< PreviousI n-person events are gaining momentum once more. From January to September 2022 alone, Bizzabo saw a 724% increase in the number of in-person events held on its Event Experience OS. According to Bizzabo’s recent “State of In-Person Events” survey, nearly all (98%) of the 200+ event organizers surveyed said they hosted at least one in-person event this year. More than 80% of organizers held at least three in-person events in 2022 and plan at least three more in 2023. Events transformed during the pandemic as event expe- rience leaders used new technologies to nurture connections and create impactful experiences for attendees, speakers and sponsors. Those pivots to virtual and hybrid experiences revealed the crucial role of event data in creating personal- ized experiences while supporting business outcomes. As we welcome a new era of events, event profession- als can maximize business impact and create exceptional attendee experiences by taking advantage of the rich data in-person events provide. Activate Your Data to Bridge the Gap The most significant challenge event organizers face is what is called the Event Impact Gap. It’s the chasm between organizers’ aspirations to deliver impactful experiences and the limits imposed by their event technology. Data can solve this challenge, bridging the gap between expectation and reality in your event planning and execution. In-person events hold enormous data potential, offering your events team a powerful opportunity to understand and cater to your target audiences. With the right event technology, in-person event data gives unparalleled insight into audience behav- ior and interests, including the most appealing and engaging content, peers, sessions and exhibitors. These insights enable your team to better understand how attendees connect to your brand and thus inform your future event strategy. The right event management software not only collects meaningful data but, more importantly, empowers organiz- ers to activate data to offer exceptional event experiences. When you can access and act on data insights in real time, you can change the outcome of an event as it unfolds, maxi- mizing its potential and offering attendees a better experi- ence in the moment. Measure Event Success According to Bizzabo’s recent survey, 7 in 10 event orga- nizers reported their event budgets increased or remained the same in the past year. As economic uncertainties per- sist, event professionals will need to demonstrate their event strategy’s business value. Actionable data insights equip organizers to assess event success against key metrics and better communicate event value. You may be tempted to ask your team to measure everything immediately. Take a step back, and establish your event goals before identifying the best metrics to measure progress. Some common event goals include: • Increasing registrations • Driving brand awareness • Offering better experiences for attendees, vendors, sponsors and staff • Boosting sponsorship revenue • Improving networking opportunities • Educating the audience • Growing revenue • Generating pipeline • Increasing ROE (return on event). With your goals in mind, choose three to five critical met- rics to track. Survey respondents cited attendance, engage- ment, pipeline, overall satisfaction and registration as priori- ties. For example, if your team wants to drive registrations, consider monitoring: event site click-through rates (CTRs); DepositPhotos.com BY ALON ALROY PERSPECTIVE // Make Data the Hardest Worker on Your Events Team 10 December 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.compage bounce rates and form fill rates; marketing email open rates and CTRs; and social media clicks, shares and form fills. Experiment With Event Messaging The right tools enable your team to experiment with every aspect of event orchestration, starting with event messaging. Use A/B testing to identify which message ver- sions your audience finds most engaging. By refining your email marketing efforts based on the data, you’ll improve the likelihood of converting prospects into registrants — and attendees. Take the same approach with your event website. Site engagement tools, such as heat mapping, show how site visitors interact with your messaging. Consider these questions as you assess site engagement: Does site activity indicate a preference for certain call-to- action phrasing, e.g., save a spot vs. register? Do visitors view the agenda or gravitate toward speakers? Do visitors play on-demand videos from past events? Personalize Registration to Gain Insights Better data activation enables your team to offer attend- ees a more personalized experience, helping you satisfy ris- ing attendee expectations. Don’t limit your personalization efforts to the event itself. Collecting useful data during the registration process powers personalization leading up to the event and throughout your follow-up efforts. Offer attendees conditional questions that create a choose-your-own-adventure registration path. Responses lead attendees to the ticket type and sessions that best suit their event goals, and you’ll learn more about attendees’ motivation for attending, learning styles, topics of interest and networking objectives. Registration also offers an opportunity to show attendees your commitment to prioritizing their needs during an event. Ask attendees to share their name pronunciation, pronouns and accessibility requirements. Provide examples of accom- modations, but also offer open-ended responses to account for needs your team might not have previously anticipated. Optimize Your Event in Real Time Data gives event experience leaders the insights they need to experiment before, during and after an event and pivot. Imagine this: Your team deploys a poll as morning ses- sions end on the first day of your event. Collecting audience feedback on those initial sessions allows you to act quickly, adjusting upcoming programming to meet attendee needs. The resurgence of in-person events has led some event organizers to incorporate advanced strategies such as wear- able technology. High-tech badges, wristbands and other wearables offer attendees a novel way to interact while cap- turing essential behavioral data for organizers to facilitate touchless contact exchanges during networking, seamless session check-in reminders and tracking, lead capture for sponsors, novel event engagement and gamification. Wearable technology adds an additional engagement layer for attendees while enhancing your team’s ability to capture and act on data. How do you combine the behavioral and engagement data you collect to extend the value of your event past the clos- ing remarks? You need technology that helps you use data instantly and easily to create effective post-event outreach. In addition to quantitative data — such as most popular content downloads and most-attended sessions — capture qualitative insights through post-event surveys. When you know which sessions an attendee liked, the content they downloaded, and the networking connections they made, you can personalize post-event content and communica- tions to enrich the attendee experience and maximize your event’s impact. Attendee expectations continue to evolve in this new world of in-person events. To satisfy audience needs and support business outcomes, event experience leaders must use data as a strategic advantage. The true value of your data comes from your ability to use its insights to provide the best possible event experience — from experimenting in real time to measuring event success to personalizing content for better engagement. When you leverage event data to inform event decisions before, during and after an event, data becomes the hardest-working member of your events team. C&IT ALON ALROY is the co-founder & CMO of Bizzabo, the world’s first Event Experience OS for hybrid, virtual and in-person events. Bizzabo is helping marketers and event organizers from world-leading brands to promote, manage and maximize their professional events, and to create memorable and impactful experiences. Over the years, Alroy has built Bizzabo’s go-to- market teams from the ground up, including its sales, marketing, strategy and customer-service teams. He was recognized as a “40 Under 40 Young Leader” by Collaborate Magazine, “100 Most Influential People in the Event Industry” by Eventex, and “40 Under 40 Event Industry Leaders” by BizBash. For more information, visit Bizzabo.com. When you can access and act on data insights in real time, you can change the outcome of an event as it unfolds. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2022 11P eople across the country are quitting their jobs in record numbers. If you’re a business owner, you’ve undoubtedly had a tense moment or two wondering, Who’s going to leave my company? But don’t just wring your hands — take decisive action. Smart leaders are approaching the Great Resignation as a time to pause, take stock, and really audit their business practices and processes. This is the perfect time to ask, “What can we be doing better?” Not only is this the secret to keeping the people you have, it also gives you the opportunity to attract some of the amazing talent float- ing around right now. People aren’t leav- ing the workforce altogether, they’re leaving old-school environments that aren’t meeting their needs for those that will. When you shift in ways that create the kind of culture people are drawn to, everyone wins — current employees, talented prospects, and, of course, the company. So how do you leverage this opportunity? What do you absolutely have to get right? Here are a few tips for becoming a great place to attract and retain talent. Ask yourself: Have we flexed? In a shockingly short amount of time, the employment landscape has changed dramatically. What about your company? Have you evolved to keep up? To answer, you’ll need to audit “What we’ve always done” and ask, “Does this still make sense for a talent base that demands an employee-centric workplace?” This has to be a permanent shift. While there’s a tal- ent squeeze right now, the new employee expectations are the new normal. Make sure leaders understand this reality. Then, honestly ask yourself: “What do my employees, cur- rent ones and future ones, REALLY want?” This is the first step to moving your company in the right direction. In general, today’s employees value training and devel- opment, the opportunity to collaborate with teams, a sense of meaning in their work, and an affiliation with socially responsible entities. They insist on fairness, equity, diver- sity and inclusion. If any area of your culture is not in alignment with these values, move to fix any glaring problems right away. Then get set on making long-term changes that will make you more likely to meet the needs and wants of modern workers. Once you get a sense of where you are and where you need to improve, ask yourself: “Do our leaders need more training? Do they understand the atti- tude shifts your com- pany needs to make?” Attracting and retain- ing talent needs to be top of mind for every- one, and that includes leaders at every level. Getting employee-centric is about building emotional connections. If leaders inside your company have no idea how to make and nurture these connections, it may be time to take a hard look at the culture you’ve created. If you’re to win the war on talent, there have to be some changes in the attitudes of your leaders. Since the gig economy exploded on the scene, it has reshaped the American workforce. The flexible nature of gig work appeals highly to the younger generation. To them, the work/life integration built into the gig economy is not a cool trend, but a priority. And companies competing for Gen Y and Gen Z workers need to bake it into the jobs they offer. Now, workers are demanding flexibility in where they work, how they work and when they work. Millennials and Gen Zers in particular value work/life integration. If it works for the position, allow fully remote, hybrid and flex- ible arrangements. Understand that it’s not just about WHERE people work; DepositPhotos.com BY RICK GRIMALDI PERSPECTIVE // Why the “Great Resignation” is Really a Great Opportunity 12 December 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comit’s about WHEN and HOW. Many employees want flexibil- ity to work remotely. To be truly flexible, that means giving people the freedom to structure their workday and week in a way that fits into the rest of their lives. To the extent that you can, let employees maintain con- trol over when they’re available. Even if a job can’t realis- tically be done remotely, people may still be able to tailor hours to their schedule. This often ensures that their work is done at the most effective times and enables employees to fulfill family obligations. When hiring, focus on skills, not academic histories. For decades, companies have prioritized candidates’ educational backgrounds. Now, more employers are hiring based on skill set instead of academic pedigree. This recruitment approach also makes it easier to build a more diverse workforce. Hire for the skills you need in the moment and develop them based on how your needs evolve. Just don’t try to lock employees down in the same role long term. Let their tal- ents and interests drive their skill development. It should go without saying, but try to hire people who are excited about learning and growing. Put relationships at the top of your to-do list. Relation- ships have always been important, but they matter now more than ever. Get intentional about building strong rela- tionships with your team, and get intentional about knowing your people. Of course managers need to know employees’ goals, strengths and other work-related factors, but they should also know their birthdays and who their kids are. There is a resurgence of the old “management by walk- ing around” method happening even on factory floors. When you schedule time to do this, and also make a point of hav- ing regular face-to-face meetings with employees that go beyond performance reviews, a lot of things will change. This can be challenging with remote workers, but with a few extra steps by managers, it can be done successfully. Start a real dialogue and be open to what they’re saying. Don’t just send out questionnaires or use a passive “feedback box.” Talk to people one-on-one and give them the freedom to give you hard feedback. Proactively ask questions about their well-being. Are they happy? Why or why not? What can you do to keep them around? The more you involve peo- ple in running the company, and the fewer surprises there are, the happier they’ll be. One-on-one conversations can help you get a sense of where people are coming from. You can learn who is burned out, who might be planning to leave, and who has new ideas around the future of work in the post-COVID era. It’s a great way to take people’s temperature and work together to find solutions to make the transition back easier on everyone. Make employee well-being a top priority. This means checking in with people. Don’t wait on yearly assessments, we always need to know how people are doing on a daily basis. Mental health issues are no longer in the closet. They can’t be, in a time when so many have moved past stress and into trauma territory. Create a culture where everyone belongs. For the first time, beginning in 2019, the majority of American hires in their prime — ages 25-54 — were people of color. Also, for the first time in 2019, women made up the majority of the college-educated workforce. And the 66 million working women today are expected to grow to 92 million by 2050. Though immigrants make up just 18% of the workforce older than 25 in the U.S. today, they obtain 28% of high-quality patents. They’re also more likely to be recognized as Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, medicine and physiology. We know diversity and inclusion are important, but orga- nizations that want to thrive go further: They work toward what DEI expert Tristan Higgins calls “metaclusivity.” In other words, they cultivate a true sense of belonging. Feel- ing that they belong is what gets people engaged and allows them to do their best work. Keep people fulfilled by getting reward and recognition right. Regular reward and recognition for a job well done helps keep people fulfilled and engaged. It’s not about a big yearly ceremony or a group thank-you; it’s more about individual efforts. It’s about noticing when people do some- thing positive and recognizing them the way they want to be recognized. Carefully manage the onboarding process. Know that people often make decisions to stay or leave in the early days of their job. In a staff crunch, every single hire really counts. It’s vital to check in immediately and see how things are going — and to stay in touch as time goes by. Collectively, the Great Resignation is a gift for employ- ers who are willing to accept it as the chance to reinvent themselves. It’s kind of a national pause. From time to time, everyone needs to step back and look at their life and say, “Is this really working for me?” This is true of individuals and of companies. Very often we find the status quo really isn’t working — and that’s our impetus to shake things up, shift our mindset, and create something fresh, new and energizing. C&IT RICK GRIMALDI is a partner at Fisher Phillips LLP, one of America’s preeminent manage- ment-side labor and employment law firms. Rick’s unique perspective comes from his diverse career in high-ranking public service positions, as a human resources and labor relations pro- fessional for an international hi-tech company, and in private practice as a partner in a large law firm working with companies to help them adapt to the ever-changing business environment, achieve their workplace goals and become better employers. He has been recognized as one of America’s best lawyers in three of the last four years. For more information, visit FisherPhillips.com. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2022 13ANYTHING BUT BUSINESS AS USUAL caesarsmeansbusiness.com | 855-633-8238Insiders Predict Further Improvement Despite Lingering Issues T he year 2022 was one of recov- ery for the meetings and events industry. In many destinations, in-person meetings, events and conferences returned, or nearly returned, to 2019 levels. However, the industry still has a long way to go, as supply-chain issues, inflation, worker shortages and even fluctuating fuel prices are affecting company bottom lines. As such, many decision makers in C-suites worldwide are taking a cautious approach to fully opening the purse strings for things to return to “normal.” We asked a few industry experts to give us their take on the State of the Industry as we head into 2023, nearly three years after the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns. Here are their thoughts. 2023 INDUSTRY INSIGHT // COMPILED BY HENRY FITZGERALD STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 16 December 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comPAUL VAN DEVENTER President and CEO Meeting Professionals International (MPI) A s the return to face-to-face business events contin- ues — coming back from the pandemic and the quick- est, most severe decline we’ve ever seen — there are, naturally, challenges, but also tremendous opportunities. While in late 2021, only 3% of respondents to MPI’s quar- terly Meetings Outlook survey said their business levels were back to pre-pandemic levels, by this fall, 10 times as many (32%) said the same, and an additional 31% anticipate a return to 2019 business levels in 2023. If realized, that means that, by the end of next year, almost two-thirds of meeting professionals will be working at levels they’d not seen since before the pandemic. There are complications to this full recovery, of course, including significant aspects that are more or less beyond the control of meeting professionals. They’re not just dealing with getting back to business, but facing record inflation and the threat of a global recession, leading to the costs for many essential meeting and event elements rising greater than budgets. In addition, regional conflicts, political upheaval and various forms of general uncertainty are creating supply-chain delays, which will continue as long as manufacturing and inter- national shipping are impacted by these and other factors. There are numerous headwinds facing meeting professionals, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Over the past year, we’ve seen a dynamic change in the primary reason to attend an event, switching from education to networking. Education at events is and always will be very important, but genuine face-to-face interaction — spending that important time with others in the same space — simply cannot be replicated online. In 2023, we’ll continue to see people attending in-person events in order to experience the joy that’s been missing for many, including some who still haven’t ventured out and experienced a face-to-face event since the start of the pandemic. So, when designing events, meeting professionals must be keenly aware of the enhanced level of elation and excitement among many participants, as well as the apprehension of others, and strike a delicate bal- ance in accommodating every attendee in a manner they will feel comfortable. That excitement and optimism is what I’m most thrilled to see. And within that are some of the greatest opportunities. The near future is an ideal time for meeting professionals to approach their work differently — there’s been a lot of soul searching and innovation going on, in particular, the advance- ment and integration of technology and a focus on overall attendee wellness. Event professionals need to ask them- selves what did you realize, personally or professionally, that you’d been taking for granted? Now is as good a time as any to address those matters to create the future that you want. Re-examine the goals of your events and how you can achieve them in a fresh way. Why do you and your organization do what you do, and how can you take a big step into the future rather than simply returning to 2019? Despite the uncertainty that remains, I’m confident 2023 is going to be a marvelous year for meeting professionals and the public’s perception, and understanding, of the value of in-person meetings and events. SUSAN ADAMS Vice President, Engagement Strategy & Corporate Services Next Level Performance F rom a complete standstill to an explosion of demand, the incentive travel industry’s experience of 2022 served as a magnified view of the strain that was placed on workforce resources, corporate budgets and social and travel policies at large. While industry leaders felt confi- dent in a strong return to travel in 2022, even these predic- tions and confidence underestimated the rush of demand. As the market experienced this resurgence, industry-wide labor shortages, inflation and ever-changing COVID-19 regulations made it a challenge to operate efficiently at every turn. The year 2023 is shaping up to be another busy year for incentive travel, despite widespread discussion of the U.S. market potentially entering into a recession. The pressures of 2022, however, are not fully behind us. Here’s a look at a few of the factors that will shape the year: Paul Van Deventer TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2022 17INCENTIVES AND RECOGNITION ARE ESSENTIAL The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), FICP and SITE have just released the 2022 Incentive Travel Index (ITI). It states that 91% of buyers and sellers of incentives indicated that incentive travel has an even more important role in building engagement and company culture with a dis- persed workforce. With an increase in remote and hybrid workplaces, and with travel restrictions that have only recently been lifted in some organizations, the opportunity for face-to-face network- ing between employees or with customers is more important than ever. Incentive travel can facilitate sharing best practices, public recognition for a job well done and driving home com- pany messaging or culture. In the ITI study, participants reported that “soft power” ben- efits, such as a focus on culture, engagement and relationships, were of greater importance now than “hard power” benefits, such as increased sales. Even in this environment, however, the study revealed that senior leaders still view incentive travel as a “profit driver” and “source of competitive advantage.” This is consistent with the demand seen in 2023 and beyond, as incentive travel programs are accepted as essen- tial to the health of an organization. LABOR, ONBOARDING AND THE SERVICE GAP In July 2020, The American Hotel & Lodging Association reported that 87% of hotels had laid off or furloughed staff. In fact, at that time, 70% of hotel employees had been laid off. A year later, a survey from the University of Central Florida showed that 30% of hospitality workers had left the industry or were planning to. Airlines did not fare any better, laying off 90,000 workers by late 2020. Hiring and retraining in such a technical, com- plex sector proved challenging, and the result was unprec- edented numbers of canceled flights, stranded luggage and consumer complaints. With demand resurging, the need to recruit, hire and onboard employees from every corner of the industry is intense. The Wall Street Journal reports that by the end of 2022, hotels will have recovered about 84% of their workforce. But with so much hiring comes onboarding and training. It takes time for an employee to fully master their role, resulting in lagging service levels and productivity. In a recent Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) webinar focused on expectations and realities, panelists noted end-user clients no longer see the labor shortage as a valid reason for reduced service. Having struggled with capacity and hiring throughout 2022, the hope and expectation is that this will normalize in 2023, as new hires become more integrated into their roles, narrowing the gap between expectations and service. BUDGETS According to the recent Incentive Travel Index (ITI) study, 64% of respondents indicated that spending will be “above” or “significantly above” 2019 levels by 2024. The index also states that 80% of respondents surveyed believe that future challenges faced by incentive travel professionals include ris- ing costs and inflation. With inflation hovering at 7% to 8%, and hotel and airline prices responding to the extreme demand and higher costs of doing business, many programs are already faced with higher costs or reduced program agendas. It remains to be seen if inflation, or a potential recession, will cause the market to return to a more normal pace, but so far, it does not seem to have affected the pace of interest. In the same Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) webinar on expectations, a representative of an international DMC noted that demand is plateauing at a very high level, and all agreed. PARTICIPANT PREFERENCES The IRF’s recent Incentive Travel Destination Preferences study noted that 91% of participants rated incentive travel as “extremely” or “very motivating.” After months of lockdowns and travel restrictions, the most important things to survey participants were time to relax during the program, ability to take a friend or spouse, luxurious accommodations and experiences, and spending money to cover extra costs. In 2023, we can expect that pro- gram guests who are faced with exceptional inflation at home may particularly appreciate all-inclusives or programs where the changes for out-of-pocket expenses are reduced. As always, beaches and sunshine led the way in terms of destination preferences, but in a post-pandemic world, well- ness, cruises and a return to cities moved up in the ranks. As the industry recovers from the many challenges of the last years, the focus in 2023 can and should return to delivering on the promise of the experience for participants, while driving business results for organizations. The current resurgence in travel demand serves as a reminder of the one constant that research proves year after year: business gets better when people get together. And group travel will remain as strong as the need to catapult business forward. Susan Adams 18 December 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com PICASSO AT BELLAGIO YOU HAD TO BE HERE. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK YOUR EVENT WITH MGM RESORTS, VISIT MGMRESORTS.COM IS WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER PICASSO AT BELLAGIO YOU HAD TO BE HERE. 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