EXPERTS & OPINIONS
Apr 08, 2021
In a time when the travel industry has turned upside down and is striving to survive, destinations have evolved — and evolved again and again — to encourage traveling safely when the time is right. While general leisure travel is gradually increasing, meetings and convention travel is still widely uncertain in most areas of the country and will be a more gradual progression back to fully in-person.
Destination marketing organizations have been forced to think creatively to better serve meeting planners as they plan for virtual, hybrid and in-person meetings. For example, I helped expand Gulf… more
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Mar 30, 2021
This month, like so many millions of others, I acknowledge one full year of being without a job. So to me, it's one full year of not having the privilege to work alongside my people, and surrounded by culinarians for inspiration. I've been incredibly curious about what chefs have been up to, and how they have been re-branding offerings, utilizing their time off, changing their mindsets and preparing for a future with live events back in action.
While I won't be returning to my pre-pandemic property, I am gearing up for my next adventure at a new hotel as director of events. To prepare for… more
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Mar 25, 2021
Last year, I took the Yale certificate course on the science of wellbeing. This fascinating topic really hit home with me. I started to dig into more of what makes long-term happiness sustainable. Once I grasped Yale’s model behind sustainable wellbeing, I started translating that to my events and to my daily life to test it out. It turns out that Yale was on to something. Below are some tips and tricks to make your events (and perhaps your personal life) more joyful!
1. Human Connection
We all crave some sort of human interaction — even introverts like myself weren’t spared when the… more
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Mar 18, 2021
Before the pandemic, brands were investing in the consumer experience more than ever. Pop-up shops, interactive ads and more helped brands deepen their connections with customers, which is critical because nearly three out of four consumers believe real-life connection is essential to companies’ success. But it all came to a halt with the pandemic’s limitations on in-person gatherings.
When quarantine and social distancing restrictions became the new normal, the events industry faced two choices: adapt or sink. Industry professionals quickly traded in-person events for digital experiences,… more
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Mar 10, 2021
There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed the way we live our everyday lives. From the way we socialize to the way we work, no aspect of life seems to be left untouched, and business travel is no exception.
Before COVID-19 had a profound effect on the travel industry, business travelers were hopping on planes each week to meet with coworkers, attend conferences and network at corporate events — then all of that came to a halt. However, meeting planners and business travelers are adapting to the ever-changing environment to continue moving forward and safely meet in-person. One way to… more
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Mar 02, 2021
The Pandemic has dramatically changed speaker sourcing and performance. Last year saw far fewer bookings, compelled most professionals to reskill and revamp content for virtual, lower their pricing and become more flexible. Many trends will endure as in-person events return - here are a few to consider:
Content and Formats:
Pre-recorded virtual talks reduce risk while enabling questions afterwards. This enables better participation from those in different time zones, too.
In-person engagements are adding webinars at a later date for more value and extended learning.
Fireside chats/AMA (… more
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Feb 25, 2021
Football season has officially come to a close, and although each coach, player, sports network and viewer fumbled their way through it during a pandemic, they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Despite a lot of adversity and controversy over the risks, both the collegiate and pro leagues adapted accordingly. The football season offered fans all over the nation a tiny hint of familiarity to see players in pads and helmets execute a game that represents so much tradition and nostalgia.
Think about all the work that went into executing every single game to ensure the loyal fans, or the “… more
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Feb 16, 2021
When the global outbreak of COVID-19 became a reality last March, we saw in-person events disappear and the humble “pivot” made its leap from relative obscurity to the word of the season in the event industry.
Brands and their agencies knew that despite everything, the show still had to go on — the need to communicate with audiences, engage customers, inspire employees or launch products hadn’t gone anywhere.
In the early days of the “Great Pivot,” most of our time and energy was spent on practical matters. With so much in flux and such unfamiliarity with the new terrain, events were… more
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Feb 12, 2021
What does being a “change agent” mean to you? Odds are, you already are one even if you don’t realize it! With 2020 being a pivotal year for us all, shift happened in a big way. I am certain that almost all of us received a big lesson on not only how to be an agent of change in our professional lives, but our personal ones, as well.
What is an agent of change?
An agent of change is anyone from inside or outside an organization who helps an organization to transform how it operates. A change agent will promote, champion, enable and support change. Does this sound like you? If this isn’t… more
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Feb 05, 2021
For months, I have been listening to my colleagues and friends in the event industry and everyone has had the same question rolling around in our minds: when can large-scale events come back? At the beginning of the pandemic, we thought it would be Fall 2020 but clearly that didn’t happen. With the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine underway, many are seeing it as a sign of hope that we could be back in convention centers and ballrooms later this year.
However, I have another thought on the timeline and here it is:
If planned and delivered following the federal and state recommended COVID… more
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Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is more