-
T O DAY S AG E N DAAll events take place in the
Westin St. Francis Tower Ballrooms A & B2:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Registration
3:00 - 3:30 p.m. Welcome & Orientation
3:30 - 4:00 p.m. In Your Backyard: The Best Venues Youve Never
Heard Of with Michael Brock-Alexander
4:00 - 4:10 p.m. Break
4:10 - 5:10 p.m. Speed-networking with sites and CVBs
5:10 - 5:20 p.m. X bytes Fitness Break
5:20 - 5:30 p.m. Break
5:30 - 6:00 p.m. Contract Negotiations: Beyond the Basics with
Melissa Washington
6:00 - 6:15 p.m. F&B mini-session: How to Pair Wine with
Food
6:15 - 7:00 p.m. Networking time, door prizes and goodbyes
7:00 p.m. Tours of The Westin St. Francis begin
PYM Live San Fr
anciscoSites &Bites
P R E S E N T S
DONT FORGET TO TAG YOUR TWEETS, PICTURES AND POSTS WITH
#YAYPYM!
c a l i f o r n i a
-
TIMELESS ELEGANCE MINDFUL MEETINGS
Standard terms and conditions apply. To view more information
and full terms and conditions, visit www.westinstfrancis.com 2013
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved.
Westin and Heavenly are trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.
A symbol of elegance in San Francisco for more than a century,
The Westin St. Francis places groups on Union Square, in the heart
of
the citys shopping and financial districts. Corporate events
take on a sense of epic importance.
More than 56,000 square feet of function space, including 32
distinctive rooms wired for the latest technology, make meetings
planners dreams
come true. The 1,195 guest rooms, including 48 suites, marry old
and new with a fresh sophistication that perfectly showcases
the
classically beautiful 1906 architecture.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK A MEETING, CONTACTSALE VIA EMAIL
AT [email protected]
OR BY PHONE AT 866.206.4924.
Westin St Francis Meetings 2013 ad 10-17-13.pdf 1 10/17/13 10:11
AM
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PYM LIVE San Francisco | March 27
E V E N T H O S T
THE WESTIN ST. FRANCIS still today maintains its pre-eminence as
San Franciscos center of social, theatrical and business life.
Renowned for luxury accommodations and excellent service; continues
to preserve its rich history and elegance while enhancing the guest
experience; offers 1,195 guest rooms and 56,000 square feet of
meeting space, featuring a diverse range of sophisticated event
spaces. The only hotel located on San Franciscos famous Union
Square; just steps from world-class shopping, dining, and
theaters.
Aimee Poimiroo King 415-735-5273aimee.poimirooking
westinstfrancis.com/meetings @starwoodhotels.com @WestinStFr
S P E E D M E E T I N G S P O N S O R
PARADISE POINT CONFERENCE DESTINATION is unlike any in San
Diego. Ten minutes from downtown and the airport, this AAA
Four-Diamond hotel offers more than 60,000 square feet of event
space overlooking Mission Bay. Choose from dramatic waterfront
meeting spaces garden and lawn view meeting rooms, expansive
ballrooms, and plush executive meeting suites that earned this
Southern California conference venue the title of Best Hotel Space
by the Professional Convention Management Association.
Steve Mallory [email protected]
paradisepointmeetings.com @ParadisePointSD
Michael Brock-Alexander@MBA_SF
Cort Event Furnishings In Your Backyard:
The Best Venues Youve Never Heard Of
Melissa Washington@MelissaWashing
SmartNet StrategiesContract Negotiation: Beyond the Basics
Chef Thomas Rimpel@WestinSF
Westin St. FrancisHow to Pair Wine with Food
Geoff Sarabia-Mason@geoff0964
Visit Tri-ValleyHow to Pair Wine with Food
Kristi Casey Sanders@PYMLive
Plan Your MeetingsTech Orientation
Speakers bios are on Topi
andPlanYourMeetings.com/PYMLive-SanFrancisco
Speakers LIVE EVENTS 2014
Scan the QR code to download the Topi app for your device.
Want to know who you should meet while youre here? Download our
free conference app Topi, available for Apple, Android and
Windows Mobile devices. Connect it with your Facebook, LinkedIn
or other social profiles, and it will show you everyone whos here,
based on how much you have in common. It will also generate private
chat rooms where you can connect with people who share your
interests. You can instantly connect via LinkedIn or add people to
your friends list so you can communicate long after this event
ends. Topi also contains the digital show program CEU
certificates.
Ez.com/pymapple
iPhone/iPad
Ez.com/pymandroid
Android
Ez.com/pymwindows
Windows mobile
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR NETWORKING TIME
-
The only solution that connectseveryone at your event
[email protected] for a free demo
@topifacebook.com/topiapp
Geo-fencing
Questions & feedbackProle searchInterest group chats
LinkedIn Connect
Social network integration
TranslationsBroadcasts
In-app sponsorship
Dynamic agenda
Content sharing
and many more
Topi makes it quick for conference participants to nd and
connect with each other
-
PlanYourMeetings.com
W I N E S P O N S O R
c a l i f o r n i a
VISIT TRI-VALLEY [WINE SPONSOR] As one of Californias oldest
wine regions, the Tri- Valley, just 33 miles east of San Francisco
and 25 miles north of San Jose, is home to 53 wineries, stretching
from Mount Diablo in the north to Livermore Valley in
the east and Pleasanton in the south. It has played a pivotal
role in shaping Californias wine industry and driving the growth of
the Tri- Valleys economy.
Jeffery Blair [email protected]
VisitTriValley.com @VisitTriValley
S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S
CROWD MICS lets the crowd be heard using the microphones already
available in their iOS or Android devices. Their voice is amplified
through the rooms sound system, eliminating the awkward,
inefficient and often expensive method of running wireless
microphone around the room. Crowd Mics is an app for iOS and
Android
and requires no additional hardware to operate. The presenter
simply plugs her own mobile device into the sound system through
the headphone jack and everyone in the room joins the same Wi-Fi
network. Crowd Mics also includes text commenting and polling
features.
Tim Holladay, Co-Founder [email protected]
crowdmics.com @crowdmics
Byteson-demand fitness breaks
X BYTES are on-demand video fitness breaks for meetings,
training events, conferences and workplaces. This new and
innovative technology keeps people alert, entertained and energized
at learning events. The breaks are brief, sweat-free, tailored for
participants wearing business attire, and for use at their seats.
Each of the four video breaks integrates easily into the agenda as
energy boosters when energy levels are low (mid-morning and
mid-afternoon), time fillers for unplanned gaps and social
icebreakers that build camaraderie. Videos can be corporate branded
to attract sponsorship revenue.
Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D. [email protected] x-bytes.com
@xbytes
Notes
-
Make waves with a memorable meeting at Paradise Point, named
among PCMAs Best Hotel Spaces for its 65,000 square feet of
flexible waterfront space, 44 acres of lush
tropical gardens & more than a mile of white sand beach.
ParadisePointMeetings.com 800.542.6275Select August, September
& December 2014 dates
NO ATTRITION 15% OFF FOOD & BEVERAGE+
Valid for new business only. Must book 10 rooms or more by
5/31/14.
-
Notes
PYM LIVE San Francisco | March 27
S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S ( C O N T I N U E D )
ON LOCATION ENGAGEMENTS Connect with attendees on-the-spot,
in-the-moment. OLE delivers useful and relevant multimedia content
directly to an attendees smartphone screen at specific locations
throughout a venue. Visitors are guided through an environment that
interacts with them in a way that motivates action based on
business objectives. Beacons are reusable, easy to set up, and
deliver measurable analytics on visitor engagement.
Iris Goldman, Founder [email protected]
OLEengagements.com
TOPI is the only mobile solution that connects everyone at any
event. In addition to the basics (content, agenda, broadcasts,
attendee profiles, sponsoring, social network integration, etc.),
Topi leverages participants
profiles to create interest-based group conversations. Topi also
provides a curated environment for private chats, audience
questions and many other unique features.
David Aubespin [email protected] topi.com @topi
ARE YOU A CHANGE AGENT??Did you know that you inspire us? We
love hearing your
stories, seeing your pictures and getting to know more
about you and your events. Please connect with us on
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Instagram,
Pinterest, YouTube and Flickr and share your work, images
and ideas with us. Dont forget to tag your images, tweets
and posts with #yaypym.
Plan well and prosper, friends!
facebook.com/PlanYourMeetings
planyourmeetings#yaypym
twitter.com/PlanYrMeetings
+ PYMLive
Pinterest.com/planyrmeetings
Plan Your Meetings
youtube.com/PlanYourMeetings
Plan Your Meetings+ community
flickr.com/photos/planyourmeetings
-
On-Demand Fitness Breaks that Energize and Attract
Sponsorship Revenue
How X bytes WorksX bytes are short video bytes of exercise that
are easy to fit into your already packed schedule!
Each of the four X bytes videos is under 6.5 minutes and can fit
into your program as:
A mid-morning and mid-afternoon energy booster when energy
levels are low
An on-demand and on-the-spot time filler when things dont go as
planned
A new and innovative break that creates a memorable experience
for attendees
A break room program where videos are looped and people follow
along at their leisure
Each X bytes break consists of an engaging animation of less
than a minute, a 21 second introduction, and a 5-minute fitness
break. The video can be shown in its entirety or shortened to fit
your event schedule.
X bytes Features and BenefitsBrief can be easily inserted into
any
meeting or conference program
Convenient, social icebreaker can bedone at attendees seats or
in a break room
On-demand delivery videos provide spontaneous and unlimited
use
Sweat-free attendees exercise in their business attire
Gentle for every body there are no crazydance moves or awkward
yoga poses
Healthy and memorable break combats sitting fatigue and learning
fatigue
X bytes are EASY to Use!Videos can be downloaded from the
Internet and played on a PC or Mac, or web streamed.
Custom Branding Options X bytes provides sponsorship appeal!
Custom video branding brings sponsors memorable, prominent and
frequent exposure.
Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. X bytesTM, Exercise
BytesTM, and the X-Man symbol are trademarks of Exercise Bytes
Inc.
Animation Introduction Fitness BreakLess than 1 minute 21
seconds 5 minutes
Complete Version (Less than 6.5 min)Abbreviated Version (5.5
min)
Short Version (5 min)
Let us show you how on-demand fitness breaks during the day can
change your conference experience!
[email protected] www.x-bytes.com 1-855-8xbytes @Xbytes
Is your event jam-packed with sessions?
Do you ever need to fill program gaps?
Looking for new & innovative sponsorship opportunities?
Want to make your events more memorable?
on-demand fitness breaks
-
PlanYourMeetings.com
PA R T N E R S
Beaver RunKatrin Laird
[email protected]@BeaverRun
Caesars Entertainmentcaesars.comKendra
[email protected]@Total_Rewards / @CaesarsEnt
Copper Mountain ResortCarol
[email protected]@coppermtn
CORT Event FurnishingsMichael
Brock-Alexander877-682-9342michael.alexander@cort.comcortevents.com@MBA_SF
Dana Hotel and SpaCameron Crummie
[email protected]@danahotel
North Lake Tahoe CVB Greg
[email protected]@tahoenorth
Portola BayTerry
[email protected]@Portolahotel
Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors CouncilKrista
[email protected]/meetings@MeetSantaCruz
SeaWorld San DiegoWendy
[email protected]@SeaWorld
Silver Legacy ResortJohn
Mourelatos775-325-7378Jmourelatos@silverlegacy.comsilverlegacy.com@SilverLegacy
Sonoma County TourismPaula
[email protected]@meetinsonoma
Viceroy SnowmassKate Sartain970-923-8025katherine.sartain
@viceroysnowmass.comviceroysnowmass.com@viceroysnowmass
Notes
S P E C I A L T H A N K S
-
OLE: On Location Engagements Connect with attendees on-the-spot,
in-the moment via beacon technology. OLE is an on-location content
delivery platform that wakes up smartphone
screens and displays targeted content to attendees within
designated
proximity zones via small Bluetooth/wifi enabled beacons. OLE
can be
branded as your event app or inserted into an existing show
app.
Your message, to your customers, in your spaceNow its simple,
easy and affordable to deliver layers of multimedia messaging
to better meet the demands, requests and wayfi nding of
attendees, as well as
real insights into their interests and behavior.
OLE Engagement Analytics Content effectivenesswhat drew most
interaction/page views
Which proximity zones drew the most attendees/hourly/daily
Amount of time spent within each proximity zone
Attendee data capture via download opt-in and surveys
Overall length of stay at venue Attendee traf c pattern
OLEengagements.com
Information
Video
Audio
Tours
Surveys
Mapping
Hybrid Vehicle
s
Android iPhoneiPad
ProximityBeacons
OLE App
OLE Cloud
DIY Content Manager
EngagementAnalytics
iPhone
ENABLED
OLE is a simple, complete and turnkey mobile platform. OLE
provides an instant, turnkey
mobile presence that automatically
pushes layers of content to mobile
iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Developed to provide
effortless DIY
set-up with drag-and-drop content
management, OLE is quick to
implement, easy to use and doesnt
require any additional hardware.
Contact us Iris Goldman Pam Cunningham Founder Marketing
Director [email protected] [email protected]
949.690.6286 310.740.1115
Direct attention, stimulate curiosity and motivate actionProvide
attendees with an environment that interacts with them to
promote
more valued, meaningful and measurable engagements.
In-depth information Sponsorship opportunities Video demos Web
links/HTML Customized tours Data capture Language preference Venue
mapping
New Col
ors
GET TO
KNOW U
S BETTE
R
Product
Catalog
Sales Sh
eets
Take our
client su
rvey
Send me
special o
ffers
-
Notes
APRIL 15-17, 2014
PY M L I V E E V E N T S 2 0 1 4
TELL YOUR FRIENDS WERE COMING! Ez.com/3hours #yaypym
Thursday, April 24 Chicago Skydeck Chicago
Wednesday, May 21 Austin InterContinental
Stephen F Austin
Thursday, June 26 Raleigh Marriott City Center
Thursday, July 24 Washington DC Smith & Wollensky
Thursday, Aug. 7 New York Omni Berkshire Place
Tuesday, Aug. 26 Dallas White Space Dallas & Belo
Mansion
Thursday, Sept. 11 Atlanta Dunwoody CVB/
Marriott Perimeter Center Dunwoody
Wednesday, Oct. 22 Denver Hyatt Regency Denver
at Colorado Convention Center
Thursday, Nov. 13 PYM LIVE Houston Hotel Derek
PYM LIVE San Francisco | March 27
O T H E R E V E N T S W E L OV E
Contract Negotiations:Prepared and Fair
are Effective in any Market
withChristy Lamagna, CMP, CMM, CTSM
RSVP and ask questions here: Ez.com/prepared
Join us April 8, 11 a.m. 12 p.m.for a free webinar
evoke the same feeling as
Does the word
contractdentist?
-
A quick drive through the rolling, lush hills of the Livermore
Valley and it becomes very clear that this is a land, and a culture
of wine winemakers and wine connoisseurs.
As one of Californias oldest wine regions, the Tri-Valley, just
33 miles east of San Francisco and 25 miles north of San Jose, is
home to 53 wineries, stretching from Mount Diablo in the north to
Livermore Valley in the east and Pleasanton in the south. It has
played a pivotal role in shaping Californias wine industry and
driving the growth of the Tri-Valley's economy. For over a century,
due to the rich soil and Mediterranean-like weather conditions, the
atmosphere in the Tri-Valley has been welcoming to the wine
industry. Spanish missionaries planted the first wine grapes in the
Livermore Valley in the 1760s. Robert Livermore planted the first
commercial vines in the 1840s. Pioneer winemakers C. H. Wente,
James Concannon, and Charles Wetmore recognized the area's
winegrowing potential and founded their wineries in the early
1880s. In fact, the first Grand Prix award for a U.S. wine was won
by Wetmore for his Livermore Valley Cresta Blanca Sauternes at the
1889 Paris Exposition. When Prohibition in the 1930s stopped almost
all wine production in the region, C.H. Wente and James Concannon's
wineries survived by making sacramental wine. The Livermore Valley
is recognized as an official growing region, certified by the
Federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax, and Trade Bureau as Americas 17th
American Viticultural Area. On average, 4,000 acres of grapes are
planted in the Livermore Valley. Livermore's vineyards are the
source of vines planted all over California and Oregon, including
the vast majority of California's Chardonnay. Livermore Valley
wineries were the first to bottle varietal labeled Chardonnay,
Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah. Nearly 80% of California's
Chardonnay vines trace their genetic roots to a Livermore Valley
clone. And dont take our word for it, come to the Tri-Valley and
taste it for yourself. Discover wine country in Tri-Valley. Tri-It!
You'll love it.
visittrivalleyVISITTRIVALLEY.COM
2012 Livermore Valley Merrillie Chardonnay Fruit: Fruit from the
Landucci Block, harvested around 25.0o. Alcohol 14.7%.
Fermentation: After destemming and crushing the fruit was left to
settle in stainless steel for 48 hours before it was put into oak
barrels. Primary and secondary (Malo-lactic) fermentation were done
under cool temperatures in barrel. This wine was bottled without
filtration or fining. Aging: This wine was aged in American and
French oak barrels (60% new, 40% second-use). Time in Barrel: 8
months Description: Named for Stevens grandmother, our 2012
Merrillie Chardonnay celebrates its thirteenth anniversary with
this vintage. This special wine, made from an old Wente clone of
Chardonnay, demonstrates the elegance and finesse that have been
the hallmarks of the Merrillie program since its first bottling in
1999
2007 Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon
This Cabernet Sauvignon is deep red in color with mouth-filling
flavors of black cherry and plum. Rich, yet approachable tannins
provide a long, smooth finish.
Origin: In the 19th century, California wine pioneer Charles
Wetmore imported Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings from Bordeaux to plant
in his Livermore Valley vineyards. The descendants of these vines
were selected by University of California at Davis to become a part
of their Foundation nursery and are known as clones 7 and 8. Today,
the Wente Family farms approximately 400 acres of Cabernet
Sauvignon vineyards using these two clones with appropriately
selected root stocks. The Southern Hills vineyards are located in
the most desirable settings with exposures ideal for growing
Cabernet Sauvignon of distinct character, depth and intensity.
Fermentation: This wine was fermented in stainless steel tank
and pumped over twice daily.
Aging: Aged for 14 months in a combination of American, French,
Eastern European, and neutral oak.
Description: This Cabernet Sauvignon is deep red in color with
mouth-filling flavors of black cherry and plum. Rich, yet
approachable tannins provide a long, smooth finish.
-
PlanYourMeetings.com
T O DAY S M E N U
A B O U T T H E W I N E S
2012 Livermore Valley Merrillie ChardonnayDescription: Named for
Stevens grandmother, our 2012 Merrillie Chardonnay celebrates its
thirteenth anniversary with this vintage. This special wine, made
from an old Wente clone of Chardonnay, demonstrates the elegance
and finesse that have been the hallmarks of the Merrillie program
since its first bottling in 1999.
Fruit: Fruit from the Landucci Block, harvested around 25.0o.
Alcohol 14.7%.
Fermentation: After destemming and crushing, the fruit was left
to settle in stainless steel for 48 hours before it was put into
oak barrels. Primary and secondary (Malo- lactic) fermentation were
done under cool temperatures in barrel. This wine was bottled
without filtration or fining.
Aging: This wine was aged in American and French oak barrels
(60% new, 40% second- use). Time in Barrel: 8 months
2007 Southern Hills Cabernet SauvignonDescription: This Cabernet
Sauvignon is deep red in color with mouth- filling flavors of black
cherry and plum. Rich, yet approachable tannins provide a long,
smooth finish.
Origin: In the 19th century, California wine pioneer Charles
Wetmore imported Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings from Bordeaux to plant
in his Livermore Valley vineyards. The descendants of these vines
were selected by University of California at Davis to become a part
of their Foundation nursery and are known as clones 7 and 8. Today,
the Wente Family farms approximately 400 acres of Cabernet
Sauvignon vineyards using these two clones with appropriately
selected root stocks. The Southern Hills vineyards are located in
the most desirable settings with exposures ideal for growing
Cabernet Sauvignon of distinct character, depth and intensity.
Fermentation: This wine was fermented in stainless steel tank
and pumped over twice daily.
Aging: Aged for 14 months in a combination of American, French,
Eastern European, and neutral oak.
GLUTEN & DAIRY-FRIENDLY QUESADILLA STATIONCalabacitas
quesadillas: freshly prepared roasted
squash and corn with charred jalapeos, cliantro and queso de
Oxaca. 1/3 made without queso and labeled.
Mild Serrano salsaPico de galloGuacamoleCorn tortillas
SPEED DATING PASSED CANAPESAhi tuna with Asian flavors on
ceramic spoonMinature Croque Monsieur with black forest ham
and gruyreBaked brie and pear in phylo dough cup
AFTERNOON BREAK SNACKSColorful chocolate dipped strawberriesSt.
Francis strawberry spritz cookiesRich strawberry marmalade
brownies
WINE RECEPTION BUFFETBALT blistered cherry tomatoes, avocado
slices,
applewood smoked bacon and mirco lettuce on sourdough
crostini
Curried crab with mango on multigrain crispVietnamese turkey
meatball with garlic chili sauceFried chicken and waffles
deep-fried honey-brined
chicken thighs with yam waffles and pomegranate syrup
Red wine braised beef with truffled potato crustAssortment of
mini pastries including macarons
BEVERAGESAssorted Coke productsStill and sparkling mineral
waterOdwalla juices and/or smoothiesHouse red and white wine
-
These are wireless microphones for any live event CROWD MICS
turns iOS and Android devices into wireless microphones. Finally,
the crowd can be heard!
Voice commenting - Crowd members talk into their device and
their voice is heard over the sound system, like a wireless
microphone. Text commenting - Just like it sounds. 160 character
text comments from the crowd to the presenter.
Polling - A dead-simple polling feature to get quick responses
from the crowd.
Crowd Mics works for any live event Conferences Business
Meetings Training Sessions School Lectures Concerts Sporting
Events
Contact Us Email: [email protected] Phone/text: 480-725-7255
Twitter: @crowdmics Facebook.com/crowdmics
-
Our PYM annual
features bonus
materials that
can be unlocked with your
mobile device. Download the
FREE PYM+ app from Apple
and Google Play stores.
Then scan the magazine
above with the PYM+ app
and see what we mean!
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE FREE!Ez.com/pymsubscribe
issuu.com/planyourmeetings
Volume 18, Issue 2 2013/2014 $15 US
DESIGNING MEETINGS THAT INSPIREP. 10
BECOME WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE P. 19
CREATING A CULTURE OF INCLUSION P. 22
3 BIGGEST THREATS TO THE MEETING INDUSTRY P. 28
AUGMENTED EDITIONSEE PAGES 3 & 6 FOR DETAILS
2013/14 DIGITAL ISSUE NOW ONLINE!
PYM LIVE San Francisco | March 27
PYM LIVE: Experiments with meeting designWe take our mission to
educate, empower and inspire meeting and event planners seriously.
Thats why we arent happy settling for the same-old luncheon/lecture
format. Because its hard for meeting planners to get out of the
office, we want to maximize their learning time and give them fresh
ideas. Thats why we not only provide educational sessions, we
integrate new meeting technology, formats and content delivery
ideas into our event design, so they can experience whats new and
figure out how it may work for their upcoming events. Heres a quick
guide to the experiments were conducting this year. For the full
version, look on Topi.
A mobile communityUse Topi to connect with others pre and
postBecause our events are short, we dont need a conference app
that is agenda-based. We want something that helps our attendees
network and build their professional connections. Thats why we use
Topi. When it loads, it tells you whos near you and what you have
in common. Even after the event ends, you can use it to stay in
touch with your new friends. Enter the code 61529656 and you can
play with this event until April 5. Learn how: Ez.com/topitips.
Shaking up the trade showSpeed-networking kills two birds with
one stoneMeeting everyone exhibiting at PYM LIVE achieves two
objectives: It gives you a chance to gather new destination and
site ideas, and it introduces you to people who may be able to help
you right now or at some point in the future. In this business,
people switch jobs frequently. You never know whose help you might
need next month, next year or at your next job. Thats why we
shifted away from tabletop trade shows to a rotation format. We
look at who you want to meet most and adjust the rotations to
accommodate that. But we leave room for serendipitous connections
by creating opportunities for you to meet everyone. Need more than
three minutes with someone? Our team can help you meet with people
in advance or submit RFPs.
Incentives for being socialTweeting and posting now can win you
prizesDoorprizes can be a bit of a pain. In the past, weve tried
drawing throughout the event and putting winners names on slides;
weve tried waiting until the very end to give things away. Weve
never found the perfect doorprize solution, but we didnt want to
get rid of them. So were trying something different. At each event,
a portion of the prizes will be awarded for participation and
social sharing. So if you post a particularly lovely image to the
event app that people love, or take useful Twitter notes during the
education, that could make you a winner. Well still do random
drawings at the end, so no one gets left out. Need tips on getting
started on social? Read this: Ez.com/pymsocial.
Want to play with new meeting tech? Download these apps.
CrowdMics
-
LIVE EVENTS 2014O U R E V E N T S P O N S O R S
H O S T
March 27, 2014 | Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union
Square
Byteson-demand fitness breaks
c a l i f o r n i a
Lose the Spiral Notebook for GoodA guide to some of the best
tech tools for planners on the go (and who isnt?)
By STORMI BOYD
Event professionals will tell you that the ability to work
efficiently outside the office is a necessity. With the increase of
tablet technology, the need to carry around a paper binder or a
heavy laptop is nearly obsolete. With the right tools, I can
quickly accomplish anything while off-site. So what are the tools
that work (or dont) for the planner on the go?
A keyboard is imperative because it turns your iPad into a word
processor that rivals any laptop. I suggest using a keyboard that
is part of a case such as a ZAGGfolio. The Brookstone KeyboardPro
has a magnetized keyboard that is removable. Its particularly
effective to use on a desk surface because that allows you to
change the orientation of your screen (landscape/portrait), which
the ZAGGgmate does not. Planners say that they dont want to loose
the sensation of writing because it helps them remember details. So
a stylus is almost as important as a good keyboard. There are many
styluses on the market and most have a round rubber tip. The best
stylus for me has been the JotPro by Adonit. It has a clear plastic
disk and ballpoint head, which allows for greater swivel and feels
more like the weight of a real pen. This stylus along with the app
Noteshelf lets me get entirely away from spiral notebooks.
Some of us spend time buying expensive external hardware such as
a portable scanner. These are great for scanning documents, and
even though they are small, they are cumbersome to pack. The
solution for me has been a FREE app called Genius Scan that allows
you to snap a picture of a document and convert it to a PDF. You
then open it in a PDF annotate program (GoodNotes, iAnnotate) and
make notes or sign it. Very quick and nothing extra to pack.
A huge misconception about moving away from paper and relying
solely on tablet technology is that the battery life on an iPad
will not last. There are many external charging options available
for planners on the go. Im a big fan of external battery packs that
can come in many forms. The Mophie Juice Pack fits in your palm and
can be plugged into any device. The best gadget Ive found is the
Powerbag by Ful, which becomes a mobile charging station with
several connections. Imagine being able to charge multiple devices
at the same time while walking around. No more stopping to look for
an outlet. The Powerbag is available in several styles and has been
a lifesaver for me.
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These small tools along with highly productive apps such as
Dropbox and QuickOffice make the job of the road warrior event
professional easier. They put all of our necessary documents at our
fingertips. Gone are the days of carrying a heavy paper binder or
pulling your laptop out at the security checkpoint.
Stormi Boyd, CMP, CMM, is the senior events & convention
manager for Keller Williams Realty International. She has been in
the event industry for more than 14 years and has planned events
ranging in size from two to 11,000 people. She serves on multiple
committees for PCMA and MPI local chapters and enjoys sharing her
knowledge with event professionals. She is an expert with
live-event production and mobile tablet technology. Find her on
LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter (@stormisee).
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Bag it! 5 Must-haves for Those On-the-go
By MELISSA WASHINGTON
As a frequent international traveler, Ive quickly learned the
dos and donts of travel by train, plane and automobile and learned
from my mistakes, what drives me crazy and, in turn, vowed not to
let it happen again if theres something I can do about it.
I have special timesaving tactics that can help me be best
prepared for an easygoing business trip. Granted, you cant keep the
flight from departing late or getting canceled, but you can always
find ways to be a more efficient traveler. Here are five
recommended items I carry with me in my travel bag at all
times:
1) Portable phone charger. Gone are the days of using cellphones
for phone calls only. By using our phones to multitask, the battery
powers dwindle much quicker. An easily accessible compact phone
charger is a must. Check out Halo for some trendy pocket-size
gadgets or go solar with Goal Zero.
2) Power strip. It can be extremely frustrating trying to find
an available outlet at the airport to charge up pre-flight. A power
strip lets you charge multiple devices while also sharing with
others. Itll also come in handy at the hotel room in case it lacks
a convenient outlet next to the nightstand.
3) Empty sunglasses case. Use these to house your phone and
electronic cords.
4) Global Entry Card. When youve traveled out of the country,
the Global Entry Card helps you get back into the United States
much more quickly. And, with the recent launch of TSA pre-check,
travelers can keep shoes and jackets on, and leave laptops and
liquids in their carry-on bags. Check out Clear Me, a program that
helps travelers expedite their trips through security checkpoints.
Enrolling in any or all of these programs makes traveling a lot
less stressful.
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5) Hotel and airline program cards. Racking up frequent-flier
and travel miles with your favorite hotels and airlines is always
beneficial. Keep your wallet extra light by entering all program
card information into a safe and secure place on your iPhone or
mobile device for easy access on-the-go.
Melissa Washington is owner of SmartNet Strategies, a company
she founded in California in 2010. She speaks, does workshops and
gives webinars on such topics as LinkedIn (using this dynamic
platform for job seeking, recruiting, selling, researching and
collaborating), and job search techniques. She also does corporate
event planning. SmartNet Strategies is a Certified Veteran
Enterprise (CVE) and a California Certified Small Business. She is
a U.S. Navy veteran.
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The Best RFPs, According to Hotel Salespeople
By TERRY MATTHEWS-LOMBARDO, CMP
Welcome to 2014, where its a sellers market again. If youre a
supplier, youre happy to be deluged with business, but for planners
yikes! During these periods, two of the biggest concerns for
planners should be:
The need to search further in advance for your preferred meeting
dates.
The need to make your RFPs stand out among all others.
We cant help you convince your boss to give you more lead time
on the events that will come your way, but we can offer some
guidelines to help you get your request for proposals front and
center on hotel sales desks. This list has been compiled with the
help of actual real, live hotel salespeople:
1) Historical information about the proposed meeting
If your meeting has been held in the past, provide the group
history, even if it varies slightly from what youre now asking.
Dates, rates, locations (include hotel [s] and city), number of
attendees and notes about any outstanding conditions that may have
impacted the outcome, i.e., held during terrible snowstorm even
after major airport closures or first year we announced new product
rollout, so attendance was extremely high. In short, provide
anything to explain major differences between past pickup and
future forecasts.
If your RFP is for a brand-new, never-held-before meeting, you
still need to provide some notes such as required attendance for
all company divisions or four-city tour of new CEO that will help
sell your program to hotels. Yes, you read that correctly. In a
sellers market, the planner has to create interest in his or her
meeting with every hotel approached. The more compelling your
background information, the more attractive your business
becomes.
2) A rough draft of the proposed itinerary
Dont just say lots of breakouts. Take time to sketch out a brief
agenda and make sure to mark it DRAFT. Even if youre guessing
and/or reading between the lines of what your boss may want, the
draft will need to be done at some point. So do it early and give
it to the hotels.
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3) Clearly define your timelines and expectations
If you need a response yesterday, mark your RFP as urgent. But
be forewarned, if a hotel jumps through hoops to respond, youd
better be prepared to give them an expeditious answer. Nothing
seems to irritate hotels more than having their
we-turned-this-around-in-24-hours RFP sit on a planners desk
indefinitely. Since its a sellers market, when you do get that RFP
back, the hotel will have clearly laid out the terms and dates of
their proposal. Procrastinating planners will probably not fare
well with hotels inundated with RFPs.
4) Identify your top two or three deal-breakers
In a perfect world, youre sending your RFP to multiple
properties that are similar in size and scope, so presumably
certain factors will persuade you to choose one over another. Cut
to the chase and let them know whats most important to your
company, whether its rates, preferred dates or spa services. You
have hot buttons. Dont keep them a secret.
5) Include a brief synopsis of your company whenever
possible
If this isnt already obvious, include who will attend and why,
and provide your best estimate of important budget projections like
F&B to get the hotels attention.
Finally, do your homework. Make sure your send your RFP to the
person who covers your market. If you send it blind as in To whom
it may concern, it will probably get the same impersonal attention
in return. Sending it to a specific person, even if youve never met
or spoken to this person, will get their attention. If you dont
know who to contact, call the sales department. Remember, personal
attention is the first step in establishing a good
relationship.
Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP, has learned a lot during a
lifetime of planning meetings and events. Mostly, that contrary to
popular opinion everywhere else, you always sweat the small stuff
in this industry. (Some other things, too, like never run out of
chips before dip or was it Mom who said that? and dont ever assume
that your company executive can give a good keynote speech just
because hes paid a whole lot of money to run the company.) During
her journey covering 30+ years as a flight attendant, trip
director, international meeting planner, wife, mother of two and
caretaker to its not my dog, shes logged a few miles around the
world and made it a lifelong mission to be a student of the
universe, one lobby bar at a time. Email her at [email protected].
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14 Ways to Revitalize Your Event Marketing Strategy
By KRISTI CASEY SANDERS
The traditional model of event marketing and engagement is
broken. This is the pattern of communication that typically happens
pre-, during and post-event. Consider these models created by
Mitchell Beer of Smarter Shift. *
Theres no afterlife. Marketers have the unenviable task of
annually rebooting relationships to drum up excitement and remind
people why they should attend 30 to 60 days prior. Its an
exhausting and unsustainable model.
Think about how much easier pre-show marketing would be if our
events generated this kind of community.
Before DuringAfter
Before During After
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Ideally, conversations would start beforehand and amplify at the
event. Ideas and relationships sparked by face-to-face contact
would continue to grow afterward.
So how do we accomplish this?
That was the question posed to attendees at PYM LIVE
Jacksonville on Feb. 6. We challenged groups of meeting planners
and suppliers to come up with at least one strategy to generate
excitement pre-show, to engage audiences during the show and
something that would keep them talking post-show. Heres what they
came up with:
Pre-show ideas
1. Distribute a QR code or link to education that attendees can
view before the event. Discussions would begin off-site and
continue in-depth at the event.
2. Clearly communicate what attendees can expect (resisting the
urge to be clever with the marketing copy).
3. Create an attendee referral program.
4. Help attendees form teams before arriving. Give them the
meeting theme and instructions on what they should create together.
Whatever they prepare would be used/displayed at the event.
5. Pepper reminder emails with incentives to come. If you have
money in the budget to do so, combine with a direct mail campaign
filled with bread-crumb tchotchkes that are fun reminders of the
event theme, destination or content theyd experience on-site.
During-show ideas
1. Create five-minute breaks where people can participate in
ice-breakers like two truths and a lie, solve puzzles or just tell
jokes.
2. Keep educational topics current and relevant to the audience
and the challenges they face.
3. Seat attendees at roundtables where they drill down from a
general topic to one specific aspect of that topic theyd all like
to discuss or have in common. Have them discuss that specific item
in depth and share what they discovered with the larger group.
Expand on those micro-discussions as the event goes on or post-show
in social communities.
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Post-show ideas
1. Create a photo gallery of images on Smilebox, Facebook or
another online host and distribute to attendees post-event so they
can comment and share.
2. Share post-event survey results with attendees and let them
know what you plan to change because of their feedback. Then create
a case study that shows what happened after you implemented those
changes. Share that as well.
3. Create a post-show reception where people can bond over
drinks.
4. Send handwritten notes to attendees or personalized emails
rather than a blanket email.
5. Have attendees pledge to focus on staying in touch with five
people they met at the event. Offer them incentives to share their
stories about following through on that promise.
6. Create a puzzle or news bubble that is sent to past
attendees. It should be a fun reminder of what they enjoyed at the
event. When decrypted, it tells them what the next steps are.
Lets keep the conversation going
Do you have other ideas for engaging attendees pre-, during or
post-show? Tweet them @PYMLive, share them in the comment field
below, on our Facebook page or in our G+ Community and tag them
#yaypym.
Every month, well be talking about the future of meetings in our
social communities, on PlanYourMeetings.com and at our PYM LIVE
Events. Want information delivered directly to your inbox?
Subscriptions to PYM are free for meeting and event planners, so
share us with your friends.
Want a copy of this report? Download it here:
AudienceEngagementStrategiesforMeetingPlanners-PYM
* Special thanks to Danielle Adams; Vickie Corder; Juli
Heineman; Lacey Mitchell; Vicki Sumagpang; Nicole Taylor; Cindy
Tilton; Vickey Woodley; Kathleen Zwart, CMP; Jackie Franklin; Gina
Hengst; Wayne Bolai; Sandra Rose; Julie Rhea Bell; Sabrina Young;
Holly Laverentz; Matt Gingras; and Julie Fisher for sharing their
ideas. Thanks also are due to Mitchell Beer of Smarter Shift for
sharing his thoughts and illustrations of the current and ideal
communication cycle for events. These illustrations are based on
ones he presented at Event Camp Twin Cities 2011.
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Kristi Casey Sanders is the VP of creative/chief storyteller of
Plan Your Meetings. In addition to being an award-winning
journalist who has covered meeting-industry trends and destinations
since 2003, she is a popular speaker on the topics of technology,
sustainability, community building, engagement and proving ROI.
Before joining the PYM team, she was a corporate trainer/performer
with Boom Chicago Comedy Theatre in Amsterdam, where she taught
multinational groups soft skills through improv. In her spare time,
she is site selection chair for the Society of American Travel
Writers Eastern Chapter, a big-time geek, and loving mom and wife.
Not necessarily in that order. Follow her on Twitter @PYMLive or
@KristiCasey. And check out her videos on PYMs YouTube channel.
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Innovative Ways to Attract Exhibitors and Sponsors to Your
Event
By KENT EMESON
Traditional event marketing at trade shows, sporting events,
nonprofit events and conferences helps sponsors and exhibitors
advertise services or products that will help make customers lives
better/easier/more fun. They have less than 30 seconds to attract
potential customers/leads into an area to showcase their companys
services or products; then they have less than three minutes to
convince them that they want to know more. Event marketing is
widely considered to give companies and sales teams the best ROI of
any other marketing channel, but decreased attendance has made
exhibitor booths and sponsorships a tougher sell in this
economy.
That is why, along with traditional event marketing concepts,
event organizers must offer a solid online marketing campaign to
bolster what is offered at the face-to-face event. Paramount to
making a successful match is finding companies that truly offer
items and services that your attendees need, and providing multiple
ways for partners to communicate that synchronicity.
To attract more exhibitors and sponsors to your event (and
create new revenue streams), think about incorporating the
following into the marketing packages you offer for your
events:
Create an area to display sponsors/exhibitors logos and website
links on the events website, appropriately tiered to their
sponsorship level or amount of investment in your event. Create
advertising banners on the site that can be purchased at an
additional cost. The website for the Kentucky Derby is a good
example of how organizers are maximizing online advertising
opportunities and helping attendees find related social networks,
where sponsors and exhibitors can also engage attendees.
Allow sponsors or exhibitors to co-sponsor a webinar or online
seminar that will reach your audience before or after the
event.
If your event has a nonprofit element, such as an auction or
other fundraising opportunity, ask sponsors or exhibitors for
donations. Not only will it help them underscore their commitment
to causes important to your attendees; their company can claim a
tax-deductible expense.
Offer to create a co-branded content site that drives
attendees
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from your event website to additional educational resources,
sponsored by your event exhibitors or sponsors.
Set up an online matchmaking system, like 3-Way Street, that
lets attendees select which sponsors and exhibitors they would like
to make time to see during the event, and vice-versa. Ask invitees
who cannot attend the event if theyd be interested in meeting with
any of your exhibitor/sponsors while theyre in town.
If you think about incorporating creative, multi-touch ways to
connect your exhibitors and sponsors with your attendees, youll
have an easier time selling your event to potential partners.
Because even though they may intuitively understand that event
marketing delivers more bang for the buck than other marketing
channels, they need to know that youre doing your best to help them
succeed when they invest money in your event.
For more than two decades, Kent Emeson has been a hospitality
and event marketing manager, meeting and event planner, trade show
manager, product marketing manager and world-class event marketing
brand-a-holic. In 2006, in conjunction with Articulate Creative
Communications, he won the International Exhibitor Association
Focus Award for Best Face-to-Face Marketing Campaign. He is the
owner and hospitality marketing communications consultant for
Earson Marketing Inc.
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8 Ways to Mak Events More Relevant in 2014
By KRISTI CASEY SANDERS
Charts by Stephanie Crowley of TheChrysalisSolution.com from
sessions at #EventTechLive.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MEETING TRENDS FOR 2014? From what we hear,
theyre streamlining, going back to basics and creating fun,
relevant experiences. Its no longer about whats new, its about what
works and what truly makes meetings better and that means planners
have be creative.
At our PYM LIVE Houston event in mid-November, we asked meeting
planners and suppliers to answer these questions: What would make
meetings better? What are some fun things youve seen or done that
worked?
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Heres what they said.
1. Graphic storytelling. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a
drawing inspired by a session surely beats class notes. Graphic
storytellers (like Stephanie Crowley of TheChyrsalisSolution.com,
above) recap the content of a keynote or breakout session using
images and key phrases. Displayed in common areas afterward, the
images become an effective way for attendees to see what they may
have missed or spark conversations about big ideas.
2. People as game pieces. Encourage attendees to exchange ideas
in playful ways. One example: Use human whiteboards on which
attendees can write or stick Post-it Notes. Much like a human
chessboard, the notes can be moved and arranged so people can see
and adjust the patterns of thought that develop.
3. Maximize shuttle time. In many destinations, shuttles to and
from airports or off-site venues are a necessary evil. Make
transportation time useful by sending a team-builder, local
historian or entertainer along with your guests.
4. Customize the experience. Use pre-event surveys to gather
data you can use to personalize the experience for each guest. One
example: Ask the what theyd do on a day off? Use the information to
customize an itinerary or group outing. Knowing favorite foods and
dietary restrictions lets you customize snack breaks. At one event,
a company printed the image of every employee onto its own piece of
Lucite and used those images to create a chandelier that hung in
the middle of the ballroom. Each office then took home the images
of their employees to create a mosaic.
5. Give traditional culinary team-building a twist. Did
attendees catch anything during a fly-fishing trip? Teach them how
to clean and cook their fish. Want attendees to work in teams to
prepare lunch or dinner? Send them to a farmers market with the
meal budget. They buy what they want and are taught how to prepare
dishes Iron Chef-style.
6. Incorporate local color. What is your meeting destination
known for? Use that in your menus, meeting themes and activities.
At RoamingHunger.com, you can find and book local food trucks to
cater functions. Venues with ties to local farmers can help arrange
tastings and buffets where attendees meet and mingle with the
people who provided their food. Convention and visitors bureaus are
a meeting planners best resource for recommendations of local
vendors and charities with which to engage.
7. Make it easy to connect. Print double-sided name badges, so
if they flip over, the wearers identity isnt concealed. Give
attendees something to talk about. Include just the name, not the
title or company, and let them choose their own avatar or
identifying information to share on the badge. Include their
Twitter name so people can find them on social media. Let them
download digital business cards by providing them with scannable QR
codes on the badge or handheld devices like Poken.
8. Give people tools to express themselves. Building, painting,
doodling,
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writing, posting Instagram pics however you encourage people to
share, make it easy and nonthreatening. Corporate painting parties
use a template so its easy for anyone to follow along even while
personal embellishments are encouraged. Interactive graffiti walls
are finally affordable enough that theyll be popular this year. And
everyone is carrying personal production studios in their pockets
its called a phone. So make sure to give attendees a hashtag they
can use to share content during your event. Dont forget to track,
share and display what they create in a prominent place, both
online and post-event.
Kristi Casey Sanders is the VP of creative/chief storyteller of
Plan Your Meetings. In addition to being an award-winning
journalist who has covered meeting industry trends and destinations
since 2003, she is a popular speaker on the topics of technology,
sustainability, community building, engagement and proving ROI.
Before joining the PYM team, she was a corporate trainer/performer
with Boom Chicago Comedy Theatre in Amsterdam, where she taught
multinational groups soft skills through improv. In her spare time,
she is site selection chair for the Society of American Travel
Writers Eastern Chapter, a big-time geek, and loving mom and wife.
Not necessarily in that order. Follow her on Twitter @PYMLive or
@KristiCasey. And check out her videos on PYMs YouTube channel.
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Team Building: Best Practices for Success
By DOMINIC PHILLIPS
Effective teamwork is the most crucial element in a successful
and productive company, and what better way to enhance that
corporate teamwork then through off-premise engaging activity-based
team-building?
With each new team-building experience, companies are able to
boost their employee productivity through increasing the company
morale. The key to this however, is planning an all-inclusive
activity in which employees want to take part. Planning a
team-building experience could be detrimental if not executed
appropriately. The true foundation of team-building is to develop
goals of which all team members are aware, committed to achieving
and excited about executing.
Whether your group is large or small, team-building is a
productive and vital part of every business. Ultimately, as a
planner, you want your client and their team to walk away from the
experience having achieved their goal and gotten to know one
another on a new level, while having a great time.
When planning a corporate team-building activity, a planner must
approach each group individually, depending on the size of the
team, the goal of the activity and the types of issues that may
inhibit good teamwork. Create simple challenges outside of the
office, to ensure employees break away from their daily sense of
responsibility and are able to engage in a stress-free, relaxed and
fun environment.
When planning your next team-building experience, keep these
tips in mind:
Questions to ask:
What are the group demographics? Depending on the group
demographics, you may opt for a less active-intensive activity such
as a relay race, but choose a fun and engaging activity such as a
cooking class.
What is the goal? Ultimately, team-building is about building
strong relationships within the office. What better way to do this
than to take employees out of the office so they can see one
another in a new light while developing a newfound appreciation of
one anothers interests, strengths and weaknesses.
Things to avoid:
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Creating mandatory team-building activities that may ostracize a
team member from the group, may overly expose their weaknesses in a
negative way or that may create more stress. If opting for a
sport-intensive activity, confirm all group members are in
appropriate health and have the desire to be involved.
Recommended team-building activities:
Projects. Develop activities where there is a single-focus
project around which everyone can galvanize. Working on a project
that is impossible for one, but possible for many, lets everyone
achieve success by working together. Community service-based
projects are great for this because you are doing good while
building company morale.
Off-sites. Build laughter and excitement through off-site group
activities where employees can get to know one another in a
stress-free environment. Sports games and concerts are perfect for
this type of team-building, because theyre fun and exciting, and
everyone can participate.
Challenges. Remove employees from their comfort zones and place
them in team challenges. Let the team evaluate and work off the
groups strengths and weaknesses. An urban scavenger hunt or group
trivia is excellent for large group challenges as they allow for
everyone to be involved and participate.
Dominic Phillips, dubbed by the San Francisco Chronicle as the
event mastermind behind some of San Franciscos hottest grand
openings, takes a distinctive approach to the event solutions he
creates for his clients. In 2004, Dominic launched Dominic Phillips
Event Marketing (DPEM), a full-service event planning, design and
production agency with a key focus on producing sustainably
conscious and zero-waste events. When faced with a new project,
large or small, the DPEM team puts a plan in place that meets
client goals, vision, budget and schedule to achieve measurable
success.
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Social media: Getting Beyond the Obvious
By JULIE NIEHOFF
Even the most outgoing, networking-oriented personalities get
butterflies when entering a room full of strangers. While its only
natural, it doesnt have to be the norm. Use social media to create
connections among attendees in the weeks leading to an event, and
youll ease their tension upon arrival, decrease your no-show rate,
and may even manage to sell out the venue and inspire attendees to
count the days until the action begins.
Here are some social media and email tactics you can use to
engage attendees and foster new connections among registrants
before they arrive.
Twitter
Its likely that you already know to use and promote a dedicated
event hashtag, but theres more you can do:
Encourage attendees to follow each other.
Create a Twitter challenge that rewards attendees for gaining
the most new followers, re-tweets and favorites from fellow event
participants. Be sure to add a caveat that they must engage fellow
attendees through helpful and relevant tweets to be eligible for a
prize that will be awarded at the event.
Facilitate private Twitter chat sessions dedicated to answering
event FAQs or conversations with a keynote or noted panelist. Along
with helping to bring the attendee community together, this can
also generate more buzz for the event.
Facebook
Regularly contribute fresh photos and content such as updated
attendee numbers, bios on your top speakers, and details on special
activities at the event, like entertainment or book signings.
Initiate and contribute to conversations by asking interesting,
open-ended questions, such as what attendees love most about the
host city.
Create a poll that asks attendees to vote on fun topics such as
their favorite things to do in the city or best places to eat, for
example.
Run a trivia contest related to your industry or event location
and reward the winners with a small token at the event.
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Email
To make sure your emails are a welcome reminder and generate
more excitement in anticipation of the event, segment your attendee
list and save a section for customized content. Specifically, you
can segment attendees based on:
Position/title. Feature recommended panels and speakers of
interest along with a link back to your event page where readers
can learn more.
Location. Include local travel information on airports,
airlines, car rentals and shuttle services. You can also encourage
carpooling by providing information on safe, local meeting
spots.
Poll results. Using data from the Facebook poll, include
information such as local restaurant specials or museum hours.
Taking the poll to a new level, ask attendees if theyre interested
in meeting up on-site to take in a local attraction. You may also
consider contacting the venue for a group discount.
Tying it all together
During and after the event, you can reunite attendees by
integrating your email and social media efforts in these ways:
Share positive feedback from event surveys.
Interview attendees on-site and feature them in newsletters and
on your social network pages.
Post a series of fun and informative videos that give outsiders
a good sense of what they can expect at future events.
Ask attendees to share feedback directly with you, on your
Facebook event page or using your Twitter event hashtag.
Encourage attendees to continue the conversations they started
at the event with their new contacts.
Julie Niehoff oversees program development and presenter
training for Constant Contacts global education initiative, for
which company presenters deliver free marketing strategy and best
practice seminars on a variety of topics, including event
marketing, social media and email marketing. She was named a top
Small Business Influencer for 2011 by Small Business Trends
magazine and SmallBusinessTechnology.com. She has been a featured
speaker for Meeting Professionals International, the Association of
Fundraising Professionals, the Association of Small Business
Development Centers, the NFL Playbook Series for Superbowl IVV and
eWomenNetwork. Find her on Twitter at @Julie Niehoff
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20 Tips for Making Your Event Apps Addictive
By MARY CROGAN
When it comes to event apps, odds are that Smartsheet and
Sched.org are on your radar. Or perhaps youve taken advantage of
Constant Contacts Event Spot app for Facebook.
Its almost gotten to the point where attendees expect every
major event to have a dedicated app. And why not? If you do it
right, its
a great way to engage your audience before, during and
after.
Whether youve taken advantage of existing apps or are
considering having one built from scratch, heres what you need to
know about creating a wildly popular mobile event app and, more
importantly, how to get attendees addicted to it.
Dos and donts
You already know to leave application development to the pros,
but here are 10 tips for your technical team.
1. Make sure its a native app not a Web app. Essentially, this
means that once a user downloads it to their smartphone, they can
more quickly and easily interact with the content because they dont
have to go through a browser.
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2. Dont let it inadvertently drain the users battery or gobble
up precious minutes from their data plan.
3. Brand it so its easily found in an app store.
4. When the user first downloads the app, it should ask if they
want to sign up for alerts, and offer options about the types of
notifications they can receive.
5. Make it easy for users to invite colleagues to download the
app with an invite your friends button.
6. Dont require a user name and password every time your
attendees log in.
7. Do include local maps with recommended hot spots and
restaurants.
8. Add easy access to travel information including flights as
well as local transportation services and schedules.
9. Integrate the app with social media to promote the event
through posts, tweets, likes, shares and favorites.
10. Support on-site registration so attendees can skip long
lines and dive right into networking the minute they arrive.
Inspiring app addiction
Here are 10 ways to make sure your attendees see your app as a
must-have.
1. Build a link on the event registration page that leads
attendees to a separate event app page. The separate page should
include an overview explaining the app and its benefits, a video
demo showing its features and functions, and a social sharing bar
to further spread the word.
2. Create a sense of urgency by offering a limited-time
registration discount for downloading the app. Promote the offer
through email and social media.
3. Post content thats available only on the app and use alerts
to let attendees know about fresh info.
4. Reward users for sharing the benefits of the app on social
media by entering their names in a raffle or spotlighting them in
an email newsletter.
5. Sneak in hidden rewards to surprise users when they interact
with the app.
6. Inspire users to rate the app so others will see its
value.
7. At the event, encourage attendees to download the app with
reminders about its eco-friendly aspects.
8. Include a QR code on event signage so users can easily
download the app without having to type in a URL.
9. Use the app to connect with attendees during the event with
special announcements and offers.
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10. Re-engage attendees through post-event surveys and updates
about your next event.
Mary Crogan is senior marketing manager for EventSpot from
Constant Contact, a comprehensive online tool for the planning and
promotion of events, meetings and webinars. Her marketing and event
expertise make her a valuable resource to EventSpots small business
and nonprofit customers who seek to leverage their seminars,
classes, meetings and social events to bolster customer and member
engagement and impact their bottom lines. She has served as
president of the Boston Interactive Media Association (BIMA),
advisory committee member of the Massachusetts Innovation and
Technology Exchange (MITX) and conference co-chair of the New
England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA).
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A how-to: Using Google Hangouts, Hangouts on Air
By KRISTI CASEY SANDERS
Table of contents for Meeting technology 101
1. Meeting technology 101: Tools that save time
2. Meeting technology 102: Tools that save money
3. Meeting technology 103: Tools that spark interaction
4. Meeting technology 104: Using video as a communications
tool
5. Meeting technology 105: Cutting-edge collaboration tools
6. 7 mobile apps that will change your life (and save your
back)
7. 5 cheap and easy tips for livestreaming conference
content
8. A how-to: Using Google Hangouts, Hangouts on Air
9. Case study: Installing temporary Internet for meetings and
events
A few years ago, if you wanted to broadcast educational content
from a live event to a virtual audience, you had to hire an A/V
team to capture and mix content on-site, pay for a service to
stream the content over the Internet and select a Web-based portal
where the content would be housed and archived. It typically cost
$2,500 to $5,000 per session, with a monthly hosting fee.
Not anymore. You can now log on to Google, push a button and
stream conference content directly to YouTube, where its archived
after the event. For free.
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Not only can Google Hangouts create on-demand education and
virtual events, theyre being used for client meetings,
collaborative teamwork and informal educational chats. Its an
exciting new tool for event designers, meeting planners and
marketers interested in hybridizing events and building online
communities. But theres a learning curve, so heres some help.
Getting started
First lets define what a Google Hangout is: Its a free
videoconferencing platform for as many as 10 people.
To use it, you need three things:
1. An Internet connection (wired is best)
2. A computer (mobile, desktop or laptop) with a camera or
USB-connected webcam
3. A profile page on Google Plus (G+).
If you have a Gmail account, you already have a G+ profile. If
you dont, its free to create a Gmail address or start an account
with your work email. You dont need to completely fill out the G+
profile before you hang out, but doing so makes it easier for
people to find you and for you to find other people.
Creating Hangouts
There are formal and informal ways of hanging out. Start a
hangout buttons on G+ profile pages, chat windows and Gmail inboxes
allow for spontaneous virtual gatherings just push the button and
invite people to join you.
To alert people about a future Hangout, create an event on G+,
click
http://instagram.com/planyourmeetings
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the Event options button, select the Advanced menu, click the
Hangout option and fill in the other details. Unless they decline
the invitation, everyone invited will see the event on their Google
calendar. At the appointed start time, an email reminder containing
a link to join is sent. People can join from there or from the
original invitation, which displays a Join hangout button once the
event starts.
If you filled out your G+ profile, follow people or have joined
a G+ community, youll occasionally receive Hangout invitations or
see that people are hanging out from the timeline on your G+
profile page. You can join them by following the links in those
emails and posts. If there already are 10 people in the Hangout,
however, youll be told its full, and you wont be able to see whats
going on.
Joining Hangouts
Install the Google Voice and Video plug-in before hanging out or
youll be prompted, given instructions on how to do so and directed
back to the Hangout window the first time you try to join. Once you
do this, you should be able to hangout whenever you want.
If you have trouble connecting, or getting your camera to
activate, try reloading the plug-in. That solves 90 percent of the
issues weve run across. Additional problems are resolved by using
Chrome instead of Internet Explorer or Safari browsers. If problems
continue, search the computers Application folder for software from
3ivx or Java and uninstall it.
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The differences
Remember how we said a Hangout was limited to 10 participants?
If you want to reach a larger virtual audience, enable your chat as
a Hangout on Air. When we first published this post, you were able
to convert any Hangout into an HOA by clicking a box. Now you have
to go to the Google Hangout main page and push the button Start a
Hangout on Air.
But now youve only created an invitation for people to watch
your HOA. To start broadcasting, youll have to visit this event
page when you want to broadcast and hit the Start button. Then,
invite your guests in.
In addition to streaming live from this HOA event page, the
video will stream from your YouTube channel. Thats where it will be
automatically archived, allowing for an unlimited number of
viewers. The archived video, its keywords and description can be
edited afterward. Want to take questions from your viewers? Enable
the Q&A app. Then, when people go to the Hangout event page,
they can type in questions that you see in your broadcast
window.
Dont have a YouTube channel? Create one using a G+ profile. Just
sign in to Google, go to YouTube.com and follow the prompts. If you
have an existing channel, make sure its tied to the G+ profile
youre using to hang out, otherwise you wont be able to conduct
HOAs.
Its important to know that until the event organizer pushes the
big red Begin broadcast button in their Hangout window, HOA content
will remain private. Similarly, the content will continue to stream
publicly until the End broadcast button is pushed.
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If youre the organizer, start HOAs at least 30 minutes before
the broadcast begins so you can do a tech run and orientation with
your speakers and participants. Weve discovered that its helpful to
copy and paste the URL from the broadcast window into an email and
send that as well as invitations to join, especially if your
speakers arent tech-savvy. Dont try and keep the window open for
more than 45 minutes before broadcasting, though. Weve had
technical issues trying to do so.
When you enable Hangouts to be HOAs, a unique URL and embed code
is generated that all participants can see and share on social
networks and embed on websites. The URL link leads them back to the
event page where they can watch and ask questions (and where you
can post photos and other notes pre- or post-show). Before the
broadcast begins, make sure that link box is closed, otherwise it
will cover up the area that displays the number of virtual viewers
you have. (Note: If you created an event invitation for your HOA,
you can go back and edit the Advanced settings for the event and
include website and ticketing info.)
The other big difference between a Hangout and an HOA is that
when you create an HOA event invitation, it wont send a reminder to
participants to join or give them a link to go live the way regular
Hangout invitations do. But the people you invited to watch the
event will get a reminder. This is
where some participants get confused: Theyll RSVP on the event
page, but when they get the reminder to tune in, they cant find
their way into the HOA. Organizers must invite all participants
into an HOA when it starts. Make sure you communicate to your
participants that theyll be receiving an invitation via email or
their G+ page notifications when you want to start the tech or
broadcast, and that the event page is just for the HOA
audience.
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Another important difference: HOAs dont support most mobile
devices, with the exception of a few Android phones/tablets. So you
can hang out with someone using an iPad, but they cant be part of a
broadcast. Google wont even deliver HOA invitations to people
unless theyre using a laptop, desktop computer or one of the few
Android devices it likes (they dont have a list of what those
are).
Bells and whistles
Desktop/laptop computer users have another huge advantage over
mobile Hangout participants because they can access a vast array of
apps. Once one person opens an app, non-mobile participants get the
option to allow and use it too.
Here are some of the more useful and fun apps:
Hangout Toolbox. A must for HOA users. Tools include lower-third
company identification for professional-looking titles, real-time
URL comment and hashtag-moderation and A/V controls that moderators
can use to mute or eject participants.
SlideShare. Lets participants share PowerPoint presentations
with each other. Can be used to create an interactive webinar in a
solo HOA.
Screenshare. Good for troubleshooting and online demonstrations.
Once enabled, you select which screen viewers see.
Google Drive. Share documents, forms, spreadsheets,
presentations and drawings for collaborative work.
Symphonical. Collaborative project management software that can
be exported from the Hangout.
Chat. Opens a chat window for participants only.
Google Effects. Add sound effects (like applause) and visual
overlays (like fake mustaches and pirate hats) to your image. Its
silly and fun.
Capture. Lets you take photos of the Hangout.
YouTube. Lets participants watch videos together.
Want more best practice and troubleshooting tips? Download this
PDF: Tips for Hanging Out by @PYMLive, which is based on our tip
sheet for PYM LIVE panelists. It includes information on
connectivity, technical requirements and other essential
information.
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Kristi Casey Sanders is the VP of creative/chief storyteller of
Plan Your Meetings. In addition to being an award-winning
journalist who has covered meeting industry trends and destinations
since 2003, she is a popular speaker on the topics of technology,
sustainability, community building, engagement and proving ROI.
Before joining the PYM team, she was a corporate trainer/performer
with Boom Chicago Comedy Theatre in Amsterdam, where she taught
multinational groups soft skills through improv. In her spare time,
she is site selection chair for the Society of American Travel
Writers Eastern Chapter, a big-time geek, and loving mom and wife.
Not necessarily in that order. Follow her on Twitter @PYMLive or
@KristiCasey. And check out her videos on PYMs YouTube channel.
TEST SF Digital Guide with Papers.pdfSF 2014 WhitePapers-single
file.pdf