A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION JULY 2023 VOL. 16 NO. 4 $15.00 TANIA ARMENTA Visit Albuquerque JOHN SOLIS Visit Houston LYNN OSMOND Choose Chicago KELLY SALING Visit Seattle TAMMY CANAVAN Visit Seattle LESLIE JOHNSON Visit Milwaukee CRAIG DAVIS Visit Dallas MELISSA RILEY Destination DC CVB UPDATE Perspectives on the State of the Meetings IndustryCAESARS MEANS BUSINESS DEPARTMENTS DESTINATIONS FEATURES 20 16 VIEWPOINT 8 Weather or Not When Mother Nature Shows Up Unexpectedly at Your Meeting or Event BY SHANNON COPELAND 10 The Future of Planning How Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Will Redefine the Future of Meetings and Events BY SCOTT STEINBERG 12 Bottom Line Blues How Inflation Is Affecting Association Planners BY MARLENE GOLDMAN 16 Securing the Ideal Supplier How to Find the Perfect Match for Your Next Meeting BY MAURA KELLER 20 CVB Update Perspectives on the State of the Meetings Industry BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS 26 Authentic Engagement Using Quality Content to Capture Attendee Focus BY MAURA KELLER 30 Plan & Prepare Meeting Crisis Management Head-On BY MAURA KELLER 34 Colorado A State of Inspiration BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS 40 Louisiana New Orleans & Beyond BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS 44 Texas Lone Star Meetings: Beyond the Expected BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS 4 Publisher’s Message 6 News & Notes 50 Career Track 30 26 ISSN 21628831 | USPS 003500 | A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION | JULY 2023 | VOLUME 16 | NUMBER 4 JULY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 3 ISSUECONTENTSA COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Harvey Grotsky harvey.grotsky @ themeetingmagazines.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristin Bjornsen kristin.bjornsen @ themeetingmagazines.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Rachel Galvin rachel.galvin @ themeetingmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Cynthia Dial Marlene Goldman Dan Johnson Maura Keller Christine Loomis Kathy Monte Nancy Mueller David Swanson PRESIDENT & CEO Harvey Grotsky VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS David Middlebrook david.middlebrook @ themeetingmagazines.com ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES 2500 N. 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Provide old and new addresses including zip code. Enclose address label from most recent issue and please allow five weeks for the change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. ©2023 Harvey Grotsky Publisher Immerse yourself in a completely turnkey meeting experience. Hot, sunny days. Bright, electric nights. LBC is the perfect destination to turn corporate-style events into the extraordinary. A brilliantly designed campus of unique modern spaces sets the stage for magical experiences – indoors, outdoors, online. Spark conversation and connection in a glittering atmosphere filled with our ready-to-go meeting solutions – decorative chandeliers and built-in, programmable lights, a cool collection of stylish furniture and décor – all saving you up to $500,000 . Easy and a ordable , this unconventional city saves you thousands and makes for a refreshingly di erent meeting experience unlike anywhere else. All the bells and whistles. Make your next meeting an eye-popping experience and save up to $500,000. visitlongbeach.com @VisitLB Client: Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau | Agency: Nostrum | Job #: 23-CVB-TechModern | Bleed: 8.375”x11.125” | Trim: 8.125”x10.875” | Live: 7.125”x 9.875” | Pub: Meetings Magazine linkedin.com/company/ ACFacilities @ACFacilities @ACFacilities facebook.com/ ACFacilities linkedin.com/company/ ACFacilities @ACFacilities @ACFacilities facebook.com/ ACFacilities FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2023 PUBLISHER’SMESSAGE 4 Doing It the “Right Way” W e all know that finding the right destination and venue for your conventions and events requires more than a spin of the proverbial wheel. In fact, as most planners would agree, site selection remains one of the most crucial components of the entire meeting planning process because the ultimate success of your event depends upon it. This month’s “CVB Update” on the state of the industry with input from selected CVBs is a “must read.” Plan carefully when booking a destination and host facility. Don’t under- estimate these fundamental elements and their possible effect on your meeting. For instance, with airline problems becoming something of daily concern, you should not overlook the question of access. Cancelled flights due to weather conditions, aircraft mechanical problems and labor shortages, especially in the air- port control tower, can cause unexpected delays. Also to be considered is how acces- sible the destination is from other domes- tic cities or global destinations. What are your transportation options in case of a disruption of service. Consider whether the convention hotel is big enough for all attendees of a large meeting or would you be better off in a more intimate setting if you have a smaller group. As a planner, especially if you are a novice, these are just a few basic questions you should resolve that are sometimes overlooked. Another timely subject covered in this issue concerns inflation. With the higher costs affecting everything from transportation, to catering to AV, causing more pressure on association budgets and leading to higher costs for organizing meetings, conventions and other events, there are many additional charges to consider, such as an acceleration in service charges. Obviously, some of the increased costs can vary depending on the destina- tion or venue that you choose. No matter where and when you decide to go, do it the “right way.”Immerse yourself in a completely turnkey meeting experience. Hot, sunny days. Bright, electric nights. LBC is the perfect destination to turn corporate-style events into the extraordinary. A brilliantly designed campus of unique modern spaces sets the stage for magical experiences – indoors, outdoors, online. Spark conversation and connection in a glittering atmosphere filled with our ready-to-go meeting solutions – decorative chandeliers and built-in, programmable lights, a cool collection of stylish furniture and décor – all saving you up to $500,000 . Easy and a ordable , this unconventional city saves you thousands and makes for a refreshingly di erent meeting experience unlike anywhere else. All the bells and whistles. Make your next meeting an eye-popping experience and save up to $500,000. visitlongbeach.com @VisitLBNEWS & NOTES themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2023 New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Earns Eighth New Orleans “Top Workplace” Award NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has earned the highly coveted Regional Top Workplace 2023 Award by The Times- Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. This year marks the eighth time the Convention Center has received this distinction. Recognizing Greater New Orleans businesses that demonstrate dedication to a people-first culture, the Top Workplace Awards focus on the employee experience. Winners are determined by feedback captured on an employee engagement survey administered by third-party technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous sur- vey measures several culture drivers that can be critical to an organization’s success, including alignment, execution and connection. Orlando Elevates The Healthy Meeting Experience ORLANDO — Orlando Health’s new Virtual Care Clinic helps to alleviate the stress of finding the time and location of a physician’s office or facility by making high-quality health care easily accessible inside the West building of the Orange County Con- vention Center. Attendees can see medical providers who will be able to evaluate medical conditions dur- ing large conventions. If minor care is needed, the Orlando Health team member can help connect visitors to a medical provider via a virtual visit in the center’s private room. Virtual visit physicians can evaluate certain medical conditions while there and are able to write prescriptions, which can be sent to a local pharmacy. A visit summary is provided to the patient so they may share it with their primary care provider when they get back home. They also provide a con- cierge telephone number to connect attendees to local medical resources. Before attendees arrive, they can find information on a variety of topics by visiting OrlandoMeeting.com/Plan/ Healthy-Travel. 6 ATLANTA — RenderATL, the trailblazing annual tech conference and network- ing mecca held in Atlanta, concluded its three-day event on Friday, June 2, and has just released its annual economic impact report. The conference gener- ated a remarkable economic impact of $6.2 million while bringing together nearly 13,000 program participants from across the globe to experience 38 tech events exploring the latest trends and innovations in the industry. Attendees could go to a variety of sessions and workshops covering topics such as artifi- cial intelligence, cybersecurity, software engineering and more, and listen to talks by industry leaders. The conference also showcased the essence of Atlanta in everything from its F&B to special events. Plans for RenderATL 2024 are already underway, with organizers promising an even bigger event from June 12-14, 2024. PHILADELPHIA — For those who haven’t hosted in Philadelphia recently, the Penn- sylvania Convention Center (PCC) is a whole new experience. And they’re seeing strong positive feedback. In 2022, survey scores indicated an overall satisfaction rat- ing of 86%, with event management lead- ing the way with a 98% satisfaction rating. Here’s what’s new for planners in Philly: Over the past three years, PCC has made $30 million of improvements to the energy efficiency and sustainability of the facility, and enhanced overall air qual- ity, resulting in two consecutive years of Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Star accreditation. Their partnership with Siemens resulted in an ESCO (Energy Savings Company) project, resulting in reduced carbon footprint and $14 million in cumulative energy savings. Through their PHL Cares, over $1 mil- lion has been raised to combat homeless- ness since its inception in 2019. They also instituted a new workplace training program, which will be expanding and building upon the existing program in safety, technical skills, customer service and hospitality. This year, industry veteran Tony Hodgins was welcomed as the new general manager of the facility. 3rd annual RenderATL Hits A Home Run With 13,000 Attendees + $6.2M Of Economic Impact What’s New at the Pennsylvania Convention Center COURTESY PHOTO Pennsylvania Convention Center Interior Grand Hall COURTESY PHOTOJULY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES LAS VEGAS — Caesars Entertainment has unveiled plans to renovate the Jubilee Tower at Horseshoe Las Vegas and inte- grate it into Paris Las Vegas with a new name, Versailles Tower. This is a $100 mil- lion investment. The tower will feature a new exterior and interior, 756 redesigned luxury guest rooms and a pedestrian bridge connecting the tower to the existing Paris resort. The Versailles Tower will feature some of the largest standard rooms on The Strip, starting at 436 sf. In addition, select guest rooms will offer new 55 sf balconies with unmatched views of The Strip as part of the renovation. The enhanced rooms in the Versailles Tower at Paris Las Vegas are slated for completion in late 2023 with the pedestrian bridge to fol- low in early 2024. HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC — Marriott Hil- ton Head Resort & Spa has completed the resort’s second phase renovation, includ- ing a transformation of guest rooms and suites, which follows other recent updates. Renovations to the 513 guest rooms and suites reflect new design. This is in addition to wall and lamp outlets outfit- ted with USB ports for multiple electronic devices, luxurious bedding, high-speed Wi-Fi and a large desk and chair for a well-lit workspace, a 50-inch flat-panel TVs with the Marriott Entertainment Pack- age, an in-room coffee bar and more. The resort’s entry and porte-cochere feature a newly resurfaced driveway entrance, high-end herringbone pedes- trian and vehicle pavers, and the porte- cochere is completely rewired with new sleek LED architectural accent lighting. New light sconces have been added. Exte- riors have been freshly painted as well. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Destinations International has announced they have formed a partnership with ADMEI. They will develop content pieces and educa- tion and collaborate on event cancelation insurance. They will be discussing the differences between destination orga- nizations and DMCs and how they can work together, and the benefits gained for both and the planner. In addition, they will be developing webinars for each other’s groups. “Collaboration is key in today’s envi- ronment,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “Aligning with ADMEI and providing our members with educational programs and collaboration opportunities provides our members with powerful resources and tools that will equip them for the future.” 7 Hilton Launches Global Promotion for Event Planners MCLEAN, VA — Hilton has launched “Multiply Your Impact” – a new, global promotion for event planners to earn more Hilton Honors points when booking meetings and events. Planners can earn two times the points when booking and hosting an event by the end of the year and three times the points when booking an event by the end of the year and then hosting it next year. Hilton Honors points can be redeemed for the following perks and rewards: Free nights at Hilton Hotels, future events, VIP access to unique experiences, Lyft rides, Amazon purchases, Ticketmaster events and charitable contributions. Some con- ditions may apply. PCMA Announces Inaugural United States And Canada Advisory Board CHICAGO — PCMA and CEMA Presi- dent and CEO Sherrif Karamat, CAE has announced the formation of the inaugu- ral U.S. and Canada Advisory Board. This new board will be made up of 26 leaders representing industry agencies, business event strategists as well as suppliers. Advisory Board members will support PCMA’s efforts to amplify the impor- tance and influence of business events throughout the U.S. and Canada. “If we expect our industry to trans- form, we need to lead that transforma- tion,” said Karamat. COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO Caesars Entertainment Unveils Plans To Add Hotel Tower To Paris Las Vegas Marriott Hilton Head Resort & Spa completes $10M Second Phase Property Renovation Destinations International and ADMEI Partner for Collaboration and EducationT he seamless coordination of countless logistics required to produce a productive and enjoyable meeting or event is a Her- culean task. Add on the threat of a severe weather situation, and your stress level will multiply. In today’s world, you cannot overlook the possibility of Mother Nature becom- ing an unwanted and unexpected attendee at your meeting or event. Changing weather patterns require meeting planners to become more proactive about planning for severe weather or be faced with costly consequences. Realizing the potential for a hurricane or another weather disaster while planning your meeting or event will help keep your attendees safe while reducing the risk of significant finan- cial losses. If you have yet to build weather-related contingen- cies into your event planning protocol or need a refresher on how to do so, below are five steps you can immediately start implementing before the next major event blows through. #1 ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN As a meeting planner, you know that not having a Plan B, C, or Z, means you are doomed. Of course, this goes for your keynote speakers, caterers, audiovisual support, and the weather, too. Here is a list of questions you may want to ask yourself and your team before planning your next event: • Do you have another nearby venue where you could host the event? • Should you arrange transportation for attendees to get to another venue, or would you cancel it altogether? • Can your venue provide generator power should severe weather impact your electricity supply? • Who are your vendors? Would they be self-sufficient in preparing for a weather event, or would they need emergency guidance? (You may want to consider ask- ing this during your vetting process.) • Does the venue have specific protocols that event planners have to follow? How do these impact your plan for severe weather response? While your central location should be your primary con- cern, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and other social settings should also be considered. These sites may be spread across a city or metro area and could impact the com- ings and goings of your attendees. In addition, forming solid relationships with your venue hosts and maintaining good communication with them will benefit you if an emergency arises and you need to make changes on short notice. #2 KNOW YOUR LOCATION While you think you may know what types of weather to expect when you are in certain parts of the country, the truth is you cannot be too sure. With a changing climate, businesses can no longer dismiss the likelihood of unfamiliar weather pat- terns, such as hurricanes and torrential flooding happening earlier and earlier each season. As meeting and event planners responsible for the safety of sometimes thousands of people, we cannot take anything for granted. Knowing what to expect in the specific location and the estimated date of your event is critical to building contingency plans around severe weather. Obtaining a long-range weather forecast from a reliable source will help you achieve this. Accu- rate information will impact the success of your planning, so it’s VIEW POINT Weather or Not When Mother Nature Shows Up Unexpectedly at Your Meeting or Event BY SHANNON COPELAND 8 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJULY 2023 Knowing what to expect in the specific location and estimated date of your event is critical to building contingency plans around severe weather.wise to seek advice from weather intelligence services that can provide a forecast tailored to the needs of your particular event. #3 PRE-EMPT TRAVEL ISSUES Monitoring where keynote speakers and other event VIPs are traveling from will help you prepare if they are not able to make it due to the weather. While the severe weather event may not impact the main conference or convention site, it may affect your speakers and their travel plans. Make sure you have a backup plan if a critical event program member suddenly becomes unavailable. Should you remove the event from the agenda? Can you arrange for that person to join remotely, and would they be able to? Should you reshuffle the schedule, or do you have a backup speaker you can call on? Having contingency plans is crucial, but being able to implement them swiftly could save your program and overall attendee satisfaction. Access to accurate weather intelligence in advance of your event and even before your speakers may give you the time to activate your plan B seamlessly. #4 DESIGNATE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Before an emergency, whether a storm or otherwise, you should elect critical people authorized to make decisions. Unfortunately, you won’t necessarily have the luxury of time to track down a manager or other authoritative figure, so make sure efficient communication can be maintained. Also, have your law enforcement, security, medical staff, and public relations team ready, and ensure they know their roles and responsibilities. Finally, create a system so that criti- cal information cascades across all parties who may interact with your meeting attendees. #5 COMMUNICATE (AND OVERCOMMUNICATE) WITH ATTENDEES Start communicating with guests, speakers and vendors before the event and maintain communication during your event. Providing a weather forecast, contingency plans and any other helpful resources will help guests and speakers plan for the unexpected. In addition, utilize a mobile event app with a mass messaging feature to inform attendees, vendors and staff of severe weather alerts. Should the weather change unexpectedly, you can make announcements before the speaker session when attendance is usually at its highest. It’s important to also communicate with attendees remotely. Make sure you have each person’s mobile number on file to reach all registered attendees, staff and speakers. As the adage goes, knowledge is power. If you know what to expect, you can prepare for any foreseeable weather dis- ruption to your event. In addition, access to information in advance can help you set up and exercise your contingency plans as needed. Following these can help set you on a path of preparation that could save your event when you find yourself in any unex- pected circumstances. | AC&F | 9 Shannon Copeland is an Industry Manager and Meteorologist for StormGeo and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s School of Meteorology. While completing her degree, she supported numerous research initiatives focused on severe weather, emergency management, disaster preparedness and recovery. She supports StormGeo’s outreach strategy and aids in identifying weather-related risks to businesses and their employees in the hospitality, banking and finance, property management, construction and auto manufacturing industries. JULY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES DEPOSITPHOTOS.COMNext >