Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals

What the Future of Sustainable Events Looks Like

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Event planners continue to seek out innovative ways to ensure their meetings are sustainably run. That’s particularly important for a destination li...

How AI Is Enhancing Event Planning

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Like almost every business sector, the events industry has been abuzz about AI for months. And the more widely these tools are adopted, the more rapid...

Beyond Pride Month: Welcoming LGBTQ+ Attendees Year-Round

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kyle Jordan, chair of LGBT Meeting Professionals Association, discusses inclusivity goals and best practices for business events Join Northstar's Lore...

The Benefits of Planning Events With Independent Properties

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to developing creative, out-of-the-box meeting experiences, independent hotels provide a number of appealing options for event planners....

The Impact of Controversial Laws on Meetings and Participants

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Attorney Joshua Grimes provides a legal perspective on duty of care, cancellation clauses and more when planning events in states with controversial l...

10 Future Trends for Meetings, Life and Work

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does the future hold for our business and personal lives? Risk-management expert Bruce McIndoe, president of McIndoe Risk Advisory, LLC,  tackle...

What to Do When a Hurricane Hits Mid-Meeting

29 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Creating an emergency response plan is one of the many responsibilities that fall on an event planner's plate. While they hope to never need to execut...

The 2022 Salary Survey: What Do the Numbers Mean?

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Salaries have recovered, but the pay gap between women and men has widened. In conjunction with the publications of the 2022 Northstar Meetings Group/...

The Misguided Relationship Between Planners and Virtual-Event Tech

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bob Mitchell, an integrated marketing and event strategist with a background in the television industry, believes virtual-event tech platforms are scr...

The Reinvention of Meeting Professionals International

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

President and CEO Paul Van DeVenter discusses how the events industry organization had to find ways to remain viable during the pandemic — lessons t...

Truth or Lies? Business Advice From a Body-Language Expert

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Deception is rampant in the business world today, says body-language expert Traci Brown. After suffering significant losses, meeting planners and supp...

Beyond the Pledge: How to Put Sustainability Goals Into Action

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few years, hundreds of meeting and event planners have made commitments to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2030, 2040 or 2050. To d...

State of the Industry: Third-Party Planning Firms

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In March 2020, David Peckinpaugh was running Maritz Global Meetings, the third-party planning division of Maritz Holdings. By this past January, Pecki...

Using Event Design to Effect Change

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Now that meeting and event professionals are once again focused on in-person gatherings, it's the perfect time to rethink the design of the program in...

The Event Safety Lessons We Haven’t Learned

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Be prepared for high-profile disasters — as well as the many incidents that are more likely to arise. Event-safety training might cover a w...

A Futurist’s Guide to Audience Engagement

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How to surprise, delight and engage meeting and event attendees Traditional presentations generally too long, too dull and fail to hold an audience&rs...

Rethinking DEI: How to Move Beyond an Industry Buzzword

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tonya Hempstead of American Express GBT discusses how the organization is building a more mature diversity and inclusion strategy, and how others can ...

The Race to Net Zero: Moving From Pledge to Action

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The events industry must take action to shape the sustainability policies that will govern our business. In Scotland this past November at COP26, the ...

Moving Meeting Planning From a Pandemic to an Endemic Mindset

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin Iwamoto of Bizly talks about what event planners should be doing differently right now. As pandemic concerns ease and gathering restrictions are...

Incentive Program Trends for 2022

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022, incentive planners and program owners continue to grapple with the pandemic and other challenges. Following the Incentive Research Found...

Government Meetings Are Ramping Up

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Eventful, The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, we're talking with Brett Sterenson, president of Hotel Lobbyists, a 15-year-old si...

Food and Beverage Trends for 2022

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marriott International's Dana Pellicano discusses how the brand adjusted for the pandemic, how event food and beverage has changed for good. In t...

Beyond Covid: Current Challenges for Associations

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Omicron will subside soon, believes Gregg Talley, but organizations should prepare for longer-term effects of the pandemic For associations worldwide,...

3 Hotel Contract Trends for 2022

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As 2022 approaches, meeting planners still are grappling with the changes the pandemic has wrought on the events industry. For this podcast, Jonathan ...

Why Now Is a Good Time for Meeting Planners to Change Jobs

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The job market has swung wildly over the past two years, but as in-person meetings have returned, so have planners’ opportunities for career adv...

Why and How to Make a Net-Zero Pledge in the Events Industry

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At the United Nations climate-change conference, COP26, now underway in Glasgow, Scotland, governments and industries from around the globe are presen...

How to Create a High Level of Safety at High-Profile Events

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Managing Covid tests and mask mandates can get complicated even for a small gathering—but what about a high-profile series of events across mult...

How L.A. Tourism and CLEAR Partner to Boost Meetings Safety

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Their turnkey solution helps event professionals ensure their L.A. events and attendees are in compliance with the latest health protocols. Working on...

Event Tech Lessons Learned From 18 Months of Disruption

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We are in a particularly crucial moment in the evolution of events and event technology. The pandemic accelerated many trends towards digitization tha...

Why IMEX America Is Requiring Participants to Be Vaccinated

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

IMEX America, the meetings industry trade show that will take place Nov. 9-11 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, announced last wee...

Is There Such a Thing as a Covid Pandemic Clause?

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Attorney Jonathan Howe offers advice on the latest legal questions facing the meetings and events industry. As the Covid-19 Delta variant has shaken u...

Covid and Meetings: A Reality Check

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meeting planners are getting nervous again — with good reason, according to risk-management expert Bruce McIndoe. If we don’t act collecti...

How DMOs Can Better Serve Their Communities

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Destinations International’s Jack Johnson discusses why destination marketers should focus first on making their cities better places to live.&n...

Covid Protocols at the Olympic Games

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Gewirtz, editor and publisher of SportsTravel, has been covering the Olympics for several years, but this year's Games have been an experience l...

How to Extend the Life (and Value) of Virtual and Hybrid Events

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Event Specialists’ Mahoganey Jones shares tips for leveraging audience data, monetization opportunities and more. The restrictions on in-pe...

How Creating Sustainable Events Will Benefit the Meetings Industry — and the World

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The events sector must transform itself in order to address the issue of global climate change, stresses Fiona Pelham, CEO of Positive Impact Events. ...

How to Plan Virtual and Hybrid Events More Strategically

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Nawn explains how creating impactful hybrid and digital events requires thorough analysis well in advance of the gatherings. Event planners ...

How Meeting Planners Can Help Celebrate Pride Month 2021

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pride Month is here. A time to celebrate, support and uplift members of the LGBTQ+ community. While diversity issues have taken on greater prominence ...

Is it Time to Rethink the DMC Business Model?

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A new white paper from ADMEI lays out ways planners can strengthen their relationships with destination management partners. One of the key resources ...

Ensuring Attendee Safety at In-Person Meetings and Events

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mary-Ann Urbanovich discusses how the Pandemic Compliance Advisor designation makes health an enduring priority. As more face-to-face events resume, h...

Maximizing Revenue Opportunities With Hybrid Meetings

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

MeetingPlay's Joe Schwinger discusses how to get the most value from events with both in-person and virtual audiences. After a year in which most foun...

How Going Digital Made VidCon Bigger Than Ever

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The conference for online creators transformed its annual gathering into a year-long online offering.  Pulling off a successful virtual event is ...

How Meeting Wellness Has Changed

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Global Wellness Institute’s Nancy Davis discusses how the pandemic has transformed the way we think about attendee wellness. As meeting planners...

How to Engage Online Attendees

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More than a year into a global pandemic, if there’s one thing meeting planners have learned, it’s that connecting with at-home attendees p...

Can You Require Attendees Be Vaccinated?

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Howe discusses the latest legal issues facing meeting planners. Can meeting planners require attendees to be vaccinated? And what privacy iss...

How the Meetings Industry Can Help Stop Asian Hate

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bizly's Kevin Iwamoto discusses why now is the time for meeting professionals to speak out. Last week, a gunman killed eight people in Atlanta, six of...

How SXSW Will Deliver High Production Value to Remote Attendees

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brightcove’s David Bornstein discusses how they’re helping to transform the cultural event into must-watch TV. In normal years, the m...

How Can You Ensure Attendees Follow Covid-Safety Guidelines?

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meetings consultant Liz Warwick discusses the EIC’s Code of Conduct and how attendees play a part in creating a safe event. A safe gatherin...

Will Attendees Need a Covid Passport?

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Travelocity founder Terrell Jones says digital health apps can restore confidence in flying and meeting. How can we restore confidence in traveli...

Event-Security Lessons from the Capitol Riot

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

IAVM’s Mark Herrera discusses how risk assessment is evolving. When it comes to identifying and reducing event security risks, planners must nav...

How Destination DC Is Navigating a Tumultuous Time

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Elliott Ferguson discusses the Capitol riot, inauguration and the future of event security. While meeting planners had high hopes that the new year wo...

Why IMEX Decided to Cancel its 2021 Frankfurt Event

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

CEO Carina Bauer discusses what the cancellation means — and does not mean — for the meetings industry more broadly. Earlier this month, I...

What Should You Do If a Meeting Attendee Tests Positive for Covid-19?

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As coronavirus cases continue to surge and vaccines are slowly rolled out, meeting planners should be considering protocols for in-person events when ...

How to Create Accessible Digital Events, Part 2

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Samantha Evans of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, provides specific ways every meeting planner can ensure their virtual ...

What's Next for Meetings and Diversity?

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Dunn reflects on an eventful year and how far the industry has yet to go. While lack of diversity has long been an issue within the meetings ind...

How to Create Accessible Digital Events

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Holding meetings virtually can open up opportunities for those with disabilities. One of the few silver linings of 2020 and the necessity to meet...

Promoting Safe Travel in a Covid-19 World

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Risk management expert Bruce McIndoe on when group travel will safely return. Covid-19 has upended many companies’ plans for group gatherin...

How the Power of Song Can Boost Digital Events

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

SongDivision CEO Andy Sharpe shares how his company pivoted to online events. After pivoting to virtual events, meeting planners now face a new challe...

How to Rethink F&B in the Age of Covid-19

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To address these new imperatives, Northstar Meetings Group recently hosted a webcast featuring Tracy Stuckrath, owner of Thrive! Meetings & Events...

How to Travel Safely During a Pandemic

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since Covid-19 hit, so much has changed about how we approach travel, and how individuals and organizations assess the risks of going to another city ...

Survival Skills for Meeting Professionals

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

David Kliman discusses navigating the current crisis and thriving in a challenging environment. When the Covid crisis hit, David Kliman, president of ...

How to Prepare for Hybrid Events and Other COVID-Driven Realities

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bizly’s Kevin Iwamoto explains how meeting planners can adapt to a changed world. The meetings industry as a whole is experiencing the five...

Are Meeting Planners Liable if an Attendee Catches COVID-19?

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Legal expert Jonathan Howe on the latest legal risks for meeting professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic has created plenty of legal issues for the ...

How the GBAC Star Program Is Helping Meetings to Restart Safely

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This certification helps assure event stakeholders of their venues’ commitment to health safety. As the meetings industry continues to grap...

Best Practices for Hybrid Events

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How to enhance the meeting experience for both in-person attendees and remote viewers The freeze on live-in-person events in the midst of the COVID-19...

How Travel Managers Are Getting Ready for a Return to the Road

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth West of the BTN Group details the current and future realities of business travel. Not many employees are on the road right now, but travel ...

How to Attract Sponsors for Virtual Events

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While our meetings may be taking place online, they still offer many unique revenue-generating opportunities. Restrictions on face-to-face gatherings ...

How to Make Tough Choices During Disruptive Times

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Global trend-watcher Vikram Mansharamani advises planners to consult experts when necessary, but take responsibility for the big decisions. At a time ...

Striving for Inclusion During Pride Month

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

June is Pride Month, but this year the rainbow flag that celebrates freedom of sexual expression has perhaps been overshadowed by Black Lives Matter f...

The Future of International Association Meetings

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gregg Talley discusses how associations are managing events amid the pandemic. The "glory days" of international conferences are probably over, says G...

Focusing on Diversity in Meetings

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Black meeting professionals share their thoughts on the Black Lives Matter protests and how the industry should respond. The past two weeks have seen ...

How Event Technology Is Being Transformed

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Entrepreneur and investor Marco Giberti discusses the meetings tech changes we can expect in the years to come. The rapid shift away from face-to-face...

How to Engage Virtual Attendees

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Expert tips on connecting with an audience that isn’t in the room. As planners have had to cancel face-to-face gatherings of all sizes, dig...

Case Study of a COVID-Era Event: The Voice of Healthcare Summit

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No mask? No problem. Based on attendee pushback, a coronavirus test at the door will be the only health safety measure for this business event. Do att...

Why a Health Security Plan Is Critical for a Return to Meetings

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Spero of InHouse Physicians describes what it will take to give attendees the confidence to meet again. When can we start meeting again? Ther...

Planning Your Career Comeback During the Pandemic

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dawn Penfold, an executive recruiter for the meetings industry, offers advice for event professionals. The unprecedented job losses and economic ...

Why Michael Dominguez Thinks the Meetings Industry Recovery Can Begin Now

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International, sees reasons for hope for the meetings industry — and not just i...

How the Meetings Industry Will Come Out of COVID Stronger

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Meetings Mean Business Co-Chair Trina Camacho-London on how the industry must be proactive in the face of global challenges. Last Tuesday, April 14, w...

How COVID-19 Changes the Global Role of the Meeting Planner

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Positive Impact Events' Fiona Pelham outlines how the events industry will need to get more strategic in the wake of the pandemic.  The COVID-19 ...

How Your Business Can Weather the COVID-19 Pandemic

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Crisis management expert Edward Segal shares his tips for getting through such unprecedented times. These are challenging times for any meeting p...

How to Get Things Done at Your Meeting

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Productivity guru David Allen offers tips on how to cut out wasted time at meetings and events. While the industry continues to reel from the COVID-19...

How to Prepare for an Economic Downturn

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

These are unpredictable times, to say the least, with all signs pointing to a dramatic economic downturn. When conditions improve, many businesses wil...

What’s Next for Meetings?

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The world has been turned upside down in the past week by the spread of COVID-19, and even the most knowledgeable experts are unsure of what it will m...

Coronavirus and Event Insurance: What Are Your Options?

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The fast spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has led a large number of event and meeting organizers to ask tough questions about changes they might n...

The Lessons of Puerto Rico’s Resilience

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Puerto Rico has seen more than its fair share of adversity in recent years. Just this year, it has experienced a 6.4-magnitude earthquake and thousand...

Realities of Coronavirus: How to Travel and Meet Safely

19 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Each day brings alarming headlines about the fast-spreading coronavirus, with the numbers of people infected and countries impacted rising steadily. H...

How – and Why – to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Meetings

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last year saw a surge of public interest in climate change — and the impact of travel and meetings on the environment. Since travel, consumption...

PCMA’s Sherrif Karamat on the Evolving Role of Event Organizers

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As we dive into a new decade, it’s a good time to stop and consider the value that events and the people who plan them provide — both in a...

USTA's Roger Dow on the State of the Meetings Industry

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In a time of unpredictability, instability and security concerns, the meetings industry has proven surprisingly resilient, enjoying more than 10 strai...

Why Meeting Planners Should Care About Cannabis

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The fast-changing legal status of cannabis has introduced some important issues for meeting professionals. These include ensuring that attendees know ...

Boredom-Busting Tips for Creating Engaging Meetings

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's a phrase plenty of meeting planners have heard before: "meetings are boring." It's often true, but it doesn't have to be. What needs to change so...

Best Practices for Medical and Pharmaceutical Meetings

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Planning a med-pharma event requires navigating a complex maze of regulations and laws on the federal and state levels — not to mention new rule...

How to Ensure Your Meeting Destination Is Inclusive

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fostering a sense of inclusion is of growing importance for any meeting or convention today, and key to accomplishing that is the selection of a desti...

A Call to Action on Sustainable Meetings

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fiona Pelham, CEO of Positive Impact Events, discusses how business events can play a role in the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, ho...

Appealing to Gen Z Meeting Attendees

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

To understand how the youngest members of the workforce are approaching meetings differently than those who came before them, we speak with David and ...

How Wynn's Energy Strategy Enhances the Meeting Experience

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the producers of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, this special podcast episode, created in partnership with Wynn Resorts, focuses...

How to Create Incentive-Level Experiences in Domestic Cities

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Domestic cities offer cost savings and logistical ease compared to more far-flung options. But can they also work as an incentive destination — prov...

The Reimagination of Convention Centers

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Convention centers are changing. Rather than huge boxy buildings set on the outskirts of a city, ambitious new facilities are being fully integrated w...

Welcoming LGBTQ Attendees

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Are your meetings and events welcoming environments for LGBTQ participants? The meetings industry has made progress, but there is plenty of room for i...

How to Enhance Your Meeting With Tech Tools

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation in the meetings industry is moving at a fast pace. New tools and creative solutions are making it easier than ever for planners to create i...