The meetings industry is continually evolving with new technology and innovative approaches to producing meetings and events. It’s critical to keep up-to-date, and one of the best ways is by attending industry education programs and conferences.
While the idea of attending educational sessions and meetings industry conferences seems like obvious advice, planners should dig a little deeper to create a “business plan” so they get the most out of the myriad educational opportunities—many offered for free.
To achieve this, it’s important to identify how key elements will help reach this goal:
- Education sessions: Review the conference brochure and highlight sessions that you believe will help enhance and expand your capabilities within your department. Identify how they relate to specific meetings or events you manage or you are interested in managing. Note as well if there are sessions that are part of your professional or department goals.
- Conference design: Attending conferences allows you to see new approaches to on-site registration, general session formats, alternative room formats and badge scanning. For example, at PCMA’s 2013 Convening Leaders, registration was available at host hotels. Attendees simply went to a computer station, entered their name and their badge was printed on-demand. This saved having to pre-stuff badges and then pay to ship them in advance.
- Receptions and meal functions: You’ll have the opportunity to see innovative approaches to presenting F&B for large groups. PCMA, for example, tried several new seating arrangements for their lunches. One divided the room into four sections, each offering a completely different menu, allowing attendees to choose which style of food they wanted to eat.
- Trade show/vendor showcase: Trade shows are an effective way to gather information about venues, new technology and other services your department anticipates using in the future. As with the conference sessions, review the list of exhibitors in advance. Identify suppliers whose services may benefit your department. PSAV had a technology lounge that showcased some of the new technology they’re offering for meetings and events.
Industry conferences also provide an opportunity to collect continuing education credits for a CMP certification.
When you return, produce a report that captures the information you gained and how it applies to your personal enhancement. Similarly, be sure to identify the information you acquired and services you found out about that will benefit your department and/or your organization.
Sheryl Sookman, CMP, is a senior meeting planner at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. She is also the principal of The MeetingConnection, which offers career coaching and resume design services to individuals in the meetings industry. Her book on career strategies and resume design, Who’s in Charge of Your Career? Creating a Strategy for Success, is available through Amazon.com. You can reach her at sheryl@themeetingconnection.com or at 415.892.1394.
