WASHINGTON, DC, March 21, 2023 – ConventionPlanit.com, a popular online search directory and RFP portal for the meetings industry, has launched MY Meeting SPACE Calculator, powered by EVENT-IT. This latest amenity is accessible on all ConventionPlanit.com facility listings and under the Resources section.
MY Meeting SPACE Calculator helps meeting professionals quickly and accurately verify the meeting or event space needed for their attendees in any set-up style. The software also factors in variables, such as exhibits, head tables, dance floors and more, with both Imperial and Metric options.
ConventionPlanit.com creates awareness of EVENT-IT technologies developed by its strategic partner, BanquetConsulting.com through its distribution channels. By the same token, BanquetConsulting.com provides awareness of ConventionPlanit.com on its website and numerous social media outlets.
“We are pleased to serve the meetings industry through ConventionPlanit.com.” says BanquetConsulting.com and EVENT-IT Founder, Angelika Bazarnik, CPCE. “Our collaborative efforts offer ample time-saving advantages for busy meeting professionals who must juggle numerous tasks. The calculator is only the first feature of many coming to EVENT-IT.”
ConventionPlanit.com Co-Founder and Principal David Markham adds, “BanquetConsulting.com offers a treasure trove of banquet solutions. We’re delighted to offer their latest EVENT-IT technology as a free amenity to meeting professionals for greater accuracy and efficiency. We look forward to creating awareness of EVENT-IT’s evolving technologies.”
Designed by meeting professionals as an efficient registration-free online search directory and RFP portal, ConventionPlanit.com’s website quickly refines searches to identify appropriate destinations, facilities, and service providers. RFP Valet® combines personalized assistance with a user-friendly sourcing tool to quickly display comparative quotes and concessions. ConventionPlanit.com connects buyers with sellers and there are no commissions, markups, or hidden fees. For more information, visit conventionplanit.com.
EVENT-IT will be a simple event tool kit that brings onsite event management to the 21st century. With our easy-to-navigate mobile app, you’ll have all the tools to execute an amazing event and streamlines venue-client communication and accountability. This way, you’ll be able to focus on the actual event without worrying about all the details. So whether you’re a seasoned event pro or a first-time organizer, EVENT-IT will have a tool for you, no matter the size of the event. #EventToolKitApp. For more information contact Angelika@BanquestConsulting.com or phone 725-253-8368 (725-25- EVENT).
“At the heart of each IMEX show is a living, breathing
marketplace – the fundamental and effective way of doing business that powers
our industry,” explains Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.
“We’ve carefully curated all elements of this year’s
IMEX Frankfurt show – from the layout, the education and the experiential – to
complement and enhance these in person business conversations. We’re seeing
momentum building all the time and look forward to throwing open the doors to
our friends and colleagues this May.”
Trends-wise the show will reflect many of the big
shifts and changes in the meetings and events industry globally. As a buying force,
the Chinese market is back and Asia in general is flourishing, driving event
demand, locally and internationally. The big tech companies in Korea are one of
several factors behind this growth.
International hotel groups plus smaller boutique
hotels will be making their presence felt on the show floor, many of them
introducing new service offerings or properties. Frankfurt itself has added to
its hotel portfolio with several new openings including
the impressive Scandic Hafenpark and B’Mine, the first WorldHotels
Crafted Collection hotel in Germany, and NH hotels signature Nhow brand which
IMEX is showcasing as hosted buyer accommodation in the city. Many hosted buyer
hotels have also benefited from recent refurbishments including the
Steigenberger Frankfurterhof, the Marriott, Hilton and the Westin.
Destinations, venues and suppliers span the world and
include Croatia, Malaysia, Peru, Portugal, Ras Al Khaimah and Spain. Hotel
groups Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Radisson are among the exhibitors
expanding their presence onsite as well as Los Cabos and Morocco. Sarawak, the
largest of Malaysia’s 13 states, will have its own stand for the first time and
will also be joined by the region’s Tourism Minister during the show.
Experts from Google, Microsoft & Pinterest
An extensive programme of over 150 educational and
networking events begins with dedicated learning sessions the day before the
show, on Monday 22 May.
Monday’s programme is tailored to specific sections of
the event professional community:
The complexities of delivering events in a hybrid world will be explored in detail at Association Focus, delivered in association with ICCA, AC Forum, AMC Institute, ASAE, ESAE and Global Association Hubs.
A stella line-up of experts from world-renowned companies spearhead Exclusively Corporate, IMEX’s high-level, invite-only event for corporate event specialists. This includes Microsoft’s Bob Bejan and Salesforce’s Charlotte Pedersen who will go head to head in The tale of two titans – the evolution of event strategy and experience design. Moderator Nicola Kastner explains: “Very rarely do we have an opportunity to learn from two massive tech brands taking such radically different approaches.”
Year on year IMEX’s Agency Directors Forum is redesigned to meet the prevailing business needs of senior agency professionals. 2023’s facilitated discussion will focus on business management issues. Hot topics are set to include people and talent management; succession planning; business drivers, trends and technology and new business strategies, plus new revenue generation models.
New co-located events for 2023 include MICE Impact Academy, an exclusive invite-only education event for German planners, and ELX (Event Leaders Exchange), a meeting for this two-year old community of senior event corporate event leaders from 3,000+ headcount organisations with $3billion+ annual revenue.
Human Nature underpins learning programme
The IMEX 2023
Talking Point – Human Nature – provides a steer for education and interaction.
Carina explains: “Our industry is in the business of human gatherings, face to
face connections and building communities, so it felt natural to focus on what
it means to be human in the 21st century. When we meet in person something
special happens – from driving business growth to developing relationships that
span the world. This need to come together and meet is an innate to our human
nature.
“Our Talking Point also helps to deliver a positivity
boost – we’re focusing on what’s good, constructive and loving about human
nature; about our potential and ability to change, adapt and thrive in
supportive and co-operative ways,” she says.
The result is a set of education tracks reflecting the
way people live and work now. Event Marketing is a new addition, while
Technology and Innovation; Trends and Research and Experience Design are tried
and tested and always in demand. A new Business Practices track will include
the ever-popular Event Planner Toolkit while a People and Planet track will
specifically address Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Professional and
Personal Development, Leadership, Culture and Engagement, Wellbeing and
Sustainability.
Children as crisis management teachers
New headline sessions will feature contributions from
values and human behaviour expert David Allison. From deep inside the data,
David brings a clear and powerful truth to transform the way we work and the
world we live in. “Our values unite us,” he says. “They can light the way for
purpose-driven brands and lead us to a more values-driven world.”
International crisis leader Thomas Lahnthaler will
talk about building successful remote teams. He’ll also join Eszter
Mattiassich-Aszody, Head of Global Events at Siemens Healthineers to explore
leadership and life lessons from children. Thomas explains: “Observing my
children is looking at crisis managers in action. The skills that children
execute daily are what we as adults have somehow unlearned because of our experience. I want
to share these skills that we’ve forgotten how to use.”
The Listening
Lab returns with both education sessions and bookable one-to-one coaching.
Sessions will explore how people’s individual nature’s influence their
professional personas as Dawn Wray, coach and co-founder of The Listening
Collective, explains: “Everything’s connected. It’s impossible to disconnect
the person and the work issue from who they are and how they show up in the
world. We’re learning that people may say to us ‘I want to work on my
presentation skills’, for example. But once they start talking, they talk more
about how they feel when they’re presenting.”
New, single IMEX account
IMEX
has also redesigned the online registration process for its shows. With a focus
on improved marketing tools and business insights for exhibitors, to more and
better connection opportunities for all attendee types, the new process means
every participant has a single IMEX account for both shows. Pre-scheduled
appointment functionality has been enhanced while the IMEX app has also been
improved. The result is a faster customer journey intended to connect buyers
and exhibitors to each other in a way that boosts business and networking
return.
IMEX Frankfurt evolves every year and May’s 2023
edition will be no exception. This time around, however, attendees can expect a
few surprises – the IMEX Group is set to evolve even further, with more details
to be revealed onsite.
Submitted by Gary Hernbroth, Chief Motivating Officer, Training for Winners
Amid all of the post-pandemic commerce being done in this industry via new group bookings and the resurgence of industry gatherings and events, many people are still bemoaning the fact that it’s still very tough to build and maintain relationships.
I hear this every week from event professionals and hospitality colleagues alike. People seem insulated, hard to reach, hard to get responses from on a timely basis, and the difficulty of breaking through the wall with many e-leads is still a daunting task in certain cases.
In other words, communication is still clunky in many places.
Who or what
is to blame? No one thing, certainly, and maybe everything. I don’t like the
“blame game,” it’s not one you can win. Rather, let’s admit that we all could
do a better job and that the fix belongs to all of us. Truly, this axiom applies;
“If it is to be, it’s up to me.”
Here is my short
list for improving communication immediately:
Pick up the phone: Just today I got a
call out of the blue from someone who wanted to pick my brain on a business
idea stemming from a recent podcast that I did. We didn’t know each other and
he just took a shot and picked up the phone. We are now going to work on a
project together to help both of us with new business opportunities. The phone
is NOT dead!
Return phone messages, emails, texts,
etc. Don’t ghost people. The Golden Rule works best for great communication. It
takes nanoseconds to type a reply and hit the reply key. That way, the other
party doesn’t feel ignored.
Write and speak clearly: Say what you
mean clearly, both verbally and in writing. Don’t tap dance around a topic or
complicate the uncomplicated, thereby forcing others to figure out what you are
trying to convey.
