Meetings Today Podcast

Gerardo Tejado, general manager for American Express Meetings & Events, discusses highlights of the 2023 annual Global Meetings & Events Forecast with Meetings Today's Danielle LeBreck at IMEX America 2022.

Many organizations, and especially associations, are challenged by legislation and policies that are counter to the values of their members, such as "bathroom bills" and statewide measures outlawing abortion. The firm opposition to these laws leads some to consider cancelling their meetings in the destinations in which the laws were passed.  But cancelling or moving meetings can lead to legal and financial exposure and also impact those in the destination that rely on meetings and conventions to make a living, such as hotel, restaurant and transportation workers, among many others. To provide an alternative to cancellation, or attendees deciding to not participate in a meeting or convention, meetings industry veterans Beth Surmont and Elena Gerstmann created SocialOffset, which allows attendees and organizations to donate to charities that counter the legislation and policies in question. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson recently talked with Surmont and Gerstmann to discover what SocialOffset, now in its pilot phase, brings to the conversation about destination boycotts, especially in the association segment.

From a new hockey arena to expanded airlift and its ever-present roster of top spas and golf resorts, Greater Palm Springs has emerged from the pandemic reinvigorated to win meetings and conventions business. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talked with Carolina Viazcan, vice president of sales for Visit Greater Palm Springs, to discover what’s new up and down the Coachella Valley, and how groups themselves can turn a meeting there into an opportunity to reconnect and reenergize.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson touches base with Lori Cassidy and Pam Kressley, 30-year hospitality industry veterans who  just launched an incentive travel option that greatly simplifies the reward process while multiplying travel options for both awarders and awardees. And if exclusive resorts and luxe cruises don't do the trick, companies can even launch their high-performing incentive winners into space! Check out all the deets of this turnkey incentive travel reward option that promises to disrupt the segment by giving award-winners more say in what travel experiences they want. It's an idea whose time has come, and one that also helps organizational recruitment and retention efforts in a time when workforces have been stretched thin and employees have more bargaining power and desire more flexibility.

Meetings industry veteran Kevin Iwamoto, chief customer officer and head of enterprise for meetings technology company Bizly, has occupied top positions in meetings industry organizations, from president of NBTA (now GBTA) in the wake of 9/11 to senior-level positions on Hewlett-Packard’s global travel and meetings team and Disney. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson spoke with him about stereotypes and other challenges faced by Asian American and Pacific Islanders in meetings and events, as well as his veteran perspective on where the industry is at as we emerge from the pandemic to face economic and global political headwinds.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson chats with KiKi L'Italien, host of Association Chat podcast and senior consultant with Tecker International, about ASAE's Annual Meeting & Exposition, including the successes and challenges of its stringent COVID-19 testing policy (COVID spoiler alert!), as well as a unique new CSR option that encourages association attendees to contribute to organizations that counter potential boycott issues rather than having organizations cancel events or attendees decline to participate.

IMEX America has always had a robust educational program, but is now embarking on a three-year strategy to consolidate and redesign the offering. Helping shepherd the process is Tahira Endean, an industry veteran and former head of events for SITE who was recently hired as IMEX Group's Head of Programme. Carrying the theme "Pathways to Clarity," IMEX America will kick off October 10 in Las Vegas with its Smart Monday educational day. Learn more about the new educational strategy as well as what else new to expect during IMEX America 2022, the 11th edition of the show, with this Meetings Today podcast with Endean.

Many planners think a hybrid event is simply a program that ties together a single in-person event with a simultaneous digital component. Think again! Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson talks with Cvent's Rachel Andrews, senior director, Global Meetings & Events, and Patrick Smith, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, about their experience producing the hospitality tech giant's Cvent Travel Summit, which featured specialized content for different subsets of audience and multiple event formats, as well as in-person elements in two different countries before and after the main production. Sound complicated? Let Rachel and Patrick share how they pulled it off, because hybrid meetings are here to stay and the race is on to deliver the most engaging and relevant experience for all attendees.

Dallas is embarking on a $2 billion convention center expansion that will also result in a new downtown entertainment district and neighborhood. Visit Dallas President & CEO Craig Davis goes over the details of this massive project that will reposition the city as a top meetings and conventions draw.

Meetings Today sat down with Lee Rubin, keynote speaker and one of two featured speakers at this July's Meetings Today Live! West Denver/Aurora to hear about his backstory and highlight the key elements of a strong, consistent corporate team.