< Previousthemeetingmagazines.com 10 FEBRUARY 2023 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT A re great salespeople born? Or are they made? It’s a question that confounds many sales managers des- perate to hire and hone a winning team. The answer is both — and if you want to survive in the fiercely competitive post-COVID-19 economy, you need to know how to identify and coach for the traits that equip salespeople to acquire new business. Every company needs these hunters, especially right now. The stakes are just too high not to hire the right candidates — those with the elusive “it” factors that create natural salespeople — and help them master those skills that are learnable. The main “it” factor is drive, that grit and dogged determination that makes the best salespeople relentless in their quest for success. Helping cli- ents identify it early on is SalesDrive’s specialty. Its proprietary DriveTest — an assessment based on 90 years of research on the subject as well as on the company’s own work — is given to candidates before they move on to the interview. Drive is comprised of three non-teachable traits: Need for achievement, competitiveness and optimism. A person either has drive or they don’t — there’s no teaching it, and only 20% of salespeople do. If a candidate has it, especially along with other non-teachable traits, you’d better grab them up now. You can help them develop other skills later. Just knowing which skills to look for, and which to train for, gives a sales manager a huge advantage. A data-driven approach to hiring can literally save a company hundreds of thousands of dollars. 5 NON-TEACHABLE TRAITS TO LOOK FOR … Remember, these first three are the building blocks for drive. Need for Achievement: This is the inner desire to reach even the most challenging goals. As a person’s need for achievement grows, their motivation grows, too. A robust record of accomplishments often showcases a candidate’s high need to achieve. Competitiveness: Some people are born with an inner fire that makes them want to achieve more than anyone else and win each customer over. Candidates with innate competitiveness can keep themselves going and persevere | INDUSTRY INSIDER | 10 Teachable and Non-Teachable Skills Great Salespeople Must Possess BY DR. CHRISTOPHER CRONER BORN TO SELL The stakes are just too high not to hire the right candidates — those with the elusive “it” factors that create natural salespeople. ADOBE STOCKINSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | FEBRUARY 2023themeetingmagazines.com 11 long after others have given up. Your organization needs salespeo- ple who go to great lengths to get an answer from each prospect and close every sale. Optimism: Optimism is an unde- niable certainty that if someone puts in the work and pursues a goal, a positive outcome is simply a matter of time. When assessing sales skills, optimism is essential because, in many ways, sales is a numbers game. While there can certainly be lucky breaks that include a series of wins in a short amount of time, salespeo- ple will often hear “no” many times before they finally reach a “yes.” When salespeople lack this natu- ral optimism, they will begin to lose their fire. Every negative interaction can chip away at their hopes of suc- cess and lead them to lose their vigor. Resiliency: Life can be a little messy, and the world of sales often is, too. Unexpected things happen. As you know, there will be plenty of times when your salesperson is sure a customer is going to buy, but then they quickly change their mind. Salespeople with the natural sales skill of resiliency can bounce back quickly, learn everything they can from their mis- takes and grow from each challenge in the end. Curiosity: Your company sells to a huge variety of cus- tomers, right? No matter what you sell, you are likely part of a market that changes quickly, with ever evolving products to meet customer needs. When you hire a naturally curious salesperson who wants to learn more about products, people, and the solutions they need, you will have a valuable team- mate who is able to adapt to all scenarios. … AND 5 TEACHABLE SALES SKILLS TO COACH FOR Moving beyond the innate skills, you will also want to keep an eye out for the beginnings of skills you can teach, coach and further refine. These skills include: Confidence: This is simply the ability to freely express opinions or concerns while remaining on an even keel, despite inevitable rejection. A salesperson with true confidence can even move into the role of trusted adviser who offers real value to clients. Persuasiveness: Salespeople with a well-developed sense of persua- siveness love the process of selling, negotiating and changing opinions. They are likable and can easily find common ground to help foster emo- tional bonds and shared objectives. Truly persuasive salespeople make it clear they are on the customer’s side and know how to wait for the perfect time to ease into the sale. Relationship Skills: When assess- ing the sales skills of your perspective salespeople, study their history of establishing and maintaining business relationships. Top producing sales- people are highly skilled at reading interactions in a room and knowing when to take center stage and when to let other people have the floor. Well- developed relationship skills involve not only talking, but active listening, with a strict focus on asking intelligent follow-up questions. A great listener can empathize with prospects to learn more about their needs and main points. They then use that knowledge to sell more effectively. Organization: When your salespeople know how to stay orderly, keep track of every task and avoid mistakes, they have more time to spend on high-gain selling activities. Every moment spent retracing their steps because they are not organized are lost opportunities and lost revenue. A sales career means juggling many different tasks. The most successful salespeople have mastered and incorporated organizational structures into their daily routines. Problem-Solving: There are far more potential obstacles in sales than you could ever create training for. Do not focus on finding new salespeople who can memorize every single thing they may need to do in their jobs. Instead, search for those who can problem solve on the spot. The kind of sales- people you most need to hire will be energized by this part of their work, rather than frustrated by the think-on-their-feet effort it requires. When you know which traits to look for in the hiring process, and which ones to focus on as you coach new employees, you can make huge strides toward creating a high-performing sales team. This should be top priority as you prepare your company to move full force into the recovering economy. I & FMM Dr. Christopher Croner is principal at SalesDrive and coauthor — along with Richard Abraham — of the book “Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again,” which details his research and practice in identifying the non-teachable personality traits common to top producers. Croner received his B.A. in psychology from DePaul University and his master’s and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He developed the proprietary DriveTest online sales test and The Drive Interview, both used for hiring “Hunter” salespeople. To learn more, visit salesdrive.info. If a candidate has [drive], especially along with other non- teachable traits, you’d better grab them up now. | THE AUTHOR |themeetingmagazines.com 12 FEBRUARY 2023 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT A s a virtual keynote speaker, I’ve deliv- ered and/or hosted hundreds of online webinars and digital presentations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With hybrid and Internet events here to stay though, it’s important to remem- ber: These meeting and event programs need to be designed differently than traditional talks to better grab and hold online audiences’ attention. Noting this, I’ve created a new method of learning about and discussing future trends and business topics known as POP FUTURE, which can help you more rapidly and effectively bring complex top- ics into focus. In effect, it chal- lenges us to use creativity, wit, insight and other eye-catching and artistic ways to grab audi- ences’ attention and make sophisticated ideas simple to grasp — i.e. by using cartoons, animated videos, interactive games, short films, and other artistic tools to communicate complex concepts in seconds. Are your teams starting to stay focused during online pro- grams, and starting to fall over from Zoom fatigue? Apply the POP FUTURE method to con- tent programming and formatting — a complete introduction to the method is available free to download at our website — and you can add an instant shot of adrenaline and excitement to your online meetings and events. As a simple illustration, here are five simple ways to use it in practice to give virtual talks a winning makeover. STEP 1 — STREAMLINE PROGRAMMING AND SIMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGE In an age of hyperkinetic media hits and constant dis- tractions where even two- to three-minute video clips now seem glacial, it bears reminding: Online attention spans are limited. Noting this, we are reminded that virtual presenta- tions should be designed to be short and sweet: Think up to 30 minutes maximum for a keynote, panel or similar pre- sentation depending on sub- ject matter complexity and depth. However, don’t for- get either: The human brain tends to tap out on consum- ing a single subject after 15 minutes or so, making it also important to concentrate on limiting programs to one to three key audience takeaways for the average presentation, which should be presented up-front and reiterated in brief summary again at the end. Remember: You don’t have to harp on a subject ad nauseum, cover every topic in-depth, or dissect every nuance of a scenario to make a difference. Even just a handful of actionable takeaways pre- sented to a receptive audience can make an impact. | INDUSTRY INSIDER | How to Design Must-See Online Talks BY SCOTT STEINBERG VIRTUALLY SPEAKING Pacing for online presentations should be brisk, the tone should be upbeat and the presenters should be concise about offering their theories and arguments. ADOBE STOCKINSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | FEBRUARY 2023themeetingmagazines.com 13 STEP 2 — FIND BETTER WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE Digital media creates a layer of abstraction between speakers and audiences — which can cause things that seem authoritative in real-life to seem distant, removed and hard to connect with online. The rise of remote work, and the fact that many audiences are working in sweats from their spare bedroom, has led to greater informality at gatherings. Noting this, speakers will often do better to lead with humor, empathy and relatable stories that capture audiences’ attention out of the gate and invite them to let their hair down rather than to adopt a similar posture to on-stage speaking presentations — which often come off feeling like a cliched and dry corpo- rate training video. As a general rule, while going through the paces of a virtual keynote, I like to keep conversations casual, acknowledge that the new normal isn’t so new or all- that-normal anymore, and remind folks that we’re all in the same boat at present. Not only does doing so make virtual speeches feel more relatable and approachable, it also helps invite viewers into the conversation, and reminds them that they won’t be talked at until they tune out. STEP 3 — KEEP THINGS MOVING ALONG AT A BRISK PACE Online audiences bore easily, and stare at enough screens all day everyday that they’re practically going cross-eyed. Bearing this in mind, pacing for online presentation should be brisk, tone should be upbeat and you should be concise about presenting your theories and arguments. Note that quick-hit stories and examples — or quick-hit animations and videos — serve as a handy tool for helping audiences more rapidly grasp complex concepts by acting as a form of mental shorthand. Personally, I like to deliver no more than two slides of hard content before bookending these insights with a fun parable or story featuring a familiar business or brand. If you have a specific idea or concept that you’d like to share, I sug- gest distilling it down to no more than one to two concise sentences. Doing so won’t just help keep things moving, but also help you get a much clearer idea about what message you’re trying to get across and establish a much clearer flow for your narrative. STEP 4 — MAKE IT INTERACTIVE: PUT MORE FOCUS ON AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Online polls and surveys, app- based feedback tools and fun little animated explainers can serve you well in your battle to capture and hold audiences’ attention. However, few exercises hold a crowd’s atten- tion so much as interactive activities that invite participants to perform a task together or call-and-response sequences that invite them to speak up and share. Likewise, you can also liven up online programs with the sudden and unexpected appearance of surprise guests beaming in from afar, or by implementing games, challenges or breakout workshops that viewers can participate in from home. While not every online presentation needs to include such perks, many can benefit from trans- forming conversations into a two-way street rather than one- way transmission. STEP 5 — SHOW AUDIENCES WHAT MAKES YOUR SUBJECT RELEVANT Trade secret: Audiences have heard enough about Apple, BlackBerry, Blockbuster Video, Circuit City and other familiar Jurassic-age case studies for a lifetime. Likewise, the last time some visited a workplace — or got the chance to make water- cooler jokes about increasingly-outdated professional norms — may have been a while. Today, we operate in a business world that’s been completely redefined by digital transforma- tion, the rise of COVID-19, and a growing jump in virtual/flex- work. Stories, examples and images that you highlight in your online presentations should all be adapted to feel contempo- rary and current. As you go about assembling your presenta- tion, be sure to audit everything — references, jokes, etc. — to be sure it feels fresh and up-to-date. Today’s business world moves quickly, necessitating frequent change. Your command of any given topic and preferred approach to presentations should continue to evolve over time too. I & FMM. 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 Career Growth.” The president and CEO of BIZDEV: The International Association for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, his website is FuturistsSpeakers.com. The human brain tends to tap out on consuming a single subject after 15 minutes or so. | THE AUTHOR |Add Activities to the Agenda to Get Attendees Outside BY MAURA KELLERW ho wants to go to Florida to only see the inside of a ballroom or conference center? No matter how nice the ambiance, it isn’t the same as tiki torches framed against the setting sun. That’s where outdoor events come in. Morgan Connacher, CSEP, vice president of events and spe- cial programs at Haute Compa- nies, says her passion for the events industry stems from the integration of the creative with the logistical. She has equal passion for brainstorming sessions or figuring out how to put everything into a shipping container to get it to the event site. She has managed events from 50 people to 6,000 people, domestically and internationally, live and virtual — many of which have been outdoors. “Creating a truly lasting connection is oftentimes routed in a time and place. Creating moments that turn into memories means you must find ways to leave the ballroom,” Connacher says. “The perfect way to do this is to truly explore all the options a property has to offer during an initial site visit.” The Haute team tries to integrate outdoor venues into every multiday event they help create. The company recently created an indoor/outdoor casual evening for a client that had a music festival feel. They worked for months to create meticu- lous floor plans that provided optimal flow, interesting seating areas and access to exciting food and beverage moments. “What made this event the most successful was treating the outside just like the inside,” Connacher says. “We even cre- ated custom-raised decking to allow for special lounge areas that overlooked a sloping lawn area. From that vantage point, guests can truly appreciate the experience of being outside.” Success looked like guests flowing through the space and fully experiencing the event because Connacher and her team had taken so much time on multiple site visits and across J.CO PHOTOGRAPHY & FILM | PLANNER TIPS | themeetingmagazines.com 14 FEBRUARY 2023 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT THE GREAT OUTDOORSmany planning meetings to embrace the twists and turns of the venue to enhance it with their designs, rather than fight- ing it. It was also flexible during load-in to adapt to changes — outdoor events are never static — including impromptu tree- trimming that needed to happen above the custom decking. “Don’t be limited to just the traditional spaces, but work with your hotel and venue partners to find the uncommon. “When you are outdoors, you are more connected to your location and can create deeper meaning with the story that your event tells,” Connacher says. “In addition, outdoor locations now have added health benefits. Our guests have been trained over the past few years to expect more outdoor venues that provide better air cir- culation and enhanced ability to distance guests. We don’t have to choose outside anymore just for health and safety, outside can be the right choice for its inherent, unexpected qualities.” THE BENEFITS OF BEING OUTDOORS Brian Formato, CEO/founder of LeaderSurf and Groove Management, conducts leadership development programs that bring together executives for a week-long workshop that con- ducts the training at the beach. Included in the company’s work- shops are daily surfing lessons. “Beach meetings or outdoor meetings have several benefits. During COVID-19, they enabled participants to safely partici- pate in person without the fear of spreading infection, which [usually] occurs indoors,” Formato says. “Generally speaking, outdoor meetings provide a novel experi- ence, which opens people to do more cre- ative thinking, to be more open minded and to rely less on technology. Too many meetings these days are driven by Pow- erPoint and A/V support. Outdoor meet- ings don’t lend themselves to the use of these technologies.” He continues: “This is a real benefit in that it enables partici- pants to focus on each other and on the interactions rather than on the technol- ogy. The vista of a beach with the endless horizon, the lapping waves and the sand all contribute to a Zen-like experience. It can be very soothing, therapeutic and enlightening.” The LeaderSurf leadership develop- ment program has been well received by executives. They love the learning envi- ronment at the beach, the ability to dress in T-shirts and flip flops and the use of the sand as a whiteboard. “We share ideas in the sand rather than using a whiteboard. It is creative and inspiring,” Formato says. “The daily surfing lesson pushes people out of their comfort zone and into the learning zone, and we use the ocean as a great metaphor for the challenges and opportunities at work and in life.” Caytie Pohlen-LaClare, founder/president of The LaClare Group Inc., thinks the main benefits of being outdoors are the effects it has on the meeting attendees. Being outdoors improves the mood, attention span and productivity of human beings. If attendees have traveled to a distant location for their meeting, being outside is a wonderful way to embrace the des- tination while they attend the sessions. Pohlen-LaClare has done many outdoor and beach events. The most successful events usually included a large tent that provided protection from potential weather elements. “One of the most memorable events was a summertime gala dinner for 600 people held in a huge tent in Paris. The fresh air enhanced the multicourse dinner experience,” she says. “The chande- liers hanging from the ceiling provided an elegant lighting source. We opened the side walls to reveal a breathtaking view of the Seine River and the Eiffel Tower lit up at night.” The LaClare Group also did a successful outdoor event to cel- ebrate a corporate anniversary. The tent was a vital component to this event as well. It provided shade from the sun, and protection in case of rain. Keeping the side walls open allowed for good air flow. “The décor was influenced by the outdoor location and food was easy to eat either sitting or standing,” Pohlen-LaClare says. Allie Scott, program manager at Brightspot Incentives & Events, says meeting attendees often find themselves in stuffy meeting spaces for the duration of the day, with little to no outdoor exposure, leaving them tired and run down. Incorpo- rating outdoor events encourages attendees to soak up some Vitamin D and enjoy the fresh air to either break up their day of meetings or end their day on a refreshing note. Brightspot operates many outdoor events with a great num- ber being in beach destinations. Attendees love at least one event with their toes in the sand to fully immerse themselves in the destination. “To make a beach event successful, planners must consider the décor, food and beverage and entertainment aspects of the event. Depending on the overall theme selected, whether it be Mexican fiesta or a Hawaiian luau theme, all of the event’s elements must tie to it,” Scott says. For example, with a Hawaiian luau, imagine bright local floral arrangements, vibrant linens, a traditional luau menu, a lei-making station and traditional hula dancers for the evening’s entertainment. Scott recently utilized a resort’s farm for an authentic farm- to-table dinner in the Virgin Islands for an evening event. The resort and vendors fully embraced the vision and brought this dinner to life with oversized, natural wood picnic tables and COURTESY OF BRIAN FORMATO Hosting an event outdoors, especially at the beach, will go a long way to please attendees as surveys and studies show. But outdoor events require a bit more planning than an event held indoors. INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | FEBRUARY 2023themeetingmagazines.com 15benches, organic and eclectic floral centerpieces, string light- ing in the trees and a unique farm-to-table menu. “The resort distills and bottles its own gin, and guests par- ticipated in a creative cocktail demonstration featuring the resort’s gin alongside the guest’s selection of fresh herbs as garnish straight from the resort’s farm,” Scott says. “This farm event was successful because it provided variety to a Carib- bean island’s classic beach dinner and also highlighted the destination’s local cuisine in a highly unique way.” EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE Weather is the No. 1 challenge surrounding meetings out- doors, so having an indoor backup is crucial. “Indoor ballrooms are predictable. As planners, we aren’t doing our due diligence unless we have a weather alternative to our outdoor location, sometimes multiple options,” Connacher says. “You can choose a tent, but for larger functions, you need to absorb the cost of the tent even if you don’t end up setting it up. Or you need to set it up a week in advance to accommodate all production needs, and thus may be dining under a tent in perfect weather.” Tents also aren’t 100% effective depending on your location — high winds, heavy rain, snow, etc., aren’t solved by a tent and some heaters. Extreme heat is also something planners must anticipate, and need to make sure they have proper air condi- tioning, shade and/or seating when planning an outdoor event. Connacher adds, “For truly unique outdoor venues, you may be looking at bringing in most or all of the infrastructure needed to run an event, creating a kitchen tent, bringing in restrooms, generators to provide electricity and decorative lighting.” Pohlen-LaClare says sound is another challenge, and hav- ing the correct sound system so everyone can hear is impor- tant. “If the event is in the evening, you need to know what the quiet time parameters are,” she says. “Also, other living creatures like bugs, lizards, birds and alligators are uninvited guests who might crash your event.” When planning an outdoor financial or insurance meeting or event, a key consideration is what time of day the event is scheduled. Mornings might mean you have dew on chairs, or it’s a little chilly. Pohlen-LaClare says if it’s the middle of the day, you will need to provide some shade options and plenty of water. “Sand can be especially hot on bare feet in the middle of the day,” she says. “Evening events mean you’ll need good lighting options, and maybe some bug repellent. Are you on the beach? Make sure your seating is sand friendly. Consider a beach bon- fire as a way to encourage people to linger and relax.” Also, will sensitive or confidential information be discussed during your outdoor meeting? If yes, you probably don’t want to be outdoors where people passing by could see or hear it. Scott says outdoor events without any covering must take extra precautions. Venues will likely require a weather call be made up to 24 hours prior to the outdoor event to allow ample time for suppliers to fully set up either the outdoor venue or the backup indoor space. Other challenges a planner may face are kitchen capabili- ties of the venue. As Scott explains, some hotels and private venues that are not structured to host outdoor events may struggle with providing certain types of dining experiences to the attendees in the outdoor space. “Depending on how far away the nearest kitchen is, some- times planners may find that a venue can only offer a buffet dinner or even just passed appetizers in the outdoor venue due to food-safety protocols,” Scott says. “It is always wise to ask these questions of the venue while planning the event menus to ensure all parties are on the same page.” Providing the proper power and equipment for any event themeetingmagazines.com 16 FEBRUARY 2023 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT J.CO PHOTOGRAPHY & FILM The No. 1 way to get attendees to enjoy an event or an incentive, especially at an exotic or a special location, is to get them outside so the attendees can get an appreciation for the area and all that it offers. • Can you accommodate guests with mobility issues on specialized terrain such as sand, rocks, etc., and do you need to provide additional support and/or staff to assist? • Are heaters/air conditioning provided and/or allowed? • Are there any local noise curfews or restrictions? • Is there a power source? If so, how many outlets are there? • Does your lighting plan enhance the design while also being functional? • Are pathways lighted? Is there exist- ing lighting on or surrounding the outdoor venue? • Do you have work lighting scheduled for overnight or early morning setups? • Do you have a green room for the entertainment? • Does your food-service style match the capabilities of the venue? • Does the venue have an outdoor kitchen? • Are bonfires allowed on the beach — with or without a fire watch? Key Questions to Consider ADOBE STOCKentertainment is also something to consider when planning an outdoor event. As mentioned, depending on the environ- ment, power can be limited, in which case a generator or two must be secured to provide power for lighting, the band, etc. CORE ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER Outdoor lighting is a large factor that a lot of people for- get about. That’s why Connacher says planners need to work with a technical director who has worked on a beach or in an unconventional outdoor space before. It takes a lot of unique solutions to be able to provide truly beautiful lighting design — sometimes inclusive of digging trenches for cables, burying truss towers in the sand, and loading in many days in advance to ensure you can properly focus your lights. “You also need to remember that you should not only site this location during the day, but see it at the time of your event,” Connacher says. What will the sunlight be when guests arrive, and how will it change throughout the evening? Keep in mind that sunset fluctuates throughout the year, so check on times based on your event date. For events on the sand, Connacher always likes to pro- vide special footwear for guests — either provide flip-flops or sandals as a gift the evening before an event, or create a show valet station as they arrive on the beach. “Don’t forget to communicate, communicate, communicate. Tell attendees what to expect so they can plan their attire,” Connacher says. Even if a beach party is a surprise, make sure you tell them what the proper footwear and attire will be — do they need a jacket or a shawl? You can’t work to create moments of true human-to-human connection if people’s immediate needs such as warmth and comfort aren’t being met. Also, don’t forget to ask about any additional setup charges. From your venue or your vendor partners, walking on the beach is simply harder. They will need additional staff and time to make this happen, and you need to price that accord- ingly and build the time into your schedule. “Design your floor plan, remembering that nature and this beautiful location are your main canvas,” Connacher says. “Put a stage against the water line [without a stage back], arrange lounges or fire pits facing towards the ocean, dig custom sand pit lounges next to lapping waves. Don’t fight against your sur- roundings, fully embrace them.” As with any meeting or event, an agenda and a set of goals are critical. Formato also likes to share a set of ground rules at the beginning of the meeting. This sets expectations for the attendees. Some people don’t like to sit on the sand, so either providing beach chairs or at least towels is often appreci- ated. If you have people with disabilities, make certain you have access for them. Pohlen-LaClare remembers a couple of mis- takes she made at outdoor meetings she planned. “A few of my mistakes included having beach Olym- pics in the heat of the day. The sand was burning people’s feet, and it was so hot they were all looking for shade — and lots of water,” she says. “Also, at one event, when the outdoor dinner event started, there was plenty of daylight, but as the evening progressed, it became increasingly difficult to see the food on our plates. A good lighting source is important.” Or course, having a strong team of vendors also is critical in the success of an outdoor event to help mitigate any open issues that arise during the planning, setup and operation of the event. “Sell the fun! Let participants know in advance that this will not be like any other meeting they have attended,” Formato says. “Your goal is to open their minds to new think- ing via the venue. You must plan for the worst, such as bad weather, crazy winds, mosquitoes and other unexpected visi- tors. By planning appropriately and setting expectations with the participants, you can orchestrate an amazing and very memorable outdoor meeting.” I & FMM INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | FEBRUARY 2023themeetingmagazines.com 17 Morgan Connacher, CSEP Vice President of Events and Special Programs, Haute Companies Arrange lounges or fire pits facing towards the ocean, dig custom sand pit lounges next to lapping waves. Don’t fight against your surroundings, fully embrace them. • Are there any concerns with surrounding wildlife? • Are you working on a beach with any protected wildlife or other environ- mental restrictions? Sea turtle nests are protected on coasts throughout the U.S. and in other countries, and have a huge impact on event setup, especially lighting design. • Is the beach accessible to the public in any way? Do you need to maintain public access/pathways through your space during set up or during the event? • Are you able to do a fireworks display at this event? If so, can the fireworks be staged on land, or do they need to be launched from a barge on the water? • Do you need to create a separate storage area for any décor or rental staging? • Does the venue have the necessary inventory of tables, chairs, buffet tables and other equipment for use on the beach or outdoors? • Is there direct access for small or large trucks? Do you need to provide heavy machinery or trailers to load in and later tear down the space? ADOBE STOCKPLANNING POWER Tech Tools Can Help Streamline the Planner’s Job BY MAURA KELLER H ere’s one thing we know: Technol- ogy is constantly changing, whether that be in our personal or profes- sional lives. It exists to help make our lives easier and usually more productive by accomplishing more with less. In fact, technological innovations have catapulted the meetings and events industry to a whole new level, with meeting planners relying on technology for all facets of the event-planning process. Beyond decentralizing the planning process, technology gives event planners the tools they need to produce higher quality events. As Marvin McTaw, CEO of Sched, explains, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a decade or more of change into a few short months. The real question today, how- ever, is how are events evolving, and how can tech- nology support those shifts? Sched regularly surveys event planners and attendees seeking the answer to those questions. “Our research shows that great meetings today are attendee-centric,” McTaw says. “Sched decentralizes meeting planning so speakers, sponsors and attendees can customize their roles. This saves event planners precious time, while giving them the control to manage their events, attendees and session content.” As McTaw explains, there are three inherent areas of meeting and event planning that tech tools are sig- nificantly enhancing: | PLANNER TIPS | themeetingmagazines.com 18 FEBRUARY 2023 | INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM• Content: Put your event in everyone’s pocket by giving attendees full access to the event online. “Less note-taking means more true engagement,” McTaw says. “Event technol- ogy makes knowledge sharing with colleagues easier. Our research shows that attendees highly value access to session content long after the event has taken place.” • Communication: Great events require real-time commu- nication. In fact, it may be impossible to over-communicate. “Technology clearly makes that easier,” McTaw says. “Instead of relying on a public address system, email and push notifica- tions keep everyone in the know, help the forgetful and allow for last-minute changes.” • Transactions: Event management is very transactional. There’s event and session registration, payment collection and the issuing of tickets. “Keeping track of all these moving parts is something that technology does much better than even the smartest team of foot soldiers,” McTaw says. TOOLS OF THE TRADE As stated, for many in the meetings and events industry, the pandemic required them to evolve. Martha Keele, meeting planner and COO at Toast of the Town LLC, says historically, every session was in person, feedback was given through printed-out surveys and most planning was done in a conference room. “Today, teams can work remotely with project-management systems and Zoom meetings enabling planning committees to work more efficiently despite a distance,” Keele says. “Attendees can login to an event virtually if they are unable to attend in person. Feedback, networking and event materials can all take place with a powerful event app. Overall, the industry leaned in to creative solu- tions to keep meetings going and, they were so successful, it has stayed. What we are seeing [with these new tech tools] is what was once a workaround is now the event standard and attendee expectation.” When utilizing tech tools in planning, always be on the lookout for more ways to use technology to make events more engaging and make the event-planning process more orga- nized. Simple software solutions such as a diagramming tool can help you plan for seating, foot traffic and food and bev- erage. In addition, Toast of the Town’s project management tools for planning ensure good communication from all team members using the system and clear deadlines. As Keele explains, this has been extremely helpful for man- aging client expectations, offering the capability to provide real-time reporting back to a client — which provided trans- parency around a project — and as all planning components are trackable and time-stamped, this offers client account- ability as well. “Technology solutions during the event, such as an event app, provides insights to the attendee experience in real time,” Keele says. They can pull real-time reports during an event to provide insights into our attendees or systems to improve mid- event, which has been an absolute game changer for the Toast of the Town team. “We use Eventbrite as our ticket registration system and love it,” Keele says. “It offers lots of customization and is very user friendly. It also allows us to brand each event and provide various login codes to give team members work- ing on the project various alerts and updates.” Keele says Jotform also is extremely useful for collecting speaker details. The Toast of the Town team has created sys- tems where speakers fill out and upload all of their informa- tion so they can download everything in sortable spreadsheets. “This has also been a game changer,” Keele says. “Internally, planning on Monday.com has been a great project-man- agement tool. Our team has templated systems for various project types that we further customize when we get started on a new conference. This helps make sure everything is up to date for our set milestones.” And Guidebook and Slido are platforms to use for event apps and Q&As. “We love the branding, text alerts and all the information we can store — everything from speaker details, FAQs, polls, networking and surveys,” she says. Today, events play a role in person and online. A/V is no longer limited to a screen and a micro- phone; materials for recording and streaming sessions COURTESY OF MARTHA KEELE The COVID-19 pandemic forced meeting planners, and the industry, to quickly adapt. As such, technology that was once a luxury or a workaround — such as virtual and hybrid events — became a necessity. Julie Haddix Senior Director, Solutions Marketing Cvent By automating manual processes and making complex tasks ... more seamless and simplified, technology enables greater efficiency and time savings. INSURANCE & FINANCIAL MEETINGS MANAGEMENT | FEBRUARY 2023themeetingmagazines.com 19Next >