Meetings Professional Exchange

Heidi Carlisle, Second Vice President, Travel, Meetings & Incentives, Aflac

During this hour-long conversation, with other meeting professionals, you will have the opportunity to discuss the burning questions you have, important topics related to the industry and much more. Heidi Carlisle, Education Forum Event Team Chair, will lead the discussion based on topics YOU identified as important to you. Topics include:

• Managing Expectations
• Networking/Team development
• New trends due to the pandemic, innovative planning processes, etc.
• Budgets and increase of costs

Be sure to join Heidi, and your peers, for this open conversation.

You Can't Please Everyone: Navigating Difficult Decisions 

CMP-IS Domain A: Strategic Planning
Susannah Frances, CMP, Senior Events Experience Consultant, Sun Life
Pam Schrock, CMP, CMM, Senior Manager, Meetings & Events, Transamerica

Recently, have you felt like you have had to make a decision you that were not 100% confident in making? Have you felt as though you are being asked to be the expert in all things health and safety? You are not alone! Confidence in decision-making has been rocked since the start of the pandemic. More often, you need to make the best call possible in the moment with the information you have on hand, and ensure the adaptability is in place to change the decision when necessary. The idea of trying to please stakeholders, participants, and your own team can be overwhelming. In this session, attendees are invited to bring challenging situations related to decision-making to discuss in this solutions-focused roundtable.

TECHbyte: Productivity, Presentation & Wellness Tools for the Way You Work Now 

CMP-IS Domain G: Meeting or Event Design
Tara Thomas, Co-Founder & CMO, The Meeting Pool

This session covers the best of three critical areas that help improve your productivity & efficiency, collaboration, meeting prowess, presentation skills and even wellness.  Apps and tool recommendations are now updated for the remote work heroes we've all had to become, and help you do more with less at home, in the office or on the road.  In this session, we will share the latest and greatest of a legion of ready-to-go apps to help you get rid of manual processes, automate your workflows, present & report data, and see a measurable difference in the way you manage your life and work time, from wherever you are.  Get new insight into staying organized and efficient and getting zen, all while being more communicative, and collaborative.  Join Tara Thomas from The Meeting Pool for this “power hour” focused on tech!

Managing Risk at Your Event: A Guide for Meeting Professionals and Hospitality Partners 

CMP-IS Domain C: Risk Management
Kevin Coffey, Travel and Meeting Risk Consultant

The majority of meetings and events take place without incident – but it just takes one time for something to occur that you did not consider. That’s where being a prepared meeting or event professional, as well as partner, comes into play. One of the main challenges facing the meeting industry is that, unlike how the business travel industry addresses travel risk, the meeting industry does not have one set of duty of care standards for the meeting industry.

Meeting professionals want to integrate risk management into their events, but many times do not know where to start. 

Both meeting professionals and hospitality partners will take away actionable ideas that are low to no cost to help them better prepare and respond to risk issues that keep meeting professionals up at night. 

Learning Outcomes:
• Benchmarking your current meeting and event procedures against current best practices to prevent risk
• How to put together a meeting risk plan and checklists at little to no cost
• How and when to address meeting and event risk
• How to create security, emergency and crisis response plans and checklists
• Unique hotel, meeting and event location site inspection considerations
• Practical advice on safety, security and health issues that may impact meetings and events
• Where to turn to for meeting risk resources and training

Supply Chain and How It Affects the Meeting Industry and YOU Q&A

CMP-IS Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

In the general session preceding this Q&A, you heard from industry experts on how supply chain is affecting your job within the meetings and events industry. Now it's time to ask your burning questions of the panelists and continue the conversation with your peers.

To participate in this Q&A, make sure to attend our industry panel at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 23.

Keeping Your Seat at the Table (Even When Priorities Shift) 

CMP-IS Domain F: Stakeholder Management
Marilyn Sherman, CSP, CPAE, Hall of Fame Motivational Keynote Speaker

You may understand your role as a meeting professional, but have you been engaged in making strategic decisions, or taken an opportunity to make a difference at the organizational level? For some, the seat at the table opened up during the pandemic through expertise in delivering virtual events and ensuring employee engagement during a time when meeting in person was not an option. Are you prepared to continue to show your value and continue to effect change through your influence? Join this session to learn ways to communicate with your stakeholders, discuss business strategy and identify how events can effectively be used to support the work of the company.

Thriving Through Change 

CMP-IS Domain E: Human Resources 
Meg D'Angelo, AVP, Events and Hospitality, Lincoln Financial Group
Gia DiBenedetto, Global Director - Americas, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Cathy Diem, Director of Insurance Sales, Hilton Worldwide
Carlin Putman, CMP, CMM, President and Founder, Page-One Meetings and Events, Meeting and Event Specialist, AIG Life & Retirement

Let’s be honest, the past two years have tested the meeting planning and hospitality industries, and we are all looking for opportunities for consistency and security in a time of uncertainty. It has been a challenge to motivate your colleagues, peers and yourself through all of the change that has occurred, and, while it is clear that change is going to remain part of our process, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Join our panelists as they share successful experiences in motivating themselves, their colleagues and teams, while dealing with ever-changing challenges, and offer tips of how you can thrive through continued change and continue moving forward.

The Future of Destinations and Trends in RFPs 

CMP-IS Domain H: Site Management
Lori Allen, Vice President, Global Event Operations, MetLife
Elaine Morena, Regional Vice President, Global Sales - Northeast, Associated Luxury Hotels International 

Booking for the future is more challenging than ever before. Understanding the new mindset of your audience is a large contributing factor when it comes to booking event destinations and working with your hotel partners is more important than ever to secure the right location. Join this roundtable session to hear what others are doing to change their current RFP process, new locations they are looking into and more. 

Getting Back Into the Game (of Networking)

CMP-IS Domain E: Human Resources
Amanda Brennan, CMP, Meeting Planner, Prudential
Rocky Dufauchard, CMP, Director, National Accounts, New Orleans & Company

It's time to harness the power of networking within the meetings and events industry! Not only can you meet potential partners, but it's also an opportunity for us to continue our professional development growth. Hear how others have managed their own networks over the past two years and how they are managing new relationships now and moving forward. Attendees will participate in active networking exercises during breakout conversations.

Integrating Well-Being Into Your Events 

CMP-IS Domain G: Meeting or Event Design
Jenna Jorge, President, Goodman Speakers
Julie Sutter, Manager, Meetings and Events, Selective Insurance Company

The definition of well-being at events has expanded beyond offering yoga in the morning as an optional event. It starts with your event strategy and taking a purposeful approach to build time into your program for participants to breathe. This can include adding white space into your events, evaluating your start and end times, integrating physical activity opportunities, offering related content and more. Join this session to help identify what we want our participants to walk away feeling at the end of an event — including their own mental health and well-being — and gain ideas for how you can support their journey.