Speaker(s): Heather Grobaski

1 Clock Hour | Domain ​G: ​Meeting ​or ​Event ​Design

Over the past month, planners are faced with the challenge of transitioning their events to the virtual world. Join Grubhub for an insightful conversation about how meals can bring everyone to the table while they log in remotely, driving not only attendance but also engagement from attendees.

By attending this session you will learn ...

1. How to increase registrations and engagement to maximize event ROI

2. Ideas for using food to enhance the event experience

3. An actionable, cost-effective plan for delivering attendee meals

Speaker(s): Rachelle Stone

1 Clock Hour | Domain E: Human Resources

Stress is commonplace for those who work in the meetings industry. “Event Planner” continues to land in the top five - on the top 10 list - of the most stressful careers year after year. And, in 2019 the World Health Organization formally recognized that burnout is caused by “chronic workplace stress that is not properly managed”. While those in this industry are ‘used’ to some level of stress, it seems that it is not going to lighten up anytime soon – for anyone.

While the WHO has defined and recognized burnout and its cause, they offer no direction on prevention or recovery. Hitting burnout can be painful, lifechanging and expensive and every human effort should be made to avoid it. There are ways to avoid it when adjustments are made early enough. Today, hear from a 25+ year meetings executive who left the industry after her own experience with burnout. Her story, what to look for, what it looks like if you do nothing about it, and immediate (and simple!) ways you can protect yourself from falling into the burnout rut.

Learner Outcomes: 

1. Participants will gain a clear understanding of what causes burnout, what it looks like and its cost.

2. Participants will learn the signs to look for in themselves that may indicate they are heading towards burnout and the potential impact on their body and lives.

3. Participants will learn the first line of defense simple adjustments to make in their lives to ensure their stress remains manageable and doesn’t lead to burnout.

Speaker(s): Lori Pugh Marcum, CMP, CMM, HMCC, CED | Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, Ph.D.

2 Clock Hours | Domain G: Meeting & Event Design

Session 1: Case In Point Lessons Learned from a 12-hour GMID Virtual Broadcast 

On April 14, MPI hosted a 12-hour virtual broadcast, bringing together 11,000 community members from around the world for a solutions and action-based summit for Global Meetings Industry Day: Virtual. What was supposed to be a broadcast of streaming live events from across the globe quickly pivoted to a community-driven educational experience broadcast from the home offices of experts, panels from divergent places and a production team working remotely. What lessons did MPI learn from this experience, what will MPI do differently next time and how can organizations be agile enough to make changes when crises occur. Join us for this candid conversation on digital broadcast events—one of the many types of virtual experiences that can help bring communities together. Then, buckle in for a rebroadcast of some of the highlights from the day.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discover the lessons MPI learned from its DIY, at-home Global Meetings Industry Day: Virtual broadcast.
2. Learn best practices in digital from your peers around the world.
3. Problem-solve some of your biggest virtual event challenges.

Session 2: Cultivating True Success in the “New Normal”

We are living in unprecedented times that are and will continue to evolve and change our lives forever. How can you cultivate True Success in the New Normal? America’s Most Trusted Celebrity Psychologist, Dr. E, will take you through three vital steps to help you flourish, regardless of what is happening in the world.

Learning Objectives:

1. Name the three pillars of the True Success Formula so that you may apply them in your life.
2. Discover how to enrich your sense of purpose, even during challenging times.
3. Formulate personalized action steps to help you cultivate your True Success.

Speaker(s): Joanne Dennison, MSEd, CMP

Not for Clock Hour Credit 

Have Questions about the CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) Process? There are approximately 11,000 CMP’s worldwide. Have you wondered if it was something you should do? Have lots of questions? Wondering if the things you have been told are true?

This session will cover:

• • Overview of the Certified Meeting Professional designation
  • What you need to apply
  • What materials you need to prepare
  • Information about the structure of the exam (not material on the exam)
  • Where to find resources you may need
  • And your questions!

Join industry icon and thought leader Joanne Dennison, CMP, MSEd, for this information session to learn more about the CMP designation, how to apply, sitting for the exam and more!

You'll be able to:

• Discover the key components of the Certified Meeting Professional designation.
• Ask questions about the CMP process.
• Identify what you need to apply and prepare for the exam.

This session is graciously sponsored by: 

Speaker(s): Tracy Stuckrath

1 Clock Hour | Domain C: Risk Management 

While COVID-19 has not been proven to be transferable through food, can it theoretically be possible? Think about all the touch points there is with the food and beverage we serve at events. Food safety is something planners often overlook, relying on caterers to handle. In the new normal, what do we need to consider about our attendees safety as it relates to the food and beverage we serve them. Buffets vs plated vs boxed? Single-serve prepackaged food? How many people do we sit at table = social distancing? Do we need to add sneeze guards? F&B costs are already high, what if we need to have more servers so to serve the buffets? Do we need to add hand washing stations to the rooms? Do we go back to using bottled water vs. water jugs.

Learner Outcomes:
1. Learn the what questions you should ask food service providers about their food safety practices.

2. Familiarize yourself with food safety policies and practices required of food service providers

3. Discover ways to provide safe food and beverage experiences easily.

Speaker(s): Martin Hanneman

1 Clock Hour | Domain C: Risk Management 

As the world recovers from the current crisis, and clients start to hold events again, identifying and reducing risk in the post-Coronavirus period will be vital to ensure safety, reputation, financial viability. This session discusses the importance of an integrated and formalized risk management process in event planning, as well as some of the new risks and associated contingencies that are likely to be the new norm for events in the near future.

Learner Outcomes:

1. Understand the importance of integrating formalized risk management processes into event planning teams.

2. Identify potential high-risk issues related to post-Coronavirus programs in order to inform event design.

3. Develop simple event contingency plans to facilitate a coordinated response to emergencies and lower overall risk levels.

Speaker(s): Nikole Fridenmaker | Christine Couvelier | Will Curran | Brandt Krueger

3 Clock Hours | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design

Content May Be King – But How Well It Is Delivered Can Make Or Break Your Event

Presented by: Nikole Fridenmaker

Most business events have goals or outcomes around two common areas, networking, and education. If you orchestrate an amazing networking event but your education falls flat, eventually your participation will dwindle. When people commit to spending their time at your event or their money, they typically want to leave with skills, trends, new ideas that they can help implement with their own organization, for their own professional or personal development.

As the planners and organizers of these events, it’s critical that we place enough time and focus to develop a stellar education program and process. It doesn’t matter if you have the budget to pay speakers or if your speakers participate without compensation, the process and the content still need your expertise and curation.

During this session, we will walk through some best practices on how to attract outstanding speakers, how to evaluate outstanding speakers plus how to help your speakers improve and maximize their connection with the attendees. However, the work isn’t done on the last day of the event. There are ways to keep speakers engaged, your stakeholders and attendees engaged and motivate your speakers to improve and keep coming back with bigger and better topics.

Key Take-Aways:

1. Participants will be able to evaluate and create a complete, well-developed process for their speaker and education needs, as well as their goals and outcomes for the life-cycle of the event (pre-event, event, post-event).

2. By participating in this session, planners will be able to apply simple techniques that will elevate the quality of their speakers, speaker selection and education outcomes.

3. By the conclusion, participants will be able to organize and implement an intentional plan to help grow and improve their speakers.

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This Is What Tomorrow Tastes Like!

Presented by: Christine Couvelier

Is popcorn the new potato chip? What is a pink lemon blueberry? Peek inside the next breadbasket ~ You can design food experiences, food news & food tastes. Think about Innovation Imagination as we explore the next emerging, developing and existing food trends & learn how to get the most out of your f&b budgets for your events.

Key Take-Aways:

1. Be inspired by the next tastes and trends & get great tips to turn them into food memories at events.

2. Creative solutions for speaking with F&B departments & getting the most of your food & beverage budgets.

3. Find out where to look for new tastes in the food world & how to translate them into great-tasting menu items.

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Designing Your Event with Connectivity in Mind

Presented by: Brandt Krueger and Will Curran

As an #EventProf your mind is running in a million directions when planning events. You need to think about the visual design, create engaging content, and of course, the overall experience of your event. But have you thought about connectivity design for events? On average attendees have at least two devices on them at events. If they can’t connect or have a bad connection, it could ruin their experience, and tank your event! Attendees have been known to walk out of an event if they can’t connect. This doesn’t have to happen to you! In this session, we will teach you how to make sure you have the best connectivity so your guests can connect with ease to your event app, social media, live streams and more. Hint: it’s more than just wifi!

Key Take-Aways:

1. Learn the basics of internet connectivity, including WiFi and “hard-line” connections

2. Learn about the modern connection requirements your attendees and partners demand, and tactical tips to keep them connected in the best way possible.

3. Start having productive conversations with stakeholders, venues, technology providers, and beyond!

This Session Graciously Sponsored by: 

Speaker(s): John Foster, JD, CHME

1 Clock Hour | Domain C: Risk Management 

Coronavirus has captured the attention of the entire world, but the meetings and travel industry have been hit harder than most others. This session will discuss the Coronavirus and the decisions meeting sponsors are having to make whether the Event is a go or no-go and whether the Force Majeure Clause is applicable. We will also cover the legal standards that apply to all Force Majeure Clauses in contracts and what they need to say to protect meeting sponsors in the future. What about insurance? Do any policies cover this risk?

This session is a must-attend for all meeting/convention/event planners who are making decisions on both their current meeting plans and future contracts. This session will have important information for suppliers as well.

Learner Outcomes:

1. Define when Coronavirus, or any other calamity, is a Force majeure;

2. Understand how Force Majeure clauses are interpreted and the role of “foreseeability” when preparing the clauses;

3. Define the meaning of Impossibility, Illegality, Commercial Impracticability, and Frustration of Purpose and how contract law applies these terms

Speaker(s): Brandt Krueger

1 Clock Hour | Domain C: Risk Management

Here’s the deal: Hacking is no longer just a bunch of teenagers in their mom’s basement. It’s big business, and they’re looking for every possible opportunity to get the goods on high-value individuals, companies, and organizations. When Target was hacked, it was through their HVAC supplier. Home Depot? Another third party supplier. What does that mean for you? If you’re doing events for financial, medical, or any large-scale event, YOU ARE A TARGET. And with everyone making a mad dash for getting their events online, there’s even more opportunity for bad actors.

While your software providers may offer “military-grade encryption”, if you or someone on your team is compromised, you could be handing over your attendees’ data to any number of malicious actors. There are simple things you can do to help protect yourself and your attendees' data, so let’s work through them together.

Learner Outcomes:

1. Participants will learn how and why the meeting and events industry has become a target for malicious cyber attacks.
2. Participants will gain a greater understanding of the most common methods used by attackers.
3. Participants will learn simple and concrete methods for protecting themselves and their attendees’ data.

Speaker(s): Amani Roberts

1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing