Apr 29, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
With so much change in the meetings industry, you may wonder who is really setting the pace in the marketplace. MPI recently identified "Chief Curators" who are considered thought leaders for the future. Here is a synopsis of what they bring to the table along with my key takeaways about what this all means.  INFLUENCER #1: Michael McAllen, Meeting and Event Production Warrior Michael runs Grass Shack Media where he started up a website called AVForPlanners.com to help ...

Apr 26, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Have you ever planned an event where registration just trickles in? Every day you check your reg system -- only to find one or two additional attendees. With only six weeks until your event, you start to panic. "What is the hold up? Is it the price? Should I offer an incentive?" you might say to yourself.  The truth of the matter is, just like any other purchase in life, attendees need to be motivated to make a decision and go to your event. Mariela McIlwraith, President of Me...

Apr 24, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Technology options are growing at the fastest rate in history and it appears there will not be a slow down anytime soon. While hardware platforms may stabilize -- apps, social channels and online communities--  are going to continue to change and evolve. So, how does a meeting planner keep up with all these changes?  Jackie Mulligan the Director of Enterprise and Principal Lecturer at the International Centre for Research, Reinhold Behringer a Professor of Creative Technology, a...

Apr 22, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Trade shows have been around for years and are intended to showcase and demonstrate each exhibitor's latest products and services. While some trade shows are open to the public, most meeting professionals today plan "closed" shows where a finite number of attendees and members of the press are allowed on the floor.  In the past, booth sales personnel used to give tchotchkes away in an attempt to lure attendees to their booth. Many would walk off the floor with a couple ...

Apr 19, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
In Wednesday's post, we examined how event engagement is like dating and the four tips to try and engage your attendees prior to your meeting or conference. As you may recall, engagement cannot be forced, it has to flow organically and naturally throughout your event. However, it is important at all times to put your "best foot forward". Here are four tips to help you along the way: Engagement Tip #1: It All Starts with "Hello"  Attendees are evaluating and a...

Apr 17, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Do you remember what it was like to date someone new? The first date you put on your best clothes, cologne and washed and waxed your car. You looked your best and put your best foot forward. And if you both liked each other, this "courtship" continued to the next date and so on. However, if the feelings were not mutual or if you thought the other person was a phony, the dating ended and you moved on.  So it is with event engagement. You cannot force an attendee to engage in th...

Apr 15, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
I can't imagine the life of a professional speaker nowadays. They have to compete constantly for the attention of their audience. They have to be a subject-matter expert, entertaining and present their message in short, bite-sized chunks.  So, given all these demands, what can a presenter do to make certain they are memorable? Art Markman, Founding member at Maximizing Mind, LLC recently wrote a book called "Smart Thinking" where he presented "The Role of 3" -- &...

Apr 12, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
If you are like me, you have had a few brushes with the term "Big Data" over the last few months.  And even though I come from a technical background, I have never really understood this concept -- until now. Today's blog will explain what it is, how it works and why event planners need to pay attention to it at every meeting they hold.  WHAT IS BIG DATA?  Big Data is defined in the following way, as paraphrased from Wikipedia:  Big data is a collection ...

Apr 10, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
Until about five years ago, sponsorship of your meeting, event or trade show was as simple as taking candy from a baby. You had to do a brief pitch to the hotel, CVB or partner, give them a membership list and 5-minute commercial at the start of your meeting. However, over the last few years, sponsorship dollars have become harder and take more time to secure. This doesn't mean it is impossible, it just means your approach needs to change.  In a recent edition of BizBash Magazine...

Apr 08, 2013 by DeDe Mulligan
From March 29 through April 7 (yes -- ten days), the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYC hosted the New York Auto Show where about 1 million individuals attended. What is it about an auto show that gets people buzzing? And why does it attract the same individuals year-after-year?  Chad Kaydo, Event Trend Expert recently wrote an article for BizBash highlighting some of the booth trends from this year's show. Below are his observations about some of the more trendy booths and my...