Monthly Archives: July 2020

ASAE Names the 2020 ‘Power of A’ Award Winners

ASAE will honor six associations with the 2020 Summit Award, which is the highest recognition under The Power of A Awards. The winners will be formally recognized during the Virtual Power of A-Summit Awards event on September 30, which will also serve as the culmination of ASAE’s overall Centennial celebrations.

The awards are part of The Power of A campaign, which brings attention to the association community’s valuable contributions to society at the local, national and global levels. The winners were selected by the Power of A Awards Judging Committee. This year the committee received a total of 125 entries. These included entries for five new award categories: The Power of Advocacy, The Power of Industry/Professional Advancement, The Power of Global Development, The Power of Diversity and Inclusion, and The Power of Community Support and Engagement.

“Congratulations to this year’s Summit Award winners, whose range of activities speak to the incredible influence associations wield on society,” said Barry Pilson, CAE, Vice President, Membership and Marketing, National Business Officers Association and this year’s chair of the Power of A Awards Judging Committee. “We look forward to celebrating exceptional work in the association community every year, but with the challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially gratifying in ASAE’s Centennial year to recognize and salute association excellence. Associations make a notable difference in the world and that’s one thing this current crisis has only magnified.”

This year’s winners are:

American Council of Life Insurers

Washington, DC

Program: Passage of The SECURE Act

American Geophysical Union

Washington, DC

Program: AGU Centennial Grants Program

American Public Power Association

Arlington, VA

Program: Light Up Navajo

Coin Laundry Association

Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Program: LaundryCares Foundation

Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association

Fairfield, NJ

Program: The Gender Parity Collaborative

National Association for the Education of Young Children

Washington, DC

Program: Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession

“Congratulations to all of the 2020 Summit Award recipients. During these challenging times it is important create opportunities for us to come together as a community to celebrate and recognize the positive impact that associations continue to have on society,” said ASAE President and CEO, Susan Robertson, CAE. “While the celebration might look different this year, we look forward to honoring the work your association staff, members, and volunteers have done to create these winning programs.”

In addition to the six Summit Award winners, the Power of A Awards Judging Committee selected 21 association programs to receive a Power of A Gold Award and 39 associations to receive a Power of A Silver Award.

ASAE’s Power of A — Virtual Summit Awards on September 30 will bring together association executives, industry partners and business and community leaders for an evening to celebrate the value of associations and their impact on society.

Tickets will be complimentary. Full event and sponsorship information will be available soon. Contact summitdinner@asaecenter.org with questions.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735.

About ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership

ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry.  ASAE is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners representing 2,000 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at asaecenter.org.

ASAE Welcomes Mighty Citizen as New Event Partner

ASAE announces Mighty Citizen has signed-on as an Event Partner in its Alliance Partnership Program.

“The association industry is made up of a diverse community of organizations that touch every aspect of our daily lives. With decades of association experience, Mighty Citizen has embraced that diversity and developed a deep understanding that no two associations are the same. Through this partnership, our members can access new ideas and tools that can accelerate their pace toward meaningful outcomes through marketing and communications,” said Susan Robertson, CAE, ASAE President and CEO.

The Alliance Partnership Program was developed to provide the industry partner community with opportunities to align itself with ASAE and the association sector through customized marketing platforms. It also offers partners the chance to help build and maintain year-round relationships with ASAE members and nonprofit communities worldwide.

“Mighty Citizen has been making associations stronger since 1999. Partnering with ASAE aligns with our mission and values, especially as they celebrate 100 years of advancing and advocating for associations.  Our clients are change-makers. Not only is our agency called Mighty Citizen but we work with mighty citizens every day. They work inside associations, changing the world by helping people further their careers and impact,” Nick Weynand, Founder and CEO of Mighty Citizen.

“In partnership with ASAE, we’ll create mightier marketing, brands, and websites that further the work and advocacy of associations to increase their results,” Weynand continued.

For more information about the ASAE Alliance Partnership program, please visit ASAE or contact Dan Melesurgo at dmelesurgo@asaecenter.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lauren Precker, CAE, lprecker@asaecenter.org, 202-626-2735.

About Mighty Citizen

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with a satellite office in greater Washington D.C., Mighty Citizen is the branding and digital transformation agency for associations. Using a proven process for branding, marketing, and digital communications, this award-winning agency helps associations better connect with their members, increase revenue, and improve society. Driven by data and a belief in human-centered design, Mighty Citizen has produced measurable results for its diverse portfolio of clients since 1999. These clients include American Association of Veterinary State Boards, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Texas Society of Association Executives, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and Texas Restaurant Association. For client case studies and more, visit www.mightycitizen.com.

About ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership

ASAE is celebrating 100 years of making society smarter, better and safer. The Centennial anniversary represents ASAE’s role as a leader and supporter of progress and innovation in the association industry.  ASAE is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners representing 2,027 organizations. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at asaecenter.org.

Greater Palm Springs Pledge

OUR PLEDGE TO YOU

The Greater Palm Springs tourism industry is making the pledge to implement the latest safety guidelines developed by the State of California and leading industry associations. While the safety of our visitors, staff and local community has always been a top priority, we recognize it’s even more critical today. We are offering this pledge and sharing the additional steps our local businesses and tourism partners are now taking so you can feel confident that our oasis remains a healthy, positive and inclusive destination for all.  

Our Safer Together, Greater Together Pledge offers a unified commitment destination-wide among all businesses, which promise to institute the following core safety practices:  

  • Perform a detailed risk assessment and implement a site-specific protection plan
  • Train employees on how to limit the spread of COVID-19, including how to screen themselves for symptoms and stay home if they have them
  • Implement individual control measures and screenings
  • Implement disinfecting protocols
  • Implement physical distancing guidelines
  • Stay informed of and implement the latest best practices

All businesses that have committed to these safety measures and have taken our pledge will have the below symbol included in their business listings on this website. To find out more by business type, click here.

Pledge_badge

Safer Together, Greater Together is our destination commitment to you!  

We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future.

Business at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre forging ahead

Safe resumption of events and a focus on the future is assisting gradual business recovery

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) is delighted that the Malaysian Government’s is continually refining industry Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to stimulate the resumption of domestic business events with no set limit on the number of attendees. The Government has confirmed that the number of guests and participants will depend on the size of the event space and the capability of the venue to ensure the safe implementation of social distancing measures in line with the industry SOPs.

The Centre has turned its focus to the delivery of safe and hygienic events and is seeing positive client feedback on the Venue’s SOP implementation. Rigorous social distancing measures, comprehensive health and safety guidelines on-site and stringent adherence to visitor access and registration is building client confidence and reassurance.

According to the Centre’s General Manager, Alan Pryor, “The exact capacity each of our rooms can host will vary depending on the event type, layout and requirements. With over 33,000 sqm of meeting and event space the Centre can comfortably apply more than adequate social distancing for events. We have always had stringent health and safety operations in place, and our experienced and knowledgeable team are fully trained and equipped to execute continual sanitisation and hygiene measures at high standards and frequency”

“Furthermore, we have listened carefully to our client’s needs and requests and developed new virtual solutions to meet the changing landscape of how events are being produced. This provides an exciting opportunity to be innovative and demonstrate our execution expertise,” he continued.

These investments have started to slowly pay off and generate a return of events to the Centre since opening on 1 July with five completed corporate events hosting between 30 to 500 attendees. 20 confirmed bookings have been secured from the corporate, association and exhibition sectors for the period July to December 2020 with continual enquiries being received that are materialising. For 2021, the Centre has a positive outlook for exhibitions and conventions segments with 40% of its business target secured.

The Centre has taken the lead to collaborate with industry partners and clients to demonstrate its readiness to execute events based on the Government published industry SOPs and we will be displaying and showcasing different types of event set-ups for viewing by Government and industry players.

In addition to the industry and venue SOPs, the Centre’s is also going the extra mile and implementing VenueShield, a new environmental hygiene protocol developed by its parent group ASM Global. VenueShield has been created in partnership with medical professionals, industry experts and public health officials and is being rolled out across ASM Global’s 325 venues and facilities worldwide.

Pryor concluded, “It is the combined efforts of the collaboration of our industry supply chain, our industry associations and the interface and engagement with Government that has generated a positive movement forward on the resumption of business events. Our industry is a vital social and economic driver and delivers thousands of jobs, economic impact and grows Malaysia’s profile and market share globally. We are confident that our venue, combined with our event execution expertise will contribute highly to the return of major national, regional and international events in time, and are thrilled to be welcoming clients and attendees back to a safe and secure environment at the Centre.”

For all the latest news on the Centre, visit www.klccconventioncentre.com or follow on social media (Facebook – @klccconventioncentre, LinkedIn – Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Twitter – @klccconvention and Instagram – @klccconventioncentre).

US Virgin Islands – COVID19 Updates

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the
The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Tourism has remained committed to protecting the health and safety of our residents and visitors, and we continue to be guided by public health experts in order to minimize the spread of the virus and to make prudent decisions concerning the management of our tourism sector.

Like every other destination affected by this crisis, we are actively looking forward to and planning for the eventual resumption of tourism activity. We greatly value our partnerships with all our colleagues in the meetings and events sector. Our local MICE stakeholders have been using this “down” time to refresh and enhance their product offerings and to ensure that each property, venue or activity is fully prepared and equipped to provide a safe, healthy and exceptional experience to arriving guests. This is a coordinated, integrated effort between local USVI government agencies, tourism stakeholders and organizations including the U.S. Virgin Islands Hotel & Tourism Association.

Until our MICE offerings are fully reopened, the Department of Tourism continues to engage with its various audiences to share the beauty and appeal of the Virgin Islands and to encourage safe public health practices, including social distancing.

We remain fully committed to meeting your business needs once this health crisis has abated. When we are assured that the Territory is equipped and ready with all testing and containment protocols recommended by public health experts and our local authorities, we stand ready to work with you to welcome your groups back to the beautiful U.S. Virgin Islands, where a truly wonderful experience awaits your clients. 

PCMA Releases Business Events Compass

New PCMA Foundation Funded Subscription Service Delivers Insights and Strategies for the Business Events Industry in the Next Normal

PCMA today released Business Events Compass – an actionable framework of insights and strategies for business event professionals and their business partners to guide their careers and businesses during the pandemic and beyond. The PCMA Foundation funded service and inaugural report provides explicit research-based insights on geographic and industry sector business events recovery opportunities as well as recommendations for the evolution of participant engagement, business models and expected
reskilling needs.

“In the Spring I stated that our industry needs to be a part of the solution and not exacerbate the health crisis. Since then our industry has been shattered by COVID-19. And if we are going to play a role in bringing people together during the pandemic and through the induced economic and social crises, we are going to have to do it within a whole new paradigm,” said
PCMA president and CEO Sherrif Karamat, CAE. “Business Events Compass is about understanding that paradigm and how careers and businesses in our global business events industry can evolve to thrive and continue to deliver the human connections our world so badly needs.”

Example Report Insights:
A key element in PCMA’s Recovery Discovery initiative, examples of Business Events Compass insights from the inaugural report include:

• Business event professionals, chief human resource officers and event participants all agree that face-to-face events cannot be fully replaced by digital alternatives.
• Best case economic recovery scenario (virus contained) for business events is currently estimated to be Q3-2021.
• The speed of business events recovery varies significantly by global region, industry economic sector and event experience type.
• Smaller locally focused business events will thrive in the initial recovery, driven by organizational business meetings and conventions/conferences/congresses. Incentive experiences and exhibitions will recover much more slowly.
• 39% of business event participants 25-49 years old expect to attend the same or more business events in 2021 than they did in 2019. This compares to 17% for participants 50+ years old.

Comprehensive Global Methodology:
Supported by a PCMA Foundation investment, PCMA Insights – PCMA’s global consulting practice — undertook an unprecedented assembly of global data and perspectives to inform development of the insights and strategies in Compass during May and June. This included six PCMA Think Tanks with over 130 global business event leaders, business sentiment surveys from thousands of PCMA members and global stakeholders, surveys of frequent business event participants, surveys with chief human resource officers, and interviews with global brand and association leaders. These were supplemented with reviews of regional pandemic health
policies and analysis of global econometric recovery models.

“Making a difference for business events professionals when they are needed the most is what the PCMA Foundation does. This is arguably the business events industry’s most comprehensive research undertaking since the 2009 economic significance studies,” said PCMA Foundation Chair Valerie Sumner. “Given the ebbs and flows inherent in this pandemic,
our plan is to support ongoing updates of Compass as needed for our members and invest in the resource and reskilling strategies contemplated in its recommendations so our members can continue to thrive.”

With the pandemic continuing to impact economies, travel demand and health and safety regulations around the world, PCMA and its research partners will continue to collect data and share insights with subscribers to the report through timely updates.

Where and How to Get More Information on the Full Report:
An executive summary of Business Events Compass is available now free of charge on the PCMA website to all members ($49 USD to non-members). A subscription to the full service and inaugural report, including updates through December 2020, is available for $495 USD for members ($895 for non-members).

PlanetIMEX – Powering Back Into Orbit with New October Edition

PlanetIMEX comes back into orbit on 12 – 16 October. The virtual experience by the IMEX Group, launched earlier this year, is set to deliver more learning, networking and fun.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “The October edition of PlanetIMEX will have a distinct IMEX America ‘flavour’ but without trying to emulate our annual live show in Las Vegas. Rather we will focus on using this online experience to unite the global business events community in learning, laughing and leaning into a new tomorrow.  With October starting to look like a busy month for the events industry, our rallying cry right now is ‘save these dates – you won’t want to miss this’.” 

The October edition of PlanetIMEX will be directly shaped by business events professionals. The IMEX Group is currently surveying the global meetings, incentive travel and business events community in order to deliver relevant and timely content that supports the sector.

Carina continues: “We originally launched PlanetIMEX as a gift to the industry, one that was designed to deliver high value – be that education, business or social opportunities – against the backdrop of an interrupted global economy. Now we’re in a place to ask the widest possible community ‘how can we serve you better’ – we know how much our industry has been disrupted and dislocated and our wish is to respond sensitively but positively.”

Fresh and timely content will launch on PlanetIMEX, 12 – 16 October 2020.

How to Liven Up a Virtual Meeting: Breathe Life Into Your Live Stream (Part 2 of 3)

Twists and turns in your voice and the experience you provide will make your live stream an adventure.  Start with the beat of their favorite drummer and you’ll breathe life into your virtual experience. New ConventionPlanit.com supplier member Ben Corey, CEO and Lead Digital Entertainer with Stream Variety, offers advice on livening up a virtual meeting. Read on for part 2 of this new series. 

1. Speed up the pulse with music – THEIR music.

Nothing dials up excitement like people’s favorite music!  Ask participants to turn up their favorite songs while waiting for the virtual event to begin.  “Start the event on your own terms, by playing your own favorite music.”  All of my performances feature preshow music because of how well it gets people going.

2. Engage with your voice.

Let’s face it – on screen, it’s half of what you’ve got! Avoid sounding monotone or that news video in the next window over will pull your audience away. Practice varying the pitch, rate, and volume of your voice to pull your audience in while also non-verbally signaling your credibility. Ex: speak softly on a key point so your audience leans in, then, when they least expect it, pop your voice to deliver an exciting detail. 

3. Keep them on their toes.

Incorporate continuous surprises into the stream that they would never see coming. For example, beam Ben Franklin in to deliver a motivational on theme message. 

Ben Corey provides consulting and support to help you launch successful digital tradeshows, innovative online networking events, and conferences.  He provides a complete roster of sponsorable streaming entertainment.  Contact Ben Corey directly at Stream Variety to learn more. 

How Video Meetings Mess with Your Head and How to Make it Better

by Nancy Settle-Murphy, Guided Insights

I could tell by the glowing yellow line that framed Amy’s video image that she was saying something. But for the life of me, I couldn’t absorb the meaning of her words, even though I could hear her just fine. Maybe it was the fact that this was the third Zoom workshop that I facilitated that day, or that I hadn’t given my brain or body a chance to recharge for the last several hours. Whatever the reason, at that moment, my brain felt absolutely fried. Fortunately, I was able to pull myself together for the waning minutes of the session, but I resolved never to let that happen to me again, whatever the heck that was.

Just because I have heard many people complain of “Zoom fatigue,” it didn’t mean I had the solution. Since I typically lead multiple virtual workshops each day, I had a vested interest in figuring out how endless video meetings are affecting our brains and what we can do about it. Here’s what I have discovered about how and why meeting by video can jam up our brains, along with some tips to avoid or mitigate the negative side effects.

Why, exactly, are video meetings so taxing?

•  We’re expecting too much. Virtual experiences can never measure up to face-to-face interactions, especially when it comes to building relationships, making intuitive connections, understanding others’ perspectives, and deciphering emotions. And yet we somehow expect that with an icebreaker or two, a few great questions to stimulate conversation, and a host of activities to keep people engaged, that we can come close to simulating in-person conversations. The more we try to convince ourselves, the more disappointed we become that the session felt tiring and well, flat.

•  We are forced to focus hyper-attentively on expressions, gestures, nuances and gestures, scanning all visible faces, at the same time, listening for words, tone, cadence and silence. (And if we’re leading the session, we’re also concerned about the technology working, session content, timing, dysfunctional behavior, and myriad other factors that need to go right.) This is just plain exhausting. Contrast this to if we were sitting around a table, where we’d be looking at one or two people at a time, instead of scanning every face, every moment. There are no natural breaks in video meetings. Gazing out the window to think, as we might otherwise do, may be misinterpreted as disinterest. Taking an impromptu stretch break might be considered rude. And so we sit, dutifully glued to our video cameras.

•  Our brains are constantly straining to fill in the gaps left by the two-dimensional aspect of video. According to Kate Murphy in her New York Times piece, Why Zoom is Terrible, since video images are digitally encoded and decoded, altered and adjusted, our brains are constantly trying to make sense of the resulting disorder, which makes us vaguely disturbed, uneasy and tired without quite realizing why. Murphy quotes Sheryl Brahnam, an IT and cybersecurity professor at Missouri State University, who compares videoconferencing to consuming highly processed foods: “In-person communication resembles video conferencing about as much as a real blueberry muffin resembles a packaged blueberry muffin that contains not a single blueberry but artificial flavors, textures and preservatives. You eat too many, and you’re not going to feel very good.”

•  It’s harder to empathize. Our pixelated images are nothing like the faces we see in person, where we can instantly interpret subtle movements around the eyes and mouth, even when we’re not consciously aware we’re doing so. Those micro-cues all but disappear in the pixelated versions of ourselves, making it almost impossible for us to mirror others through facial mimicry, which, says Murphy, is essential to empathy and connection. “To recognize emotion, we have to actually embody it. When we can’t do it seamlessly, we feel unsettled because it’s hard to read people’s reactions and thus, predict what they will do.” Simply put: When our predictions are not confirmed, our brains have to work harder, making us feel exhausted.

•  We can’t see eye to eye. We can make the others feel like we’re looking into their eyes by staring into our own video cameras. But when we gaze into our camera, we can’t also be looking at others’ facial expressions, let alone gazing into their eyes. We can’t have it both ways. In the absence of direct eye contact, building trust becomes a lot harder.

•  TMI about ourselves, and not enough about others. Thanks to our ability to see our own images front and center, we tend to over-emote to make sure our reactions are noticed by everyone else, including showing affirmations, expressions of surprise or curiosity, disagreement, or demonstrating interest (whether it’s feigned or not). Says Christina Cauterucci in her Slate piece, I Will Not Be Attending Your Exhausting Zoom Gathering, “Social instincts that usually require little conscious effort are now taking up space in my brain, draining the energy I used to devote to the substance of a conversation.” (No wonder I had difficulty deciphering the meaning of my workshop participant’s words: My brain was already fully loaded trying to process all of nonverbal information I was struggling to take in.)

•  Natural conversation rhythms are hard to come by. There are fewer natural pauses in video meetings, making it hard to discern when it’s okay to talk. Since we can’t easily tell if someone is about to speak, several may try to speak at once. Or even worse, sometimes no one talks at all.  And when you’re trying to scan 5, 10 or 25 faces at once, it’s hard to know what’s holding people back from jumping in. As Julia Sklar explained in her National Geographic piece on Zoom fatigue, a typical video calls impairs our ability to pick up clues about someone’s direction or intensity of focus, or their intention to speak. A video call requires sustained and intense attention to words, she points out, causing our brains to become hyper-focused on searching for nonverbal cues that it cannot find.

Tips for combatting “Zoom fatigue”

•  Just say no to video, at least occasionally. Apart from the fact you may have your kids running around your workspace, a counter full of dirty dishes behind you, or a sudden reminder that you’ve ignored hair over the last few days, it’s okay to decline the request to turn on your camera on occasion “just because.” Better yet, suggest that everyone attend in voice-only mode from time to time, or simply make it a con call instead. Research shows that many people tend to listen more deeply and derive more meaning from what they hear, without the distraction of trying to read facial expressions from tiny video images on the screen.  (Even if you feel pressured to turn on your video, it doesn’t mean you have to look at yourself. By hiding your image from your own view, you eliminate much of the distracting noise that occupies way too much space in your brain. I do this often, once I get my angle and lighting right. It’s made a huge difference in my ability to concentrate and brain energy.)

•  Move more conversations offline. These may take the form of asynchronous (any time) conversations in a shared workspace or portal (think Slack), when people can join at any time to exchange ideas, respond to questions, post answers, or brainstorm ideas. They might also take the form of 1:1 phone conversations, IM chats or email threads. The point is, not every conversation has to begin and end on Zoom.

•  Take breaks. If the meeting leader hasn’t built in break time, request a break when your energy is flagging. Chances are, others feel the same way. If you feel awkward about interrupting to ask for a break, let people know in chat (or some other way) that you are walking away for two minutes and will be right back. If you must stay put, find something to focus on that can help settle your mind, like an open window, a photo or painting, or a doodle.  You don’t have to keep staring at the screen intently for 60 or more minutes at a time. You brain will thank you.

•  Make use of breakouts. Not all meetings will benefit by having small-group breakout activities, but if you’re having at least 10 people sitting around the virtual table, consider how the formation of small groups can help achieve the intended results, perhaps even in less time. When we’re seeing and hearing just a few other people at a time, we can focus much more easily without the distraction of so many other faces. Plus, conversations are almost always more satisfying and meaningful with just a few people. Caveat: Make sure you have allocated sufficient time for instructions, the breakout activity, and a group debrief, if one is needed. Breakouts take time, and almost all need some kind of debrief. Don’t cut them short.

•  Be super clear in setting expectations and giving instructions. Since it’s a fair guess that many on the call will be at least somewhat disengaged or tired at any given time, it’s especially important to make sure that everyone understands the questions, instructions, or other requests. Use multiple communication channels to do this. E.g., review instructions verbally, and also on a slide in the shared screen, as well as in the chat area. Invite people to ask questions for clarification after you review the instructions. If you are able to scan facial expressions, look for signs of hesitancy or confusion.  Pause long enough for people to ask questions. Resist the temptation to move them along too quickly in hopes that everyone magically understood everything right up front.

•  Take a pulse.  This can take the form of a quick poll (launching one from your meeting application, or using another app like Poll Everywhere or Mentimeter). Or you can do a quick verbal go-round the room, or ask people to type in, say, a number from 1-10, where 1 signals very low energy and 10 signals very high energy. You can try scanning faces, but as we’ve pointed out, we derive precious little emotional content from pixelated images. Regardless of your method of assessing the level of energy in the room, try asking people to turn off their videos before weighing in. Many experts say that no facial cues are better than faulty ones. 

•  Make virtual social events optional. Many of my clients are holding virtual happy hours for people to connect socially, something that’s sorely lacking these days. Typically, these social sessions are held around 4-5 PM on Fridays. Some rotate hosts. Some have themes, like “Movie Night,” where people share favorite films. Some play games; for example, my brilliant friend and neighbor just developed an app for our poker club to play Texas Hold-‘Em via Zoom. And some people just want to talk, about anything and everything.

Video meetings don’t have to be so tiring, and you probably don’t need as many as you think you do.   Know the limitations and constraints, both of the technology itself, and of peoples’ ability to stay focused. Be thoughtful about when video is really required by all, or even by some. And while you’re at it, think about whether real-time meetings of any kind are really needed, or whether you can have conversations some other way. As Christina Cauterucci reminds us in her Slate piece, “These days, when video chatting has to stand in for a whole social life’s worth of in-person contact, it feels like a massive downgrade. Every Zoom call brings a painful reminder of what quarantined life is missing.”

Note: The article originally appeared in Guided Insight’s Communique

Nancy Settle-Murphy is the President of Guided Insights. She is a renowned expert in the fields of virtual leadership, remote collaboration and navigating cross-cultural differences, and the author of Leading Effective Virtual Teams. Learn more about Nancy at www.guidedinsights.com.

Arlington, Texas, Offers No Attrition

Hotels in the Dallas Metroplex destination of Arlington are offering no attrition into 2021 as part of its No Attrition Into 2021 promotion to draw new meetings and conventions business.

Following are the details at participating properties:

Hilton Hotel Arlington*

  • No attrition on groups of 50 peak rooms or less* through 3/31/2021.
  • Triple Brand points for designated recipient based on brand loyalty program.
  • $5 rebate to master account, based on consumed/paid guest room revenue.
  • 20% discount in hotel outlets, excluding alcohol.
  • 20% audiovisual discount on retail AV pricing.

Live! By Loews Hotel**

  • No attrition on groups of 50 peak rooms or less* through 12/30/2020.
  • $5 rebate to master account, based on consumed/paid guest room revenue.
  • 20% audiovisual discount on retail AV pricing.

Sheraton Arlington Hotel*

  • No attrition on groups of 50 peak rooms or less* through 3/31/2021.
  • Triple Brand points for designated recipient based on brand loyalty program.
  • $5 rebate to master account, based on consumed/paid guest room revenue.
  • 20% discount in hotel outlets, excluding alcohol.
  • 20% audiovisual discount on retail AV pricing.
  • *Restrictions apply.
    Must mention this offer to receive value-add concessions.  
    Applicable for new group opportunities only.  
    Does not apply to previous definite bookings or existing bookings.
  • ** Restrictions
    Loews offer: No attrition through 12/30/2020
    Does not include 20% off discount in hotel outlets and triple brand loyalty points.

For more information, visit the Arlington CVB’s No Attrition Into 2021 web page.