Feb 22
Ashley SpitzerTrade Shows imex, meeting industry, Trade Shows, upcoming meetings industry events
If you’re a meeting planner, your chances of attending IMEX America for free through a hosted buyer program have just increased 30%!
IMEX America announced today that 2,000 qualified planners will be hosted – the largest number for any US trade show.
The show will take place at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas October 11-13, 2011. Hosted buyer qualification will use the same guidelines IMEX Frankfurt uses.
If you are interested in attending the show with the ConventionPlanit.com hosted buyer group, please email stephanie.kreps@conventionplanit.com!
Sep 03
Damion RutherfordTips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows meeting ideas, meeting planner help, Trade Shows
Dr. Radde's book Seating Matters offers innovative setups for meeting rooms
Quick, what’s the best way to get the most seats in a meeting room?
Straight across, theater-style, right??
“Think again!,” says Dr. Paul O. Radde of The Thrival Institute, who has authored a new book, Seating Matters.
“The industry mindset is that straight rows maximize a room, but they don’t – they create dead space,” he says.
“Dead space is any excessive or wasted space in a room that could be excellent seating for participants, such as up front around the stage or down the center of the room. For example, the center aisle, the best seating space in the room, is not set for chairs.”
Radde recalls a meeting at a major hotel where he had arranged to have curved rows with all the seats facing the center of the stage. When he arrived for the event, however, he found that the hotel staff had lined up straight rows instead, believing that was the only way to fit 1,800 seats in the ballroom.
That evening, Radde worked with the staff to reset the room with curved rows and showed them how to fit not only the required minimum of 1,800 seats in the room, he easily had room for another 300 seats for a total of 2,100 – even with the fine tuning of widened aisles toward the back of the room to create adequate space for schmoozing.
Straight-row seating is problematic for Radde on several counts:
1.) It requires people seated facing the wall on the outside of front rows to turn in their seats and turn their heads up to 85 degrees to view the stage.
“Unless people are within the three seats closest to the aisle in the center of the room, they report discomfort within 15 minutes,” Radde says, “and this detracts energy and attention from their positive meeting experience.
2.) “You come all the way across country or the world to meet, network, and learn with your peers and colleagues,” Radde explains. “So you don’t want to be slotted into a straight row when with a little imagination you could be in a more interactive setting.”
Angled and curved row innovations allow people who cannot see each other in straight rows, to see and interact with each other across the entire room.
Seating Matters lays down five principles to troubleshoot and design state-of-the-art seating arrangements in any meeting room. These principles not only increase seating capacity but also reduce stress, promote networking, and enhance learning. More than 70 illustrations and photos give the reader accurate descriptions of innovative setups.
Replacing Rounds
Meal functions at rounds present yet another challenge addressed in Seating Matters. Round tables crowd the room, create huge dead space, and make it difficult for people to talk with colleagues seated directly across the table. They raise their voices to cover the distance, but soon give up and chat with the persons next to them. Then too, half the people at a full round are facing away from the speaker. Turning chairs around is a cumbersome option.
Radde suggests using rectangular tables with the short ends aimed at the stage, forming a room-wide “starburst” pattern. Participants sit on the long sides of the table with one person seated at the head of the table facing the stage. This creates a more intimate setting, allowing people to see and talk to each other and to see the stage without turning chairs around. Tables shaped like trapezoids can also be used to create this type of setting.
“Meetings are supposed to bring people together, but even before people arrive, the straight row seating arrangements have limited the potential interaction and dynamic of the meeting.” Radde declares.
“I hope planners and facilities will read my book and see how a little creativity and innovation with seating will vastly improve the meeting experience for their participants. Best of all, it costs nothing to do this, while creating more value for the meeting.”
The book Seating Matters is available at www.Thrival.com.
Aug 19
Ashley SpitzerContests, RFP, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, rfp valet, Trade Shows
As the attendees of the ASAE Annual Expo headed home today, Maureen Pickell, our friendly blogger from the show, offers some closing insights from the expo hall:
“Planners have been stopping by the ConventionPlanit.com booth in spite of the fact that we are not giving out prizes for playing booth games.
What is attracting the planners is a quick tour of the site and learning about our special RFP Valet American Express Reward card offer for using this service.”
…Well, maybe you can win a prize at our booth after all!
Aug 18
Ashley SpitzerMember News, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, attendee interaction, Event Industry Networking, Keep America Meeting, meeting education, social media, Trade Shows
What are planners looking for from the ASAE Expo?
A survey taken on the floor the first two days found planners looking for new ideas and new partnerships. To quote one association planner,
“In order to be successful, we look at our exhibitors not just as exhibitors, but as business partners.”
Face to face interaction with business partners at the expo is an important way to foster connections.
After ASAE has concluded, planners can solidify these new relationships by using ConventionPlanit.com as a web portal to our varied portfolio of suppliers.
Technology, especially social networking, are important components to the meetings industry, but can be made much more successful through new face to face connections!
Aug 17
Ashley SpitzerMember News, News, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, meeting education, social media, Trade Shows
All morning we’ve been able to stay involved with ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Expo from our own office.
The General Session was streaming live, and many users of the popular networking site, Twitter, were sharing real time updates and information. (Look for #asae09 to see what attendees are saying)
The International Section of the Exhibit Hall is showcasing ConventionPlanit.com supplier members from Dubai, Singapore and (soon to be members) South Africa and Korea.
Association meeting planners and executives can visit with these experts from different regions of the world…or if they miss this opportunity to do business face to face, just consult ConventionPlanit.com to research these exciting destinations and submit RFP’s.
Stay tuned for more information and updates from the show!
Aug 13
Ashley SpitzerNews, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, meeting industry, Trade Shows
ASAE’s Annual Meeting and Expo kicks off this weekend in Toronto.
If you’re attending, keep an eye out for Maureen Pickell, Julie Roberts and Al Rickard on our team. They’ll be at the show, and exhibiting at Booth 2227.
Stay tuned for updates from the road – they will be sharing their experiences here on the blog and on Twitter (click here to follow us!)
Jul 22
Ashley SpitzerMisc Tidbits, News, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners Bethenny Frankel, meeting education, meeting ideas, Real Housewives of NYC, Trade Shows, travel, travel tips
If you didn’t receive the ConventionPlanit.com newsletter yesterday, you missed out on an interview with Bethenny Frankel from Bravo’s Real Housewives of NYC.
Bethenny dishes out smart menu and eating habits for on-the-road meeting planners.
Check out what Bethenny has to say – and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more great tips and meeting ideas!
Jun 02
Ashley SpitzerContests, Member News, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows Event Industry Networking, technology, Trade Shows
TS² 2009 – being held in Chicago at McCormick Place from July 20-23 – has teamed up with Mingle360 to provide convention planners with an easy way to share and store important contact information…
…while valuing in-person business connections.
The Mingle360 solution combines a single-purpose device with a powerful software application.
The MingleStick is an innovative USB device using wireless technology to create connections between people, essentially eliminating the need for a business card.
The MingleManager application offers total identity management with its privacy features, granular security controls, and address book tools.
TS² 2009 is sponsored by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA). The event is owned and operated by National Trade Productions (NTP), in partnership with the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE).
Are you planning to attend TS² 2009? Have you used a MingleStick before?
Mar 20
Ashley SpitzerMisc Tidbits, News, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, hsmai affordable meeting, meeting education, Springtime Expo, Trade Shows
Happy Friday!
If you’re in the Chicago or DC areas, there are two great meeting planner educational opportunities coming up…
April 1-2: Affordable Meetings Mid-America
Chicago Navy Pier
Visit ConventionPlanit.com at Booth #1110!
April 16: ASAE’s Springtime Expo
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Visit ConventionPlanit.co at Booth #434!
Stop by and say hello…we’d love to meet you!
Feb 24
Ashley SpitzerContests, Member News, News, Places to Stay, RFP, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows ASAE & the Center, meeting education, meeting industry, Trade Shows, Young Meeting Professionals
This year, ASAE & the Center’s Springtime Expo 2009 — April 16 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center –
has a special networking event for young hospitality professionals…the night before the show: Springtime UnPlugged.
What a great way to get to know your peers before the big event the next day!
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