< PreviousThe Wyndham app also boasts an “in-stay mode” that allows guests to see the most important information about their hotel within three days of their stay, including mobile check-in, text messaging with the front desk and local attractions. And to help in the gamifica- tion of their company app and to appeal to consumers in unique ways, the Wyn- dham app allows guests to track their accomplishments, such as booking a stay via the app or redeeming points. Guests can also earn new “stamps” via that app that can result in increased point bal- ance and various promotional offers. CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT INC. The eagerness to return to “business as usual” is palpable at many of the Cae- sars Entertainment properties through- out the U.S. In fact, Caesars Entertain- ment is ready to welcome conferences back as Las Vegas fully opened on June 1. For example, Meeting Professionals International recently held its MPI WEC 2021 annual conference at CAESARS FORUM with more than 1,200 attendees in person. “Cvent CONNECT [was]with us at the beginning of August with 1,500 live attendees,” says Michael Massari, chief sales officer for Caesars Entertain- ment Inc. and co-chair of Meetings Mean Business. “The fall is extremely busy, as everyone who postponed their meetings will be here. The pent-up demand for gathering is real. We brought our teams back, and everyone can’t wait to be there to take care of custom- ers. We are, after all, in the hospi- tality business.” Also, Caesars has several capital projects in vari- ous stages of completion. Harrah’s Las Vegas has an all new room product and new lobby. This property is connected to CAESARS FORUM, and will go through more changes as the guest profile changes from leisure to corporate. In Reno Tahoe and in Atlantic City, Cae- sars has capital projects taking place as well. According to Massari, this fall, Harrah’s Cherokee, which is about an hour outside Atlanta, Georgia will cel- ebrate a grand opening of beautifully appointed new conference space and new hotel rooms. “We are continuously looking at ways to enhance the guest experience and guest expectations,” Massari says. One key way of doing this is through the ability of touchless hotel check-in. Using a mobile app, guests can check into a hotel room and use a key on their mobile phone. Guests can still use kiosks, or check in at the front desk and print keys if they prefer a physical key to use. Remote check-in, whereby guests can check in using their phone and then stop by to pick up their physical keys is another option, allowing guests to avoid long lines. So what’s the outlook at Caesar’s for the rest of 2021 and beyond? “Very strong, and I would even say, outstanding. We made a strategic decision to keep our national sales team — who are located around the country and are a staple in their communities – working for the duration of the pandemic,” Massari says. “They stayed close to their customers and worked incredibly hard during this time. Because we stayed so connected, we were fortunate and contracted more future business in the 12 months of the pandemic than we had in any other 12-month period in the history of the company.” MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL The entire Marriott team is very optimistic about business travel, as it is already returning and will continue to grow. And while everyone has learned to adapt in terms of using technology and different ways to connect, the Marriott team is hearing from customers that there is tremendous pent up demand to get back on the road. “We believe business travel is poised to return, and we can’t wait to welcome these travel- ers back into our hotels,” says Tammy Routh, senior vice president of global sales at Marriott International. As part of Marriott’s initiative to welcome back guests, Marriott has introduced digital content about rede- fined processes and reimagined spaces guided by cleanliness experts and best practices to help hosts, organizers and attendees plan and execute meetings, and connect with confidence. Specifi- cally, Marriott is introducing changes that include enhanced sanitation guide- lines, new operational training for asso- ciates and increased use of conference technologies to ensure that customers are able to come together when they are ready. Meeting planners may now refer- ence a series of new materials, includ- ing customer stories and resources that provide additional context and informa- tion for designing successful events in the current environment. Available now on MarriottBonvoyEvents.com, these tools illustrate Marriott’s approach to delivering high-quality meeting experiences across its full portfolio of hotels and resorts. In addition, Marriott has hosted Connect with Confidence meetings for its customers using the latest hybrid Hotel executives all say that cleaning initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic are here to stay, as attendees expect to feel safe. 40 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Cleanliness and service have always been our hallmarks, and now those deep convictions are more important than ever. TAMMY ROUTH Senior Vice President of Global Sales Marriott Internationalmeeting technology. One recent event included 100 in-person attendees and 800 virtual attendees at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado in January. The attendees were given information about planning and implementing an in-person event incorporating cleanliness protocols, physical and social distancing, redesigned food and beverage, contactless check-in, well- being checks, occupancy monitoring and more. Survey results from this event revealed that 51% of meeting and event professionals are planning to host a hybrid event within the next six to 12 months. When attendees were asked if they would attend another event if it were to be designed with the same principles, 95% said they would. And as social distancing continues to be important for many, the Marriott Bonvoy Events team has created a series of floor plans for physical distancing that enable event planners to visualize room configurations that allow for socially distant gatherings while still supporting the meeting’s purpose and goals. Consultations, pre-convention meetings and site tours can all be conducted virtually, and adapted to include hygiene and safety briefings. “Marriott International continues to work in collaboration with industry organizations, such as the Events Industry Council, to find ways to instill trust and confidence in meetings and events,” Routh says. “We look forward to welcoming back customers and guests for the exceptional experiences that our company is known for in a safe and clean environment. Cleanliness and service have always been our hallmarks, and now those deep convictions are more important than ever.” MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL Putting the entire MGM Resort experience into the hands of guests is at the backbone of MGM’s digital innova- tions. If guests no longer want to wait in line or are eager for a convenient, con- tactless way to check in, they can now use the resort’s mobile check-in pro- cess. Push notifications can alert guests to the status of their room. When the room is ready, guests can simply access their space with the new MGM Resorts Mobile App, which provides a digital key via a mobile device. In addition, guests can use the mobile app to browse res- taurants and reserve tables. And the app provides guests access to all of MGM’s dining and entertainment offerings, as well as guest’s M life Rewards account so they can track your tier credits, points and Express Comps balances. To further limit contact and stream- line the poolside food and beverage ordering process, MGM launched the Las Vegas’ first in-seat poolside mobile ordering system, currently available at select properties with full accessibility at all Las Vegas properties this summer. Each poolside seat location is assigned a chair tag and number, along with a unique QR code that, once scanned, opens a mobile ordering platform where the food and beverage selec- tion process begins. When the order is ready, an MGM Resorts employee will deliver the items to the guests’ seat location. HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION In addition to embracing a variety of digital touchless experiences throughout their facilities, Hyatt also has turned its attention to making meetings and events as safe and secure as possible — and that includes enhancing its hybrid meeting offerings. For in-person events, Hyatt boasts new protocols for event layout, attendee flow and cleanliness that still provides a level of comfort and enjoyment for attendees. To provide minimal contact to meeting planners as well, Hyatt offers a wealth of digital tools to help in the event-planning process. And for hybrid events, Hyatt now offers dedicated hybrid support teams, technological collaborations to help planners navigate the technology that will result in a well-orchestrated, fully integrated shared experience for all. Recently, Hyatt announced that it is partnering with Swapcard, a technology expert that provides a virtual and hybrid events platform, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), that helps meeting planners create events from registration to networking, and from livestreaming to community-building facets of each event. In March, Hyatt also announced plans to explore VeriFLY + STAY, a mobile health passport for the hospital- ity industry using the VeriFLY app that provides verification of COVID-19 cre- dentials and travel guidelines. As part of these exploration efforts, Hyatt will work with meeting planners to identify criteria for meeting attendees, which could include presenting a recent nega- tive COVID-19 test. The criteria can then be communicated to attendees in the VeriFLY mobile app prior to arrival, so they can fulfill their requirements and complete all necessary forms. Meet- ing attendees who satisfy a meeting’s requirements will be able to use the app to display a green checkmark for entry into the meeting or event. C&IT Marriott International Marriott has introduced digital content about redefined spaces guided by cleanliness experts. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 41 We brought our teams back, and everyone can’t wait to be there to take care of customers. We are, after all, in the hospitality business. MICHAEL MASSARI Chief Sales Officer, Caesars Entertainment Inc. Co-Chair, Meetings Mean BusinessTECH After COVID-19, Meetings Technology Becomes More Important BY KEITH LORIA INDUSTRY NEWS // T he hurdles to planning a con- vention or corporate meeting seem to get bigger every year, but new technology has been able to simplify things for planners and offer solutions for many of the challenges they face. Many of the major meeting industry associations, such as MPI, PCMA and IAEE, have a lot of commentary that can help planners understand the tech out there, and just about every aspect of the meeting planning process can be assisted using technology. Technology is important when it comes to planning events because it provides meeting planners with the data needed to make effective decisions that would be greatly beneficial for everyone involved. This helps ensure that productivity is maximized, no resources are wasted, and that the objectives of the event are met. But the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a curve ball into many of the meetings, conventions and incentive travel trips planned over 42 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comthe last year, and uncertainty still looms over what’s to come despite the vaccines. Thankfully, some innovative technology is helping planners deal with these challenges as well. THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE Don Donahue, senior director of business development for JoinIn, responded swiftly when COVID first became a problem for the industry by creating a new platform to help its international clients. “When the pan- demic first hit, we quickly pivoted to building a virtual platform to serve [what we thought would be] our cli- ents’ short-term needs, thinking all may be good and back to normal by fall,” he says. “When it became clear that was not going to happen, we invested more into the tools and services our clients, and many others, needed when we launched JoinIn [last] summer. The ease of use of our platform and cus- tomization, as well as post-event ana- lytics, are key to meeting planners to represent to their clients as they look for virtual solutions.” JoinIn is built from an event pro- ducer’s point-of-view. The platform offers high-touch concierge services, customization and fluidity, which takes away some of the intimidation people feel when thinking about attend- ing a virtual meeting. “We also offer the ability to send your attendees the ‘fun’ parts of attending an event — gift bags, entertainment activations, engag- ing award dinners and ceremonies,” Donahue says. “We are doing our very best to close the gap between where we currently are, and where we want to get back to.” JoinIn also offers a Virtual Briefcase, which collects content from the meeting, and a full-service exhibit floor, where vendors have five different custom booths to choose from where they can place their products and disburse information extremely easily. “To be successful, you need engagement, engagement, engagement,” Donahue says. “How do you keep people’s eyes on the content? Gamification, beautifully shot content [as opposed to Zoom calls] and interactivity are key ways to measure DepositPhotos.com TALK TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 43your group’s engagement in the content. We believe JoinIn provides this in a very easy-to-use way.” Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP, DES, MS, founder and president of Corbin Ball & Co., a meeting planning and trade show specialist, notes there has been an explosion of inno- vation in the area of virtual/hybrid event platforms that will change the events indus- try significantly after the pandemic is gone. Hybrids combine a face- to-face event at a physical location, with a virtual online component for remote attendees. However, it’s important to realize that a virtual meeting is completely different from a face-to-face meeting. “Production values need to be high — think TV production values — the attendees’ attention span is shorter, the content should be very compel- ling and engagement tools [polling, social Q&A, breakouts, gamification] should be used whenever possible,” Ball says. ZOOMING IN No doubt, the biggest result of the COVID pandemic on meetings and events has been the transition to virtual con- ferences, as almost all meetings that were scheduled for sum- mer and fall of 2020 were held virtually for the first time. Event conferences are going to be changed forever, and there are several platforms that allow participants to explore just like if they were there live — walking through the aisles look- ing at vendor tables, stopping and meeting with reps, and going to listen to speakers is now all possible online. For example, Keith Willard, an event planner in South Florida and president of Keith Willard Events, changed all of his meetings to Zoom in the nine months after the pandemic lockdowns started in March 2020. “The ability to con- nect multiple people in multiple cities and then share screens/ share file options is a game changer,” he says. “Even after the world returns to a more normal place, I will continue to use the Zoom plat- form to meet with clients. The ability to do everything that I would do in person without having to get on a plane or stay overnight helps reduce the overall production cost and allows me a lot more flexibility with my schedule.” The ability to continue planning in this way is essential for a num- ber of reasons, most importantly being that things still need to get done. “We still need to meet with the florist, entertainers, venues, etc., and Zoom makes that all possible,” Willard says. “The second part is to help people still have some normalcy and joy in planning. By still being able to con- tinue with appointments, we can keep the dream alive.” To be able to run an effective online meeting, a planner needs to know and understand intimately the program they are using. “Zoom has lots of options, including sharing your screen, creating breakout rooms, video sharing and such,” Willard says. “If you don’t know how to do it, then these accessories are useless or clumsily used. One easy one that comes instantly to mind is the use of a waiting room. Zoom now requires a password for a waiting room. A simple click will play a sound to let you know that there is someone wait- ing to come in, but if you don’t know to click that option, you could easily forget.” Additionally, those running the meeting must ensure that all the participants know what tools they need to be a part of it. For instance, Willard does a weekly show and has to be fairly specific about the use of headphones. “Most would play the sound through the computer speakers, but it creates a feedback loop that they may not be able to hear, but everyone else can,” he says. “This can also be said about internet connec- tion and equipment. Examples would be that many try to connect using an iPhone. How you get to the options on an iPhone is very different than a computer.” A big part of planning starts with a floor plan. Allseated is an online floor-plan program that allows 44 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Speakers can create a page for notes and encourage attendees to add their takeaways, and now you have a collaborative learning environment and a post-event, crowd-sourced resource. DEANNA NWOSU, CMP, DES Founder Deanna Camilleplanners and venues to create floor plans that can easily be shared with the client and other vendors. “I pair this with Zoom so that I can work with the client in real time to adjust the floor plan, and with a click of button, turn into a 3D rendering where we can virtually walk through the space,” Willard says. “Having the ability to adjust floor plans on the fly is more important than ever now since guest lists seem to be changing by the hour.” Deanna Nwosu, CMP, DES, founded Deanna Camille, a meetings and events company in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Her team offers valuable support to planners and speakers alike. She is in favor of Slack for communicating virtually. “It’s a great way to communicate with vendors and share files as I’m working on them,” she says. “The ability to set up different channels means I can set one up for each event and attach vendors where applicable.” She also likes using Google Suite products such as Sheets, Docs and Slides, as editors can all work on the document simul- taneously. “Using Google docs is great for engagement in virtual events too,” Nwosu says. “Speakers can create a page for notes and encourage attendees to add their take- aways, and now you have a collaborative learning environment and a post-event, crowd- sourced resource.” Other live event-streaming services that meeting plan- ners can take advantage of are GoToMeeting, Skype for Business, On24 and Aventri, which has recently integrated virtual events into its platform with the ability to host meet- ings as small as five attendees to large sin- gle sessions of 5,000+. WEARABLE DEVICES While smart watches and similar wearable devices were created to track fitness levels for the most part, scientists at Stanford University found they may have a higher purpose in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. In a study, researchers found that since these devices are measuring vitals all the time, they can detect when someone starts to get ill, because the heart rate jumps about four days before COVID symptoms appear. This is something that meeting planners and the venues hosting conferences think could help them in keeping those who are positive for the coronavirus safely out of their events, and are now expected to be part of pre-show checks. Additionally, wearable devices and phone apps utiliz- ing Bluetooth tech can also assist in helping control social distancing. For instance, last fall, Northstar Meetings Group relied on this sort of tech for an in-person meeting attended by 75 meeting professionals and 1,000 remote attendees that took place at the Mohegan Sun in Mystic Country, Con- necticut. All attendees wore social-distancing wristbands provided by PC Nametag, which buzzed and set off an alert whenever someone came within 6 feet of another person with a wristband. IMPORTANT EQUIPMENT Streamline Event Agency provides full production ser- vices and prefers to create, capture and push the content across the JoinIn platform. “We provide a virtual stream- ing kit that is shipped to our speakers in one Pelican case,” Donahue says. “It contains a high-end ring light, 4K camera, top-quality microphone and teleprompter all in one unit. Once the client logs on, we can take over and control the shoot to insure brilliant quality.” However, if a client has a production company in place, JoinIn can work wonderfully as the host platform only. In these cases, Donahue recom- mends planners invest in good cameras, lighting, audio, and scenic creative pieces to provide the best audio and visual elements at a conference. Willard notes a good cam- era that has a microphone built in will take you a long way. “Most people that are attending an online meeting will never have to go much further than a camera/micro- phone as far as equip- ment,” he says. “As a planner, I upgraded my camera, bought a separate microphone and upgraded my Wi-Fi. The camera is able to adjust to any light, which allows me not to use a ring light, and a separate microphone that is directional to reduce any noise that may be TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 45 It often does not make sense to purchase, maintain, ship, setup and secure a large inventory of data projectors that will likely be obsolete in a few years. CORBIN BALL , CMP, CSP, DES, MS Founder and President Corbin Ball & Co.coming from another room, and Wi-Fi, because nothing is more annoying than when a person’s image freezes over and over and over.” He also invested in online production soft- ware that allows him to produce event advice programs that can either be pushed out to Facebook, YouTube, and Linke- dIn or record to a podcast. In most cases, Ball does not recommend purchasing expensive A/V equipment unless there is repeated regular use. “For example, if you are running a small, single-room event many times a year, the purchase of a data projector would be justified,” he says. “However, if you are running a large annual convention with many breakout rooms, it often does not make sense to purchase, maintain, ship, setup and secure a large inventory of data projectors that will likely be obsolete in a few years. The equipment and setup of large gen- eral sessions should be left to the production company pros.” CLEARING THE AIR One of the worries of anyone who enters a meeting now is being in a crowded, poorly ventilated room. The same is true for traveling on a plane or train. Chad Leveritt, principal of Summit Consultants Inc., which performs highly special- ized mechanical design and energy analysis studies, notes hotels and others in the hospitality industry need to consider improving air quality and air movement in accordance with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Con- ditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) airborne infectious disease mitigation recommendations. One of the most obvious ways to fight pathogens and improve air quality is by utilizing outdoor ventilation, but if meeting outside is not an option, venues can rely on air dampers to eliminate air circulation; disable demand-con- trolled ventilation; add portable room air cleaners with MERV13 filters to trap airborne viruses; introduce indoor air-quality sensors and bring in Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) technology to assist in killing microor- ganisms. Joe Urso, founder, chairman and CEO of Active- Pure, an air- and surface-purification technology proven to kill pathogens and contaminants, notes the issue of traveling for conventions and meetings is all about trust. “For peace-of-mind, attendees must trust the air that they breathe and the surfaces that they touch are adequately disinfected and clean,” he says. “Within our own homes, we feel safe because we know the measures we take to ensure safety. However, when we leave infection control to others, we must trust that they take the same steps we do. Often, they do not.” He notes the safest way to travel is to bring an active air-purification device with you. Active air-purification systems take regular air and water molecules and convert them into supercharged molecules. Released back into the room, these supercharged molecules fill the entire space. “The supercharged molecules are on a mission to literally seek and destroy pathogens and contaminants within a space — on surfaces and in the air,” Urso says. “This process happens in real-time, 24/7.” Even if a space has been disinfected with chemicals, once humans enter, the space is no longer disinfected. Humans breathe, talk, sneeze, cough and touch surfaces, potentially contaminating the air and surfaces with millions of micro- organisms. And even if a property claims to have ionization, UVC lights and other HEPA filtrations in place, these are not adequate solutions for real-time disinfection or decon- tamination of an active, ongoing place. “Also, [meeting ven- ues] are by their very nature, high-traffic areas, and new contaminants are constantly being introduced,” Urso says. “Ionization, UVC lights and HEPA filtrations simply cannot clean the air fast enough. For airborne contaminants to be contained in capture-based air purifiers, the contaminant must make its way into the device through the air and then travel through its capture mechanism [usually a HEPA fil- ter, carbon or UVC light]. If a space has an active air puri- fication system in place, the supercharged molecules are continually looking for and destroying these new pathogens as they are introduced.” Look for these types of systems to be widely used in venues going forward by savvy plan- ners and attendees. LOOKING AHEAD There is no doubt that virtual meetings are here to stay and will be a big part of the industry going forward. “Even when meetings are completely safe to attend in per- son, the add-on of a virtual platform will give companies, organizations and associations the ability to sell far more tickets to those interested who may not want to travel or have the budget,” Donahue says. “Integrated virtual will be a positive the event industry takes away from this devastating year.” Technology has already come a long way in the last five years. Planners now have the ability to book appointments virtually, connect virtually, do floor plans virtually and even build 3D models to help clients visualize their spaces. “We used to have to pay someone to build even the simplest 3D model,” Willard says. “The fact that I only have to click a single button and the space is converted instantly to 3D mod- eling now is wonderful. Moving forward, it’s just going to get easier and more advanced.” For planners to stay competitive in 2021 and beyond, it’s important they start figuring out how to make the most of the available technology. C&IT 46 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com TampaMeetings.com SUCCESS STORIES FLORIDA’S MOST With new hotels, venue upgrades and smart safety measures, Tampa Bay is creating meeting success stories for a variety of organizations in 2021 — and we’ll do the same for you. tbcvb_45553_01_fp_MeetingsMag_Ad_M.indd 15/6/21 4:24 PM If a space has an active air purification system in place, the supercharged molecules are continually looking for and destroying these new pathogens as they are introduced. JOE URSO Founder, Chairman and CEO ActivePureTampaMeetings.com SUCCESS STORIES FLORIDA’S MOST With new hotels, venue upgrades and smart safety measures, Tampa Bay is creating meeting success stories for a variety of organizations in 2021 — and we’ll do the same for you. HYBRID HELP Planning These Meetings Involves More Than Having Attendees Log on and Stare at a Screen BY MAURA KELLER PLANNER TIPS // A s with the rest of the world, keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic has been at the top of the priority list for the meet- ings and events industry. And while meetings and events are still vitally important, technology has provided many online and virtual solu- tions. Zoom or other online communi- cation programs have helped bridge the largest of the gaps, and have allowed meeting professionals to pivot to a hybrid approach. Sarah Freeman, meeting planner and director of sales at Evolution Event Solutions, says COVID-19 forced the live event industry to stop in its tracks. Com- panies lost millions of dollars overnight with event cancellations, and thousands of meetings and events professionals lost their jobs. “The combination of the lack of business and employees caused over 10% of event companies to close their doors in March 2020. The lucky few of us who already had multiple revenue streams, and were able to pivot to the virtual world, have been able to limp through these hard times,” Freeman says. So what did that pivot look like? Quite simply, it has taken different shapes since March. “At first, our focus was to postpone all live events instead of canceling. This then shifted to learn [how to do] virtual, and learn it quickly,” Freeman says. “We went from people getting burned out on non-engaging virtual meetings to the hope of hybrid meetings, and now we are in a mixture of all of the above. Everything has hap- pened really quickly, and only those who are able to be vulnerable, honest, creative and innovative have survived.” Keith Willard, president of Keith Willard Events, agrees. “It was up to us as the planners to become intimately knowledgeable about all of the pieces and parts to make sure not only that our clients could continue doing their meet- ings, but that it was done efficiently without issue,” Willard says. “When it came to in-person events, we needed to quickly investigate any venues under contract to see if they had alternate locations due to reduced numbers of guests, that the staff were following CDC guidelines, as well as make sure that any food or beverage service was using Plexiglas separators and gloves.” When state mandates and lock- downs began in March 2020, many within the meetings industry had to shift overnight into reaching out to cli- ents, assessing options, writing adden- dums to contracts, and encouraging cli- ents to consider postponing instead of canceling. Event planners, producers, designers, rental companies and so on, whose business model is structured around events, lost revenue in a blink, and COVID has continued to make operat- ing challenging despite the availability of vaccines. But, thanks to the creativ- ity of meetings and events experts who grace the industry, hybrid events are proving to be an effec- tive avenue for meetings and events of all sizes. As Janel Bailey-Keen, execu- tive creative director at Vivid Expres- sions LLC, explains, since the sizes of gathering has been reduced tremen- dously — in some cases not exceeding 15 to 50 attendees — most event plan- ners, designers and rental companies have turned to redefining what an event can look and feel like. “The tech- nology, design and innovation over the last few months has given birth to sev- eral different types of hybrid events,” 48 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com [We had] ... to make sure not only that our clients could continue doing their meetings, but that it was done efficiently ... KEITH WILLARD President Keith Willard EventsBailey-Keen says. Gener- ally, she sees four of these types of events: • SPLIT-DATE HYBRID: Smaller gathering focus- ing mainly on a ceremony, such as awards presenta- tions or wedding ceremo- nies, including intimate gatherings with a larger reception postponed for a later date • ON-SITE AND OVER- FLOW HYBRID: This is an event that is held both on- site and off-site, or virtu- ally at the same time. For example, guest speakers, panels or presentations held in one venue/con- ference room at a venue, while a simulcast is broad- cast to other rooms in the same, or different venue, designed with similar decor and look to main- tain the event’s continuity to attendees viewing from home, or an alternative location. • THE INDOOR/OUTDOOR HYBRID: This event is designed for guests to access environments inside a venue and/or outside a venue with a well- structured flow and barriers. These events may also offer virtual participa- tion, such as attendees watching live video in the stands of a sports arena. • OFF-SITE VIRTUAL: Finally there’s the completely virtual event — with presentations, panels, live virtual tours or streaming only accessible virtually. Making Hybrid Unique When taking an event hybrid, meet- ing planners really have to focus on making sure that the experiences of in- person and virtual attendees are engag- ing, seamless and purposeful. As Free- man explains, you are planning two events that will take place at one time, so be sure to think through the experi- ences of both perspectives, and don’t neglect your virtual audience. “We hosted a small hybrid event in October that had 13 live guests and 30 virtual guests. Our live guests checked in on-site, entered the meeting space, sat down, enjoyed some education, and then moved from the meeting space to the rooftop for appetizers, cocktails and networking,” Freeman says. “Our vir- tual guests logged in virtually, viewed announcement slides, enjoyed the same education, and then were transferred into breakout rooms for networking. This allowed all guests to accomplish the same goal and have a similar experi- ence — receive education and network.” Technology and social distancing, especially if there are event-gathering size restrictions, may seem the most obvious when you consider hybrid event challenges, but there are also opportunities to explore unique and innovative solutions. For example, as Bailey-Keen points out, in the case of guest speaker presentations and break- out session for conferences, an interest- ing hybrid model is “flipping” the idea of attendees moving from one room to a different one during breakout sessions at a conference. “Instead, attendees can be designated a ‘home base’ or their own area of a ballroom — complete with comfortable seating, table and perhaps access to a personal charging station — as they’ll most likely be using a device through the day and then having each presenter rotate to a new room throughout the con- ference,” Bailey-Keen says. “To be honest, the advances in livestreaming and simul- casting are some of the best I’ve ever seen.” The technology for vir- tual attendees can be a chal- lenge, but it’s creating a clear, defined and effective communication system to manage instructions, expec- tations and experiences for all attendees — live and vir- tual. This is where having a strong communications plan in place is key. “In a pinch, individuals can livestream, conduct polls, hashtags and do virtual walk-through demos from their phones to enhance a social media presence and promotional marketing,” Bailey-Keen says. “Working with pro- fessional videographers and tech spe- cialists will guarantee the delivery to off-site guests, and on-site attendees will have an engaging experience.” In the situation where an event will create a simultaneous experience over multiple locations, Bailey-Keen has seen and has created special “packages” designed and mailed out to participants with various presentation materials, supplies/worksheets, props, sponsor gifts, favors, collateral, etc., that they will be prompted to use in conjunc- tion with presentations, speakers or highlights of the event. “This can help create a more engaging, branded, styled and cohesive experience,” Bailey-Keen says. “For those in multiple locations and platforms, be sure to design a con- sistent look and feel — including colors, branding, theme, style, etc.” For on-site attendees, use visual directional guidance or ‘wayfinding’ for attendees that direct guests in a single flow through an environment with floor Courtesy of Sarah Freeman Planners were forced to learn a “new normal” when it came to hosting events during COVID-19. 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