< PreviousRosen Hotels & Resorts is proud to celebrate fifty years of unequaled expertise and unrivaled service. Among our portfolio of independently owned properties located in the heart of Orlando, three awe-inspiring convention hotels oer a combined 730,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space and 3,635 guestrooms and suites. Rosen Shingle Creek, a nationally celebrated AAA Four Diamond hotel. Award-winning Rosen Centre and Rosen Plaza, directly connected to the Orange County Convention Center. All built with one goal: to ensure that no matter the event or meeting, its success is virtually guaranteed. For information on what Rosen Hotels & Resorts can do for you, visit the Rosen booth at IMEX this October.52 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT Everything You Need to Inspire, Motivate, and Entertain Portofino Bay Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort TM & © 2023 UCF Hotel Venture. Hard Rock Hotel ® Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc. Cabana Bay Beach Resort TM & © 2023 UCF Hotel Venture II. Sapphire Falls Resort TM & © 2023 UCF Hotel Venture III. Aventura Hotel TM & © 2022 UCF Hotel Venture IV. © 2023 UCF Hotel Venture V. UNIVERSAL TM & © Universal Studios. ENDLESS SUMMER registered trademarks, Bruce Brown Films, LLC. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2023 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. U niversal Orlando Resort is the premier meeting destination, offering unbelievable experiences and a passionate group of people committed to collaborating with you every step of the way. With nearly 300,000 square feet of meeting space, 9,000 guest rooms across eight hotels, and an array of indoor and outdoor spaces, no matter your group’s size, you are set. Now combine all that with the proximity to Universal’s three theme parks, and the Universal CityWalk dining and entertainment complex, and you’re starting to see how everything on your agenda can happen in one convenient location. It’s truly a one-of-a- kind destination, providing everything you need to inspire, motivate, and entertain. Our collection of world-class accommodations and function spaces offer endless variety. Do your attendees prefer tropical and serene? Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and Loews Royal Pacific Resort are the lush options to look into. An Italian seaside resort? The iconic Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is the place. There’s a wide range of meeting options with The Loews Meeting Complex at Universal Orlando, which connects two of our properties into a grand venue offering a combined 247,000 square feet of meeting space and 2,000 guest rooms. Want a bit of class mixed with sass? The iconic Hard Rock Hotel® truly rocks. Every property delivers on the experience we’re famous for, making your attendees stop in awe. Universal’s Aventura Hotel’s 600 sleek and modern guest rooms close proximity to the other hotel’s meeting and event spaces make it the perfect place to accommodate your overflow guests. And our hotels, Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside Inn and Suites & Dockside Inn and Suites bring an additional 2,800 rooms to the heart of Orlando’s convention district. The best version of your meeting starts at Universal Orlando Resort, so start planning today! Our event experts are here to help and are committed to making your program truly phenomenal. Tell us more about your meeting and together we’ll create a customized solution for a momentous experience. C&IT CONTACT Universal Orlando Resort meetings@universalorlando.com, 888-331-9108 Every property delivers on the experience we’re famous for, making your attendees stop in awe. Come see us at IMEX America 2023 at Booth #C3925.From unique meeting spaces and hotel accommodations to an exhilarating evening, a Universal Orlando meeting or event is perfect for groups of any size. Treat the team to great food, amazing surroundings and one-of-a-kind rides and attractions. It’s an event they won’t miss. And never forget. ONE DESTINATION. A UNIVERSE OF POSSIBILITIES. UOMeetingsAndEvents.com WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s23) TRANSFORMERS and its logo and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2023 Hasbro. Sapphire Falls Resort TM & © 2023 UCF Hotel Venture III. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2023 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. DP-U230810-2I f there’s one thing we’ve heard in a multitude of inter- views about the work of planning and executing meet- ings, it’s that the job is made easier and better when planners have solid relationships and partnerships to rely on. But it’s not just true for planners. CVBs, DMCs, hotels and other venues also benefit from partnerships. “Strong partnerships are essential to ensuring the success- ful outcomes we seek,” Clinton Harris, national conventions, meetings & travel manager with Ace Hardware, in Sandwich, IL, said. “We rely on the partnerships we build as an exten- sion of our team to deliver the quality programs we create. For us, it starts with the CVBs but doesn’t end there. Our CVB partners are our first stop on the journey for our conventions. They’re the gateway to convention centers and hotel partners, as well as DMCs.” It’s through his relationship with CVBs that Harris is able to forge new and lasting relationships, particularly with headquarter hotels and hotel brand partners. “On the meetings side of our company, our national hotel brand partnerships are instrumental in exploring new and exciting properties for future events, and they act on our behalf when we encounter challenges,” he said. “It’s through those relationships that we develop additional ones with the DMC community.” It All Begins With Communication “Communication is an overused word but sometimes underutilized as well,” Harris said. “Whether you’re casting a wide net as in citywide events or more narrow specific loca- tions, it all starts with reaching out and beginning a dialogue with the people you’re interested in. Most will be happy to set up meetings, lunches and dinners to understand your needs and where they may be able to fit into those needs. Once you establish that initial communication, you can then decide what course the relationship takes from there. Sometimes, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to get to the prince or princess but putting in the time will pay dividends down the road.” Harris notes that follow-up is equally important. “I think it’s important for your reputation, and respectful, to follow up accordingly,” he said. “If a venue or property is not a good fit, display courtesy in letting them know. It frees them up to pursue other opportunities, and it’s the right thing to do.” In addition to communication, Harris said the way to develop and keep partnerships is to be yourself and to be hon- est. “Don’t window-dress the opportunity to make it seem more than it is. The other side of the coin is to not try and shoe- horn an event into a space unless you absolutely have no other options. Hotels love loyalty. Don’t we all? That loyalty, how- ever, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and get the best deal for your company. That’s what we’re all paid for. Often that loyalty pays dividends other than financial. Dividends, such as access, moving other groups around to accommodate yours or sneak peaks into what is coming next, should not be discounted. It’s not always about the dollars, although the dollars help too!” Carolynne Broomhead, CEO of the Toplandi Group, in Gaithersburg, MD, works closely with many hotels and venues across the world but said that it doesn’t mean she has a close relationship with all of them. Working Together BY CHRISTINE LOOMIS The Importance of Developing Strong Partnerships 54 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com PLANNER KEYS“I don’t have a close relationship with every hotel in every city and salespeople in hotels tend to have high turnover in each city,” she said. But, she added, the value of the relationships she does have begins with speedy response times. “My clients are very busy. I always say that they’ll have a response from me within an hour and responses from hotels within 24 hours,” she said. “My clients like to make quick decisions and start the planning portion of the event. You can’t put a price on that, so definitely the speed to market has created a strong partnership with certain CVBs and hotels. There are certain hotels that I avoid completely because I know they will never respond. There are certain hotels and CVBs that I will recommend to clients and end up booking there.” She has found the CVB in Arlington, VA to be very helpful and gets a response back within 24 hours. She recommended Long Beach to a client because “it is a thriving, up-and-coming city,” and also because she likes work- ing with someone she developed a relationship with that works at their CVB. She has known the woman for 20 years, working with her in various cities and, she said, when she moved to Long Beach, she knew that she would take care of her group during the site visit and gather hotel responses quickly and efficiently. CVBs and hotels benefit from strong relationships as well. “The upside for vendors to develop strong partnerships with planners is the number of meetings we can provide and the direct link to the client,” Broomhead said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to get your foot in the door with some clients; however, third-party planners have very strong relationships with their clients. I have around 20 clients and am not a large company. I love all of my clients and have personal relationships with each and every one. They trust me with their meetings and when I suggest a certain hotel or city, they’ll take my word and go with it first. They know that I’ve been in the industry forever and a day and have developed strong partnerships with hotels and CVBs and wouldn’t steer them wrong. Second, I’m personally invested in my clients and their events, so they know, if I make a recommendation, there are a million great reasons why.” In addition to CVBs and hotels, Broomhead said it’s also important to develop strong relationships with out- side AV companies. “In-house AV is pretty expensive, and we can typically get an outside vendor fee waived,” she said. “It’s good to get a quote from an outside vendor to either have the hotel match the bid or go with an outside company to save on costs. National representatives at each hotel brand are also a great partnership to establish.” Broomhead suggests industry organizations as a great place to start developing partnerships. “There are so many wonderful trade shows throughout the year, but I make sure not to miss IMEX in Vegas,” she said. “I’ve booked so many events through meeting people at IMEX. You make appointments over a three-day period with hotels, CVBs, national reps, venues and attractions. Through these meetings, I’ve met so many new people. Just being on the show floor is exciting because you run into people from all over the world that you’ve never met before, or you know them but they’ve moved on from their previous position. We chat about how we can partner again in the future. This is a regular occurrence during the show.” Broomhead mentioned that once you have developed partnerships, you have to maintain them. Like Harris, she emphasizes communication. “I think the best and most productive way to leverage Courtesy of Clinton Harris Communication is the key to strong partnering no matter the industry. Pictured: Ace Hardware retailers discuss the remodel of a store. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 55 It all starts with reaching out and beginning a dialogue with the people you’re interested in. CLINTON HARRIS National Conventions, Meetings & Travel Manager, Ace Hardwarestrong partnerships is to schedule a temperature check every few months either via email or a phone call,” she said. “We’re all busy doing a million things but just to check in now and then to get updates on events and clients is so important. Keeping the line of communication open is key and I treat my partnerships with CVBs/hotels/vendors just like I do with my clients. I try to respond to all emails I receive before the end of the day because these partnerships are a two-way street.” Partnerships, she added, always matter, even in times when hotels hold most of the cards. “It helps to have conversations about what works and what doesn’t and what we can do to make it work,” she said. “Responsiveness is the most important part of my business and if a hotel or partner CVB said that they can’t make something work, I want to know why. Having a strong relationship is key to those types of conversations. If my group doesn’t fit, what can we do together to make it work and have it be a win-win for both the hotel, CVB and the client? There have been times when I’ve been turned down and I want to know why. The partner would say something along the lines of ‘we can’t make a three- day event work, but we could if you reduce it to a 2.5-day event or arrive on a Wednesday instead of a Tuesday.’ In times of high demand and limited availability, it’s vital to have these partner- ships so I can go back to my client with a tangible solution.” There are also times when a good relationship can sour. For Broomhead, one of those times can happen if a hotel or CVB goes behind her back to try to build a relationship directly with her client. “I’m open to sharing my client’s information and will even share the best way to communicate,” Broomhead said. “If my client is busy and doesn’t want the fuss of a hotel or CVB calling and prefers everything done through me, then I share that as well to avoid an awkward situation. I recently had a call with one of my clients and a hotelier. Unfortunately, this GM must have been new to the business. His sales team hadn’t responded to my leads for over a year, and I was so fed up that I scheduled a call with the hotel and my client, who had repeatedly requested this hotel for her meetings. I told her I’ve tried everything but maybe if they had her on the phone, they would change their tune and agree to start bidding on our programs. The General Manager (GM) came on the phone and said that I was the one who was difficult to work with and they’d prefer to work with my client directly. I was absolutely shocked. Little did they know how close I am with my client. She was disgusted by the behavior of the GM and promised to not work with that hotel. I reached out to my national sales rep and told her what hap- pened. She was also shocked. I’ve asked to not work with that hotel until there’s a new sales team and general manager.” Broomhead offers three tips on developing strong partnerships. • Be responsive. Planners who want to develop strong partnerships need to remember that their clients are important, but to build a good reputation in the industry, you also need to respond to your partners on the hotel/CVB side. • Be upfront about how you run your business and when partners should expect decisions from your groups. Some clients make decisions within days, while others take months of follow up. If you’re open with your partners about the decision time- line, that will strengthen the partnership. • Attend in-person events. There are so many local events and it’s vital to ‘break bread’ with your part- ners in the industry. There is something so impor- tant to meeting in person and having a conversation versus an email or phone conversation. Everyone is busy but we do need to set aside a few hours every month to attend in-person networking/happy hour events to get some face time with potential partners. Sabrina Osheroff, director, account management at Unbridled, a corporate event planning company in Denver, CO, calls partnerships “everything” to meeting planners. “Strong partnerships are the framework upon which meeting planners build successful event experiences, and we rely on our local experts for the best recommendations and local connections,” Osheroff said. “A planner is essentially a general contractor, and we rely on strong partnerships with CVBs, DMCs and hotels to help us deliver an exceptional final product for our clients. Unbridled recently partnered with the team from Banff & Lake Louise Tourism in Alberta, Canada, on behalf of SITE for a very successful Incentive Summit Americas (ISA). She said that the team “provided destination expertise and connections, and the Unbridled team provided the historical and logistical knowledge of the ISA program. Together, we created one of the best ISA experiences since the program’s inception.” One example of the program was the Banff Member Showcase at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The Banff & Lake Louise Tourism team did an excep- tional job of “highlighting the local cuisine and culture for our attendees, ending the event with an impressive indige- nous fashion show featuring the work of Stephanie Eagletail Designs,” she said. “It was such a unique and memorable eve- ning that would not have been possible without our partners at Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.” Banff & Lake Louise was an ideal destination for many, but especially those who like to support sustainability and CSR initiatives. “Throughout the ISA planning process, Banff & Lake Louise Tourism taught our team so much about what the local area has to offer and programs they have in place to sup- port the local community,” Osheroff said. “I was especially impressed by their Community Impact Program, which is a great selling point for clients who might not have previ- ously had Banff or Lake Louise on their radar for meetings or incentive trips. As a third-party planner, this kind of insight is so important. It empowers us to consult with our clients and keep bringing groups back to destinations that we know will serve their objectives.” 56 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comOsheroff said that DMCs are also extremely important and are their ‘boots on the ground’ partners in each destina- tion they visit with their groups. “We rely on DMCs for local expertise on activities, trans- portation, entertainment, décor and so much more,” she said. “When planning in a new destination, it’s so important to have a trusted partner with reliable, vetted suppliers to bring our programs to fruition.” For Osheroff, SITE is a fantastic organization in terms of connecting planners with suppliers around the world. “There’s a great supplier-to-buyer ratio, so planners don’t have to worry about getting lost in a sea of suppliers,” she said. “SITE events in particu- lar are where I’ve made some of the most important con- nections of my career.” She added that other industry events, trade shows and FAM trips all present opportunities to connect with suppliers “and build your knowledge base of what des- tinations have to offer.” “When you get down to it, this business is about people and relationships,” she said. “Ultimately, people want to do business with good people, so focus on building relation- ships with your key supplier contacts. That means creating a space for collaboration and honesty throughout the plan- ning process, which lays the foundation of mutual trust and respect necessary for successful execution.” Sometimes, though, relationships face problems. For Osheroff, the solution is honesty. “Over promising and under delivering is the easiest way to sour a strong partnership,” she said. “It’s so important for suppliers to be honest about their capabilities and for plan- ners to have realistic expectations. It’s OK to push the lim- its to some extent, but if you push too far there are inevita- bly consequences.” Like others, she said that the way to develop strong part- nerships is by spending time face-to-face. “This can be done at industry events, in-office supplier presentations, informal breakfasts, lunches, dinners, happy hours and on FAM trips,” she said. “Nothing beats the face- to-face connection. Time is our most valuable asset, and it is so important to make the time to develop these relationships.” Her tips to planners are to attend industry events and con- sider joining a professional association such as SITE or MPI, to connect with people on a human level, and to be open and honest about goals and objectives, which sets the tone for productive collaboration. Angela Baer, CMP, CMM, corporate event coordinator at Caterpillar, Inc, in Peoria, IL, said that strong partnerships are a value for planners in multiple ways. “In contract negotiation, you know what the venue’s points of contention are and they know yours,” Baer said. “They know what’s important to you and to your business. They understand requests that might not be ‘industry stan- dard.’ For example, a lot of our meetings require space before an event, for setup. Without a good partner, that could cost $25,000 per day. With a good partner, they waive that fee. Another example is legal. With a good partner, they already are aware and have agreed to any legal terms and conditions we would consider deal breakers.” Baer said, in terms of DMCs and CVBs, that’s also cru- cial. A good DMC can save you time and money as they have strong partnerships with their vendors. A CVB can give you a heads up about upcom- ing acquisitions or construc- tion at venues that may not be published yet. Additionally, Baer believes that sourcing partners are highly underrated. “My colleagues and I have access to Cvent and can source ourselves and do all the things a sourcing partner can, but why?” she asked. “It saves us so much time letting a sourcing partner do that. Plus, if you have a good one with industry experience, they can pre-negotiate and vet venues before any information comes to you. Again, they know the sticking points and can alleviate all that stuff before any- thing is sent to us.” As a planner for a team that does numerous meetings each year, Baer said what she also offers venues is exposure to oth- ers inside the company. “Our company does hundreds of meetings a year,” she said. “Our team alone will do over 100 meetings a year, so there’s a good chance that venues will get repeat business.” As far as meetings today, Baer acknowledges it’s been harder to negotiate with hotels, but partnerships still make a difference. “I recently had a situation where the hotel refused to budge on an attrition issue even though it wasn’t our fault. Because I had a good relationship with our national rep, we were able to get that hotel to credit us the money. That would likely not happen with a one-off property.” Her tips for planners: • Get to know hotel national sales reps. • Be fair. Everyone is running a business so nothing is free, but there are issues that can be negotiated. • Work with people who have industry experience. Ask if employees have worked at hotels or a CVB, etc. Businesses can hire anyone and teach them to use software, but experience matters. Bottom line, no matter the meeting, destination, eco- nomic climate or type of event, partnerships matter. C&IT TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 57 Our team alone will do over 100 meetings a year, so there’s a good chance that venues will get repeat business. ANGELA BAER, CMP, CMM Corporate Event Coordinator, Caterpillar, Inc M uch like the surge of programs that have returned to European destinations and popular domestic beach resorts, cruising has also seen a comeback. Cruise ships are regularly sailing at full capacity again, and shipyard order books are once again locked in years ahead. With a total of 38,500 new berths coming online this year, ranging from intimate 100-pas- senger luxury ships to bells-and-whistles expedition vessels, to 5,600-attendee mega-ships packed with amenities, the cruise industry appears to be experiencing a new renaissance. What has been somewhat slower to come back has been the MICE sector. That’s due, in part, to the long lead time meeting planners usually require for successful events. But also, international travel hurdles and health restrictions have only recently receded into the background. The one thing planners cite over and over as the chief advantage of meet- ings and incentive programs at sea is the value. If you have not taken a cruise previously, consider this as an opportunity. “The pricing includes your food, entertainment, meeting space and more, depending on the cruise line,” Diana Bloss, director of operations of Worldwide Cruise Associates, in Plantation, FL, said. “For your events onboard, you don’t pay fees for the event room, as you do at a hotel. On a ship, the AV gear is also free. At a hotel, you pay extra for it. Your entertain- ment is included and you don’t have to worry about arranging transportation to a venue for dinner or a show, which would add another cost. At the end of the day, not only does it take less staff on the planner’s side, but it is cheaper and you know all your costs upfront. There are no surprises.” Cruise Costs Appeal To The Budget Graysen Ledbetter, marketing specialist — promotions with Kimball Midwest, in Columbus, OH, concurred, fol- lowing his experience using a Celebrity Cruises ship for a 28-person incentive trip. “The difference in cost between a cruise event and a resort are drastic,” Ledbetter said. “When researching dif- ferent options we had available for our incentive trips, resort events were nearly double the cost of a cruise event. This is an important factor for corporate incentive trips, as main- taining the budget set beforehand is crucial.” As he researched options for an Alaskan incentive pro- gram, Ledbetter chose Celebrity Cruises because he said the line stood out for its luxury trimmings. Although Ledbetter found that Celebrity was not the least expensive option, he said, “I could tell that the qual- ity of entertainment, dining and overall experience would be above and beyond. Everything exceeded our expectations.” Kimball Midwest selected the Celebrity Solstice, which can accommodates up to 2,852 attendees. It is a ship that operates seven-day Alaskan cruises out of Seattle. “I knew the Solstice would provide a great experience for attendees,” Ledbetter said. “This was important, as we wanted to ensure all felt at ease and comfortable with the dif- ferent amenities and overall experience onboard. We knew we wanted to do an Alaskan cruise, but departing from Seattle was a major factor. This allowed all to fly into Seattle fairly easily and we didn’t have to worry about passport restrictions. We wanted to ensure that all were in Seattle a day before departure, as one flight delay can mean the difference between having the experience of a lifetime or missing out on boarding the ship.” Ledbetter said that sharing the ship with paying passen- Courtesy Photo Celebrity Summit is a resort at sea. 58 September 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Cruising Renaissance BY DAVID SWANSON Planners Find Value in Cruise Meetings & Incentives CRUISE MEETINGSgers did not affect his group’s program in any way. “All had an incredible experience,” Ledbetter added. “The only accommodations we requested was for our groups to be seated next to each other in the dining room and a Welcome Aboard Happy Hour. It was a great way to celebrate our sales’ teams success and kicked off their memorable trip. We wanted our group to escape work, as they were the ones who earned their spot on this incentive trip, so we did not plan for many group functions or events. However, I worked directly with Celebrity to book at least one excursion for each guest.” According to Ledbetter, it was overall an easy process and something that made planning a lot easier. “From the dining room, casino, theater, and even the bas- ketball court, there was not an inch of the ship that was not explored,” Ledbetter said. “The size of the Celebrity Solstice was truly remarkable and the different amenities it had to offer were incredible. With a cruise incentive program, you visit different ports, places you may have never been to before or even thought to visit and you then have a chance to go on some of the most memorable excursions you can imagine.” For Stacey Edwards, vice president of talent and market- ing for MedPro Healthcare Staffing, in Sunrise, FL, Celeb- rity Cruises is the top pick for a five-day incentive program planned for the end of this year. “We have used other cruise lines in the past, but Celebrity was far and away a step above what we experienced previ- ously,” Edwards said. “It was obvious from my initial call with our sales representative that this was going to be a dif- ferent experience.” A Variety Of Sailing Options MedPro has more than 60 different cruise ships embark- ing from South Florida in winter months, Edwards had a variety of options at all price points to consider for a tropical itinerary. Earlier in the year, while Celebrity Silhouette was docked in Miami, she took her team aboard for a site visit. “We were impressed by the facilities, staterooms, dining experience and overall service,” Edwards said. “The past few years, our company has done this trip on land. Based on the price and what we had done for those trips, this was exceptional value. We are sharing the cruise with the public. Our group is around 400 people, so we’ll be less than 15% of the overall cruise passengers. With that said, we have pri- vate event space for our evening events and team building planned that the ship was able to accommodate.” In order to book this event, the cruise line needed to provide Edwards with a meeting room large enough for the whole group, and they ended up securing the main theatre with its built-in AV. Edwards also arranged for everyone to be seated together in the main dining room each night and she is discussing internally whether to plan additional events. She said that she was pleased with the service they received onboard. “During my site visit, I was blown away that Celebrity’s senior vice president of sales happened to be on board and came over to spend some time with me and my team,” Edwards said. “She was so genuine and gracious and made me feel at home.” Edwards summed up the experience of producing an incentive program at sea in three words: “It is easy,” she explained. “It is just so much more cost effective, and you really are able to stick to a budget. The costs are transparent and you know from the beginning what you’re getting into. In addition, the ancillary items, such as AV and amenities, are much less expensive than what you see at a hotel or resort.” “Just try it,” Edwards concluded. “Attendees will love it and your life will be extremely simple, and your CFO will be happy.” All Inclusive Deep in planning for a room block for 500 attendees aboard a Princess Cruises ship, Cherie Graves, director of events for Avoya Travel, in San Marcos, CA, noted how a cruise program involves fewer points of contact compared to what is typically needed for a land-based program. “The multiple venues and vendors you typically need to source for a land-based program, from hotels, DMCs, décor, entertainment, catering, is all built-in on a cruise ship,” Graves said. “Hotel AV costs can be extremely high, but uti- lizing existing AV and stages on a cruise ship can save you Courtesy of Worldwide Cruise Associates A poolside concert provided attendees performances as a part of the corporate meeting experience at sea. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | September 2023 59 We have private event space for our evening events and team building planned that the ship was able to accommodate. STACEY EDWARDS Vice President of Talent and Marketing, MedPro Healthcare StaffingNext >