Aug 31, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Quick: Think about your last meeting. How many organizational partners touched your event? You may be surprised when you add it all up -- from speakers to the caterer to the conference equipment rental organization. And the list goes on and on. Would it surprise you if the number was 25? Or even 100+ with a large event and trade show? And what if you asked them this simple question: "How are you going to help me market this event?" As your event services company looks at...

Aug 29, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
After many discussions with your team and stakeholders, you have decided to hold a hybrid event in order to extend the reach of the meeting content to remote attendees. Whether you are faced with the reality that some people have  stopped coming to your annual event due to economic or scheduling difficulties or you are trying to reach potential attendees that might be enticed to attend your live meeting in the future, hybrid events can be an attractive offering to associations and comp...

Aug 27, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
A year ago or more, the prospect of digital signage was overwhelming to an event meeting services organization. It was so much easier to order expensive one-time use posters, plastic signs and hire staff to direct and answer questions of attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. But this is not the case any longer. With the cost of technology coming down and massive improvements in IP-streamed video, digital signage will become more and more the norm within the event industry. Lets focus on ...

Aug 24, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
      It seems as technology becomes better, cheaper, and faster, senior managers push their event teams to look at the virtual alternative. While it is true that a lot of the issues with virtual meetings have been minimized -- such as buffering and crashing systems -- there is a time and place for each meeting option. Today's lets focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the Face-to-Face and Virtual format. What it really boils down to are these 3 questions planners ...

Aug 22, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Wi-Fi access can seem cumbersome and overwhelming to a meeting planner. While most venues tout access to Wi-Fi for your attendees, the questions you should be asking are: Is it free?  If it isn't free, how much should I budget for it?  Is it fast?  Is it secure? Many organizations claim to offer free Wi-Fi, but it can be slow or unsecure or both. And whether it is fast or secure depends on your definition what that means. If your attendees are expecting i...

Aug 20, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
Things are changing in the meeting industry. Spaces will soon replicate a "living room" environment with top-notch interactive technology tool rentals that can bring a "wow" effect to the event. No more boring spaces -- fun, vibrant, and creative are the words of the day. BizBash Magazine recently published the top 10 trends they believe are changing the industry. I have plucked out 7 of the 10 in this blog post -- highlighting changes in both the meeting spa...

Aug 17, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
In Part 1, we shared with you the findings from The PCMA Foundation regarding the characteristics of Millennial attendees and what planners can do to reach and keep them at your meetings.  Today lets focus on the motivational and communication aspect of this special group of attendees. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is "least motivating" and 5 was "very motivating", about 2,000 individuals between 18 to 30 years old were asked 25 questions about what motivated them...

Aug 15, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
The PCMA Education Foundation recently commissioned 3 professors from Eastern Carolina University to survey almost 2,000 individuals between the ages of 18 - 30. The goal was to: Understand what meeting characteristics are important to Millenials Find out what motivates them to attend a conference or meeting and Determine what communication methods work best Below, is Part 1 which will cover the characteristics and identifies how interactive technology tool rentals can ...

Aug 13, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
  Besides educational content, networking is a close second as to why individuals attend a conference or convention. They want to meet new people in their field. They want to expand their network. They want to feel connected. But they want to do all this with little to no effort -- and that is just down right impossible. Think about the last time you were at a networking event. How many new people did you meet? If you are anything like me, I gravitate to the people I already know because ...

Aug 10, 2012 by DeDe Mulligan
You know this by now, no meeting or event is carried off by a single person. You need the help of others to make any event successfully come together. But have you ever thought about who these people, or group of people, are that make your meeting possible? Below is my list of critical "peeps" you need in your corner. Peep #1: Your Manager or Client This is the individual who is going to give you a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on the training seminar, sales meeting, or product launching event...