< Previousmedical imaging-technology companies to exhibit their products and services and generate sales,” Jaworski says. “As such, the convention requires over 2 million gross sf of exhibit and meeting space. McCormick Place offers the quality and quantity of space required by RSNA in one loca- tion — a tremendous convenience for our busy attendees. Because of our long working relationship, McCormick Place staff understands what we need for our meeting and go out of their way to meet those needs.” He adds, “Chicago is an ideal destination for meetings of all types, and McCormick Place offers an expansive range of meeting rooms, exhibit space and services, making it a good option for large groups needing flexibility. Every meeting is different. Determine your priorities in location and requirements and plan accordingly.” Like others, RSNA has seen a drop in attendance due to COVID and travel restrictions, but has long offered a virtual component for attendees unable to travel to Chicago. Jawor- ski thinks hybrid meetings are here to stay. “We’ll continue to offer attendees virtual access to nearly 100% of all meet- ing programming. However, there’s no substitute for the in-person experience and the networking and meaningful interactions it provides, particularly on the exhibit floor. We saw a great deal of enthusiasm from attendees returning to McCormick Place for RSNA 2021, and we’re looking forward to hosting another successful meeting this year.” CHANGED PRIORITIES The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) met at Hyatt Regency Orlando also in mid-spring for its Education Exchange Conference with 500 each in-person and virtual attendees. Crystal Green, CMP, CMM, senior director, meeting services, says it was the first time the meeting was held in Orlando and the first time ACR joined nine meetings under one event umbrella. “It was a big moment to realize we could potentially house everyone under one roof. It was also a big deal to go from what our attendees had always known toward the unknown of a hybrid event. Orlando provided a great space that adheres to the safety protocols expected by the medical professionals attending our events. Orlando is also a draw for airlift.” Green is already working with Visit Orlando on ACR’s 2026 annual meeting. “Visit Orlando really rolled out the red carpet for our 2022 event. They helped us put together a plan for VIPs and partici- pants and arranged shuttle service between the hotel and con- vention center. Everything was easy and accommodating. We made a last-minute decision to come down to Orlando for this event, and they made it seamless. Working with the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) and Hyatt Regency Orlando helped connect the dots. From a CVB perspective, working with Visit Orlando was a first-class experience. They presented us with a ton of options, and it made me excited to come back for an in-person event.” Working with OCCC was a positive, too. “Our attendees are medical professionals regularly dealing with immunocompro- mised patients. The center followed all safety protocols, created a distanced dining hall with tons of elbow room, and allowed people to social distance to their comfort. We had plenty of space to do that. The center offered very clearly laid-out spaces, making it easy to direct attendees and signage was well located.” Green says Orlando “feels like a city that does hospital- ity right in terms of getting folks to where they’re going and where they need to be. Conventions can be overwhelming, and the grounds of OCCC and Hyatt Regency Orlando are just blissful. The site visit was amazing, the connected bridge between the hotel and convention center allowed attendees to start their mornings with views of a beautiful landscape and provided a warm welcome to the destination.” Hyatt Regency Orlando worked well on several levels. “It has the space to host us,” Green says. “It’s a beautiful property with many amenities, and it’s nicely laid out. It’s also a great place for attendees welcoming their families. The resort made accom- modations for staff dinners, VIP meetings and receptions.” Orlando’s flexibility, Green notes, is an asset for planners. “If you have a smaller event, you can start at the Hyatt. If your needs grow, so does the space around Orlando’s convention district. There are so many options to utilize at the Hyatt or grow even more at OCCC. Flexibility is the key for future considerations. Orlando allowed us to fit in and adjust as needed.” Looking forward, Green says she’s seeing more people excited about in-person meetings and less hesitancy to travel. “Our attendees need to connect face-to-face for didactic talks or workshops. They like to convene and get themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 Michelle Kann, CMP, DES, associate chief of operations with the Society of Hospital Medicine, says the city of Nashville and its Music City Center offered everything her group needed for its recent annual event. Crystal Green, CMP, CMM Senior Director, Meeting Services American College of Rheumatology The center followed all safety protocols, created a distanced dining hall with tons of elbow room, and allowed people to social distance to their comfort. COURTESY OF MICHELLE KANN 30together to talk shop. Mentors can connect with mentees. In- person events have more sizzle to them.” But even those attending in person want on-demand content. “Virtual and hybrid events accomplish that goal. If attendees miss a session or attend a concurrent meeting, they have the option to catch up with content on demand later. We don’t want to separate the events and workshops — we want everything to mesh together for the benefit of attendees to allow people to get the content how and when they need it.” The pandemic, however, has changed priorities. “Something substantially pivotal changed in the way we live our lives,” Green says. “Our attendees are making choices on what they prioritize in their lives. Planners and leadership need to think about what these events offer attendees and make sure it’s more than just a meeting. As planners, we need to look at what’s important to our audience, which includes intentional programming, longer ses- sion breaks with healthier options and encouraging attendees to bring their families to the event destination.” EXCITEMENT UP FOR IN-PERSON Jolene McNeil, CMP, DES, CEM, director, event operations with the American Public Health Association (APHA), says data confirms that attendance at medical meetings is down. However, she’s seeing growing excitement among members to be fully back in-person. While most pandemic protocols such as social distancing are now gone, she says groups continue to use hybrid components to bring in a new audience and new revenue stream. Like Green, she says the pandemic created a fundamen- tal shift to more intentional planning. “As an event planning team, we’re being more intentional in creating experiences that fit attendee goals and helping them achieve those goals. For instance, we know that attendees come on-site to net- work, but we’re asking ourselves what the attendee goals are in networking and how we can help them achieve them.” McNeil thinks those who want to attend meetings will fly if the meeting isn’t drivable, and she says APHA has no plans to go with regional meetings or other modifications. Currently, they’re planning a meeting in Denver. “Denver is a great choice for conventions because the city has a nice walk- able hotel package, great restaurants and friendly people. The airport also has good lift. There are enough hotels near the convention center that attendees are able to easily walk.” Additionally, she calls Visit Denver “an excellent partner that helps with any need, from recommending restaurants and local vendors to displaying welcome signage throughout the convention district. “CVBs are an indispensable partner, particularly during the planning stage. Without the assistance of a CVB, organizations cannot effectively learn about a destination, find local supplier partners or negotiate with hotels and the convention center.” The October 2022 meeting is expected to draw 3,600 in-person attendees and Hyatt Regency Den- ver is the base hotel, with other hotels close to the convention center also booked. “The Colorado Convention Center (CCC) is quite awesome,” McNeil says. “It’s bright, in a great location and has wonderful space. The staff is friendly and helpful, and The Bellco Theatre is a wonderful surprise for attendees.” MOVING FORWARD Looking ahead, McNeil says she’s marginally optimistic. “We have a great opportunity to re-envision how we execute meetings and how we help attendees achieve their goals,” she says. “We’ll get back to pre-COVID attendance numbers if we can show how in-person meetings are the best way to achieve those goals.” The American Dental Association’s SmileCon 2022 will be in Houston in October. Catherine Mills, CMP, V.P. confer- ences & continuing education, says Houston is easy to get to with good airlift. The George R. Brown Convention Center (GRBCC) package fits the group’s needs with two large hotels with ample meeting space, plus overflow hotels located near the center. Houston’s medical district is also a significant draw. “The medical district near the convention center was a huge attraction. We’re working with MD Anderson on continuing education sessions around oral cancer, as well as a medical speaker from NASA to talk about how medical and oral health emergencies are managed in space,” Mills says. Mills adds, Visit Houston has been a terrific partner. “They’ve been our main conduit for constructing our hotel block, they helped us connect to MD Anderson with their med- ical-district liaison and we’re using Houston First, the DMC arm of Visit Houston, to plan our Street Fest outside the con- vention center. Houston has been a great city to work with.” The GRBCC is the primary location for meeting sessions and exhibits. “I just returned from our final site visit and it’s all very fresh,” Mills says. “The center is easy to navigate as all space is stacked within three levels. While the large pillars in the exhibit hall are a challenge, we’re all getting creative, and our vendors have worked in the building before and have workarounds to help. [Also,] center staff has been great in our pre-planning and planning process, and they’ve been excel- lent partners in connecting us to their exclusive partners as well as helping with other resources.” Marriott Marquis Houston serves as the headquarters hotel. “As we’re a larger meeting, we use many hotels. At the time of choosing the Marriott, it was the newest large convention hotel and the meeting room configuration, along with the number of suites they offered, helped tip the scales in their direction.” Mills admits things are still tough across the industry. “Every day, I talk to someone struggling with filling open positions, staff morale, capacity and staffing shortages, uncer- tainty if we’ll need to ask attendees to mask, test, vaccinate — it’s been exhausting for everyone. But Visit Houston has been a great partner every step of the way.” While COVID still has an impact, medical meetings are moving forward in new and positive ways. | AC&F | SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Attendees at the American Public Health Association’s event took complete advantage of the networking opportunities during the in-person event. EZ EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY 31 PLANNERTIPS themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 KEEPING STRESS 32hese days, the three bandits that rob us of our productivity are stress, time constraints and procrastination. For meeting and event profes- sionals in the association industry, stress is an expected outcome of the role. Planners juggle myriad details and handle a multitude of problematic issues throughout the duration of a planned meeting or event. Unfortunately, a steady diet of stress can play a role in a wealth of health issues including heart disease, high-blood pressure, cancer and immune-system disorders. Dana Ellis, president and association meeting planner at Ellis Inter- national, says there are many things that are stressful in the planning process for meetings and events, and the stress level can go up and down during the planning process. “The biggest stress-inducing components of the meeting planner’s job include getting approvals, ‘buy-in,’ and content from clients in a timely fashion — especially when it’s ruled by committees and need multiple people to agree or approve,” Ellis says. “Also, budget constraints — everyone wants to do more with less — add to the stress level, and it gets really stressful within the final two weeks before the event, because everyone who missed the registration deadline or the content delivery deadline starts suddenly replying, and now you have to do a lot of the work quickly with a short window to do it.” Of course, in the past two years, the association meeting industry also has had the added stress of handling COVID-19-related policies, planning for vir- tual options, costs associated with attendees who may test positive on-site and need to quarantine at the meeting hotel, and so on. “Also, we are still trying to rebook meetings from the last two years that we have a credit for at a property for cancellation during COVID, but are having trouble rebooking because now all the properties are in high demand as everyone else is trying to rebook too,” Ellis says. “And the labor shortage and supply-chain issues are real. Hotels, A/V companies and transportation companies, to name a few, are all struggling to provide the same level of service as they had pre-pandemic. And orders of gift items, if coming from outside of the U.S., are a struggle in terms of ordering far enough in advance to ensure arrival on time.” Kim Becker, CMP, DES, SEPC, MBA, president of Emerald Meeting and Event Planning, works with many associations to plan their events. When 33 SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES The Proper Mindset Helps Planners Cope BY MAURA KELLER DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM RESS AT BAYevaluating the stress-inducing aspects of association meeting planning, Becker says in 2020 and 2021, the key stress areas were primarily: Are we going to have the meeting? And if we have the event, are we having in-person, hybrid or virtual? “All the components that came from the answers to those questions — canceling contracts, finding virtual platform or A/V providers, communication to members/attendees, what the COVID protocol will be, etc., added to the stress,” Becker says. “Plus, all the regular stress that planning a meeting puts on the person who is trying to make sure that tens or hundreds, or thousands, of people have a great experience with little to no difficulties and all the details that entails. There are so many details that go into planning a meeting, and so many people relying on you to get it right, that it can be overwhelming if you let it, and if you are not super detailed and organized.” For Nicole Coon, CMP, vice president of membership and events for Housing First Minnesota, one of the biggest stress- inducing components of a meeting planner’s job is manag- ing expectations and understanding what a meeting or event participant needs or wants before they even do. “Some other components that heighten the stress would be working under certain deadlines, the sheer amount of logistics and details that can go into planning a meeting or event,” she says. “Knowing that as much advance planning and preparation are done, there can still be things that don’t go as planned. For me, the three days prior to an event can be the most stressful — all the final details coming together, working with vendors, items for production and show flow, etc. Another stressful time is the meeting/event itself making sure things are going smoothly and being proactive on any issues before they escalate.” IMPACTFUL CONCERNS Stress plays a key role in how well an association meeting planner can do their job if the stress level is not managed cor- rectly. As Ellis points out, meeting planners have always had a stressful job, so that is not new. They just have some added stress points now. “There are more things that feel outside of our control now, and the impact to an event may be that the client doesn’t see any budget savings they were hoping for, and may actually see an increase to the budget as hotels, food and meeting supplies are all in high demand and limited supply,” Ellis says. “This means they are all more expensive now than they were pre-pandemic. Also, the gift item may not arrive or gets stuck in the port, and so is not available for the meeting. Or we can’t tour that facility they wanted to tour because they still are not allowing outsiders in due to ongoing COVID concerns.” Becker agrees, saying the more stressed a meeting plan- ner is, the more they may tend to miss things. “Sometimes, these are little things and sometimes they can be devastatingly big things,” Becker says. “The planner needs to be the voice of reason and have a level head in order to make quick decisions. If you are stressed, that is gen- erally not the case.” In addition, there are cer- tain facets of association meet- ing planning that may add to a meeting planner’s stress level that may not happen within the corporate sector. Ellis’ meeting planner com- pany provides services to both association and corporate clients. She says the largest and most stressful difference for association events is they tend to run events with committees making the decisions, most of whom don’t have experience run- ning events and don’t always understand the role of a meeting planner, nor do they always listen to the recommendations or professional advice from their meeting planner. “There are many more meetings with commit- tees, longer discussions over minor items, and no attention given to larger issues that will impact the entire event,” Ellis says. “It just takes longer to get anything done. Also, asso- ciations often tend to have smaller budgets or at least limited budgets without the ability to add any additional funds if something else comes up. And, they don’t always value the meeting planner job and don’t understand why we should get paid to plan their event.” TECHNIQUES FOR STRESS Association meeting planners will always have stress, but it helps when they can educate clients on why they need deci- sions made by certain deadlines and what the consequences are when deadlines are not met, or last-minute changes are made. That’s why Becker says self-care is very important and one thing planners tend not to do. Focusing on one thing at a time — which is usually an oxymoron in a planner’s world — is important, particularly the closer you get to the meeting date. “Early on in the process, making a schedule or chart of key dates so that you don’t constantly have to remember when items need to be given to other teams, or when program infor- mation needs to be to the graphic designer or printer is impor- tant. This also sets you up for success for the next year in that you don’t have to re-create the wheel,” Becker says. “There will always be challenges with planning a meeting. It’s the name of the game, so if you can set yourself up for success by pre-planning, focusing and taking care of yourself, you will be better equipped to deal with the challenges as they happen.” themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 2022 Planners say constant communication with the planning team, stakeholders and others involved in the process can alleviate stress. COURTESY OF DANA ELLIS 34To help manage the inevitable stress of planning events, it is vital to build great relationships with clients and vendors, and utilize excellent commu- nication with everyone involved throughout the entire planning process. “It’s when you have good established relationships that you can ask your vendors for favors or have your client trust you to handle things on-site without their specific approval in advance — and not dispute it if it cost something extra to make it happen,” Ellis says. “Communication is the key. It also helps to have a planner who works well under pressure and is able to manage changes gracefully.” Indeed, Becker adds that any good meeting planner obvi- ously wants his or her meeting to go well. Becker’s usual state- ment is that she has to rely on other people to do their job well in order for her to be successful. “I can create the most detailed event order in the world, but if the venue doesn’t exe- cute it, then I don’t look like I’ve done my part. In particular for association meetings, there is a specific need to have things go well for the membership,” Becker says. “Typically, these meetings are where the membership conducts its annual busi- ness, and for a good number of associations, the annual meet- ing is where they make the majority of their revenue for the year. These are two big items that weigh heavily on a planner.” There are many online tools for registration and event websites that act like an event app so association planners can constantly update agendas, speakers and accommodate livestreams for sessions, all of which help as planners have to adapt to last-minute changes. Many planners Ellis knows still use a spreadsheet to track requests, changes and budget items. And Ellis always asks clients to put their requests in an email so she has a “paper trail” of changes, or if they discuss the changes via phone or Zoom, Ellis will send a follow-up email to confirm the changes requested so that she can get confirmation in writ- ing, as things change fast in the days leading up to an event. Some key ways Coon has found to reduce stress in her role is making sure to get plenty of sleep and to exercise. “I found, by doing both, I’m able to manage my stress better. Keeping boundaries between work and personal life is also key, which can be a challenge with work/life integration,” she says. “Some- times during a hectic season, it’s hard to find the time for self- care, but it is imperative for mental health and burnout. I’ve found those few key things make me a better human, I have bet- ter stamina and clarity if I can take care of my physical needs.” She continues, “One final technique to help reduce stress is to keep it all in perspective and maintain a positive attitude. Attendees may not see the 12 things that could have taken an experience sideways that we as planners rectify on-site. They may see only one or two minor things. Or, if we do a great job, nothing other than a great experience crosses their minds. I jokingly say during an event if something doesn’t go the way as planned, ‘If that’s the worse that happens, it’s not that bad’ and I just I keep telling myself that.” HANDLING FUTURE STRESS Of course, stress will continue to be an inherent part of meet- ing planners’ jobs. And Ellis thinks, for the foreseeable future, we will continue to see added stress due to ongoing unpredict- ability stemming from COVID-related issues — attendees or speakers testing positive, possible new mask mandates, pos- sible new outbreaks, stay-at-home orders, shortages in labor and the supply chain and increased costs from fuel to food. “These impact events from traveling to an event, hotel stays, meal functions, service levels and more,” Ellis says. “Eventu- ally, things will go back to normal, but the ‘new normal’ may look a little different. For example, hotels don’t seem to be in a hurry to return to offering daily housekeeping services, and many still offer it only on-request. I’m not sure if this service, which used to be expected, will ever come back to all hotels. Only time will tell.” Becker points out that the meeting planning industry is much more aware of the stress of being a planner then it was prior to 2020. “And 2020 to 2021 brought out how much more stress is involved because of all the new ways of holding meetings and events,” Becker says, adding, “So, I hope the future holds that we are all much more aware of what is going on in our work life and how to mitigate it as best we can, and keep it front and center in our professional organiza- tions and networking groups.” She continues, “For the foreseeable future, we still have COVID variants in play. Things are not back to normal, and I’m going out on a limb and saying they may never be truly ‘normal’ [again].” | AC&F | SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Kim Becker, CMP, DES, SEPC, MBA President, Emerald Meeting and Event Planning I hope the future holds that we are all much more aware of what is going on in our work life and how to mitigate it as best we can, and keep it front and center in our professional organizations. Nicole Coon, CMP, vice president of membership and events for Housing First Minnesota, center, says “keep it all in perspective and maintain a positive attitude.” COURTESY OF NICOLE COON 35Atlantic City Atlantic City DESTINATIONREPORT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESSEPTEMBER 202236L arry Sieg, president and CEO of Meet AC, Atlantic City’s CVB, is optimistic about the future on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The meetings and con- ventions business in Atlantic City is back. Our clients and their attendees are happy to return to safe, face-to-face networking and educational opportunities, and we’re thrilled for the continued investment and redevelopment occurring throughout Atlantic City as we move our destination forward.” With new investment, he adds “comes new business oppor- tunities for the meetings and events industry. We applaud our casino and non-casino properties as they continue to reinvest in their products. We’re eager for an eventful … [recovery].” Caesars Entertainment Inc. is making major investments in its Atlantic City properties — Harrah’s Resort, Tropicana and Caesars Atlantic City. “Caesars Entertainment is spending more than $400 million,” says Jim Ziereis, Caesars vice presi- dent sales - Atlantic City region. “The Atrium Tower rooms at Harrah’s are completely remodeled. We also [started] on the Waterfront Tower, which will be completed [later] in 2022. Nobu Tower and the Nobu restaurants have been announced. Additional restaurants and entertainment options are also open, with more to come later this year. We’re optimistic that all the new product and amenities will provide even more for planners. Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center is the larg- est hotel conference complex from Baltimore to Boston, with two 50,000-sf, pillar-less ballrooms perfect for large confer- ences and events.” Ziereis says corporations and associations have returned to in-person meetings. “Our business levels are back to where we were in 2019. 2022 and beyond are really strong,” he says. Ziereis adds that large association groups have returned, including the NJ State League of Municipalities, a city-wide event with about 8,000 in attendance, which moved back to its normal fall pat- tern. “Our staff is really happy to be back at work and taking care of customers. Our company rolled out Family-Style service this year, which is the foundation of providing personalized ser- vice,” Ziereis says. “Caesars Entertainment properties are open for business, and we’re thriving.” A REGIONAL ATTRACTION Atlantic City is an ideal destination for association groups based in the region. “We’re a New Jersey-based association, so we like to hold our annual convention in New Jersey,” says Lauren Hagan, director of meetings/events with the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association of New Jersey. “Atlantic City has the hotels large enough to host our group of approximately 950,” she says, adding that the abundance of high-end restaurants in the city is a plus. Registration num- bers for the in-person event were only down by about 10%, Hagan says, attributing that in part to stringent health and safety protocols in place.“I feel like the hotels are really doing their best to keep everything as clean as possible. Our group consists of heavy highway road contractors. They’ve worked throughout the pandemic, so I think everyone was just excited to see each other, and all felt safe,” she adds. Hagan’s group was based at Tropicana Atlantic City for last fall’s event. “I have to say, even with the labor shortage in New Jersey, the banquet staff at Tropicana was absolutely fantastic. I know they were short staffed, but none of our attendees noticed, which is a wonderful thing. Also, the food at Tropicana was top- notch. We had to switch our menus around a bit because of the astronomical increase in the price of certain foods, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the menus that the chef and his staff prepared for us, while keeping it within our price range.” That said, she advises planners to look ahead when plan- ning a meeting in Atlantic City, particularly in terms of what hotels can and cannot provide. “The major thing I would look into ahead of time is on the hotel operations side,” she says. “With the labor shortage, certain things are not available, which is understandable, but it’s better to know that going into the situation so you can prepare your attendees.” The New Jersey Special Investigators Association held its annual anti-fraud training conference and summit at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Hotel & Casino last fall with about 250 in attendance. The meeting was fully in-person. “We are a New Jersey-based organization,” says Scott Keesal, presi- dent. “Therefore, our meetings and our annual conference are always held within the state. However,” he adds, “we have members and attendees from New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New England. Atlantic City has easy access whether driving or flying.” Keesal points out that the organization’s pre-COVID con- ference attendance was typically more than 600. “We have found that Atlantic City is our best option to provide a mix- ture of hotel rooms and conference space at a single location,” 37 SEPTEMBER 2022 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Looking Forward to a Strong Recovery By Christine Loomis Facing page, Atlantic City’s Boardwalk offers plenty of amenities for attendees. Top, Caesars Entertainment Inc. is spending $400 million to upgrade its venues in Atlantic City, including Caesars Atlantic City. CaesarsMeansBusiness.com 855-633-8238Next >