Inclusive Experiences Welcomes Everyone to Florida

Genuine, respectful relationships pave the way for business

The most important outcome of a conference is making everyone feel welcome. Everything else depends on that. This week, the Smart Meetings Inclusive Experience at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa started with basic hospitality. The spacious hotel hosted a group of top conference professionals, providing an intimate environment to get to know each other better both in and out of one-on-one meetings. While everyone was there to learn from their peers, hearing from subject matter experts helped put everything into perspective and made all attendees super-connectors.

Love, compassion and respect

When the world is hopelessly divided, the smallest of gestures can make a huge difference. Whether it’s national politics, a Southern California crime scene or a hotel contract negotiation, leading with love, empathy and respect is the fastest way to build relationships across otherwise unbridgeable divides, says keynote speaker Corporal Ryan Tillman. As founder of the Breaking Barriers Coalition and host of the #ItsNeeded podcast, the police officer, author and YouTube star has dedicated his career to advocating for equality and solidarity.

“In a society that often demands we choose sides, we need to rediscover the lost art of building relationships with those who disagree with us,” he told the crowd of meeting planners and vendors.

What were his parting words? Dancing helped, too—everyone stood up when he left.

The Art of Small Talk

We may have good intentions to connect with people at cocktail parties, but starting a conversation requires taking risks, and it’s much easier to find someone we know and keep in touch with them, or better yet, skip the meet-and-greet altogether. Author, keynote speaker, and communications expert Debra Fine uses humor and insight to convince everyone that handshakes and introductions can actually be fun.

learn more: Debra Fine’s Podcast

She shares tips for asking open-ended questions to spark a conversation, but neutral questions to avoid awkwardness. She also offers tips on how to end the conversation gracefully if needed. Aside from talking about the weather, here are some highlights:

• Give them your name and some information so they don’t have to worry about remembering it and can choose whether to continue the conversation.
• Use complimentary conversation starters around you, such as how many years they have been attending the conference/destination, or how they know the event host.
• What do you do when you’re not in meetings or just relaxing?
• Tell me about your work/family situation since I last saw you.

Through the disappearing creativity

If you think creatively, AV equipment can be a highlight of your meeting. Scott Frankel, president of Animatic Media, a smart meeting partner for inclusive experiences, and an instructor who dives deep into AV contracting in pre-conference education courses, is an advocate for empathy. “Be creative and challenge your partners,” he advises.

read more: 2023 Catalyst Award

To get your message across in a memorable way, consider adopting these new technology trends:

• Fog Projection: Playing a video on a white screen may be the most obvious way to share your message, but what about projecting it onto a translucent screen or continuously spraying fog for people to walk through? This can take your logo off the wall and get people to notice it.
• Robotic Video Walls: While still a bit expensive and requiring complex content development, the resulting programming is not forgotten as the various parts of the presentation physically move in and out in a pre-programmed cycle.

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  Holographic video: This technology has been around for a while, but mixing live and holographic speakers, images, and even drummers in an interactive presentation can shock people and make them question what’s real and what’s recorded.