Meetings Today Podcast

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt interviews Stephen Cutchins, one of the foremost experts on accessibility in the meetings and events industry on what the future of accessibility looks like in the industry and how planners can better incorporate accessibility in their events. Stephen Cutchins joined Cvent in 2022 as senior manager of accessibility and has spent over 15 years helping clients achieve accessibility-related goals. In prior work leading accessibility programs, he worked closely with People with Disabilities, including those who were Blind, Deaf, or had physical disabilities. Stephen has a passion as well as firsthand experience understanding how People with Disabilities use the web. As Cvent’s Senior Manager of Accessibility, Stephen works to ensure that our products are both usable and enjoyable by attendees who have disabilities.

Meetings industry veteran Gary Hernbroth, chief motivating officer for Training for Winners and popular business events industry speaker, has co-authored Twist the Familiar, a book detailing the stories of high-achievers and how their journey can create authentic pathways to success. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Hernbroth about his new book as well as macro trends that are shaping both the business word and meetings industry as we adjust to work and meetings life after the pandemic.

In this episode of the Meetings Today Podcast, Senior Content Director Danielle LeBreck speaks with Arlette Garibay, director of sales for Greater Ontario, California (GOCAL) about the destination's rapidly growing amenities for meetings and events. Sponsored by Greater Ontario, California (GOCAL)

On this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt interviews Dahlia El Gazzar, one of the leading voices in event and marketing technology to find out how planners can and should be utilizing new technologies to better market their events.

As MPI's 2024 World Education Congress continues in Louisville, Kentucky, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with Jessie States, vice president of MPI Academy, to discuss all things education, from planning sessions for this year's conference to what's on the horizon for MPI Academy. Curious about what your skill set should include in the future? Tune in now to learn more.

This year's MPI World Education Congress (WEC) is taking place May 20-22 in Louisville, Kentucky. On day two of the event, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with MPI President and CEO Paul Van Deventer to talk WEC numbers, industry trends, the rise of AI and what's next for MPI. 

In this Meetings Today Podcast for Taylor Smith's "The Z: Planning for the Industry's Next Generation," Smith chats with Mandi Graziano, vice president of global accounts for HPN Global, about the importance of networking in the meetings and events industry, the reality of how awkward it can be and ideas for how to make networking feel more natural. Tune in now for some tips and tricks from Graziano to keep in mind at your next networking event.

Zoe Moore, proprietor of Zoe Moore Consultancy, is one of the leading consultants and proponents of DEI, or diversity equity and inclusion, in the meetings and events industry. Having co-chaired MPI's Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee and more recently leading Event Leadership Institute’s Event DEI Strategist certification course—and also an event planner—Moore has a uniquely qualified expertise on DEI and a keen perspective on why the concept is currently under attack. Moore shares her unfiltered thoughts on the current state of DEI, or EDI, as she prefers to refer to it, with Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson. If you're curious about DEI (aka EDI), this podcast is for you, as it illustrates its basic concepts as well as dives deeper to provide further understanding on what has recently become a politically charged topic.

In this episode of the Meetings Today Podcast, Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer for Visit Phoenix, checks in with Danielle LeBreck about the rapid growth in Phoenix, especially in the technology sector. Learn how this expansion brings big potential for meetings and conventions. *Sponsored by Visit Phoenix

In this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt sits down with event technology expert and founder of Endless Events, Will Curran, to find out more about the future of event technology. Curran and Pratt discuss everything from AI to AR and Curran's newest project, leading Bizzabo's wearable event technology brand, Klik.