entertaining. We wanted to find a way to get people’s attention in an unconventional way and put a smile on their faces.”
Hall says that in the St. Louis booth at the ASAE Annual Meeting the meeting planner wannabe will “meet with the real meeting gurus of St. Louis who are members of our Customer Advisory Group.” Together they will explain to attendees what makes St. Louis a great place to hold meetings and events.
Hall says that in real life, The Meeting Guru is an accomplished St. Louis-based actor who has appeared on television network programs.
Click here to learn more about St. Louis. “It’s cosmo without the clutter,” according to the Guru.
And, if you’re attending the Annual Meeting, be on the lookout for ConventionPlanit.com team members Maureen Pickell (a frequent blog contributor), Julie Roberts and Al Rickard at Booth #2421.
Jun 28
maureen-pickellTrade Shows aibtm, Event Industry Networking, imex, overseas meetings, upcoming meetings industry events
Well, this time your intrepid ConventionPlanit.com blogger didn’t need a passport to travel cross country to attend the festivities in Baltimore for “ America’s Meeting Week.”
First stop was the CIC Hall of Leaders Gala held 6/21 at the Hilton Baltimore. Four inductees representing the industry’s brightest talent were honored at a reception and dinner – among them Fay Beauchine, President of Business Loyalty (a.k.a. Incentives) at Carlson Marketing Group and Cliff Wallace, Managing Director of the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The common thread in their acceptance speeches was an acknowledgement of the passion and commitment that has kept them intrigued and challenged over the years. And that’s what we “lesser talents” call a normal day at the office!
The SITE table with Hall of Leaders inductee Fay Beauchine (4th from left front row) at the CIC Gala
Second on the agenda, on 6/22, was the opening day of the AIBTM exhibition. ConventionPlanit.com supplier members Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, DMC Network, American and Delta Airlines and World Marketing Group greeted planners who were participating in set appointments. Stephanie Kreps of the CP.com team gave site demos to new planners at our booth.
AIBTM will be followed by IMEX America this coming October – so there will be more opportunities for North American meeting professionals to be educated in planning meetings and incentives abroad. Can’t attend? Come to www.conventionplanit.com to find information and sales contacts for unfamiliar, international destinations and service providers!
Jun 20
Ashley ChalmersTrade Shows Event Industry Networking, Tips for Meeting Planners, upcoming meetings industry events
ConventionPlanit.com saleswoman Julie Roberts has returned home after much travel and sales appointments across the country, including attending the Mexico Showcase & Travel Expo. She shares the following show reflections in part 2 of this series.
Ah, to wake up in the morning to a welcoming breakfast by the Caribbean. The Omni Cancun is the only hotel in Cancun with event space right on the shore. Tina Johnsson, Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing warmly greeted us, and shared the many ways the resort can soar for professional conferences and incentive events. Sleeping rooms are spacious and conference space is well laid out for larger programs. A separate area is ideal for a more intimate, smaller event. The theatre is technologically advanced, and seats up to 1,200. The hotel also boasts a spa and seven restaurants.
Where to begin after the opening fireworks?!
Gran Melia Resort’s opening reception demonstrated why they are a 5-Star designation. Fabulous cuisine and entertainment was enhanced by the warm welcome from local specialists such as Fernando Cervantes, Group and Conventions Director for the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau.
One of the highlights of the Showcase was an introduction to the City of/Downtown Cancun by the B2B Malison Plaza and Convention Center. Excellent conference/event space, and if your group loves nightlife, restaurants and shopping within walking distance, you should take advantage of this area.
Thank you to Riviera Maya Convention Bureau for such an education on how much there is to see and do once your business is finished – explore the city’s archaeology, history, ecology and adventure. And do not forget the coral reefs, whose beauty will take your breath away.
By far, one of the largest facilities in Quintana Room is the Grand Vilas Riviera Maya, a resort going for the gold in hosting larger organization events with over 90,000 square feet of convention space. Beautiful accommodations and even their architecture is a reminder of the discoveries that await your leisure time in Maya country. I must have worked up an appetite the night before, because breakfast was scrumptious.
Alas, I had to leave paradise, but I look forward to returning to the Mexico Showcase 2012 and sharing my experiences with our dear blog readers!
Jun 20
Ashley ChalmersTrade Shows Event Industry Networking, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows, upcoming meetings industry events
ConventionPlanit.com saleswoman Julie Roberts has returned home after much travel and sales appointments across the country, including attending the Mexico Showcase & Travel Expo. She shares the following show reflections in part 1 of this series.
It was indeed a celebration time at Mexico Showcase this year!
Ten years and still a premier event to not just promote Cancun, Riviera Maya and Mexico in the convention, meetings and incentive marketplace but to set the bar for quality of accommodations and service. As always, organizers, led by Andy Ortiz with Global Incentives, constantly dazzled attendees with the great program, myriad of facilities, services, activities and the tropical ambiance available throughout the peninsula.
Thank you to all for all your hard work.
Cancun displayed its appeal to meeting planners as the host city. With pros such as Eduardo Chaillo, Mexico Tourism Board, Executive Director, Meeting Industry, based in Washington, DC, to act as your guiding light, just ask and all involved deliver.
The business of doing business was evident at Showcase, which is still one of the most productive, appointment scheduled, exchanges of information, requests and relationship building events in Mexico. Throughout the event, speakers addressed industry trends and issues while delivering useful information for planners and ideas for the future.
If you read the ConventionPlanit.com newsletter, you know what a Prezi is…but probably would not have thought one could be projected onto a building! Area experts like RocÍo Cárdenas with Cenacolo restaurant (if there’s a cuisine, Cancun has the restaurant) and Global Incentives Solia Juvonen were available to assist in arranging a fabulous “dine around” event for your group.
It has to be the setting in Mexico. I marvel at how a tradeshow can have such a feeling of tranquil communication instead of a hectic, harried pace. Everyone was prepared to learn about products.
From the warm greeting of our most professional transportation crew to the final showpiece reception at the ME Cancun (mmm), the settings, entertainment, themes, and presentations made me want to bring everyone I know south-of-the border. It’s temptingly easy to do because airlift to the Cancun International Airport is so excellent.
Stay tuned for more details from the showcase!
May 31
maureen-pickellTrade Shows imex, meeting industry, overseas meetings
Being in Frankfurt last week was a whirlwind experience! Here is a recap of our time over there, in addition to some wrap up thoughts.
The ConventionPlanit.com Hosted Buyer Group survived their appointments and were rewarded with a lovely evening of excellent food and entertainment that only the Swiss can provide. CP.com supplier member, the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, hosted an event that challenged the group to join teams to compete in the areas of shooting, golf and building a cow (only the Swiss would consider this a competitive sport!) Two of the group were on the winning team – but everyone actually won by the end of the evening having been treated to that special brand of Swiss Hospitality!
The work and the fun continue – another IMEX day began with a delightful breakfast and presentation sponsored by CP.com “new” supplier member – ACC Liverpool. The “Ladies of Liverpool” headed up by Kerrin MacPhie had the group totally focused on the destination as a result of a thorough and entertaining presentation. Evidently, along with being the home of the Beatles, Liverpool is also a great place to hold an event. The arena and conference center announced plans to add a new exhibition and events complex – scheduled to be completed by 2014. London now has some competition!!
Your world traveler blogger Maureen Pickell with ConventionPlanit.com Member Extraordinaire Jane E. Schuldt, CITE, of the Wolrd Marketing Group
As IMEX 2011 closed on a “high”, your traveling Director of Global Accounts and the ConventionPlanit.com hosted buyers collectively managed to avoid “data overload” and instead left Frankfurt excited about all the new information they are taking back to their offices. The exhibition has shown the meetings industry poised to experience an upturn as confidence gradually returns to the sector.
Some highlights we can we can pass along:
- Association Day during IMEX hit a record attendance with more than 320 association executives enjoying the tailored educational and networking program.
- Messe Frankfurt is renowned for its warm welcome to IMEX, exhibitors and buyers alike. The city has a history as a trade fair destination going back over 800 years.
- The Slovenian Convention Bureau has revealed details of their current socially responsible campaign “BeBee.” Through adopting bee colonies as an effort to preserve the meeting and incentive destination of Slovenia, future generations of meeting planners will be able to hold their meetings in an honestly green destination.
When you think you’ve planned the most unique special events:
- Finland offers cool activities in the form of the Icebreaker Sampo – the only passenger icebreaker in the world. It offers your attendees a chance to try something remarkably different. You can even have a swim in the middle of a vast ice field – in a special thermally-insulated suit, of course. You can also enjoy a drink on the rocks-literally – after cracking and breaking through ice more than a meter thick.
- On the island of Tenerife, a renovated banana plantation factory has been operating events for 600 people. Plans are being developed to offer multi-meeting sessions spread across the working banana plantation. Talk about “going bananas!”
Final image of the exhibition – which saw close to 9,000 attendees – was that of Ray Bloom, the show organizer standing in the departure hall personally saying good-bye and thank you to the last exhibitors to leave the show.
I asked him if he would be turning out the lights as well, and he said yes, for the time being. They will go back on this coming October when IMEX America opens in Las Vegas!
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