Meeting Planning Trends and Solutions

How thrilled we all are that in-person events are roaring back! It has been a very long and challenging two years and everyone is ready for the “big comeback.” Amidst this excitement, however, are challenges and opportunities. They are real – you hear it every day in the news – supply chain issues, labor shortages, the great resignation – and the travel and hospitality industries have been hit particularly hard. FICP is a very special organization and we are known for our solid partnerships and One Community. It has always been our important foundation, but even more so two years ago with the pandemic onset and great industry disruption. As we climb out of this together and pent up demand is causing the flood of event activity, it is even more critical that we continue to work together to smooth out the bumps and move forward as a community and an industry.

Join Jen Squeglia, CMP, FICP Board Member, as she brings together our Meetings Professionals members and Hospitality Partners to moderate a discussion about the future of meetings. During this discussion we will be focusing on the return of in-person events and best practices for a successful event. Discussion Topics: - Food & Beverage Planning - Agenda Design - Meeting Sets - Health Security Plans – requirement of vaccinations and/or COVID-19 testing? - Air / Ground Transportation best practices - Tours and Activities - Evening Event Planning – on-site and off-site - Keynote Speakers – live or streamed in?

Join Jennifer Squeglia, CMP, Past Chair of FICP's Board of Directors, as she brings together our meetings professionals and hospitality partners to moderate a discussion about the future of meetings. Sustainability is a continuing priority with meetings professionals, hospitality partners and their stakeholders. From incorporating new options into an event to identifying new best practices, all event professionals are striving to create sustainable events that are within budgets and exceed expectations. Let’s get together to discuss sustainable meetings and most importantly – chat! Topics include: • Budgeting with sustainability in mind • Cost-friendly, sustainable ideas to incorporate into your meeting • Managing stakeholder expectations on sustainability • Carbon footprint/offset • Sustainability best practices • Sustainable promo/gifting ideas

Join Jennifer Squeglia, CMP, Past Chair of FICP, as she brings together our meetings professional members and hospitality patterns to moderate a discussion about the future of meetings. 2022 was a year of recovery for meetings, events, and destinations. With budget cuts, supply chain issues, inflation, and staff shortages, the industry is continuing to recover. Let’s get together for a pulse check of the industry and how everyone is doing, and most importantly – chat! Topics include: 1. Industry trends you are seeing for 2023 2. How are you overcoming budget restraints with inflation? 3. How are you working with your partners on any potential staffing shortages? 4. And much more!

Attendee experience is at the top of mind for all meetings professionals as they embark on their events in 2023 and beyond. What new and unique experiences are being offered? What new trends are you looking to incorporate into your events this year? How are meetings professionals approaching the attendee experience design more holistically? Join the FICP community as we discuss designing attendee experiences and trends. This webinar is sponsored by Destination Canada.