We all know the power a great speaker holds in transforming an event from good to unforgettable. Last year, you helped us spotlight those who inspire, energize, and connect us in the most profound ways. It’s that time again to raise the curtain on our 2nd annual Smart Speakers: Best of the Stage Award. This year, we’ve added exciting new categories to showcase the diverse talents that have enriched our events. From laughter to wisdom, every nomination brings to light those who have changed lives, driven revenue, and strengthened community bonds. Your nomination not only celebrates their contri ..read more

Haley Kennel Haley Kennel, The Windsor Court New Orleans hotel The Windsor Court promotes Kennel to director of catering and conference services. She will oversee all catering and conference planning at the property. Since joining The Windsor Court five years ago as corporate sales/events manager, she has consistently generated new business. Through partnerships with the hotel’s culinary team, she has completely overhauled the property’s banquet menus to achieve highly celebrated offerings. Carrie Felix Carrie Felix, Cuthbert House Felix is appointed to the role of general manager at Cuthbert ..read more

Calling all bookworms, poets, dreamers and creatives Writers and novelists have long found refuge in hotels: as a space to write, to find inspiration or simply to get away from the day-to-day and refresh the mind. The literary hotels you’ll find below are go-to’s for those who love literature and art in all its forms. Each space has seen iconic achievements from celebrated creatives, and they all offer space for events. Setting that have seen world-changing work produced within its walls and inspired creative icons, like the ones you’ll find below, will no doubt provide the backdrop for a meet ..read more

The secret to planning a not-boring virtual event might be to pull a George Costanza. In an infamous Seinfeld episode, the character decides to do the opposite of what his gut tells him to see if his luck changes. Entrepreneur Jay Schwedelson, who started the wildly popular Guru Media Hub virtual conferences in 2021 to engage with marketers, thinks a similar approach can turn around digital events. The Constaza spin: His large-scale virtual GURU conferences prioritize fun. Guess what? People want to go. How to Keep Virtual Attendees Engaged What’s fun in a virtual conference for marketers? “Do ..read more

Time for a confession. Between 2021 and 2022, I committed the error of typing the phrase “the future is hybrid” not once, but seven times and even titled an early 2023 story “The Future is Hybrid-ish.” Mea culpa. That was back in the day when the streaming tech neighborhood of IMEX America sprawled across the middle of the show floor, and VCs were throwing money at companies with names like TeeVid, Eventory and ShoFlo. Insights resource Crunchbase estimated that in 2020 and 2021, more than $1.5 billion was invested in virtual and hybrid event companies. Today, many are running leaner versions ..read more

Spaces built to streamline community-building New and renovated debuts bring thoughtfully designed spaces that help to make authentic gathering easier than ever. These venues and meeting spaces are committed to being a space that facilitates community-building. All do well to also weave the special flavor of each of their destinations throughout, so your attendees walk away with both a fantastic meeting memory and an outstanding destination experience. Meet Among the City Streets Venue 42 by Convene Venue 42 by Convene brings 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting and conference space to the fifth floor of ..read more

Luxury language and presentation tips IACC 2024 in Basking Ridge, New Jersey was centered around empowering attendees to be seen, heard and respected as they drive their careers forward as leaders in the meetings and events industry. Quinn Conyers was the keynote speaker to kick off the event, driving home her message of self-presentation and “luxury language to be an effective leader.” Smart Meetings was also privileged to be a judge for IACC Americas Innovations Workshop. The presenters included Capital One, Verizon The Ridge Hotel, Swedish Meetings, FLIK Conference Centers, De Vere Hotels a ..read more

Do you know the reasons your attendees show up at your events? And why do they wait so long to register, anyway? A new study, aptly named “Registration Insights Report: Optimizing revenue and attendance in the face of new attendee behavior” by Maritz revealed a changing model for getting people to fill out those increasingly long forms, sooner. Spoiler alert: It isn’t early bird discounts. Emily Laufgraben Emily Laufgraben, Maritz market insights manager, noticed a vacuum in behavioral data about what is driving people from diverse industries to register for events post-Covid. “There’s a lot o ..read more

The 11th International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Women’s Leadership Forum was a wake-up call for event professionals looking to take their careers to the next level while balancing their personal lives. “It was a safe space to come together, be themselves and talk freely without being judged,” said Marsha Flanagan, new president of the organization founded almost 100 years ago. To level the playing field during the day-long event, name badges did not include titles for the 250 women who gathered in the nation’s capital at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in concert wit ..read more

Make your summer meetings meaningful and memorable with these tips and trends Summer is approaching fast and meeting professionals want to stay up to date on every seasonal trend. This summer is looking at experiential travel—whether that be a relaxing health and wellness retreat, a culturally rich destination or an environmentally conscious and responsible gathering, summer 2024 trends are geared towards progressive practices. Smart Meetings has curated a list of the hottest trends and destinations meeting planners will want to consider when planning a meeting or conference this summer. With ..read more