Where Is the Industry Heading?

EDUCATION IN BUSINESS EVENTS+TECHNOLOGY+PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT+DESTINATIONS+REWARDS+

WHERE IS THE INDUSTRY HEADING?

2015MARKE T INCENTIVE TRAVEL SHOW MANAGERS MEASUREMENTS PROCUREMENT CONFERENCES CONVENTIONS DESTINATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION THIRD-PARTY EXHIBITIONS CORPORATE MARKETING ATTENDEES PLANNERS SOURCING REWARDS MEETINGS BUDGETS SUCCESS

REPOR

PM 40069240 MARCH.APRIL 2015

p01-03 Cover4.indd 1 15-03-19 2:06 PM Global sales expertise that links you to a world of possibilities.

ARIZONA FLORIDA (con’t) MASSACHUSETTS TENNESSEE BERMUDA* Arizona Grand Resort & Spa Loews Royal Pacific InterContinental Boston Loews Vanderbilt Hotel Elbow Beach Resort Fairmont Scottsdale Princess at Universal Orlando® Loews Boston Hotel The Peabody Hotel Fairmont Hamilton Princess Loews Ventana Canyon Naples Grande Beach Resort Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club Fairmont Southampton Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa Ocean Reef Club Seaport Hotel & World TEXAS Newstead Belmont Hills A world of possibilities... Royal Palms Resort and Spa Omni Orlando Resort at Trade Center At&T Executive Education Golf Resort & Spa The Wigwam ChampionsGate The Langham Boston and Conference Center Rosewood Tucker’s Point One Ocean Resort & Spa Hotel Valencia Riverwalk The Reefs Resort & Club CALIFORNIA PGA National Resort & Spa MICHIGAN InterContinental Dallas Bacara Resort & Spa Ponte Vedra Inn & Club Amway Grand Plaza La Cantera Hill Country Resort CANADA Hard Rock Hotel San Diego Ponte Vedra Lodge & Club MGM Grand Detroit Omni Dallas Hotel Loews Hotel Vogue Montréal Hotel del Coronado Rosen Shingle Creek The Adolphus Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel Irvine Jamboree Center Saddlebrook Resort MINNESOTA The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa Hotel Nikko The Biltmore Loews Minneapolis Hotel CURAÇAO InterContinental Mark Hopkins The Breakers UTAH Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort InterContinental San Francisco The Naples Beach Hotel & MISSISSIPPI Little America Hotel Island Hotel Newport Beach Golf Club Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Montage Deer Valley DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Loews Coronado Bay Trump National Doral Miami The Grand America Hotel Paradisus Palma Real Resort Loews Hollywood Hotel Villas of Grand Cypress MISSOURI Paradisus Punta Cana Resort Loews Santa Monica Hotel Sorella Country Club Plaza VERMONT Beach Hotel GEORGIA The Chase Park Plaza Stowe Mountain Lodge GRENADA Miramonte Resort & Spa Château Élan Sandals LaSource Grenada Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Loews Atlanta Hotel NEVADA VIRGINIA Resort & Spa Omni La Costa Resort & Spa The Cloister at Sea Island ARIA Colonial Williamsburg Hotels Omni Rancho Las Palmas The Lodge at Sea Island Bellagio Lansdowne Resort JAMAICA Resort & Spa Golf Club Delano Las Vegas Salamander Resort & Spa Half Moon Pebble Beach Resorts Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Sandals Grand Riviera Rancho Bernardo Inn HAWAII Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas WASHINGTON Sandals Royal Plantation Resort at Squaw Creek Halekulani MGM Grand Hotel & Casino Motif Seattle Sandals Whitehouse Surf & Sand Resort Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle European Village & Spa Terranea Resort Bungalows Skylofts at MGM Grand The Grand Del Mar The MODERN Honolulu The Mirage WASHINGTON, D.C. MEXICO The Langham Huntington Turtle Bay Resort The Signature at MGM Grand Loews Madison Hotel LIVE Aqua The Meritage Resort and Spa Vdara Hotel & Spa Mandarin Oriental, Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach The Resort at Pelican Hill IDAHO Washington DC Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos Sun Valley Resort NEW YORK Omni Shoreham Hotel Paradisus Playa del Carmen COLORADO The Coeur d’Alene Langham Place, Fifth Avenue The Washington Court Hotel La Esmeralda Gateway Canyons Resort & Spa Loews Regency Hotel Willard InterContinental Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla The Broadmoor ILLINOIS The New York Palace The Inverness Hotel and Fairmont Chicago, WEST VIRGINIA PANAMA Conference Center Millennium Park NORTH CAROLINA The Greenbrier InterContinental Playa Bonita The Sebastian Vail InterContinental Chicago Pinehurst Resort & Spa Loews Chicago Hotel The Carolina Inn WISCONSIN CONNECTICUT Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel The Omni Grove Park Inn The American Club Resort ST. LUCIA Foxwoods Resort Casino Sofitel Chicago Water Tower Sandals Grand St. Lucian Mohegan Sun The Langham Chicago OREGON DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE The Peninsula Chicago Sunriver Resort THE USA TURKS & CAICOS FLORIDA Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Fontainebleau LOUISIANA PENNSYLVANIA ANTIGUA Villages & Spa InterContinental Miami Hotel Monteleone Loews Philadelphia Hotel Sandals Grand Anitgua InterContinental Tampa Loews New Orleans Hotel Resort & Spa *ALHI Global Luxury Loews Don CeSar Hotel PUERTO RICO Alliance Members Loews Miami Beach Hotel MARYLAND Gran Meliá Golf Resort BAHAMAS Atlantis, Paradise Island Loews Portofino Bay Hotel Loews Annapolis Hotel Atlantis Paradise Island* Bermuda Tourism Authority at Universal Orlando® Royal Sonesta Harbor Court SOUTH CAROLINA One&Only Ocean Club Delta Air Lines Baltimore Belmond Charleston Sandals Emerald Bay Global DMC Partners Place Hotel Sandals Royal Bahamian Oceania Cruises in America and around the globe. Regent Seven Seas

For nearly 30 years Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has been providing meeting professionals with Global Sales services for our distinctive worldwide portfolio of over 170 Four- and Five-Diamond/Star hotels and resorts. ALHI’s Global Sales team can Visit ALHI.com and contact your local ALHI Sales Professional and will help you find unique solutions to best meet your program objectives and budgets. or call our luxury group desk at 866-303-2544.

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p01-03 Cover4.indd 3 15-03-19 2:06 PM +CONTENTS features

36 FILLING THE ROOM New data and expert advice on how to build attendance BY LORI SMITH

41 2015 MARKET REPORT Our annual look at where the industry’s heading Text by LORI SMITH Survey by GERALD BRAMM & ASSOCIATES

17 34

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p04-05 Contents.indd 4 15-03-20 12:52 PM +CONTENTS columns destinations

17 LEADERSHIP 56 SOUTH KOREA Confronting the sinister side of travel MICE in the Land of the Morning Calm BY PADRAIC GILLIGAN BY LORI SMITH

20 EXPERT OPINION 62 SANTA MONICA, CA Using technology for the right reasons Giving groups a taste of California living BY SCOTT STRATTEN BY LORI SMITH

21 ASK AN EXPERT Ditching the event Facebook Page; when a speaker disappoints departments AS TOLD TO CHRISTINE OTSUKA 6 What’s New on 24 CONVENTION FILE MeetingsCanada.com Changing the perception of events BY ROD CAMERON for AIPC 9 Contributors

11 Letter from the C-suite 26 BUSINESS MATTERS Maximizing your B2B marketing efforts 12 Editor’s Comment BY MARK WARDELL 1 5 Event Wrap-Ups 29 HARD WIRED Brain dates and new microphones 1 6 Agenda BY CHRISTINE OTSUKA 6 7 Gifts + Gear 30 TWENTYSOMETHING 7 1 Snapped Meet Chantal Champagne, Event Manager, Strauss Event & Association Management 7 4 Find AS TOLD TO CHRISTINE OTSUKA

31 GOOD FOR YOU Slowing down to stay in the moment BY CHRISTINE OTSUKA

34 CUISCENE Expanding the possibilities of potatoes BY DON DOULOFF 26

56 62

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 5

p04-05 Contents.indd 5 15-03-20 10:46 AM #myphx what's new on

NEWS HOTELS RISING BUDGETS MEET INCREASING COSTS The winter 2015 edition of MPI’s Meetings Outlook

LE MERIDIEN VERSAILLES, finds the industry MONTREAL COMPLETES RENO healthy. However, planners will APPOINTMENT F&B have to sharpen their pencils as costs on the supply side rise.

SUSAN PROPHET ALGONQUIN JOINS MPI GETS NEW TEAM EXEC CHEF

w QUOTABLE

BLOG “Your brand is “All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. Calling a group the character,

Gerry Sandusky a team doesn’t make it one. the constitution, Broadcaster, Corporate That’s the team myth.” Trainer & Author even the soul of your company.” Listen in on the conversation or better View and share event photos, ask for advice This is the moment it felt like you were yet, join in! Follow us on Twitter for the from other planners and suppliers or react Mark Wardell latest breaking industry news and updates to industry headlines on our Facebook page President, Wardell International exactly where you were supposed to be. @MeetingsCanada (facebook.com/MeetingsCanada) “Building a Better Brand” You wouldn’t have guessed it. But you’ll never forget it.

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This is the moment it felt like you were exactly where you were supposed to be. You wouldn’t have guessed it. But you’ll never forget it.

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WHAT ABOUT THE INDUSTRY INSPIRES VOLUME 44, NUMBER 2 YOU? MARCH.APRIL 2015

“I am inspired by the movement General Manager ROBIN PAISLEY towards greater collaboration 416.510.5141 [email protected] amongst industry partners.”

EDITORIAL Editor LORI SMITH “The great grace under pressure 416.442.5600 x3254 [email protected] “The people! Their passion that is a characteristic of and dedication planners and suppliers.” Associate Editor CHRISTINE OTSUKA inspires me.” 416.442.5600 x3255 [email protected]

ART Art Director ELLIE ROBINSON 416.442.5600 x3590 [email protected] “Haven’t been here long but so far I’ve met some lovely people.” SALES “The people, their passion Senior Account Manager CORI-ANN CANUEL and their creativity.” Canada + USA [email protected] 416.510.6819

International Business ALANNA MCQUAID “Excitement, adventure, Development Manager [email protected] accomplishment and most 416.510.5144 of all—working with the best people in the WORLD!” INCENTIVEWORKS “The industry’s ability to bring together individuals face-to-face in Event Coordinator STEPHANIE HILTZ unlikely combinations, who then can 416.442.5600 x5213 [email protected] enact real change in the world.”

Event Coordinator STEPHANIE RAPKO “Seeing the 416.442.5600 x3213 [email protected] ideas come alive.” Event Manager LORI WINCH 416.442.5600 x3214 [email protected]

Events Intern JESSICA SILIPO “The endless learning and 416.442.5600 x5238 [email protected] growth opportunities!”

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS CIRCULATION + PRODUCTION + ONLINE Rod Cameron (AIPC), Don Douloff, Padraic Gilligan, Circulation Manager BEATA OLECHNOWICZ Tod Maffin, Amy Ruddell, Scott Stratten, Mark Wardell 416.442.5600 x3543 BOlechnowicz@@annexnewcom.ca

NEWCOM BUSINESS MEDIA Market Production Manager TRACEY HANSON Vice-President + JOE GLIONNA 416.510.6762 THanson@@annexnewcom.ca General Manager Production Manager (Online) DEBBIE SMITH President JIM GLIONNA 416.442.5600 x3221 [email protected]

Meetings + Incentive Travel (M+IT) magazine receives unsolicited features and materials (including letters to the editor) from time to time. M+IT, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. MAIL PREFERENCES: Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-668-2374, Fax: 416-442-2191, E-Mail: [email protected], SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: Canada $77.95 per year, Outside Canada $108.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $13.00, Buyers Guide $60.95. HST #10386 2405 RT0001. Meetings + Incentive Travel is published 6 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Meetings + Incentive Travel is indexed in the Canadian Business Index and is available online in the Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database. Contents Copyright Newcom Business Media. Canada Post — Canadian publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40069240 ISSN No. 0225-8285 (Print) ISSN No. 1929-6428 (Online). 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

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17 21 24 34

PADRAIC GILLIGAN AMY RUDDELL ROD CAMERON (AIPC) DON DOULOFF Eyes Wide Open Ask An Expert How Far Have We Really Come? Side Show

“The people! The meetings “The opportunity to “It’s an exciting industry “Planners’ endless creativity industry is a magnet work and collaborate because by definition it and boundless energy, and that attracts the most with the many creative interacts with and supports their fierce dedication to amazingly talented and and resourceful minds the whole spectrum putting together engaging creative people.” within our industry.” of human activity.” meetings and events.”

Contact Padraic at Contact Amy at Contact Rod at Contact Don at [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 9

p08-14 Masthead_Contrib_Editorial_JOE.indd 9 15-03-19 2:09 PM p08-14 Masthead_Contrib_Editorial_JOE.indd 10 TWITTER @HALIFAXMARRIOTTTWITTER FACEBOOK.COM/HALIFAXMARRIOTTHARBOURFRONT PHONE 902.421.1700WWW.HALIFAXMARRIOTT.COM 1919 UPPERWATER STREET, HALIFAX,NOVASCOTIA HALIFAX MARRIOTT HARBOURFRONT ANY DEMAND A SPACE TO MEET return to time and again. hostsconvention client our space that quality of high ft. sq. 22,000 of our is part personal events, theAcadia Meeting Room or forbusiness space. Perfect floor flexible of ft. sq. 2,800 and Properties, Historic views of Halifax’s gorgeous offers windows, natural light to pouring through ceiling floor Room, with Meeting Acadia versatile The

15-03-19 2:09 PM

Client: Marriot Job Number: 5286 Marriott Acadia Meeting Room Ad Pub: M&IT Magazine Specs: 8.125” x 10.75” CMYK .125” bleed Contact #:902-835-3559 +LETTER FROM THE C-SUITE

HI, MY NAME IS JOE Greetings. Please don’t mistake me for a new editor, I plan on leaving the content of these pages to people far more qualified than myself. So why am I taking up this space? In January my company, Newcom Business Media, purchased this magazine as well as the IncentiveWorks show. Typically, subscribers of a magazine know what articles they like and what columnists they prefer. The corporate entity is just a logo in the masthead. The reason this acquisition is different for you comes down to our publishing philosophy: “We Serve Our Advertisers Best By Putting Our Readers First.” You are the most important part of the equation in our business model. Without qualified readers, we have nothing to sell advertisers. And without top quality editorial, you’re not going to turn the pages. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? I will be speaking to the advertisers separately, explaining to them why this model is the right one and that it has served my family well, dating back to The versatile Acadia Meeting Room, with 1929 when my grandfather started working for Bus & Truck Magazine. I am a A SPACE TO MEET third-generation business magazine publisher and very proud of our history. natural light pouring through floor to ceiling Switching gears, the meetings, incentives and show industries are rapidly ANY DEMAND windows, offers gorgeous views of Halifax’s changing and Newcom knows this all too well, producing trade shows and con- Historic Properties, and 2,800 sq. ft. of ferences in the trucking industry (Truck World in Toronto is one of Canada’s largest trade shows). There was a blog post on this magazine’s website recently flexible floor space. Perfect for business or whose author posed the question, “Are trade shows passé?” I sure hope not! I just personal events, the Acadia Meeting Room bought IncentiveWorks and plan on keeping it for a while. But I think the intended message was meant to suggest that what worked yesterday won’t necessarily is part of our 22,000 sq. ft. of high quality work tomorrow and if meeting planners and show organizers don’t stay on top of convention space that our client hosts these changes, your shows and events will get left behind. return to time and again. Hopefully that’s where we come in. I’d like for you to read this magazine every issue and be able to say to yourself, “I’m a better planner.” Our job is to educate, inform and keep you up-to-date on the industry’s happenings. I look forward to getting to know some of you, attending industry events, and becoming a better planner myself. And I would like to hear from you. There is an open door policy at Newcom, my contact information is easily found and nothing helps make us better than getting feedback from our most important allies: you. Thank you for reading.

JOE GLIONNA Vice President & General Manager

Marriot Room Ad Meeting Acadia 5286 Marriott M&IT Magazine 8.125” x 10.75” CMYK .125” bleed 902-835-3559 Newcom Business Media

HALIFAX MARRIOTT HARBOURFRONT Pub: (416) 459-2365 (Toronto) Specs: Client: Client: (514) 213-4003 (Montreal)

1919 UPPER WATER STREET, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA #: Contact

Job Number: Number: Job [email protected] PHONE 902.421.1700 WWW.HALIFAXMARRIOTT.COM FACEBOOK.COM/HALIFAXMARRIOTTHARBOURFRONT TWITTER @HALIFAXMARRIOTT

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 11

p08-14 Masthead_Contrib_Editorial_JOE.indd 11 15-03-20 12:20 PM +EDITOR’SCOMMENT

THE PLANNER PARADOX

Many years ago I was considering at- in the decision-to-attend for a large por- tending a trade show in Europe. When I tion of potential participants. But, Wendy researched airfares, I discovered that ex- Holliday of Velvet Chainsaw is right in ad- tending my stay by two days would result vising in that same article that organizers in substantial savings. Even when I added must promote destinations judiciously. in the cost of the extra nights of accommo- Any whiff of vacation (i.e. pleasure) could dation, the total was less than the bill with have deleterious results, particularly for the shorter-stay airfare. I thought it was those who do not have power over the de- great. I would save the company money! I cision to attend. presented the information to the decision- Will this change? New research on Mil- maker, who dismissed it immediately. The lennials, the demographic that will have extra days had the whiff of pleasure, and the largest presence in the workplace in business and pleasure could not be mixed. the coming years, shows an enthusiasm for I’m telling you this story because the what is being called “bleisure”—a combin- still-existing corporate and cultural be- ation of business and leisure. They are also COMING NEXT ISSUE lief in the old adage of not mixing busi- the generation experiencing work environ- 2015 M+IT Salary Survey results; NMID ness with pleasure has resulted in what I ments that have pool tables and treadmills. cross-country recap; meetings at sea; call “The Planner Paradox.” In reality, a When this group hits the C-suite (in and destination reports on Santa Bar- planner’s job is to create events (meet- some industries they are already there), bara, CA and Nashville, TN. ings, conferences, conventions, incentive I think it will be recognized that far from travel programs) that effectively combine being contradictory, business and pleasure the seemingly contradictory elements of are complementary—both essential to a business and pleasure. However, I have ob- company’s or event’s success. I also think STAY IN THE KNOW served that any emphasis on the latter is that as a result planners will see a new re- Sign up for our newsletters, perceived as diminishing the power of the spect for their ability to create ways to mix delivered right to your inbox. former and the industry. business and pleasure. Meetings do mean business. They also I look forward to that day. Weekly The top five must-read stories mean pleasure in the form of good food, of the week, plus industry blogs and nice hotels, parties, stimulating education, important dates. interesting destinations, etc. Look at the new data from The Experience Institute Monthly In case you missed it, we (page 36) on how people are making the recap the most-read industry news decision to attend conferences and exhib- of the month. itions. Destination matters. Content and LORI SMITH networking opportunities top it, but where EDITOR meetingscanada.com/newsletters an event is being held is a significant factor [email protected]

M+IT EDITORIAL MANDATE Meetings industry and travel publications are often offered free FAM trips, accommodations and gifts. M+IT magazine only accepts those that will be featured in the magazine or online through editorial content. Destinations are chosen through reader surveys and market research. NIAGARA FALLS - FALLSVIEW

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p08-14 Masthead_Contrib_Editorial_JOE.indd 12 15-03-19 2:09 PM NIAGARA FALLS - FALLSVIEW

p08-14 Masthead_Contrib_Editorial_JOE.indd 13 15-03-19 2:09 PM p08-14 Masthead_Contrib_Editorial_JOE.indd 14 15-03-19 2:09 PM +WRAPUPS PCMA CONVENING LEADERS 2015

PCMA continued its experimentation this content being delivered: Event Technology year at its 59th annual Convening Lead- and Intelligence, Meeting and Experience ers conference. About 4,000 industry Design, Operational Strategy and Glo- professionals gathered in Chicago January balization. The educational program also 11-14 to learn from thought leaders in and included eight Thought Leader sessions around the meetings industry and experi- and six Business School sessions with uni- ence innovations in meeting design. versity professors discussing finance and This year’s theme, “Make No Little business strategies. Plans,” is part of a quote by Daniel Burn- All in all, the changes to the education ham, an American architect and urban de- content created more balance between signer, and event organizers took that to Sheraton and the Hyatt Regency Chicago traditional and non-traditional learning

heart.1 From the opening reception at the —a departure from years past. formats, but the noise level in the Learning Museum of Science and Industry that saw This year, PCMA organizers drew up a Lounge often detracted from the quality of Chicago neighbourhoods come to life over different educational plan. Attendees saw the learning experience. three levels, and indoor park complete with fewer breakout sessions in favour of an And to provide even more value to con- street lamps, park benches and foliage, to expansive Learning Lounge, which fea- ference attendees PCMA organizers have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at tured shorter sessions and smaller group made recordings of certain sessions avail- the general sessions and see the Freeman sizes. In addition, TechCentral, which was able to all attendees for free for 60 days crew and event organizers at work, PCMA once only a small part of the conference, following the conference. In the past, these had big plans for this event. Convening was integrated into the Learning Lounge recordings were available, but not compli- Leaders also spread out around the city and attendees had the opportunity to test mentary for attendees of the live event. this year. While the majority of sessions products, software, apps and attend tech- Next year, PCMA’s flagship conference took place in the West Building at McCor- based sessions. comes North, as Vancouver will host the mick Place, some programming was held Breakouts were separated into four 60th annual Convening Leaders January at two downtown Chicago hotels—The colour-coded tracks to better organize the 10-13, 2016. –Christine Otsuka

Canada. A First Nations Dance ceremony ride, a great home-cooked meal and some CANSPEP was performed over lunch before heading good ol’ dancing we headed to the hotel into the afternoon sessions. The planner feeling like we really experienced the hos- 2015 ANNUAL day ended with a blessing by the Elder. pitality that the West is famous for. When I spoke to the event organizer, To switch things up a little on day three, CONFERENCE Claire Belanger-Parker, about why she the planning committee put together chose this specific location for the event, “CanSpep Talks”– seven speakers, seven This year’s CanSPEP conference was held she said she felt it “was the perfect loca- minutes each! Both planner and supplier in Saskatoon, February 26-28. As a first tion to create a respectful learning en- presenters were pre-selected to educate time CanSpep event attendee the sense vironment and a chance to experience or entertain the audience on a variety of of community and unity among this group something unique and for some, step out industry related topics or personal stories was apparent right away! The theme of the of their comfort zone.” that shared challenges and successes. This conference this year was MEET – LEARN – This portion of the program set the tone was a great way to get attendees involved GROW. And that we did. for the remainder of the conference, a sup- in content creation and it was also inspiring The conference began early Thursday portive network, a safe learning space, and to see our peers get up in front of the room morning as the planner attendees headed the tools to help you grow. and take a risk! out to Wanuskewin Heritage Park for a day The opening dinner was a ComiCon The conference wrapped up with the designed just for them. The event began themed event. Many attendees took this CanSpep awards gala. Robert Thomson, with a cleansing ceremony called “smudg- opportunity to release their inner Super AV Canada was awarded Supplier of the ing” and an opening prayer by an Elder, fol- Heroes and we all had a good laugh thanks Year and Rita Plaskett, Agendum, received lowed by a session about enhancing busi- to comedian Kelly Taylor. the Leadership Award. ness with Aboriginal Culture and learning Day two offered more great education If the goals of this conference were to about the rich contributions Aboriginal and networking at the suppliers showcase Meet, Learn and Grow, I think that I speak people have made to Canada and how followed by a dinner at Champêtre County, for everyone when I say that this mission awareness of their culture can be success- a Wild West-themed saloon in the prairies was achieved! Next year’s conference will fully integrated into events representing that brought us back in time. After a sleigh be held in Windsor. –Cori-Ann Canuel

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p15-16 WrapUpsNewsAgenda.indd 15 15-03-19 2:09 PM +WRAPUPS REVEAL 2015 SOCIAL

Talk about collaboration! This year Ottawa Tourism (Backbeat); Yukon destination marketing organiza- Convention Bureau (Can Caners, tions from across Canada came Snowshoe Shufflers & the Legend- together to host the first annual ary Sour Toe Cocktail); Destination REVEAL event. Instead of each St. John’s (Spirit of Newfoundland); destination hosting their own event and Travel Alberta (Dueling Piano which is how it was previously Show). Nine other destinations done, REVEAL brought over 100 were also represented at the event: planners and 15 destinations under Fredericton, NB; Halifax, NS; Lon- one roof giving everyone more time don, ON; Moncton, NB; Northwest to network. Territories; Richmond, BC; Regina, The event was held at the Lower- SK; Saint John, NB; Saskatoon, SK; town Brewery in the Byward Market Winnipeg, MB; and Victoria, BC. Re- in Ottawa the evening before CSAE veal 2015 was produced by CanPlan Tete-a-Tete and MPI Ottawa’s Char- Event & Conference Services and ity Gala and included entertainment Freeman Audio Visual Canada. – from four musical acts sponsored by Cori-Ann Canuel

+AGENDA

Visit chapter sites for more information ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY EVENTS: event spotlight on NMID celebrations: APRIL Keep on top of professional develop- Halifax – mpiatlantic.com ++14 Site Canada Social, Toronto, ON ment and networking opportunities Montreal – mpimontrealquebec.com ++16-17 Convivium, MPI Montreal & in the business events community. Ottawa – mpiottawa.ca Quebec, Montreal, QC Toronto – mpitoronto.org ++20-22 GBTA Conference, Toronto, ON Winnipeg - mpimanitoba.ca APRIL Edmonton - mpiedmonton.org MAY Calgary - mpi-gcc.org ++7 MPI Ottawa Prix Prestige Gala, Vancouver - mpibcchapter.com Gatineau-Ottawa, ON ++19-21 IMEX Frankfurt, Frankfurt, DE National Meetings Industry Day ++26-29 Rendez-vous Canada, Niagara The Canadian chapters of Meeting Pro- Meetings Industry Falls, ON fessionals International (MPI) will once Euchre Tournament (MIET) ++30-JUNE 3 IPW 2015, Orlando, FL again celebrate the industry with a roster The Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place of inspiring cross-country events. Here in Toronto will once again host the Meet- JUNE in Canada members of the industry will ings Industry Euchre Tournament (MIET). ++7-9 MPI Toronto Education gather in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Ot- Offering beginner and advanced stream Conference, Blue Mountain, ON tawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and tournament play, a casual dinner and ++14-17 PCMA 2015 Education Vancouver to learn and connect through networking opportunities, the event Conference, Fort Lauderdale, FL a variety of educational and network- gives industry members the chance to ++24-26 FICP Education Forum, ing opportunities. This year, for the first have fun while raising funds in support Washington, D.C. time, we will be joined in the celebration of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foun- by event pros in the United States and dation, a renowned leader in the fight FOR MORE INDUSTRY EVENTS, VISIT Mexico. nmid.ca against cancer. miet.ca MEETINGSCANADA.COM

FICP® – Financial & Insurance Conference Planners GBTA - Global Business Travel Association Canada MPI - Meeting Professionals International PCMA – Professional Convention Management Association SITE – Society for Incentive Travel Excellence

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p15-16 WrapUpsNewsAgenda.indd 16 15-03-19 2:09 PM +LEADERSHIP EYES WIDE

OPENTime to confront the sinister side of travel

BY PADRAIC GILLIGAN

Amongst the priorities for her year as president of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), Rhonda Brewer, vice-president of sales for Maritz Travel Company, listed shedding needed light on the crime of child sex trafficking, a practice, according to research, that grows significantly before and during large events. SITE intends to use its truly global membership (there are members in a staggering 90 countries) to support ECPAT International, a global network of organizations working together to end child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for

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p17-19 Leadership .indd 17 15-03-19 2:09 PM +LEADERSHIP

sexual purposes. SITE fully sub- Sochi: A Tipping Point? notoriously difficult to start due scribes to Mark Twain’s famous The systematic, ongoing ap- to our widely different depar- statement about the transforma- palling treatment of the LGBT ture points and our plethora of tional impact of travel: “Travel (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and filters. They tend to end in an- is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and Transgender) community by the ger, frustration or tears and so, narrow-mindedness, and many Russian authorities and the sub- many of us simply avoid going of our people need it sorely on sequent general call for a boycott there much in the way we side- these accounts. Broad, whole- of the Sochi Olympic Games did step discussion about religion or some, charitable views of men lead to some MICE industry com- politics. But do these inherent and things cannot be acquired by ment spearheaded, mainly by difficulties exonerate us from vegetating in one little corner of Martin Lewis of CAT Publications engaging in the discussion? the earth all one’s lifetime.” in the UK. On its online platform, Yet SITE acknowledges that MeetPie.com (“A Time for Eth- Reasonable Responses there can be another side to ics,” March 25, 2013) Lewis posed Conference & Incentive Travel international travel; a sinister, a series of searching questions magazine reproduced extracts the case as we see it and then ugly underbelly that involves the arising out of key aspects of what from interviews with three apply some typical “Art of War” sexual exploitation of children we do as an industry—choice of agency leaders in the United principles—can we rely on the and their treatment as commod- destination, choice of suppliers, Kingdom (UK) following the So- support of our allies to win this ities to be traded across borders. choice of clients, etc. chi issue. All three dismissed the battle or will we be standing Rhonda Brewer deserves huge “Is this a tipping moment? Is idea of a boycott (“Big debate: out there alone? Without the kudos for leveraging her leader- this a time for us to take a more Industry figures dismiss Rus- Government or the meetings ship at SITE to highlight this im- principled view of the world and sia events boycott,” August 28, industry weighing in, we could mensely important ethical issue. stop choosing destinations where 2013). Interestingly, two of the so easily end up isolated, losing And, SITE’s management team citizens are not free to choose three respondents dismissed the the battle, and in the process, 100,000 Marriott Rewards Points, should also be thanked for taking their destiny? And should we stop boycott because they believed it our credibility too. Far too com- on what will be a long-term initia- handling clients whose activities would be ineffective, a lone “sulk- plex. Better stay out of it… $129* meeting package at Condé Nast Readers’ Choice tive that only begins with its 2015 do not stand close examination? ing voice crying in the wilderness: goal of creating awareness and Many companies are correctly ask- “If the UK Government was It starts with me providing education on the issue. ing suppliers to be transparent and leading some kind of charge, But somehow this all calls to mind JW Marriott Muskoka These actions are all the more reveal their CSR credentials before then fine—but it isn’t and there- Martin Niemöller’s devastating impressive as the MICE industry doing business with them. Isn’t fore a boycott would only ever statement on Nazi Germany: hasn’t exactly distinguished itself it time our industry added ethics be a personal view on behalf “First they came for the Social- for its pioneering pronounce- to the discussion and turned the of an event agency or an event ists, and I did not speak out—be- Earn up to 100,000 Marriott Rewarding ments on ethical matters, prefer- spotlight on some of the clients as client.” – Simon Maier, TFI Group cause I was not a Socialist. Then Events points by booking your meeting at ring, most of the time, to behave well as the supply chain?” “Unless you represent a size- they came for the Trade Unionists, JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka, ranked like the proverbial ostrich with its Lewis’s questions provoked able portion of the buying popu- and I did not speak out—because head firmly in the sand. quite a reaction with industry lation of a country or supplier, a I was not a Trade Unionist. Then #6 in Canada by Condé Nast Readers. heavyweights including Motiv- boycott is no more than sulking; they came for the Jews, and I did $129 per person* Meeting Package for com’s Nigel Cooper and Spec- it doesn’t have any real impact. I not speak out—because I was not tra’s Paul Miller contributing wish the UK meetings market was a Jew. Then they came for me— most dates in March, April, November or RESOURCES thoughtful responses. The com- a large enough customer of Rus- and there was no one left to speak December 2015 ECPAT International – mon thread across all responses sia to make a boycott significant for me…” www.ecpat.net being a strong intake of breath to the suppliers over there, but SITE’s Rhonda Brewer has Your family will love the luxury of a getaway and the statement: “This is a sadly it is not.” – Chris Parnham, taken a brave and courageous when you redeem your points. Your “A Time for Ethics” by very complex issue.” Absolute Corporate Events step in grasping the ethics net- Martin Lewis, Meetpie. These match one of Nigel tle and drawing our industry’s accounting department will write you love com, March 25, 2013 The Complexities Cooper’s comments at MeetPie attention to an underlying as- letters when you submit the bill for payment. (bit.ly/Time4Ethics) But to say that ethics in the to Lewis’s posting: pect of MICE that is sinister and meetings industry is complex “One agency, company, indus- evil. Her initiative deserves our Call 705-765-1900 to book your meeting “Big debate: Industry is like saying Bill Gates is rich. try or even country acting alone full attention and our unquali- now or go to www.jwrosseau.ca to submit a figures dismiss Russia Like Gates’ billions which, each does not have the ability to make fied support. events boycott,” Confer- second, generate millions in a real impact.” Request for Proposal. ence & Incentive Travel, interest, the nuanced subtle- These are all practical, rea- –Padraic Gilligan is managing August 28, 2013. (bit.ly/ ties of any ethical discussion sonable opinions which, I reck- partner at SoolNua, a marketing con- IndustryDebateRussia) expand and grow like ram- on, are pretty representative of sultancy working with destinations pant bindweed. Conversations where most of us might stand. and enterprises on strategies for MICE. *Package price based on double occupancy. Includes overnight accommodation in a luxurious Studio, continental breakfast, lunch and two about ethics in business are We weigh the pros and cons of www.padraicino.com coffee breaks. $15 per room Resort Fee and tax are additional. Complimentary valet parking for convenor. Complimentary wireless high-speed access in all guest rooms and hotel lobby. 20% discount on most services and merchandise at Spa Rosseau for participants, over the meeting dates. Minimum 10 paid actualized rooms for two nights. Subject to availability. 18 MEETINGSCANADA.COM

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p17-19 Leadership .indd 19 15-03-19 2:10 PM +EXPERT OPINION

TECH SUPPORT Five ways to ensure you are using technology for the right reasons

Sometimes technology for your attendees feels like a double- 4 RENOVATING YOUR edged sword. The cost of event WiFi can take up half your budget, DIGITAL PRESENCE yet it seems as though the first thing attendees use it for is com- Google recently announced that plaints—often about connection issues. non-mobile friendly websites would Technology can help your event but can also greatly distract be penalized in search results. from and hinder it to the point where we need to ask ourselves, Combine that with the percent- should we be using it, rather than can we be using it. age of connected Canadians and Here are five things to consider before deciding how tech- realize that your conference site savvy your event should be: needs to play nice with the 18 million smartphones in the country. 1 OLD RULES FOR NEW TECH Mobile isn’t what’s coming next— Believe it or not, I have keynoted tech conferences where the its what’s now. SEE SCOTT STRATTEN emcee requested everyone turn off their phones. Some speakers SPEAK AT prefer this 1990’s rule because it forces the audience to pay atten- 5 HASHTAG #BEWARE tion to their talk. But it’s the speaker’s fault if their content isn’t Conference hashtags have been all the rage more exciting than Candy Crush. Their goal should be to make the for a while now. They are searchable, easy AUGUST 18, 2015 content so good that no one wants to check their phones, but so to use and work across social platforms. The compelling they want to tweet about it. danger can be when people create their own hashtags for your event or leverage yours for 2 TAKING THE TECH PULSE spam. Most frequently, I see problems arising when events do not Creating hashtags and Instagram accounts because you want to properly monitor their hashtag in real-time. Because hashtags are seem tech savvy is a great way to ostracize a non-tech audience. a real-time tool, they can’t be checked periodically or two weeks I’ve done the same talk to audiences that generate hundreds of after your event is over and they should never, ever be on a screen tweets or no tweets depending on the group. Consider your audi- behind a speaker—nothing is more distracting to the audience or ence and their comfort level with a platform before rolling out the the person on stage. hashtag you want to trend. It isn’t a measure of success for every Technology is wonderful, painful and not going anywhere. audience. Keeping these five points in mind will save you some online grief down the road. 3 CANADIANS ARE MORE TECH SAVVY THAN EVER More than half of all Canadians, of all ages, own a smartphone. Just Scott Stratten is an expert in viral, social, and authentic marketing and one of because your audience wasn’t tech friendly five years ago doesn’t the “Top Five Social Media Influencers in the World” according to Forbes.com. mean they aren’t today. Ask them. Poll your attendees before the He has written four bestselling business books, the newest being UnSelling: The event to get a better feel. And never use tech because you can—use New Customer Experience. See his keynote presentation at IncentiveWorks it because you should. August 18th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

20 MEETINGSCANADA.COM Illustration: © macrovector/iStock/Thinkstock

p20 Expert Opinion_ScottStratton.indd 20 15-03-19 2:10 PM +ASK AN EXPERT

DITCHING THE EVENT FACEBOOK PAGE And what to do after a speaker disappoints

A few years ago we created a Facebook event page for those people with posts in their News Feed. (This is because you our event. And while we see a few thousand attendees can’t actually use that email list to send direct emails.) Q. at our event every year, our Facebook event page only At my digital marketing agency, engageQ digital, we’ve used shows less than 100 people are coming. I’m worried the people Custom Audiences and website retargeting to generate much that do look at this page will think it is a poorly attended event stronger attendance for events we’ve worked on. and if it doesn’t seem to be generating additional attendance or Be sure to have your web person install Facebook’s conversion- interest, is it necessary to keep this Facebook event page going? tracking pixel on the “Thank you for registering!” page so you can directly measure ROI. You’ll then be able to see how much you It’s a great question and you’re spent on ads and how much actual revenue those ads generated not the only person to wonder if in terms of event registration. A. the time invested in setting up and moderating a Facebook Event page is worth it. I’m responsible for hiring speakers for my annual conference and while the majority of the time our speak- Facebook event pages really serve two pur- Q. ers get great reviews, every once in awhile a speaker poses: gets really terrible feedback and does not deliver the session we discussed. But I’m never quite sure how to approach this 1 | Collecting RSVPs. with the speaker post-event. How do I deliver this news and 2 | Spreading the word about your event. M+IT EXPERT what can I do to ensure this doesn’t happen with other speak- TOD MAFFIN ers in the future? engageQ digital Let’s look at each one in terms of your event. Like anyone, even the mighti- 1 | Collecting RSVPs. Your event likely has a separate website est of keynote speakers have for registrations. In this case, using a Facebook event page as A. their off days. Of course, we’d well duplicates this effort and can cause confusion for your at- rather that not happen at our conferences, tendees. If they “register” on Facebook, are they really signed especially when your event and professional up? Probably not. Facebook doesn’t serve you well for this goal. reputation are on the line. I’ve been there—more than once—it’s 2 | Event awareness. Facebook used to give high “edgerank” (visi- not fun. I once hired a speaker that I had bility on users’ News Feeds) to Facebook events. In the last year, heard on the radio. She was a fantastic we’re seeing fewer such posts make it to News Feeds. As well, interview: charismatic, articulate and en- M+IT EXPERT AMY RUDDELL while you can use advertising to promote these events, people gaging—I loved her! Unfortunately, that Diversified who click will land on the Facebook event page—when, really, you didn’t translate onto the stage and the re- Communications Canada want them to go to your main page. Far better to put your ad sults (and evaluations) were disastrous. dollars to direct people to your main site. Thus, Facebook events Lesson learned? I usually insist on seeing don’t serve you well here either. a video of the speaker prior to hiring them. The quality of video Our recommendation would be to drop the Facebook event production isn’t important; it’s how they resonate with you, and page, but use Facebook’s powerful “custom audience” targeting subsequently with your audience. You should be able to gauge to put posts about your event in the News Feed of past attendees, within the first 25 seconds if they are a fit or not. people likely to attend, and other lists you may have acquired. Un- If the speaker doesn’t have video, you have to ask the right like email marketing, there are no “spam” rules on Facebook that questions. If you are dealing with an experienced speaker who does prevent you from uploading a list of email addresses and targeting not allow themselves to be recorded, then that’s okay—usually it’s

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 21

p21-23 Ask an Expert.indd 21 15-03-19 2:11 PM +ASK AN EXPERT

because they have a great talk they don’t want others seeing on- they have that “It” factor; whether or not they have done the line, or it’s copyrighted, etc. There can be many reasons why a work to create a great presentation. I think it is perfectly okay speaker doesn’t have a video. It does not mean they are a bad to review “delivery”; it’s like an audition—but again...being on speaker. In fact, I know a number of excellent speakers who have stage is a skill, and becoming a great speaker requires lots of great reputations who just don’t have video! work. Rome wasn’t built a day! Another option is booking your speakers via a reputable And after all your research and due diligence, what happens if speaker’s bureau. I work with a few, and I trust them both im- the presentation just didn’t “cut the mustard”? It’s a tough pos- plicitly. Because bureaus often represent high-profile speakers, ition to be in; no one likes to deliver bad news. I prefer to wait a there a misconception that it will be very expensive—it doesn’t few days to have the conversation, a cooling off period if you will. have to be. Many have newer speakers they have checked out When I’m onsite running an event, I’m stressed. Throw a bad pres- already and are eager to work with your budget. Some speak- entation and unhappy attendees in the mix, and that stress level ers, if they are local to your event, will even speak for free. It’s goes off the charts. rare, but it can be done. Especially if the bureau needs video for But, it is a conversation that needs to be had, both for you, and that speaker! And if that’s the case, you should feel confident for your speaker. Waiting a day or two gives you time to access the speaker will deliver a great talk. the situation and to arm yourself with the evaluation results. Data What if you are hiring speakers who are not professional removes the emotion from the conversation, clearing the way for or just starting out and don’t have those types of resources a candid, and hopefully, constructive conversation—one you will yet? The majority of my events are practitioner driven, so aside both benefit and learn from. from my keynotes, most of my presenters are not professional speakers at all. I do ask for references and request their presentations months prior to the event. However, being on stage is a completely different animal. DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? Email [email protected] You can tell when someone is giving their talk whether or not and M+IT will call upon an expert to answer it in an upcoming issue.

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p21-23 Ask an Expert.indd 23 15-03-19 2:11 PM +CONVENTION FILE

HOW FAR Engage HAVE WE at Canada’s Greenest Conference Centre REALLY COME Changing the perception of events

BY ROD CAMERON, AIPC

Ten years ago in an article titled, governments and communities at worst, cut off from the kind of the list is the way we charac- “Ten Things We Need to Ex- everywhere on Earth. of support that is required to terize our destination products: plain about Our Industry,” we Now, this distinction is more maintain the momentum of the more emphasis on their busi- said that “we’re not tourism— important than ever—but still industry into the future. ness, professional, institutional we really have relatively little to far from recognized by those We saw this happen in the and intellectual qualities and do with the leisure sector that same communities and govern- depths of the recent recession less on the golf courses and makes up the bulk of the tour- ments who are amongst our when there was regular pol- nightlife would go a long way ism product in most parts of most important audiences. So itical outrage in many places toward convincing dubious the world. In fact, we’re much while we’ve achieved an import- over the perceived spending audiences of the serious intent more connected to the areas ant level of unanimity within of public money on convention of meetings and conventions. of business and economic de- the industry, we still have a lot participation. But it’s still alive So would putting more focus velopment.” of work to do beyond our own and well today in the form of on what these events achieve At the time, many saw this as borders. travel and meetings attendance in terms of business and profes- heresy—even within the industry The reason is simple: to the restrictions that are usually sional outcomes rather than just itself. Today, it is almost univer- extent that we as an industry amongst the first (and lengthi- how much spending they gen- sally accepted, at least amongst are indentified with economic est) cutbacks imposed by many erate in the host community. ourselves, driven by a growing and social advancement, we governments in the face of on- It was true then and it’s still awareness that the greatest will be valued in a time when going economic uncertainties. true now: we’re all about eco- With free Wi-Fi Internet, spacious lounges and value of meetings, conventions those are urgent concerns. But In fact, a recent survey of more nomic, professional and academ- and other business events is if our events are seen as simply than 100 convention centres ic advancement—but while we pre-function spaces, natural light and picturesque the role they play in supporting providing an excuse for a paid worldwide registered govern- may have come to believe it our- lakeside views, the state-of-the-art Allstream Centre economic, academic and profes- holiday at someone else’s ex- ment policy decisions as the top selves, we still have a long way to is the perfect place to host your next meeting, sional advancement. In achiev- pense—which can happen when perceived risk to their business go in convincing others! ing this transition, we’ve man- there is too much focus on the recovery and growth prospects. convention or special event. aged to better align ourselves leisure side of a conference or Such a perception problem – Rod Cameron is the executive Start planning now. Visit allstreamcentre.com. with the reasons organizers ac- convention program and not won’t be solved overnight—but director of the International tually hold such events, and at enough on what the event ac- as an industry, there’s a lot we Association of Convention Centres the same time, with what are to- tually achieves—our importance can do to start moving things (AIPC), a global network of 170 day the number one priorities of will be, at best, devalued and, in the right direction. At the top centres in 56 countries. aipc.org 105 Princes’ Blvd., Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario 416 263 3000 [email protected]

24 MEETINGSCANADA.COM Illustration: ©Thinkstock

p24-28 ConvFile_BusinessMatters.indd 24 15-03-19 2:11 PM Engage at Canada’s Greenest Conference Centre

With free Wi-Fi Internet, spacious lounges and pre-function spaces, natural light and picturesque lakeside views, the state-of-the-art Allstream Centre is the perfect place to host your next meeting, convention or special event. Start planning now. Visit allstreamcentre.com.

105 Princes’ Blvd., Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario 416 263 3000 [email protected]

p24-28 ConvFile_BusinessMatters.indd 25 15-03-19 2:11 PM +BUSINESSMATTERS

GETTING A PIECE OF THE B2B PIE HOW TO BUILD A MULTI-STEP PLAN TO MAXIMIZE YOUR BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS MARKETING EFFORTS BY MARK WARDELL

If your customers are other businesses, as opposed to end users, decisions, etc.) and the business as itself (i.e. size, industry, pur- then you’re engaged in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. chasing process, etc.) you’ll be able to tailor your efforts with far And chances are, if you’ve been at it for long, you already know greater success. that excelling at B2B requires a slightly more complex marketing strategy than business-to-consumer marketing (B2C). This makes sense, of course, as the average business requires TWO Develop a multi-step much more time and process to arrive at a purchasing decision marketing strategy than the average consumer does. To maximize your B2B marketing efforts, you’ll need a strategy that meets the needs of both the business you’re selling to Business-to-business promotional activities should primarily be dir- and the individual (i.e. purchaser or VP) you’re dealing with at the ect response in nature, but they should be multi-step in design. As company. You’ll also need a multi-step marketing plan to help you stated above, if your business prospects are actually shopping for most successfully generate new business. Here’s how: information, the job of your promotional activities should be to get that information into their hands before trying to make a direct sale. A multi-step plan involved a series of steps that serve to generate ONE Think like your customer increasing interest, which should ultimately lead to a potential sale. For example, if you’re selling medical supplies step one might be to encourage your business prospects to call for a free catalogue. We’ve already established that your customer is complicated. When you send the catalogue, step two might be to offer them a free With B2B, your customer is both the business you’re selling to and subscription to your newsletter. If they accept, step three might then the individual purchaser at that business. You need to make sure be to offer them a first-time customer special along with their first you’re meeting the specific needs of both. issue. The sale might not actually happen until step four. To simplify this process, start by asking: who is your champion? Prospects that enter your sales system from a well-designed, Go beyond convention. Who makes the ultimate buying decisions, and what is their pro- multi-step marketing campaign are highly qualified. In fact, if your cess? Even when decisions are made by committee, there is still marketing campaign is designed well enough, prospects may al- generally one person whose influence is strongest. most sell themselves. You’ll want a clear strategy in place so that you can be Not surprisingly, Hubspot are masters at this. One tactic Hub- sure you’re providing your champion with everything they spot uses is to offer free (very useful) business whitepapers, which need to say “yes” to your product or service. To get there, can be downloaded in return for contract information. They then consider the following: follow up with further offers, all designed to get a fairly easy “yes” from their business customer—in an effort to guide that individual 1 | Find out everything you can about your champion’s to an eventual sale. purchasing process. This year, invest time to better understand the needs of you 2 | Find out who they are as individuals. business customers. Along with developing a multi-step market- 3 | Find out what they need (from their department or col- ing plan that effectively generates interest among new customers, Interested in Meeting in Scottsdale? “Site See” and Fly Free! leagues) to make their purchasing as easy as possible. you’ll be well positioned for higher B2B sales in 2015. 4 | Find out what the company needs to make a buying decision. Fly free on us to experience a customized site inspection and you’ll see first-hand all – Mark Wardell is president and founder of Wardell Professional Development the award-winning resorts, outstanding meeting facilities and world-class amenities As you develop a robust profile on both your primary contact (i.e. (www.wardell.biz), an advisory group that helps business owners plan and exe- that consistently make Scottsdale one of the top U.S. meetings destinations. who they are, what their needs are, how they make purchasing cute the growth of their companies. Customized. Time-efficient. With free air. Visit FlyFreeonUs.com for conditions FlyFreeonUs.com 800.782.1117 and details. 26 MEETINGSCANADA.COM Illustration: enisaksoy/iStock/Thinkstock

p24-28 ConvFile_BusinessMatters.indd 26 15-03-19 2:11 PM Go beyond convention.

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p24-28 ConvFile_BusinessMatters.indd 28 15-03-19 2:11 PM +HARDWIRED

THE NEW BY CHRISTINE OTSUKA MICROPHONES It’s time to ditch the mic stand. Today’s microphones fit in your pocket or look like BRAIN DATES they belong on your kid’s bed. These days, content can be streamed, read on- for knowledge; 2,550 requests for know- line and consumed on demand. So what brings ledge, resulting in 1,800 brain dates. attendees to a conference? The chance to “People travel thousands of miles to go meet people. And while conference plan- to conferences for the knowledge sharing,” ners are used to putting their muscle behind says Christine Renaud, CEO of E-180. “They’re boosting attendance numbers, a Canadian walking around with their glass of wine trying company has created a digital platform that to bump into their valuable stranger. Some- will help attendees learn from each other by times you don’t meet that person because going on “brain dates.” you don’t know where they are. So The concept, created by we’re there to help you maxi- Montreal-based E-180 is sim- mize the learning potential A SMARTPHONE ilar to matchmaking, but of the conference to make The free iOS and Android for the mind. Here’s how sure you meet the best app Crowd Mics turns an it works: After regis- people that you could attendee’s smartphone into a tering for the event, to share knowledge.” microphone. The app includes attendees create their While the brain- a text commenting feature online profile. But in- dating system is run and live polling, which will stead of being asked through a traditional help create conversations to fill in their company conference app, E-180 between all your delegates name and title (as is also has on-site match- and encourage participation the case with most con- makers to help facilitate for even the quietest of atten- ference apps), attendees the brain dates, welcom- dees. Cost starts at $100USD are also asked to input their ing attendees to a designated per month or event for 6-50 area of expertise, called an of- meeting area and helping them participants. crowdmics.com fer of knowledge, and be as specific find who they are looking for. and detailed as possible. Rather than saying For most events, brain dating has a 65 “I know about marketing,” they might say, “I to 75 per cent adoption rate with partici- know how to use experiential marketing to pants, and crucial to the program’s success is refresh annual conferences of 700 partici- whether event organizers allow time for brain pants or more.” Other attendees can browse dates in the agenda. the offers of knowledge on the conference “Relationship building takes time. So you app and request a 30-minute brain date dur- have to make time for it in the schedule,” says ing the event. Renaud. “People [event organizers] are afraid The brain-dating concept was used they don’t bring as much value as they can to at C2MTL in Montreal last year to much A FOAM BOX their participants if they don’t put as much con- success. The E-180 platform connected tent as they can in their schedule, so part of our Catch Box is the world’s 4,000 attendees; there were 2,600 offers job is helping them to change their habits.” first throwable wireless microphone you can toss around the room, from one attendee with a question to WHAT YOU NEED another. Not only is it bright and colourful, it’s also fun, A group of 1,000+ people Time in the schedule for brain dates injecting some play into a breakout or general session. WiFi in the venue $7,500 for the first 1,000 attendees plus the travel Mic automatically mutes A clearly marked brain date expenses of two to three on-site staff from E-180 when product is in motion. meeting space with seating Sponsors for the app to help Available for $549USD. conducive to conversations offset the cost getcatchbox.com

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 29

p29-30 Hardwired_Twenty Something.indd 29 15-03-19 2:12 PM +TWENTYSOMETHING

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Name: Chantal Champagne Title: Event Manager Company: Strauss event & association management Age: 29 Education: Tourism diploma from the Université de Saint-Boniface Associations (past and present): PCMA, Event Professionals of Manitoba (EPM)

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I got my start in the meetings industry… sponsor I think, “If I was the sponsor, what type of information by surprise. I was looking for a new job after returning from a long would be valuable to me?” If I was the speaker at a conference, trip and a former co-worker sent me an event manager job post- “What type of information would I appreciate receiving before ing and said I’d be a great fit. With my minimal event experience, I an event?” There is a lot to learn, but that’s what makes this job didn’t expect that I would get the position. But am I ever glad I did! fun—it keeps you on your feet! These last three and half years at Strauss have been challenging yet exciting. Jonathan Strauss, president of Strauss saw potential I plan to make my mark by… in me, recognized my transferrable skills and gave me an opportu- helping others who are new to the industry and sharing best prac- nity and training, which I am extremely grateful for. tices. I have very recently discovered that there are many planners who play the same role in an event as I do, and I realize that speaking When people ask me what with these planners is a fantastic resource. This year I joined PCMA I do for a living, I tell them… as a member and attended Convening Leaders for the second time, I am an event planner—but I make sure to be specific as people and moving forward I would love to get more involved in our local instantly assume that I plan weddings! I plan, coordinate and man- meeting industry associations. This really is the best way to grow as age all aspects of conferences and events ranging from 25-person a planner. My long-term goal is to act as a mentor to my co-workers, professional development events to 300-person multi-day confer- fellow association members or anyone who is new to the industry. ences. In my current position, my main focus is organizing annual conferences for non-profit associations. I find it interesting how One thing most people don’t know about me is… little people understand of the planning process for these events. I am a travel addict, and no, travelling for work doesn’t count. Most people I know have attended an event or a conference, but There is no better feeling than travelling the world with just a they are always in awe when I start explaining the countless de- backpack of your belongings. I have travelled through Australia, tails and logistics that need to be confirmed for a successful event. South America, South East Asia, Europe and Canada. I enjoy living One facet of my job I particularly enjoy is that I primarily work with on a tight budget, meeting new people every day and exploring association volunteers who develop the content and main ideas new cities by foot. I now have a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter for the event and I help them turn their ideas into a reality. which means I’m not travelling much these days, but I certainly can’t wait to travel with her someday. The most challenging thing for me when I began my career was… In 10 years, I see myself… learning about the industry and finding out about the small de- planning. What I have learned about myself through this job is that tails. I came from a world of tourism development and market- I love to plan and manage projects. I love to have spreadsheets and ing in which I had the opportunity to participate in conferences lists and organized folders and I love to work with deadlines and and events, but now I was on the other side. There are so many urgent matters. I love the challenge of planning an event without unexpected details in this planning process, and there are also any hiccups, which I know is nearly impossible, but I love to try! so many steps that can be taken to improve an event. I was find- I can’t say for sure that in 10 years I will still be managing events ing it hard to trust that I hadn’t forgotten something. The ap- for associations, but I do know that whichever path I follow, the proach I’ve adopted is putting myself in someone else’s shoes expertise, tools and goal-focused strategies I’ve learned through to think about what else needs to be done. If I am contacting a event planning gives me a great competitive advantage.

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p29-30 Hardwired_Twenty Something.indd 30 15-03-19 2:12 PM +GOOD FOR YOU Mindful matters Slowing down to stay in the moment. BY CHRISTINE OTSUKA

Two months ago, I attended a session at an industry conference on career development. The program described the session as one that would help you turn the job you have into the job you want. I was expecting to hear practical tips on finding your dream job. Instead, the speaker had us sit quietly. Matt Tenney, the session leader, told us we were going to do an exercise to help us identify exactly what we wanted. In order to do that, we first had to quiet our mind. We took a few moments to sit up straight in our chair, blocking out the sound of other speakers’ voices booming over the PA system around us. We breathed deeply, letting our minds relax and softening the muscles in our face, neck and shoulders, staying focused and aware. After a few minutes, we opened our eyes and took out a notebook and pen. We were asked to imagine our life seven years from now, only we were not to focus on the job we wanted to have or any of the realities that could prevent that from happening, but on what kind of person we are in this imagined future, where we live, how we movies, apps and games all with the aim of getting others to be feel and see what follows from that. more mindful. So I scribbled down some thoughts and feelings in my notebook. But what exactly is mindfulness? The leading authority on the And before I knew it, I had a clear picture of the life I wanted. topic, Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention, on I was astounded. For months—years, even—I had talked myself in purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” and around all of the different options for my future. But after just a And really what that boils down to is actively paying attention to few moments of calm, of mindfulness, the answer appeared before me. what’s happening in the present, allowing things to be as they are, I ended up taking pages upon pages of notes, and while the letting go, and not passing judgment. session was different than I thought it would be, it didn’t matter The problem is most people—despite their best intentions— because it led me to the result I wanted. And it gave me a powerful don’t focus their attention on the present or “live in the moment,” introduction to mindfulness. as they say. In fact, our minds don’t sit still. A 2010 Harvard University study found BEING MINDFUL that 47 per cent of the time our mind is lost in thought, ping-ponging Mindfulness isn’t a new concept, but it’s certainly a popular one. around our head and preventing us from being focused and happy. Oprah touts it, business leaders tweet about it, there are books and So what is our wandering mind doing?

Good For Your Group

While it may seem like 1. Group meditation 2. Pre-meeting meditation 3. Meditation time-outs an individual practice, Meditating in a group Mindfulness can be helpful Planners can include there are several ways setting is very powerful. as a practice at the beginning mindfulness recordings in mindfulness can be Not only is there shared of meetings. Many large meditation nooks around incorporated into groups. energy, but group meditation corporations begin their their conference or event to Here are three options to can strength connections meetings with a few moments allow delegates the opportunity consider: between participants and of meditation to calm and to take a time-out or a mental be incredibly supportive. centre and as a result, the break from their schedule. meeting is more productive.

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We spend the bulk of our time ruminating on the past, overanalyzing conversations with colleagues or worrying about future events that haven’t even happened yet. This preoccupation with the past and the future causes unnecessary stress and anxiety and our interpretations of these situations affect how we feel. Dr. Mark Lau a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy expert in Vancouver uses the “walking down the street” exercise to help illustrate this point. Imagine you are walking down the street and you see someone you know well, so you wave and you smile and they walk right by you. You might feel anxious or upset—why did they blow you off? Are they mad at you? But none of that is based on fact. “It’s natural and habitual for us to give meaning to any situation, but our interpretations and where our mind goes determines how we feel,” says Lau. Being mindful allows you to stay in the present moment, let things go, and ultimately change the way you relate to situations like this one. Once you realize that there are the things that happen in life, and this other layer of stress WHEN 1,000 PEOPLE DECIDE TO BE GENEROUS, VENUE IS KEY. caused by our emotional responses to them, and you become mindful of those automatic Like many who’ve beaten the odds, Kevin Collins chooses to give reactions, you can avoid causing yourself unnecessary and additional stress, says Lau. back. This he does as Executive Director of Friends of We Care, There’s an impressively long list of studies that show the positive effects mindfulness has on wellbeing. Not only has it been shown to prevent depression and promote happiness, but a charity comprising of 84 foodservice and hospitality organizations. being mindful positively affects the brain patterns underlying day-to-day anxiety, stress, de- The group has sent 38,000 disabled Canadian children to summer pression and irritability so that when they arrive, they dissolve away again more easily. What’s camps in its 31 years. For seven years running, Kevin has chosen more, the benefits of mindfulness are so widely accepted that Canadian schools in Toronto The International Centre as the venue to celebrate and thank its and Vancouver have made mindfulness part of their curriculum in an effort to help young members for raising over $1 million annually. “It’s the spacious, people deal with difficult emotions like anger and anxiety, and alleviate some of the pressure superbly appointed venue, the team of professionals, and their that is felt—a program I wish was offered at my school growing up! willingness to go beyond the expected that keep us coming back,” says Kevin. “Our one thousand attendees enjoy comfortable DAILY PRACTICE surroundings, terrific food and drink, and this puts them in a If you’re not inclined to take mindfulness training or formal courses, there are small things very generous mood.” As for our part, we’re honoured to host you can do each day to improve your ability to stay in the present moment. Friends of We Care, and look forward to their upcoming event. Eat with awareness. A good first step is slowing down some of the things you do every day. If you sit down at the table to eat, chew your food slowly, taste and enjoy the experience, rather than rushing through it or eating in front of the television or at your desk at work. Pay attention to your breath. When you wake up in the morning, take five deep breaths and practice being in the moment. Pay attention to you chest, your belly, the sound your body makes when you inhale and exhale. Meditation Listen closely. When you engage in a conversation with a colleague at work, pay close Helpers attention without planning what you’re going to say next or evaluating what they’re saying. Stay focused on their words. Headspace Take 10 Feel rooted in the floor. If you’re waiting for an elevator, take a moment to feel your This free 10-day online meditation asks feet on the floor and notice what the sensation of standing feels like. Keep focused on you to take 10 minutes every day to medi- your body and being present in this moment. tate with recordings and animated videos. Use your coffee breaks. Spend 10 minutes at your desk with your eyes closed and check in with your body, your breath, and your thoughts. You don’t need absolute silence 21-Day Meditation Challenge to do this. Deepak Chopra and Oprah run free 21-day And finally, meditate. Meditation is the most formal way we can cultivate mindfulness. meditation programs throughout the year. It can be intimidating for first-timers but it doesn’t have to be. Time commitment: 20 minutes a day for Dr. Ana Bodnar, a clinical psychologist and yoga and meditation teacher who uses three weeks. mindfulness in her practice describes it this way: “In mindfulness meditation, we are focusing on the breath, and when thoughts arise, we are gently letting them go, and Mindfulness Apps bringing our focus back to the breath. We are practicing being in the present moment, There are plenty of ways to find your calm rather than the past or future.” on-the-go, from free apps like Calm that And while most people think that meditation is about stopping thoughts or controlling allow you to meditate right then and there their mind, that’s not the case. “People tend to feel they are ‘not successful’ in meditation 3 to MINDBODY Connect which will provide if their minds wander, but this is a normal part of meditation practice,” says Bodnar. It’s internationalcentre.com 500+ EvEnts a yEar 3 $7 M rEnEwal Plan a list of meditation centres nearby. actually about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly and letting it go. 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON 2 Kevin J. Collins, Executive Director 3 500,000+ ft EvEnt vEnuE Easier said than done. Friends of We Care Foundation Inc. 905.677.6131 / tf 1.800.567.1199 3 5,000 frEE Parking sPacEs

—Christine Otsuka is Associate Editor of Meetings + Incentive Travel

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p31-33 Good For You.indd 32 15-03-19 2:12 PM WHEN 1,000 PEOPLE DECIDE TO BE GENEROUS, VENUE IS KEY. Like many who’ve beaten the odds, Kevin Collins chooses to give back. This he does as Executive Director of Friends of We Care, a charity comprising of 84 foodservice and hospitality organizations. The group has sent 38,000 disabled Canadian children to summer camps in its 31 years. For seven years running, Kevin has chosen The International Centre as the venue to celebrate and thank its members for raising over $1 million annually. “It’s the spacious, superbly appointed venue, the team of professionals, and their willingness to go beyond the expected that keep us coming back,” says Kevin. “Our one thousand attendees enjoy comfortable surroundings, terrific food and drink, and this puts them in a very generous mood.” As for our part, we’re honoured to host Friends of We Care, and look forward to their upcoming event.

internationalcentre.com 3 500+ EvEnts a yEar 3 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON $7 M rEnEwal Plan Kevin J. Collins, Executive Director 3 500,000+ ft2 EvEnt vEnuE Friends of We Care Foundation Inc. 905.677.6131 / tf 1.800.567.1199 3 5,000 frEE Parking sPacEs

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BY DON DOULOFF SIDE SHOW EXPANDING THE POSSIBILITIES OF POTATOES, GRAINS AND ALTERNATIVE STARCHES.

Consider the the poutine bar side dish. By def- and the strong inition relegated to a appeal, at recep- secondary role, side dish- tion/stand-up style din- es, if imaginatively conceived ners, of bars offering, for and intelligently matched with a example, mashed potatoes in protein, can animate a plate and make it martini glasses with sauces and gravies more than the sum of its parts. ranging from lobster cream and mushroom On meeting and event menus, “side dish” typically means “po- gravy to chili toppings, bacon and chives. tatoes,” usually mashed or roasted, but there are a slew of im- At the International Centre, in Mississauga, Ont., poutine bars aginative spins on the humble spud, along with alternatives to the have featured hearty toppings such as short-rib gravy, shred- potato, designed to perk up attendees’ plates. And sometimes the ded butter chicken and boneless goat curry with goat cheese potato is served on its own and becomes the “star attraction.” (“a huge hit,” said executive chef Tawfik Shehata). The venue’s Debbie Cotton-Burinski, director of planning at Event Spec- do-it-yourself bars offer up mashed potatoes served in stemless trum Inc., says poutine stations are big hits at events with late- martini glasses attendees adorn with the likes of red pepper salsa, night foods. In fact, the company has found that guests like to sautéed mushrooms and pulled-pork gravy. have more fun with their food. Popular options include chef sta- In the planning stages (at the time of writing), according to tions, cooking competitions and do-it-yourself stations where Shehata, was a top-your-own bar featuring three-inch roesti guests can make their own "personalized snacks." Event Spectrum (grated-potato pancakes) made fresh to-order on a mobile flat- president Cynthia Richards recalls that at a particular event, the “pou- top grill, while attendees watch, and garnished with smoked sal- tine bar was the most popular food station. With toppings like duck mon and sour cream, and perhaps stewed beef. confit and foie gras, the grouploved the potato.” On the side-dish front, “fewer people are going with standard Claire Fitzpatrick, CMP, CMM, principal of CF Conference & roasted or mashed potatoes,” said Shehata, whose kitchen has cre- Event Management Services, also notes the ongoing popularity of ated a side fashioned from thin-sliced, crisp potatoes arranged to

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resemble an armadillo shell. Sweet potatoes augment Yukon Gold spuds in a gratin layered with gruyere. Also doing some intriguing things with potatoes and alternative starches are a number of chefs in the Fairmont hotel chain. At Fairmont Winnipeg, executive chef Eraj Jaya- wickreme and his team take the lowly spud to lofty places—potato foam, with fish and scallop dishes; potato soufflé as a complement to game; and a gar- nish of translucent potato “glass” possessing a tex- ture Jayawickreme describes as “very smooth and almost paper-like” with the “faint taste of a regular potato chip.” More elaborate still are two dishes, one a mixture of butternut squash, pumpkin and ruta- baga stuffed into “cannelloni” shells made from thin- sliced potato substituting for pasta sheets, and the other, truffle potato gnocchi with celery and walnut pesto. Standing in for potatoes are root vegetables Rostie Bar, International Centre in a hash the kitchen pairs with steak. In Quebec’s Charlevoix region, at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, executive chef Patrick Turcot serves orzo (large, rice-grain shaped pasta) with salmon, on banquet menus. Groups, however, are requesting healthier options, challenging chefs to come up with alternative sides. At the Fairmont Winnipeg, Jayawickrem said a lot of individual attendees are requesting potato-free meals. Accordingly, his kitchen has devised other options, such as quinoa—which “has a beautiful, light, nutty flavour”—to accompany fish dishes. “We use millet as a substitute for couscous,” said Jayawickrem. “Millet is great for crusting food and with a light, nutty flavour, it lends itself well to seasonings and takes on the character of whatever it is cooked with.” Farro (a type of hulled wheat) highlights a salad the kitchen makes with sweet potatoes, almonds and cranberries and freshens with curry vinaigrette. Pilaf de Quinoa, Fairmont Mayakoba At Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico, executive chef Richard Silvester offers a range of healthy options, including brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, am- aranth, polenta, plantains and hominy. Creative sides include Latin-style rice jazzed with bulgur wheat, mushrooms, eggplant, tomato, onion and cardamom; a risotto anchored by red quinoa, barley, yellow bell pepper and shallots; and quinoa mixed with orange lentils, smoked paprika, yellow bell pepper, green beans and pecans. Quinoa is also used in the International Centre’s kitchen, where it’s mixed with feta and herbs into a cake; used to stuff Cornish hen; and fashioned into tabbouleh, said Shehata. His team also offers, as a side dish to beef or chicken, a cake made with barley, chick- pea flour, herbs, roasted jalapeno and cheddar. That classic Italian cornmeal-based dish, polenta, is served as a firm-textured side enlivened with roasted tomato, garlic and parmesan.

—Don Douloff is a food and travel writer based in Toronto. Potato Souffle, Fairmont Winnipeg

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FILLING THE ROOM HOW TO BUILD ATTENDANCE

BY LORI SMITH

very planner knows that attendance is the linchpin of In order to achieve this objective, The Experience Institute an event’s success. Fill the room and you’re a hero. Fail surveyed members of 10 American associations. It received 7,171 to bring in the crowds and your job is on the line. But responses from which it was able to construct a picture of the building, maintaining and growing attendance is be- factors that people consider when deciding whether to attend Ecoming increasingly challenging. Education is available an event—or not. online. People are short of time. Management has to be con- vinced of the ROI of going to a conference, convention or trade TODAY’S ATTENDEES show before signing off on it. A new generation of attendees is The study delivered good news for convention and conference placing greater demands on all elements of major events. It’s planners and show managers. Respondents fell into five groups: no longer an “if you plan it, they will come” world, if it ever was. Haven’t Attended (22.9 per cent), No Longer Attend (3.3 per Understanding the make-up and motivations of today’s at- cent), Occasionals (23.2 per cent), Frequents (30 per cent) and tendees is crucial to the creation of a marketing campaign that Always (20.6 per cent). These five groups represented four gen- will increase attendance. Fortunately for planners, new research erations: Gen Y/Millennials (11 per cent); Gen X (26.7 per cent); looking at what makes today’s attendees tick is now available. Baby Boomers (53 per cent); and Pre-Boomers (9.3 per cent). “The Decision to Attend Study for Conventions & Exhibitions: Collectively they showed a workforce that valued—and wanted An examination of the behaviors behind the decision to attend” to attend—face-to-face events. Likelihood to Attend (Propen- was released this January by The Experience Institute® and its sity) questions revealed that 91.7 per cent of respondents were partners, the Professional Convention Management Associa- likely or highly likely to attend versus 8.3 per cent who said they tion (PCMA) and the International Association of Exhibitions were unlikely or highly unlikely to attend. and Events™ (IAEE). The stated objective of the research was to However, the meat of the study is in its exploration of fac- “identify the factors impacting the decision to attend relative to tors that influence the decision to attend. It showed that the the total visitor experience” with the intent of providing meet- top three attendance drivers are education, networking and ings/exhibitions professionals and destinations information to destination. Education or “staying abreast with profession/ “build attendance promotion strategies.” industry” included program, content, speakers and exhibits,

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and was important to more than 90 per cent of respondents “regardless of attendance frequency or generation.” Network- 2 BE READY AT THE RIGHT TIME ing and “making connections” rated the highest with Millen- nials (84 per cent) who are in the contact-building stage of Eighty-four per cent of the respondents to the survey said that their careers. However, 75 per cent of total respondents said they make their decision to attend two to six months from the networking was “important.” Destination as a driver varied event. Nine per cent decide a month out. Of the generations, according to generation and attendance segment. Eighty- Gen X-ers are the earliest registrants while members of Gen Y two per cent of all respondents said destination was a factor sign up last. Several respondents commented that it was im- but in the “Always Attend” segment the number dropped to portant to have “easy access to and reminders of future dates 57 per cent. Significantly, destination is important to 90 per and locations…to allow them to get it into their budgets and/or cent of the Never and Occasional groups. It also matters to obtain approval to attend.” Pre-Boomers (individuals born before 1946), who were cited Ideally, says Holliday, you should have relevant informa- as the group with the greatest “free will” to attend. tion up on your website and registration open six months out. The study also revealed three key barriers to attendance: “You don’t have to have everything up and locked in,” she cost, time and destination. In terms of cost, respondents men- says. “You want to be agile in addressing last-minute topics. FILLING THE ROOM tioned “high and rising hotel rates, high registration fees, and But the majority should be up six months out.” She acknow- overall travel costs” as factors that had prevented them from ledges that being ready that far in advance of the event is attending events. Overall, 61 per cent said cost of attending was “probably going to be a transition for a lot of people” and a barrier with Gen X and Gen Y respondents mentioning it the will require changing the time frames on many, if not all, ele- most frequently (35 per cent of Gen X and Gen Y-ers said they ments in the operational timeline. needed permission from “higher ups” versus 25 per cent of total She also recommends approaching your alumni attendees respondents). Another “cost” potential attendees considered with an invitation and incentive to register at the six-month centred on how much time they had to invest in the event. mark. “You want to recognize the people who attended in the Forty-one per cent said “it was generally hard to get away” (58 past. You can send them something that says ‘Thank you for be- per cent for Gen Y) and 23 per cent said the event’s “timing ing a loyal attendee. We’ve opened registration early for you and doesn’t work for them.” Destination was also something that have these value-added opportunities.’ Maybe they get a better didn’t work for some respondents. The research showed that room choice. Maybe they have access to a special lounge. You’re where the event was taking place was most important to Occa- encouraging them to register early at the same time you’re rec- sionals, Frequents and Pre-Boomers, groups the study’s authors ognizing that they’re alumni and you’re rewarding them for that. identify as “often on the ‘bubble’.” You don’t want to be the cable and satellite provider that only We took the question of how to build a marketing cam- gives something extra to new clients.” paign that would move people “off the bubble” and into your conference/convention room or trade-show floor to Wendy Holliday, vice-president of attendee acquisition & experience 3 DON’T JUST SELL, HELP for Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. She offered these tips to help you build attendance. Prospective attendees don’t want to be “pushed” by event marketing all the time, and Holliday encourages organizers to help more than sell. She says that developing marketing 1 TARGET THE RIGHT PEOPLE messages that reflect the attendee perspective is essential. “It’s easier to list all the features [of the event] rather than Holliday says that the first step to event success is to clearly the benefits of attending. Instead of saying that there are a identify the right target demographics. “We break it down thousand sessions, point out two or three [sessions] that will into three targets: individuals who represent how you’d like appeal to me as an attendee and that I might get something to grow your conference [influencers]; followers [people who out of, that might solve a problem.” will come because the first group is attending]; and then As an example, Holliday says a “save the date” message people, who are not necessarily part of your growth target should be accompanied by something helpful: a recording of mix but who you need to send a general message to,” she one of the keynotes from the previous year or, a selection of advises. This analysis will help you select the most effective top session whitepapers or handouts—items that reinforce the marketing tools and messages. It will also guide the creation problem-solving content your event delivered. “You’re provid- of your education program, which says Holliday, “must be in ing information [about your event] and you’re helping them lock step with who you’re targeting.” [potential attendees],” she says.

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4 PROMOTE THE DESTINATION WISELY 5 MARKET 24/7, 365 DAYS A YEAR

While The Experience Institute’s study reports that destination is Many people, myself included, who have to submit lists of important to 82 per cent of attendees, Holliday recommends judi- conferences for budget consideration in the fall, begin the cious use of destination-centred marketing, particularly pre-registra- decision-to-attend process well before many events’ six tion. “Part of really understanding who your attendees are includes month-out mark. This means that smart event organizers knowing whether they need permission to attend,” she says. “If they should have information available on their website and need permission your marketing to them should focus on education, other media outlets 365 days a year, and have an integrated networking and other business outcomes.” But, she points out that content marketing campaign. marketing to attendees who do make their own decisions to attend Holliday says that while the latter isn’t new, it’s some- might require a more destination-focused campaign. “If they have thing not enough event planners are doing. “You don’t have sole say over whether they attend—maybe it’s an independent busi- to come up with new content,” she explains. It can be con- ness owner or a professional—they often bring their families and use tent directly related to your event or content relevant to it as a vacation. But, again it comes down to your attendee. Someone your event and its past and potential attendees because of in the medical field where there’s oversight might not require per- subject matter. Regardless of the type of conference, she mission to attend but will be sensitive to having the event perceived says, “attendees want to learn and they want to network.” as a vacation. That’s why I say, promote the destination wisely.” As a result, “it’s imperative that organizers create oppor- Post-registration is another story. Once they’ve signed up, tunities for them to connect before, during and after the Holliday says you definitely want to give them information about event.” Doing so will keep your event top-of-mind and your the location—restaurants, sight-seeing, attractions, etc.—so they rooms filled. have the best onsite experience possible. But, she points out, “After they register, it’s not part of their decision to attend.” Lori Smith is editor of Meetings + Incentive Travel.

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p36-40 Attendance.indd 38 15-03-19 2:16 PM p36-40 Attendance.indd 39 15-03-19 2:16 PM p36-40 Attendance.indd 40 15-03-19 2:16 PM 2015MARKE T In January, research firm Gerald Bramm & Associatescon - ducted Meetings + Incentive Travel’s annual Market Report Survey. As always, its mandate was to discover how the industry fared in the year just passed and gain insight into where it’s headed. The results are on the next seven pages. Meetings, which are the foundation of the Canadian industry, are examined on pages 42 through 45. The research reveals information on the types of meetings being held; destinations; marketing tactics; measuring event success; and how technology is being used at events—and impacting planners. Today’s incentive travel market is explored on pages 46 to 48. This section offers data on destinations around the world; information sources; group size; program elements; and the spend on incentive travel. This year we made significant improvements to the survey. First of all, Bramm & Associates revamped the survey’s questions. They then deployed it in a new (for us) software program that made answering easier and faster. These changes resulted in a better user experience and better data. It also gave us more information. You can check out what we learned about the Rewards & Recognition sector on meetingscanada.com. Understanding the market, its members, its challenges and its opportunities is something all of us at M+IT take seriously and believe is essential. Feedback, recommenda- tions and ideas for next year’s market report survey are welcome. — Lori Smith, Editor REPOR

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TYPES OF MEETINGS MEETINGS PLANNED/EXECUTED IN 2014

Face-to-face external meetings that Eighty-seven per cent of respondents 73% involved travel or off-site venues are responsible for the design and exe- cution of meetings, conferences, events, shows and conventions. Collectively, Face-to-face internal meetings that involved travel or off-site venues 64% their survey answers show that 2014 was a solid year with no real budget surprises and that 2015 is shaping up to Teleconference services 49% to conduct meetings be much the same. According to 76% of respondents, the number of meetings/events they Webcasts to conduct meetings 29% will plan within Canada will stay the same (50%) or increase (26%) this

2015 REPORT MARKET 2015 year. The number of meetings/events Virtual tradeshows or use of virtual 2% services to conduct business they are planning within the United + States will stay the same (71%). And, the number of meetings scheduled for None of the above 8% destinations outside of North America will stay the same (72%). Similarly, the vast majority of respondents (82%) reported no decrease in the length of meetings in 2014. That trend continues AVERAGE NUMBER OF with 85% saying there are no plans MEETINGS PLANNED to cut back on the number of days of PER RESPONDENT any meetings/events in 2015 and 90% reporting that no meetings/events have been cancelled. The survey results also show that 10 2 2014 costs changed little year-over- CANADA UNITED STATES year. However, in 2015 it’s expected that planners will have to hone their negotiation skills as flat budgets (forecasted spend for 2015 is a mere .035% less than 2014 actual) are impacted by the decline in the value of the Canadian 2014 AVERAGE ROOM dollar, rising airfare and food and bever- 794 NIGHTS BOOKED age prices, and hotel room and meeting space demand outstripping supply in 2014 AVERAGE MEETING many key destinations. ~ LS 608 ATTENDANCE SIZE

PLANNING & PROCUREMENT

91% of respondents are directly responsible for the negotiation and contract process with suppliers. Of the 9% not directly responsible, 50% report that procurement has handled negotiations and contracts with suppliers for 10 or more years, with the majority (36%) saying procurement has handled the process for more than 20 years.

42 MEETINGSCANADA.COM

25% p41-51 Market Report2.indd 42 15-03-19 2:21 PM NOT-FOR-PROFIT/ASSOCIATION/GOVERNMENT PLANNER 34% INDEPENDENT/THIRD PARTY PLANNER 29%

MARKETING METHODS/TACTICS 2015 MEETING/EVENT USED TO PROMOTE EVENTS DESTINATION OVERVIEW (Respondents asked to check all that applied) Email Promotions 78% CANADA 99% Websites/Microsites 75% UNITED STATES INCLUDING HAWAII 31% CARIBBEAN 7% Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) 60% MEXICO, EUROPE, UK AND IRELAND 4% MIDDLE EAST 2% Print/Direct Mail 46% CENTRAL AMERICA, AFRICA, INDIA, SOUTH AMERCIA, SOUTHEAST ASIA, Intranet/Internal Systems 25% SOUTH KOREA, NEW ZEALAND, CHINA, 1% JAPAN, AUSTRALIA Blogs/Online Discussion Forums 22% OTHER 2%

Telemarketing 10%

Voice Drops 2% UNITED STATES

44% CALIFORNIA Other* 9% NEW YORK 38% * Respondents who selected “Other” listed fax, personal phone calls, media releases, word of mouth, mobile apps, and referrals from sales team. 32% FLORIDA

ARIZONA 26% CANADA 18% NEVADA 82% Ontario TEXAS 18% British Columbia 41% 16% ILLINOIS 35% Quebec WASHINGTON, D.C. 16% Alberta 31% 8% COLORADO 16% Nova Scotia LOUISIANA 8% Manitoba 13% 8% MASSACHUSETTS 10% Newfoundland & Labrador

TENNESSEE New Brunswick 9% 6%

6% Saskatchewan 2% ALASKA

Prince Edward Island 5% HAWAII 2%

1% Yukon 18% OTHER

CARIBBEAN

40% 20% 20% 10% 10% 10%

Bahamas Barbados Jamaica Cayman Islands St. Lucia Turks & Caicos

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 43

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 43 15-03-19 2:21 PM NUMBER OF ATTENDEES @ LARGEST MEETING LESS THAN 99 13% 100-250 27% 251-500 21%

SPEND DRILLDOWN (2014 Actual vs 2013 Actual)

Stayed Not CATEGORY Increased Decreased the Same Applicable

Airfare 31% 6% 43% 20% Audiovisual Services 35% 7% 54% 4% CSR Activities 9% 3% 33% 54% Décor 14% 13% 51% 22% Entertainment 19% 15% 45% 21% Equipment Rentals 21% 10% 58% 11% Exhibit Design, Sales & Rentals 19% 9% 33% 39% Food & Beverage 40% 10% 47% 3% Hotel Rooms (for Accommodations) 39% 12% 44% 6% Meeting Room Space (Hotel or Conference Centre) 31% 5% 57% 7% Name Badge and Registration Services 12% 4% 61% 23% Security Services 8% 5% 36% 51% 2015 REPORT MARKET 2015 Speakers 22% 7% 56% 15%

+ Staffing Services 9% 4% 51% 36% Team-Building Programs 6% 10% 31% 53% Third Party Management Fees 10% 6% 34% 51% Transportation (Local, Chartered) 21% 9% 56% 14% Unique Venues (not hotel or conference centres) 15% 9% 36% 40% WiFi 25% 6% 53% 15

ESTIMATED AVERAGE SPEND METHODS/TACTICS USED ON MEETINGS/EVENTS TO MEASURE RESULTS (respondents asked to check all that applied) 2014 $1,316,000 Attendee satisfaction ratings on a survey 82% Attendance numbers 75% 2015 Financial revenue generation and/or budget adherence 61% $1,311,000 Success in obtaining learning goals 36% Impact on driving sales 22% Other 4% Do not measure/No formalized measurements 8% MEASURING MEETING & EVENT SUCCESS Who’s responsible for setting objectives? STANDARD VS INDIVIDUAL Meeting/Event Planner 59% EVENT ASSESSMENT Senior Management 59% Standard format Standard Board of Directors/Volunteer Committee 41% for some events format and individual for all Marketing Department 23% assessments Individual on others assessments 15% Finance or Procurement 11% 33% for each event 52% External Company 4%

44 MEETINGSCANADA.COM

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 44 15-03-19 2:21 PM 501-750 11% 751-1,000 8% 1,001-1,500 4% 1,501 OR MORE 16%

PLANNERS & TECHNOLOGY TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA Respondents were asked what, if any, new technology or software has made their jobs USED more challenging in the last two years. Many of their answers centered on the time and cost associated with keeping up-to-date with and implementing new technolo- gies. As one respondent wrote, the challenge is “technology changes so constantly that we are always challenged. [There’s] always a learning curve in front of us.” 91% Currently many planners are learning how to best use event apps and social media before, during and after their events. One respondent pointed out the need to effectively Twitter compete against the second screen during events. “Attendees mobile devices can be distracting so we’re working to develop ways to incorporate options in agenda to use tablets, smart phones and mobile apps to increase [attendee] engagement,” they wrote. The cost of WiFi and the increasing demand for quality bandwidth also continues to be 71% an issue. Several respondents mentioned its high cost in event spaces while another called the demand for WiFi at no cost to delegates a major “POI”—point of irritation. Facebook Other POIs for planners on the technology front include dealing with the deluge of emails received daily, cellphone roaming costs, registration system bugs, and the need to get buy-in from management in order to increase use of social media.~ LS 66%

TECHNOLOGY USED AT EVENTS LinkedIn

78% 46% 36% 13%

Google+ Online registration Social media Mobile app for event

25% 22% 12% 11% 13%

Instagram Webcasting/live Session polling No technology used Self check-in streaming 6% 7% 4% 2%

Appointment system RFID/NFC Other

1% WIFI Foursquare

62% 76% of respondents agree with the of respondents strongly/somewhat Snapchat statement: My supplier partners strongly agree with the statement that are working with me to make WiFi is a necessity at their events so the cost of WiFi affordable. they are able to justify its cost. Other

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 45

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 45 15-03-19 2:21 PM CRITERIA USED TO CUSTOMIZE REWARDS PROGRAMS INDIVIDUAL’S INTERESTS 69% AGE 58% INCENTIVE TRAVEL DESTINATION OVERVIEW *respondents selected all destinations that applied THE UPS AND DOWNS TOTAL AVERAGE SPEND OF SPEND ON GROUPS 2015 2014 It seems anomalous that average spend FORECAST ACTUAL is decreasing when average group size is increasing—even very slightly as we see Total Average Spend Per $1,012,000 $1,053,000 in this year’s results. However, when we Organization (Group Travel) looked at the data more closely we saw that for the vast majority of respondents Total Average Spend Per $3,485 $3,516 (58%) spend will stay the same with an Person (Group Travel) average total for groups of $811,053. Total Average Spend Per Significantly, the 30% who say it will in- $317,000 $384,000 Organization (Individual Travel) crease are forecasting an average spend 2015 REPORT MARKET 2015 of $3,341,000, which could account for Total Average Spend Per

+ $1,742 $1,891 the upward movement on the overall Person (Individual Travel) average. The 12% who see a decrease in the year ahead are forecasting a very substantial $2,437,500. – LS AVERAGE INCENTIVE TRAVEL GROUP SIZE 2014 ACTUAL 191

Average number of AVERAGE INCENTIVE incentive travel programs 4 TRAVEL GROUP SIZE expected to plan in 2015 207 2015 FORECAST

SPEND DRILLDOWN — INCENTIVE TRAVEL (2014 Actual vs 2013 Actual)

Stay Not CATEGORY Increased Decreased the Same Applicable

Airfare 63% 6% 25% 6%

Corporate apparel or logo’d items 22% 19% 50% 9% Corporate Social Responsibility 16% 6% 34% 44% Entertainment/Talent 19% 13% 47% 22%

“Experience” Programs (cooking classes, wine appreciation, art classes, etc.) 16% 13% 38% 34% Food and Beverage 50% 9% 38% 3% Guest Speakers 22% 9% 47% 22% Hotel Rooms 53% 13% 31% 3% Printing of Program Collateral 13% 16% 53% 19% Room Drops 3% 16% 59% 22% Sightseeing Tours 13% 9% 63% 16%

Sports and Recreation (golf, spa, etc.) 25% 9% 47% 19% Spousal Program 3% 22% 47% 28% Team-Building Programs 13% 9% 47% 31% Third-party Management Fees 41% 9% 31% 19%

Transportation (local, chartered) 38% 3% 44% 16% WiFi 28% 6% 50% 16%

46 MEETINGSCANADA.COM

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 46 15-03-19 2:21 PM POSITION IN COMPANY 58% NUMBER OF YEARS OF SERVICE 54% GENDER 54% INCENTIVE TRAVEL DESTINATION OVERVIEW *respondents selected all destinations that applied

CANADA UK & IRELAND EUROPE 58% USA 21% 52% (including Hawaii) 67% SCANDINAVIA 3% INDIA 3%

MEXICO SOUTH PACIFIC 36% 9%

CENTRAL AMERICA CARIBBEAN 3% 58% MIDDLE EAST 9%

AUSTRALIA

6% NEW ZEALAND SOUTH AMERICA AFRICA 9% 15% 9%

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 47

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 47 15-03-19 2:21 PM LENGTH OF INCENTIVE TRAVEL PROGRAMS (2015) OVERNIGHT 3% 2-4 DAYS 53% 5-7 DAYS 38% 8-PLUS DAYS 6% MAGGIE SCHOFIELD

SOURCING DESTINATIONS 2015 PROGRAM COMPONENTS Executive Director, Calgary Downtown Association 61% 78% Sightseeing 72% Spa Word-of-mouth/Peers 66% Golf 59% Food & wine appreciation 58% 50% Adventure experiences Trade shows 41% Cultural immersion 31% Art/music appreciation 52% 25% Cruise 22% CSR component Destination website 16% Fitness 49% 13% Other

Industry websites 2015 REPORT MARKET 2015 DESTINATION DRILLDOWN + 46%

Industry magazines CANADA EUROPE

SPAIN 41% ONTARIO 50% 46% ITALY 18%

DMC BRITISH FRANCE 12% COLUMBIA 44% GERMANY 12%

PORTUGAL 6% 42% QUEBEC 13% AUSTRIA 6% CVB MONACO 6% ALBERTA 13% 36% NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR 6% Google/other search engines UNITED STATES Every day, there are more than 50 international flights to Calgary 21% NOVA SCOTIA 6% from Asia, Europe and the U.S. PRINCE EDWARD 43% CALIFORNIA Corporate travel agent ISLAND 6% 33% ARIZONA 18 km of interior walkways connect delegates to downtown shops, 21% YUKON 6% 29% FLORIDA restaurants and arts venues.

Site Selection Company 29% NEW YORK 6% 24% HAWAII HOSPITALITY CARIBBEAN Calgarians embrace new people and new ideas with equal enthusiasm. 10% LOUISIANA Incentive house The city’s warmth and high energy are contagious, making it the perfect JAMAICA 33% 10% NEVADA place to introduce the unfamiliar. 15% BAHAMAS 22% BARBADOS 17% 10% TENNESSEE

Other TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS 11% 10% TEXAS BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 6% 5% ILLINOIS 6% CAYMAN ISLANDS 6%

None of the above ST. KITTS & NEVIS 6% 5% WASHINGTON, D.C.

MEETINGSCALGARY.COM 48 MEETINGSCANADA.COM

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 48 15-03-19 2:21 PM LENGTH OF INCENTIVE TRAVEL PROGRAMS (2015) OVERNIGHT 3% 2-4 DAYS 53% 5-7 DAYS 38% 8-PLUS DAYS 6% MAGGIE SCHOFIELD Executive Director, Calgary Downtown Association

Every day, there are more than 50 international flights to Calgary from Asia, Europe and the U.S.

18 km of interior walkways connect delegates to downtown shops, restaurants and arts venues. HOSPITALITY Calgarians embrace new people and new ideas with equal enthusiasm. The city’s warmth and high energy are contagious, making it the perfect place to introduce the unfamiliar.

MEETINGSCALGARY.COM

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 49 15-03-19 2:21 PM ON WWW.MEETINGSCANADA.COM 2015 REWARDS & RECOGNITION REPORT August 16 - 20, 2015 TORONTO, ONTARIO WHERE IS THE INDUSTRY HEADING?

This year’s market report survey results revealed a sturdy, things that fly in the face of that reality: a champagne ex- stable industry with only very minute shifts—up and down— perience on a beer budget, and the ability to make a buying over 2014. But the winds of change are picking up. In March decision as late as possible. Managing those expectations will 2014, the Loonie was worth $.90 US. By July, it had climbed require that planners cultivate and maintain close working re- Have you applied to be Hosted at back up to $.93 US. Today it sits at $.78 US. That’s a 15 per cent lationships with suppliers—relationships built face-to-face as drop in buying power in nine months and it’s had an impact. well as online. More than one respondent said the decline in the Canadian Meeting the demands of clients and event attendees who Canada’s Meetings + Events Show? dollar’s value was affecting their meeting and incentive travel are accustomed to customization, instant communication and largest destination decision. all the other on-demand life changes the digital world has de- The weakening of the dollar is compounded by the con- livered is another challenge facing planners. To satisfy today’s tinuing transition to a supplier’s market. PFK Consulting Can- meetings and incentive travel “consumer,” education has to ada’s report on the country’s lodging industry shows demand be better than anything that can be found on the World Wide Experience everything AS A HOSTED BUYER, YOU RECEIVE: outstripping supply in most of the major markets, a trend that Web; food and beverage offerings have to satisfy Foodie pal- will continue to grow despite a forecasted 5,800 guest rooms ates; WiFi has to be fast and free; the needs of a multi-genera- IncentiveWorks has to offer being added nation-wide this year. The situation is the same tional and multi-ethnic workforce have to be understood; and Tremendous networking opportunities including 2015 REPORT MARKET 2015 by joining a tight knit group in the United States, according to research conducted by STR global influences—political and cultural, positive and nega- private events exclusive to Hosted Buyers

+ Global on the American hotel market. tive—have to be on a planner’s radar. of planners and partners through Lack of supply hits lead times as well as budgets. Planners It’s a complex marketplace that requires resilience, adapt- High quality education that will push your career have to book further out or run the risk of not getting the ho- ability and foresight. Are you prepared? IncentiveWorks’ Hosted Buyers forward and allow you to earn CE credits tels and/or destinations they want. Unfortunately, anecdotal Program. Develop incredible evidence reveals that many companies and clients want two — Lori Smith is the editor of Meetings + Incentive Travel. A reserved seat on Tourism Toronto’s Site Tour relationships while gaining Four nights accommodation, transportation valuable knowledge you can to/from Toronto, most meals and full access to invest directly into your career. IncentiveWorks tradeshow and conference EASY MEETINGS We make it easy for your event, large or small, to be a success. Book your next meeting or conference here, and enjoy state-of-the-art facilities, professional support and great rates.

Ask for promo code BREAK1 to receive a complimentary beverage refresh with your next event booking. Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport

LEARN MORE AT FOURPOINTSCALGARYAIRPORT.CA/MEETINGS OR CALL 403 648 3177 TO SPEAK WITH A MEETING SPECIALIST

APPLY ONLINE TODAY! Limited spaces available

©2015 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Preferred Guest, SPG, Four Points and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates. For full terms and conditions, visit fourpoints.com/calgaryairport. Any additional terms and conditions should be placed here. Produced by

50 MEETINGSCANADA.COM

p41-51 Market Report2.indd 50 15-03-19 2:21 PM HostedBuyers_Ad2.indd 1 2015-01-12 4:13 PM August 16 - 20, 2015 TORONTO, ONTARIO

Have you applied to be Hosted at Canada’s largest Meetings + Events Show?

Experience everything AS A HOSTED BUYER, YOU RECEIVE: IncentiveWorks has to offer Tremendous networking opportunities including by joining a tight knit group private events exclusive to Hosted Buyers of planners and partners through High quality education that will push your career IncentiveWorks’ Hosted Buyers forward and allow you to earn CE credits Program. Develop incredible A reserved seat on Tourism Toronto’s Site Tour relationships while gaining Four nights accommodation, transportation valuable knowledge you can to/from Toronto, most meals and full access to invest directly into your career. IncentiveWorks tradeshow and conference

APPLY ONLINE TODAY! Limited spaces available

Produced by

p41-51HostedBuyers_Ad2.indd Market Report2.indd 1 51 2015-01-1215-03-19 2:21 4:13 PM PM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

There’s no place like it on earth. 2500 square miles of protected wilderness with some rather charming yet cosmopolitan mountain towns at its heart. Not to mention first class amenities, meeting spaces, and adventures. A true bucket list destination for planners and guests alike, because here in the only protected mountain resort on Earth, nature rules. Visit BanffLakeLouise.com/Meetings

p52-55 Banff_Spring 15 Supplement_Mar19REV5.indd 52 15-03-19 2:22 PM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

he wilderness here is unspoiled, the amenities are modern, Winter is the setting for some of the most breathtaking images of and the experience is like nowhere else on earth. Here Banff & Lake Louise, but you can attain awesome in warmer weather, T in Canada’s oldest national park and UNESCO World too. Tour the emerald waters of its mountain lakes, soar above the Heritage Site, you’ll do things you never thought you would. towering peaks in guided helicopter flight, or experience a spectacular Matchless mountain vistas will inspire you and your team to break free sunset from the top of the Rockies. of your routine, here, where nature rules. The rewards start right at the airport, where staff with the Banff Banff & Lake Louise offer more than just a location to meet and do Airporter make sure you’re relaxed and comfortable for your first business. For many, they are bucket list destinations – places where glimpse of the magnificent Rocky Mountains. groups test their limits. Adventure plus award-winning spas, internationally recognized chefs, What would it mean for your group to guide a dog team through and some of the most comfortable beds in the world give your colleagues a snowy mountain pass? Or rope up to climb a frozen waterfall? more to look forward to. Banff & Lake Louise offers all this and more in Even the effort to catch a lake trout through a hole in the ice one of the most breathtaking natural settings in the world. It’s a unique will leave lasting memories of adventure, accomplishment and location that gives you the opportunity to push the planning boundaries satisfaction. and create once-in-a-lifetime events. A meeting in Banff & Lake Louise is more than business, it’s a reward.

p52-55 Banff_Spring 15 Supplement_Mar19REV5.indd 53 15-03-19 2:22 PM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

now-capped mountains are among Canada’s most iconic and enduring images. Now imagine that S frame-worthy view from your conference site, hotel room or hot tub. Every vista in Banff National Park’s 6,641 square kilometres will leave you breathless.

The views inside our hotels are just as stunning, with grand stone staircases, magnificent antler chandeliers and fireplaces deep enough to roast a wild boar. The Fairmont Banff Springs will even indulge your royal fantasies with a Medieval Feast at the Castle.

Want something less grand, but just as special? One of our hidden gems is the outdoor hot tub at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge, tucked away below the stone steps in the magnificent hillside garden.

The railway workers who stumbled on the hot springs at what is now called Sulfur Mountain had no idea their discovery would invite the world to experience the accommodations and experiences in Canada’s rugged west. You can share that spirit in today’s sophisticated west at meetings and conferences in Banff & Lake Louise.

BANFF AIRPORTER Banff Airporter offers private & scheduled transportation between the Calgary Airport & Banff/Lake Louise. Our team of transportation experts will design a strategy to suit your group. Get creative & choose video entertainment from our extensive library. Enjoy luxury vehicles, professional drivers &, of course, the view. With nearly two decades of dedicated service behind us, we invite you to experience our smart blend of comfort & efficiency. www.banffairporter.com | 1.888.449.2901

MEET AT THE BANFF PARK LODGE All of downtown Banff is at our doorstep & with more than 19,000 square feet of meeting space we provide all the amenities & technical capabilities of a major city hotel – without the higher cost! Our spacious guest rooms & suites have private balconies with spectacular mountain views. Come breathe new life into your next meetings! www.banffparklodge.com | 1.800.661.9266

BUFFALO MOUNTAIN LODGE Whether sitting under a towering open-beam ceiling & antler chandelier, or enjoying the warmth of our massive field-stone fireplaces, Buffalo Mountain Lodge is the perfect venue for a meeting. Located on nine acres on Tunnel Mountain Road in Banff, Alberta, the lodge has 108 guest rooms, with wood-burning fireplaces & private balconies. The restaurant & lounge offer a variety of unique boutique wines & our signature Rocky Mountain Cuisine, featuring elk & bison. www.crmr.com/buffalo/ | 1.800.661.1367

MAKE YOUR NEXT MEETING MEMORABLE The Fairmont Banff Springs repeatedly amazes the most discerning conference planners. With over 72,000 square feet of versatile convention, event & exhibit space your event will be a perfect fit. Whether it’s a reception in the grandeur of the Mt. Stephen Hall, or a presentation to 1,000 clients in the Van Horne Ballroom, we will ensure your event is marked with impeccable taste and gracious hospitality. www.fairmont.com/banffsprings | 1.866.540.4406

p52-55 Banff_Spring 15 Supplement_Mar19REV5.indd 54 15-03-19 2:22 PM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

here is no better stimulant than the fresh mountain air. While your senses are at their sharpest, treat T them to some of the world’s best food and wine. Sink your teeth into a piece of freshly carved hip of beef, then get out of your dinner chair for a line-dancing lesson or jig to a lively fiddle at the Mount View Barbeque.

Try a tasting menu in the Eden Dining Room at Rimrock Resort Hotel and find outw hy they’ve earned a AAA Five Diamond rating for ten consecutive years. The Chef’s Table at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge shares the secrets of preparing local specialities while you and your group enjoy them with perfectly paired wines.

Work, play and explore here and you’ll see why Banff & Lake Louise remains at the top of so many must-see destination lists. Everyone can find something to love, here, where nature rules and business meets awesome.

THE FAIRMONT CHATEAU LAKE LOUISE The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a world class resort in a one-of-a-kind destination. Promote and inspire unity in your team through authentic experiences, breathtaking surroundings, and unique indoor and outdoor group activities. Historic grandeur blends with state-of-the-art technology throughout the 36,000 square feet of inspiring function space, while our skilled conference services team ensures that your event is tailored to your every need. www.fairmont.com/lake-louise | 1.866.540.4413

MOUNTVIEW BARBECUE A uniquely private off-site venue where your group can kick up their heels to live music entertainment & dine on our legendary barbecued Alberta Hip of Beef. Only 15 minutes from most Banff hotel properties, your experience here is certainly to be the highlight of your Banff area function. www.mountviewbbq.com | 403.762.0115

THE RIMROCK RESORT HOTEL The Rimrock Resort Hotel is a unique Four Diamond property located in Banff Na- tional Park. The Rimrock features 18,000 square feet of function space with breathtaking views of the Canadian Rockies, Western Canada’s only 5 Diamond Dining, a full service luxury spa, a complimentary 24 hour fitness facility & 346 newly reno- vated guest rooms. The Rimrock Resort Hotel is a special place to visit for a truly remarkable experience. www.rimrockresort.com | 1-888-RIMROCK (746-7625)

BANFF LAKE LOUISE TOURISM For over 125 years, Banff National Park has provided visitors with a healthy combination of unspoiled wilderness, wildlife, modern amenities & opportunities for active exploration. With such a breathtaking landscape, it’s no surprise that this UNESCO World Heritage Site has been nominated time & again as a “must-see” destination for travelers around the world. Two vibrant communities – Banff & Lake Louise – offer the perfect base camp for activities, dining, spa services & more! www.BanffLakeLouise.com/Meetings | 403.762.0271

p52-55 Banff_Spring 15 Supplement_Mar19REV5.indd 55 15-03-19 2:22 PM MEETING BY LORI SMITH SOUTH KOREA

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p56-61 Korea.indd 56 15-03-19 2:23 PM On the penultimate morning of an international MICE press trip of Canada, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters, Can- to South Korea this past December, our group was ushered into adian Pork Council, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and more one of the new meeting rooms at the Gunsan Saemangeum Con- have gone on record saying the agreement is a good thing for their vention Center (GSCO) to interview Minhong Min, executive dir- industries and both countries. Canada is doing business with South BY LORI SMITH ector of the Korea MICE Bureau, who was at GSCO to take part Korea, and business means meetings. MEETING in the Korea 2014 MICE Alliance Conference & Awards. After the customary introductions, the Australian editor kicked off the INCHEON-SONGDO questions, asking Min how many conventions were held in South The group’s five-day tour began in Incheon, a city of 2.8 million Korea. He replied that the country held the number 12 spot on the located northeast of Seoul. A quick 20-minute highway drive International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) 2013 from Incheon International Airport—a journey that takes visitors list of countries hosting the most meetings and Seoul, its capital across the impressive sweep of the nearly 22 kilometer-long In- city, was ninth on ICCA’s 2013 list of cities hosting the most meet- cheon Bridge—Incheon is home to the Songdo International Busi- ings. However, he explained that in the last decade the country’s ness District, an area purpose-built for MICE. MICE offerings had grown more than 300 per cent. In 2004, Designed as a walkable city-within-a-city, Songdo’s infrastruc- South Korea had only four convention centres. Now, thanks to ture includes the Songdo Convensia Convention Center, a Central huge investments by the government in the MICE infrastructure, Park, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, Songdo Global Campus, there are 14 convention centres in cities throughout the country, Canal Walkway, shopping malls and restaurants. Some 1,800 three of which our group had visited over the course of the previ- hotel rooms are within a 10-minute stroll of Convensia. Another ous four days. 2,034 rooms are in a 20-minute walk radius. This boom in MICE infrastructure has been complemented by We were headquartered at the 321-room Sheraton Incheon growing international awareness of South Korea’s culture, both Hotel, which is a two-minute walk to Convensia. It was built in popular and traditional, said Min. Pop singer Psy put the coun- 2009 when, according to the hotel’s general manager, Richard try on the global Music map with his infectious (and satirical) hit Suter, “there was nothing in Incheon.” The LEED-certified prop- song and video, Gangnam Style, an ode to the trendy Gangnam erty has 18,300 square feet of event and meeting space. In addi- District in Seoul. Korean cuisine is being celebrated for its health tion, all of its restaurants have private rooms, which, explained benefits (kimchi is now recognized as an excellent probiotic) as Suter, are an important part of Korean culture. well as its flavours. On the business side, national brands like In fact, there was something in Songdo when the Sheraton Hyundai, LG and Samsung have become household names inter- was built. The Songdo Convensia Convention Center, the first nationally while Daewoo and others are making huge inroads in project completed in the district, opened on October 7, 2008. foreign markets. Clearly South Korea is happening. It has 583,000 square feet of usable space that includes three But, there was another reason M+IT was in South Korea. The exhibition halls, 23 conference rooms and three ballrooms. Plans day before my colleagues and I sat down with Min, the Canadian to expand it are underway. Tourism Commission (CTC) signed a Memorandum of Under- Forming a slightly misshapen triangle with the Sheraton standing (MOU) with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). A and Convensia is the Oakwood Premier Hotel Incheon. Housed press release announcing the agreement explained that it would in what is currently the tallest building in Korea, the property “broaden and deepen mutual understanding as well as strengthen opened in July 2014, just in time to host the president of the co-operation between the two countries in the tourism market- Olympic Council of Asia, HH Sheikh Almad Al Fahad Al Sabah of place.” Other key areas the two countries would “swap ideas on” Kuwait, during the Asian Games. The Sheikh stayed in the hotel’s included “handling international events, product development, penthouse, a 4,000-square-foot v-shaped oasis on the 65th floor. shared market intelligence and consumer trends.” For individuals whose pockets aren’t quite as deep, this residence The MOU followed another even bigger piece of business be- hotel offers studio rooms as well as suites in a range of sizes. tween Canada and South Korea: the Canada-Korea Free Trade All feature modern design and such high-end amenities as steam Agreement. Signed in the fall, the agreement, which is Canada’s showers, in-room washer/dryers, multiple televisions, Haenghan first of its kind in the Pacific-Asia region, came into force on Janu- bone china and L’Occitane toiletries. ary 1, 2015. Forecasted benefits include a $1.7 billion boost to Can- ada’s economy, a 32 per cent rise in exports to South Korea and DAEJEON a significant reduction in tariffs between the two countries. The Another city looking to carve out an even bigger piece of the Mining Association of Canada, Information Technology Association MICE pie is Daejeon, the country’s fifth largest metropolis and its

MEETINGSCANADA.COM 57

p56-61 Korea.indd 57 15-03-19 2:23 PM de facto Silicon Valley. With a population of 1.5 million, this sci- meeting rooms (eight on the first floor, three on the second floor ence and technology hub has hosted international summits such and six small meeting rooms) and a multi-purpose hall spread as the World Humanities Forum. And like Incheon, it is developing over a 261,359-square-foot site. As in Incheon, there are plans to a commercial district around its convention centre that will be expand the center, making it even bigger and better. filled with restaurants, entertainment and hotels. Our group had the good fortune of staying at the five-star GUNSAN SAEMANGEUM Lotte City Hotel Daejeon, which opened in March 2014. Locat- Day Four of the tour brought us to the Gunsan Saemangeum Con- ed across the street from the convention centre, this 18-storey vention Center, where the Korea 2014 MICE Alliance Conference & property has 312 modern rooms and the fastest Internet I’ve ever Awards were being held. The center is comprised of three build- used. I downloaded magazines on to my iPad in mere seconds. ings constructed over the last ten years: the Exhibition Building Its glass-walled lobby is filled with low-slung furniture in muted (2004); the Annex Building (2007); and the Convention Building, tones of ivory, beige and tan accented by mid- and dark-toned which opened in July 2014. woods. And its rooms are filled with unusually thoughtful touch- The conference and awards took place in the new building. es, both high and low tech. For example, lighting is controlled on Trudy Baek, assistant manager of its MICE Business Team, filled a bedside panel, which requires only the lightest of touches to us in on its specs: 19,645 square feet of event space, two conven- activate and is easy to see. Then, in the bathroom, complimentary tion halls on the first floor and nine meeting rooms on the second toiletries are packaged in bottles with the purpose of the prod- floor. The conference center as a whole is, she said, “a new, young uct—shampoo, shower gel, etc.—written large enough for all but center capable of hosting large-scale conventions.” the most myopic to read without glasses. Genius. Like Incheon and Daejeon, the area is developing its hotel of- We encountered another kind of genius during our stay when we ferings, which currently consists of some 1,300 rooms. The con- visited the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute vention center hotel is a Best Western. Eleven more hotels are (ETRI), the mandate of which centres on smart and green technol- located a 10-minute drive away, eight are 20 minutes distant and ogy innovation. There we were given a look at new inventions such four are 30 minutes from the convention centre. as Digi Actor (digital actors that look exactly the same as the real However, the region is poised for major growth. Already a sig- one); cell phone app Genie Talk, a multilingual speech translation de- nificant industrial hub, it is home to the Saemangeum Seadyke, vice (great for travellers); Interactive Virtual Aquarium; Digital Paint- the largest, longest (34 kilometers) seawall in the world. The erly Rendering, which takes a photo of an individual and turns pixels Seadyke, which was completed in 2010, joins the cities of Buan to brush strokes; and a new digital medical service that would allow and Gunsan. It has also spawned an ambitious development people to see a doctor without going to a doctor’s office. project that will see an area of some 400 square kilometers re- Before leaving the next morning, we toured the Daejeon claimed from the sea, transforming Saemangeum into a multi- Convention Center. It has a grand ballroom, conference hall, 17 functional city incorporating farming, scientific research, cutting

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p56-61 Korea.indd 58 15-03-19 2:23 PM edge industry, recreation, commerce and more. Major players in- After a quick lunch and a walk around the streets, we stopped at volved in the project include Samsung, which plans to establish a a Hanok Life Experience Hall. There our all-female group donned green energy industrial complex there. “hanbok,” the traditional women’s clothing comprised of a blouse shirt/jacket called a jeogori and a voluminous, wrap-around skirt OFF-SITE called a chima, and learned the art of curtseying and bowing. Af- Our itinerary also took us to some of the country’s more tradition- ter a round of photos, we headed to Gunsan. al cultural venues and one of its less traditional MICE venues. On On our last night in South Korea, we returned to Seoul for a the second day, the group stayed overnight in Seoul at The Plaza stay at the five-star JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square (170 rooms Hotel (410 rooms; 68,027 square feet of meeting space). While and 10,570 square feet of total meeting space). After check-in, the in the city we dined at one of its newest MICE facilities: Floating group headed out for a modern treat—fried chicken and beer, a Island or Some Sevit. A cornerstone of the Hangang Renaissance combination so popular there are festivals celebrating it. Project, these three artificial islets are home to three distinct The fact that South Korea offers this blend of ancient culture event facilities. Some Gavit (59,000+ square feet) features a con- and trendy modernity was a point Minhong Min, executive direc- vention hall, restaurants and a café. Some Chavit (36,800+ square tor of the Korea MICE Bureau, emphasized at the press confer- feet) is a three-storey building with an entertainment hall. Some ence. A MICE strategy, he said, has to combine conventions with Solvit (11,604 square feet) is a recreational complex with yacht tourism. Meetings themselves are not enough, he said, you have club, marina and more. to offer something unique—industry, culture, cuisine—as well as On our way to Daejeon the next day we stopped at Cheong- excellent facilities. South Korea does all that. namdae Presidential Villa. Located near Daecheong Dam in Cheongwon-gu, the villa served as a vacation home for the sitting — Lori Smith is the editor of Meetings + Incentive Travel. president from 1983 to 2003, when it was opened to the public by then president Roh Moo-hyun. Today its grounds include a wet- PHOTOS: Page 56 (clockwise from top): Haechi and Gwanghwamun Gate, Seoul (Photo: Korea Tourism land garden, a 3.3 kilometre mountain trail and an eight-kilometre Organization - KTO); Gunsan Saemangeum Convention Center (Photo: GSCO); Eojuk Fish Porridge (Photo: promenade. There is also a museum chronicling South Korea’s KTO); Songdo Convensia Convention Center (Photo: Incheon CVB); Incheon International Airport (Photo: KTO); Hanbok Traditional Clothing (Photo: KTO); Namaemun Market, Seoul (Photo: KTO). Page 57 (left to right): history through its presidents. Penthouse Master Room, Oakwood Premier Hotel (Photo: Oakwood Premier); Incheon Bridge (Photo: KTO). Our next cultural experience was a visit to Hanok Village in Page 58 (clockwise from top left): Sheraton Incheon Hotel (Photo: Sheraton Incheon); Daejeon Convention the city of Jeonju. While the rest of the city has been modernized Center (Photo: KTO); Boseong Dawon Tea Plantation (Photo: KTO); Lounge, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square, and industrialized, this area has kept its historical charm through Seoul (Photo: Marriott International). This page (clockwise from top left): Floating Island, Seoul (Photo: KTO); Cheongnamdae Presidential Villa (Photo: KTO); and Seoul at night (Photo: KTO). the preservation of more than 800 traditional “hanok” houses.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.KOREACONVENTION.ORG

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p56-61 Korea.indd 59 15-03-19 2:23 PM Join the conversation! @Incentive_Works #iwshow KEYNOTES ANNOUNCED

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Unselling is about the big picture: creating repeat We all do it. And so do the people around us—our coworkers, attendees, not one-timers. Creating audiences that clients, friends. In fact, studies show that people encounter refer others, not faceless numbers. Becoming the anywhere from 10-200 lies a day. But what if you could spot SCOTT STRATTEN a liar? Pamela Meyer’s mission is to help people get to the truth. go-to event for your industry. EXPERT IN VIRAL, SOCIAL, AND AUTHENTIC MARKETING Extensively trained in the use of visual cues and psychology to PAMELA MEYER detect deception, Meyer teaches audiences how to go from CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINER IN THIS HIGHLY ENERGETIC AND lie-spotting to truth-seeking to trust-building. A certified fraud ENGAGING TALK, AUDIENCES WILL LEARN: examiner, Meyer reveals which personality types lie, how deception is expressed in e-mail, on the phone, and in person, and how to detect deception through body Why one negative review can outweigh a thousand social media followers if it isn’t handled correctly. language. Learn how you can gain the upper hand and close deals that last by mastering deception detection techniques. In a multimedia presentation featuring real-life examples and scientific Why social media can be the wrong choice for your conference. Actually, most conferences. findings, Meyer presents a path toward trust that emphasizes integrity, maturity, and the importance Why the people you hire for your event matter more than the tasks you hire them to do. of having difficult conversations during difficult times. Where Canada is going digitally and how it impacts your event today.

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Untitled-1IW_DPS2015.indd 2 1 15-03-30 4:39 PM 2015-03-25 1:19 PM Join the conversation! @Incentive_Works #iwshow KEYNOTES ANNOUNCED

DO YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF TORONTO? See page 51 for Hosted Buyer Program information Keynote presentations are included in all education passes.

UNSELLING: HOW TO SPOT A THE ATTENDEE EXPERIENCE LIAR NEW WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19 TUESDAY, AUGUST 18

IW_DPS2015.indd 1 Untitled-1 3 2015-03-2515-03-30 4:39 1:19 PM PM BY LORI SMITH SANTA MONICA A taste of the good life

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p62-66 SantaMonica.indd 62 15-03-19 2:24 PM It’s 7:30 in the morning on the last Saturday of February and I am with a group of seven planners and our hosts on the roof- top of the Hotel Shangri-La at the Ocean in Santa Monica. We are there to take a sunrise yoga class, the start of the second day’s itinerary of a planner FAM organized by the city’s CVB. Dr. Har Hari Khalsa, a holistic chiropractor, is our instructor. Dr. Khalsa teaches Stick Yoga, a relatively new branch on the yogic tree. He distributes four-foot and six-foot bamboo “sticks” to each of us and turns on Deva Premal’s Into Silence to set the mood for the class. The ersatz practice space—in reality the patio adjacent to the penthouse, an area available for events—offers a 360° view of the city and its surroundings. As we twist, bend and do standing poses with the support of the sticks, we can see the brown hills of Malibu to the northwest, the city’s three-and-half miles of beach and its iconic pier to the west, and beyond them the Pacific Ocean, which extends into the clear blue sky of the horizon. It’s the perfect beginning to a quintessential California day.

SITE SEEING Ours is the first planner FAM the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau has put on in recent years, and its team is eager to show our group what the city can offer groups. Post yoga, we board a bus for a tour of its core. As we drive along the city’s avenues, streets and boulevards (are the names Pico and Wilshire familiar?) the CVB rep points out hotels and venues. We pass by Loew’s Santa Monica, the Fairmont Miramar Ho- tel & Bungalows and Le Merigot JW Marriott, which are all a block above the beach and are, we are told, the largest hotels for groups. We see the Hollywood Regency-style Viceroy Hotel (190 rooms, 2,000-sq.-ft. meeting space); Areal, a restaurant on Main Street with a patio that is perfect for receptions; and the Aero Theater, which has event space for up to 200. Driving Up Pico, we see the city’s Civic Auditorium. It was closed last year having failed to meet the requirements for earthquake safety but its large parking lot is available for outdoor events ranging from corporate parties to product launches. Along the way, we also learn that groups can rent space on the Santa Monica Pier, and that Perry’s on the Beach is the only business with a permit to hold beach parties where beer and wine are served. We are also told about the new light rail line being built. Scheduled for com- pletion at the end of this year, it will link Santa Monica with Los Angeles, Hollywood and Pasadena. It will also allow individuals attending conferences in Los Angeles to stay in Santa Monica without having to endure the city’s infamous traffic. At the end of the tour, we are dropped at our hotels. Three planners are staying at Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica, a

PHOTOS: Page 62 (clockwise from top): Heather Douglas, Meridican Incentive Consultants, cooking at The Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories; Lobby, Shutters on the Beach; Yoga in the Park (Photo: Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB)/K. Beinke; Terrace Colonnade, Hotel Casa del Mar; Aero Theater (Photo: Margot Gerber); Tongva Park (Photo: Tim Street Porter). Page 63 (from top) Annenberg Community Beach House (Photo: Vero Images); Shangri-La at the Ocean Santa Monica; (left) Santa Monica Place (Photo: SMCVB/ Mark Silverstein); Perry’s on the Beach (Photo: Perry’s on the Beach); Santa Monica Pier (Photo: SMCVB); Lobby coummunity and culture space, Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica.

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p62-66 SantaMonica.indd 63 15-03-20 1:48 PM contemporary property with more than 10,000 square feet of flexible function space. The other four planners and I are hosted at Ho- tel Casa del Mar (129 guestrooms and 5,100 square feet of event space). It and its sister property, Shutters on the Beach (186 guestrooms, 12 suites and 7,000 square feet of event space), are Santa See your convention shine Monica’s only properties “on the sand.”

EAT, WALK, PLAY Santa Monica’s size—eight square miles—makes it a walkable city. amongst Winnipeg's The planners in the group said the fact that the majority of hotels, off-site venues, stores and restaurants are within strolling distance of one and other ia a plus for the destination as it reduces the need for a lot of onsite transportation. It is also a plus for our waistlines. Santa Monica is a foodie paradise. During our stay, we have dinner at newest stars. Del Frisco’s Grille, a new restaurant on the east side of Ocean Avenue; lunch at The Lobster, which serves up seafood and great views of the Pier and the beach; and dinner at the Annenberg Community Beach House, which started its long life as private estate developed by Wil- liam Randolph Hearst for his mistress, silent screen star Marion Davies. The latter event was catered by Schaffer’s Genuine Foods, which at the end of the evening sent us back to our respective hotels with a snack of COMING three salted, chocolate chip cookies and a carton of milk. But we didn’t just eat. We also cooked. A highlight of the visit was IN THE a rustic French dessert cooking class at The Gourmandise School of Sweets & Savories, located on the top level of Santa Monica Place, the privately-owned shopping centre that anchors one end of the Third MAY.JUNE Street Promenade. The class had us team up to produce pot a crème, apple tarte tatin and chocolate mousse. Hats off to Heather Douglas, senior buyer at Meridican Incentive Consultants, who did the heavy 2015 ISSUE stirring and kneading for our team. The results were delicious. In addition to eating and cooking, we visited the Downtown Farmers’ Market, which is held twice a week year-round on Arizona 2015 SALARY SURVEY REPORT Avenue between 2nd and 4th streets. It is just one of the city’s three How does your pay stack regular farmers’ markets. Our hosts explained that groups interest- up against your peers’? ed in a real culinary treat can tour the market with a chef, who will then whip up a meal using the ingredients the group purchases. LEADERSHIP To burn it all off, the city offers a plethora of activities. Groups can rent hybrid bikes and cycle along the South Bay Bicycle Trail, Freeman Audio Visual Canada the 22-mile bike (walking, running, rollerblading) path that runs president Johanne Belanger parallel to the beach from Torrance to Malibu. They can play vol- shares her views on how far leyball and soccer on the sand. Participate in a yoga class. Pump women have come in the iron on Muscle Beach. Or, just relax on the sand and swim in the industry. ocean. Santa Monica is a playground—for Los Angelenos and tour- ists (business and leisure alike), all of whom are looking to have a Opening 2016 NMID 2015 RECAP taste of the good life and maybe catch a glimpse of a star or two. Photos and takeaways from MPI chapter celebrations in AFTER THE FAM Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Santa Monica’s popularity as a leisure destination creates three lim- Dazzle your delegation in our stunning new convention centre, see polar bears swim and To book your next Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, itations for groups: the opportunity days are strictly Sunday through Thursday, its peak season summer months are out of the question, play in the majestic Journey to Churchill and have a world-class reflective experience at convention please Edmonton and Vancouver. and the number of hotel rooms available for groups is limited. I ask the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. call Tourism Winnipeg Lauren Smith, director of events, promotions and sponsorships for DESTINATION REPORTS 1.855.PEG.CITY Dominion Lending Centres and one of the Canadian planners on the Santa Barbara, California FAM, what kind of group business she thinks the city is best-suited These inspired settings can only be found in the heart of Canada, where our new skyline, (734.2489) or visit Nashville, Tennessee for. In her opinion, it’s a perfect destination for a small, up-scale hotels and one-of-a-kind attractions are shining bright for all the world to see. meetingswinnipeg.com program. “Whether it be an incentive group. corporate meeting or PLUS GIFTS + GEAR, SNAPPED AND MORE. national conference—if your group is looking for a destination that won’t disappoint, Santa Monica is the place to be!” she says.

Lori Smith is editor of Meetings + Incentive Travel.

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p62-66 SantaMonica.indd 64 15-03-20 1:48 PM See your convention shine amongst Winnipeg's newest stars.

Opening 2016

Dazzle your delegation in our stunning new convention centre, see polar bears swim and To book your next play in the majestic Journey to Churchill and have a world-class reflective experience at convention please the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. call Tourism Winnipeg 1.855.PEG.CITY These inspired settings can only be found in the heart of Canada, where our new skyline, (734.2489) or visit hotels and one-of-a-kind attractions are shining bright for all the world to see. meetingswinnipeg.com

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Reveal 2015 Social

5 6

Banff Lake Louise Tourism Party

PCMA Convening Leaders 2015

7 8

Photo Credits: 1, 2 and 3. Reveal 2015 Social, M+IT Staff. 4, 5, 6, and 7. PCMA Convening Leaders 2015, Jacob Slaton Photography. 8. MPI Atlantic Canada Chairman’s 5K Skate, MPI Atlantic Canada. 9 and 10. Quebec Day, M+IT Staff. MPI Atlantic Canada Skate-a-thon

9 10

Quebec Day

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p71-72 Snapped.indd 71 15-03-19 2:28 PM +SNAPPED 1 2 3

CAEM 2015 Awards Gala STAND OUT.

4 5 6 TORONTO really shines, and when you plan with Toronto, your event will too. We have all of the tools and resources you need for success and our expert team will go above and beyond, working with 7 8 you and our outstanding members to help ﬁ nd you the perfect venues and accommodations – and the nightlife, attractions and cuisine that can give your event the perfect polish. We take pride in our unparalleled Signature Service, and we’ve been catching the eyes of all the right people.

SeeTorontoNow.com CanSPEP 2015 Conference WHERE DO YOU STAND?

9 10 11

CSAE Tête-a-Tête

12 13 Photo Credits: 1, 2 and 3. CAEM To learn more about planning with Awards Gala, M+IT Staff. 4-8 and Toronto contact Debbie Miller, 11. CanSPEP 2015 Conference, Account Director, at [email protected] PInpoint National Photography. or 416-203-3835. 9, 10. CSAE Tête-a-Tête, M+IT Staff. 12, 13. MPI BC Education Day, Vision Event Photography.

MPI BC Education Day

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p71-72 Snapped.indd 72 15-03-19 4:15 PM STAND OUT.

TORONTO really shines, and when you plan with Toronto, your event will too. We have all of the tools and resources you need for success and our expert team will go above and beyond, working with you and our outstanding members to help ﬁ nd you the perfect venues and accommodations – and the nightlife, attractions and cuisine that can give your event the perfect polish. We take pride in our unparalleled Signature Service, and we’ve been catching the eyes of all the right people.

SeeTorontoNow.com WHERE DO YOU STAND?

To learn more about planning with Toronto contact Debbie Miller, Account Director, at [email protected] or 416-203-3835.

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