When I spoke at the Insurance Marketing and Communications Association Annual Conference in Minneapolis in 2019, I was greeted by a member of the speaker selection committee, Bryan Byrd, who introduced himself as my ambassador. Organizer Paula Negro shares the thinking behind the speaker ambassador program and how you can start one.

Sure, some hotels just put the gym into an empty guest room. Or it's a couple of machines in another room that was never meant to be a gym. But some travelers—including event attendees—have demanded more. In this episode, I'm chatting with Steve Conklin, of the Marriott Marquis Chicago, about how hotels in the Marriott Convention and Resort Network are stepping up their game.

Marriott Convention & Resort Network properties are catering to customer demand for ample fitness offerings while traveling by significantly augmenting hotel gyms. At Marriott Marquis Chicago, that includes 6,000 square feet of space packed with free weights and machines, as well as an outdoor patio where classes such as yoga can be enjoyed.

Chief Content Officer Christoph Trappe checked in with Drew Eckman, destination sales executive at Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, to learn more about how the property is using plants and nature-inspired design to separate itself from the competition.

As I’m traveling to conferences and client meetings in larger cities, I often check schedules to find out whether local major league baseball teams are playing in town during my stay. Personally and professionally, I'm a big fan of sports and sports-related venues and activities.