Behind the Scenes

Letter from the Editor

To The Point

Going Green Goes Mainstream

PCMA Today

Executive Edge, Rebuilding New Orleans, Southwest and Pacific, Canada East, Masters Series in Chicago

Follow Up

ECEF's new way of thinking about trade shows, VA Beach Planners and Redskin Football,

Post Con Reports

ACS meeting and ARF Convention

People and Processes

Every business seeks to hire and retain exceptional talent. Organizations that demonstrate that they care for their people invest in their future.

Leading Learning

Searching for the next big idea for your meeting? Don’t forget the value of small, ongoing, incremental improvements.

Core CoMPetencies

Special programs – covered by two to three questions on the CMP exam — include spouse/guest activities, children’s programs, and pre- and post-meeting travel and tours

Speaker Savvy

Understand the differences between Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Gen Ys, and you’ll enhance your ability to attract and retain members, encourage attendance and participation at meetings, and increase volunteer participation

Meeting In Europe

A Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) can help you manage your association or plan your convention when meeting abroad

Meeting Management

Convention maps not only help attendees navigate the show floor, they also provide an opportunity for additional exposure for exhibitors and revenue for associations

Meeting Budget

In 2004, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) generated about $350,000 in revenue from its trade show publications. ADA produced three publications: a preview newspaper, a daily show newspaper, and post-show newspaper. Three years later, the association expects to more than triple its revenue by expanding its product line and stepping up its sales and marketing efforts — by adding a meeting guide, symposia planner, and doctor’s bag, as well as exclusive sponsorships such as in-room bottled water and a turn-down service

Capture the Emotion

Don’t sell the meeting destination. Don’t pitch the meeting’s features. Don’t hype the speakers.

Departing the Mainland

A new attendance-building program by the Hawaii Convention Center focusing on the island’s ties to Asia opens up untapped markets to associations worldwide

Expos, Lies

Evaluating feedback on questionnaires is a standard way to assess a meeting’s efficiency. For years, this method has been the springboard for making changes. But there is a big difference between what a participant might say, and what s/he actually does. Behavior monitoring using data captured by strategically placed cameras is one of the newest ways to measure what’s really happening on the convention floor. Originally, this kind of video feedback was used to record the actions of sales forces at trade shows. But experts have since found it can be helpful to identify and modify myriad problems, from confused traffic on an exhibition floor to congested registration desks. Plus, it can point out weak areas and, by eliminating elements that don’t work, save thousands of dollars.

The HCEA

The HCEA (Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association) 100 Index does not measure the biggest health care conventions in existence, but a cross-section of health care events that represent the major meetings in their respective medical specialties. This means that the HCEA 100 Index is comprised of both large and small meetings to create a barometer that is representative of the health care industry as a whole, rather than just measuring the largest conventions in the largest medical specialties. HCEA is uniquely positioned to be able to measure these 100 leading medical events along with reported event information from the industry as a whole in the HCEA 2007 Comprehensive Industry Research Report on Healthcare Meetings and Exhibit Marketing. This provides context and a second benchmark with which to compare industry trends. And why is this important? Because leaders of the flock tend to indicate change before the flock does.

Fast Flash Back

Why some of North America’s top innovative thinkers are still talking about meetings organized by Fast Company magazine a decade ago

Leading By Example

Bill George: Heading True North - Leadership is not just Bill George's strong suit; it's his raison d'etre.

Green Pages

You may be hearing about more organizations “going carbon neutral.” What exactly does it mean?

Soundview

Identifying The Cutting Edge: Chasing Down The Next Big Thing

One on One

This dynamo is leading the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau in a new era for meetings and conventions.

High Tech Centers 2007

Convention Centers Offering State of the Art Technology