A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION DECEMBER 2021 VOL. 28 NO. 5 $15.00 New Venues, Longtime Favorites Keep Planners Coming Back LAS VEGAS 2022 INDUSTRY OUTLOOK AGENDAS THAT WOW DESTINATION: FLORIDA HOW TO WIN THE TALENT WAR THE NEXT EPIDEMIC Photo by marchello74 via Adobe StockSee why Tucson’s one-of-a-kind culture creates an experience that extends beyond the ballroom. Book now through 2024 and earn up to $15,000 OFF your Master Account.INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | DECEMBER 2021 themeetingmagazines.com 3 DECEMBER 2021 Vol. 28 No. 5 22 28 18 departments features 14 28 22 4 18 2022 Outlook Industry Leaders Remain Steadfast in Their Hopes for a Strong Rebound Compiled by Henry Fitzgerald Awesome Agendas A Great Meeting Outline Benefits Planners and Attendees By Maura Keller Florida A Destination Always Open for Business By David Swanson Las Vegas & Reno New Venues, Longtime Favorites Keep Planners Coming Back By Maura Keller destinations 6 8 10 12 34 Publisher’s Message News & Notes How to Win the War for Talent Don’t Let Metrics Myopia Push out Your Best Workers By Rick Grimaldi The Next Epidemic Nine Ways to Stamp out the Mental Health Stigma in Your Workplace By Diana Hendel, Pharm.D. and Mark Goulston, M.D. Tough Talk How to Have Difficult Conversations Without Damaging Relationships By Quint Studer Corporate Ladder 14 ISSN 1095-9726USPS 012-991Harvey Grotsky A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Harvey Grotsky harvey.grotsky @ themeetingmagazines.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristin Bjornsen kristin.bjornsen @ themeetingmagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR Henry Fitzgerald henry.fitzgerald @ themeetingmagazines.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rachel Galvin rachel.galvin @ themeetingmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sophia Bennett Sara Churchville Cynthia Dial Maura Keller Christine Loomis Nancy Mueller Patrick Simms David Swanson PRESIDENT & CEO Harvey Grotsky VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Middlebrook david.middlebrook @ themeetingmagazines.com ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 120 Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394 561-989-0600 Fax: 561-989-9509 advertising@themeetingmagazines.com IL | IN | WI REGIONAL MANAGER Bob Mitchell 630-541-3388 • Mobile: 630-235-0126 bob.mitchell@themeetingmagazines.com DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS Michael Caffin 914-629-5860 michael.caffin@themeetingmagazines.com Bright Prospects for the Year Ahead Now that the celebrations and frenzied rush that punctuate the end of the year are almost behind us, it’s time to get to the task of cre- ating new plans and forging ahead with new relationships despite being hampered from time to time with COVID-19 virus health- care restrictions in some destinations. And, as we do every year, we watch for trends and clues as to what lies ahead in the meetings industry. When planning meetings and in- centive programs, these trends will hopefully help facilitate our plan- ning process. While no one can deny uncertainties, the economy steams ahead at a brisk pace, making for good news for the meetings and incentive travel industry. It’s time for professional meeting planners and others responsible for planning events to stand up and take a positive approach to expedite the pandemic recovery. By it’s very nature, the meetings and incentive travel industry supports other allied business opportunities, such as airlines, destination manage- ment companies, hotels, resorts, and conference and convention centers. By sustaining these other lines of business, we will also help our economy prosper. We must continue to prove that meetings mean business and are essential to inform, educate and train. Also, let’s not overlook the proven value of incentive programs. Meetings and incentive travel programs are an investment, the results of which show up on the bottom line. The facts speak for themselves, so let the doomsayers say what they will and to you, our subscribers, I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Insurance & Financial Meetings Management is published bi-monthly by Coastal Communications Corporation, 2700 N. Military Trail, Ste. 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394; 561-989-0600. Single copies $15.00 U.S.A.; back cop- ies $17. Yearly subscription price is $70.00 in the U.S.A.; $135.00 in Canada. Distributed without charge to qualified personnel. Periodicals Postage Paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Insurance & Financial Meetings Management, 2700 N. Military Trail, Ste. 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Nothing contained in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by Coastal Communications Cor- poration (Insurance & Financial Meetings Management), and the publication disclaims any liability with respect to the use of reliance on any such informa- tion. The information contained in this publication is no way to be construed as a recommendation by I&FMM of any industry standard, or as a recommenda- tion of any kind to be adopted by or binding upon any corporate/incentive travel planner or agent. Reproduction of any portion of this publication by any means is strictly forbidden. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Subscriber: Send subscription inquiries and address changes to: Circulation Dept., Insurance & Financial Meetings Management, 2700 N. Mili- tary Trail, Ste. 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Give old and new addresses including zip codes. Enclose address label from most recent issue and allow five weeks for change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. © 2021 www.themeetingmagazines.com Learn more at VisitCOS.com/meet Welcome to Colorado Springs, where our wide-open spaces and stunning natural scenery are the inspirational backdrop to your next meeting. Hold a spectacular event at The Broadmoor’s new 125,000 sq. ft. Bartolin Hall. You’ll enjoy higher attendance, and attendees will enjoy riding the reimagined Broadmoor Pikes Peak and Manitou Cog Railway to the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center at 14,115’ elevation. Let us help you create a successful and memorable attendee experience. Here you’ll find room to inspire, innovate, connect and re-energize. IMPRESS ROOM TO PUBLISHER’SMESSAGE 4 DECEMBER 2021 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENTthemeetingmagazines.comLearn more at VisitCOS.com/meet Welcome to Colorado Springs, where our wide-open spaces and stunning natural scenery are the inspirational backdrop to your next meeting. Hold a spectacular event at The Broadmoor’s new 125,000 sq. ft. Bartolin Hall. You’ll enjoy higher attendance, and attendees will enjoy riding the reimagined Broadmoor Pikes Peak and Manitou Cog Railway to the new Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center at 14,115’ elevation. Let us help you create a successful and memorable attendee experience. Here you’ll find room to inspire, innovate, connect and re-energize. IMPRESS ROOM TOMIAMI, FL — Silversea Cruises has appointed cruise industry veteran Katina Athanasiou as senior vice presi- dent of sales, reinforcing the cruise line’s long-term commitment to growth. Athanasiou will drive Silversea’s sales strategy in the Americas across all channels, reporting to Mark Conroy, Silversea’s managing director, The Americas. With an illustrious career in the cruise industry that spans 21 years, Athanasiou is perfectly placed to apply her wealth of experi- ence and expertise to the boutique approach of the leading ultra-luxury cruise line. INDUSTRYNEWS themeetingmagazines.com 6 NASHVILLE, TN — Grand Hyatt Nashville, the 25-floor luxury property located within the 18-acre Nashville Yards develop- ment, has been recognized as North America’s Best New MICE Hotel 2021 by the World MICE Awards, a global initiative to celebrate and reward excellence in the meetings, incentives, con- ferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry. The 591-room Grand Hyatt Nashville has 84,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meetings and events space, most featur- ing floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views of downtown Nashville. There are also 42 meet- ing rooms and two ballrooms, including a 20,000-sf ballroom with large, flexible pre-function areas and an outdoor patio. DECEMBER 2021 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT WASHINGTON, DC — Supply chain dis- ruptions are impacting the operations of more than eight in 10 surveyed hotels, and nearly three in four hotel operators say the disrup- tions are negatively impacting their business revenue, according to a new survey of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) members. Eighty- six percent of respondents reported that supply chain disruptions were having a moderate or significant impact on their operations. More than half (52%) say the problem has grown worse over the past three months. Seventy-four percent say supply chain issues are having a negative impact on business revenue. MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL EXPECTS TO DEBUT MORE THAN 30 LUXURY HOTELS ACROSS THE GLOBE IN 2022 CANNES, FRANCE — Marriott International Inc. has announced it expects to debut more than 30 luxury hotels in 2022, creat- ing the rare and enriching experiences today’s luxury trav- eler craves with its unmatched portfolio of dynamic luxury brands. Through the world-renowned hospitality hallmarks of The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, St. Regis, W, The Luxury Collection, EDITION, JW Marriott and Bulgari, Mar- riott International continues to elevate travel, creating highly contextualized, distinct brand experiences that signal the future of luxury. GRAND HYATT NASHVILLE NAMED NATION’S BEST NEW HOTEL FOR MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES SURVEY: 86% OF HOTELS SAY THEY HAVE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES SILVERSEA APPOINTS KATINA ATHANASIOU AS SVP OF SALES SO MANY WAYS TO MEET, ALL IN ONE MAGNIFICENT PLACE. Athanasiou NEW MEETING SPACE COMING TO ORLANDO WORLD CENTER MARRIOTT ORLANDO, FL — Orlando World Center Marriott is undergoing a transformation that will add 24 meeting rooms of 1,200 sf each to the property. This will bring the property’s event space to more than 500,000 sf of flexible function space, allowing it to accommodate meetings and events of all sizes. This new meeting space, Magnolia, will enhance the hotel’s existing con- vention center and provide even more options for planners. It is slated for completion in April. The 4-star resort features a variety of ballrooms, 70+ breakout rooms and breathtak- ingly landscaped outdoor space. Groups will also love the access to the resort’s many exciting amenities, including its championship golf course, full-service spa, and the new Fall Pools area that was a part of an ongoing, multimillion-dollar renovation project. MORE THAN HALF (52%) SAY THE PROBLEM HAS GROWN WORSE OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS.SO MANY WAYS TO MEET, ALL IN ONE MAGNIFICENT PLACE.How to Win the War for Talent Don’t Let Metrics Myopia Push out Your Best Workers BY RICK GRIMALDI E mployee engagement” has been a boardroom buzzword for quite some time. We’ve long known engagement matters. Still, the unspoken “but” has always been that metrics — especially those of the performance and financial ilk — matter more. Now, with the talent shortage at a 10-year high, the time is right for a major shift in this “metrics-first” attitude. I have a unique perspective, having negotiated hun- dreds of labor agreements and seeing firsthand what attracts and retains employees. As leverage keeps shift- ing toward employees, I see companies scrambling to offer new benefits and put all sorts of expensive reten- tion programs in place — but they’re missing the one thing they should be doing. As I negotiate contracts, one thing I hear all the time is that employees don’t feel cared about. The key to winning the war for talent might be simpler than many employers realize. It’s not just about pay- ing more. It’s about putting engagement at the cen- ter of everything. Many of my clients get it. For example, the CEO of a huge corporation just flew in all of his HR VPs, from every division, and said, “I want a 180-degree change in how we engage employees, and you’re empowered to do it. Don’t be driven by the business or the opera- tors — and if there’s a problem, come to me.” With the explosion of technology over the past few decades, and the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), there’s been a ten- dency to reduce everything to just metrics. It’s easy to see how this happened, as technology is an incredibly valuable tool. But too much of a focus on tech gets in the way of making real connections. Employees are pushing back. Their message to employers is this: “You’ve got these programs designed to manage us. You’re look- ing at the metrics and saying, ‘The data shows you’re not being productive.’ But you’re not asking us on the back end, ‘Why is that? Are you struggling? Is there something going on in your life we can help with?’ INDUSTRYINSIDER themeetingmagazines.com 8 DECEMBER 2021 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT With the explosion of technology over the past few decades, and the advent of AI, there’s been a tendency to reduce everything to just metrics. DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMAnd if you’re not willing to do that, well, I don’t need to be here.” So, in light of this growing sense of dissatisfaction, what can you do to better engage your employees? Here are a few tactics: Stop putting metrics front and cen- ter. It’s not that metrics aren’t impor- tant; they are. It’s that engagement matters at least as much if not more than, say, tracking and rating employee productivity and performance. And you need to show through your words and actions that you value them, that you care about them, and that you want to help them become their best selves. Think of this as not an “either/or” but as an “and” approach. You’re prob- ably going to keep measuring. But the more intentional you can get about showing employees you care about them in meaningful ways, the better. Get intentional about knowing your people. Of course managers need to know employees’ goals, strengths, and other work-related factors. Hope- fully, that’s a given. But they should also know their birthdays, who their kids are, and where they like to go on vacation. This requires regular human connections, and they aren’t going to “just happen.” You need to put systems in place to make them happen. I’m seeing a resurgence of the old “management by walking around” method happening, even on factory floors. When you schedule time to do this, and also make a point of having regular face-to-face meetings with employees that go beyond performance reviews, a lot of things will change. Be as flexible as possible in regard to work/life integration. Studies show millennials and Gen Zers have a strong preference for good work/life integra- tion, and they’ve gotten used to work- ing this way over the past couple of years. As an employer, you may realize fully remote doesn’t work for a particu- lar position, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out a hybrid arrangement or that you can’t let people adjust start and stop times. Employers have to realize that there can’t be any more rigid rules. The hybrid workplace is here to stay. Of course, this has to be tempered by common sense, and it has to work for the employee and the company. Still, engaging employees means listening to their needs and mak- ing every effort to accommodate them. Make employee well-being a top priority. Mental health issues are no longer in the closet. They can’t be, in a time when so many have moved past stress and into trauma territory. Companies are realizing that psy- chological well-being impacts not just engagement, but also productivity, per- formance, and every aspect of culture. Keep an eye on this issue as you design benefits, career tracks and work arrangements. And destigmatize mental health issues. It has to be OK to ask for help. Don’t neglect psychological safety. If employees don’t feel safe, they won’t trust, and if they don’t trust, they won’t collaborate and innovate. Also, trust is directly connected to employee willing- ness to give honest feedback to lead- ers — about what they want and need, as well as about where the problems lie that could be driving them away. How to create psychological safety? Allow people to deliver bad news with- out fear of your reaction. Don’t toler- ate any behavior, in yourself or oth- ers, that demeans, belittles or blames. It may help to spell out expectations for how co-workers should interact and implement a zero-tolerance pol- icy for bullying. Think beyond DEI. Earnestly seek to create a sense of belonging. We know diversity and inclusion are important. But organizations that want to thrive go further. They work toward what DEI expert Tristan Higgins calls metaclusiv- ity. In other words, they cultivate a true sense of belonging. Feeling that they belong is what gets people engaged and allows them to do their best work. Leverage generational differences in a smart way. Research shows multigen- erational companies do well in terms of performance and productivity. It makes sense: A blend of different ages means you get more diverse perspectives and a synergy that gives you a competi- tive edge. And you can also leverage the gifts of different age groups to boost engagement. We know young people crave development. Well, you’ve got these seasoned employees who could share their expertise with younger ones. And reverse mentoring is a big trend now too: How better to engage younger employees than to get them involved in teaching older employees about tech- nology or social media? If your company is used to thinking in terms of number of units produced, profit margins, number of errors, and other metrics, some of these ideas may seem foreign. Engagement is about emotional connections. If leaders inside your company have no idea how to make and nurture these connections, it may be time to take a hard look at the culture you’ve created. Like it or not, if you’re to win the war for talent, there have to be some changes. I & FMM INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | DECEMBER 2021themeetingmagazines.com 9 Rick Grimaldi is a workplace trends expert and the author of “FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace.” His unique perspective comes from his diverse career in high- ranking public service positions, as a human resources and labor relations professional for an international hi-tech company, and presently in private practice as a partner with Fisher Phillips, LLP, one of America’s preeminent management side labor and employment law firms. For more, visit rickgrimaldi.com. THE AUTHOR Too much of a focus on tech gets in the way of making real connections. Employees are pushing back.Next >