Top 10 Blogs by Meeting Planners

The way we conduct business in the meetings and events industry is changing.  Our industry has always been “social” in that we attend lots of industry events, network at tradeshows, etc.  But now the way we sell is becoming social.  (For a great article on what it means to be a social sales person, check out Michael Brenner’s A Day in the Life of a SocialSalesperson).

It used to be that to know someone we’d have to spend time to develop the relationship in person or over the phone.  But now there are copious amounts of information online for suppliers to know more about their market.  Want to know more about a particular meeting planner’s background?  Check it out on LinkedIn.  Want to know what planners are talking about now?  Look up the chatter on Twitter.

But if you want deeper insight about what matters to planners, what keeps them up at night, find out what thought leaders in the field are blogging about.  Here is a round-up of 10 event professionals whose blogs and tweets I follow regularly to keep a finger on the pulse of the meetings industry:

Cara Tracy / @cjtracy: Cara’s posts should be on every hotel or CVB salesperson’s reading list.  She gives frank advice on to best get her attention as a meeting planner.  And she understands suppliers because she used to be one herself!

Tahira Endean / @TahiraCreates: Tahira is Director, Creative and Production, for Cantrav Services, a DMC in Vancouver, but this blog is her own (Cantrav also has a great blog featuring other writers).  As she says, she is, “passionate about my family, friends, events and experiences.” (Note: heartfelt thanks to Tahira who shared with me her list of favourite blogs a few months ago.  Many are included in this list as well)

Jeff Hurt / @JeffHurt:  Jeff is a prolific writer and I often retweet his posts on audience engagement and making meetings more relevant.  Being aware of the challenges that planners face in demonstrating the value of their meeting programs I believe makes any supplier better prepared to meet to their clients’ needs.

Jenise Fryatt / @JeniseFryatt: Jenise is uber-connected in the meetings industry and her blog often features interviews with planner and other meetings industry influencers from around the world.  She also writes insightful pieces about difficult issues – one such post is: Alarm Bells are Ringing, But Is the Event Industry Listening?

Judy Kucharuk / @judylaine: I met Judy at the Green Meetings Industry Council Conference in Montreal in 2012 and instantly liked her outgoing and giving personality.  She’s an independent planner with a passion for sustainable events and a great sense of humour.

Shawna McKinley / @S_McKinley: By her own admission, Shawna has, “made a career walking in the space between event planning, travel and tourism, environmental education and sustainable business consulting.”  Great blog with lots of ideas and resources and a links to even more.

Adrian Segar / @ASegar: Adrian is the author of Conferences that Work: Creating Events that People Love.  His blog is full of advice for planners on how to make theirs the type of events where people truly connect and learn.  While many of the blogs out there focus on technology, I have found Adrian’s posts to be refreshingly participant-focused.    

Mariela McIlwraith & Elizabeth Henderson / @MeetingChange: This blog started with a bent on sustainability, but it has morphed into a very insightful resource for planners. Some of my favourite posts include: It’s Time for Associations to Transform and Gamification Framework for Meetings.

Liz King / @LizKingEvents: Liz is a New York City-based independent planner with a love for technology and social media, but she and her guest bloggers touch on a wide range of meetings industry topics, from CSR to branding and crisis communication.

Julius Solaris / @tojulius: Julius and a host of guest bloggers provide a great perspective on events (with many from Europe), regarding event marketing (a.k.a. “heads in beds” and filling room blocks!), technology, trends and lots more.

My hope with this list is that you find some great insights – and possibly some “meeting intelligence” – for the next time you’re looking to connect with a meeting planner. 

Now are there any blogs or folks you follow that we should add to the list?  

What Kind of Social Media Golfer Are You?

Ladies' Twilight foursome:
Janet, Doreen, Joy & Claire at the
Glengarry Golf & Country Club

As I was cleaning my golf clubs over the weekend I began to think how golf and social media have a lot in common.  I know you must be thinking, but hear me out.

Just as in golf, social media has “pros” who have thousands of followers – and likely an army to help them manage their networks.  And then there’s the rest of us who get out there and muddle through.

For good golfers it makes a difference whether they use a 5 wood or a 3 iron for a shot.   For a duffer like me, playing with a driver, a 4 iron and a putter is usually enough to get me through a 9-hole round with my ladies’ twilight league on Thursdays.

I’m often in awe of social media experts who are not only on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook but also on Pinterest, Vine, AboutMe, Google+ and a host of others.  Compared to them, I feel like an amateur!

But is that really justified?  Recently at the Caesars Windsor’s Meeting Planner Symposium, I facilitated a social media session where all three of our expert panellists reiterated that social media doesn’t have to be a game where you must use all the tools available.  Rachel Stephan of event marketing firm les sens créatifs in Montréal urged attendees to first find out what networks their audience uses the most.

Why try to be on Pinterest if your business doesn’t lend itself to visuals (like mine)? Hearing this simple advice was liberating!

While I think I may be slightly better than a social media duffer, I’ve realized that Twitter and LinkedIn are my driver and 4 iron for my business social media activities.  Facebook I use as my putter, for my “short game” with my family, friends and immediate local community, not for business.

And then there's the issue of "practicing": as with golf, using your chosen social media tools regularly will help you gain confidence, engage followers and build your business.

So what kind of social media golfer are you?  Are you using all the clubs in your bag or just a few?

From Beyoncé to gardening: 6 tips for successful inbound marketing

I saw this video clip the other day by social media entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, during which he instructed his audience to "Beyoncé" their approach to social media. His exact words were: "put a f*@$#?! ring on it!"  In his own unique, if profane style, Gary was emphasizing the need to build relationships on social media, and not expect it to be a miraculous cure.

But that really can apply to any marketing activity. Whether you are using social media, attending tradeshows, or putting together a traditional advertising plan, there is no such thing as overnight success.

I prefer to liken the current state of business-to-business sales and marketing to that of gardening. It's not as sexy, I know, but having just spent the weekend clearing winter debris from the flowerbeds around my house, I am reminded that whether you're looking to develop business or grow plants, you need:

Yes, this is me, with a bug net
over my head and all!

A Plan - Whether you want a garden to make your house look nice or to grow your own vegetables, you can't just start seeding and planting anywhere, willy-nilly.  Similarly, you shouldn't jump into social media, content marketing or a website redesign without a clear goals and an understanding of how these things work together to generate inbound leads for your hotel, CVB or meetings services business. 

Commitment - The world has jumped into social media because it's "free" and it's easy.  Perhaps.  But the simplest things take commitment of time and manpower.  Just like your garden needs watering and weeding, your inbound marketing program will require consistent attention.  Yes, you can hire a gardener (a.k.a. outsource), but your commitment will simply shift from time to money.

Proper Tools - You can plant your garden with just a spade, but it'll take you a long time.  Same goes for inbound marketing; you can "rent" tools such as marketing automation and social media management tools to make your life easier.  

Fertile Soil - All the fancy tools in the world won't help you if you don't have good dirt.  In business terms it means good data.  And if you need to improve the quality of your business soil, maybe it's time for some data cleansing or list building.

Professional Advice - This weekend I noticed some beast was digging holes all over my flowerbeds.  Turning to my gardening forums I soon found out it's likely a skunk, looking for grubs.  Now I have professional advice to help me solve the problem.  If you have a stinking problem turn to a professional who not only knows the technology, but who also understands your business.

Patience - You can fertilize all you want, but you can't rush nature to produce tomatoes faster.  So it goes with building relationship with meeting and event professionals.  You need to give your inbound marketing plan time to work.  Which obviously means this isn't going to be a miracle cure if all you have is a big gaping hole.  The good news is that any sales pipeline is fixable -- with time and effort.

Greenfield Named Data Gathering Partner for Meetings Industry Economic Impact Study

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Foundation announced the undertaking of the study of the economic impact of the meetings industry in Canada, having commissioned a team headed by Maritz Research (Canada) and assisted by Greenfield Services, the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council and The Conference Board of Canada.

(L to R) Scott Meis, CTHRC; Allison Simpson, Amanda Chan &
Rachel Cameron, Maritz Research; Hélène Moberg, & Rita
Plaskett, MPI Foundation Canada; Doreen Ashton Wagner,
Greenfield Services Inc. Not pictured, Greg Hermus,
Conference Board of Canada.

Greenfield will be the data gathering partner, focusing on community outreach and communication with Canadian and international meeting professionals as well as meeting facilities across Canada.  

This will be the second time Greenfield collaborates with this research team.  The first time was in 2006 when the original Canadian Economic Impact Study (CEIS) of the meetings industry was commissioned by MPI.   It found that:

• Canada’s meeting sector organized 671,000 meetings in 2006,
• Welcomed 70.2 million participants,
• Created the equivalent of 235,500 full-year jobs,
• And accounted for $32.2 billion in direct spending ($23.3 billion by meeting participants and $8.9 billion by non-participant sponsors and stakeholders).

The study was updated in 2008 and showed a 2.5% spending growth from 2006 to 2007, but a 0.1% decline the following year.  No data is available for subsequent years, so this endeavour will fill a much needed void.

Since the original Canadian study the meetings industry’s economic impact has been assessed in other countries including the USA, Mexico and soon to be released in the U.K.  All other studies benefitted from the survey approach originally developed by the Canadian team, according to UNWTO guidelines.

This study, dubbed “CEIS 3.0” will continue providing key economic benchmarks as well as extend the research to regional and municipal levels. The results will be more actionable at the local level, as well as addressing the share of GDP, employment, salaries/wages, and taxes at local, regional and provincial levels.  Results also will support the development of a meetings-specific, regional economic contribution model, the first in the world.

Social Media During a Crisis - Tips for Hotels and CVBs

The terrorist attacks in Boston brought home both the power and the peril of social media.

On the one hand the Twitterverse quickly got the news out,along with photos and information that could help locate a loved one. 

The downside was the contrast of tweets streaming across my screen from people who had obviously no ideaof the tragedy that had occurred.

Most of us who use social media in our business tend torely on tools like HootSuite, TweetDeck or other social media management softwareto schedule posts ahead of time.  When tragedy strikes some of those pre-scheduled posts can come across astrite, irrelevant, or downright insensitive.

Pity the hapless social media coordinator at a Bostonhotel who might have pre-scheduled tweets around a happy Boston marathonoutcome...  When terror strikes and people turnto Twitter or Facebook for updates they might not understand these pre-scheduled tweets.

We'd all prefer not to think of being in such asituation, but it's all too real for Boston hoteliers right now. Andit doesn't have to be related to a terror attack. What if a large convention isat your hotel and there is a surprise protest outside your doors (like there was last year in Montreal)?  That's when your social media activities quickly turn into crisis management.

Here's what you need to think about when putting togetheryour social media plan and your backup in case of an emergency:

1) Create access to your social media managementtools through your mobile device or smart phone so that if somethingcatastrophic happens you can access your pre-scheduled posts quickly.

2) Ensure more than one person has access to these socialmedia management tools. This way if someone is otherwise occupied, anotherperson can take over.

3) Consider putting your social media updates on hold if something big isgoing on. It's no use coming across as uninformed. 

4) If you choose to engage your followers, treadcautiously. Focus on being helpful and safety-oriented.  Do not engage in re-posting graphic ordisturbing imagery. Don't speculate about perpetrators or the number ofvictims.

5) Beware your sources. In the crisis yesterday one source was quoted as saying that a bomb hadgone off at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. As Fairmont Hotels & Resortsis one of our clients, I was perturbed to hear the news. But I double checkedother news sources, and saw that the Fairmont Copley Plaza had tweeted about update on their Facebook page. They confirmed no bomb had gone off atthe hotel. That was a huge relief, and double-checking prevented me fromspreading incorrect information.

6) Have your social media crisis plan in place and review it regularly.  For help onhow to draft a social media crisis plan check out the following:

• Social Strategies: Creating Your Social Media Crisis Management Plan by Jenise Fryatt
• Don’t Be Scared Be Prepared – How to Manage a Social Media Crisis by Jay Baer 
• Handling a Crisis on Social Media by Didi Lutz

I hope you never have to manage a crisis at your hotel or in your city.  But if you do, you'll be glad you had a plan!

Caesars Windsor’s Meeting Planner Symposium

Greenfield Services is proud to be working with Caesars Windsor in staging their first Meeting Planner Symposium and Familiarization event, April 10-12, 2013.

Our collaboration began earlier this year as we surveyed over 3,000 Ontario-based meeting and event planners, sampling views on their most critical business needs.  Planners told us they are stretching to do more with less, and in less time. They were interested in learning about client and member retention, promoting events through social media, and fulfilling attendees’ ever-changing expectations.

Survey results were used to formulate the Symposium’s education program, which will be facilitated by Doreen Ashton Wagner, Greenfield’s Chief Strategist. 

The event is free for qualified planners who have organized business events at Ontario hotels in the last year, and who are able to consider Windsor for an upcoming meeting. 

Meals, accommodation and education are courtesy of Caesars Windsor. Transportation to and from Windsor is provided on a complimentary basis by Caesars Windsor, in conjunction with program partners, VIA Rail and Porter Airlines.

Interested meeting and event professionals may submit their application here.

15 Lessons Learned in 15 Years of Self-Employment

Today marks the 15^th anniversary of Greenfield Services Inc., the company that my husband Heinz and I initially founded as our ticket to leave the corporate rat race.  It was just the two of us back in 1998, but today our company employs 15 people (who get the day off today because of Easter Monday!).  

We have worked with wonderful clients, employees, and partners, learning 15 precious lessons along the way:

1. Entrepreneurship IS the Ultimate Freedom: Whenever I hear about corporate politics from some of my hotel friends I am so thankful that I chose the entrepreneurial route. Being an entrepreneur is hard work and there are rules to follow, but ultimately it is my choice if take a day off, invest in new software or hire more people.
2. Turning Down Business is OK: Entrepreneurial freedom also means saying NO. Because the work isn’t the right fit, the time isn’t right or the relationship doesn’t feel good. It took me several years to learn this lesson because in the early days I was so afraid to run out of work! But I know now to stick to my strengths and follow my gut.
3. Always be Prospecting: To be able to say no, you have to have enough business in your funnel. And that means consistently looking for new opportunities and developing relationships.
4. Develop Confidence with a Positive Focus: Several years ago I took a program which I affectionately refer to as an “MBA for Entrepreneurs.” With The Strategic Coach I learned the concept of Positive Focus, which helps one focus on “wins” to build confidence. Now at every morning briefing all Greenfield team members share something positive so that they begin their day feeling happy and confident. 
5. Keeping an Attitude of Gratitude: This is different from the positive focus. Being grateful also entails being thankful for the tough situations and the bad days. Because that’s when lessons are learned…
6. Do What You Love (and are usually best at) & Delegate the Rest: Another lesson I learned with The Strategic Coach – the Unique Ability concept. And probably the single biggest reason why Heinz and I have a successful business and are still happily married… He’s good at what I’m not (like accounting) and vice-versa! 
7. People Move On, and That’s OK: In the hotel sales world where I come from, when someone resigns they instantly become persona non grata… and often are walked out the door! I had to learn not to take a resignation personally. Someone who leaves an organization can be a wealth of information to help improve the operation. 
8. No One Is Irreplaceable, Not Even You: As devastating as it may be if a key team player leaves, no one is indispensable. Not even the owner! Even if it’s just to cover for vacation time, have individual development plans and give the opportunity for people to step up. 
9. Take Care Of Yourself First: A lesson I have been taught over and over again (yes, I’m a slow learner). If you’re not healthy, you’re useless to your business. Make sure you take time for YOU.
10. Know Your Why: It’s one thing to be in business for yourself, but do you really know WHY, beyond just earning a living? The book Start With Why by Simon Sinek helped define my personal purpose and by default, my company’s purpose: To help our clients, our employees and our community GROW and PROSPER.
11. Be Clear On What You Want: One of the most valuable lessons my friend and personal coach Betty Healey taught me was to listen to my own complaint (what I didn’t want) and FLIP IT to focus on what I wanted to attract. Because the Law of Strategic Attraction says you attract what you focus on…
12. We All Have Blind Spots: Some of us are extroverts, others introverts; some feeling-based, others fact-based. We all process information and communicate differently. Being an effective leader means acknowledging shortcomings and ensuring proper team communication makes up for blind spots. My two favourite self-learning tools are: Kolbe and Lumina.
13. Laugh: My personal nature is to joke around and be demonstrative. But I used to be afraid to be playful because I thought business leaders had to be serious. Wrong. Life is too short. Besides, laughter is a great stress-buster!
14. There Is No Magic Bullet, But You Can FEEL Better: Owning and growing a business is very similar to gardening, one of my personal passions. And just like growing plants take time, there is no magic bullet, no magic fertilizer that will make everything instantly better. Except perhaps with how you choose to feel about things. 
15. Change Is The Only Constant: Just when you think “OK, we’re all set,” something changes. Your key contact at an account is let go, budgets are cut, a supplier goes out of business. Change is the only constant, said Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, and that was over 2,500 years ago!

To all our clients and employees, present, past and future, THANK YOU.  It’s been a great journey so far.