< PreviousMARIN, CA IN THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE ECO-FRIENDLY MEETINGS COME NATURALLY. GREEN MOVEMENTWith more sunshine, outdoor meeting space and LEED certified hotels, a meeting in California is like no other. Around here, good energy and good vibes are in our nature, so it’s no coincidence that California is fertile ground for groundbreaking ideas. Visit the land of innovation, free thinkers, and can- doers to get the most out of your next meeting or event. Meet what's possible for your next meeting at VisitCalifornia.com/meetings. DISCOVER THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING OR EVENT.As the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, planners are taking steps to ensure their prospective attendees that their face-to-face meeting is safe. Photo Credit Milan Convention Centre / Courtesy of Duccio Ulivelli PLANNER TIPS // A Return to F2F BY PATRICK SIMMS 10 June/July 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comT he face-to-face attendee experience is generally regarded as superior to virtual, particularly for meetings where net- working and relation- ship building are among the objectives. The lingering COVID-19 pandemic has made that heightened return-on-expe- rience harder to attain, however. While in-person meetings made a comeback late last year and so far this year, there is still some hesitation among would- be attendees. People clearly have dif- ferent COVID risk tolerances — both psychologically and physically — and it is not a planner’s place to aggressively push face-to-face attendance across the board. A better approach is to encour- age that mode of participation by reminding attendees of its advantages over virtual, and by ensuring they know that all the right precautions against infection will taken. The first step is to assess the over- all comfort level among prospective attendees with regard to meeting in person. If just about everyone is on board with the idea, then no encour- agement may be needed. But there will typically be a significant contingent that has reservations. “About 70% of our people are excited to get back together, 20% are excited but still nervous and 10% lean more toward the more nervous than excited side,” says Judy Payne, CMP, director, meet- ings and travel, GameStop. The Risk Spectrum The comfort level assessment can be made through a poll, of course, but infor- mal communications with prospective attendees can also yield insights. “We didn’t do surveys, but we did have our attorneys reaching out and talk with our clients about where their comfort level was,” says Shana Hoy, CMP, CMM, senior event manager with Husch Blackwell LLP. The law firm’s client-facing events were conducted vir- tually during the pandemic. Beginning last fall, the company reinstated face- to-face for those events that were more focused on relationship building. “We were really mindful of [comfort level] as we looked at what programming it made sense to move forward in an in-person fashion, as opposed to groups that were maybe still wanting to keep more of that interaction or education time online,” Hoy says. “We recognize there are peo- ple from all across the risk spectrum because everybody has their personal story and things going on in their lives. So, we really want to be inclusive and respectful of where they’re at, whether they have a high or low risk tolerance, and be as inclusive as we can.” Planners may be concerned that, even if prospective attendees have a high risk tolerance, the Zoom era may have reduced their desire to meet in per- son. Perhaps many have been seduced by the convenience of virtual meetings. But many planners give evidence to the contrary: Their prospective attendees are in fact yearning for in-person inter- action with their colleagues. For example, Sharon L. Schenk, CMP, director of conventions and event management with CCA Global Partners, notes that her company’s summer 2020 virtual convention only saw about 50% participation, and engagement was fairly low. In comparison, the summer 2021 hybrid convention at the Gaylord Rock- ies Resort & Convention Center saw about 90% of the usual attendance. “People were really hungry to get back together,” she says. A similar robust turnout is expected at this sum- mer’s CCA Global Partners convention scheduled for the Gaylord Opryland, particularly since last year’s Winter Convention was canceled due to the Omicron variant. “We’re expecting our August convention to be full because it will be a year since people have seen each other,” Schenk says. “I think that the lack of interest for any of the virtual events, at least for our company, has proven that they really want face to face. We’ve been doing conventions for over 30 years, twice a year, and there’s noth- ing like shaking hands, bumping elbows and having those relationships in person. That’s where they thrive, and that’s what we try to provide.” The Benefits of F2F If that is attendees’ sentiment toward face-to-face events, a planner need not promote the advantages over virtual — attendees are already quite aware of them. But if there is any con- cern that interest in face-to-face meet- ings has waned, why not remind them of the benefits? While attendance at GameStop’s events is mandatory, “We still want Courtesy photo The pandemic has forced planners to put more outside activities on their agendas and take other steps to boost safety measures. Take Measures to Ensure Attendees Choose to Meet in Person TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | June/July 2022 11to excite the attendees to come, so you still need to have the same type of approach,” Payne says. In-person provides “better networking, better engagement, and quite frankly, most of our meetings are for our sales force in the field that don’t often get to inter- act. So getting together and being able to share ideas and best practices really helps the company as a whole and it moves us forward as one unit.” Paving the way to that experience are the COVID safety practices the host organization has in place, begin- ning at the site-selection stage. Hoy’s team tracks destination safety “on a weekly basis. We have cities within our footprint that we track because we do a lot in those areas,” she says. “And as other cities get added that we’re doing programs in, we add them to our tracking document.” However, she notes that “We use that data to assess decisions, but we’re not necessarily utilizing it to completely change direction. If we book something in Florida and the state went really crazy high [with cases], we wouldn’t neces- sarily change direction because their numbers changed. I think part of that is because all of this is changing so quickly that something that is true today [about COVID] is not necessarily going to be true two weeks from now.” The new due diligence in site selec- tion also involves assessing venues’ COVID safety protocols. “It has 100% become part of our RFP process,” Hoy says. “It’s indicated in our proposals and on the front end of any inquiries that we’re [partnering] with vendors that request vaccination status and require masking, and the safety proto- cols are important to us. So, we look for vendors that are going to work with us and that are like minded.” And since her team focuses mostly on venues in warm-weather areas, Hoy says, “We’re really going to be able to utilize the outside for meals and group activities,” which she says can make social distancing easier, adding, “So, we’re really being mindful of event design and how we can use that design to create those layers of safety.” Practices and Policies Vary Regarding vaccination and masking, the practices and policies vary across companies holding meetings. However, there appears to be an overall upswing in vaccination mandates for attendees, staff and contractors. For the 2022 Winter Edition of MPI’s Meetings Outlook, sur- vey participants were asked, “Is your organization requiring (or do you think it will soon be requir- ing) proof of COVID-19 vaccina- tion for attendees, staff and/ or contractors?” Fifty-five percent said “yes” for staff and contractors, compared to 47% in the fall 2021 sur- vey, and 51% said “yes” for attendees, compared to 41% in the fall 2021 survey. Whether a company requires vaccination or encourages it of par- ticipants, perhaps the main thing is that concern is shown for attendees’ health and safety. “Our firm does require all staff, attendees and vendors, both at our offices and events, to be fully vacci- nated,” Hoy says. “So we do put that in our indication.” In contrast, GameStop is not requir- ing vaccination, or wristbands to indi- cate vaccination status. “We’re not going to wristband our attendees because we feel that is a per- sonal decision that they have to make whether to be vaccinated,” Payne says. “We wouldn’t wristband them for any other type of vaccine, if they’ve received the flu vaccine or anything else, so we’re not going to wristband attendees or make it publicly known if someone is vaccinated or not. However, we highly encourage our attendees and associates to get vaccinated.” If an employee chooses not to get vaccinated, they do have to inform Payne’s team and will then be required to wear a mask. Some on-site planning teams take the approach of wearing masks not only for their personal safety, but also to make attendees feel less self-con- scious wearing one in case many of their peers are not. “My team wears masks at events, because we want the first people that come in to registration to see that some- body is masked,” Hoy says. “So, if they New York National Guard via Flickr Creative Commons Some planners are putting in place mandatory vaccination requirements, while others are not. The bottom line, experts say, is that it’s up to each organization. 12 June/July 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com We recognize there are people from all across the risk spectrum because everybody has their personal story and things going on in their lives. SHANA HOY, CMP, CMM Senior Event Manager Husch Blackwell LLPwant to choose to be masked, but maybe wouldn’t with others not masked, they know somebody in the room is.” The presence of masked venue staff achieves a similar effect. For instance, “all unvaccinated Gaylord employees — they call them Stars — are required to wear masks,” Schenk says. Another advisable measure is having on-site COVID tests available for attend- ees. “We may provide free antigen tests that they could just pick up and take to their room, so they can test them- selves on-site if they feel they have been exposed or if they start exhibiting symp- toms. It’s inconvenient for them to go off-site to get tested, and now that these tests are more available and reasonably priced, we think it’s a smart thing to do for our attendees.” With the prevalence of vaccina- tion and masks, social distancing is not as prominent as it was in the early stages of the pandemic. Many planners have relaxed the distancing require- ment, particularly since it is difficult to “police” attendees in that regard. Payne’s team early this year had planned to do 3-foot distancing, which is more practicable, she thinks. “With 3 feet, we can still set classroom style, with two people per 6-foot table. So, my goal is not to double our space, but still make people feel secure in their sur- roundings,” she says. “I’d like for people to maintain their seat and not switch around throughout the week. That way, they’re staying within their own bubble the entire time they’re at the meeting and we’re seeing less crossing of finger- prints, less people crossing your path if you’re staying in your same seat. While you really don’t get to cross-pollinate when it comes to meeting different peo- ple, you are staying within your same environment and not getting other people’s germs. When we were brain- storming what the policy would look like, that’s one thing we came up with.” Communication is Paramount Key to encouraging in-person atten- dance is to communicate whichever COVID safety practices the organiza- tion has chosen to put in place, thereby increasing the comfort level. “We make sure people know what they’re walking into and what they can expect,” Payne says. “It’s going to ease their minds knowing that we’ve cre- ated a thoughtful safety plan and are executing it. We even announce it on the main stage during the opening general session.” Pre-meeting, her team sends out a “Know Before You Go” email to all attendees that includes GameStop’s COVID policies. Hoy’s team communicates the health and safety practices in stages. “In our ini- tial communications, we just talk about the safety precautions at a very high level, and then as we get to that ‘see you soon’ communication, we provide more detailed information,” she says. The details range from company vaccination and mask policies and recommendations to a description of the COVID safety practices at the meeting venue. “Wherever we are, we follow local guidance and then also communicate CDC guidance, whatever that is at the time,” she adds. “So the other big thing we communicate is that this may change. We may have future communications come out that are different, and may need to alert attendees of an adjustment.” Indeed, risk management when it comes to the pandemic is like tak- ing aim at a moving target. But with mass vaccination and boosters along with well-entrenched safety practices among host organizations and venues, planners hopefully need not resort to cancellation and can deliver that valu- able in-person experience they are pro- moting to attendees. “As event planners, we’re in a place now where we’re going to continue to see variants and continue to see the cases increase, the ups and downs on these charts,” Hoy says. “So how do we start to move into a place where we are putting in safety procedures, pre- cautions and communications so that we’re not having to cancel every time something comes up? We are two years [into the pandemic] and have more information, so we’re ready to start moving in the direction of continuing with our events and doing them in the safest way possible.” For planners interested in learning the latest best practices, Hoy recom- mends an online pandemic meeting and event design certificate course offered by the Event Leadership Institute. The more versed planners are in this new area of event design, the more reassur- ance they can offer the prospective face- to-face attendee, and ultimately support the revival of in-person meetings. C&IT The No. 1 rule, many planners say, is to communicate. If attendees are fully aware of the event’s format, they can make their own decisions. World Petroleum Congress / Courtesy of John Solis TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | June/July 2022 13Pictured, the Rooftop Garden on Celebrity Edge. The ship was one of the first to return to the sea after the pandemic delay. Photo by Steve Dunlop Cruise Meetings Are Again an Option for Planners The Waves Await BY DAVID SWANSON I t hardly seems possible, but cruise ships recently reached the one- year anniversary of heading back to sea following 15 months of the pandemic-imposed shutdown. While many pundits were pessimistic about the industry’s restart — and some remain so — guests aboard Celebrity Edge on its sailing early last summer out of Fort Lauderdale painted a different picture. “We had no apprehensions at all,” says Diana Bloss, director of opera- tions for Worldwide Cruise Associates. “Quite the opposite — we were eager to cruise again, as were all the other guests that we met. Every passenger had to be vaccinated, and everyone had to have a negative COVID-19 test to sail. All crew had to be vaccinated, quarantined and tested negative. Everyone was just so happy to be on a ship again. And more importantly, the crew were so happy to be working again, and doing what they have a passion for, and are proud to be a part of.” Bloss notes that the cruise industry has faced outsized scrutiny through- out the pandemic. Some of this legiti- mately emerged when several cruise ships suffered major outbreaks as COVID first emerged. A lot of it came from non-cruisers unfamiliar with INDUSTRY INSIGHT // 14 June/July 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comthe pre-pandemic health protocols already practiced on ships, along with the potential for testing, mitigation and quarantine — when necessary — that cruise ships can provide on the back side of the pandemic. “The scrutiny was totally preju- dicial, as the cruise industry has the highest standards of sanita- tion, air filtration and health requirements in the travel industry,” Bloss says. “I think the biggest message we came back with, which was a belief of ours throughout the close down of the industry, was that cruising was the safest environment to be in — safer than a resort, safer than going to the grocery store, safer than going to a large land event.” Back to the Sea Celebrity Cruises was the first to put an oar back in the water, and over the course of last summer, all the major cruise lines followed suit with one ship at a time. The restart has been bumpy at times. Port protocols in the Carib- bean and Mediterranean changed fre- quently, causing itinerary adjustments. The rise of the Delta variant, followed by the Omicron variant, caused addi- tional disruptions. As with airlines and hotels, getting crew members back in place to fill all positions is a current challenge. But just recently, Carnival Cruise Line announced that all 23 ships in its fleet were again sailing, followed soon thereafter by Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet of 17 ships and the 26 ships of Royal Caribbean, and disruptions to service have begun to wane. To be sure, between passengers and crew, COVID likely exists on nearly every ship sailing today. But cruise line testing requirements allow ships to discover positive cases and efficiently quarantine passengers and crew as needed; and with vaccinations required to board most ships, the majority of cases are asymptomatic. “What is important for planners to know is that when — rather than if — there are cases found onboard, ships have a very specific protocol in place,” says Karen Devine, president of 3D Cruise Partners. “The unfortunate news coverage of the cruise industry was astoundingly inaccurate relative to the actual statistics. Cruise is the only sector of travel required to report cases [to the CDC], but now that ships are sailing again so successfully, my clients are seeing the proof in the pudding, so to speak, and gaining confidence day after day, and returning to cruise incen- tives.” She continues, “It is not easy for all, given some of the protocols relative to testing and vaccine requirements. But this continues to evolve weekly and further relaxation is expected, as we see with protocols evolving every- where in the world right now.” Although cruise meetings and incentives have only been starting to resume this year, Devine is currently working with an insurance company on an early spring full charter next year with Windstar Cruises, which has a fleet of six smaller ships ranging from 148 to 342 passengers in size. “For this first-time cruise incentive client, size was key, and Windstar’s Star Pride with 156 total suites allowed their 130 win- ners, executive team and staff plenty of high-caliber cabins to utilize. The price point fit their budget well, and Windstar’s premium-plus style fit their history perfectly relative to hotel com- parison of their past programs.” Star Pride is one of three identical Windstar ships which, just prior to the onset of the pandemic, was scheduled to go into dry dock to be fully refur- bished and lengthened, a $250 million initiative to add 50 cabins to each ship, bringing guest capacity to 312. The revamped ships, which entered service in 2021, now have four dining options, a larger pool, gym and spa, and the small- est cabins remain 277 sf, about 50% larger than is standard among main- stream cruise lines. “Windstar has a great reputation with customers — retail and group/ charter alike,” Devine says. “So, even though the customer was new to cruis- ing, when she conducted her site visit, the client immediately felt and saw the warmth and genuine interest in her charter. These are comparatively small ships in the cruise world, and the team on board was incredibly accommodat- ing. Windstar’s home office excels in the group and charter business. They know how to make these customers feel welcome and excited about each and every program they operate.” She adds, “We contracted and planned a full char- ter, as the client wanted exclusivity. We were then able to customize the ports of call, time in ports and onboard program- ming. The client loved that only their group will be on board, with the privacy and customizable options that were pre- sented. The ship’s size is almost perfect relative to its ability to host group func- tions, and given that this is a full charter, full branding with customer logo, sig- nage, flag and more is easy. Windstar’s flexibility and willingness to work on a Courtesy of Scott Roberts Many attendees prefer the all- inclusive nature of cruise meetings. t TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | June/July 2022 15custom itinerary were perfect for this approach for the customer.” Appealing Options Windstar’s itineraries appeal to some cruisers because smaller ships can access smaller, more unusual ports. But many groups are attracted to the bells and whistles found on larger ships, even if it means sharing the ship with independent cruisers. An electri- cal distributor company had planned an 80-person incentive program aboard a Royal Caribbean ship for 2020, but the event was postponed as the pan- demic took hold. The company was able to reschedule their event for early this spring, using the 4,375-passenger Freedom of the Seas for a short Baha- mas cruise out of Miami. “The choice was primarily price driven,” says Allison Flint Lenzi, direc- tor of group travel with HMI Perfor- mance Incentives. “Our client wanted a three-night experience over the week- end, and the itinerary and dates led us to choose the Freedom of the Seas. Royal Caribbean consistently fulfills quality expectations based on past experience, so that made it an ideal choice.” Additionally, following the original cancellation, Royal Caribbean extended credit to a future sailing, instead of imposing a cancellation penalty. “We had the flexibility to apply it towards two different sailings in 2022, in order to maximize usage of the credit,” Lenzi says, adding that she finds cruising is consistently a better value than land-based programs. “It’s an ideal choice for the right client, because experiences like cocktail recep- tions and entertainment are already included. Although the ship is limited in what can be offered in terms of location and timing, and the space is assigned, we had two cocktail receptions. It’s important to note that function spaces are only for cocktail recep- tions — meals cannot be served in a function space. Our group appreciated having a beverage package included, and we also reserved tables in the din- ing room so they had more opportuni- ties to spend time together.” Lenzi says the main challenge she dealt with in planning this event was the perception of cruise safety. “This was compounded by CDC warnings and the vaccination mandate in place for cruises,” Lenzi says. “There were participants that unfortunately could not join the trip because of the regula- tion, whereas a land destination likely could have accommodated guests in this situation. Despite the challenges of changing protocols, Royal Caribbean successfully delivered the product and guest experience we were familiar with from before COVID.” Another group that worked with Royal Caribbean on a postponed event was West Virginia-based Farmers & Mechanics Insurance Companies. The group originally booked its annual Agent’s Retreat for a 2020 sailing. It was rescheduled twice, and finally took place early this spring aboard Royal Caribbean’s 4,905-passenger Anthem of the Seas. “We selected Royal Caribbean based on positive feedback,” says Scott Roberts, vice president of sales and marketing for Farmers & Mechan- ics Insurance. “We were looking for a cruise to take place around March, and going out of Cape Liberty, New Jersey was only a four-hour drive from our office.” Roberts notes that his com- pany had a record number of agencies qualify for the incentive compared to previous events at a land-based resort. “A cruise is a much bigger incentive for our agents, and generated more excitement than previous land-based events we have held.” Although Roberts’ group was on a seven-day itinerary sold to the general public, he says it still worked out well due to the capacity restrictions imposed by the CDC. Anthem of the Seas sailed only 60% full, and his attendees were able to find and connect with each other, despite the ship’s large size. And even though the cruise was shared, Roberts was able to take over the ship’s Music Hall venue for both the group’s welcome reception as well as an awards reception on day six of the sailing. “Anthem of the Seas offered our group so much to enjoy throughout the Courtesy of Scott Roberts Stringent health and safety protocols aboard cruise ships give many attendees a sense of security they may not feel at a land event. 16 June/July 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com A cruise is a much bigger incentive for our agents, and generated more excitement than previous land- based events we have held. SCOTT ROBERTS Vice President of Sales and Marketing Farmers & Mechanics Insurancewhen you realize the world really is yours Charters, Meetings & Incentive 866-827-5257 or +1 206-626-9177 outside North America SeaCharIncentive@Seabourn.com When you partner with Seabourn for an event, your guests will enjoy a seamless, all-inclusive, ultra-luxury experience. Our intimate ships with just 250-600 guests, all ocean-front suites, inviting group spaces, luxurious amenities and nearly one team member for every guest converge into a voyage so beyond compare your guests will never want it to end.Next >