< PreviousINDUSTRYTRENDS T he American melting pot consists of many ingredients. It’s what gives our nation depth, character and diversity. With so many differ- ent kinds of people, how do association meet- ing planners manage diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their meetings and events environments? The emphasis being placed on diversity, equity, inclusion and multiculturalism in the events industry today is much greater than it was even a mere five years ago. Eric M. Bailey, president of Bailey Strategic Innovation Group, says, as a keynote speaker, he has seen a dramatic increase in the requests for diversity, equity and inclusion content over the past five years. And, as a Black keynote speaker, Bailey has seen an increase in requests for his voice and perspective at conferences around the world. “The concept of diversity has been expanding over the past several years, in large part due to the fact that more folks are thinking and talking about it,” Bailey says. “These conversa- tions have led to real tangible changes in the ways that meet- ings and events are produced.” He has also seen a tremendous increase in the number and variety of translation services available both in-person as well as virtually, and he’s seen sign-language interpreta- tion, Spanish/Polish/Mandarin translation and transcription, not to mention accommodations for color blindness, visual and hearing impairment, and table spaces for various physi- cal abilities. “Diversity, equity and inclusion is a complex set of con- cepts, and the fact that conferences and meetings are diving into that nuance is creating a better, more welcoming experi- ence for more people,” Bailey says. “And more people being welcomed to conferences is good for many reasons.” Alexandra Schrecengost, founder & CEO of Culture With Us, is a meeting planner who provides virtual and hybrid events in inclusive hospitality, focused on DEI for Fortune 1000 com- panies. Her virtual and hybrid events increase awareness and education of different demographics, while providing a fun environment for a workplace or business gathering. Schrecengost says now that we’re years into some very important and overdue conversations on active and pragmatic diversity, equity and inclusivity measures in the workplace, executives and managers have had time to shift their priorities in a way that benefits their employees and the organization as a whole. As a result, the meetings and events industry has seen substantially more resources allocated to Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, Latinx Heri- tage Month, and Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. “Employees now have the upper hand when it comes to the intersection of professional and personal contentment, and tend to not hesitate to leave work environments that don’t actively make them feel included as individuals,” Schrecen- gost says. One very effective way to cultivate a strong culture within an association and make everyone feel like they have a seat at the table, no matter their background or where they’re located, is by encouraging and making time for DEI-focused programming within the meetings and events realm. Amira Barger, MBA, CVA, CFRE, executive vice president, health communications & DEI advisory at Edelman, works with corporations as an adviser to meetings/events depart- ments, as well human resources groups. Her work includes Diverse Perspectives Elevate Meetings and Events themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 the DEI movement By Maura Keller 20building strategies for inclusive and accessible considerations for all meeting/event attendees to participate. “The hyper focus on DEI strategies within the meetings/ event arena is no surprise as we come upon the three-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accessibility consid- erations and participation accommodations were already mak- ing their way to the forefront of meeting/event professionals’ minds, because participants increasingly demand it,” Barger says. “In today’s COVID-19 world, accessible hybrid meetings/ events are part of the ‘new normal,’ and our collectively swift shift to virtual environments in 2020 forced this hyper focus on DEI strategies within the meetings/events arena. While many meetings/events skills and best practices apply to both in-person and virtual presentations, there are nuances and challenges to delivering a compelling meeting/event both in- person and online that create an experience for audiences.” As Daniela Herrera, a DEI professional with 17+ years of experience, further explains, 2020 was a reckoning year for everyone, and the events arena was no exception. First and fore- most, event organizers had to learn how to pivot and take their events online. With that, they had to familiarize themselves with different technology offerings, and more importantly, with making their events inclusive and accessible for their audiences. “We see, for example, more events asking their audience whether they need reasonable accommodations during the sign-up process; events offering closed-captioning and ASL interpreters; organizers ensuring that physical locations are accessible for attendees with disabilities; and organizers mak- ing sure everyone has read and signed a code of conduct before attending a virtual or in-person gathering,” Herrera says. Event organizers also learned that conferences, event panels and lineups would take a little bit more intentional planning. Audiences — and speakers — are demanding to see more diverse speaker’s lineups and topics. “Even now, with the return of in-person or hybrid events, the need for acces- sible, equitable and inclusive spaces is crucial,” Herrera says. 21 JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Jacqueline Shaulis says often planners and organizations will create a checklist of diversity initiatives, but true diversity goes beyond merely checking a box. Jacqueline Shaulis Founder and Principal, Awesome Enterprises LLC Executive Director, National Center for Intersectional Studies With a bit of forethought and planning, meetings and events can create experiences that allow their participants to attend to their needs without interrupting the event. COURTESY PHOTO“Speakers and event organizers that are interested in reaching the largest audiences possible can’t ignore the need of keeping the event accessible, safe, diverse and inclusive.” INCORPORATING DEI STRATEGIES IN MEETINGS Equity is about specificity and meeting the individual needs of audience members. Both in-person and virtual events pro- vide opportunities to practice DEI and serve the specific needs of varied audience members. As Barger explains, some of these opportunities to practice DEI include: broadening reach to previously excluded audiences, protecting the autonomy of audience members and participants, and accommodating learning styles for every audience member. Meetings and events are often planned to both create an experience for the audience and to impart learning of some sort to attendees. “Meeting planners can continue to focus on and incorpo- rate DEI by heeding the advice of scientists who study the anatomy of meetings and events, and adult learning experi- ences that allow participants of all types to walk away with a meaningful experience,” Barger says. The Neuro Leadership Institute conducted research that found four conditions — attention, generation, emotion, spac- ing — need to be met to help these multilearning audiences effectively experience and retain information. As Barger explains, these conditions include: • Attention: For learning to occur, participants must pay close attention to what they’re learning. Meeting and event planners should stick to shorter, impactful and spe- cific presentations to keep audiences interested and limit ideas to not overwhelm or dilute learning. • Generation: Learning works best when participants gen- erate their own connections to the material, linking new ideas to their own existing knowledge. Meeting and event planners should attempt to strategically utilize tried-and- true techniques for engagement, including quizzes, polls, gamification, incentivization and chats. • Emotion: For meeting and event memories to stick well, there needs to be strong emotions. Creating an emotional experience begins with a great storyteller. Their voice, their energy and the mastery of the story they tell sets the tempo of the journey. • Spacing: Learning is most effective when learning ses- sions are spaced out over time. The Neuro Leadership Institute’s research reveals that the human brain loses attention every 20 minutes, which is why researchers recommend having something new to react to every two to three minutes. Whether this is a visual shift, a content shift or a delivery shift, the goal is to generate something new to keep multilearning audiences engaged. In Bailey’s work, he focuses heavily on the brain science of communication, collaboration and culture. “We understand what happens to people when they get defensive or feel that their charac- ter has been attacked — they shut down higher-level thinking, learning and creativity, among other things,” Bailey says. “We have learned that, unfortunately, many DEI efforts, in their desire to stand out from the rest, turn to shocking language and imag- ery to spark an emotional reaction.” While this can be beneficial for some, it can cause a fight-or-flight sit- uation in others. Bailey stresses that one of the things that it is critical to do in an event planner’s DEI efforts is to find vendors and speakers that will create experiences that are inclusive in such a way that encourages more conversations, learning and curiosity. “There are a lot of different ele- ments of DEI that are often over- looked,” Bailey says. “Most folks don’t know that there is a pretty powerful — and accurate — transcription/translation feature built into PowerPoint. This is good for folks who may have impaired hearing, but can also benefit those who have a more difficult time with fast-moving presentations and many other scenarios. Having sign language interpreters or live-audio foreign language speaker systems can enhance the experience of more attendees.” Having a good mix of people presenting information is also a critical DEI initiative. As Bailey explains, for many people, getting up to speak about their area of expertise is not an easy thing to do, but if you see someone that you relate to, braving the stage and sharing their knowledge, it subconsciously gives others an expanded vision of their own realm of possibility; representation matters. Schrecengost adds that DEI programming in events can be as simple as looking ahead and getting a fun and educational activity on the calendar for attendees to look forward to, or as involved as inviting employees to spend working hours devel- oping the programming they’d like to see at an event — pro- gramming that showcases their personalities and cultures and helps their colleagues understand them better. themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 Daniela Herrera, a DEI professional, second from right, says as COVID-19 forced planners to familiarize themselves with different technology offerings such as hybrid and online meetings, planners had to work harder to make their events inclusive and accessible for their audiences. COURTESY OF DANIELA HERRERA 22“I recommend the creative, out-of-the-box thinking that truly drives inclusion. What is an interactive experience that resonates across a group of individuals? That is important,” Schrecengost says. According to Jacqueline Shaulis, founder and principal at Awesome Enterprises LLC and executive director, National Center for Intersectional Studies, one of the biggest chal- lenges for events and their planners who want to incorporate greater inclusion is becoming dogmatic about the checklist of diversity. That is: Is there a woman? Check. Is there a BIPOC person? Check. Is there an LGBTQ+ person? Check. And while this is marginally better than nothing, Shaulis says it ignores the purpose of DEI, which is to include voices and perspectives of the underrepresented, and many of the most important areas of inclusion are not on the surface and checkable. “With a bit of forethought and planning, meetings and events can create experiences that allow their participants to attend to their needs without missing something or interrupting the event,” Shaulis says. She suggests having captions for both the deaf/hard of hearing and non-native English speak- ers; having clear pathways for those in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges; offer- ing breaks so the introverts can recharge, the neurodi- vergent can acclimate and those with chronic ailments can attend to their needs; and addressing the nuance of per- sonal experiences related to the topic/ themes. Intersectional experiences are rarely acknowledged, but add tremen- dous value and insight when discussed. “These are just a few considerations to create an event that allows everyone to engage and benefit, while also creat- ing a sense of camaraderie and support, and teaching moments that facilitate conversation and awareness for future events of the attendees, organizations and meeting planners them- selves,” Shaulis says. Herrera adds that if you’re hosting a virtual meeting for an association, ask your audience if they need any reasonable accommodations to enjoy the session; ensure that closed- captioning is enabled; train the event organizers or the panel moderators on how to manage attendees that might disrupt the event, show up uninvited or make the virtual space unsafe for some; and ensure the event is hosted in a closed and pri- vate virtual room to prevent uninvited guests from joining. “If you’re planning an in-person event, I’d also suggest assigning a ‘quiet room’ with reduced sensory stimulation for attendees to relax and decompress if needed,” Herrera says. “Also make sure all attendees, speakers and moderators read and sign a code of conduct, have gender-neutral restrooms and assign a few rooms for prayers and nursing parents.” CONTINUING EVOLUTION The future is bright for DEI initiatives within the meet- ings and events industry. First of all, we are becoming a more diverse nation, so it is easier than ever to offer DEI-focused meetings and events experiences that mirror those in attendance. And the best thing about DEI within the meet- ings and events arena is that, at its core, it’s about learning and understanding. Barger says a key component of the future of DEI within the association meetings and events industry will be speaker and keynote list makeup, as these will look different going forward. “Alongside authors, celebrities, aca- demics and other notable public figures, we will see diversity in speaker lineups that takes the form of social influencers, TikTok creators, social justice activists and Gen Z voices,” Barger says. “DEI in this space is not only about different event formats and channels, it is evolv- ing into creating a social narrative arc with meetings and events and diversifying who gets to be a storyteller on stage with a message relevant to the social ail- ments of our time.” As more people enter the conversation, it evolves, and so too, does our understanding of the world, Bailey says. “The future of DEI is broader, more nuanced and informed by more people than it has ever been before. The future of DEI in the meetings and events space has new technologies, ven- dors and talent bringing a wider array of experiences and knowledge to the table. The future of DEI is big and bright, and we all will have a better and broader understanding of the world because of it.” | AC&F | Eric M. Bailey President, Bailey Strategic Innovation Group [DEI] is a complex set of concepts, and the fact that conferences and meetings are diving into that nuance is creating a better, more welcoming experience ... 23 JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Amira Barger, MBA, CVA, CFRE, Executive Vice President, Health Communications & DEI Advisory at Edelman, center, says meeting and event attendees are increasingly requesting to hear from diverse voices. COURTESY OF AMIRA BARGERPLANNERTIPS I n the association world, ensuring an event or meeting is successful is paramount to the organization’s bot- tom line. In fact, focusing on event return on invest- ment (ROI) is critical for association planners because events are often an association’s biggest marketing tactic — helping to engage members, grow their mem- bership, increase renewals and so much more. Association event planners leverage event ROI by answering several critical questions: “Is this event worth our association’s spend, time and resources? Is what’s being allocated for this event being returned in revenue, membership satisfaction and retention, sponsorship targets, competitive positioning, etc.?” “It is important that the association’s event strategy and outcomes align with the broader business strategy and over- arching goals,” says Julie Haddix, senior director, solutions marketing at Cvent. “Meeting and event ROI helps to con- firm the actual outcomes support the association’s desired trajectory. While there are multiple elements when it comes to defining a successful association event — a congratulatory board, a balanced budget, sponsorship renewals, etc. — most of the weight for success is placed on how satisfied the attending members were and was the value of membership perceived by attending prospects.” In fact, association goals and what meeting attendees want should be key drivers of event design and content strategy, and Haddix stresses that association planners will need to under- stand meeting ROI to make more informed decisions, such as where to add more resources, where to cut back and where to make strategic changes. Sarah Berman, president of The Berman Group, has more than 17 years of experience producing and managing events, including for many real estate associations, including the Real Estate Lenders Association, which has nine chapters across the U.S.; the Urban Land Institute (ULI); Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA); NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association; the Greater New York Construction User Council (GNYCUC); the Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), to name a few. Berman says the networking aspect of events is crucial, and plays a big part in the return on investment for events. You can gain knowledge from many sources, but to be together in a room with key contacts with which you can do business and/or exchange information is a big reason to spend time and money at events. “Event planners should plan content to ensure that new and interesting speakers deliver information that your target audience wants to hear,” Berman says. “It’s important to build in networking time so that conference or event participants are able to connect in meaningful ways, and the event size should be designed to bring like-minded contacts together to form relationships, whether this is through small-group ses- sions, interactive activities, breakout sessions or speed net- working, for example. It is also important for event planners to design ways for sponsors to showcase their businesses in a meaningful way.” The landscape of meetings also has changed; all events in the past were solely in-person, but during the COVID- 19 pandemic, there was an increase in virtual events — which ultimately adds a unique challenge to evaluating the ROI of an event. “Now, more than ever, there is an increased demand to be back together in person and get back to networking and re- establishing connections that were forged prior to the pan- demic,” Berman says. “We have worked with several associa- tions to develop surveys to gain valuable feedback after events and to try a variety of meeting formats, including time of day, panels versus fireside chats, new venues and other new fea- tures to ensure that ROI is maximized and that attendees can participate in events that best suit their individual needs.” There Are Several Factors to Consider to Enhance Event ROI themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 Worthwhile Make It By Maura Keller 24AREAS OF FOCUS When it comes to focus areas of ROI, association meeting planners need to establish measurable objectives and develop a detailed, written plan for how to measure those goals. Had- dix says four key areas association planners should focus on measuring include: • Finances: Look at total event spend across all aspects of the event from start to finish, and find ways to allocate annual or standing contracts proportionally. Also, determine revenue, sponsorship and member- ship prospect goals. Putting more financial resources into an event can be justified if there is an even greater return on investment. • Hours & Resources: Planners should track which events take the most of their time and identify areas in which you can fix bottlenecks or address short- term needs with volunteers and interns. Associations also need to have a long-term strategy that takes into account how to properly resource and support their events. As membership grows and attendee expecta- tions continue to rise, staff cannot deliver if bogged down with hours of manual processes. • Engagement: Traditional engagement methods include registration numbers, attendance and post- event feedback surveys. As Haddix explains, digital tools allow for individual session polling, dynamic commentary, and chat and social media buzz — the number of shares, likes and key conversation themes. “With the right event technology platform, planners can leverage attendee engagement scoring or Net Pro- moter Scores to better understand which members are most engaged,” Haddix says. And be sure to not rely on anonymous data collection — designate a small committee of members that represent your associa- tion membership’s various segments, both longstand- ing and new, who will share their honest perspectives and critiques of the event. • Overall value: It is also important that meeting plan- ners evaluate some key questions to determine the overall value of an event, including: — How does this event provide, complement or supple- ment the education, networking and other needs of membership? — What segment of membership is this event relevant to? For instance, student members can have very dif- ferent needs than seasoned professionals. — Does the event still accomplish the goals, or would the content and activity be better accomplished through another method? — How does this event promote the association’s values in the industry? How does it position the association among peer groups? “During the height of the pandemic, associations didn’t necessarily find themselves challenged with a lack of membership or a sudden decline in revenue because the value of membership was institutionalized and well 25 JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Sean Ewell, National Account Manager for the event production company, Projection, says one way to boost event ROI is to attract young members. COURTESY OF SEAN EWELLregarded,” Haddix says. “In addition, many associations are leaders in their space, so the value of membership tends to be reputationally established. And many young professionals found themselves challenged by operating in the new remote- work environment and sought out mentorship and education opportunities that were no longer being provided in the in-person office via association membership.” However, as Haddix points out, where associations did struggle was how to con- tinue to provide value to its membership base and prospect attendees amidst the transition to a virtual event environ- ment. Associations were suddenly faced with how to continue facili- tating networking — and driving engagement — through digital chan- nels and platforms. “Many associa- tion event planners had already begun to host shorter, topical, education events via online webinars, but most of the associa- tion networking had still been conducted at in-person events,” Haddix says. Almost three years later, many associa- tions have invested in event technology platforms that pri- oritize their needs for centralizing educational content, sup- porting tiered access for various membership segments and maximizing engagement. Haddix suggests that as workforce norms continue to shift, associations will need the right events strategy that prioritizes the following: • Covering the relevant content and appropriate format that appeals to a wide range of membership, which likely needs a new segmentation analysis. • Interpersonal networking, which is an even larger pri- ority for members, since it’s no longer happening at the office in the same capacity. • Consistent, convenient and easy access to content via multiple digital platforms — members don’t want to have to log in three times or only access con- tent at a desk. “At the end of the day, whether in-person or virtual, events must still demonstrate value to an association’s membership and prospects, while also minimizing unnecessary financial costs and resources,” Haddix says. “Yet, what members and prospects value has become complex to measure and accom- plish, given a wide range of membership segments and uncer- tainty in the market environment and costs. This requires planners to have the right tools to collect membership data, sentiments and preferences, as well as a thorough analysis of the fixed and variable costs associ- ated with their event calendar.” STRATEGIES TO TAKE Berman says one of the key indicators on ROI for any event is simply demand. Are ticket sales strong? Is there a strong response from potential attend- ees and sponsors? Does the event model allow for feedback? The event should be tailored around a target audience and all aspects of the event should be evaluated based on audience needs. “If the audience is associa- tion CEOs, for example, does the event format allow CEOs to maximize their time? If the event is designed for students or entry-level professionals, can par- ticipants meet speakers who may have valuable knowledge or industry connections? Planners need to always keep in mind who they are serving, and all decisions should be based on the priorities of the audience,” Berman says. Also, when association meeting planners re-examine their calendar of events for the year, it’s important to step back from looking at what the traditional events have been — even your annual conference — and examine the purpose of the event, the goals of the event and if those goals will be met using the previous budget, format, etc. As Haddix explains, every event on the calendar comes at a cost. The more visible and measurable costs are the direct impact to the association’s budget, hours required and other trackable, key performance indicators. The more long-term costs are the opportunities that aren’t prioritized, or even worse, your members or prospects perceiving a lack of cohe- sive strategy or inability to provide the content in the ways they need, which is often reflected in a decline in new membership or renewal rates. “Most association planners know to first examine how to minimize costs. One large cost that should be looked at is the annual conference venue,” Haddix says. “Associations themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 One of the top goals of any association event is to foster networking. Attendees can gain knowledge from many sources, but to be together in a room with key contacts with which they can do business and/or exchange information is a big reason to spend time and money at events. Julie Haddix Senior Director, Solutions Marketing Cvent It is important that the association’s event strategy and outcomes align with the broader business strategy and overarching goals. ADOBE STOCK 26may not see the same in-person revenue that they could once depend on, so try to get a sense of if venue sizes need to be adjusted when it’s time to renew contracts.” A second way to minimize costs is to increase contributions from sponsors by examining where a trade of services could supplement event needs — speakers, entertainers, technology, etc. Haddix points out that planners may even want to partner with their marketing teams on looking for areas where promo- tional costs can be minimized. For instance, if you understand the segmentation of your membership and attendees better, you can understand where to invest your marketing efforts better, such as acquisition or retention. “Hours and resources must also be examined when calcu- lating long-term costs,” Haddix says. “Most planners are aware of where the bottlenecks are, whether it’s the need for more labor at conference check-in, or the manual time required to learn too many disparate technologies that don’t integrate across the entire event program.” Over time, these “hidden” burdens add up and take away from the association’s ability to allocate resources to new areas of growth, and can reduce overall impact. It is important to track and measure these for a strategic discussion on the total event ROI. Also, make sure event goals are clearly communicated. For example, a large-scale networking forum may not be the right place for someone who is more comfortable with one-on-one networking. Berman thinks it really goes back to looking at your target audience for any event and ensuring that you are meeting their goals with all aspects of any event. To further enhance the ROI of an association’s event, it’s also important to establish strong partnerships with your larg- est expenditure vendors. “You also want to create a compelling testimonial story of why to attend,” says Sean Ewell, national account manager for the event production company, Projec- tion. “Also, consider potentially developing a strategy to attract ‘Next Gen’ association members to the event. This could include a less-than-five-year professional who can advocate their journey or a success story of a 10- to 20+-year seasoned professional telling the story of why ‘X’ Association helped their career or community.” For many associations, revenue from events can be a large portion of their annual revenue. If that is the case, Ewell says meeting and event planners should budget the larger expenditures before announcing the event so that the right expectations are set for members/attendees from the very beginning. It’s all about focusing on the experience you can deliver for the right value. “You should also use measurable planning tools and soft- ware. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools can keep an overall view of your event starting from the beginning, and help plan- ners hit milestones and measure key performance indicators,” Ewell says. “And be sure to involve your vendors and partners in conversations as early as possible. Collaboration and open communication are key to staying on the right path toward those pre-determined ROI goals. Today’s meeting and event planners are dealing with shorter timelines and, as a result, should have a working and effective plan that is accessible and aligned across partners.” | AC&F | 27 JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Sarah Berman, President of The Berman Group, suggests a simple plan: Offer content and information to attendees that attendees want to hear. PHOTO BY GREG MORRIS ROI Mistakes to Avoid Association meeting experts suggest several key mis- takes that meeting planners need to avoid as it relates to the ROI of an event: • Having an event ROI strategy that doesn’t align with the membership and growth goals of the associa- tion; for example, structuring events in a way that reduces costs but ultimately makes them less acces- sible, and less engaging, for attendees. • Having an event ROI strategy that doesn’t ultimately provide value to its members; for example, ignoring membership segmentation preferences and needs in favor of minimizing resources. • Not considering the expected outcomes when strategizing event types or formats — virtual, in- person or hybrid. • Not having the right technology to measure attendee data and engagement — the right data must be captured before, during and after events to accurately depict ROI. • Not partnering with the teams responsible for edu- cation, membership and marketing promotion when it comes to overall alignment on where costs and labor can be shared or minimized. • Not setting and adhering to timeliness and mile- stones. Missing these will cause more pain and head- ache to all those involved. • Not holding stakeholders accountable. • Not hiring experts with proven experience. Labor booking should be done early and strategically with a backup plan. All production, venue and other companies are bidding on the same pool of labor, and the high-quality labor is getting taken out of the market early. • Not fully utilizing partner vendors and sponsors to creatively supplement event costs and needs. • Not creating contracts with your largest part- ners early and identifying expenditures. Areas of focus should be: — Production value/experience for audio/visuals/ lighting/entertainment — Catering and meal planning — Venue: Does it meet the expectations for the com- munities you are attracting? Does it fit with your association’s brand and the story you seek to tell?INDUSTRYINSIGHT M eetings technology is an ever-evolv- ing menu of apps and platforms, systems and options designed for a faster, better, safer experience for all involved — from planners and attendees to speakers, entertainers and association executives. Rapid evolvement begs the question: Do we forget old tech and go with something new, or stick with the tried-and-true? To start, it’s critical to be informed about the pros and cons of meetings technology. Victor Pynn, CEO of Vindow Inc., a cloud-based travel technology platform, says one thing plan- ners should understand is how hotel sourcing platforms work. “Some hotel sourcing platforms prioritize, or limit, search results based upon paid placements, or fail to disclose hotel companies as major investors in the technology,” he says. The result is that they may not make property recommendations based on the planner’s needs. “It’s important for planners to be aware of hidden biases embedded within software that may be working against their best interests.” IMPORTANT BREAKTHROUGHS While innovation continues to drive technology forward, that doesn’t mean planners and groups are ready to dive into every new product that comes along. Pynn says interoperabil- ity remains a challenging aspect for all technology. “There’s so much innovation going on in tech today regarding data intel- ligence and machine learning, yet the hospitality industry is very dependent upon legacy infrastructure.” Meaning not every new product or platform will seamlessly fit into that infrastructure. Still, Pynn says, planners and organizations have a lot of cool technology to look forward to. “[Virtual Reality] (VR) will continue to grow in importance as more practical appli- cations, such as virtual site visits, become available. And as an educational tool, VR will be a game-changer. However,” he adds, “VR will never replace face-to-face networking — or the cocktail hour.” Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another “the-future-is-here” innovation that planners and groups will soon rely on more. “We’re just beginning to unleash the potential for artificial intelligence in event management,” Pynn says. “We tend to evaluate a meeting or event on post-event, objective criteria that we can quantitatively measure. But we all know that meetings and events are judged as much on the subjective, qualitative experience, and AI can help unlock insights into those aspects of an event and add predictive capabilities that create more customized experiences.” As machine learning becomes more sophisticated, for example, AI-enabled technology can help analyze huge amounts of data, which can influence decision-making. “AI can help organizers make better, more informed decisions, which is critical to a planner’s success,” Pynn says. “AI helps sort through the chatter to reveal the information planners want based upon their attendees’ preferences, practices or specific criteria.” ADJUSTING TO CHANGES Some changes in meetings today are not the result of technology, but technology can help planners adjust to those changes and integrate them into their events. One such change Pynn points to is the addition of hybrid elements to meetings. This is where venue choice can make a difference. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, there’s less call for vir- tual meetings, but the hybrid meeting format is still hugely popular,” Pynn says. “Planners have realized they can expand their audience — and revenue opportunities — by accommo- dating virtual attendees. Venues that have the technology and expertise to make hybrid meetings easy to implement have a tremendous advantage,” he says. Meetings Technology is Taking Events Into the Future themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 Ahead Leaping By Christine Loomis 28Not surprisingly, the need for digital security has only grown as technology has advanced, and Pynn thinks more changes are coming in terms of cybersecurity protocols and practices. “Meeting and event planners are exposed to a vast amount of personal information from attendees, as well as pro- prietary information about business operations,” Pynn says. “Data security and privacy must be of paramount importance and scaled according to the relative risk. At the very minimum, planners should take care to collect no more personally identi- fying information about attendees than is necessary, and purge files once the event is over.” As to how that will affect planners going forward, Pynn says, “I predict that, in the future, we’ll see planners having to go through security audits similar to those undertaken in other industries with higher risk of potential cybersecurity issues, to ensure that their computers/devices have the proper security software to protect client and attendees’ sensitive informa- tion. Savvy planners will start making use of security software right away to proactively address any potential security issue that may arise.” While it’s exciting to think about VR, AI and other “sexy” tech innovations, Pynn says there are very basic “pain points” that technology must address. “Most importantly,” he notes is “bridging the ‘silos’ of information between the variety of sup- pliers that a planner must bring together to execute a success- ful event,” adding, “I’m excited about supplier partnerships that offer planner-centric solutions.” Brandon Wernli, CEO of consulting group BW Events Tech, a strategic partner of Global DMC Partners, a collection of des- tination management companies across the world, says, “The events industry has always been an ever-evolving environ- ment, and tech teams are always improving on their offerings.” Events today often combine different elements. Hybrid options remain popular with some groups post-pandemic, and that means different types of tech for different elements of a meeting. “There are so many elements of an event that can be enriched by having a hybrid presence,” Wernli says, “whether it’s accessibility, increased audience engagement or access to new customers. We believe that events will need to continue to invest in their digital presence. Specifically, post-event, on- demand content can be a great way to tie the physical on-site world to the virtual world.” Combining different types of meetings comes with tech challenges, however. “From a digital side of things, engaging someone through a computer screen is a lot different than in person,” Wernli says. “Without the amenities and options that are available on-site, such as coffee bars, physical networking spaces and event lunches, it’s easy for attendees to experience fatigue or take a break and not come back to the screen. Keep- ing it fresh by adopting new technologies and ideas for the best attendee experiences is our top recommendation when cultivating a virtual environment.” But, he adds, creating an equitable experience for both in-person and digital attendees “is a growing challenge.” EXPANDED AUDIENCES As the enthusiasm and excitement surrounding in-person events has increased since the pandemic, Wernli says digi- tal events aren’t making the same headlines they did in 2021. “That being said,” he continues, “the development of virtual events remains a game-changer for this industry. Not only do they expand the audience your event reaches, they’re also more accessible and can be key content hubs. Hybrid is the future of on-site events, and we think it’s important for planners to go into building out an event experience and site with that in mind.” One area of event technology garnering a lot of interest among planners and event organizers currently is group registration. “Conferences are encouraging attendees to come on-site with their colleagues, and some are even providing financial incentives if they do so. “This can be a tricky process,” 29 JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES ADOBE STOCKNext >