Meetings Today Podcast

Mandi Graziano, vice president, global accounts at HPN Global, wears many hats—a sales coach, podcast host, author, professional speaker and now, a 2024 Meetings Trendsetter. Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with this Trendsetter to hear her story and learn about how Graziano stays motivated and inspired.

Cape Cod is a destination that has been home to or frequented by some of the most influential people in U.S. culture, from literary lions like Kurt Vonnegut to American icons such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and playwright Tennessee Williams.  Former Meetings Today editor Maria Lenhart, who has also written and edited for some of the other top meetings industry trade publications in a career measured in decades, has co-authored Secret Cape Cod and the Islands: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Former colleague Tyler Davidson tapped into the making of this delightful new travel tome born during the pandemic, as well as Maria's observations from her many years covering travel and meetings, and how a group of senior ladies meeting in the Cape to play cards was treated to a private performance by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, among many other decidedly quirky tales and travel tips.

Traci DePuy talks about her journey in the event marketing space, from her start as a PR representative to the Chief Marketing Officer for one of the largest associations of event professionals.

Monique Ruff-Bell is the Chief Program & Strategy Officer for TED, where she oversees TED’s flagship global events and conferences, TEDx programs and initiatives, global partnership sales and key marketing verticals. But before she was helping to run one of the most well-known conferences in the world, she was just a humble intern who decided to commit herself to the industry after meeting rapper LL Cool J. Learn more about Monique's journey in the industry!

A 20-year food and beverage operations veteran, Thomas Whelan, director of events – Northeast for Access DMC, has helped launch off-premise and on-premise catering companies and curated experiences for millions of people at corporate events and social gatherings. Whelan, a Meetings Today Trendsetter that was formerly the assistant GM for Levy Convention Centers at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and also an outspoken advocate for inclusion in the meetings and events industry, is a font of meetings and conventions F&B knowledge. Whelan also sits on the board of directors for the SEARCH Foundation, is a former board member of the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association and former president of the Massachusetts Live Events Coalition. Learn the latest engaging catering and cuisine trends as well as the importance of joining industry associations and foundations.

In this Meetings Today podcast, digital content coordinator Logan Pratt sits down with Roger Rickard, founder and president of Voices in Advocacy to learn about how some of the key issues in the 2024 presidential election could impact the meetings industry. Rickard also talks about the effectiveness of destination boycotts, how groups can advocate for themselves in legislative policy and why there is always hope for the industry no matter who wins the White House.

Get ready for some spine-tingling laughs as event professionals share their wildest meeting horror stories! From unpredictable emergencies to chaotic brand launches, the episodes reveal the necessity of quick thinking in high-stress situations. Hear about landscaping mishaps and a frustrated rap artist performing only two songs at a Spring Break event. With unexpected twists and triumphant solutions, these tales prove that the world of event planning is full of surprises—both frightening and funny!

On this episode of the Trendsetter Tuesday podcast, Taylor Smith sat down with Amani Roberts, Chief Musical Curator at The Amani Experience to learn more about how Roberts uses tools like music to help those in the meetings industry unleash their creative minds. 

AI represents a massive sea-change in the business world and beyond, and the business events segment is quickly adapting its benefits to workflows. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Amy Kramer, market and product innovation leader for Maritz, to see how the global MICE giant has integrated AI into its workflow, and also tips on how meeting professionals can implement this remarkable new technology to streamline workflows and gather information.

In this Trendsetter Tuesday podcast, Meetings Today digital content coordinator Logan Pratt sat down with Bill Reed, Chief Event Strategy Offer for the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and one of this year's Meetings Trendsetters. Reed talks about his journey in the meetings industry to this point, why he is always asking questions and innovating and why he is never complacent with the status quo.