1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

Mobile apps enhance the experience of event attendees…if they use it. Let’s discuss the right strategies to ensuring app adoption, reaching high-level of engagement, setting measurable objectives, allocating resources and building effective communication that keep you, your vendors and your event attendees all on the same page.

Learner Outcomes:

• Consider ways you can optimize your event app—for you attendees, your stakeholders and your organization.
• Learn best practices in event app use and management.
• Find new ways you can utilize apps to meet your business objectives.

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Hybrid is the breakout star of the meeting industry, but it requires meeting professionals to stretch their creativity, strategizing, execution and measurement and integrate technology with traditional live events to create new types of experiences and content delivery tools. Discover the basic tools and skills you need to take your event online to a broader audience, and increase you reach to an increasingly diverse audience.

• Find the basic building blocks you will need to use to implement a successful hybrid event.
• Understand the full hybrid event process--from defining your objectives to content design and engagement to measuring and reporting the effectiveness of your event.
• Review successful hybrid models from today's top companies.

This Session Graciously Sponsored by Visit San Jose

1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

The way people interact has changed a lot in the last few years. This includes participants' interactions at meetings and events. Consider findings from recent global research from the International Association of Conference Centres into meeting surroundings—not only the rooms themselves, but also the spaces where delegates congregate, network and socialize. Understand how the meeting space affects learning and networking, and ultimately the goals and objectives of your meetings and events.

Learner Outcomes:

• Learn how different meeting rooms support learning outcomes and help maximize meeting ROI.
• Develop a better understanding of how technology can help build multi-way communication in the room and for virtual participants.
• Consider the different venue types and non-traditional room layouts that help foster connections between and among delegates.

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 Graciously Sponsored by MGM and IMEX Group

1 Clock Hour | Domain F: Stakeholder Management 

There are many local and national events for the LGBTQ community, including many with a specific focus on those who are transgender or gender fluid. This session will give you the tools and know-how to confidently sell, market to and serve this emerging market, and will provide tips to avoid misgendering or displaying unconscious bias towards your LGBTQ guests. Our goal is to ensure that both sales and marketing teams and front line employees feel comfortable and confident serving all guests regardless of their gender identity.

Learner Outcomes

• Discover some of the largest LGBTQ events to target as a host venue.
• Learn how NOT to display unconscious bias or misgender a guest
• Discover some best practices for successful onsite event management during a transgender or genderfluid event.

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Meetings will never go away. As businesses continue to tighten the bottom line, some meetings will get canceled, consolidated, reduced in size or executed virtually, but people will always need to meet face to face. The way meetins are conducted, however, is rapidly changing. And meeting planners need to stay on top of technological advances, corporate initiatives, budget restrictions, attendee expectations, meeting innovations and organizational goals or risk becoming obsolete. Don't just adapt; innovate. As a meeting professional, you have more power than you think. In this session, you'll learn three small ways you can make a big difference.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance of proving your worth and the value of your work
• Discover simple ways to plan more sustainable meetings
• Understand the connection between meeting design and audience behavior

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Attendees of all ages are increasingly interested in the environmental and social impact of the meetings and events they attend, and meeting professionals across the globe are racing to catch up in their actual event logistical practices. You may have the third “P” down (profit), but how are you addressing people and planet at your meetings and events? Learn how meeting professionals across the globe are embracing social and environmental practices in new and unique ways, and discover easy things you and your partners can do to get started on impactful social and environmental programs.

Learning Outcomes:

• Discover why it is important to address social and environmental impact at your meetings.
• Learn best practices from professionals around the world.
• Create a plan for including some social and environmental practices at your events.

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Your organization has been considering the option of holding meetings in Mexico, but you’re not sure why it makes a good business decision. Discover Mexico’s competitive advantages, tax incentives, overall connectivity, and business clusters by industry, and how they make the country an ideal partner for your meetings. Clear up some common misconceptions about the “language barrier” and more. Then, learn from several key regions (Los Cabos, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara and Monterrey) about hotel infrastructure, venues, air connectivity and leisure attractions.

Learner Outcomes:

• Learn about tax incentives, connectivity and business in Mexico.
• Clear up common misconceptions about meetings in Mexico.
• Discover several key regions and the options they provide for your meetings and events.

1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

Event planners are rethinking the way they create experiences. In this session, learn how to create a wave of experiences using an interactive mobile event app that balances both passive and active interaction. From considerations and requirements to enhancing two-way, co-creative experiences to weaving the attendee experience into your event program right from the start, you'll be ready to run a memorable and enduring event.

Learning Objectives

• Discover how to create pre-event moments, attendee connections and collaboration
• Implement strategies that ensure participants are engaged in the moment, inspired to share, and stay focused on the event
• Maximize thte experience long after the event is over and demonstrate event success like never before

1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

All to common is the plight of terrible Internet in our event spaces. With the increase in use of mobile applications, session streaming and press coverage, a failure of Wi-Fi or network support can prove catastrophic for your meetings. Discover what goes into the successful implementation of Wi-Fi for your events. Touching on some brief technical concepts, discover the factors necessary to offering appropriate service for your events and learn what questions you need to be asking your AV/IT teams.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover the disilusions of the grandiose myth of "free Wi-Fi"
• Define the aspects of truly successful event Wi-Fi and technoogy implementation
• Receive a set of questions that you can use as tools when planning event Wi-Fi needs