< PreviousV acations really matter. They reduce stress; help prevent burnout; and keep people healthier, happier, more motivated — and yes — more productive. Research on the positive health benefits and increased performance from regular paid time off (PTO) practices is indisputable. What this means for leaders is clear: Encour- aging people to take their vacations isn’t only in their best interest, it’s in ours, too. It seems like a no-brainer. Yet a recent study from Pew Research Center shows that nearly half of employees don’t take the paid time off (PTO) that’s coming to them. What’s a leader to do? The answer is two-pronged: One, we must create a vaca- tion-friendly culture, one that encourages (perhaps even insists on) employees taking regular time off. Two, we need to set them up for vacations that are truly rejuvenating. Going on vacation can feel like a struggle. The two weeks leading up to it are stressful, as you work feverishly to get everything done. The two weeks after are just as bad as you try to catch back up. When you do leave, it takes the first couple of days to decompress. Then, you have one or two good days before you start dreading going back. By the time you return, it feels like you haven’t had a vacation at all. No wonder people start to think, It’s just not worth it. Not only should employers consider a mandatory time off policy, we need to learn how to send people out the door in what I call upper-brain mode. Simply put, when we’re in our upper brain, we’re in a state of positivity, openness, engagement and creativity. By contrast, when we’re in our lower brain, we’re stressed, anxious and frustrated. It’s a bad feeling — one that follows us to our destination and ruins everyone’s good time (no one enjoys being on vacation with a family member who’s uptight and snappy). Here are a few brain-science-backed tips for setting peo- ple up for a successful vacation: Leaders, set the right example. Leaders who rarely (or never) take time off send a veiled message that subordinates shouldn’t do so either. It’s important to take your own vaca- tions and speak positively about the benefits of getting away. Consider making PTO a reportable metric. This is another good way to “walk the talk.” We can’t change what we don’t manage, and we can’t manage what we don’t know. Making PTO a management metric like absenteeism and tardiness lets people know that management takes it seri- ously. I did this as a military commander. Failing to take PTO was viewed as bad leadership, not a badge of honor. “Vacation Just Isn’t Worth It.” If Your Employees Are Saying (Or Thinking) This, Here’s What to Do. BY MICHAEL E. FRISINA, PHD PERSPECTIVE // By being positive about the vacation, you help the employee reframe it from “a source of stress” to “a reason for gratitude.” 10 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comTalk up the employee’s vacation with positivity and enthusiasm. Ask questions about the person’s plans (if they seem open to shar- ing details) and express how excited you are that they’re taking the opportunity to unplug. This can help allay any guilty feelings on their part about taking time off, as well as hidden suspicion that you secretly resent their being gone. By being positive about the vacation, you help the employee reframe it from “a source of stress” to “a reason for gratitude.” When people are in a state of gratitude, it gets the focus off the fear that they’re letting their teammates down or that something might go wrong. Ask what they’re most worried about. Employees may harbor fears that they won’t get everything done, that a cli- ent or project will suffer in their absence, or that coworkers will be overburdened. This gives you a chance to find solu- tions together, and shifts them away from skeptical, confus- ing, fear-provoking “what if” thinking and into productive, energized action. Spell out pre-vacation priorities … An out-of-control to-do list plunges people into their lower brain and con- fuses activity with progress. Help them figure out the most important assigned projects and narrow down the list to a reasonable number for the time frame. Then prioritize from “most important” to “least important.” Vagueness and open-endedness are anxiety-producing. Clarity is energizing. When the employee knows exactly what they’re supposed to do, you’ll get far better results and give them the satisfaction of leaving for their trip having done the most important projects. … and declutter their to-do list. It’s never a good idea to overwork people with non-essential objec- tives and crisis manage- ment events, but right before vacation, it’s espe- cially damaging. Once you’ve magnified what’s important (previous tip), remove what’s not. Act as a shield to keep low-value objectives out of their way. The less distracting “noise” the employee must field, the more likely they are to be focused, engaged and productive. It greatly improves the odds that they’ll get done what they need to get done before they leave. Emphasize what’s going well. I encourage starting and ending meetings with “wins” and positive feedback. It gets everyone into their upper brain right away, then sends them off feeling confident and excited for the next step. And the same principle applies to vacation. Before the employee leaves, you might say, “Thank you for knocking those PowerPoint slides out of the park; you set us up to have a great presentation while you’re gone.” This kind of gives them permission to stop worrying and have fun. And since they feel good about themselves and their work, they won’t dread coming back. Incidentally … if employees seem perpetually reluctant to take paid time off, or come back decidedly un-rejuve- nated, it might signal a bigger problem with your company’s leadership style. Today’s talent expects caring leader relationships and a healthy work/life balance. It’s not enough for leaders to say, “We want you to take your vacations.” They need to actually mean it. And that requires them to be the kind of leader who genuinely cares about keeping people in their upper brain— not just at vacation time, but always. C&IT DepositPhotos.com MICHAEL E. FRISINA , PHD, has authored more than 50 papers and published articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness. He is a contributing author to the Borden Institute’s highly acclaimed textbook series on military medicine. He is a visiting scholar at the Hastings Center in New York, a visiting fellow in medical humanities at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and a John C. Maxwell Top 100 Transformational Leader. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 11A 2023 Emotional Intelligence Market study cit- ing “heavy growth” of $49.93 billion USD by 2027, exemplifies the extent to which master- ing “EQ” versus IQ is taking brands to exciting new levels of success … and why not embracing EQ can result in extreme opportunity loss or, far worse, be an outright brand buster. This, as today’s highly discriminating and demanding marketplace is seem- ingly rife with substitutable solutions. Whether the B2B or B2C sector, more often than not, today’s consumers have alternate options — and they know it. Although there is tremendous buzz advocating the power and effi- cacy of emotional intelligence in modern marketing and branding endeavors, there is little consistency and clarity on fundamental best practices and methodologies that can serve as a baseline catalyst. Fun- damentals that, when further honed and refined, can result in highly sophisticated and emotive brand build- ing that wholly resonates with the intended audiences and compels them into the desired action. As importantly, that same clarity is needed on things to avoid — pitfalls that can impede progress as a brand seeks to engage and truly connect with the hearts and minds of their intended audience — not just their wallets. Doing so breeds the kind of loyalty that can sustain consumer rela- tionships for a lifetime. Below, Martha Marchesi, CEO of JK Design, a full-ser- vice creative agency with a powerhouse roster that includes Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Priceline, Prudential, ADP, Tif- fany & Co. and more, provides insights on five telltale signs that a brand may lack emotional intelligence and how to ensure EQ is employed effectively in marketing strategies: Lack of empathy in messaging: An emotionally intelligent brand demonstrates empathy by understanding and address- ing the emotions, concerns and needs of its customers. A brand that lacks empathy may come across as cold, indiffer- ent or out-of-touch in its messaging, which often creates a disconnect between the brand and its audience. This can not only lead to a weakened brand image, but also outright cus- tomer dissatisfaction. Egregious and extreme cases of brands being emotionally “tone dead” can cause a brand to be publicly “flamed” on social media and elsewhere. One great way to exhibit empathy in brand messaging is by addressing common and specific customer pain points like that related to productiv- ity, financial, processes and support. Another approach is to use story- telling that highlights relatable cus- tomer experiences like that related to cost savings, productivity, efficien- cies and customer support. These types of tactics can create a more deeply engrained bond with the audience. It’s also imperative to ensure that empathy is conveyed in an authentic, believable way that will resonate with the intended audience. One easy way to achieve this is for public communications from company executives, or that represent the brand as a whole, to display vulnerability, which fosters relatability and trust. In the post-COVID marketplace, there has been a pro- found and pivotal cultural shift toward empathy and engage- ment that is requiring business leaders, and companies at large, enhance these kinds of EQ skillsets to meet new expec- tations. Another effective method to demonstrate empathy is to utilize genuine customer testimonials, stories and case studies that articulate those first-hand brand experiences. One-size-fits-all communication: Emotionally, intelligent brands tailor their messaging to different customer segments. Brands that rely on generic, cookie-cutter and impersonal communication might not resonate with, or address, their audience’s specific needs. 5 Telltale Signs a Brand Lacks Emotional Intelligence BY MERILEE KERN, MBA PERSPECTIVE // DepositPhotos.com 12 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comEQ enlightened brands consider more targeted messaging. As one example, if your brand serves both young profession- als and retirees, then entirely separate, targeted messaging and visuals for each of those groups is in order. But, try to dig deeper and discern what else beyond demographics makes those in your customer base distinct such that you can use language and imagery that will resonate on a more individual level. Of course, even before crafting audience-specific messag- ing, a brand must first wholly understand what makes each segment tick. What are their values? What inspires them to action? What notoriously upsets them? A fully formed profile of each customer category must be developed and continuously honed to ensure your brand’s messaging keeps pace with ever-evolving sensibilities and cultural shifts. Overemphasis on features, not benefits: Emotionally intel- ligent brands understand that customers care more about the benefits of a product or service — the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) factor — then its nuts and bolts features. Brands that focus too heavily on product attributes and technical specifications should shift their focus to how those features will improve customers’ lives. A great way to do this is by using clear and concise benefit statements like that related to a product’s usability, safety, environmental responsibility, affordability, durability and more. Or, that a service will save you time, make you more efficient and productive, enhance the quality of your work or make an experience more enjoyable. Cite as many user benefits as possible to make an unequivocal case as to why your solution is THE solution. Disregard for customer feedback: Emotionally intelligent brands actively seek value and actually utilize customer feedback in sustained efforts to improve their products and services, and fine-tune future messaging. Brands that dis- miss or outright ignore customer feedback may struggle to develop a loyal customer base. Endeavor to prioritize incor- porating customer insights into brand strategy. Do this by conducting regular informal polls, more formal customer surveys, actively monitoring social media channels or even hosting focus groups. Customer feedback, however positive or negative it may be, is a valuable and powerful market research. However, beyond collecting and cataloguing the data, EQ-driven brands take concerted action on each viable data point — to include sharing those insights with all applicable internal teams and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure the col- lective has an accurate “temperature” and cohesive under- standing of the organization’s KPIs at any given time. Inability to convey brand values: Emotionally intelligent brands embrace, and effectively communicate, their core val- ues and beliefs. Their figuratively wear their brand values as a badge of honor, and let those ideals guide the way as the company’s marketing communications North Star. For exam- ple, brands can easily showcase their commitment to sus- tainability through overt green initiatives, which customers are made aware of through public communications and dis- course. While the expression certainly need not be overtly impassioned or “over the top,” brands that fail to express their values or purpose in some identifiable way may need to reassess how they communicate their mission. A good first step in this direction is to clearly define and articulate your brand values internally. From there, systematically and con- certedly integrate those values across all marketing channels with consistency, ensuring a cohesive and authentic message is conveyed to your audience at every possible touchpoint. Emotional intelligence is key to any marketing strategy. It should be upheld as your brand’s North Star from which to craft your story, develop inspired positioning and brand architecture, empower your sales force, create engaging content, collaborate with your creative team, transform the typical e-commerce experience into a story-driven customer journey, measure your results and so much more. By making impactful and authentic emotional connec- tions with your audience and continuously fine tuning that approach, you can drive meaningful results — the kind that creates even unforeseen advantages and helps you not just achieve, but exceed, your goals. C&IT Forbes Business Council, Newsweek Expert Forum and Rolling Stone Culture Council member MERILEE KERN, MBA, is founder, executive editor and producer of “The Luxe List,” as well as host of both the “Savvy Living” lifestyle and travel and “Savvy Ventures” business TV shows. Connect with her at TheLuxeList. com, SavvyLiving.tv, at LuxeListReports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and on LinkedIn at MerileeKern. Emotionally intelligent brands embrace, and effectively communicate, their core values and beliefs. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 13T ropical Storm Hilary made waves in Southern California last summer just hours after making a destructive path over Baja California peninsula in Mex- ico. This was an unexpected situation as tropical storms or hurricanes don’t typically maintain their strength in this region due to currents and cool ocean waters. Rarity aside, the storm brought Southern California to its proverbial knees and wreaked havoc on the multitude of corporate meetings and events planned for that weekend. Unfortunately, many corporate meeting planners may not have even considered this pop-up situation: a tropical storm as part of their contingency planning. And attendees may not have envisioned having to deal with historical flooding when traveling to their corpo- rate meeting destination. But planning for contingen- cies, no matter how rare, is vital for the safety and secu- rity of attendees and for the bottom line of the corpora- tions hosting these events. “Every event is different and some need just the basics and some more advanced contingency plans,” said Deborah Hinson, partner at The Hinson Group, LLC, a full-service marketing, design, new media and consulting agency in New Orleans, LA. Pop-Up Situations BY MAURA KELLER How Planners Prepare for the Unexpected 14 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com EVENT PREPWeather Contingencies Weather contingencies are focused on the destination’s location. Will attend- ees have a hard time getting to the destina- tion and back? Are you planning an event in a location that could be impacted by weather events (snow, hurricanes, etc,)? Do you need a backup plan for out- door events? Regardless of the situation, you must antici- pate the need for and provide shelter, food and water for your attendees. “Weather, as a natural disaster, brings about other ques- tions such as: How do you evacuate your attendees? What are the hotel capabilities?” Hinson said. “I live in New Orleans. We have frequent power outages. Do I want to identify a hotel that has back-up generator capabilities?” When booking an event or program that is being hosted at an outdoor venue, consider blocking an indoor ballroom or expo space that could be used in the event of a weather emer- gency — especially if the event is being held during hurricane season. Also, event insurance should be considered in those instances where an alternative location is not an option. Transportation Contingencies Do you need a destination with an alternate airport? What is the bandwidth of your attendees to travel? How long is your event? Will the attendees spend more time getting to you than participating in the event? Do your guests expect non- stop flights? When people are traveling to the event from all points across the globe, it is essential to create a travel contin- gency plan. One of the biggest problems that planners don’t always anticipate is “travel curtailment” — namely, when the transportation system goes down due to weather, technology, equipment disaster or other reasons. In the past year alone, a few airlines have had to shut down their entire systems, stranding passengers for days at a time, because of technical issues or staffing shortages. It is important to have a contin- gency plan in place for these types of unforeseen issues. Medical Emergency Contingencies Medical emergencies happen unexpectedly and planners must plan accordingly. This plan should be in place with the venue or property where the event is being held. The plan should list the closest hospital, on-call medics and ambulance providers, and be under- stood by all members of the event planning team. Corporate meeting planners may also want to consider hiring onsite event medics — person- nel who are hired for the duration of the event and are readily accessible in case of a medical emergency. Technology Failures Event technology failures can ruin an oth- erwise successful event. Whether it’s a power outage, a broken microphone, software crash or net- work glitch, planners need to be ready to handle any technical situation to minimize the impact on their event objectives. Another way to prepare for event technology failures is to monitor feedback from attendees, speakers, sponsors and partners. Gathering feedback from previous events through surveys, polls, chats, social media and analytics can help you identify any issues and improve your next event technology performance. Also, responding promptly and professionally to complaints or issues is crucial. Vendor Contingencies It’s not unheard of for issues to arise with the vendors themselves, as equipment fails or staff don’t show up. That’s why it’s important that corporate planners establish a “back up” list of vendors in case there is a problem with one of the vendors hired. Planners should also ensure that all par- ties involved, including vendors and subcontractors, have the proper and equitable insurance in place to mitigate any unforeseen risks. NOAA In the event of weather emergencies like tropical storms or hurricanes, planners must know a hotel’s capability and evacuation plans. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 15 Regardless of the situation, you must anticipate the need for and provide shelter, food and water for your attendees.Security Plans It is important to establish procedures for moving high asset individuals and security for all. Planners should determine if their chosen venue has an onsite, 24-hour security team, with all security officers certified by the American Red Cross in CPR, basic first aid and the use of the HeartStream automated external defibrillator (AED). All hotel or resort staff should be trained in proper evacuation procedures, as well as versed on the nearest exits and safest routes in the event of fire, etc. Planners should also consider hiring a team that is trained in crisis response, and has plans in place in case a crisis should occur. Additionally, for large-scale corporate events, they should consider having on-call doctors and dentists for any type of medical emergencies. Budget Unplanned contingencies can disrupt a corporate meet- ing planning budget. That’s why it is important to keep a percentage of your total budget in contingency for pop-up expenses, approximately 5 to 10%. “Work to identify all issues that could arise,” Hinson said. “Talk to your stakeholders and get their input. Then, priori- tize the contingencies that are identified and make a plan for the ones that you deem most important. Ensure there is a budget allocated to deal with these contingencies should they come to life.” Lessons Learned When you think of the worst-case scenario that happened at one of the meetings or events you handled, what comes to mind? If you’re lucky, nothing. But if you are like most plan- ners, you probably have a story or two to tell about what went wrong and how you solve the crisis at hand. Hinson planned an event in the Caribbean and her com- pany agreed they would only consider resorts with a gen- erator back-up power as they were meeting during peak hurricane season. “Sure enough, a storm came — not a hurricane, but enough to knock out power,” Hinson said. “Because we thought ahead and were in a location with back-up power, our meeting was largely undisrupted.” Bibi Goldstein, founder and CEO at Buying Time, a vir- tual assistance company located in Hermosa Beach, CA, said there are a lot of contingencies surrounding the health, safety and well-being of meeting attendees. She said there are many things to consider, such as “a pan- demic, a fire in the building the event is being held in, a hur- ricane, an earthquake or even airport closures.” She added, “It’s often easy to look at budget and location when planning an event during hurricane season because ven- ues will be more budget-friendly.” And because it is hard to plan for every contingency that may arise a corporate meeting or event, Goldstein suggests corporate planners focus on the venue, including transpor- tation to and from, and the food and beverage program, as well as elements such as the possibility of the speakers being unable to get to the event. She also said to check with the force majeure clause is in the contract. She added, “I would also make sure that the venue has provided all emergency con- tact information for them and for all the local fire, police and hospitals. This is also going to be dependent on the size of the event. If it’s a 100-person event versus a 1,000-person event, the extent of the planning will be different.” Planners should always have a back-up plan in place. Gold- stein remembers how she once planned a small event where the food provided by the venue had been contaminated, so they couldn’t serve it. “We didn’t learn this until the night before day one,” Goldstein said. “Whenever we do an event, we try to have Courtesy of Bibi Goldstein DepositPhotos.com Each year in the spring, Buying Time hosts the South Bay Women’s Conference in Torrance, CA. Planners should have a venue’s emergency contact information, including hospitals and fire and police departments. 16 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.coma list of local caterers, restaurants and coffee shops and so our team started making phone calls and were able to put together the breakfasts, lunches and breaks throughout the event that the attendees were expecting.” Without having this type of contingency plan in place, the event would have been a disaster. “That’s actually the most common mistake I see: corporate planners not having a plan at all,” Goldstein said. “The outcome could be disastrous and dangerous in some cases without proper planning. In the event business, we all know that things will go wrong. Are you prepared to address it and will it be visible to the attendees?” In light of the havoc that the pandemic unleashed on the meetings and events industry, Hinson believes that con- tract negotiations will continue to evolve to address contin- gency plans — especially as it relates to attendee’s ability to attend, impact from force majeure type issues and weather- related issues. More and more corporate planners are relying on a SWOT analysis — a research tool that they use to determine what the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats might be for a particular event. The SWOT analysis can be a thorough tool to use to decipher all of the potential issues that could arise for that specific gathering. This can be helpful to a corporate planner who may be planning two consecutive events at their company, as an event being held in downtown Chicago, IL will have different potential issues that one being held in downtown Dubuque, IA. The most well-planned events are going to have “pop-up” situations. Whatever situation arises, experts agree that not recognizing a crisis in its early stage is the most common mistake corporate meeting planners make. The most impor- tant approach for corporate meeting planners to take is first to stay calm, and carefully evaluate whatever the situation is in a clear, determined, quick and decisive manner. If done so, most attendees will never know there was a situation. Steps To Take It should come as no surprise that assessing a situation is the first step in effective contingency planning. Here are five steps planners should take to prepare for the unexpected: Step 1: Have a plan for medical emergencies (first), shel- ter (second) and food and water (third). This will give you time to handle the other aspects of the crisis more efficiently. Step 2: In most instances, facilities, hotels and other ven- ues have emergency plans in place for evacuation, medical emergencies and weather. Be sure to familiarize yourself with these plans and share this information with members of the corporate planning team. While most hotels or resorts have people on staff who are trained in CPR, corporate plan- ners may want to consider enrolling in a CPR class in order to respond immediately if faced with a life-threatening medical emergency at a corporate event. Step 3: Embrace the unknown and remain flexible. As issues arise during a corporate meeting, inexperienced cor- porate planners may find themselves overwhelmed and lose focus on the task at hand. That’s why it is vital that corporate planners remain flexible and focused on resolving the issue, without being caught up in the problem. Be ready for any- thing. And keep attendees as calm as possible while remain- ing calm yourself. Step 4: Remember, safety first. At the chosen venue, con- duct multiple walk-throughs with trained personnel to spot any potential obstacles that could cause injuries to attendees. Look for tripping hazards, as well as fire hazards, such as candles having burned down to a point of becoming a hazard. Step 5: Study evacuation plans. Ask for the facility man- ager or owner to send you their evacuation plans. Be sure both you and your corporate planning team study these plans thoroughly so that if you need to escort attendees out of a building, you know how to use the designated evacuation route, quickly and safely. There’s no way to anticipate or prevent all mishaps and nat- ural disasters from occurring, but meeting and event planners can minimize the impact with a little strategic planning. Rather than waiting for the unexpected, planners can put together a contingency plan to ensure that their business meetings and events go as planned, or as smoothly as possible. C&IT DepositPhotos.com Planners should study the destination’s designated evacuation routes and learn how to use them. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 17 Because we thought ahead and were in a location with back-up power, our meeting was largely undisrupted. DEBORAH HINSON Partner, The Hinson Group, LLC H ybrid and Virtual meetings are not just a COVID-era fix. The demands for them are not showing any signs of diminishing. On the contrary, they are increasing in popular- ity, boosting events attendance numbers and creating a unified community. While in-person events are taking place again all over the world, the hybrid and virtual events are expected to expand dramatically in the next five years. The key elements that stand out are flexibility and engagement. By offering in-per- son meetings and events coupled with a virtual component, planners are able to include a wider range of attendees to their meetings. Those who are unable to show up in person can still get the content remotely. John Chen, CEO of Engaging Virtual Meetings, in Seattle, WA, who is an award winning designer, producer, speaker & MC for virtual and hybrid meetings, has seen demand for hybrid meetings increase 128% over the past year. “In a hybrid meeting, you get the energy of the in-person event with the reach of a virtual event,” he said. “In addition, many attendees can now attend, maybe having reasons that would have that prevented them from attending in person. In many programs, we’re able to increase the attendees by 50 to 100% or more by running hybrid.” Paulina Giusti, senior meeting and events manager for Cvent, in McLean, VA, the largest hospitality technology com- pany in the world, realizes hybrid meetings are often touted as offering the “best of both worlds” — the special high-level engagement from in-person and the broad reach of virtual; and this opportunity is appealing to many organizations. “Despite the rapid return to in-person events, the need to reach and engage a broader audience via virtual experiences remains,” she said. “It’s important to remember that prospec- tive attendees might not have the time or ability to travel long distances to attend events. Not to mention, there can be hefty price tags associated with traveling for corporate meetings.” This is where hybrid meetings come in. They can boost attendance numbers, encouraging those who might not have otherwise been able to attend due to cost or travel restric- tions to tune in to a meeting. Falon Veit Scott, CMM, MBA, is the CEO of EES Agency in Nashville, TN, which helps brands “tell their unique sto- ries through events that blow away expectations.” She notes that while hybrid meetings are usually more expensive than a typical in-person meeting, it will result in lower travel costs. Because hybrid meetings also offer an improved ability to reach more attendees, they are a better option for a more consistent meeting cadence. Keith Willard, an award-winning event planner, interna- tional speaker and president of his Keith Willard Events in Oakland Park, FL, regularly plans corporate meetings and has also seen more people go the hybrid route. “Hybrid meetings are still taking place at a high rate,” he said. “One thing that the pandemic taught us about having meetings like this is that it’s a lot more cost effective and con- venient for all the attendees. The idea of someone needing to Creating a Unified Community BY KEITH LORIA In-Person and Virtual Meetings and Events 18 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com EVENT TIPScatch a plane to meet with one group in the morning, to then catch another plane for a different meeting in the evening, has mostly gone by the wayside.” Tina Husemoller, vice president of meetings & incentives for Fox World Travel, a travel management company for Busi- ness Travel, Vacation Travel and Events in Oshkosh, WI, notes that while hybrid meetings are still popular, because so many companies have a remote workforce, they tend to want to bring people together for in-person team building, collaboration and face-to-face time with executive leadership when possible. “Hosting a hybrid meeting allows for everyone to partici- pate and takes travel out of the equation,” Husemoller said. “In addition to making the meeting accessible to everyone, hybrid meetings allow for some cost-savings to a company related to travel expenses.” Fox World Travel is seeing many hybrid meetings tak- ing place at company headquarters or convention centers. However, some companies are choosing to host in-person meetings at destinations because a large percentage of their workforce is remote. “They want to make it an experience for employees to attend the meeting in-person since they don’t have as many opportunities for face-to-face interactions with their team members,” she said. No matter the location, the easiest way to make sure everything runs smoothly is to work with a travel man- agement company that has the technology and know-how to make the virtual experience just as engaging as the in- person experience. Hybrid meetings also tend to be more sustainable than in-person meetings. A recent Cvent report found that 31% of event planners surveyed reported that sustainability would predominately shape their event planning priorities this year and the next. As a result, Giusti said, “Many planners find hybrid events to be an appealing option since they tend to produce less waste. By lowering the number of onsite attendees, which boils down to less energy used for travel and transportation, and less food waste, hybrid meetings have the potential to decrease an event’s overall carbon footprint.” Hybrid meetings also tend to generate more content. Regardless of the event format, boosting attendee engage- ment is top of mind for planners. Hybrid events tend to offer a lot of optionality in this regard. “Because hybrid events require live streaming capabilities, event planners can record sessions and make them available for viewing (or rewatching) after the event has wrapped,” Giusti said. “Making content available on-demand can help planners drive engagement well beyond the event dates and helps to give session content a longer lifespan. Another perk is you have more flexibility to repurpose your live event to fuel your post- event marketing campaigns, including in social media posts, webinars, blogs and gated content, such as case studies.” Going Hybrid Meetings technology speaker and consultant Corbin Ball, principal of Corbin Ball Co., which helps clients use technology to improve corporate meetings and trade shows, notes that because a planner is essentially running two Courtesy of John Chen Courtesy of Matt Tuffuor John Chen, of Engaging Virtual Meetings, producing a benefit for Maui. Toasted Life held a networking event in Oakland, CA for entrepreneurs and investors called The Ecosystem Series. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 19Next >