Feb 06
maureen-pickellTips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows Event Industry Networking, overseas meetings, pcma
According to PCMA Convene’s 20th annual meetings market survey, 48 percent (up from last year’s 44 percent) of planners report that they will hold meetings outside the United States in the future.
As a result, PCMA is dedicated to presenting programs that will provide necessary tools for their members’ continued growth and success.
Many planners attended the “International Meetings: Finding the Right Partners” session at PCMA’s 2012 “Convening Leaders” Annual Meeting to identify different types of partners available and attributes to look for in selecting the best resources for planning international events.
For example, did you know? 
- The Chinese expect you to live by their rules.
- A welcome reception outside the U.S. can have drastically different meanings:
- Japan – a snack and a drink
- Thailand – a buffet dinner
- India – a full , sit down dinner
- Philippines – a night long fest with ballroom dancing
- In Turkey, “English speaking staff” could mean they master only a few words.
- In Morocco, female staff does not work after 8PM.
- In Brazil, medical equipment is challenged at customs and normally gets stuck.
- In India, they sew the AV screens per the specifications just before the session.
- In Europe, coffee is served with a cookie (which is a quarter of the size of a U.S. standard cookie!)
- In some countries, tips are paid BEFORE the work.
Attendees also learned that the following partners can provide the tools necessary to combat the nuances of a country’s culture and business processes:
- PCO /Professional Congress Organizer - Companies or individuals specialized in organizing events on behalf of a client organization. They coordinate aspects from contracting the meeting venue to marketing the event
- DMC / Destination Management Company – Provide professional services requiring extensive knowledge, specializing in the design and implementation of activities and program logistics.
- Tourist Board/CVB – Nonprofit organization that promotes tourism and encourages groups to hold events, conventions and trade shows in its destination.
- Shipping Agent and Customs Broker – A third party hired to handle moving goods to and from an event. Company providing customs clearing services to shippers or goods between countries.
- Interpreters – A group of people responsible for translating program materials into foreign languages.
- Fiscal Representative – A company retained to represent your organization’s VAT needs and ancillary tax related obligations in the country where your event will be held.
The key takeaway is to recognize that there is no standard formula; each country is unique with differing cultural norms and business methods. Check and double check – then still be prepared for surprises.
Be aware that the main challenges are linked to different routines, terminology, and food and beverage. And remember, it may be possible to avoid a small “international incident” by serving the right sized cookie!
For more international meeting information, be sure to visit the Global Tips section of ConventionPlanit.com.
Dec 07
maureen-pickellTrade Shows Event Industry Networking, meeting attendance, meeting industry, meetings quest
Last week I was on the road again, this time to sunny California for the Meetings Quest Anaheim Show!
Here are some photos I wanted to share with you all…
Our booth at the show – I gave lots of site tours!
Dawn Venters, Convention Sales Manager for the Anchorage CVB, talks to planner customers at Meetings Quest Anaheim. They also won the prize for the Best Booth based on both the design and friendliness of the sales team. We’re proud that they are loyal supplier partners of ConventionPlanit.com!
I hope you enjoyed my photo tour of Meetings Quest Anaheim. It was a very intimate show and I had the opportunity to speak to many meeting planners one-on-one!
If you attended the show, leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Nov 16
Ashley ChalmersMember News, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows Event Industry Networking, meeting experiences, meeting ideas, national conference center, social media, Twitter
Please enjoy the following guest post from our friend Sarah Vinning with the National Conference Center, who hosted Event Camp DC earlier this month!
Seven. It’s the total number of Event Camp conferences that have been held in the past year.
The Event Camp series is a concept that first started with Jessica Levin, a meeting planner, and a few friends on Twitter who had the idea to host a bar camp for event professionals in New York City. Its intention was to offer meeting and event professionals an opportunity to come together in an unstructured format without a pre-planned agenda and “just be,” as Levin describes it.
The main selling point behind every Event Camp is that each one is different in its own unique way.
Conference organizers make decisions such as venue selection, conference format, if there’s a virtual component and the content (unless the organizers follow the peer conference concept in which attendees determine what happens).
“I’ve been to one, they’re all the same,” is not applicable to these conferences. Over the first weekend in November, there were two Event Camp conferences held over the same dates across the globe – Event Camp Vancouver and Event Camp East Coast (also referred to as Event Camp DC due to The National Conference Center’s proximity to the Nation’s Capital).
Event Camp East Coast was a genuine peer conference where the attendees reveal in a round table discussion their area of expertise, what they want to learn during the conference and how they hope to get there. The purpose of a conference like this is to ensure attendees learn what they intended to get out of the conference.
On the first night of Event Camp East Coast, we wrote topics we were interested in learning based on our own interests and expertise. Then, the conference committee established an agenda that was posted on GoogleDocs that night. Sessions included improv for eventprofs, exploring why some events sell out and others don’t, online community management, hybrid events and the impact on attendance and face to face shyness epidemic – making events warming.
For Event Camp Vancouver, the conference ball-game was another story. Their agenda was established prior to the conference and posted on their website, which can be an easier sell for someone when approaching their supervisor about attending. It also helps them set personal expectations prior to arriving.
Vancouver had a virtual component like Event Camp Twin Cities did for attendees who couldn’t attend. The pre-determined sessions at Event Camp Vancouver included the future of hybrid, what does fair trade mean and how do we find it in our sourcing, room for thought, think before you eat, defining yourself and your brand in the age of social media.
Throughout the entire conference, attendees played Get Your Green On, a gaming app based on sustainability that was initially built for GMIC’s 2011 conference; the app presents attendees with green challenges and they can earn as many points as possible by performing different acts of green.
The Room for Thought at Event Camp Vancouver, a green space designed for participants to have a place to reflect and rejuvenate. Photo provided courtesy of Greenscape Design & Decor.
The sessions in Vancouver and in D.C. had differences but prove for an interesting case study.
Session topics at Vancouver were pre-determined while those at D.C. were created on-site, yet there was clear overlap: brain-friendly food for meetings, where we’re going with hybrid and the future as well as improv.
With unique organizers for both Event Camps and unmatched conference formats, it’s fascinating to see perhaps we’re all influencing each other through social media in the #eventprofs community and as a result, we’re interested in similar topics within the industry.
To find out more about Event Camp conferences, visit EventCamp.org.
Thank you to Sarah for writing this post for us! To contact Sarah with questions about these events or the National Conference Center, please call 703-724-6263 or email her at svining@conferencecenter.com.
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, 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…
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 23
maureen-pickellTrade Shows Event Industry Networking, imex, overseas meetings
What global meetings industry event is in its 9th year in Frankfurt, Germany and can give planners access to information on Mongolia, Montenegro and Latvia along with London, Paris and Rome – all in the same place?
Well, if you guessed IMEX 2011, you are correct! Your ConvnteionPlanit.com intrepid traveler, Maureen Pickell, arrived in Frankfurt, with 11 Hosted Buyers to attend the this exciting exhibition.
Thousands of exhibitors from across the globe will be attending along with a large enough number of corporate and association planners to keep them all busy from May 24-27. This should prove once and for all that the meetings, events and incentive travel industry as a whole is healthy and showing excellent signs of innovation and growth!
With over 90 educational seminars and events to choose from, planners will also be given “the opportunity to see in new directions.” New campfires on the show floor will offer informal, fast-track learning – just turn up and tune in!
Our attendees will also be busy with their group and individual exhibitor appointments – and a few ConventionPlanit.com supplier member sponsored events.
More to come…
Apr 29
Ashley ChalmersTrade Shows ASAE & the Center, Event Industry Networking, Keep America Meeting, Trade Shows
Yesterday many of your favorite ConventionPlanit.com staff members attended the ASAE Springtime Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
If the judging is up to us…we rule the event a total success!
The educational sessions were chock full of information (more on these later), and the General Session was pretty motivating, thanks to Bert Jacobs, Co-Founder of the popular clothing brand Life is Good.
Then it was onto the Expo Hall, which was filled with more vendors than ever! We are, of course, partial to the ConventionPlanit.com Booth!
Katherine Markham, CHME and Maureen Pickell, CTC at the CP Booth
We saw some familiar faces and many new ones at our booth. Much of the day was spent dancing to our catchy meeting planning music video, which was on display at the booth. Meeting planners can share in the fun of the video by entering a predict the future contest!
Another highlight were our friends from the Anchorage CVB, who generously sponsored our Grand Prize…a trip for two to Alaska! The gals even put together an adorable prize package, with a stuffed brown bear, moose and a gorgeous photo book of Alaska. We’ll show some photos of the prize early next week!
Older Entries
Current Discussions