Let’s face it—conferences aren’t just for attendees anymore. As more professionals turn business trips into bleisure (business + leisure) experiences, it’s time to ask: what happens when an attendee brings their spouse?
Spoiler alert: it’s an opportunity, not a problem.
While your attendees are busy networking, learning, or shaking hands over hors d’oeuvres, their spouses might be wondering what to do between breakfast keynotes and evening receptions. That’s where your event can truly shine.

Offer a Spouse Itinerary

Think: exclusive city tours, wellness mornings, golf tee times, cooking classes, or mixology experiences. Bonus points for anything that feels like a “locals-only” insider treat.

Create Lounge or Leisure Spaces

Designate an area with refreshments, reading material, and casual conversation zones for spouses to mingle, recharge, or connect with others in the same boat.

Make It Social

Plan one or two low-pressure, high-enjoyment social events that include both attendees and their guests—sunset cocktails, a private museum visit, or even a game night can do wonders for building community.

At the end of the day, happy spouses = happy attendees. And when your event is remembered not just for the content, but for the care put into every guest’s experience, you’re not just planning a meeting—you’re building loyalty.

Level-Up Tips for Pro Planners:

💡 Create a Spouse Advisory Board

Engage a few past attendees’ spouses ahead of your event to help shape activities and preferences. They’ll offer insights you might not expect—and may even serve as on-site ambassadors.

💡 Integrate Subtle Networking Touchpoints

Don’t overlook the spouse’s professional life. Offer optional experiences that gently allow for business cross-pollination—like a “plus-one professional mixer” or a shared-interest panel (wellness, entrepreneurship, sustainability) that invites broader participation.

Need a fresh perspective or a moment to recharge? ALHI’s two standout podcasts—Beyond the Meeting Room and Connecting the Dots—offer smart, candid conversations designed to inform, uplift, and inspire meeting professionals like you. Whether you’re commuting, planning, or in need of a mindset reset—these are must-listens.

Beyond the Meeting Room

This April 2025 episode features Top Chef star Carla Hall. She shares how food connects us all, why she believes in always “cooking with love,” and how embracing feedback can lead to personal and professional breakthroughs. This is a feel-good listen with takeaways that resonate well beyond the kitchen.

Listen to Carla Hall’s Episode

Connecting the Dots

Dives into timely topics shaping our industry. Recent episodes feature a thoughtful reflection on how to breathe during uncertain times, and a behind-the-scenes look at Destination Capitol Hill. These episodes offer insight into how advocacy, leadership, and resilience shape our industry’s future.

Explore Connecting the Dots

Have a problem? Sleep on it!

Your brain continues to work while you’re sleeping. Although brain activity is highest during deep sleep stages, researchers found high creativity levels following a 15-minute nap, in which dreams are hallucinogenic with cognitive control.

It’s intel you already have. You just need to access it.

For more creativity or a solution to a problem, you can add a fresh perspective to your waking knowledge by simply recalling your dream. Upon waking, you still have all the neurochemistry of sleep lingering in your brain. Do not move or open your eyes. Focus instead on all aspects in your dream and examine how it fits into your current issue.

When was the last time you truly slept on a problem?

Meeting professionals juggle a million details—from contract negotiations to contingency plans—and sometimes, the best way forward isn’t brute force but quiet insight. Research shows that our brains remain highly active during sleep, especially in dream-rich states. In fact, even a short nap can unlock fresh perspectives and unconventional ideas.

Sleep: Your Untapped Creative Partner

During deep sleep and even light dozing, the brain continues processing information. Studies have found that a 15-minute nap—just long enough to tap into dream states—can boost creative thinking. Dreams offer surreal imagery and unexpected associations, all rooted in your existing knowledge and experience. That’s why the advice to “sleep on it” isn’t just a cliché—it’s cognitive science.

Dream Recall as a Planning Tool

When you wake up, your brain still lingers in that chemically altered, idea-rich state. Before checking your phone or hopping out of bed, try this:

Stay still. Don’t open your eyes.

Focus on recalling the emotional tone and key elements of your dream.

Ask yourself: How might this relate to my current project or challenge?

It might sound abstract, but many breakthroughs—artistic, strategic, or logistical—start this way. Your subconscious is constantly working behind the scenes, making connections your waking mind might miss.

Bringing Insight to Event Planning

From finding the perfect keynote speaker to solving an attendee engagement issue, the next “a-ha” moment might come from your dreams. Make it a habit to give your brain space—and trust that insight will follow. Whether you’re planning a board retreat or a large conference, sleep just might be your new favorite strategy session.

Next time you’re stuck on a planning challenge—try doing nothing. Let your subconscious lead. Your next best idea might be one nap away.

Presented by the RFP® Valet Team

Following a particularly infectious flu season, many will come in contact with travelers this Spring.
To avoid a trip to urgent care, here is a checklist to stay healthy—or at least feel better.

HYDRATION: Increasing your water intake while traveling will keep you hydrated in a dry environment and healthy. 

MEDICINE BAG: Pack a small assortment of pain relievers, band-aids, antacids, and anything you may need. Since it’s common to be congested after a flight, pack saline solution for cleansing and fluticasone for inflammation. 

HAND SANITIZER: We touch several dirty surfaces while traveling. Keep it handy and use it often.

SLEEP: Sleep is essential for recovery. Without it, our hormones and immune system break down. Sleep aids like a white noise app, stickers to block blinking lights, or a light-blocking eye mask will help.  

VITAMIN E & ZINC: Supplements provide added support when healthy food options are limited.

Bonus Tips to Go the Extra Mile

WIPE DOWN SURFACES: Airplanes, hotel rooms, and public transit surfaces can harbor germs. Bring antibacterial wipes to clean armrests, tray tables, remote controls, and light switches before use.

SNACK SMART: Avoid processed airport snacks. Pack immune-boosting options like nuts, dried fruit, or granola bars to keep your energy up and your system supported.

MOVE AROUND: Long periods of sitting—whether on a flight or at a conference—can impact circulation and energy.
Make time to stretch, walk, or do light movement every couple of hours.

Stay safe, stay smart, and happy travels!

Presented by Katherine S. Markham, CHME, ConventionPlanit.com

In Gary Hernbroth’s groundbreaking book, Twist the Familiar, he advises that like King Arthur of Camelot, we must all assemble our own Round Table of support professionals. 

As Chief Motivating Officer for Training for Winners – a sales training company, the following excerpts focus on improving all aspects of one’s sales career, including career development. “Essentially, I believe we all need to have  our own Knights of the Round Table, in one way or another. We need to have an inner circle of people we can draw support from, bounce ideas off of, and share our thoughts, dilemmas, or crises we are facing.”  He suggests writing down 5-10 professional colleagues who you would call in a pinch for intelligent advice and cultivating these relationships. 

“We need people around us who can be honest sounding boards for us. ” Having truthful supporters versus those who simply tell you what you want to hear will put you on solid ground. “Confident, self-assured people and true leaders are brave enough to surround themselves with people who bring value to the table, whether they always agree or not.” And raises the question, “Who’s Round Table are you on?”     

For a deeper look into the ideas shared here, take a moment to read this insightful review of the book that inspired them. It offers a clear perspective on building strong professional relationships and cultivating a trusted inner circle

Five steps to implementing audience-focused presentations.
Presented by the RFP Valet® Team

Comfort

Padded fabric chairs with tall backs provide reasonable support. They should face forward within 5-12 degrees of the main focal point of the presentation and ample leg room. Attendees must feel comfortable moving around to refreshments stations and restrooms. Set the temperature an hour prior to the meeting with ventilation and air circulation

Special Needs

To provide each attendee with the same advantages of the meeting, ADA requirements provide the blueprint for fully accommodating those with special needs.

Lines of Vision

Can all attendees see the presentation? This applies to the speakers and a video of the presenters. This also allows for lip reading and stage recognition. To improve the interactive quality, a sight line for attendees to see the physical reaction of other attendees is a powerful strategy. Exit signs must be clearly lit and accessed from the meeting room.

Lines of Communication

Articulate words in the local vernacular. Include interpreters when needed and sign language. Projecting screen visuals may be used to amplify the message. Have back-up material available online and in print.

Networking Opportunities

Attendees enjoy having their ear to the ground for issues. They can determine common ground for added support.