Now a year-round destination, Epic Discovery is Vail Mountain’s playground, with ziplining, summer tubing, a mountain coaster and miles of trails for hiking and biking. This wasn’t my summer vacation, but rather part of a Marriott Convention & Resort Network (CRN) press trip in Colorado. Over the three days, we saw meeting space, amenities and group offerings at the collection’s properties in the state—including the soon-to-open Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.

A mountain setting can take away the distractions of the office and city life and allow for a connection to nature, which often can spike productivity, creativity and collaboration. Unplugging, bringing the meeting room outdoors and creating new experiences seem to be on-trend for 2018, according to four experts dialed in to mountain meetings. 

As all-inclusive properties in Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond trend toward luxury experiences, meeting groups are taking advantage of the added amenities in addition to the convenience and cost-savings.

Meeting and event audiovisual is one of those things as an attendee you often don’t notice until it blows you away—or blows up a meeting when it doesn’t work. Following are some key observations by meeting planners and AV suppliers on how planners should enter the audiovisual void and negotiate with confidence, with an eye on the bottom line.

Take one look at a delightful dish crafted or co-crafted by Eric Klein, vice president of culinary for the famed Wolfgang Puck Catering (WPC) and former executive chef at Spago Las Vegas, and “simple” is hardly the word that comes to mind. More like “complex,” maybe even “fantastical.”

The age-old concern of how to keep the whole family entertained and happy on vacation also rings true for bringing kids and spouses along to a conference. It’s the solution that is ever-changing. We checked in with four industry experts who have first-hand experience with groups that welcome kids and spouses for their strategies to ensure successful family-friendly meetings based on today’s trends.

Yes, cageless shark diving is a thing. As is moonlight ziplining and skateboarding on water, aka flyboarding. All around North America, the variety of coastal adventures available to groups offers intriguing diversions from the confines of a meeting room.

After finding herself tasked with planning a portion of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers' 2018 Annual Member Meeting, Jill A. Notini turned to Lulubelle Animal Rescue and brought in some adorable puppies!

Just planning and executing meetings is deserving of a medal in many cases, but there are some in our industry who truly go above and beyond to set the bar higher. Following are 20 professionals—selected by polling our readers, consulting with past Meetings Trendsetters and our editors and contributors, and reaching out to others in the industry—who have taken a leading role in the last year.

Now more than ever, people want to be immersed in destinations and have a sense of well-being when they visit. When it comes to incentives at resorts, the same holds true. Authentic experiences, locally inspired food and design, and plenty of wellness options are high in demand, according to five industry experts we contacted to get their take on 2018 market trends.