< PreviousM ore than anything else, Millennials and Gen Z workers want employers to care about their well-being. Sure, they need a paycheck, but they also want leaders who are invested in their mental, physi- cal and emotional health, and commit- ted to helping them live up to their potential. Frankly, it’s not just a generational thing. Humans of all ages crave this style of leadership. But what does it really mean to care about your employees? It boils down to showing them unconditional love — also called agape — and that it’s a lot tougher than you might think. Agape love is about relating to someone with their best interests in mind, regardless of their response. This is far from easy, because, as we all know, employees don’t always behave the way we’d like them to. You might be thinking love, especially a form with Chris- tian connotations, doesn’t belong in business. But, regardless of your belief system, there’s a very good reason to love your employees: It’s the only way to get them to subsume their individual desires and pull together to work toward your mission. Without love, there’s chaos. Just as there must be a form of energy holding together the trillions of atoms that make up a single cell in the body, there must also be a force uniting team members and hold- ing them together. In the network of human relationships that make up a great organization, love is that bonding force. Learning to practice it is the number-one job of a leader. It is a huge part of bringing order out of chaos. So, how do you practice unconditional love at work? Here are a few insights: First, do a gut check about your attitude toward other people. Do you care for people as a manipulation technique or as something worthwhile in itself? If you are being kind and loving only as a way to get what you want, people will eventually recognize that you are being insincere. It’s not enough to go through the motions — your caring must come from within. Spend one-on-one time with your people. When I spend one-on-one time with my grandchildren, the conversations differ greatly from those held in the chaos of all of them together. These conversations are more focused and less influenced by what others around them may think or say, and they value receiving my undivided attention. Adults are no different. We all need meaningful one-on-one reaction, and it contributes to our self-worth and identity. The first comment of some leaders, when asked about how much time they spend one-on-one with their workers, especially those with 30 direct reports, is, “I don’t have time.” What they are saying is, “I have time for turnover, retraining, increased error rates and all the other firefighting activities.” Take an interest in their life outside of work. Employees won’t believe you love them if you don’t know them. Devote some of that one-on-one time to stay up to date on their family, interests, concerns and joys. Ask honest questions that show interest. (Questions are powerful because they penetrate more deeply than statements, since the brain Young Employees Want Leaders Who Care About Them But What Does That Really Mean? BY GARY HARPST PERSPECTIVE // If you are being kind and loving only as a way to get what you want, people will eventually recognize that you are being insincere. 10 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comhas to do enough processing to provide an answer.) How- ever, be aware that you might need to go first by demon- strating openness. Share some of your own interests and let people see who you are. You can do this without getting into inappropriate personal information. The point is to allow yourself to be vulnerable. This can be incredibly difficult for some leaders, but real relation- ships cannot happen in the absence of vulnerability. Treat people right even if they don’t reciprocate. The idea of “treat- ing you right regardless of how you treat me” may not sound fun or even practical. But unconditional caring or love means giving 100%, regardless of how the other person treats you. The alternative is to go through life in reaction mode (this is a sure recipe for chaos). But love is centered in what you believe and not in reacting to what others do. I admit this is really hard for me. I want to treat people based on their behavior. After reflecting on this for years, I realize what I really want is for others to treat me right, regardless of how I treat them— in other words, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Yet, as leaders, we need to keep working at this, even though we know we won’t always succeed. Over time, employees will look back and see that we’ve done the best we can by them despite their imperfect behavior. Don’t be a doormat. An agape approach toward relation- ships can lead to tough love interactions. Don’t back down from these hard conversations. As long as you are coming from a place of care and concern, and not from a place of anger, your message will be received. But do remember, being firm is not the same as being cruel. You can say any- thing you need to say as long as you say it with sensitivity, kindness, and above all, care. Give what’s in your hand. You may not always be able to give an employee a huge cash bonus or a promotion, but you always have something you can give that will be meaningful and valuable. Always ask yourself, ‘What can I offer this per- son?’ and you will never come up short. This is true even in worst-case scenarios. Here’s an example of an interaction I had with a former employee, David, who could not get along with others and was being terminated. As CEO, I did not know David personally, but I felt I should do something for David. I had no motive as he was leaving the company. But, there appeared from nowhere within me an agape-like interest in this person. I met with him and slowly and care- fully related the feedback that others had provided me on how he inter- acted with them, his belligerence, uncooperativeness and unwilling- ness to take input. I told him I had no motive other than to help him see himself as others see him. David broke down in tears. He said he didn’t realize he came across this way and that no one had told him that before. I gently pointed out that was not true. Many people had tried, but he could not “hear” them. By the end of the conversation, David understood how he came across. He sincerely thanked me for helping him. He said it would change his approach in his next job. He seemed relieved and refreshed in his outlook by the end. Get familiar with two key words: apologize and forgive. Apologize when you screw up. Do it quickly and mean it. The best way to establish a high standard of behavior is to declare the standard and admit when you don’t meet it. No one is perfect. Don’t pretend you are. Likewise, forgive oth- ers when they screw up. It’s a two-way street. When we invest in our relationships with people, we are more likely to tolerate and forgive each other as needed. It really is a two-way street. Caring for people makes for a more resilient organization where our inevitable failures don’t derail the teamwork. If all of this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. But the payoff is well worth it. Care and love are both verbs — they require intentional action. Keep this in mind as you consider how to show your employees their well-being matters to you. Your good inten- tions count only when you back them up with consistent action. When your behaviors come from your heart, you will reach your employees’ hearts too, and that kind of connec- tion leads to greatness. C&IT DepositPhotos.com GARY HARPST is the author of “Built to Beat Chaos: Biblical Wisdom for Lead- ing 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. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 11E ver get the sense that new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learn- ing (ML) are everywhere these days? Join the club: From Open AI’s ChatGPT to Google’s Bard, Microsoft’s Bing and Amazon’s various solutions, it’s clear that a new wave of high-tech disruption is on the horizon in the form of AI-powered and autonomous offerings. Soon, meeting and event planners (not to mention attendees) won’t just be able to leverage smart and self-aware technology assistants to aid with tasks such as conference planning/organization, program design, and content development. They’ll also be able to use autonomous AI “agents” like AutoGPT – capable of self-directing themselves to per- form multiple steps in sequences and complete complex tasks with- out much human prompting – to aid with every facet of MICE industry operations. In effect, if you think the pace of change is rapid and rate of disrup- tion is growing now, just wait until you see what the next few months will bring. After all, it’s no coinci- dence that each passing week seems to bring new AI-powered advance- ments, as we move toward the inev- itable future: A world where you’ll soon be able to turn to an AI-based service for just about any professional need, activate and turn these solutions on or off with the flick of a switch as-needed, and one where AI routines are powerful enough to create their own new AI routines themselves. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. With demand for AI set to top $90 billion by 2025 alone, per UBS Wealth Management, keep in mind: As a meetings and events pro, it’s important to consider what artificial intelligence can and cannot do for the moment. And, for that matter, in practi- cal terms, how you might go about leveraging AI-powered tools to help boost accessibility, interest and attendance, not to mention put a growing number of current and future AI tools – which will only become increasingly available in more user-friendly, cost-efficient and pay-as-you-go format going forward – to work in more productive fashion. After all, as we explain in new training and education game The Future is Yours, the next 10 years will bring more change than the prior 10,000, and the best time to start preparing for this growing tidal wave of disruption is now. A Quick Primer on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Think of artificial intelligence tools as a form of smart technology that can be utilized for a variety of purposes. For example, Analyzing online visits to your event’s web- site to see which topics and speak- ers most resonate with your target audience or parsing ticket pur- chases to see which offers or pric- ing plans are most popular. Alter- nately, you might use these tools to monitor your tradeshow’s mobile app and see which sessions and tracks are getting the most inter- est, or track social media activity to determine which topics are currently trending in your industry. Machine learning, on the other hand, describes the ability of software programs to learn over time and get smarter with every interaction. In any event, we’re currently experiencing a boom in the space for two reasons: (1) Many AI solutions can now hold conversations and spit out accurate answers to ques- tions on-command like a human would and (2) Generative AI solutions (which can be used to generate original text and – in the case of tools like DALL-E and Midjourney – images, The Future of Meetings and Events: How to Use AI to Design Better Meetings BY SCOTT STEINBERG PERSPECTIVE // DepositPhotos.com 12 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comanimations or video are now reaching a critical tipping point in terms of performance. To wit: As things stand, you can currently ask many AI programs questions on a range of top- ics and get helpful responses in a matter of seconds. But, on top of this, because AI has also become way smarter in recent years, you can suddenly ask it to perform research, write articles and design creative assets so convincing that they could’ve been produced by actual working profession- als as well. In fact, artificial intelligence tools have become so brainy that you can even ask them to spit out software code just by asking them questions, allowing you to design your own websites and applications, even if you’re not a computer programmer. Want to know what subjects event attendees are cur- rently buzzing about or that they most prioritize lately? Curious what the best destinations are to hold a medical symposium or all-hands meeting at during the first weeks of fall or winter? Need write-ups for a series of talks, panels, or guest keynotes, or original illustrations and marketing copy to go with a brochure you’re designing? Suddenly, all you have to do is grab an AI tool and ask. And we’re not talk- ing about having to restrict yourself to simple queries either: You can literally ask these programs for help designing your marketing plans and budgets, or finding local catering or transportation options, and get useful answers in seconds. Just one catch: Most of these tools need to be trained on millions of data points and interactions, so that they have a frame of reference to draw upon – a process which takes considerable time. And some, like ChatGPT, are based on information that may be several years old at this point. However, as technology continues to grow and advance, and data sets expand, you can see where the trend is eventually headed – a world where every exchange is more informed and contextualized, and one of growingly customized and tailored attendee experiences. Ways to Use AI and ML to Build Your Business But enough with background and theory: You’re doubt- lessly wondering – how can all these futuristic advance- ments help you grow your profits, operate more cost-effi- ciently, and improve event experience and attendance? As it turns out, opportunities here are as manifold as they are mind-blowing. For example, just off the cuff, you might use the power of AI and machine learning to: • Aid with event planning and research, including vendor and destination selection • Keep up with changing rules, regulations, and com- pliance protocols • Brainstorm new topics, ideas, and formats for meet- ing and event sessions • Determine unique sales points and how to best differentiate and message your event’s ben- efits and upsides • Craft advertising, marketing and promotions plans • Create mobile, online, social media and market- ing copy or content • Identify guest speakers, virtual presenters and thought leaders to work with • Get a better handle on potential event costs, rev- enues and budgets • Analyze and identify key insights based on data and information that you’re collecting from attendees • Design presentations, write speeches and summa- rize event learnings and takeaways For instance: Need a helping hand generating content to fill all your online marketing channels, publications and social media feeds? You can ask AI tools to create articles, blog posts, website copy and product brochures, or sum- marize longer pieces of content into social-media friendly write-ups. Looking for a cost-efficient way to answer attendees’ questions or field customer service queries? You can have smart software personalities (aka “chat- bots”) that are intelligent enough to pass as human handle them. Who knows? Going forward, planning a meeting or event may be as easy as asking one simple question; and, thanks to the magic of AI and machine learning, every- one in your organization may soon be a potential meet- ing planner. C&IT As a meetings and events pro, it’s important to consider what artificial intelligence can and cannot do for the moment. 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. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 13O pen any newspaper, visit any news site or read through social media feeds and you will see an ongoing ominous concern being covered. The surging crime that has taken over many major cities across the U.S. seems to be out of control and the headlines of shootings are reminis- cent of the days when daily casualty counts were reported from foreign wars. For the last few years, increasing crime has become an issue in many cities, especially where event centers are located. Just ask Sacha Walton, event and business strategist who helps people grow sustainable businesses with strategic events, marketing and other activities. With over 20 years of event production experience, Walton who serves as CEO of SWI Management Group, in Hampton, VA, has seen, first- hand, the impact crime can have on events. “With the rise in event spaces opening up everywhere, there is the concern with whether the community is truly being surveyed and the crime levels are being analyzed,” Walton said. “Meeting and event planners who are hired to curate an event are facing challenges with violent crimes in the surrounding area, property crime, panhandlers, drug dealing and loitering, which will leave attendees feeling unsafe. The overall event experience starts when attendees Proceeding with Caution BY MAURA KELLER Surging Crime Makes Planning Paramount DepositPhotos.com 14 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com INDUSTRY INSIGHTarrive and what takes place outside of the venue can weigh heavily when it comes to feedback and reviews.” Recently, there was a nonprofit event that Walton planned and the location was in a crime-ridden area. She devised a safety plan to mitigate the risk involved with having an event in that area. “The attendees’ safety was a high priority for us, as well as our client’s investment with the event,” Walton said. “A security team was hired to conduct periodic walks around the building, monitored the parking lot, and remained visible as attendees were arriving and leaving the premises. They also were able to keep the homeless population from hanging around the building as well. The presence of off-duty police or a security team can deter individuals from committing property or violent crimes.” Walton points out that, according to the FBI, violent crime rates have decreased overall by 1% between 2020 and 2021; however, there certainly are cities with increasing rates in violent crimes. “In general, the crime issue affects meetings and events in a way where the planners must become more vigilant with their safety measures in comparison to several years ago,” Walton said. “It is a risk having an event in a high crime area and the negative impacts are reflected in low attendance and safety concerns expressed by all event stakeholders.” As a result of surging crime nationally and globally, secu- rity costs for events may be higher as organizers may need to hire additional security personnel or take other precau- tions to ensure the safety of attendees. Additionally, crime issues negatively affect the perception of certain locales as a safe destination and can have long-term implications for the industry due to a lack of confidence in planning events there. Travel Precautions Frank Harrison, regional security director, Americas, at World Travel Protection, in Toronto, Canada, said that crime is a persistent problem that has been around for a long time. “Violence and crime in certain locales have been ongoing issues for years,” Harrison said. “This has been impacting the tourism industry. Meeting and event planners face safety concerns, infrastructure limitations and communication barriers. Surging crime can have a range of negative impacts on the world of meetings and events — from safety concerns and increased costs to logistical challenges and reputational damage. Event organizers must take appropriate measures to mitigate these risks and ensure their events are safe and secure for all attendees.” Harrison primarily sees in certain areas, concerns for safety, increased costs, event and planning disruptions and the current state of negative destination reputations. “Safety concerns are likely the biggest obstacle to market- ing go-to destinations and assuring potential attendees that their safety will be protected, especially in areas where crime rates are high,” Harrison said. “Pre-Covid, many travelers to certain destinations accepted the risk; however, with the very visible violence in many destinations broadcast across social media and news outlets, there has been a marked decrease in attendance or reluctance to book events in the first place.” Infrastructure limitations may also pose a challenge in some parts of both the U.S. and abroad due to the ongoing impacts, labor shortages and significant shortages in hospi- tality-focused services. Wise Strategy It is important for event planners to gain a sense of how safe a location is by surveying the area and reviewing the crime rate statistics. Walton points out that the local munici- palities and/or police departments will have the area demo- graphics, which includes the crime rates. “When this extra step is included in the planning process, the event planner can better advise their clients in finding more adequate venues to accommodate the safety of their attendees,” Walton said. “Event planners will be better equipped to develop a robust safety plan based on the local area of the event. Driving around the neighborhood in the day and at night will also give the planner a better vantage point regarding the area surrounding the event space. Courtesy of Glen Bhimani When meeting planners do site walkthroughs in questionable areas, one of the things to notice are the safety measures installed at the venue. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 15 Meeting and event planners face safety concerns, infrastructure limitations and communication barriers. FRANK HARRISON Regional Security Director, Americas, World Travel ProtectionHaving knowledge of the area is necessary in the proper planning for the event.” Glen Bhimani, owner and CEO at BPS Security, in San Antonio, TX, agrees that the first step planners should take is to assess exactly what risks could be posed at the event and which ones are most likely to occur. From there, a plan of action can be designed to prevent and handle those different issues. “My best recommendation would be to get a security expert to consult on your individual situation because each one is different and the threats that different event planners are going to face is going to change based on the area and kind of event being planned,” Bhimani said. “Many security experts will provide these kinds of consultations for free, so you shouldn’t be out any money to get a risk assessment and mitigation recommendation. At that point, you can start to truly plan for security and safety at the event.” In general, the most versatile kind of security plan to pay for at your event is a physical security guard present to deter potential criminals. You also may want to include a bag check to prevent weapons being brought into the event. Bhimani said that while cameras can be helpful if you have someone monitoring the feed in order to shorten response times, they are typically only helpful in the aftermath of an incident when investigating a crime; as opposed to prevent- ing a crime or protecting people during a violent situation. “If you can’t get private security guards, finding ways to make the event look impenetrable or like a costly target for the crime is another avenue you can pursue since preventa- tive security is the best kind of security,” Bhimani said. There are several additional precautions to take when orchestrating a meeting or an event in a locale with surg- ing crime. Walton suggests hiring a police officer from the community to assist with developing a safety plan. A local law enforcement officer knows the community well and can advise on what to look for and how to control the event. It will also better reinforce to law enforcement the fact that an event is taking place. Placing it on their radar is never a bad thing. “If the organizer happens to own the venue, they should install security cameras and proper outside lighting around the building and the parking lots,” Walton said. “A safety plan should also include a paramedic team on-site or know where the nearest fire station is in case a violent crime happens. It is good to communicate with the local fire department, the community task force and build relationships with local busi- ness owners. Fostering community partnerships is a good way to create an effective plan.” Harrison adds that there are some additional steps meet- ing planners can take to get a sense of how secure a location is. These include: • Review media coverage: Planners can review media coverage of the area to get a sense of any recent inci- dents or trends in crime. Review social media posts and online forums for a destination to understand expat, tourist and local attitudes toward safety. • Review crime statistics: Planners can review official up-to-date crime statistics from the government. Government statistics provide information on crime rates, types of crime and trends over time. • Conduct site visits: Planners can conduct site visits to assess the safety of specific locations. A site visit allows the planner to identify infrastructure and features that promote safety and perimeter security and access controls. Things to look for are well-lit streets, ample lighting in stairwells and limited access from the outside, clear sight-lines and active use of public spaces. They can also identify poten- tial safety hazards, such as areas with high levels of graffiti or poorly maintained infrastructure. A seasoned planner can book a location and not reveal their intent to get an agnostic POV. Courtesy of Frank Harrison / World Travel Protection Regional experts on crime activity can inform meeting planners as to the more dangerous areas of a city and provide measures to help keep attendees safe. 16 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com• Consult with local law enforcement: As part of a site visit, planners should consult with local law enforcement officials to get their perspectives on crime and safety in the area. Law enforcement officials can provide insight into specific types of crime, areas of concern and strategies for improv- ing safety. Many destinations have municipal tour- ist police who understand local issues and safety recommendations. • Consult with residents: Planners can consult with residents to get their perspectives on safety and crime in the area, including hotels and resort staff, taxi drivers and service industry employees. Com- munity members can provide valuable information on areas to avoid, specific safety concerns and strat- egies for improving safety. • Conduct a risk assessment: Conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential hazards and vul- nerabilities and to develop a mitigation plan.. • Establishing communication protocols: Establish clear communication protocols with the local authorities, security personnel and attendees to ensure everyone is informed and can respond quickly to incidents. • Implementing access control measures: Implement access control measures with the security provider and site owner to prevent unauthorized entry into the event venue, including bag checks, metal detec- tors and ID checks. • Providing safety instructions: Provide safety instructions to attendees, including emer- gency procedures, evacuation routes and other safety precautions. • Staying informed: Stay informed of any changes in the security situation and adjust plans as needed. Involving Attendees Although meeting and event planners need to do their due diligence when identifying, selecting and preparing a meet- ing or event location, they also need to clearly communicate any safety and security issues with the attendees themselves. This should be intended as a way to inform rather than scare attendees. This communication is vital to ensure attendees play a role in their own safety and security in an insecure area. Jason Porter, vice president for Pinkerton, in Dallas, TX, suggests meeting planners have a transportation plan in place in areas of surge crime and discuss ahead of time how attendees are getting to and from the venue or conference, or to and from the airport. “Create a travel plan and restrict attendees, if you can, from taking their own transportation,” Porter said. “Com- panies should consider chartering buses or other forms of transportation from the airport to the actual location.” Also create a travel safety and best practices guide for attendees, and compile a list of common scams and schemes that attendees should be aware of in case they may be a target. “It’s important for both planners and attendees to know where the closest hospital, fire and rescue, and police stations are located,” Porter said. “It is prudent to have a medical plan in place, determine the arrival time of first responders and know how to handle a security breach, or if someone is causing prob- lems at an event, and what security measures need to be taken.” Evolving Landscape Whether crime issues are surging or decreasing, Walton believes those things should always be addressed. “The responsibility of an event organizer is to decrease any liability involved with a meeting,” Walton said. “The need for safety and contingency plans is always necessary because you never know what can happen. Being prepared is better than not having a plan at all.” Harrison said meeting planners will need to continually consider the crime issue when selecting a location for their events and take steps to ensure the safety and security of their attendees. There are many items to consider including working with reputable hotels and transportation providers, conducting thorough risk assessments, as well as provid- ing education and resources to attendees about staying safe while in a certain location. C&IT Courtesy of Glen Bhimani Meeting planners may want to consider hiring outside security to help keep a visible presence to detour trouble. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 17 It’s important for both planners and attendees to know where the closest hospital, fire and rescue, and police stations are located. JASON PORTER Vice President, PinkertonT he topic of the long-term effect of the Covid- 19 pandemic on industries has been bandied about in all sectors of the world. The meet- ings and events industry is no exception. From safety and health protocols, innovative hybrid approaches to meetings, and a resurgence of in-person meetings, companies of all sizes are paying atten- tion the post-pandemic recovery trajectory of events. “The meetings environment and the live events industry, both significantly impacted by the pandemic, are moving ahead full-throttle,” Jacqueline Beaulieu, HMCC, director of strategic marketing & client engagement, at Poretta & Orr | Exhibits & Events, in Doylestown, PA, said. Beaulieu has worked across all sectors of the trade show, events and association industry, including as a board of direc- tors for Meeting Planners International Medical Meeting Planner Advisory Board, Georgia Chapter of Meeting Plan- ners International, and the Exhibition and Events Workforce Development Federation. Beaulieu said that it is now no secret that face-to-face meetings, events, conventions and tradeshows are see- ing some large numbers with many breaking attendance records. But not all. “Some meetings and events are realizing some adjustment to their attendance numbers,” Beaulieu said. “What we are learning in many cases is that smaller attendance numbers do not mean less opportunity. It means the right people and deci- sion makers are now likely to attend meetings and events.” While the recovery of the live events industry may take some time, Beaulieu said that it’s clear that event organizers are adapting to the new normal by adopting innovative event formats, implementing health and safety protocols and lever- aging technology when necessary. “Experiential, out-of-the-box, interactive and memorable events are now almost being demanded by attendees,” Beau- lieu said. “Attendees want to feel like they have traveled for a good reason, so make it memorable. We have learned that face-to-face engagement cannot be replaced or replicated.” Alyssa McArdle, director of events at NeuGroup, in New York, saw last year as a time to rebuild NeuGroup’s in- person audience. “We ran all of our events, with few exceptions, as concur- rent hybrids because it was hard to anticipate whether we would reach critical mass in person,” McArdle said. “We are The Pulse Of Recovery BY MAURA KELLER Meetings Get Back on Track 18 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com EVENT PLANNINGpushing hard for in-person attendance. We are still offering virtual options to those unable to travel, but we are doing so in a separate environment.” McArdle believes attendees will con- tinue to expect virtual attendance options. In addition, there is an expectation for on-demand content. “Many have returned to their offices, even if in a hybrid arrangement, and do not have the ability to set aside large chunks of time to join a virtual confer- ence in real time like they did when everyone was stuck at home,” McArdle said. David VanderSloot is the director of conference planning and hospitality services, at Grand Valley State University and agrees that meetings and gatherings are steadily coming back, both in-person and hybrid. “We have experienced a strong increase in meet- ing and events since early last year and it’s only gaining momentum,” VanderSloot said. “Our market saw a 12.7% increase in the number of meeting attendees to the area in the past year, and other areas of the country are seeing a similar rebound.” With many events back to full strength, attendees are excited to meet again and to get together with peers for the first time since the pandemic. For others, especially those that include a hybrid option, in-person numbers are down. “This is sometimes by design for cost savings or con- venience,” VanderSloot said. “As we move forward, Covid is less and less a factor in the reduced size and scope of meetings and events. Instead, the industry has adapted to the use of technology and remote options. With this avail- able, planners are reevaluating the cost and necessity of in-person events.” One way to evaluate the recovery of the meeting and events environment is by taking the proverbial pulse of the meeting and events environment in such expansive destina- tions as New York. Trudy Singh, New York City Tourism + Conventions vice president, mentioned that there is still a significant amount of pent-up demand. “Also, we continue to see meetings and events break attendance records in New York City,” she said. “On average, events in New York see up to 20% higher attendance levels. Having the larg- est active pipeline in the country excites attendees to come back and experience something new. Many attendees face staffing challenges and lean on us as a trusted resource to provide recom- mendations, sourcing, site inspec- tion arrangements and other services more than ever.” An Evolution In light of attendees’ eagerness to recon- nect with others in new and profound ways, experiential components to events are also being demanded. As Beaulieu explained, event planners need to think about implementing and adapting elements through- out the corporate meeting, event or trade show that makes the attendee stop and take notice. “Another trend we are seeing is healthy food items and non- alcoholic options being offered much more often. It is really catering to all the different demographics,” Beaulieu said. Covid also has made it necessary to focus on the health and safety of those attending corporate events. Each meeting can be quite different in its requirements to attend, so attendees need Courtesy of Alyssa McArdle NeuGroup’s return to in-person meetings a year ago culminated with their Tech Summit at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. With many events back to full strength, attendees are excited to meet again and get together with their peers at beautiful locations. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 19 Event planners need to implement elements throughout the event that make the attendees stop and take notice.Next >