Creativity, personal engagement, and value drive today’s corporate meetings
The value of in-person connections has never been higher for today’s corporate meetings. More than ever, today’s meeting planners recognize the need to bolster efforts to engage customers and employees outside the walls of their business locations.
According to Andrea Naab, senior director of corporate and retail events for Best Buy, there has also been a significant shift in client and attendee expectations in recent years. “The informal networking opportunities at meetings and events are often cited as the most valuable by attendees,” she says. “Additionally, our stakeholders are increasingly focused on both ROI and cost efficiencies, making the selection of the right venue crucial for maximizing value.”
Taylor Schulz, destination services manager for Louisville Tourism (Ky.), echoed sentiments around value, noting the inflationary environment has raised concerns about budgets, putting planners under more pressure than ever to do more with less. “They are looking for ways to adjust key event elements to make better use of budgets, such as changing a sit-down awards dinner to a heavy-apps awards reception,” she explains.
According to Katie Williams, vice president of sales, marketing, and tourism for The Classic Center in Athens, Ga., suppliers can expect more contract stipulations as well, especially regarding cancellations and/or refundable deposits.
Along with budget constraints, Naab points out that there is tremendous demand for venues, and planners making last-minute plans will likely run into roadblocks. Simply put, booking early is essential.
“One of the difficulties that many corporate planners face is booking venues far enough out,” Naab says. “We hear from our hotel partners—and see it firsthand—that venues continue to book out far, but also at play are associations booking 5-10 years out,” she says. “While we’ve taken great strides in working to book further out, it’s not always possible; as a result, sometimes our options are limited based on availability.”
While value remains central to any corporate meeting strategy, the success of today’s meetings is increasingly connected to one key factor: participant experience. Paloma Martin, senior destination experience manager for Visit Jacksonville (Fla.), emphasizes that attendees expect new and unique experiences. This extends to everything from dining to entertainment and even giveaway items.
Martin adds, “I also think they expect a significant amount of technology to be integrated into meetings now and for it to be easy to use—whether it’s a user-friendly conference app, the ability to live-stream the meeting remotely, getting a unique giveaway they haven’t received before, or fast working Wi-Fi, for example.”
The experiential front is one area where corporations are willing to spend money to give attendees an entertaining experience, in addition to their core mission of providing training and education. “We’ve seen demand grow for headlining music acts, comedians, and educational yet entertaining programming,” says Courtney McGee, CMP, president and CEO of Event Logistics. “They are also leveraging more expensive production, such as LED screens and advanced projection and lighting effects, as these create an immersive, high-energy environment.”
McGee agrees, noting clients may scale back on catering or décor budgets to get what they want in programming. “We’ve found that they will find money to pay for the bells and whistles,” she says.
Getting the most bang for limited bucks
Planners and destinations must take a strategic approach to meeting the evolving expectations of groups while staying within the constraints of dwindling budgets. Naab suggests kicking off the planning process by uncovering the strategic focus of an event and desired outcomes with the key stakeholders. “This initial step allows us to craft an agenda matching those expectations, which often includes ensuring times within the agenda to focus on networking and engagement opportunities for our attendees,” she says.
Laying the groundwork for clear and proactive communication between destinations and meeting planners is essential, Williams emphasizes. “Conducting a discovery call helps uncover their top priorities, allowing us to strategically invest in key aspects of the event while offering budget-friendly alternatives for other elements,” she says. “It all starts with understanding what truly matters to the planner and their attendees.”
Once goals are understood, destination professionals can take steps to help alleviate unnecessary cost burdens. For example, The Classic Center event staff helps identify sponsorship opportunities and sponsors to cover the cost of certain functions or items. They also encourage clients to utilize the organization’s in-house marketing offerings to give event sponsors a shout-out.
Destiny Monyhan, director of destination services for Louisville Tourism, notes that planners can bring activations to the show floor, featuring local attractions and partners to help meet participant expectations with limited budgets. For example, incorporating local flair into the menu of hosted meals allows attendees to experience the local cuisine. Additionally, walkable offsite locations can help manage costs while providing a taste
of the local environment.
Naab says Best Buy’s planners look under every rock to uncover cost savings whenever possible. Sometimes, that starts with the destination itself.
“For our large-scale events, we’ve expanded our search to include second- and third-tier cities,” she says. “We carefully evaluate these opportunities, considering the city’s flight patterns and estimated flight costs, along with other factors, such as room rates, food and beverage minimums, and transportation costs. This comprehensive approach ensures we can meet client and attendee expectations even with limited budgets.”
Amid rapidly evolving participant expectations, McGee emphasizes that it’s important for planners to devote resources and time to keeping up with the latest trends and entertainment options. By researching what is happening in varying destinations across the United States, her team can provide customers with the best options, no matter where they are hosting a meeting. “We maintain contacts with convention and visitor bureaus, subscribe to industry publications, and seek out unique options via social media platforms,” she notes.
Williams suggests keeping up with evolving food and beverage trends as a simple yet impactful way to refresh a meeting experience. Thoughtful menu updates can leave a lasting impression on attendees.
Other ideas include partnering with the local destination management organization to introduce new and authentic destination experiences, especially for returning groups. “Showcasing fresh attractions, venues, or activities each year keeps the experience dynamic and engaging,” Williams says.
Lans Stout/Courtesy Visit Jacksonville
Giveaways also provide an avenue for keeping events fresh for returning groups, Martin says. “For example, I try not to give the same item to a group if we were to provide something for registration bags,” she explains. “We are also constantly working to find new and exciting welcome signage and experiences unique to our city for attendees and meeting planners.”
When returning to a destination, Monyhan suggests incorporating new opportunities to highlight attractions and venues and rotating partners for key attendee experiences—even if the main components remain in the traditional meeting space. Louisville Tourism works to find new locations, attractions, and activations that add value to events.
Key factors for choosing destinations
Location appeal, cost-effectiveness, and service level are foundational to Best Buy’s destination choices, according to Naab. Among the company’s “hidden gem” destinations are Louisville and Houston.
Recently, Best Buy held an event at Hotel Distil, Autograph Collection in Louisville. Located just five miles from the Louisville International Airport (SDF), the property is situated in the heart of the downtown area on historic Whiskey Row—convenient to plenty of entertainment, distilleries, and dining options.
According to Naab, site visits are an essential part of the planning process, helping her understand the appeal of the destination and service level. “Our relationships across the industry are very important to us, and we’ve built some key partnerships in many cities,” she says. While Louisville and Houston are relatively new ventures with Best Buy, Naab says they will remain “high choices due to their remarkable level of service and value.”
Every client has a unique brand and culture and its own ROI objectives when choosing a destination, McGee explains. “We have in-depth discussions on the front end to make sure we are hitting the right notes regarding location, accommodations, accessibility, meeting and offsite venues, and budget,” she says. “One client moves their meeting across the country from year to year.”
This particular client needed an East Coast location for an upcoming event this fall. “Tampa Bay was selected as the host city based on easy air lift. Plus, the function space layout at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street is ideal, as one ballroom can accommodate their trade show while the smaller ballroom is a perfect fit for general sessions and meals,” McGee says.
JW Marriott Tampa Water Street is located within Tampa’s vibrant downtown district, Tampa Riverwalk, Amalie Arena, and plenty of other entertainment options within walking distance.
According to McGee, the hotel’s key selling point is its great location and 100,000 square feet of event space. However, the added attraction of hosting their offsite event at JC Newman Cigar Factory really made Tampa a win. Founded in 1895, the venue is America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker. Visitors can choose from a variety of experiences.
Adds McGee, “Offering interactive elements is very important to keep attendees engaged.”
