1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing

Meeting planning professionals spend lots of time communicating, often in written form. Poorly written messages can be hurried or unclear, cause a need to double back too often. Beware! Mistakes in writing can affect your reputation and credibility as well as your productivity.

This webinar with Barbara McNichol serves as an insightful refresher for using fundamental writing skills well. Fun and interactive, you’ll focus on specific techniques to improve everything you write.

Learner Outcomes:

• Write more clearly with fewer words: Whack Wordiness
• Employ a planning tool to set objectives
• Tap into the Power of 3 in your writing
• Use parallel structure to add rhythm and cadence
• Punctuate and proofread with fresh eyes before sending it out
• Differentiate between commonly misused words: Word Trippers

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Change is constant in all industries, which is reflected even to a greater extent in the meeting industry.  Knowing how to deal with change effectively and purposefully is a critical skill toward success.  Learn the science behind change resistance, and effective strategies for overcoming obstacles and improving change management skills and agility in a fast-paced market. 

Learner Outcomes:

• Learn what science has to say about resistance to change
• Identify and crush potential obstacles in a change saturated environment
• Master the CHANGE model for powerful change management strategies
• Master powerful strategies for maintaining and increasing motivation of self and others in a change saturated environment

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Meeting professionals are so over-taxed in the present, they often forget—or don't have the time—to look ahead. Take a moment to preview the future based on MPI's most recent Meetings Outlook research, published quarterly in The Meeting Professional magazine and then discuss the trends that are most affecting you and your peers. Brainstorm ways to start planning for the uncertain future with case studies and best practices from around the globe.

Learner Outcomes:

• Review the forecast for events in the coming year, including budget, attendance and business conditions
• Deep dive into trends that matter and discuss next steps with your peers
• Learn how these trends affect you and the future of your meetings

This Session is Graciously Sponsored by MGM Resorts and IMEX Group

.50 Clock Hours | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Meeting professionals see many challenges as they look to the future of events, and one of the biggest is how to make better technology decisions in the face of so much choice. Discover a framework to refer to when considering and investing in technology. From virtual reality and telepresence to RFID and near-field communication make sure you making the best technology decisions based on a system that prepares you for the future and the technological changes that come with it.

Learner Outcomes:

• Discover the advantages and disadvantages of leasing and buying.
• Learn how to manage technological risks by asking the right questions and finding the best options.
• Find out how to move forward with confidence when investing in technology.

This Session Graciously Sponsored by Explore Asheville

1 Clock Hour | Domain E: Human Resources

Generally speaking, about 20 percent to 30 percent of hospitality and service industry workers are immigrants. As the Trump Administration moves to reduce immigration, explore the potential impact on the hospitality and service industry with legal experts from employment law firm Campbell Litigation.

Learner Outcomes:

• Learn legal options for immigrants to continue working in the hospitality and service industry
• Consider the impact of the Trump administration’s push to reduce immigration
• Develop a better understanding of how hospitality and service organizations rely on immigrants to fill their workforce

1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

The success of your meetings relies on the power to motivate your attendees through obstacles, challenges and often outside of their comfort zones to communicate effectively and foster learning and engagement.  In the meeting industry, we often refer to motivating our attendees, but how does motivation actually work in our minds? And how do we actually go about it in the most effective manner?  Learn the science behind creating engagement and motivation so that you can design experiences in a more strategic and powerful manner.

Discover ways to keep yourself, your clients and your audiences motivated, focused and engaged.

Learner Outcomes:

• Master the 0-10 Rule for motivating and engaging others
• Identify and crush potential obstacles to motivating and engaging audiences
• Master the ENGAGE model for motivating audiences
• Master the five steps toward motivating and engaging event participants

1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

Today’s event attendees are looking for meaningful, memorable and enriching experiences more so than ever before, and the stakes are higher!  Context for delivering your corporate message will significantly impact how well it resonates and changes behavior, perception of your brand, or the motivation to act.  In this session, using Event Canvas methodology and tools, we unpeel the layers of how to identify your stakeholders, how to empathize with them and their needs, and to design programs that appeal. We’ll also look at how to create memorable and meaningful itineraries and agendas so that the event experiences resonate with your attendees and leave them feeling recognized, celebrated and engaged. The results can ultimately translate into higher satisfaction, loyalty, engagement and profitability!

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify and understand who are your stakeholders and what they want and need
• Problem-solve with peers to identify solutions to your design challenges
• Discover how you can implement effective design techniques with limited or no budget adjustments
• Walk away with new approaches and ideas for your next event!

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning  

Are you delivering on the objectives of the Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) attending your Medical Meetings?

Join the session to better understand how healthcare professionals decide whether or not to attend a professional meeting or event, and what meeting professionals can do to maximize upon the educational objectives of HCPs.

New research titled, The Science Of Healthcare Professional Meetings, explores the optimum meeting duration and time away from the practice for healthcare professionals. Discover some of the most challenging factors impacting HCP attendance at scientific meetings, and how the growing number of digitally native HCPs are impacting the content and format desires of healthcare meetings. HCPs want to expand their knowledge, connect with peers and discuss new advances in treatment, but are they content with traditional formats, or are they seeking more inventive and innovative solutions?

Learning Outcomes:

• Discover findings from recent research into why healthcare providers attend meetings and events
• Learn how maximizing content and networking at a medical meeting can impact attendee experience
• Discuss whether or not traditional meeting formats are still viable, and what's on the horizon healthcare meetings and events

This Session Graciously Sponsored by Experience Scottsdale

1 Clock Hour | Domain E:  Human Resources 

Hospitality and service industry workers have a right to a safe workplace. What does this mean? Join legal experts from employment law firm Campbell Litigation and explore key concepts of a safe workplace in the hospitality and service industry, including most common violations and guidance for limiting liability.

Learner Outcomes:

• Learn key principles of a safe workplace in the hospitality and service industry
• Consider the most common OSHA violations in the hospitality industry
• Develop a better understanding of how to minimize the risk of workplace injuries and keep proper records

1 Clock Hour | Domain D: Financial Management

Meeting demand is up, way up and new hotel room supply is low, especially in the four and five star brands. In 2015, hotel occupancy, average daily rate and RevPar (revenue per available room) was an all-time high. In this high impact workshop, attendees will learn specific methods to utilize a strategic RFP process and assess their leverage based on multiple hotel revenue management criteria. The ultimate focus is on value based negotiations, cast savings, hotel contract risk reduction / cost containment and improving hotelier communications and partnerships.

Learner Outcomes:

• Understand issues and trends that impact hotelier and meeting planner negotiations
• Discuss essential components of hotel revenue management and hotel profit centers
• Review methods to assess your leverage from each RFP and create a negotiations plan

This Session Graciously Sponsored by Experience Scottsdale