Editor's Blog

Ah, Facebook. The ever-evolving, social machine that we have come to integrate into our daily lives, has instituted yet another change to the way our business Pages look and function.

I've always felt that change is good and the necessary (sometimes) evil that we need to shake things up but this time around, I find myself feeling a little apprehensive to get started.

How will this change the way we post? What are some good examples to check out before we make the switch and how do we as admins adapt to continual Page changes without getting overwhelmed? >>

We're almost two-and-a-half months into 2012—so how is the corporate events industry looking? This week Special D Events, a corporate meeting and event management firm based in Royal Oak, Mich., Corbin Ball, City Animation and ProForma tells us what's hot and what's not. Check it out.

>>Meeting/Event Content & Format >>

The National Conference Center has released its latest white paper, this time covering the topic of what elements contribute to a productive learning environment for conference attendees. Sarah Vining, marketing manager at The National Conference Center, who authored the paper, explains that "as long as ROI and productivity are in question, planners will be saying 'no' to hotels and looking for a conference center to meet their needs."

What do conference centers provide on a consistent basis for groups? Vining says: >>

Looking for the next big location for your conference or group meeting? This week TripAdvisor announced the top 15 U.S. destinations that are projected to be on the rise for 2012. The list is based on increased traveler reviews on TripAdvisor for each location over the past year. >>

As we shared earlier, American Express Meetings & Events has unveiled its 2012 forecast—so what does that mean for our industry's trends? The report goes on to describe five changes that will have the greatest impact on meetings and events in 2012. They're going to be: >>

Yesterday I had the chance to attend an educational meeting for the Minnesota Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). The topic? Today's hottest contract issues between planners and hotels. Hospitality industry attorneys Jonathan Howe (who represents meeting groups) and Steve Rudner (who represents hotels) were speakers in the point/counter-point debate.  >>

This week Andrew Freeman & Co. released its annual restaurant and hospitality trends report. Here are a few of our favorite marketing trends from Andrew Freeman—stay tuned for more predictions as we get closer to 2012! >>

Pushy sales reps (57%) getting lost (30%) and tacky freebies (22%) are the elements that event visitors dislike the most about shows and exhibitions, according to recent survey findings conducted by GenieMobile. The survey also found that while the most important component for 44% of attendees at business events is interesting exhibitors, nearly a quarter (21%) of those visitors don’t even get to see those exhibitors. >>

Looking for last-minute Halloween cocktail ideas? Not to worry—UV Vodka and Phillips Distilling have all of us covered, regardless of how spooky our holiday plans actually end up being. 

Cheers!

Candy Corn Cocktail
2 oz. UV Cake
1 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz. Milk
½ oz. Amaretto
Splash of Club Soda

Shake first 4 ingredients over ice, strain into martini glass rimmed with crushed candy corn and top with soda. >>

What can you do with a 2D code? Plenty. If you know what it is and how to use it, that is. While the jury is still out on whether scannable codes are the mobile communication window of the future or a neat way to provide web shortcuts for the time-being, we took some time to line up the most popular codes, along with where and how to make them, for planners looking to capitalize on this growing technology trend.  >>

Over dinner this week a planner friend mentioned she'd recently had a terrible experience with her group at a local restaurant. Despite a lack of communication from the venue's private dining manager (the first red flag), she'd gone ahead and planned the happy hour event for her company and, after arriving at the restaurant, almost immediately wished she hadn't.  >>

With so many meetings and event planners, vendors and suppliers getting ready to head out to IMEX America, I thought I would share a few travel and conference-related gizmos that could make for a more pleasant (or at the very least, delicious) experience this year. So without further ado:  >>

It's finally that time of year again, when most garden bounties begin to dwindle as the weather gets colder with each passing day. Lucky for us, there is a vegetable that is available year-round (and cooks just as well on the grill as it does a broiler). I'm talking about endive.  >>

As almost anyone who has attended a trade show can attest, companies in contention for potential business leads can sometimes overwhelm attendees with signage, logos and literature—often to the point of diffusing any real, lasting impression.

Luckily, new research is being done in England by FaceTime, a company that aims to help exhibitors, marketers and businesses get the most out of events, using eyetracking technology to find out what attendees are really drawn to at trade shows.  >>

There are 1,001 conferences, meetings and events to attend in this industry—are you and your company making the most out of your attendance? Sharing what you learn from an editorial side, whether in a blog, your weekly newsletter or over coffee with colleagues, is just one way to extend the experience. And it's a darn good way to do some shamless self-promotion.  >>

Sometimes it's too hard to choose just one thing to write about on the blogs, so this time I'm doing a round up of a few of my favorite things from Twitter, the event calendars and around the Web. >>

If the name of your meeting planning strategy is seclusion, a Nevada ghost town just might be the right place for you and your group. Recently voted one of America's Coolest Ghost Towns by Travel + Leisure, the abandoned district of Rhyolite, Nev., near Death Valley National Park might make a fun field trip. >>

Being a Midwestern gal, I jumped at the opportunity to visit Phoenix this past winter as a guest of the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau—and I had a lovely time with a handful of other journalists and planners. >>

It's not uncommon to get a few press releases delivered every day that tout a new catering trend, like food furniture or custom ice luges. That kind of thing. >>