The international effort for society to become more environmentally conscious has undoubtedly began to affect the events industry, as many corporations and event planners have made substantial efforts to decrease their carbon footprint across the board. The difference between this “trend” and others is this one is not going anywhere; in fact “green” events will eventually become normalcy as suppliers bend their business models and operations to fit the demand of their clients. In an interview with Special Event Magazine, San Francisco-based Global Gourmet Catering’s Director of Sales & Marketing was quoted stating “We won a $250,000 piece of business recently away from a competitor because of our eco-friendly practices, where they lack.” SEM also spoke with San Francisco event producer Robert Fountain where he discussed “My clients are still interested in going green (in this economy), especially the non profits. It’s all about the appearance.” As planners begin to stretch their wings with green events, this notion of appearance has also become an important aspect as a décor theme. The term “Eco-Chic” has been coined to describe this newly found esthetic, blending earthy materials and products with a classy elegance.
Entries for month: April 2010
As a meeting planner working with professional speakers is part of day to day life. During the current economic situation the steps during the initial communication and negotiation process have changed in many ways. For many corporations, the goals for their events have also changed. Many are not going after the big name celebrities for keynotes or huge musical acts for their receptions; planners are choosing speakers that fit in with a particular message that the company is trying to relay to their employees. Shawn Ellis, founder and president of The Speakers Group during an interview with MPI One Magazine discusses that “There is definitely a trend toward higher-level content”. Depending on the speaker and the demand for a particular topic, some speakers are lowering their rates where as others that discuss topics in high demand such as Recession based topics and ROI are raising their rates. Throughout these changes here are some things to keep in mind during negotiations with speakers.
With the registration deadline for the CMP exam coming up in May, study groups are well on their way preparing attendees for the next step in the career of a meeting or events professional. The CMP program was established in 1985 for those that have reached the industries highest standard of professionalism. The certification is received by accumulating points through various factors. The application process is divided into five sections, experience in meeting management, management responsibility, education and continuing education, as well as professional contributions to the industry. Applicants must then pass a written examination covering all aspects of the meetings and conventions industry, from room sets to audio visual information. There are currently just over 13,000 individuals in 35 countries that have received their CMP designation.
It is evident that Central Ohio is growing rapidly. With the immense amount of construction projects popping up around the city businesses are defiantly starting to notice a trend. On March 2nd at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 850 local business leaders gathered for the Experience Columbus Annual Meeting to receive more in-depth knowledge of the changes that are taking place throughout the city.
With any major event there are countless hurdles to jump over in order to ensure the success of your event. As industry peers we can all relate to the hectic, spur of the moment decisions that can either make or break an event. Now sometimes the hurdles are short and you can quickly move forward, but there are also those times when each hurdle seems to take all your energy to leap over. But what happens when that hurdle is replaced with a ring of fire? Getting past that obstacle requires years of professional experience and expertise. This is just the case with Mark Wallissa and his staff’s efforts that enabled the 2010 MPI MidAmerica Conference to overcome a fire scare at the Savannah Center prior to Monday morning’s opening session in West Chester, Ohio.
