All posts by Stella Johnson

Nowadays the budgeting process is more complex. Planners are more entrenched in strategic meetings management, and therefore more concerned about return on investment and meeting business goals than they are about just event costs.

A great food experience can be the best binding ingredient for attendees who are meeting face-to-face, and can be one of the best memory-makers.

The subject of ethics in business is a very relevant topic of conversation at meetings and events throughout the country, especially among insurance and financial services companies.

Corporate giving is a given, whether it takes the form of community involvement or environmental responsibility. The impetus for doing good may come from an embedded corporate mission and culture, a public relations move to offset negative optics, a mandate from shareholders, or more purely and simply, from societal expectations. But in this age of […]

The dark clouds are lifting. The outlook is brighter and meetings are back. For the first time in a number of years, the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Business Barometer report reveals significant, uplifting shifts in the meeting and event industry. During the last few years of budget cuts and poor economic conditions, savvy meeting professionals […]

When employees need more than a hearty belly laugh to lessen stress-related workplace issues, a suitable antidote is a visit to a spa for an hour, a day or many days.

Site selection used to be easy. There were a few simple ways to approach the task. Nowadays, however, conducting business according to the “new normal” creates new opportunities (and obstacles) for meeting professionals. To discover the best way to perfect the site selection process, we asked the experts. We’ll start with Mike May, CMP, president […]

How important is it for association members to be able to include family and friends at an upcoming meeting or convention away from home? Very.

For those who engage in contract negotiations by profession, it might seem that an association meeting planner’s job is a dream by comparison. But, not in today’s newly emerging marketplace.