Jean Martinson 

How gender has shaped companion Programs
By: Jeanne Martinson

As we toured the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, scoping out facility possibilities for a financial conference that was scheduled the following December, my husband commented, “What will we do with the wives?” Married to a diversity strategist, he should have known better – alas, he did not. Standing in the corridor next to the Vieux Carre meeting room, I felt the need to drag him into the 21st Century. Later, though, I contemplated the impact of gender on how meetings are planned. 
“Wives?”

In the early 1970s, my parents attended a financial conference in Montreal, where my father represented the credit union for which he served as president. My mother accompanied him and had a wonderful time. Her days were full of cultural touring and shopping, every moment scheduled as part of the “wives’ program.” My father, in meetings during the day, met up with her for the evening’s festivities. All the delegates were men and all those accompanying them were women. Back then, the “wives’ program” made sense.

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Beverly Beuermann-King

 Are they too much NATURE and not enough MEETING?

By: Beverly Beuermann-King, CSP

  Exotic destinations can be beneficial in attracting, engaging and retaining participants. However, many of these types of meetings suffer from too much sun, too many activities, too much nature and not enough planning in how to manage these distractions so that learning still takes place. “When planned well, a meeting in an exotic destination can have many benefits for the organization as well as the participants,” says Alfredo Oporta, executive director at the Costa Rica Convention Bureau.

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Ed Bernacki

Why Do Business in a Box?
Challenging the boundaries for successful meetings
By Ed Bernacki

You’ve tried laser light shows and motivational speakers to engage people. You even thought of drummers, indoor fireworks and opera singing waiters to stir things up. And what is the result?

I have seen these gimmicks in different countries as a speaker on innovative thinking. What is clear is that too many events think that adding some sparkle to the same old format for meetings will improve results.
It is time for more “outside the box” thinking to design our meetings. Yet, before we can think “outside the box,” we need to see what the current “inside the box” thinking is producing. Here are my observations: 
We start planning many events without defining learning objectives for what it should achieve for participants.

With no overriding objectives, speakers are not challenged to create more original, unique and focused presentations.

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By Tom Stoyan

Rewriting the Rules of Selling
Learn the insider secrets of Canada’s fastest-growing companies
By Tom Stoyan, HoF

Let’s face it, as a meeting planner your reputation is only as good as the last speaker you hired. You really can’t afford a so-so client experience especially during these tough economic times.
With fewer meetings, it’s now more important than ever to “wow” them at each and every meeting/event. Your speaker selection is often the biggest factor in providing them that “wow” experience. 

A Hyundai will get your client to their wedding but is that the experience they are looking for? That next meeting you’re planning may be the equivalent of someone’s corporate “wedding” day.

When the client presents you with a budget, ask them specifically what they want. Some clients are explicit and provide lots of detail.  Others want you to look after everything. And then there are those who think you are a mind-reader and should know exactly what they want. 

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