< PreviousA ttention, meeting and event industry execs: Unsurprisingly in an age of greater equity, scrutiny and personal awareness, four in five workers now want to work for firms that make diversity, equity and inclusion a priority. What’s more, a whop- ping 90% are fully on-board with and committed to promoting the cause of DEI in the workplace. Keeping this in mind, it bears reminding that creating happier, more inclu- sive and equitable companies is often a systemic challenge though, with effecting posi- tive change here requiring MICE industry leaders to rethink the fundamental way that businesses oper- ate from three dimensions: Workplace, workforce and working model. That said, with 75% of workplace leaders now measuring success in terms of employee satisfaction, it’s clear that it’s a challenge we must rise to as meeting and event industry profession- als as we work to create more equitable and diverse workspaces. Championing DEI An important point to also keep in mind here, however: As we note in new book FUN AT WORK, the idea of “diver- sity” doesn’t always describe something immediately vis- ible to the naked eye, e.g. in the form of age, race or gender. To be successful leaders in tomorrow’s working world, we must also actively work to promote diversity of thought, opinion and perspective in our businesses if we hope to be successful. As MICE industry leaders are often all-too- aware, when groupthink takes hold, you can’t give your best efforts in terms of creativity or innovation, or con- sistently ensure that your people are bringing their best ideas are to the table. To ensure that you’re championing the cause of DEI in your office, this means hav- ing to ensure that everyone on your team has the support and backing they need to routinely speak up, take action and give their best efforts under any working conditions Likewise, you’ve also got to ensure that all team mem- bers are engaged, enjoy a positive experience, and that you’re providing platforms, processes and safe, welcoming environments that invite them to speak up and make their voices heard at all turns. Of course, that’s easier said than done in a time of hybrid and remote working models, which can often add further hiccups when managers are working to creating a pro- ductive working environment. For example, finding ways to make sure that both remote and in-office workers feel equally valued and appreciated, that consistent HR poli- cies and procedures are applied, and that you’re observing proper safety protocols on-site are no small tasks. Likewise, finding ways to address proximity bias (which occurs when individuals tend to assign more opportunities, import and How to Champion Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Work BY SCOTT STEINBERG PERSPECTIVE // D ep ositPhot os . c o m 10 May 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comprojects to the people physically closest to them vs. those out of sight) is also paramount. As a meetings industry executive, that means having to promote constant and up- front communications amongst your team, and utilize a host of soft skills and talents as a business leader such as active listening, emotional intelligence and empathy when managing people. Nurturing the Next Generation Nurturing tomorrow’s leaders, especially those who hail from younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Zers, also requires having to actively think about how their needs are changing. For example, these generations may prioritize access to more mentorship and learning opportunities, or more flexible working setups and models, as compared to older staffers. From considering how you design individual- ized workplace perks to providing customized benefits and learning allowances, meeting younger hires’ needs often requires a fundamental rethinking of traditional HR mod- els. Moreover, it also means having to be more empathetic and understanding, and striving to better align policies, pro- cedures and perks with employees’ fast-changing priorities. As a friendly reminder, today’s workforce is more diverse, well-educated and multi-generational than ever – and wields more power than ever in an increasingly tough hiring mar- ket. If you want to design a workplace that appeals to meet- ing and event pros of all stripes, it means that you’ll have to not only be more flexible, adaptable and open-minded as an executive leader. It also means that you’ll additionally have to actively work to encourage inclusivity, creativity and employee engagement at every turn. Noting this, working to champion a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture will only be part and parcel with successfully adapting to tomorrow’s business world. Moreover, it’s a task that no one MICE industry pro, however brilliant or talented, can suc- ceed in alone. Noting this, once again, the one way forward is together – time and again you’ll find in coming years that it’s imperative to consistently and confidently bring oth- ers with different voices, perspectives and backgrounds to the table. C&IT Hailed as the world’s leading business strategist, award-winning expert witness, strategic consultant and professional speaker, SCOTT STEINBERG is among today’s best-known trends experts and futurists, and the bestselling author of “Think Like a Futurist;” “Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed Despite Uncertainty;” and “Fast >> Forward: How to Turbo-Charge Business, Sales, and Ca- reer Growth.” The president and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, his website is FuturistsSpeakers.com. Today’s workforce is more diverse, well-educated, and multi-generational than ever – and wields more power than ever in an increasingly tough hiring market. DepositPhotos.com TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2023 11I n today’s tumultuous business-scape amid increasingly intricate, and often vexing, marketplace conditions, curating and mining data to drive analytics-based deci- sion making is just no longer enough. For competing with maximum, sustained impact and mitigated oppor- tunity loss, it’s rapidly monetizing data that’s now the name of the game — particularly when spurred by artificial intelligence (AI). Indeed, emerging AI methodologies are helping forward-thinking companies achieve and sustain true agility, fuel growth and compete far more aggressively than ever before. AI is critical as a means toward those ends and also certainly with respect to aptly predicting, preparing and responding to prospective crises. In fact, Gartner recently cited the need for “smarter, faster, more responsible AI” as its No. 1 top trend that data and analytics leaders should focus on — particularly those looking to “make essential investments to prepare for a post-pandemic reset.” Gartner underscored just how impactful AI will become, predict- ing that, “by the end of 2024, 75% of enterprises will shift from piloting to operationalizing AI, driving a 5X increase in streaming data and analytics infrastructures.” However, employing AI techniques like machine learn- ing (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to glean insights and render projections is simply no longer “enough” to get the job done — especially for organizations seeking to compete efficiently on a national, multi-national or global scale. Today’s organizations must endeavor toward a culture of AI-driven data literacy that directly and positively influ- ences their top and bottom lines. “To help data monetization-minded enterprises better future-proof their operations and asset-amplify their data value chain, there are a few key ways to implement and elevate machine intelligence so that it’s far smarter, faster and more accountable than protocols past,” says Microsoft alum Irfan Khan, founder and CEO of CLOUDSUFI — an AI solutions firm automating data supply chains to propel and actualize data monetization. Below, Khan details five benefits of leveraging AI data- driven insights and technology in a way that will create actual and actionable value right now — the kind of insights that enable new and evolved business models and empower companies to increase both revenue and profitability. Manifesting new market opportunities Today’s machine learning capabilities allow people to sift through data that previously could not be accessed, all at speeds faster than ever before. This can not only signifi- cantly reduce expenses, but it can also create new market opportunities. With COVID-19 as one recent example, algo- rithms speedily sifted through an extraordinary amount of data to identify diseases and potential cures that presented as similar, which allowed those methodologies to be readily tested against the coronavirus. Machine learning advancements also help companies bet- ter monetize their data and establish new revenue streams. Reconcile emotions with actualities Data generates value, which leads to the generation of money. Previously, it was difficult to sift through mass amounts of data and pinpoint relationships. Today’s analytics call for gaining a true understanding of what extracted data actually means. How do you convert data into a story you can actually tell? Often, decisions are made based on emotional foundations. Leaders are getting quicker insights that decisively validate or invalidate their thinking, while also prompting them to ask new questions. 5 AI Trends Profoundly Benefiting Business Bottom Lines BY MERILEE KERN, MBA PERSPECTIVE // Today’s organizations must endeavor toward a culture of AI-driven data literacy that directly and positively influences their top and bottom lines. 12 May 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comSo, garnering meaning out of a company’s own data provides tremendous advantages. Scale statistical models for actionable models Neural networks connect the “human decision-making process” to factuals — a simulation practice that helps us make better decisions. Previously, we would look at data sets like demographics, customer behaviors and such in silos. But, when these multiple data sets are connected, it becomes quite evident that no two humans — or customers — are exactly alike. Technology is now allowing us to understand trends on a factual level and then project outward. In the health realm, some companies are using this key learning to project whether or not a person is likely to suffer a certain afflic- tion. It’s also allowing for far more efficacious “if this then what?” scenarios. If a diabetic person takes insulin con- trols, then their diet, the treatment protocol will change. This is enabling highly personalized medicine. But, the same processes, principles and benefits hold true in non- health categories as well — encompassing all industries, across the board. Future-proof, anti-fragile data supply chains From data connectors to pipelines; data lakes to statisti- cal models; AI to Quantum; visual storyboards to data driven automation; ML to NLP to Neural Networks and more, there are highly effective methods for future-proofing your data value chain. The data supply chain is quite complex and, to make it future-proof and non-fragile, it requires thoughtful processing from the point of creation to the point of con- sumption of actionable insights. It starts with data acquisition — garnering a wide variety and volume of data from a number of internal and exter- nal sources where data is being generated by the millisec- ond. Once the data is identified and ingested, it needs to brought to a central point where it can be explored, cleansed, transformed, augmented and enriched, and finally mod- elled for use toward a purpose. Then comes statistical and heuristic modeling. Multimedia monetization Up to now, we have been able to write algorithms, gener- ate immense amounts of numerical or written data and make sense of it. However, there is a significant amount of data that comes as images or voice, which has not been easy to process and manage until recent developments. The applications for the processing of visual and auditory inputs are endless. In fact, retail and finance industries have been early adopters of this technology — and with good reason. They’ve seen costs go down, engagement go up, sales increase and benefitted from other highly substantial points of monetization. Now, a large department store can digitize their video data every night and determine that “X” amount of people saw “X” number of jeans, but they had to walk further to get to it. As a result, the department store can put those items closer to the door and walkways to determine if sales increase in kind. Even the education realm is tapping AI-driven data. The technology is tracking retina movement to discern if kids are engaged amid the remote learning paradigm ushered in by the pandemic. They’re exploring how to measure the ret- ina to determine whether or not a child is actually engaged in the lesson. Perhaps the future mandate for AI should not only focus on becoming smarter, faster and more accountable than predecessors, but actually bridge the gap between human intuition and data-backed decisions. Doing so will assur- edly advance an organization’s ability to transact with utmost trust. C&IT MERILEE KERN, MBA is a brand strategist and analyst who reports on industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators: field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events. Merilee is also founder, executive editor and producer of “The Luxe List,” as well as host of both the “Savvy Ventures” business TV show that airs nationally on FOX Business TV and Bloomberg TV, and the “Savvy Living” lifestyle TV show airing in top U.S. markets. Connect with her at TheLuxeList.com, SavvyLiving.tv, at LuxeListReports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and on LinkedIn at MerileeKern. DepositPhotos.com TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2023 13N o one likes to lay people off. It’s upset- ting, painful and even traumatic — and not just for the person losing their job. In fact, studies have found that manag- ers are almost twice as likely to suffer a heart attack in the week after they fire someone. Unfortunately, letting people go is part of being a leader — and, as many companies ramp up layoffs, it’s a task you might have to face sooner rather than later. There’s no such thing as a completely painless firing or layoff — but there are things you can do to make the exit more peaceful for both parties. And, surprisingly, leaders should start laying the groundwork up front. The secret to a peaceful exit has almost nothing to do with the actual firing itself. It’s all the things you do in the beginning and along the way that make a difference. The key is being open, honest and clear about expecta- tions from the minute the employee is offered the job. When we fudge the truth, or let people assume things, or slide on holding them accountable, we get into trouble. And that trouble can end in a painful layoff. Here are a few tips: Don’t put off the hard conversation. Broach it before you hire someone. When you’re ready to hire someone, you sit them down and say: “I’d like to hire you, and you’d like to work here. Neither of us knows if this is going to work out. In two years, you may begin to think we are not a good fit for you. On the other hand, we may begin to think the same thing. Let’s be open with each other and see if there are ways to make things work. No surprises. And if either of us decide it is not going to work, let’s agree to partner together on a good exit. If you are leaving us, give us as much advance notice as you can so we can find someone else. We will do the same for you — give you plenty of time to find the next job and even help you with contacts if we can. Let’s agree up front that we are going to support each other.” This is a two-way conversation. After all, the new hire also doesn’t know if they’re going to be satisfied with the job. Ask them to agree with you that, if it gets to that point, you’ll tell each other the truth. Openness and honesty create a better situation for both people. It lays the groundwork for mutual trust going forward. Clearly define your expectations. Be sure the new employee has the resources to meet them. Make sure they know what you expect them to do and when they’re expected to do it. Ask them to repeat back what they heard so you’re on the same page. This sets them up for success from the beginning. Lack of clarity is a huge driver of failure. This is also a good opportunity to create buy-in. Ask them if they think these expectations are doable, and make sure they agree with the plan. You might also point out trainings or other resources that can help. Have regular face-to-face check-ins early on. Sometimes we have a tendency to hire someone and kind of let them sink or swim. Don’t. Check in on a regular basis. Leaders have to view caring about people, not as a means to an end, but as worthwhile in itself. Build the kind of rela- tionship where you know if there are any issues outside of work weighing on their mind and see if there is anything you can do to help. Also, hold them accountable if they drop the ball on something. These check-ins keep people on track, but they also build the bedrock of a solid relationship. They help you commu- nicate that you actually do care about the person. They also create psychological safety and build trust, because you’re showing them again and again that you want to hear the This Powerful Conversation Mitigates the Pain of Letting an Employee Go BY GARY HARPST PERSPECTIVE // 14 May 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comtruth. Even if things don’t work out, you’ll be glad you built this trust as it will make the exit easier on both of you. Don’t let problems slide. Good leaders are compassionate, which can make it dif- ficult to let people go. When we care about people, we natu- rally want to give them another chance. Sometimes, though, “another chance” crosses the line into enabling. While kind- ness serves us well most of the time, there are some instances where we must remember that there are other people count- ing on us to keep things running smoothly. Communicate early and often when things aren’t going well. Ask the other party to do the same. You both want ample notice if you need to make a shift. The last thing you want to do is surprise the person with bad news. Make sure they can see this coming, and when it’s time to part ways, they’ll remember the warnings you gave along the way. Make sure honest feedback and accountability are a two-way street. You’re telling the employee the truth, but, just as important, be clear that you want the truth from them. By encouraging feedback, you may discover there’s a deeper organizational problem driving their poor performance, or something you could do better to support their success. Likewise, don’t just hold them accountable. Hold yourself accountable, too, and admit it when you mess up. Don’t let them shift blame onto your shoulders and escape accountability for their own actions, but also make sure you aren’t doing that either. Finally, you might want to offer some tough love on the way out the door. One of the kindest things you can do in this circumstance is to be truthful about why things didn’t work out. Be clear that this conversation does not change your decision to let them go, but is about your helping them to be more successful in their next role. You might be surprised by how well people take this kind of “exit feedback.” People get defensive defending their job, but are sometimes more willing to honestly listen once the decision has been made. Just make it clear that you have their best interests at heart. People will be grateful that you cared enough to speak up. Never burn bridges in relation- ships. Treat people with integrity regardless of how they treat you. C&IT DepositPhotos.com GARY HARPST is the author of “Built to Beat Chaos: Biblical Wisdom for Leading Yourself and Others.” He is the founder and CEO of LeadFirst. He is a keynote speaker, writer and teacher whose areas of focus include leadership, business and the integration of faith at work. He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 of the nation’s top thought-leaders in management and leadership by Leadership Excellence magazine. To learn more, visit leadfirst.ai. When we care about people, we naturally want to give them another chance. Sometimes, though, “another chance” crosses the line into enabling. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2023 15W hat is one of the most talked about aspects of a meeting or event? The food and beverage (F&B). With some creativity, give your attendees something to talk about, and remem- ber. F&B must be appealing, filling, accessible to all and healthy. What’s trending? Being together. “For so long we couldn’t celebrate being together, and we really didn’t want to go over the top, but now I’m seeing gatherings where people are embracing each other. They’re so happy to be together again in person. I call it ‘extra extra’— really getting into thematic events, getting into more of the experience and the touch and feel, and getting back to some really memorable food and beverage events,” says Michele Polci, CPCE, CMP, director of citywide catering sales, Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment. One of the most important things is to know your audience. Vegan, veg- etarian, pescetarian, halal, kosher, gluten-free and food allergens — the options that must be included in your offerings are extensive and always evolving and you must know the needs of your audience. There are more than 170 foods that have been reported to cause allergic reactions, according to Food Allergy Research & Educa- tion (FARE), but the vast majority are caused by the “Big Nine” – milk, eggs, nuts, fish, crustaceans, shellfish, soy and sesame. In registration materials, be sure to include at least the top common food allergies for attendees to check off. Some plan- ners stick to the top eight the FDA regulates in the U.S. An open-ended box is a good idea for those who have food aller- gies outside the top eight to have the opportunity to explain. Consider the catering department and chef as team mem- bers and the lines of communication with them must be wide open. Let all know as soon as possible what allergies your attendees have to consider when preparing meals. When it comes to vegetarian meals, let the kitchen staff know they should prepare extras. Meeting professionals say that it hap- pens without fail that someone gets a vegetarian meal and the others at the table decide it looks better or tastier than theirs and they request the same. This scenario can turn F&B counts upside down. Reducetarians Are Trending Flexitarians have been around since last year, says Polci. They want a flex- ible eating style with a focus on adding plant or plant-based foods and bever- ages, incorporating dairy and eggs with smaller meat portions. The new trend, she says, is reducetarian, being committed to eating less meat and dairy and fewer eggs. Vegans and veg- etarians are considered reducetarians. “So, you’re flexible but you’re going dial it back a few steps more and become a reducetarian. The goal is to shrink our footprint, doing what’s best for the environ- ment and health,” says Polci. “Plus, people want F&B Focus Mixing Creativity, Flexibility & Sustainability Into The Menu C o u r t e s y o f C a e sa rs Ent er ta i n m e n t 16 May 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com INDUSTRY TRENDSto know where their food is coming from, where is it grown, how is it grown, and if it is sustainable.” Be Sustainable Caesars supports offering more veggies and grains and healthy offerings that have lower emissions. Its chefs are given the charge to deliver everything to everybody. “When we source, we are looking at carbon emissions and looking at providing more meat-less items. So, back in the day, there was less focus on this and maybe we would offer tofu and less innovative plant-based menus. But now healthy, meat- less and sustainable menus have become so sought after. Our chefs have stepped up their game and are creating unique and beautiful menus with this in mind,” says Polci. “Planners have laundry lists of likes and dislikes from their attendees, items that this person can’t have or can have, and planners eliminate the outliers to accommodate everyone. The culi- nary team is flexible and offers many options to accommo- date all the different dietary needs. It goes beyond zucchini noodles. It goes beyond embracing the seasons. It’s challeng- ing in Las Vegas as we are in the middle of the desert. In Atlantic City, where we also have three properties, we are in the Garden State, so our options are quite different.” Make it an Experience Why plan a typical F&B function when you can orches- trate an experience, asks Dianne Devitt, a consultant and author of the book, “What Color Is Your Event? The Industry Resource on How to Think and Plan Creatively.” One of the most memorable F&B functions she planned was for a board of directors meeting in The Berkshires. The seven-course meal included a chocolate tasting with a different type served with each course. “We encouraged the group to take a bite of their food, then enjoy a piece of the chocolate, and then a sip of their wine,” said Devitt. “It was the ultimate experience. The evening ended in a separate room where port was served, and a Shakespearean actor entertained with famous sonnets.” There are a few questions planners should consider in planning their F&B functions, said Devitt, included in her book. They include: “How will food choices encourage inter- action and participation among the guests? What will give people something to talk about that is different? How will the F&B portion of the event impact its theme? Its energy? What can be done that hasn’t been done before?” She orchestrates participation during her F&B functions with tastings. A balsamic vinegar and olive oil tasting was especially well received, and the attendees enjoyed receiving a bottle of aged balsamic after the event, something that was in their kitchen for months to come. Salt, tea, pizza and even water tastings have been By Kathy Monte Into The Menu Co ur te s y o f C a e s a r s E n t e r t a i n m e n t Caesars Entertainment supports offering more healthy F&B options that have lower emissions. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2023 17successful activations Devitt has planned. “The history of the product and how it impacted the destination gets the group talking. Think tea and the story of the Boston Tea Party shared during a New England meeting,” explains Devitt. Creating Wow Moments Melissa Johnson, VP of Cameron Mitchell Premier Events (CMPE) and community relations at Cameron Mitch- ell Restaurants, stresses the importance of adding a wow fac- tor to F&B functions. “Using the senses to guide the culinary journey creates a fun and memorable moment. By mixing current and classic trends you can curate unforeseen and pleasing adventures for guests to discover throughout the entire event,” says Johnson. “Food and beverages should always be visually appealing, but when you add an action element, the food becomes experiential, an added wow.” She uses CMPE’s pasta dalla forma station as an example. The chef starts with a fresh wheel of carved-out Parmesan cheese, flambés the inside of the wheel to melt the cheese, and then adds the hot pasta and stirs it around. This allows the melted cheese to stick onto the pasta. “Seeing the large wheel of cheese ignite from the flambe’ provides attendees with a showstopper moment,” says John- son. “Add in the smell of the melting cheese and then taste all the comforting goodness and you have a mouthwatering dish guests will talk about and remember. This is great on sta- tion style events. Our latest version is a Carbonara style with chicken, alfredo, smoked bacon, asparagus, onions and chili flakes, in addition to all the parmesan. You can offer gluten- free pasta for an added crowd-pleasing experience.” CMPE also mingles together unexpected flavors. An example are hot chicken donuts. “Our chef uses fresh glazed yeast donuts from a local bakery, and this becomes the bun for our sandwich. He double fries some pickled juicy chicken breasts with a spice blend that is just hot enough to awaken your tastebuds. That crunchy spicy chicken with the soft sweet donut is almost the perfect combination. To finish Courtesy of Caesars Entertainment The new trend, says Michele Polci of Caesars Entertainment, is being reducetarian, or committed to eating less meat and dairy. 18 May 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com We encouraged the group to take a bite of their food, then enjoy a piece of the chocolate, and then a sip of their wine. It was the ultimate experience. DIANNE DEVITT Consultant and author, “What Color Is Your Event? The Industry Resource on How to Think and Plan Creatively.”the taste sensation, chef adds some tangy umami with pickle slices, creating the ultimate taste and texture experience for the tastebuds,” she says. Consider Higher Prices Higher food prices are impacting today’s F&B func- tions. Take the egg shortage for instance. Skyrocketing prices have forced many chefs to become creative with their menus. The average price of food in the United States increased 8.5% in the 12 months ending in March, after posting an annual increase of 9.5% in Febru- ary, according to the latest infla- tion data published by the U.S Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Work with the chef, catering and F&B departments to keep costs down. Give the chef permission to be creative with fruits and vegetables that are in season that will be cheaper than those that have to be shipped in. Be sure to order early. Have Alcohol- Free Alternatives Give as much thought to the beverages that are free of alcohol as you do the others. Don’t just serve water. Infuse it with fruit and create a water station. Mocktails with different fruits and juices are well-received and will often be enjoyed by even those who drink alcohol. Hotels and convention centers are responding to the trend toward non-alcoholic drinks at meetings. Take Hyatt. It has a Zero Proof, Zero Judgment line of non-alcoholic cocktails featur- ing products from Ritual Zero Proof and Fever-Tree. Each participating hotel has created unique, non-alcoholic bev- erages using a variety of the spirit alternatives and mixers, as well as seasonal ingredients and flavors for guests and locals to enjoy – from a delicious beverage featuring Ritual Zero Proof Gin Alternative, basil, cucumber, lime and gin- ger at Hyatt Centric Times Square New York’s Bar 54, to an enticing option comprised of Ritual Zero Proof Rum Alter- native, blueberry, honey, lime and Fever-Tree Ginger Beer at Thompson Savannah’s Lobby Bar. Make it Fun Although it is important that the F&B at your meetings and events is healthy to keep your attendees engaged and on task, that doesn’t mean it has to be lacking in fun. CMPE creates fun little sushi bites that focus on all one’s senses. For touch, each sushi piece is placed on mini bamboo chop- sticks that add a tactile experience that are placed in colored glass chargers that complement the vibrant ingredients. All the guest does is squeeze and enjoy the various textures that make the sushi a standout culinary bite. “It is a mess free and playful way to enjoy popular sushi rolls during a cock- tail hour or standing reception,” says Johnson. “For example, we serve vegetable sushi with tempura sweet potato, cream cheese and avocado. This bite is so flavorful, appeals to many and is a unique twist on familiar sushi.” Stay Away from Sugary, Carb-Heavy Food Danish, sweetened yogurt, donuts? These are not a good idea for your meetings and confer- ences. Your attendees are sure to have a sugar rush, but what will happen when it plummets? They will be sluggish and less likely to retain informa- tion. Meeting profession- als are focused on the inter- section of food and beverage, and health and wellness more than ever for good reason. Healthy foods keep attendees minds fresh and clear. The right selections can help attendees focus, stay on task and be energized throughout the day. Experience Local Flavors Today’s convention and meeting attendees want authentic dining experiences with a focus on local. Be sure to include at least one F&B function that focuses on the food of the given location. Remember, fancy isn’t always better. Attendees want to experience “real” food — street food, cooking dem- onstrations, food trucks. Jambalaya and crawfish etouffee or other Cajun special- ties are expected during New Orleans meetings and conven- tions. Cheesesteaks and pretzels should be part of a Phila- delphia menu. Salmon, shellfish and other fresh seafood are perfect for Pacific Northwest gatherings. Offer Variety Smaller portion sizes are increasingly being requested as they allow guests to sample a variety of offerings. Plus, smaller portions give the guest the opportunity to try a variety of dishes. Interesting and novel presentations should be a focus. Think of appetizers on a stick, bites on a spoon or mini any- thing. Sliders, dessert samplers artfully arranged in unique containers, mini cups, edible spoons are also ideal. C&IT C o u r te s y P h o t o Stay away from carb heavy foods to keep attendees alert. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | May 2023 19Next >