Jan 30, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Imagine,  if you will, a conference where there are no paper programs, exhibitor manuals, session handouts, or surveys. There is no paper. Period. Sounds great, right? You and your staff don't have to spend tireless hours printing, collating, punching and assembling binders AND then shipping them to the conference. Somewhere, somehow you know with all the interactive technology tool rentals available there is a better way. But how can you justify the spend? Surely, it is going to be very expen...

Jan 28, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
With flatter organizations, an increase in responsibilities and technology improvements, some of your potential attendees may feel they don't have the time for long, multi-day meetings or are inclined to catch the presentation in the comfort of their office via a webcast. In addition, with the emergence of Gen Y attendees who are constantly multi-tasking, long drawn out meetings can have the connotation of being boring.  But the overriding question is: How do you design a meeting...

Jan 25, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Who would have thought 10 years ago a 29-year old, Harvard drop out would run a phenomenally successful organization with over 1 billion users? Certainly not me and probably not you. But here we are in 2013 and almost everyone knows the name of Mark Zuckerberg. Even though Facebook had a rough IPO start, it now seems to be on the path of stability as its stock price continues to rise.  Ekaterina Walter, Social Media Innovator and Author of Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of F...

Jan 23, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
As a long standing event planner, association members usually fall into one of these annual conference categories : 1) Will Always Attend, 2) Have To Attend, 3) Probably Should Attend, or 4) Never Will Attend.  It also seems to me that event planners take for granted the "will" and "have" attendees and spend a lot of energy focused on the "probably" and "never" member. But is this really a productive use of your time? The answer is: maybe.  ...

Jan 21, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Ever wonder why meeting planners do business with particular suppliers over and over again? Why they don't send out RFPs on certain items any longer? It seems to be more than just a business transaction, so what is the key to a long term relationship for both parties?  Meeting Professionals International (MPI) recently published their 2012 Business Barometer findings that explored the 5 elements of great relationships between planners and suppliers . MPI interviewed over 1,000 indiv...

Jan 16, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and e-readers are outselling standard cell phones and computing devices nearly 2 to 1 according to Forbes magazine. If you are on the fence about integrating mobile devices into your next meeting or event, here are 5 reasons why you should use mobile devices at your next event:    Mobile Devices are mini computers.  With several Gigabyte (GB) available at an attractive price point, attendees can do almost everything they want on...

Jan 14, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Wouldn't it be great if your attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, employees and/or executive team left your meeting or event totally motivated and clamoring for more? It seems to be the latest trend in everything we see and do -- the "wow" factor. We expect it at the movies, at an amusement park and even now with meetings and events.  With a limited budget and a conservative management team, how can you make your events seem more like a Hollywood production and less like a sti...

Jan 11, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Can gaming really make a difference with attendees? Yes, it can according to David Nieborg a Digital Strategist who was recently interviewed in MPI's One+ Magazine. Below is a summation of the article as well as key takeaways about gaming tactics in a meeting environment.  Here is an interesting projection:   "70% of Global 2000 organizations will use Gamification simulations by 2015." -- Gartner Research In addition, according to Nieborg "It'...

Jan 09, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Everyone has heard the terms, "content matters" and "content is king". But what do these terms really mean for all of us in the event meeting services industry? It is hard to put your finger on what good content is, but just like a good book or great piece of art, you will know it when you see it.  However, I like this definition from Search Engine Land (of which I tailored for the meeting industry):  "Fresh, high-quality content is living content t...

Jan 07, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Part of a meeting planner's job is to negotiate effectively with their event suppliers. Everything from hotel room blocks to renting audio visual equipment needs to be negotiated, contracted and signed off several months before the meeting.  However, with so much to do, this process can be overwhelming. And many planners think they need to conduct negotiations like a lawyer or an used car salesperson. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are better alternatives. Below ar...