< PreviousCaesarsMeansBusiness.com 855-633-8238ANNUALOUTLOOK themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2022 M any association meetings experts were optimistic that 2021 would see things improve quickly after a dismal 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But two COVID-19 variants — first Delta, then Omicron — put a damper on the recovery, even after the vaccine rollout started in earnest early in 2021. So, where do we go from here? Indus- try leader and International Associa- tion of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) President and CEO David DuBois, CMP, CAE, FASAE, CTA, shared his thoughts as we move into 2022. Q: As the U.S. tries to ease out of the COVID-19 pandemic, how does the meetings and events industry rebound? A: Over the past several months, the exhibitions industry has increasingly demonstrated ways to hold events safely from GBAC STAR accreditations at vari- ous levels, to health and safety mandates, to using data and scientific modeling to plan for safe events. CEIR economist Dr. Allen Shaw has forecast in his most recent analysis that we should see pre- COVID (2019) levels of activity in the B2B exhibition space sometime in 2023. Q: What challenges will association meeting planners face in 2022? A: A major challenge will be the pub- lic perception of what is safe. At a point, each individual has to decide what their comfort level is in going to events based on the communications and planning from the event organizer. We are seeing right now how the world will respond to the Omicron variant, and only time will tell how people will react. Q: Is the nationwide supply shortage something that is affecting your com- pany/entity? Your clients? A: The answer to this depends on the industry vertical. With all facets of our economy, the labor market is slow to catch up, and this is requiring even more thoughtful planning and contin- gency planning by organizers. Q: What were your initial thoughts about how long the industry would be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? How have those thoughts changed so many months later? A: Hindsight is always 20/20, but like most people, I assumed the vaccine would help drive out the pandemic. But, here we are ... and we have a new variant to deal with. I used to think we would get through COVID, but the reality is that we are all now living with COVID and doing our best to find our way to come together safely. Unfortu- nately, like the regular flu, COVID may never go away. As an industry, it is our duty of care and responsibility to pro- vide safe environments for exhibitions and events, as well as help mitigate the spread of any illnesses. Q: How are 2022 meeting budgets different from 2021? 2020? A: I can only speak for IAEE, but with hybrid events becoming the norm for many, we have to plan for increased A/V costs. And we have to weigh the pros and cons of producing digital events based on our members’ needs and wants. Q: How did the 2021 Annual Meet- ing & Exhibition differ from 2020? A: The 2021 event was a hybrid event and 2020 was fully virtual. Q: What are the key take- aways you hope planners received from the meeting? A: Above all else, the power of meet- ing face to face is greater than any other marketing medium to conduct business. Additionally, we can and will continue to meet safely. Q: What encouraging signs or trends do you see ahead for the meet- ings industry? A: People are learning to live with COVID, when I think most of us thought we would just get through it. Event professionals are resourceful and tena- cious. We are discovering new ways to meet and bring people together safely, and this is changing constantly. | AC&F | There Are Many Challenges, but the Industry is Resilient COMPILED BY HENRY FITZGERALD 2022 ASSOCIATION INDUSTRY FORECAST DAVID DUBOIS, President and CEO International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) 12PLANNERTIPS themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2022 Experts Offer Practical Tips to Achieve Your Goals SELLING SUSTAINABILITY S ustainability continues to be a significant worldwide issue, and though the meetings and events industry has focused on it extensively, much more work needs to be done in navigating an ever- changing landscape. “The recent realization that all global industries, including the busi- ness events industry, will need to adapt to meet zero net targets sooner, rather than later, is a significant issue,” says Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC. “The chal- lenge keeping many up at night is [to achieve] an industry-wide acceptance of measurement and strong tools.” Nancy J. Zavada, CMP, president of MeetGreen, says the meetings industry, except for venues and facilities, has been very slow to adopt sustainability initia- tives. “Venues have readily adopted energy and water-savings programs that have an impact on the bottom line,” she says. “They are saving money. Meet- Green has been successful in working with clients on the ‘low-hanging fruit,’ such as Styrofoam and bottled water, but it is time to support our clients to up the game. The challenge for the meetings industry is to understand that how or how often we convene, people will most likely not be going back to ‘normal,’ and creative solutions must be found. We must be forward-thinking and provide more sustainable ways to meet.” Julia Spangler, owner of Ecosystems Events, calls for a mindset shift. “Col- lectively, as an industry, we need to become more confident in saying ‘no’ to old ways of doing things that are overly wasteful and extractive, and bolder about exploring new, creative event designs that intentionally have a lower impact on the planet,” she says. Sustainability is a very broad, chal- lenging issue to address, however. Plan- ners already have an overflowing to-do list, and many need to learn or develop a new skill set to attain a solid, work- ing knowledge of how to make their meetings and events more sustainable. Several industry experts acknowledge that the task is difficult, but offered some specific, effective solutions. Many emphasize that, first, all stakeholders — including planners, organizations, com- panies and facilities — need to have clear, meaningful and attainable sustainability goals. “But one of the main challenges is simply to know where to begin,” says Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group. She recommends for each organization to work with experts such as MeetGreen, the Events Industry Council (EIC) and Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) to develop goals that are most relevant and achievable. The EIC’s Sustainable Events Standards, which has helped to give the entire industry some ground- ing on the issue, is an especially valuable resource, as is the United Nations Sus- tainable Development Goals. Planners have many other opportu- nities to enhance their overall knowl- edge of sustainability issues. Meeting Professionals International (MPI) offers a digital Sustainable Event Strate- gist Program that Spangler teaches, and BY DAN JOHNSON 1415 JANUARY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES the EIC recently made its Sustainable Event Professional Certificate Program available online. Some planners par- ticipate in some of the ever-expanding number of networking groups, which include the Sustainable Event Alliance, Members United for Sustainable Events and the Sustainable Events Network, Florida & Caribbean. “Having access to meaningful education about sustain- ability, coupled with spaces to collabo- rate with other professionals on ideas and solutions, is the first step to moving the industry forward in a bigger way,” Spangler says. SETTING ATTAINABLE, MEASURABLE GOALS It’s critical for companies, organiza- tions and facilities to place a high pri- ority on achieving sustainability goals. Planners need to not only understand the sustainability goals of their organi- zation and its stakeholders, but also the main priorities. “The main challenge is when sustainability goals take a back seat to other goals, especially financial ones,” says Adam Radziminski, director, events Vancouver Convention Centre, the world’s first LEED platinum conven- tion center. “It’s important for all of us to bring sustainability goals to the same level as other business priorities, and to make sure that we can tell ‘why’ — and that why is the survival of our commu- nities, our businesses and our future. That’s why it’s such a guiding value for so many, especially younger demograph- ics who are attending these events.” Zavada recommends that planners set five to 10 measurable goals, and to implement, measure and report on them to be held account- able. “This sets a baseline you can build upon,” Zavada says. “Don’t try to go for 100% right from the begin- ning. Just start.” Bauer thinks it’s impor- tant to always remain focused on the main goals. The ultimate goal for IMEX Group is to create “cir- cular” trade shows because it’s no lon- ger enough to simply prevent resources from being used and thrown away. The IMEX Group thinks the circular economy can help build a resilient and regenerative global events industry, and as a signatory of the Net Carbon Zero Events Pledge, IMEX is aiming to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and to reach zero emissions no later than 2050. Courtney Lohmann, CMP, senior director, corporate social responsibility for PRA Business Events, contends that sustainability efforts need to be imple- mented within each stage of a meeting. “Most planners have taken sustainabil- ity and put it on a separate to-do list, and end up being well into the plan- ning process before they start to con- sider what sustainability initiatives to include in their event,” she says. “When you do this, it makes it extremely diffi- cult to implement sustainability. It feels like you are lifting a very heavy bucket.” Meetings and events involve several parties besides the planner’s own com- pany or organization, so it’s essential to start planning early and find busi- ness partners — including venues and vendors — that share sustainability preferences. “As you work toward the sustainability goals, make sure you have everyone’s support,” Zavada says. “Enroll your venues, vendors, spon- sors, marketing teams and management early on. A team of champions can work together on solutions that may not even have been possible a few years ago.” It helps immensely if the venue has systems in place to measure environ- mental impact. Some venues, such as The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, have excelled at this by providing customers with an impact statement listing total energy and water consumption, carbon emissions, recy- cling rate and highlights of the group’s sustain- ability initiatives. Collaboration only works when the planner’s own team is focused on achieving sus- tainability goals. Some organizations, including IMEX Group, set up their own internal Green Squad to help. “The Green Squad is a group of staff who have chosen, in addition to their day jobs, to work on our sustainability performance,” Bauer says. “They have their fingers on the pulse of the current ‘climate’ and are working hard to shape our sustainability efforts to respond to the changing business world. The Green Squad has been a game changer in the speed with which we’ve built up a solid sustainability program.” COURTESY OF IMEX AMERICA IMEX is aiming to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and to reach zero emissions no later than 2050. Courtney Lohmann, CMP Senior Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, PRA Business Events Most planners ... end up being well into the planning process before they start to consider what sustainability initiatives to include in their event.ONGOING FOCAL POINTS Even the best-planned meetings and events often have difficulties achieving sustainability goals. One of the main challenges is to motivate attendees to become active participants in the pro- cess. “Planners need to engage with attendees and tell a concise, clear sus- tainability story,” Lohmann says. “If you can tie that story back to something that is already being told at your corporate level, it can help the attendee draw lines between the change and the ‘why.’ It can then provide better attendee engagement and allow you to further push the limits of what you change and incorporate on-site.” The meetings industry is tackling issues similar to other industries, includ- ing reducing carbon emissions, energy consumption, and the use and recycling of materials. Spangler thinks planners are also becom- ing more aware of the impor- tance of waste diversion. “More planners are trying to find ways to keep event waste out of landfills through composting and recycling,” she says. “However, I would love to see this focus shift to preventing waste in the first place.” Determining the impacts of transportation on an event poses another challenge. In most cities, meeting participants use ground transportation, which means mainly using standard-fuel vehicles, though alternative-fuel vehicles are gradually becoming more available. Also, air travel accounts for 70% to 85% of a meeting’s entire carbon footprint. “Research- ing locations close to the majority of attendees to lower air travel is one strat- egy,” Zavada says. “Providing a local virtual component for those who must travel further or those with accessibil- ity or inclusion issues is vital. Are there opportunities to meet locally and con- nect with a larger community online?” Zavada also encourages planners to reassess all components of a meeting to determine the environmental cost. “Don’t do it ‘the way that it always has been done,’” she says. “That includes swag, local sourcing and sustainable food, such as plant-based menus. All of these environmental savings also have economic savings to the planner and host organization.” NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES POSED BY THE PANDEMIC The pandemic has created a unique, new scenario for planners, bringing new sustainability challenges and a need for quick solutions. Some changes made during the pandemic, including the increased use of event apps rather than printed items, provide a sustain- ability boost that is likely to continue. “I think the rise in how the event app is used, the functionality of it, the abilities the planners will have to incorporate into the event and the way attendees will be more willing to interact with it are forever changed,” Lohmann says. “I look forward to seeing more innovation from this sector of our industry.” Ali Ames, director of sustainability for Three Squares — an environmental consulting firm based in Los Angeles — thinks the pandemic has brought both opportunities and challenges for event sustainability. “The pandemic has nor- malized hosting events virtually,” she says. “By allowing attendees to experi- ence events from the comfort of their homes or offices virtually, it signifi- cantly reduces travel-related emissions inherent to events that bring people together from different areas.” This has forced technology to quickly become more sophisticated to make virtual meetings easier and more effective. In turn, this has enhanced the possibilities for hybrid meetings, in which in-person attendees benefit from meaningful personal interactions and virtual participants improve an event’s overall footprint. Ames notes that one of the main challenges posed by the pandemic is satisfying the new health and safety practices that mandate individual packaging of food and supplies, which causes significant increases in single- use packaging, and therefore, more waste. Planners can take additional measures to ensure that individual packaging is diverted from landfill, but it poses an additional challenge. themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2022 The Vancouver Convention Centre works with the Binners’ Project, in which waste pickers, pictured, assist the facility by sorting waste and managing its recycling efforts. Nancy J. Zavada, CMP President, MeetGreen The challenge for the meetings industry is to understand that how or how often we convene, people will most likely not be going back to ‘normal,’ and creative solutions must be found. COURTESY OF ADAM RADZIMINSKI 16Lohmann thinks safe practices can help to eliminate all single-use items. “In general, we went back to all single- use, throwaway items and were afraid to allow anyone to touch something,” she says. “The reality is that we don’t have to live in this space, and we are OK and safe to use items that are washed and cleaned appropriately. With this knowledge, we need to drive back in hard to eliminate all single-use items from events.” Cooper points to another challenge that has emerged during the pandemic. “For venues, some progress has been hampered by supply-chain issues,” he says. “It’s one thing to want to change from a current bad habit, but that’s only possible with the availability of a more sustainable alternative.” Some hotels and resorts have taken the lead in developing programs to improve sustainability during the pan- demic. The Venetian Resort Las Vegas was the first meetings property in Las Vegas, and one of the first in the United States, to develop a program to recycle surgical masks, which are being used by guests and employees as part of the Venetian Clean initiatives, says Chan- dra Allison, the property’s senior vice president of sales. As part of this pilot program, more than 8,000 pounds of these masks were sent to a recycling facility, where they were shredded and densified into a crumb-like raw material that was then used to make resurfaced products such as ship- ping pallets, composite decking and railroad ties. Also, some planners have either introduced or expanded outdoor meet- ings, mainly for safety, but they also can enhance sustainability of events. “And moving forward, meeting and network- ing in outdoor spaces is a sustainable practice that I can envision continu- ing in the future and becoming a more prominent aspect of events,” Radzim- inski says. “If the weather cooperates, there’s no better place to be.” MOVING FORWARD Experts are optimistic that the meet- ings and events industry will continue to add more sustainability measures and play a larger role in protecting and preserving the environment. “There is a renewed sense of urgency as the peo- ple of our world seek a better future,” Zavada says. “No longer is sustainability a nice, value-add for the future; sustain- ability is vital. Don’t project goals for 2050 without starting right now, today, to make a difference. I am optimistic and hopeful that the meetings and events industry will take a leadership position and make significant progress toward a more sustainable planet. We certainly know our impact is great, but so is the opportunity to show other indus- tries how it can be achieved.” Bauer emphasizes the impor- tance of ongoing collaboration. “Sustainability measures are fun- damental now, and will remain so in the future,” she says. “What’s key is that the entire industry — planners, venues, destinations and other sup- pliers — work together to achieve sustainability goals. Our industry can only make progress if the entire supply chain believes this and works in partnership to create change and find solutions. But it’s important to believe in sustainability not simply because of the business benefits, but because it’s the right thing to do.” Matthew Uchtman, director of facil- ities and operations at Oregon Conven- tion Center — one of only two LEED platinum convention centers in the United States — says continuing prog- ress can most readily be made by mak- ing environmentally sound practices part of standard operating procedures. “Communication and training reinforce sustainable practices to the point that it is just how your business operates at all levels of the organization,” he says. Radziminski provides some words of wisdom for planners as they strive to attain their sustainability goals: “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It’s easy to get discouraged when you consider the scope of how much needs to change, but remember that every step matters. In the words of Jane Goodall, ‘What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of differ- ence you want to make.’” | AC&F | JANUARY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Mark Cooper CEO, IACC It’s one thing to want to change from a current bad habit, but that’s only possible with the availability of a more sustainable alternative. PRA Business Events uses three main steps to break down the process of designing an event, with sustainabil- ity incorporated from the very beginning. Courtney Lohm- ann, CMP, senior director, corporate social responsibility, summarized the approach. Discovery Phase: Brainstorm, research, gather ideas; throw it all out on the table, and consider how to strategi- cally plan an event or series of events. This is also where you identify all possible sustainability initiatives that you could have. If your organization uses a strategic meeting management approach, this phase helps you analyze and align on the items that you will string through the events. Design Phase: Take all of your ideas and narrow them down into the few things that will actually be implemented. Spend time talking about the best ways to implement, and ultimately, come up with a finalized plan and approach. Activate Phase: You now are at the point of actually doing it. Actively plan all the elements that are being incorporated into the event, and engage with all the sup- pliers so that they are on board with assisting you. You are on-site with attendees, and can gather metrics and data on the event’s sustainability impacts. | AC&F | 3 KEY STEPS to Achieve Sustainability Goals 17PLANNERTIPS themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2022 Find the Best Project Management Software for You BY MAURA KELLER THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB 1819 JANUARY 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES I t’s no wonder today’s meeting plan- ners are considered “miracle work- ers” to many. From juggling myriad details, timelines and evolving tasks, along with addressing problems that arise through all stages of an event, today’s meeting planners are respon- sible for managing all facets of a gath- ering. To help with the endless details, most of today’s planners turn to innova- tive project management strategies and tools to keep events running smoothly. TOOLS AT THE READY When looking at all the project man- agement tools out there, such as Asana, Basecamp, Trello, Slack, ClickUp and Smart Sheet, considering your team size and your software you already use every day is key. Kat Minks, luxury event designer and owner of Kat Minks Design, says a meeting planner does a lot of work via phone, making sure the mobile ver- sion is integrated with the phone’s soft- ware and doesn’t crash can be a key com- ponent to a planner actually putting the software to use. “Remember that if you spend time setting it up, make it a habit and not a waste of your most valuable resource,” Minks says. “Because time is an asset, this project tool helps you also see how much time you are spending on a project that you may not have even realized before. I know so many planners that have raised their prices after they saw on screen exactly how much they were giving to their clients.” When deciding which project man- agement tools to use, it is important to ask a few key questions, such as, how soon do you need to start using this soft- ware tool? And will you be able to quickly teach your team how to use the project management tool? Of course, price is also a key deciding factor. If a meeting plan- ner is working solo, there are many free options. When a planner has more than three team members, finding a free option can be complicated. “There are some workarounds that Smart Sheet offers on Google Sheets where you can make indi- vidual projects viewable to contractors, which I know may be perfect for a lot of meeting planners,” Minks says. Nicole Coon, CMP, vice president of membership & events at Housing First Minnesota, agrees that meeting plan- ners should consider how do they best work and who else will be using the tool or collaborating. “Some people are highly visible workers and need those tasks front and center, others get a feeling of accomplishment checking items off their list,” Coon says. “Others need to find things quickly or need reminders with that ever-pressing due date screaming at them. Find a platform that will work best for their style.” If other collaborators are involved, know not everyone may use the tool in the same way — or have the same appreciation for it — so be flexible and see if a compromise can be made or a different tool selected for a win-win. If there are multiple collaborators, it’s great as a way for the project manager to keep the workflow progressing. “A newer strategy we’re trying out is to have regular bi-weekly, touch-base meetings. As the event planner, I have one with our design team, one with marketing/com- munication team, another with admin, so we can get nitty gritty in an efficient way and always be looking ahead,” Coon says. “With what seems like an endless list of meetings and minimal white space or working time, we’ve moved meetings down to 30 minutes to keep the focus.” Gloria Nelson, CSEP, VEMM, spe- cial events concierge at Members, Inc., is currently using Trello, and by far, it is her team’s favorite. As she explains, they have the ease and benefit of creating headers for each program on their own separate board and seamlessly copying, moving by dragging to another column and then segueing it from the planning production phase to another board for on-site, day-to-day and minute-by-min- ute in descending order of how the day needs to be rolled out. Users can assign stakeholders, flag due dates on tasks, use color coding according to needs, and make uploads of any type of content, including documents, spreadsheets, headshots, logos, ground transportation manifests and anything else so it’s at your fingertips. “The biggest advantage to Trello over the other two we used in the past is the drag-and-drop feature and a holistic board picture, versus a spreadsheet or linear format of the other two we previ- ously used,” Nelson says. “The devil’s in the details, and we assume too often we will ‘remember’ and then forget in the flurry of on-site activities.” As an example, during a key time, perhaps in awards presentations, you may want to suspend bar service and or bussing of tables. “It is important to drop it into the tasks so it gets shared with the venue and can seamlessly be moved in Trello to the timeline … [and] commu- nicated to the catering captain, who is in charge of communicating to the staff working the event,” Nelson says. “You can and should place the most tedious items on the tool(s) to ensure everyone is addressed and complete. It’s also a single place for communicating, so you COURTESY OF ASANA The project management tool many planner teams use is Asana, as it allows for sub-task creation, which is great for bouncing different components to others on the team.Next >