Meetings Today Podcast

In this Meetings Today podcast, senior contributor Jeff Heilman speaks with Destination DC President and CEO Elliott Ferguson at IMEX America 2024 in Las Vegas about the impact of Election 2024 on meetings and events, Destination DC’s new Connected Campus program for planners, sustainability and more.

Jill Blood, vice president and deputy general council for global meetings giant Maritz, is on the forefront of legal issues that are impacting the meetings and events industry. Meetings Today Vice President & Chief Content Director Tyler Davidson sat down with Blood at IMEX America 2024 to discover what legal issues are keeping planners and the organizations they work for up at night. From data privacy and AI workstreams to increasing costs colliding with shorter meeting time frames, it seems it's never been this complicated for those in the meetings industry. Find out what needs to be on your radar.

Taylor Smith sat down this morning with Hyatt’s Senior Vice President of Events Steve Enselein live on the IMEX America 2024 trade show floor to talk all the latest and greatest news in the Hyatt world that meeting planners should be aware of, including enhancements to Together by Hyatt and how planners can incorporate more sustainability and wellness into their Hyatt events. Tune in now! 

Visit Phoenix is spiking the ball in the end zone via the launching of its Phoenix Sports and Events Commission, hoping to build on its success hosting marquee sports events such as Super Bowls and Final Fours. We tapped Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer, and Jane Vukovich, director of destination services, to discover how this new division will also focus on cultural, music and other big events. Plus, Jane Vukovich shares how the DMO can provide soup-to-nuts service to meeting planners bringing any type of event to the Valley of the Sun.

To celebrate our 2024 Meetings Trendsetters, Meetings Today launched "Trendsetter Tuesday," a podcast series of interviews with the 20 Trendsetters recognized in our July/August issue. Heather Spangler, associate professor and event management certificate coordinator at the University of Iowa, educates and inspires students to become the industry's newest professionals, guaranteeing she helps set the industry up for a successful future. In 2015, Spangler founded the University of Iowa’s Event Management Certificate, which draws 250 of the university’s best and brightest students each year. She is dedicated to providing a hands-on program focused on real-world skills and connections. Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with this Trendsetter to hear her story and learn more about the creation of the Event Management Certificate program and how Spangler makes it her mission to shape tomorrow's talent.

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt sits down with Anca Platon Trifan, the CEO of Tree-Fan Events and Fit Mindful Mavens who is also one of the foremost experts on artificial intelligence and AV technology in the industry. Learn how AI is currently being used in the industry, how it will be used and what its limitations are in this jam-packed podcast episode.

Our weekly Trendsetter Tuesday podcast series checks in with Rachel Andrews, senior director of global meetings and events for meetings and events industry technology giant Cvent. After signing on with Cvent in 2011, Andrews built its event program from the ground up. Fourteen years later, she leads a team of 30 managing some 1,200 events every year. She also has catapulted Cvent’s annual user conference, Cvent CONNECT, into a globally recognized industry event. Andrews is also the co-host of Cvent’s Great Events podcast and is an MPI International Board of Directors member, sought-after speaker and respected mentor and leader.

Debbie Garcia is the CEO of Virsitour, an online directory for meeting and event planners that allows them to experience virtual site tours of hotel and event venues from around the world. She is also a certified meeting planner and serves as the vice president of finance for MPI’s Tennessee chapter.  As part of our weekly Trendsetter Tuesday podcast series, Meetings Today digital content coordinator Logan Pratt sat down with Garcia to learn why she still believes in the value of virtual site tours and how she got to be where she is in the industry today. 

Independent planner Chase Brunson is the foremost advocate for transgendered people in the meetings and events industry, frequently speaking for top industry associations such as MPI and PCMA. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Brunson to discover his journey and learn key tips for his planner colleagues to implement in their programs to ensure their events are welcoming to all attendees.

From the sprawling new Omni PGA Frisco Resort to major professional sporting facilities and a growing downtown, Frisco, Texas, is making moves in the meetings and events world. Christina Decker, director of sales and services for Visit Frisco, explains the phenomenal growth of this Metroplex town and how the many additions and upcoming venues will dramatically increase its meetings and events clout.