< Previousa combination of yoga and Pilates. It also tacked on a mindfulness lounge, a climbing wall, chair massages and, as a nod to the fact that they were in Denver, an oxygen bar. For the last several years, AAPA has also offered 15-minute sessions called TechBytes, where attendees can learn about apps that can help the medical com- munity. At first, those sessions were geared toward apps that physician assistants could use to help patients, Burnett says. Now, several of the highlighted apps are designed to coach medical professionals on how to maintain their own wellness. Since the 2020 conference had to go virtual, AAPA recorded sev- eral mindfulness and TechBytes ses- sions. “The big challenge for virtual is engagement. There has to be a whole lot more than CME,” Burnett says. Eventually, one of her goals is to hire a celebrity chef for online meetings who can do a demonstration and talk about healthy meals. Burnett’s advice for planners looking to add wellness programing is to give themselves permission to fail. “You’ve got to try new things and take risks, and find out what works and what doesn’t work,” she says. “That’s been our philosophy in recent years. None of these things are going to have a major impact on your revenue goals.” It may take a while for some activities to catch on, so don’t automatically declare anything a failure. “If it totally bombs, don’t do it again, but if you’re getting some good feedback, you might bring it back another year,” Burnett says. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Like AAPA, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) wanted to find ways for its members to cope with the demands placed upon them by their jobs. “In 2016, we started an initiative to confront the issue of wellness and resilience for health care professionals that may be unique based upon how things work in a medical institution or a medical system,” says Bill Reed, FASAE, CMP, the organization’s chief event strategy officer. Things such as long hours, the demands of caring for people, and the headache of paperwork and other admin- istrative tasks, leads to a sig- nificant level of burnout among doctors and researchers. “We embarked on a process where we wanted to raise the awareness level as the first step, because sometimes the people experiencing the difficulty may not see it for themselves,” Reed says. “We were also very cognizant that we didn’t want to blame the people who were experiencing the problem, but instead look at what could the American Society of Hema- tology uniquely do to give them a dif- ferent set of skills and tools to manage it more effectively.” The other thing that was vitally important was to approach the issue in a way that would work for their audi- ence. “For a highly cerebral audience like ours, we needed to start at the brain and help them understand the problem, and then transition to skills building,” Reed says. The association’s first foray into wellness programs was an art exhibit with a series of pieces done by medical professionals on the topic of burnout. “I think if we had come right out of the gate with doing a wellness initia- tive, we may have lost some people who thought it was just a yoga stu- dio,” Reed says. “[The exhibit] drew a lot of attention and raised people’s level of awareness.” The next year, ASH created a wellness studio that hosted 10-minute “microburst work- shops” on topics related to wellness, resilience and sustainability. People could participate during their breaks so they wouldn’t have to miss the sci- entific portion of the meeting, which is the major draw. The sessions took place in a high-traffic area on the trade show floor. “We felt like if people saw it, they might be more inclined to tap into it for short periods of time,” Reed says. Putting it in an area with no walls allowed for larger groups and the abil- ity to spread out for physical activities. In keeping with the needs of its members, ASH wanted all of the themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 The National Wellness Institute brought in Ken E. Nwadike Jr. — the "Free Hugs Guy" — to a recent event as part of the Institute's focus on health and wellness for its attendees. Karen Bradley Burnett, CEM Vice President, Meetings and Business Development American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) If it totally bombs, don’t do it again, but if you’re getting some good feedback, you might bring it back another year. PHOTO COURTESY OF NWI 20wellness content to be evidence based. It brought in experts from Infinity Wellness Partners, a wellness consulting firm, to run the more physical sessions, and paired those with physician-run workshops that presented the science behind the activity or idea. “It appealed to different learning styles and needs,” Reed says. “The combination of the two was really helpful.” As time has gone on, ASH has added more in-depth classes such as yoga, tai chi, meditation, resilience, the mind- body connection and mindfulness. “The thing we’ve discovered is dur- ing any conference, people just need a break,” Reed says. “Our audience is highly motivated and uber engaged. This gives them an excuse to feel like they’re being productive rather than just sitting in a corner somewhere hav- ing a cup of coffee.” The most popular wellness service has been nap pods. It may seem coun- terintuitive to encourage people to skip sessions and snooze. But, Reed says, “Giving people permission to take care of themselves really is a thoughtful thing to do, and they become energized in a new way, which can empower them to be mentally energized and ready to dive back in for more content.” WELLNESS ACROSS ALL ABILITIES AND INTERESTS When the American Dental Asso- ciation (ADA) started doing health and wellness events at its annual conference many years ago, the main motivation was to find a way to differentiate itself from the many other dental meetings out there. Programming was mainly lecture-based. However, the organiza- tion’s Council on Dental Practice now has a focus on wellness, so providing health and wellness services at the conference now ties directly to the mission. “They’re tackling things like dealing with depression, dealing with addiction, ergonomics and exercise,” says Dawn McEvoy, CAE, CMP, DES, senior director, continuing education and advisory committee on annual meetings. “It made sense as an orga- nization to start offering things for the whole person and not just business and clinical outcomes.” With that, the ADA started chang- ing its offerings. In past years, it’s done rooftop or beach yoga, and orga- nized several wellness options on the trade show floor. Doctors could make appointments to have ergonomic assessments done, and there were classes that were open to every- one. “[In 2020], we dedicated our mornings to wellness,” McEvoy says. “Every morning we had a virtual yoga class and a virtual boot camp. On Friday, we had a course in dealing with depression, and on Saturday it was a nutrition course. We also did a virtual 5K and cycling event and had people engage with us by posting to social media.” Like Reed, McEvoy empha- sizes that it’s important to take into account your audience’s interests and abilities before planning a wellness component. Self-help topics tend to be popular with the association’s audi- ence, so she brought in Lori Santos, a Yale University professor who teaches a popular class and hosts a podcast on happiness, to give a talk. Also, the ADA serves people in their 20s all the way up to dentists who are long retired. “We have that safety net of having a really diverse audience in age and ableness that allows them to participate in differ- ent things,” McEvoy says. “When you have a smaller group and you’re offer- ing less opportunities, you really need to know, ‘Are my people going SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES One of the most popular health and wellness activities at the American Society of Hematology's annual events is the area where attendees can take a power nap in a pod. Bill Reed, FASAE, CMP American Society of Hematology (ASH) Giving people permission to take care of themselves really is a thoughtful thing to do, and they become energized in a new way. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY 21to go out and run a 5K, or are they more comfortable with chair yoga?’” She also notes that it’s important to discuss any health and wellness pro- gramming with a legal adviser to see if there are waivers or other documents participants need to sign. TAKE A HOLISTIC LOOK AT HEALTH When we think about wellness, we often think about physical fitness and eating well. But Chuck Gillespie, CEO of the National Wellness Institute, which has hosted the National Well- ness Conference since 1977, encour- ages planners to think beyond that. His organization helps people tackle six areas of well-being: physical, occu- pational, spiritual, intellectual, emo- tional and social. He sees increasing interest in the last two. “The mental health piece has definitely become a full-on need during this COVID time- frame,” he says. During virtual events or as people start coming back to in- person gatherings, there’s a lot to be said for offering programming on how to deal with stress or loss, mind- fulness, resiliency, and supporting friends, family, students and employ- ees who are struggling. “I think one of the biggest opportunities we have is increasing people’s overall social well- ness,” Gillespie adds. That may also be particularly important in the post- COVID era, given that people have been deprived of in-person human interaction for so long. Consider ways to help people connect in different and more meaningful ways that might lead to friendships, mentoring rela- tionships, partnership or even just chances to swap best practices. What that programming looks like — or whether it’s even appropriate — will be depend on the group, so be sure to think about what your audience will respond to. “We’re a big, huggy group,” Gillespie says. “We’re a group of folks that truly believe in having not only themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 The American Society of Hematology's wellness studio hosts 10-minute “microburst workshops” on topics related to wellness, resilience and sustainability. Wellness activities can encompass everything from meditation to taking a nap, to chair yoga up to a 5K run. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY 22that social interaction, but that true human contact.” For the 2019 gathering, the keynote speaker was Ken E. Nwadike Jr., also known as the “Free Hugs Guy.” His talk revolved around kindness and the power of human touch. He brought T-shirts to give away, and to get them, attendees had to form teams and run a relay race around the meeting room. That worked well in this case, but it probably wouldn’t be a good fit for everyone, Gillespie acknowledges. Wellness doesn’t have to be a major area of focus at an event. Even spacing out some of the meetings rooms and encouraging people with fitness track- ers to engage in a friendly competition can be fun. But whatever you do, do it with intention. “If you don’t, it gets thrown into the corner and it doesn’t work, or it only works for a small group of people,” Gillespie says. START SMALL The Public Library Association offered a small wellness component for the first time at its January 2020 meeting. “Attendees who came to the yoga classes loved it,” says Lian Drago, meetings manager. “We scheduled our yoga sessions early in the day so that attendees could still do a full day of educational sessions. Meditation sessions, which were free and did not require registration, were also well attended.” They also created some cus- tom stress balls, which were a popular take-home gift. The local CVB suggested local studios that were willing to teach at events, which made organizing the wellness center surprisingly easy. They provided the classes and mats, which means all she had to do was find space, handle registration and communicate with attendees about the availability of activities. Her one regret? “The location of our wellness center was a bit far from everything. If we had the space, I would put it closer to the other sessions or in the exhibit hall,” Drago says. FINAL THOUGHTS FOR PLANNERS Tarantino recommends that plan- ners begin thinking about health and wellness programming during the contracting phase. “When you arrive on-site, you need to have the things you need to facilitate your healthy aspects of the meetings, including food and beverage, extra rooms for wellness rooms and outdoor areas for fitness classes,” she says. Also, make sure the overall agenda will accommo- date the planned activities. “It can’t be so packed that [attendees] don’t have any personal time,” she says. Even if there are trade-offs and risks, McEvoy has no doubt that health and wellness programming is worth it — in part because demand for it will grow. “Millennials and younger members are looking for a more rounded experi- ence,” she says. “They don’t want to just come and sit in a classroom. They’re looking to have a lot of their needs met.” Drago agrees, saying, “Wellness is the future, not a trend, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon.” To that end, the most important thing to do regarding health and well- ness programming is to simply do something. “Be open to new experi- ences on-site,” Tarantino says. “From my experience, it’s always been well received.” | AC&F | SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 23 Upgraded air ltration system Open spaces for distancing Achieving the global gold standard for prevention is one of the many ways we’re keeping you safe. GBAC accredited cleaning protocol magine your meeting in the wide-open spaces of our Exhibition Hall and its adjacent Lakeside Commons — with immersive, engaging presentations experienced in-person or remotely. Yes, times have changed. But they’ve only fortified our attention to every last detail. So go ahead, keep dreaming big. I Let us orchestrate your incredible. Connect with us at MononaTerrace.com © 2021 Monona TerraceMadison, WIPLANNERTIPS Innovative Sponsorships A Few Ideas to Find Partners During the Economic Downturn themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 I t’s time to get creative. That’s the overwhelming opinion of experts in the meet- ings industry as the industry con- tinues grappling with the fallout from COVID-19. We asked four experts how they see sponsor- ship challenges today, how they think the situation will evolve and what creative strategies they’ve employed to negotiate successful sponsorships in a pandemic. Bernie Schraer, senior vice presi- dent, global business development, Meeting Professionals International (MPI), knows exactly what associations are facing. In a world increasingly chal- lenging for organizations, sponsors and attendees, MPI made the tough deci- sion to convert WEC 2020 to a hybrid event, drawing approximately 650 in person and 550 for the online-only digital experience. However, WEC 2021 was held at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas with 1,230 in-person attendees and 570 virtual attendees. “Many companies were working with reduced or elimi- nated marketing budgets and continued concerns on travel restrictions — both by government and employers,” he says. “New opportunities included the entire digital experience we created — with digital sponsorships, a digital trade show and one-on-one scheduled meet- ings.” Schraer also notes that there are several challenges planners/associa- tions face today in securing sponsor- ships. They include the following: • Uncertainty about changing safety protocols and regulations in each destination. • Uncertainty about the length of the COVID-19 pandemic and subse- quent variant surges. • Lack of budget dollars due to downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic. But MPI had a plan to overcome those hurdles. “We created several ‘recovery packages,’ which were spon- sorship packages bundled together and creatively priced, to generate brand awareness and the ability for our sponsors to promote that they were open for business,” he says. “Also, the digital experience, done in conjunc- tion with the in-person show, allowed us to convert dollars that would have otherwise been lost.” Certainly part of MPI’s success lies in its willingness and ability to be nimble. “Customiza- tion, personalization and data intelli- gence have been some new sponsorship By Christine Loomis 24opportunities created for 2020/2021,” Schraer says. “We are developing new assets, retiring older, under-performing assets, and prospecting new and exist- ing sponsors for these opportunities.” The focus is looking forward. “We continually promoted the fact that we were the only major meeting indus- try association to move forward with a hybrid experience that included a robust in-person conference,” Schraer says. “While some thought it was too soon, many have applauded our bold stance to get the industry back to meet- ings again.” Our biggest pivot, he adds, “was the careful selection of a digital platform that allowed us to generate significant sponsorship dollars from this element of the conference.” While Schraer admits that, in general, fewer dollars are designated for digital meetings compared to in-person meetings, he says, “However, once you can illustrate engagement of the attendees and ROI for your sponsors, a higher price point is possible.” MPI also planned for a leaner conference to make up for the smaller size and fewer sponsorships. “In the end, sponsorships were about what was planned for … and although slightly off from pre- pandemic levels, still strong. Planning was more-impacted by ever-changing social distancing protocols,” he says. As for the future, Schraer thinks digital is here to stay; hybrid events are likely the future of conventions and safety will remain critical. “Safety pro- tocols will be important for a long time, and illustrating that the association can produce a safe and successful conven- tion is paramount,” he says. His best advice for planners and associations is to listen and be flexible. But, he adds, the bottom line is still ROI, just as it’s always been. “Give sponsors what they want, not necessarily just what you want to sell them,” Schraer says. “Increase engagement at both in-person and digi- tal events, and do everything possible to create maximum ROI for the sponsor.” FORCED TO CHANGE Holly Koenig, CEO and executive director of the New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE) and an executive vice president with Kellen, points to the extraordinary complexity of the association-sponsor- ship model today. First, she says, “The ‘old’ list of benefits isn’t working in a COVID-19 world. You have to be creative and listen like a true partner. This takes time, but it will be a true win-win vs. transactional. Next, depend- ing on your industry or associa- tion, your sponsor is most likely a consultant or supplier, and may have a reduced budget because of COVID-19. Planners and asso- ciation execs now have to think out of the box.” And there’s yet another challenge. “Many associations have now gone through their second year of virtual con- ferences,” Koenig says. “We’ve learned that exhibitors are no longer satisfied with taking a ‘virtual booth,’ even with the best of technology supporting them. They realize the ROI is not there, the networking doesn’t come close to in- person events, so we must continue to innovate with the year-round benefits outside of the conference.” In spite of the challenges, some associations are doing well with spon- sorships. “Recently, NY Women in Communications presented its annual Matrix Awards, successfully bringing in sponsors,” Koenig says. “But this is a program that’s been branded for 50 years. Good luck trying to ideate a new program or conference now. I think those programs that have been around for years, with perception of adding value, will do well and sponsors will continue to get onboard and support.” Like Schraer, Koenig emphasizes that ROI is still key, while noting that what sponsors want is shifting. “There are sponsors that still have advertising and exhibit budgets they’re not using,” she says. “But the ROI has to be there. The days of just adding a logo onto an invitation are over. For virtual events, a sponsor needs to have a role, includ- ing, in many cases, the content. For example, the sponsor can create a video to engage before the program, and the association can send that video along with the event reminder.” Many experts think the pandemic has opened up new opportunities for sponsorships; however, to tap into them, associations have to be creative in their thought and approach. “This is the excit- ing part,” Koenig says. “We have to look at the big picture, all of the association’s assets, not just an event or conference.” Again, that may mean offering spon- sors something entirely new. “The spon- sor may be visible at the conference, but perhaps part of the package is allowing that sponsor some ‘sponsored content’ in the newsletter or on the website, which has nothing to do with the spon- sorship they secured.” Koenig adds that one of the biggest pivots she’s seeing is making multiple sponsor requests at the same time. “Although we cannot predict how long we’ll be grounded, we must expect that virtual events are here to stay. Sponsors must be cultivated like fundraising, like donors. Zoom is a per- fect opportunity to replace an email ask with a one-on-one Zoom meeting with 25 SEPTEMBER 2021 ASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESthemeetingmagazines.com DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMan executive director. This is happening and it’s working.” A TECHNOLOGY BOOM One industry that seems to have soared through the pandemic is tech- nology, and that opens up opportunities for associations in multiple ways, even while traditional industry sponsors are on shakier ground. “The technol- ogy world has boomed through this. There have always been tech solutions for associations, but now many tech companies that were in the for-profit space have moved over to produce con- ferences and awards. The travel and hospitality industry, which has always supported the association commu- nity because of hotel bookings, is now obviously paused, making room for tech companies to come on board and showcase their products and services,” Koenig says. “There are also many new suppliers and consultants out there who have learned a lot about the associ- ation business and want to get on board because they know that one association can have hundreds of members.” But Koenig doesn’t think that means the end of relationships between associ- ations and their traditional sponsors. “I think the future will include everyone.” While there may be fewer opportunities for sponsorships in today’s virtual con- ferences, changes in how meetings are organized are more complex than that. “There are fewer opportunities because attendees cannot sit in front of their screens for multiple days,” Koenig says. “So conferences have to be shorter; days of programming have to be shorter.” To planners and associations grap- pling with all these changes, Koenig advises, “Get yourself really skilled in technology — not only Zoom. Don’t just leave it to consultants and your IT guys. Learn about all the tech compa- nies and platforms out there. You need to know them and learn from them. How do you sell a sponsorship without understanding the platform, capabili- ties or visibility options?” But associa- tions, she says, need to remember their traditional sponsors, too, even if they can’t support a meeting right now. “Even though some of your sponsors may be furloughed or have budget cuts, don’t forget about them. Check in on them and care. Care about their men- tal health, invite them as your guest to your virtual events. When we get out of this mess, and we will one day, they’ll all remember.” SEEK MORE OPPORTUNITIES JoAnn Taie is a partner with Minneapolis-based Global Manage- ment Partners (GMP). She thinks it is essential for planners and sponsors to work together to discover new ways to engage and connect industry part- ners and meeting attendees. Although always the case, it is more magnified today that “one size does not fit all,” and customization is critical in retain- ing sponsors. Members learn a lot from industry partners as well, and remaining solely within the virtual environment is creating a gap for developing the transfer of knowledge and the fostering of professional relationships. GMP’s clients have expe- rienced many different forms of virtual meetings, and one thing has held true: “Although the format has changed, the value of the meeting itself has not, Taie says. “The quality of the sci- ence and research remains stellar, and the quantity and quality of society experts attending remains strong.” In fact, Taie’s clients have experienced a higher number of participants than projected, “given that individuals no longer needed to incur higher meet- ing registration fees, travel, meals and lodging costs associated with in-person participation.” Taie says GMP will be seeing a return to an in-person meeting when one of their clients holds their meet- ing this November. They are offering a hybrid model with both virtual and in- person options for attendees to partici- pate. Through this client’s discussions with potential sponsors, they were consistently told that two budgets were in play — one for if the meeting is held in-person and one for if they go totally virtual. “The virtual budget was consis- tently 50% less in sponsorship contri- butions,” Taie says. “This demonstrates that sponsors are willing to continue investing in our association meetings, but do differentiate their involvement given the format of the meeting.” The GMP team of meeting profes- sionals thinks there is value for an industry partner, whether the meeting is virtual or in-person, Taie says, and they continue to create new options. Here are just five ideas to consider according to Taie: • Leverage the power of social media (e.g., sponsored tweets, Facebook posts). • Schedule a series of “Ask Me Anything”-sponsored sessions where a key leader in the field is available for informal discussion with virtual attendees only. • Ship swag boxes and offer sponsored themed days such as “Sock Day,” where a pair of socks gets delivered; maybe ship an themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021 Holly Koenig CEO and Executive Director New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE) The ‘old’ list of benefits isn’t working in a COVID-19 world. You have to be creative and listen like a true partner. When it comes to budgeting, experts say some clients are putting two budgets in play — one for if the meeting is held in- person and one for totally virtual. 26item that gives money back to the community. • Offer opportunities for company representatives to serve as a moderator during the in-person meeting, addressing those par- ticipating virtually. • If restrictions are keeping an industry partner from travel- ing, offer them a kiosk on the exhibit floor, with a touch-screen monitor with a direct link to their company. They can schedule personalized virtual meetings from right on the in-person exhibit floor. Taie is confident a virtual compo- nent will remain within her clients’ future meetings. However, she remains optimistic that the gap will continue to close in new and creative ways to engage sponsors within the virtual component. “It is so important to find opportunities that provide value and meaning to our industry partners as they look to con- nect with their target audience,” she says. “New technology solutions con- tinue to become available as hybrid and virtual meetings become a staple for our associations, but none have yet been able to re-create the value that only comes with in-person engagement.” ROI OVER EVERYTHING Like MPI, industry giant ASAE has been making changes to its meeting format. But, unlike many organizations, ASAE’s multiple events and meetings throughout the year provide a path for delivering consistent, ongoing ROI for partners, says Dan Melesurgo, V.P., strategic partnerships. The majority of ASAE’s partnerships have tradition- ally been in hospitality — destinations and hotels. Technology and business service have also been strong. “We’ve only lost one partner during the crisis, and that was an independent hotel,” Melesurgo says. “The good news is we’re doing pretty well and have actu- ally added partners during this time period. But the majority of our hos- pitality partners’ budgets have been decimated by the pandemic, which has caused us to shift our approach and be more flexible.” One change ASAE sees is that part- ners are demanding more data from the organizations they support, even longtime partners. “Hospitality part- ners are looking for concrete member data — how much do they plan, how do they rotate, do they plan internation- ally? We don’t have all those answers,” Melesurgo admits. “We tell them we’re trying to address this with our strate- gic plan going forward. For the most part, I think that works for them as there is trust in the relationship they have with ASAE, but it continues to be a challenge.” He also says partners on all fronts want more content delivery options and opportunities to be thought leaders. “ASAE has become nimbler and more flexible. We don’t draw lines in the sand in a way we perhaps used to. Instead, we’re asking ourselves what a specific partner is looking for and how can we deliver that?” Of course, he adds, “We are maintaining integrity; our educational and editorial content is still sacred.” One of ASAE’s successful strategies has been bundling multiyear deals that might include the annual meeting or smaller meetings, or customization of options. “For example, at the strategic level, Destination Canada is a longtime partner,” Melesurgo says. “We have an executive leadership program for CEOs, which is held in Canada each year. Experience Columbus was inter- ested in the next generation of leader- ship, so we aligned them with the Next- Gen Association Summit. People apply for the two-day program, which takes place in Columbus.” Melesurgo thinks there are opportu- nities with virtual events, but ultimately thinks partners are seeking to get back to in-person events. ASAE’s 2020 vir- tual attendance was 14,108, compared to its typical live-event attendance of 5,000 to 7,000, so that’s a positive. Still, he says, organizations have to look for new ways to deliver ROI. “If the annual meeting is the main funding mecha- nism, ask yourself what else you can provide for partners throughout the year to give them equal value or equal touchpoints with the audience,” he says. “Look inside your organization. You might already have assets you can monetize.” Melesurgo gives an example of ASAE offering spots to host highly attended Game Changer sessions. The hosts had one to two minutes to tell their story, then introduce the speaker, the idea being they’d connect to the speaker’s topic. One speaker was going to talk about resiliency and adapting in the face of challenges, so the partner talked about its asso- ciation clients going through the same thing, which flowed in well. Back-end analytics also played a huge part in deliver- ing ROI, Melesurgo says. “Virtual booth exhibitors got a lot of information when attendees clicked in, such as who was there, how long they stayed, what they downloaded. Did they watch the welcome video, did they video chat with colleagues, did they come back to the virtual booth? However, for the 2021 annual meeting, which was again virtual with regional pop ups, we eliminated the exhibits and provided other engage- ment opportunities.” In 2020 and 2021, we included a “partner playground” where partners could activate their brand. “Louisville had a cocktail-making class of its three famous cocktails, pre-recorded and available throughout the event. We’d say, ‘Join Louisville at 4 p.m.’ and dur- ing their designated time they could live chat with attendees,” he says. Of course, Melesurgo notes, “ASAE has a lot of bandwidth, and not every associa- tion can do that. But I think there are ways to scale down much of what we did and make it work for all.” No matter the size or makeup of your association, experts say sponsor- ship opportunities are available, but securing them requires listening in a new way to what sponsors want, being flexible and, above all, being creative. It’s a can-do situation. As Koenig says, “Now is the time for innovation, and associations are stepping up.” | AC&F | SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Dan Melesurgo V.P., Strategic Partnerships ASAE Ask yourself what else you can provide for partners throughout the year to give them equal value or equal touchpoints with the audience. 27AMERICA’S TOP CITIES MEETING & CONVENTION AA ssociation Conventions & Facilities magazine proudly presents the designees of our 2021 America’s Top Meeting & Convention cities. These destinations go above and beyond to stand out among the many destinations around the country. They offer top-notch service and support, as well as promotional assistance, supplier, facility and venue information to make planning meetings an easy, stress-free undertaking. These industry-leading des- tinations earn their way atop the list of planners nationwide through expanded and upgraded — or soon to be — venues and convention centers, indoor and out- door hotel and resort event spaces and boast enough room inventory to meet any need. Consider these Top Meeting & Convention Cities for your next meeting, conference or event. 28 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2021INDIANAPOLIS II ndianapolis is now named to three major publications’ lists for the top destinations of 2021. TIME Magazine, Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler each sited Indy’s newest gem, the Bottleworks District. This entertainment hub fea- tures an artisan food hall, a movie theater, a duckpin bowl- ing and arcade bar, salons and boutiques. The district’s focal point is the Bottleworks Hotel, a 139-room, luxury property with 13,494 square feet of meeting space, adorned with a classic façade and striking Art-Deco interior. An expansion of the Indiana Convention Center is on the horizon, and will add 143,500 square feet of event and function space, anchored by a 50,000-square foot ballroom, the largest in Indiana. It will also include the addition of an 800-room Signia by Hilton, bringing the total number of hotel rooms connected to the convention center to 5,500 — more than any other U.S. city. This project is anticipated to open in 2025. Speaking of connected hotels, the Westin Indianapolis is undergoing a three-phase, $43 million renovation — the most significant since it’s opening in 1989. Guests visiting for meetings will enjoy refreshed meeting facilities equipped with new light- ing, carpeting, doors, furniture and airwalls to maximize meet- ing space. Phase two includes the addition of 3,518 square feet of flexible meeting space showcasing floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Indiana State Capitol. Despite the challenges Indy has faced throughout the pan- demic, the city is pacing toward a healthy recovery with sev- eral new developments around the corner. Learn more at VisitIndy.com/Meet | AC&F | FACTS & FEATURES Total Guest Rooms: 7,500 downtown hotel rooms, including 4,700 rooms connected to the Indiana Convention Center Total Square Feet of Exhibit Space: 750,000 Convention Center: The Indiana Convention Center expansion, including a 50,000-square foot ballroom and an additional 143,500 square feet of flexible space, will create an unrivaled convention package. FIND YOUR SPACE VISITINDY.com/MEET The Bottleworks Hotel anchors a new entertainment district that adds yet another exciting option for planners in Indy. DAREN LOUIS KINGI Sr. Vice President of Sales Visit Indy 200 S. Capitol Ave, Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46225-1063 317-262-8211 | DKingi@visitindy.com visitindy.com AMERICA'S TOP MEETING & CONVENTION CITIES 29 SEPTEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESNext >