< PreviousSNAPSHOTS themeetingmagazines.com 10 ASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 2 3 ASAE 2022 O ne thing the nearly 5,000 association professionals, industry partners and consultants who attended the recent 2022 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition could likely agree on: It was great to meet in person again! The attendees at the event, held in Nashville, embraced its theme of turning the disruption of the pandemic and other industry-changing events into opportunities to learn, reconnect and advance the powerful association community. The meeting exceeded all expectations for ASAE’s first in-person Annual Meeting & Exposition since 2019. The attendance breakdown included 4,912 total attendees — the highest number of association professionals since 2018 in Chicago, at 2,699 — 1,638 exhibitors and 575 others, which included guests, staff, vendors, volunteers and press. “After three years, it was absolutely magical to see the ASAE community reunite again at this conference,” says Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, ASAE president and CEO. “The ASAE Annual Meeting is our flagship event for delivering next-level content, community and connection, and I hope our attendees left reenergized and ready to take their own organizations to new heights. The city of Nashville delivered an outstanding experience for our attendees, and we could not imagine a better city or better partners to help welcome back the ASAE community to the face-to-face Annual Meeting experience.” Attendees of the 2022 ASAE Annual were able to design their own educational experience during the meeting, with more than 100 innovative learning sessions and Main Stage speakers selected for their unique perspectives on leadership, innovation, change management and finding one’s authentic voice. At ASAE’s Association Solutions Marketplace, also known as the Expo, attendees had a one-stop destination for finding the right products and service providers to help their associations achieve success. The 2022 Annual was also loaded with new engagement opportunities, including Community Pop-ups for under-represented communities to build on relationships formed virtually over the last couple of years, and ASAE’s first-ever Global Summit on the State of the Association Community, which brought together nearly 100 international association leaders for knowledge-sharing and collaboration on common issues and challenges faced by the global association community. Music City delivered an Opening Celebration at the Ascend Amphitheatre with performances from renowned guitarist and vocalist Regi Wooten and Grammy, ACM, CMA, AMA and People’s Choice Award- winning super group Little Big Town. The ASAE Research Foundation’s The Classic was a sold-out affair at the Wildhorse Saloon, with performances by Wendy Moten and acclaimed country artist Phil Vassar. The Closing Celebration at Fifth + Broadway, Nashville’s newest downtown development, featured special performances by Joe West and pop singer/songwriter Ben Rector. | AC&F | ANNUAL MEETING & EXPOSITIONSEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.com 11 ASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 1. Butch Spyridon, President & CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. 2. L to R: Cleo Battle, President & CEO, Louisville Tourism; Lisa Turner, AC&F magazine; and Harvey Grotsky, Publisher, AC&F magazine. 3. Marc Anderson, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio, and team. 4. Visit Detroit’s booth. 5. L to R: Jack Berry, President & CEO, Richmond Region Tourism; Harvey Grotsky and Al Hutchinson, President & CEO, Visit Baltimore. 6. Meeting planners enjoying a moment. 7. Harvey Grotsky and Brian Ross, President & CEO, Experience Columbus. 8. Michelle Mason, President & CEO, ASAE. 9. The Visit Jacksonville and Visit Omaha booths. 4 7 8 5 6 9 1 PHOTOS 1, 4, 6, 8, & 9 BY NICK HAGEN PHOTOGRAPHYReady to Lead Women Are Built to Seize the Reins BY DEB BOELKES F or decades, women have steadily made impressive strides in the political and corporate arenas. Still, there’s a lot of ground to cover before we’re equally represented, especially in the upper echelons of the business world. But the changes that have occurred in the last two years have women leaders positioned to leap ahead. The workplace is rapidly changing and evolving in ways no one could have predicted just two years ago. This is a pivotal time for women. The changes we’ve seen in the workplace call for the skill sets that many women naturally possess. We just need to step up and seize the challenge. Employees everywhere are struggling with stress, anxi- ety and outright trauma due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If they’re working remotely, it’s harder for them to connect with co-workers and leaders. And, of course, the nature of busi- ness itself gets more complex by the day. Supply-chain issues, worker shortages, new customer behaviors — it all adds up to a brave new business world that women’s natural skills and abilities are perfectly suited to navigate. Today’s and tomorrow’s leaders need to break mental health stigmas in the workplace and create an environment of psychological safety. Many will be asked to transform a group of scattered remote workers into a connected team. They’ll all be balancing multiple shifting deadlines, responsibilities and challenges. The bottom line: Women tend to do all of these things well. We have the communication skills, emotional intelligence, flexibility and agility to meet these challenges and step into more prominent roles inside organizations. No, I’m not implying that women are better leaders, but that men and women tend to have different innate skill sets. In fact, organizations that blend the special gifts of female and male leaders possess a real “wow!” factor. Here are a few reasons why women are uniquely poised to lead and succeed: Women are stellar collaborators. The problems we face in the business world are more complex than they’ve ever been before. This means we need more perspectives at the table to solve them. Rather than competing with others, women are more inclined to join forces with them, which makes us per- fectly suited for leading teams. Women aren’t afraid to admit they don’t know all of the answers. This is always valuable, but in times of uncertainty, when no one really knows the answers, it’s even more so. Women tend to instinctively realize that working together with others to solve problems is far more powerful than taking an egocentric lone-wolf approach. Women know how to share the screen. In 2020, those of us who weren’t already familiar with video conferences, Zoom meetings, virtual presentations and collaborative soft- ware got a quick-and-dirty crash course. While anyone can use these resources, not everyone can use them effectively — but women’s natural skills give them an edge. Leaders in the virtual workspace need to be comfort- able putting forth ideas and information to the group, while sharing that space with others. Women are great at this. We have a sense of give-and-take and reciprocity that draws people out and encourages others to speak up. We’re good at reading non-verbal cues. These, along with other female communication skills and strengths, can make the dif- ference between engagement and ennui in virtual settings. Our natural communication skills serve companies well in hard times. Especially in a disruption or crisis, lead- ers need to be highly visible: sharing information, reassuring, showing empathy and compassion and reinforcing a sense of camaraderie. A communication void generates anxiety — the last thing employees need in already tense times — and erodes 12 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 Women can be effective leaders because of the skills and innate abilities they bring with them to any leadership position. DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMtrust. Women can leverage our gift for communication — and good listening — to keep people calm and focused. Women are empathetic connectors. Thanks to the pan- demic, not to mention all of the social unrest, political division and economic uncertainty of the past two years, our society has been through a collective trauma. Many employees are feeling unmoored and uncertain, and others are struggling with mental health issues. Leaders need to be aware of how each team member is feeling and respond with caring and empathy, while still driving progress. Companies’ cultures, morale and productivity depend on it. Women are not afraid to ask for help. Women under- stand that addressing any deficits by asking for help is often the most efficient way to move forward, not a sign of weakness or failure. When you welcome constructive criticism and seek others’ expertise, potential problems are identified earlier and the best solutions rise to the top. Women aren’t afraid to offer help. Women don’t tend to view knowledge and expertise with a scarcity mindset; they know that resources are most valuable when shared. And they’re just as likely to give help as they are to ask for it. Whether in a formal mentoring role, leading a team, teaching a seminar or offering a word of advice to a new hire, women don’t hesitate to lift others up. Many of today’s female leaders were guided by the women who came before them, and they know what an incredible ROI mentoring can have. We’re givers. Women are natural givers and nurturers. We understand the power of giving, whether that means giving of our time, energy and emotional bandwidth to help someone solve a problem; serving as a mentor or just finding ways to lift people up. All of these are valuable gifts — especially in tough times like right now when so many people are struggling with personal issues, as well as their mental and emotional health. It’s also worth noting that when employees feel cared about and invested in by leaders, a company’s retention, morale and productivity all improve. Women aren’t crippled by criticism. There’s a pernicious stereotype that women are “soft” and “sensitive.” But in real- ity, women are used to living with — and succeeding in spite of — negative feedback. Explicitly and implicitly, we are all bombarded with critiques about our careers, appearance, par- enting, tone of voice, priorities and so much more. Sadly, women in business are used to being underestimated and having to work harder. We are well practiced at working with people we don’t really care for. I won’t claim that being patronized, judged or criticized doesn’t hurt; it does. But I’m encouraged because I don’t see women folding under that weight; instead, they’re using it as fuel for future success. We find strength in flexibility. The pandemic was brutally effective at teaching leaders the value of being able to rethink, regroup and adapt at a moment’s notice. Many learned to their detriment that a rigid “my way or the high- way” approach is no longer a sign of strength, but a rapid route to failure in this era of unexpected, disruptive change. Adaptability, resilience, flexibility and agility — all female strengths — are more sought after than ever. Women know how to navigate unexpected roadblocks while still keeping the team on board and the destination in mind — or changing it when necessary. We are world-class multitaskers. Over the past two years, women have interfaced with clients, run meetings, bal- anced budgets, created content, confronted supply problems, mediated employee disputes, hired new talent and so much more from their kitchen tables, often while managing their children’s virtual education, caring for their parents and keep- ing their households from falling apart. It’s not always easy, comfortable, or desirable, but women are experienced at keeping numerous balls in the air when necessary. That gives us a leg up when leadership positions require us to oversee multiple systems, goals and employees. Throughout history, women’s innate qualities have enabled them to navigate hard times, learn what they can from them, and move forward. What makes right now different is the fact that women don’t have to return to the status quo after surviv- ing a crisis. Instead, we are perfectly positioned to step into more important leadership roles than ever, break barriers and actively shape the world’s future. | AC&F | 13 Deb Boelkes is the award-winning author of “Women on Top: What’s Keeping You From Executive Leadership?” She is not just a role model and heartfelt leader; she’s the ultimate authority on creating best places to work. She has 25+ years in Fortune 150 high-tech firms, leading superstar business development and professional services teams. As an entrepreneur, she has accelerated advancement for women to senior leadership. She also has delighted and inspired more than 1,000 audiences across North America. SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Women understand that addressing any deficits by asking for help is often the most efficient way to move forward, not a sign of weakness ... A Captive Audience 5 Tips to Make Your Virtual Meetings More Engaging BY ED STEVENS F or many organizations, the pandemic created prob- lems that needed quick, effective solutions. Many people moving to remote work positions created new environments filled with virtual meetings and irregular engagement with their co-workers. Now that it is clear remote and hybrid work is here to stay, we must ask ourselves how employers can best battle the issue of engagement in virtual meetings. In a 2021 study, an aston- ishing 90% of workers surveyed said they multitasked during virtual meetings. This means that the majority of workers are not fully engaged in virtual meetings. Solving this problem takes creativity, ingenuity and a commitment to creating an experience that is not only engaging, but productive. Here are five ways to make virtual meetings more engaging: 1. INSIST THAT VIDEO STAYS ON It’s hard to stay engaged when you can’t see who you’re supposed to be engaged with. The importance of faces in engagement is backed by scientific evidence. It stands to rea- son that a virtual meeting full of the smiling faces of your co- workers would be more likely to keep your attention. In 2019 — before the pandemic changed the way we work and hold meetings — researchers, business leaders and con- sultants met to discuss how meetings can be more effective. One report found that virtual meetings with cameras on were just as effective as in-person meetings. Asking employees to keep their video on during virtual meetings holds them accountable and makes it easier to focus on the meeting. When videos are off, it’s much easier to “dip out” for a quick moment, engage with people in your household, or start on another task unrelated to work. This ease of distrac- tion could lead attendees to miss critical points in the virtual meeting they should not simply be attending, but engaging in. Additionally, keeping live video on during meetings also fosters connections between employees. Discussions can be more vibrant and lively when everyone’s face is visible. Many people experienced what became known as “Zoom Fatigue” through the pandemic, and as a result, cameras started to get clicked off. However, now that we are estab- lishing more permanent virtual work environments, it may be time to encourage employees to turn those cameras back on and let us see those engaging faces again. 2. MAKE THE EXPERIENCE MORE IMMERSIVE Platforms such as Preciate and Class were founded on the idea that video meetings do not have to be the standard sea of boxes that we often think of when it comes to virtual meet- ings. Companies and schools can create a more immersive and “real world” type of experience with today’s emerging video- conferencing technology. Few experiences in a physical workplace are more immer- sive than the feeling of getting up from your desk, walking down the office hallway, and taking a seat in the conference room. With advancements in virtual reality, today’s plat- forms can allow you to “walk from room to room” during a virtual meeting, join and exit conversations as you would in a non-virtual meeting, and even mingle as one would at an in-person event. Some platforms meant for learning environments even have virtual classroom set-ups that mimic sitting with your classmates and engaging in the lesson in real-time. The more advanced this technology gets, the more immersive the meet- ing experience can become. 3. BRAND THE MEETING By now, people know what to expect from a typical Zoom meeting. It’s not likely that many find Zoom meetings the height of excitement. Videoconferencing is meant to be 14 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMfunctional, but not necessarily compelling or special. By branding your meeting, you are creating exclusivity. Much like how your organization has its own exclusive brand and image, your meetings’ attendees are coming to a meeting exclusively for your team members. Branding those meetings builds camaraderie, making attendees far more likely to want to engage and be fully present for your meeting. Branding also aids in fostering identity among employees. Colors, fonts, logos and other branding elements give some- thing for employees to support. Think of how people wear the colors of their favorite sports teams or fly the flag of their country of origin. They create a thread of connection with others who love the same team or are from the same place. Team branding works in much of the same way, and bringing branding to your virtual meetings provides team members a common work identity. Branding makes the meetings special and, therefore, more engaging. 4. BREAK THE ICE Whether in-person or virtual, meetings can always benefit from some ice-breaking exercises. Breaking the ice is espe- cially helpful if there are many new people joining the team, or if meetings happen sporadically. New employees should always be introduced to the team, and a big deal should be made of welcoming them. If this is the employee’s first meeting, they may hesitate to speak up or put themselves out there. Giving them an ice-breaking nudge by having them tell three things about themselves or another similar activity can help new employees ease into joining the fold. Typically, virtual meetings can have some pretty thick proverbial ice to break. People never want to be the first to talk. This can make for some awkward silences with attendees staring one another down, but they will be more likely to want to join in on ice-breaking exercises to distract themselves from the awkwardness. There’s a relative anonymity associated with being behind a screen, even if you’ve been working with people for a long time. No matter how immersive virtual meetings get, they’re never exactly the same as in-person gatherings. Organizations may want to assign an employee, a manager, or someone in human resources to be the designated “ice breaker.” Fun games can be played to loosen people up, such as ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ or ‘Name That Employee.’ If leader- ship focuses on breaking the ice right away by stoking the fires of conversation at the onset of a meeting, they are more likely to have more engaged employees. 5. GIVE SHOUT-OUTS Employees like to be recognized. Studies show that orga- nizations with effective employee recognition have 31% fewer people quitting their organizations. Conversely, employees who feel like their employer doesn’t recognize their hard work are more likely to start looking elsewhere for employment. It can be easy to miss the importance of employee recogni- tion in a virtual environment. Excellent work can slip through the cracks with people spread out and working remotely, and resentment can build if employees feel ignored. A simple and effective way to kick off a virtual meeting is by starting with recognizing the employees who deserve it. Give shout-outs to members of your team who are doing excellent work. When praise starts to get passed around, employees will sit up and take notice. They will want to be recognized as well. As a result, the quality of their work and productivity will increase. Make recognition personalized and integrate shout-outs into every meeting. Employees will come to expect them, starting each meeting feeling more engaged and ready to hear who gets their kudos. The best online meetings include collaboration, open communication, connection and engagement. To effectively engage employees in your virtual meeting, organizations must pay attention to the steps they are willing to take to make engagement a priority. With a more engaged workforce, orga- nizations can enjoy better retention, as well as heightened job satisfaction and productivity that comes from genuinely engaged employees. | AC&F | 15 Ed Stevens is the founder and CEO of Preciate. He is deeply committed to helping others build strong, authentic relationships with the power of technology. Stevens has a B.A. from Stanford University. For more information, visit preciate.com. SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Typically, virtual meetings can have some pretty thick proverbial ice to break. People never want to be the first to talk.INDUSTRYINSIGHT The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 A Good Cause C orporate social responsibility, or CSR, is on the “to- do list” of many associations as part of their meet- ings and events strategy. And as more associations focus on “giving back to others,” being inclusive and implementing sustainable initiatives, planners are embracing CSR ideas and leading by example. Pre-pandemic, Emily Parsons, meeting planner at the National Association of Attorneys General, was working on many sustainability elements within CSR for the meetings and events she planned. “With COVID-19, I know corporate social responsibility components for many planners were pushed to the back burner while we were working to return to in-person meetings safely,” Parsons says. “Now, sustainability seems to be back on the forefront of a lot of people’s minds, but in many different ways.” One of the items Parsons has been focusing on recently has been on food waste and finding different ways to repurpose the food not used at conferences — either through composting efforts or to help feed the less fortunate. Another important item Parsons implements in the meet- ings she orchestrates is an attempt to support local businesses By Maura Keller DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM 16no matter where they are hosting their conferences, rather than supporting national companies. “I like to do this through little touches when possible, by using local bakeries or event rental companies. It is important to me to make an impact on the community that we are visiting and bringing our money to,” Parsons says. Lisa Jennings, chief experience officer and meeting plan- ner at Wildly Different, works with many associations that have embraced CSR initiatives. “The popularity of hosting CSR team-building events has increased dramatically in recent years. Ten years ago, CSR events made up about 25% of the events we hosted. Now, it’s easily grown to more than 50% of what we offer,” Jennings says. “The pandemic also increased demand. People definitely crave human interac- tion now, but it’s made even more meaningful if what they do together results in helping others at the same time.” As Jennings further explains, the statistics are overwhelming, with polls showing that more than 90% of workers place a huge importance on giving back and wanting to be a part of an organiza- tion that cares deeply about issues and stands for a cause. “Most associations seek to help a charity that is in the locale where their meeting is held. However, more and more organizations are asking their attendees to vote on what CSR ini- tiatives matter to them prior to the meet- ing,” Jennings says. They are also looking at what makes sense to align themselves with — causes that go hand-in-hand in the betterment of their industry. For instance, an engineering association may back an organization trying to entice more women to pursue career opportunities in engi- neering, and associations in the energy sector understand that hosting a sustain- ability initiative is important. Wildly Different creates, organizes and leads team-building activities for association meetings, so Jennings and her team have organized countless numbers of charitable team-building events. “Asso- ciations have utilized our services in a number of ways. We have organized one- to two-hour team-building activities that allow attendees to get to know one another better while doing good for those in need,” Jennings says. The most popular offerings are currently Red Wagon Bri- gade, where teams assemble and decorate red wagons and play games to earn toys to fill up the wagons. All proceeds are donated to a local children’s hospital, foster care home or Boys & Girls Club. The Canned Goods Carnival involves teams creating carnival games using canned and boxed food items. After building their creation, they all get to play one another’s games, vote for their favorite and all food items are donated to fill the shelves of a local food bank. And, Donation Quest is a CSR activity where people race to solve clues in a tabletop escape room experience that will unlock a box containing a donation for a charity. “We also create an activity where guests open challenges that educate them about the cause the association is help- ing out, while entertaining them as they answer trivia ques- tions about the cause, complete photo and video tasks, and solve clues to reveal information about the charity,” Jennings says. The more attendees play, the more points they earn — and points earned translate into a cash donation at the end of the meeting. A GREATER FOCUS For Nicole Hallada, senior vice president, exhibitions and marketing at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, corporate social responsibility has become a greater topic of focus for her organization. “I can recollect when it was not a headline topic in conversations and now it dominates the conversations,” Hallada says. For certain meetings Hallada has planned, she made concerted effort to look at the association’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “Recently, we have dedicated time from a current employee to sustainability. Our goal is to edu- cate our association on where we are today, where we want to be in the short, mid and long term,” Hal- lada says. “It is a strategic decision to incorporate CSR. People want to go places they feel welcome.” For example, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers had a panelist who was speaking at an upcoming meeting, and the individual asked about the association’s diversity practices because the speaker said they are not always taken seriously at other events. “We shared our event community guidelines with the speaker, which outlines expectations for everyone 17 SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES CSR elements added to a meeting can include team- building events that raise cash for an organization, opposite page, or a Canned Goods Carnival that donates to a local food pantry. COURTESY OF LISA JENNINGSregarding interactions and respect to help create a safe environment,” Hallada says. “Ten years ago, we did not have this. We’re really looking at how to form a more inclusive community at our trade shows and meetings that we host.” The Association of Proposal Man- agement Professionals (APMP) has turned to its association data and member feedback to show their lead- ership, which includes Rick Harris, CEO, the way to “what’s next” within the CSR realm of meetings and events. For example, nearly 70% of all APMP members are women. “We’ve already made sure that our Board of Direc- tors slate appropriately reflects and is represented,” Harris says. To match that staggering stat, the association created the Women’s Virtual Summit — an international online conference produced by APMP’s women members for women attendees. According to Julia Duke, director of events and mem- ber engagement at APMP, it has been among the most well- received in the association’s 35-year history. Attendance is already double what the team thought it could be, APMP had nearly triple the number of speakers apply than they needed and attendees are already talking about a second event, even though the first was still a week away from launch. “For the first time in our association’s history, women will have the stage to themselves to talk about things in our industry that matter most to them,” Duke says. APMP recognizes that attendees and exhibitors also are much more aware of various external factors that impact meetings than they were 10 years ago, and that’s a good thing. “We believe this evolution has happened because there are few industries where you must change, evolve, innovate in the meetings industry to answer and address member concerns,” Harris says. “CSR has allowed us all to rethink the purpose of our meetings and address social issues locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. The association executives that embrace CSR, that respond to their members through CSR activities and sustain the CSR approach, are the ones who demonstrate they under- stand, define, listen and execute. All that makes you an innovative asso- ciation leader.” As part of their CSR meeting and event initiatives, APMP also launched a diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) plan — a five-year plan with measurable results. As Duke says, “It’s not enough to talk about what you want to do. If you don’t execute, it is just an empty plan. CSR helps us to be responsive to what our members are telling us they want and it’s up to the association to respond,” she says. “As a result, from member feedback, we’ve also created a series of Affinity Groups that have member workshops at our live events. The Affinity Groups are for professionals of color, LGBTQIA+, military and veterans and young professionals. All these groups were identified by our own data and are thriving parts of our associations and meetings.” Harris also stresses that the pandemic showed all of us how small the world is and how important it is to think of others. The crushing negativity of the pandemic gave way to the creation of a caring and nurturing spirit in the industry. It showed APMP how important it is to give back. “It also laser focused us on what is important,” Harris says. “Now, not only are we thinking about our attrition numbers, our F&B mini- mums, and our final meeting revenue targets, but we’re think- ing about what good can the meeting have for its attendees or the local community.” STEPS TO TAKE When incorporating CSR elements into association events, it is important to gain buy-in from leadership. Change can be hard for some people, and it may have to happen slowly rather than “rip- ping the Band-Aid off.” “For example, we have had a meetings app for a while now, but we will print agendas to take to the conference with us,” Parsons says. “Over time, we have been printing less and less, but there will come a time when we will stop printing all together.” Parsons thinks the future is wide open for individual interpretation and ideas when it comes to CSR. “Not everyone sees it the same, but we all see something, and I think that is going to be the biggest thing towards making an impact if everyone helps out a little bit in their own way,” she says. themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 Nicole Hallada, left, senior vice president, exhibitions and marketing at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, says CSR now is a major component of the meetings and events industry. Emily Parsons Meeting Planner, National Association of Attorneys General We all see something, and I think that is going to be the biggest thing towards making an impact if everyone helps out a little bit in their own way. COURTESY OF NICOLE HALLADA 18At APMP, meeting attendees want to help and hear from people locally. When the association plans meetings or events in a new city, its mem- bers want the association to partner with causes in those cities. They are turning out in high num- bers to hear from the local LGBTQIA+ community. They want to know how they can volunteer locally to help. “Our APMP board is working on ways to incorporate fundraising or volunteer opportuni- ties in the cities we select,” Harris says. “We see this same thing from other associations and their partnering cities. This is going to become a strate- gic part of our site selection in the future. We will ask ourselves what the community needs and how we can support it.” Of course, some meeting planners think plan- ning a CSR component is going to be easy. For instance, they may think they can just call up a local charity and tell them they want to bring attendees to volunteer at their location. The reality, however, is quite different. “Chari- ties are struggling, like many of us, with staffing levels and having enough time to complete the myriad tasks they must perform for their organization. Asking them to now manage a bunch of volunteers descending on them can send them into a tailspin,” Jennings says. “For this reason, many charities are not able to accommodate this type of request.” It’s also expensive to transport attendees out to partici- pate in volunteer activities, and it also puts a dent into your meeting timetable. For all of these reasons, it usually makes sense to organize an on-site activity in your meeting that will result in donations for a charity of your choosing. Also, keep in mind that many charities do not need donation items — their No. 1 need is cash. “While it’s impactful to take pictures of the hundreds of care packages assembled, sometimes chari- ties don’t have the space to store these items,” Jennings says. “For those who need cash, consider having the charity provide you with a video that shows how the cash donations raised will make a difference in the lives of those your meeting has helped by hosting a CSR activity. A good story can tug at the heartstrings just as much — if not more than — seeing a bounty of donation items.” Speaking from the sustain- ability angle, Hallada says the CSR components of an asso- ciation meeting can be over- whelming. “It is a big and weedy topic, and if you try going from 0 to 60, you will be crushed under the weight of it,” she says. “You must be prepared to fig- ure out what you are already doing well, because some of your vendors are probably already doing it. Acknowledge that and then acknowledge what the next step would be.” Hallada advises that there are a couple of paths association meeting planners can take right now, as the indus- try has not really voted clearly on which one they are going to lean toward. “So, at this point you could lean towards one and it might be outdated, or it might not be the industry stan- dard in the future,” Hallada says. “I think taking a measured approach in how quickly you go about it is important.” Also, not all association members are altruistic. At APMP, some members politicize the association’s CSR initiatives. “Some members tell us that we are going ‘woke’ in our strategy to lift others up. We politely remind all of our members that the art of helping someone, a group or a community is always a positive thing, and they are more than welcome to make sug- gestions on where we focus our efforts,” Harris says. “Once you get past the initial politics and show the importance of CSR through volunteerism, people tend to forget why they weren’t all in from the start.” EXPANDING FUTURE EFFORTS Jennings thinks CSR activities will continue to grow in popularity, especially as research shows how important giv- ing back is to the younger generation. They are, quite simply, the future of meetings. “There’s also so much strife in the news these days,” Jennings says. “When you can involve your attendees in something that makes them feel like they are making a difference for good in the world when it is so needed, it is priceless.” Hallada agrees that CSR within the association meeting environment will continue long into the future. “We have all been made aware of how we can do better and that will continue,” Hallada says. “Especially in the meetings and trade-show busi- ness, we want to be a community. It is just natural for us to want to be inclusive of the things that people want to experience. I do not see that ever going away.” Duke agrees that CSR is here to stay. “It allows us to create, innovate and help in ways we seldom thought about years ago. Our world has always been open to neighbor helping neigh- bor,” she says. “CSR is creating that opportunity to recognize, help and lift through our businesses.” | AC&F | SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Surveys show that organizations focusing on corporate social responsibility and giving back rate higher with younger employees than organizations that don’t focus much on CSR or other charitable activities. Lisa Jennings Meeting Planner, Wildly Different When you can involve your attendees in something that makes them feel like they are making a difference for good in the world when it is so needed, it is priceless. COURTESY OF NICOLE HALLADA 19Next >