We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
July 26
Washington Convention Center
The Industry
conference planning
The Attendees
350 association and government meeting planners striving to stretch budgets and boost attendance
The Issues
•Rocking the Boat: Meetings at Sea offers a change of pace, but what about attendees prone to seasickness? “It’s mostly perception,” replied a company representative, explaining that wing-like stabilizers keep ships balanced, that planners could choose to cruise in calmer waters, and that attendees can be given anti-nausea wristbands.
•Meeting Monetization: Tired of bare-bones, amenity-deprived confabs? Offer sponsorships for events within the event: Sponsor executives get to introduce each speaker, delivering business pitches at the same time. The approach was demo’d all day, with introducers for the introducers.
•Shogun of Slogans: Keynote speaker Simon T. Bailey, author of Release Your Brilliance, released a hailstorm of inspirational adages including “Making a mistake doesn’t mean you are a mistake”; “Feedback is the breakfast of champions”; “Find an environment where you are celebrated, not tolerated”; “Brilliance is a marathon, not a sprint”; and, for those facing ageism, “You’re like a fine wine; you only get better with time.”
•Making a Splash: One seminar’s suggestions for “up-selling” sponsors included putting the sponsor’s logo on event literature, plaques on hand-cream dispensers, and signs above urinals.—Rob Tierney