This year's MPI World Education Congress (WEC) is taking place May 20-22 in Louisville, Kentucky. On day two of the event, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with MPI President and CEO Paul Van Deventer to talk WEC numbers, industry trends, the rise of AI and what's next for MPI. 

In this Meetings Today Podcast for Taylor Smith's "The Z: Planning for the Industry's Next Generation," Smith chats with Mandi Graziano, vice president of global accounts for HPN Global, about the importance of networking in the meetings and events industry, the reality of how awkward it can be and ideas for how to make networking feel more natural. Tune in now for some tips and tricks from Graziano to keep in mind at your next networking event.

Zoe Moore, proprietor of Zoe Moore Consultancy, is one of the leading consultants and proponents of DEI, or diversity equity and inclusion, in the meetings and events industry. Having co-chaired MPI's Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee and more recently leading Event Leadership Institute’s Event DEI Strategist certification course—and also an event planner—Moore has a uniquely qualified expertise on DEI and a keen perspective on why the concept is currently under...

In this episode of the Meetings Today Podcast, Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer for Visit Phoenix, checks in with Danielle LeBreck about the rapid growth in Phoenix, especially in the technology sector. Learn how this expansion brings big potential for meetings and conventions. *Sponsored by Visit Phoenix

In this episode of Fast Forward, host Logan Pratt sits down with event technology expert and founder of Endless Events, Will Curran, to find out more about the future of event technology. Curran and Pratt discuss everything from AI to AR and Curran's newest project, leading Bizzabo's wearable event technology brand, Klik.

Late meeting and event registration keeping you up at night with heartburn and night sweats? Don't fret, planner! The later the registration the more ancillary spend an attendee drops at an event. Maritz has released a groundbreaking Registration Insights Report that collected data over three years from 360,000 registrations at 30 tradeshows. Emily Laufgraben, market insight manager for the global meetings and events giant, reveals the sweet spot between fretting over late arrivals and...

In the first ever episode of the Fast Forward podcast, host Logan Pratt sits down with hybrid meetings expert Bill Reed, who shares why meeting planners should still consider planning a hybrid event, and discusses the benefit of incorporating hybrid elements to events even four years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jason Dunn, CEO of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP), has been a leader in hospitality and DMO diversity and inclusion efforts for decades, from his time at Visit Cincy—where he rose to be the DMO's first Black vice president after initially participating in a travel boycott of the destination—to lead NCBMP in November 2022. Now, after a little more than a year at the helm of NCBMP, Dunn reflects on his work there as well as where the meetings and events industry...

Dominique Bonds, director of engagement for the Pennsylvania Convention Center, shares her vision as new president of Event Service Professionals Association, including DEIAB, generational shifts in the world of event service profs, sustainability and the evolution of the role of being the No. 1 on-the-ground point of contact for meeting and event planners. Bonds also fills us in on some of the big annual shows coming to Philly and the destination's big plans for 2026.

When most people think of standup comedy, they typically think of crude Netflix specials or dank nightclubs with comedians swearing like sailors. But when Greg Schwem takes the stage, you can hear the audience laughing about topics such as sales meetings, corporate websites or business advertising campaigns. 

Visit Indy’s president and CEO made his debut as the new Chair of PCMA’s 2024 Board of Directors and Trustees known by vanquishing the association’s president and CEO, Sherrif Karamat, on the pickleball court at Convening Leaders (CL). Thus sanctified, Hoops later sat down with Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson to discuss the record-setting attendance and other happenings at CL—including the epic pickleball showdown—as well as the many exciting new developments happening in Indy.

In this Meetings Today Podcast for Taylor Smith's "The Z: Planning for the Industry's Next Generation," Smith sits down with Luke Goetting, an award-winning communications expert, founder of Puffingston Presentations and a Gen Z speaker who specializes in crafting engaging, interactive experiences for audiences around the world. As a Millennial company leader, Goetting coaches Gen Z employees on how to maximize their effectiveness at work and consults with clients aiming to inspire Gen Z....

As the leader of perhaps the most unique meetings and events draw in the U.S. if not the world, Destination DC President & CEO Elliott Ferguson oversees an operation that represents everything from world-class museums and global government event venues to iconic hotels and a cuisine scene that has taken a seat at the table of top dining destinations. Meetings Today caught up with Ferguson on the bustling floor of The District exhibitor area at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 to discuss...

From AI and generational shifts to rethinking event design, supplier diversity, prices and the latest and greatest innovation impacting the meetings and events industry, Maritz President & CEO David Peckinpaugh is an authority on what's coming down the pike in the business events world. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Peckinpaugh at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 to discover what the leader of one of the biggest MICE companies in the world is seeing, including whether hybrid...

From major new ultra-luxe properties such as Evermore Orlando Resort and the Conrad Orlando, the high-speed Brightline train linking Orlando to Miami and a cuisine scene that is raking in recognition from Michelin, Central Florida's meetings and events magnet is an attractive force. We sat down with Visit Orlando Chief Sales Officer Mike Waterman at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 to discover what's new in a destination Cvent designates as the top meetings draw in the U.S., along with the most...

Visit Irving Texas Executive Director Maura Gast shares how this Dallas Metroplex convention magnet, often described as the "headquarters of headquarters" due to the proliferation of Fortune 500 HQs, has transformed into an entertainment mecca and Bleisure draw. Gast also details the new Ritz-Carlton taking over for the Four Seasons as well as the most recent meeting facility news and the 50th anniversary of Las Colinas, one of the first master-planned communities of its kind that has become...

From AI and attrition to data privacy and security, these are the top legal issues currently impacting the meetings and events industry. We tapped the expertise of Jill Blood, VP, deputy general counsel for global meetings and events giant Maritz, along with Sarah Kiefer, VP, Brand, to see what legal issues are expected to be top of mind in 2024.

Mark Vincent, emergency preparedness manager for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority, talks about his job ensuring attendee security at the 220-acre convention complex and provides tips for any meeting and event planner to consider to help ensure the safety of their gatherings.

Meetings Today's Taylor Smith joined World of Hyatt at the company's headquarters in downtown Chicago as one of the first to learn about the brand's latest loyalty program updates, including new perks for meeting planners. Beth Lubotsky, head of loyalty strategy for World of Hyatt, shares how planners, as well as attendees and leisure travelers, stand to benefit via the revamped loyalty program.

Season 4, Episode 10 Guests: Chandra Allison, SVP of Strategy & Growth, Oak View Group Cherrell Woodley, Entrepreneur, Relly Habibi Arts & Entertainment Cat Kevern, Director, Electric Cat Productions Tune into a special live audience recording at "She Means Business" during IMEX America in Las Vegas, as host Courtney Stanley interviews influential leaders on the most relevant topics facing women in the industry, including the importance of representation, self-empowerment,...

Prices for meetings and events essentials have skyrocketed and show no signs of easing, especially room rates in the upscale hotel and resort segment that are the bedroom of business events. In fact, the upper tiers of the hotel chain scale are experiencing room rate increases hovering around a jaw-dropping 30%. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson engaged Maritz COO Steve O'Malley, one of the most respected trends experts in the meetings and events industry, to discuss the global events giant's...

Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson sat down with PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat at IMEX America 2023, where the association revealed the enhanced versions of artificial intelligence software Spark, to discover the major impact this tool made by and for meeting professionals will have on the business events industry.

Meetings Today Vice President & Chief Content Director Tyler Davidson sat down with Amy Kramer, innovation leader, and Aaron Dorsey, vice president of product management, for Maritz at IMEX America 2023 to get their take on how AI will transform the meetings industry, as well as other tech trends business event planners should have on their radar.

During IMEX’s Smart Monday powered by MPI, SITE Chief Marketing Officer Padraic Gilligan took to the stage to moderate a panel discussion breaking down the data. We caught up with Gilligan after the panel to learn more about this new report from SITE and to find out more about where the meetings and events industry is headed.