Events industry mourns death of Barbara Nichols
Barbara Nichols, a trailblazer in the business events world and longtime volunteer leader of PCMA, died Sept. 2 at the age of 88 after a long-standing respiratory illness. By Michelle Russell Nichols Convening She was editor of the magazine when it was first published 38 years ago. Convening Deputy editor Barbara Palmer said in 2016 that as an early supporter of PCMA, she wanted the association to grow and she saw the magazine as a part of that. She pioneered professionalization of the role of event planners, including editing the first edition of the textbook Professional conference managementpublished in 1985, she told Conveningallowing her to become a teacher. Nichols initially recruited volunteers from across the industry to meet with professionals to contribute to the new magazine, and served as editor until 1990. In 1986, Nichols received the PCMA Distinguished Service Award. In 2002, she was elected to the present-day Event Industry Council (see video below). "The entire PCMA family and…
Katie Ratcliffe reflects on a 42-year career
Take action, build relationships "I've changed jobs a few times, but they were all good places, good jobs, and extensions of my previous jobs," Ratcliffe said. "Each job allowed me to learn new things, gain new experiences, make new mistakes (laughs). It was never boring. Of course, we had to deal with some problems and faced huge challenges." Ratcliffe says what she appreciates most about the DMO industry is that it’s a close-knit community. “We all know each other, and we all realize that we face very similar problems and that we’re often in the same situation — like 9/11 or COVID. We[share]ideas on how to deal with problems and even just empathize with each other. Your family and friends don’t understand what you’re doing at all, but your coworkers on the other side of the country — or even in the case of COVID, on the other side of the world — understand exactly what you’re dealing with.” Ratcliffe…
How the Medical Association Receives Premium Media Coverage
The American Society of Hematology’s comprehensive strategy includes a rigorous vetting process for journalists applying to attend its annual meeting, as well as detailed logistical arrangements to meet their needs and deadlines. Author: Convene Editorial Department The American Society of Hematology takes an extensive approach to media outreach during its annual meeting, including reaching out to experts and arranging media briefings. (Adobe Stock photo) Bill Reed, FASAE, CMP, Chief Events Strategist, American Society of Hematology (ASH) via email Convening He wrote this after reading “Health Journalists Prioritize Content Generation at Industry Conferences,” a Medical Marketing and Media article about what medical journalists prioritize at medical conferences. The article was published in our News Junkie newsletter. Bill Reed, FASAE, CMP “I thought the article was interesting from the perspective of what journalists want to get out of conferences…However, most medical conferences are designed for physicians and researchers, who are the primary audience, and journalists will attend sessions with the most newsworthy…
3 Ways Event Planners Can Strategically Incorporate Artificial Intelligence
Most discussions about the use of AI in the events industry focus on use cases that improve workforce productivity and repeatable process performance. Try these other approaches. By Dave Lutz, CMP Future Point of View's 2024 Humalogy® Trend Report Technology strategy firm Future Point of View (FPOV) recently released its Humalogy® Trend Report 2024, which includes responses from thousands of leaders across multiple industries and provides strategic insights for digital transformation. A key finding of the report is that more than 9 in 10 leaders believe that the future of their industry will change dramatically or even completely over the next decade due to the existence of artificial intelligence tools. This means that conference organizers who can help attendees lead the transformation of their own organizations will be highly valued. Here are three ways event planners can incorporate AI into meetings: 1. Focus on business growth and differentiation. According to the FPOV report, 74% of respondents said stakeholders want them…
The first Convene 4 Climate Summit aims to promote
PCMA’s new conference will bring together invited participants from across the business events industry spectrum, climate technology experts, and professionals from related industries to work together to create a sustainable future. By Curt Wagner NTT Data's AI Center of Excellence European headquarters, Europe's most sustainable office, will host community and technology discovery events for Convene 4 Climate participants. (Photo courtesy of NTT Data) PCMA will launch a sustainability platform for the global business events industry at its inaugural Convene 4 Climate conference in Barcelona, Spain, October 2-3. Organized by PCMA and the Strategic Alliance of National Convention Bureaux Europe (SANCBE) and other partners, the conference aims to provide innovative solutions to the key challenges posed by climate change. Felix Rundel will host the event. Jaimé Bennett, PCMA’s managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and his team have been organizing the event to create a more unified approach to sustainability. “There’s a lot of great work being done,”…
“The only skill most of us need is curiosity”
What is the best way for event planners to use AI image generators? Having some cultural competence and advice from technology experts and EDI consultants can help. By Magdalina Atanassova We fed the following prompt into the AI tool Midjourney — “Event planner at a convention center looking directly into the camera” — and it gave us these four images of men. One year ago, Convening After testing how well the generative AI imagery tool Midjourney could help business event professionals imagine the future of event spaces, I wanted to see if it would produce different results when I repeated the experiment after launching an updated version of Midjourney. Using the same prompt and prompt recipe as a year ago didn’t produce noticeable differences, but I was curious how the new Midjourney engine would perform with a new prompt: Show me an event planner at a convention center. I didn’t specify anything other than that the person should look directly…
How to make socializing less scary
Attendees rank socializing as their top priority at events. But many suffer from social anxiety that prevents them from fully participating. These experiential networking ideas alleviate people’s fears about gatherings. By Kimberly Hardcastle-Geddes Experiential networking allows attendees to focus on one activity, alleviating the awkwardness of other types of social activities. Walking up to strangers at a cocktail party can be awkward and, for some, downright scary. Experiential networking reduces stress by giving attendees an activity to focus on. When networking feels intentional, interactions happen naturally. For example, this year’s Car Wash Show featured marshmallow roasting kits and fire pit tables, allowing attendees to get to know each other while engaging in a shared activity: roasting marshmallows. Digestive Disease Week offered a conversation-starting experience on the pickleball courts. When helping New Hope Network launch Newtopia Now, its new awareness CPG event in August, mdg included social as a value proposition from the start — opportunities to build connections should be…
Providing support for Latino nonprofits in the fundraising space
By Casey Gale “I decided to do something that was … culturally relevant,” said Armando Zumaya (front row, third from left), who founded the professional development organization Somos El Poder in 2018 to address the inequities he saw in the fundraising community. “As a Latino, it was hard not to notice how rare I was at these events and, more importantly, how few Latino nonprofit representatives were present,” Armando Zumaya, who attended conferences for fundraising professionals, wrote in “Expensive Fundraising Conferences Perpetuate Inequality.”. It’s time for a new approach”, published last year in Chronicle of Charity. Zumaia’s fundraising career spans nearly four decades, much of which was spent as major gifts, leadership giving and annual fund officer on two $1 billion-plus fundraising campaigns at Cornell University and UC Berkeley. Zumaia noted that this is a great loss for the community because these conferences are critical in providing professional development opportunities and sharing innovative fundraising methods. Zumaya told Convening“First, because they…
Introverts, extroverts, and the majority in the middle
We tend to divide event attendees into two camps—introverts or extroverts—but we should also design events for the underrepresented introverts and extroverts. By Barbara Palmer More than a decade ago, Susan Cain sparked a discussion about introversion and extroversion that continues today. In her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World of ChatterAnd in a 2012 TED Talk that has been viewed more than 34 million times to date, Cain noted that even though between a third and a half of the population are introverts, the world favors extroverts. Susan Cain Kane notes that this bias extends to assumptions about creativity and leadership, as well as schools and workplaces, which are designed “primarily for extroverts and their need for a lot of stimulation.” In the world of business events, Kane’s influence can be seen everywhere, from stories about making introverts comfortable to socializing, to designing physical layouts with quiet corners so that event attendees (introverts) can take a…
Design events with DEI in mind from the beginning
Despite the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), these initiatives remain an important part of business and commercial activity. By Curt Wagner Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the workplace have come under fire from conservatives who see such initiatives as reverse discrimination, and as a result, John Deere, Tractor Supply Co., Bank of America Corp., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Tesla Inc. and Zoom Video Communication Inc. are among several companies that have scaled back or canceled their diversity programs in recent months. Despite a trend against such DEI efforts, many companies are still delivering on their commitment to these initiatives, according to a recent survey. The survey, conducted by the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals and Blackbaud’s YourCause, found that 96% of corporate social impact professionals at 125 large companies said DEI programs have either stayed the same (83%) or increased (13%). USA Today However, the same survey also found that companies are talking less about their…
How to make your event catering appeal to everyone
In July-August Convening For this issue, the editors asked event professionals around the world to share their sacred cows—event practices or traditions that they believe are outdated and in need of an overhaul or replacement—and their solutions. Here we share their thoughts on event food and beverage. Too much food Emily Tremolires “One outdated practice that needs to change in the business events industry is that we tend to over-order food so that attendees will eat enough, which leads to waste. For the sake of the environment, we need to eliminate this bad habit. “Reducing food waste is the first step to making our events more sustainable. When choosing a destination or venue, event planners should ask if there are local organisations collecting food donations. Instead of throwing away leftover food, we should donate it to those in need or, if it is unfit for consumption, turn it into compost. We did both of these things at the European Association…
4 Ideas to Improve Your Conference Exhibition
In July-August Convening For this issue, the editors asked event professionals around the world to share their sacred cows—event practices or traditions that they believe are outdated and in need of an overhaul or replacement—and their solutions. Here we share their ideas for exhibitions. Exhibition Hall “Waste is a real issue for traditional trade shows. While digital options also present sustainability issues, there are many opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint by leveraging technology to reduce single-use products on the show floor.” — Josh HenryCMP, Conference Manager and Head of Diversity and Inclusion, SPIE For conferences with exhibits, is the actual exhibit space always necessary? Is the exhibit space valuable to both attendees and the exhibitors themselves? Do we do exhibits because we’ve always done them? For planners, we try to be more strategic because, especially for smaller or shorter conferences, they take up a lot of space, are expensive, and take a long time to set up. And for…
3 events to connect and educate
It’s not impossible to strike the right balance between socializing and educating when designing an event. Here’s how these events do it. By Beth Surmont If a noisy, crowded reception doesn’t deliver the human connection attendees crave, try adjusting your plans. Beth Surmont, CMP Fellow, FASAE, CAE There is a growing tension between what attendees want to get out of live events and what their bosses (the approvers) want as a result of their participation. “I go to events to network with colleagues,” we are told time and again, “but my boss will only approve my trip if I see a lot of educational opportunities.” “I don’t want to approve a waste of time,” the bosses say. “I’m not going to let them hang out at an open bar with their friends. I need them to come back with practical, actionable information.” How do we ultimately solve these two problems? We cram too much content into our events and leave…
“People don’t like being sold to in showrooms”
Group discussions provide participants with an opportunity to brainstorm solutions to challenges, offer a testing ground for future opportunities, and facilitate the generation of ideas. In explaining Huddles, John Schlaefli first explains what the concept is not: "What we definitely don't do is we don't put a ton of content in a room and then delegates come out and look to the right and see a dingy, dingy room full of tabletops and they say, 'Oh, hell, I'm not going in there because somebody might try to talk to me.'" Launched at last year’s FIPP World Media Conference, Huddles was relaunched in a new and improved version at this year’s June event in Lisbon, Portugal, with the goal of creating a completely different atmosphere, said Schlaefli, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Media Makers Meet-Mx3, which operates the FIPP conference under license and organizes three own-brand media shows around the world. The gathering offers an alternative to the exhibit hall,…
Finding better event structure and programming
In July-August Convening In this issue, the editors asked event professionals around the world to share what they consider to be the inviolable rules—outdated event practices or traditions that they believe need to be overhauled or replaced—and their solutions. Here, we share responses that focus on event structure and planning, starting with what Huong Nguyen, CEO and founder of Shiloh Events, has to say about the use of badges at events. Throw away name tags to make conversations flow more smoothly “Brand names – do we really need them?” Nguyen HuongCEO and Founder, Shiloh Eventswrote in a LinkedIn post. "This is an industry practice or event element that every conference implements all the time. Since it is the industry norm, it is easy to never question its necessity. In addition, the onsite registration process takes a lot of effort." Nguyen listed a series of pros and cons and suggested that for small gatherings, it might be worthwhile to eliminate badges,…
Finding a better way for the events industry
We asked event planners which sacrosanct rules of their events they think need to be scrapped or changed. (Illustration: Dale Crosby Close) The pandemic was a wake-up call for the meetings industry, but perhaps we’ve already hit the pause button. In-person events that were unable to take place due to the coronavirus pandemic have since returned with a vengeance – and in many cases, on a repeat basis. This is understandable, as events are designed and delivered every day, with limited budgets, escalating costs, often smaller staffs, and strained relationships with vendor partners. But the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset robs us of the opportunity to think deeply about how we got here and where our approach to gatherings should go. What are our sacred objects — the furniture in our business that we treat as permanent fixtures, and what should be removed? Read the digital facsimile of the July-August 2024 issue. Let’s take, for example, a…
How Medical Conferences Promote Healthcare Innovation
By Jennifer N. Dienst The 2023 WHAHC in Barcelona will feature 31 sessions with 74 keynote speeches and 94 expert speakers. The healthcare landscape has undergone many rapid changes during the pandemic, and perhaps the fastest-growing is in the delivery models and services of care outside of hospitals. These changes have naturally arisen from patients’ concerns about being treated in hospitals and potentially exposed to COVID, and have also relieved hospitals from being overloaded with COVID patients. Most notably, telemedicine and telehealth services have exploded. For example, nearly three-quarters of physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2022 said they used telehealth in their medical practices, three times the proportion of physicians who reported using telehealth in 2018, before the pandemic. Another is the hospital at home (HaH), a health care delivery model that provides acute care, a level of health care in which patients are treated during brief but serious illness episodes due to illness or trauma…
Four ways to think about heat waves and events
As global temperatures rise, knowing how to cope with extreme heat will become increasingly important. Event planner Rhanee Palma shares her insights. By Barbara Palmer It’s critical for meeting planners dealing with heat waves to take proactive measures, including providing water refilling stations to encourage regular hydration. 2023 was the hottest year on record, with the number of heat-related deaths in the United States hitting a 45-year high. This year could be even hotter - climate historian Maximiliano Herrera said the number of record-breaking temperatures reported around the world in the first six months of 2024 was "unprecedented", including "tens of thousands" of new local records reported by monitoring stations around the world The Guardian In a recent story. Rani Parma Rising global temperatures not only affect attendee health and safety, but also conference design and location strategies, said Rhanee Palma, CDME, operations and events manager for the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center (AQRC). Palma is responsible for planning…
Event venues seek high-tech solutions to food safety concerns
The ORCA is an onsite aerobic digester designed to compost food waste from a hotel or conference center kitchen, and it has a built-in scale and software that measures and tracks the amount of food waste it processes. "It's a giant stomach," Andrew Cooper tells me as he pops open the shiny silver lid of the food waste digester called ORCA. "Everything that's edible goes in here." Cooper, executive chef at the La Quinta Resort and Club in Palm Springs, California, picks out what looks like a pellet from a tangled mass of lumps of food waste. The pellet is actually an enzyme that helps break down the food waste, which, combined with the machine's spinning motion, turns into liquid wastewater. After a few hours of processing, the liquid will eventually make its way through La Quinta's water treatment system and eventually into the irrigation system, helping to keep the 45-acre resort's landscape pristine. La Quinta is one of many…
Predictive AI for attracting and engaging attendees
At a recent Lippman Connects Attendee Acquisition Roundtable, a discussion about how to use predictive AI to strategically expand the base of potential enrollees drew a lot of attention from attendees. By Michelle Russell Lippman Connects partnered with EVOLIO Marketing to share research findings at the recent Attendee Acquisition Roundtable in Chicago, including research on the use of predictive AI for attendee acquisition. On July 18, Mariaelana Morales attended the Lippman Connects Attendee Acquisition Roundtable at the Chicago Marriott Marquis McCormick Place—an information-sharing session for a variety of professionals involved in marketing and acquiring event attendees—and left with a notebook filled with ideas she was going to take back to her marketing team. Maria Elena Morales Morales, PCMA’s director of integrated marketing, said she was struck by the diversity of organizations represented by the 22 roundtable participants, each facing their own challenges — but “also facing the same big issues." A few themes that resonated with the panel included how…
5 ways to inspire event attendees to take sustainable action
By Barbara Palmer Ben Goedegebuure, Chief Global Strategy Officer at Maritz, and Maria Düthorn, Event Manager at Siemens AG, spoke on the Convene podcast at Convening EMEA 2023. Last week, I read an article saying that 2024 will likely be the hottest year on record, and Las Vegas suffered a record-breaking heat wave earlier this summer, with temperatures never dropping below 94 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive nights. And a new study reports that if we don’t change course, our generation could witness the end of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, the largest coral reef on Earth. The news left me deeply saddened and uncertain whether the large-scale, cooperative changes needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change will actually happen. I’m not the only one who has this reaction, according to research by psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes, co-director of the Center for Sustainability and Energy at the Norwegian Business School in Oslo.…
How to make an impact as an event exhibitor
The co-founders of Backtrack, a mobile app for recording booth conversations, went the extra mile to make connections and generate leads at ECEF 2024. Their experience can help inspire exhibitors and sponsors of all kinds. By Curt Wagner Hunter McKinley, co-founder and CEO of Backtrack parent company Yac, speaks to ECEF attendees in May. (Image credit: Lippman Connects) It’s not easy to stand out at trade shows and other events. The co-founders of Backtrack, an AI-powered booth sales assistant app, realized they needed a novel way to help them connect with potential customers at the Exhibition and Convention Executive Forum (ECEF) in Washington, D.C., on May 29. So they hatched a plan—although 50 hours into executing it, they began to question whether it was worth the effort. Jordan Walker “Every idea we have leads to another idea,” said Hunter McKinley, co-founder and CEO of Yac, Backtrack’s parent company. Convening“Then it grew into a massive project.” McKinley and Yac co-founder Jordan…
New report shows organizers excited about ESG impacts
The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) June Insight Report surveyed 185 UK event organisers and venues. By Casey Gale The events industry remains in a challenging environment, with planners continuing to face a range of challenges, from budget cuts to the impact of extreme weather events due to climate change. However, more than three-quarters of planners still believe that the industry will not be bogged down by logistical challenges and will promote creativity and innovation. That’s just one of the findings from the Meetings Industry Association’s (mia) June 2024 Insights Report, which surveyed 185 UK event organisers and venues. Another highlight: more than half of organisations said they were investing more in their business today than they did 12 months ago, with 81% investing in sustainability initiatives; 73% in technology; 61% in marketing; and half of respondents investing in fit-out and equipment. “We are pleased to see so many organisations continue to invest in growth, which speaks volumes about the confidence…
Innovative catering to create a greener Paris Olympics
The Paris 2024 Olympic Village restaurant, open 24 hours a day and seating up to 3,500 people, is a central gathering place for Olympic athletes. Sodexo Live! will employ 6,000 people to provide catering services for the Olympic Village and the 14 Paris 2024 Olympic and 8 Paralympic venues, 15% of whom will come from disadvantaged communities. (Photo courtesy of Sodexo Live!) The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have officially begun, and Sodexo Live! is ready to help bring the medals to the Games. Not only is the global hospitality company the sole food provider for the Olympic Village restaurants at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is also responsible for ensuring that fans, organizing committee staff, and all athletes at the 14 Olympic and eight Paralympic venues are well fed and watered. Chef Charles Guilloy led the Sodexo Live! team in preparing 500 dishes for the athletes staying in the Olympic Village. This was Sodexo Live!’s fourth time…
In the age of AI, soft skills remain ‘critical’
A focus on learning how to use AI in the workplace should not come at the expense of developing soft skills — after all, workplace participants are human. By Casey Gale Zena Burgess, PhD, FAPS, FAICD, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society, and Laura Caprioli, Growth Initiatives and Stakeholders Manager at VisitBritain, discuss their shared considerations of soft skills when recruiting new staff on the Convene podcast. The discussion about the need to start using artificial intelligence as an aid to driving to improve work efficiency has become too intense to ignore. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030, artificial intelligence will affect 85 million jobs, "and will create millions of new jobs that don't yet exist," said futurist and author of "The Future of AI." Generative AI in Action: Generative AI is changing business and society in over 100 amazing waysin the recent Forbes article. But as AI adoption in the workplace grows, so too will the need…
How to make AI tools your silent partner at work
For events company owner Valerie Sumner, using PCMA’s Spark and other AI tools to enhance her company’s operations is “almost like having another person in the office.” By Barbara Palmer When it comes to incorporating AI into her 19-year-old events company’s daily operations, Valerie Sumner, co-owner of Falls Church, Va.-based VRS Meetings and Events Inc., couldn’t agree more. “I feel like if you’re not interested in AI, you’re missing out,” she told Convening“It’s an evolution, and I’d rather be on the bus than off it.” Valerie Sumner But Sumner’s embrace of AI goes beyond a desire to keep her skills up to date. Spark, a generative AI platform developed in partnership between PCMA and Singapore-based event technology company Gevme, has saved her so much time and provided so much valuable feedback that she considers it “almost like having another person in the office.” Sumner, who previously served as president of the PCMA Foundation, began experimenting with Spark when it was…
Wildfires, dementia, and disruptions: New challenges
The increasing incidence of wildfires has an impact on all kinds of activities, and according to research presented for the first time at the just-concluded Alzheimer's Association International Conference, wildfires are also having an impact on the health of our brains. By Michelle Russell This year's wildfire season in the western United States is still far from the peak of 2020, when the El Dorado Fire (above) and other fires made it the most destructive wildfire season in the past two decades, according to The New York Times. (Adobe Stock) As I write this, there are nearly 50 large wildfires burning across the Western United States, including the Park Fire north of Sacramento, which in just one week has grown to become the fifth largest fire in California history. Experts say record high temperatures across much of the West have led to "classic fire conditions." New York Times“Climate change is causing heat waves in the region to become more intense…
What changes do the events industry need to make for the better
Some radical and sophisticated ideas to reinvigorate the events industry – and why it’s been slow to develop. By Michelle Russell Michelle RussellCalling the Editor-in-Chief When we asked planners in our recent salary survey to share their inviolable rules for the events industry, some complained about things they couldn’t control, like rising costs. Others suggested conference methodologies — which have stood the test of time but are as bland as stale beer — that event organizers have the power to reimagine or at least advocate for reimagining. In response to our inviolable questions, conference designer Adrian Segar posted on X that we should “move away from expensive keynotes, predetermined schedules of lectures, and large events that try to cover everything but don’t support tribes connecting with each other.” Let’s replace them, he added, with “small, participant-driven, participant-rich conferences and meetings designed to connect and learn.” Similarly, Victoria Matey, a consultant who uses insights from behavioral science, psychology and neuroscience to…
Jointly addressing the challenges of the climate crisis
We can’t escape the reality of climate change – but we can choose to forge a new path forward. By Sherrif Karamat The number of business events impacted by extreme weather, such as wildfires, heat waves or flooding, is increasing rapidly, as are the costs to event organizers and the losses to communities. Sharif Karamat, CAE,President and CEO, PCMA and CEMA First, the bad news: 2023 was the hottest year on record, and as I write this, just past the midpoint of 2024, some scientists predict that this year will be even hotter. As temperatures continue to break records, the number of extreme weather events around the world is climbing. In late April and May, record rainfall and flooding in southern Brazil, which scientists at the World Weather Attribution Organization have linked to climate change, caused a dam to collapse and displaced thousands of people. In June, extreme heat killed more than 1,300 people traveling to Saudi Arabia for the…
Amelia Island is a year-round paradise that will keep you mesmerized
Sponsorship information from the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau By Jennifer N. Dienst Whether attendees are looking for seashells or just want to lie back and soak up some sun after the event, Amelia Island’s beaches are within easy reach. Perhaps best known for its 13 miles of pristine beaches and iconic oceanfront resorts, Amelia Island also features an abundance of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting spaces perfect for small to mid-sized gatherings. One of the great things about holding a meeting in Northeast Florida is that the climate is mild and never feels too hot or too cold. This means that no matter when your meeting is held, attendees can enjoy the many activities available. This includes relaxing on the beach, of course, but there are also plenty of other outdoor adventures to enjoy—like guided kayaking tours, sunrise yoga, river cruises, and more. Amelia Island is also home to some of the state’s finest oceanfront resorts. The Ritz-Carlton…
Involve participants in the Maker Movement
How makerspaces and conferences can help event attendees learn about a people’s history and culture—or just deeply resonate with their own professional culture. By Michelle Russell Participants at ISTELive 24 in Denver work together to make puppets as part of a creative camp. On the cover and in the CMP series of stories ConveningIn our May/June issue, we examined the Maker Movement from multiple angles in the context of the events industry—from interviews with the founders of Maker Fairs held around the world to exploring how Knoxville became Etsy’s first official U.S. “Maker City” to workshops in Canada where groups learned about their culture by making Indigenous crafts. I recently read about a similar workshop that immerses participants in another culture. The Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has launched an event that gives guests of the all-inclusive resort the opportunity to paint brass. Miracle Heart (Miracle Hearts), with artist guidance on the history and meaning of…
More and more event professionals are joining the ranks of freelancers
By Jennifer N. Dienst Soundings CEO Tracy Judge (left) and freelance events expert Erika Brunke discuss the benefits of freelancing during a panel discussion at the CEMA Summit in Seattle on August 5. (Whatever Media Group) According to a new report released earlier this month by Soundings, “Agile Talent Strategies: Leveraging the Expertise of Freelancers in the Business Events Industry,” the trend of event professionals choosing freelance work over full-time employment remains strong during and after the pandemic. The findings were shared during a panel discussion at the 2024 CEMA Summit, “Navigating the Transition: From Corporate to Freelance,” with Soundings founder and CEO Tracy Judge, and event professionals Erika Brunke, Stacey Kashubeck and Michele Schneider, who quit their full-time jobs to become freelancers. According to Judge, they’ve seen an increase in people joining Soundings, a talent community of more than 2,900 independent business event professionals. But the report’s insights also reflect broader trends in the U.S. workforce — 36% of…
The Challenges of Using AI to Improve Writing
A growing number of users of generative AI are noticing a paradox — it can make your writing sound more professional, but also more generic. By Barbara Palmer New research suggests that as more writers use artificial intelligence to help craft their stories, their work "will become less unique and more similar overall," the study's authors wrote. Valerie Sumner, founder and principal of VRS Meetings & Events, Inc., is an avid user of AI platforms, including Spark AI and ChatGPT, which she uses for a lot of event-related analysis and tasks. But Sumner told reporters that while she experienced AI's ability to improve productivity, she also encountered AI's limitations. Convening. For example, when Sumner used AI to help her draft an event marketing email for a client, she created a template with language tailored to the client’s needs and asked ChatGPT to generate 15 different versions. It immediately produced results, including suggested fixes and alternative language. But something was missing,…
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