Behind The Scenes

Letter from the Editor

To The Point

President's Letter

Post-Con Reports

American College of Cardiology i2 Summit and Exposition and American Pain Society (APS) Scientific Meeting

PCMA Today

Annual Meeting Speakers, Jeremy Rifkin at The Masters Series, Executive Edge in Chicago, Chapter Corner

Follow Up

Irving, TX and Philadelphia

Leading Learning

If learning matters most, why do I have the opportunity to only learn once a year at the annual meeting and in the same way as everyone else who’s attending?

People and Processes

Many organizations are making plans to replace their legacy systems and/or improve the integration between their software solutions. These organizations are doing a better job of identifying their core business and are opting less and less for the “build” alternative.

Speaker Savvy

In the July installment of Speaker Savvy, I explained the differences between the generations and how they learn. Here’s how to choose a speaker that bridges the multi-generational gap.

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

Working Smarter

More people get their news from blogs than from the evening network news. Is your organization on board?

Meeting Management

With more than 100 oral sessions and 1,600 abstracts presenting the latest research, Society of Nuclear Medicine needed digital solutions to manage its content at its annual meeting

Extraordinary Meetings

Three planners used two very different elements natural to Virginia Beach as a draw for attendees and a way to theme events

Megatrends

The co-author who first coined the word “megatrend” says spirituality is the name of the game in the future economy

Meeting in Europe

For nearly 40 years, the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers has been making it possible for international meeting professionals to think global and act local

The World at Your Door

Medical and scientific associations are responding to the challenge of getting international attendees to come to their meetings with a growing sense of urgency.

When In Rome

Did you know that waving is a serious insult in Nigeria, or that making the OK sign in Brazil is equivalent to raising your middle finger in the United States? Or that our goodbye wave could mean “no” in Europe yet “come here” in Peru? Cultural differences can be obvious or subtle and understanding the nuances can make or break a meeting overseas. Leigh Wintz, CMP, CAE, executive director of Soroptimist International of the Americas, who wrote the “International Meetings, Conventions, and Exhibitions” chapter in Professional Meeting Management, Fifth Edition, has learned firsthand the importance of protocol.

Out of Africa

So you think you’ve got a difficult meeting to plan? Imagine that there are only 300 hotel rooms for 1,700 attendees and no transportation to get them to the meeting’s location.

Declaration of Independence

The urge to strike out on your own. Once you weigh the business considerations of starting an independent planning company, that impulse is either nurtured or squelched — as it is by many meeting professionals who are employed by an association or corporation. Here’s what you need to know first.

Leading By Example

His own ideas on collaborative innovation have caused some of the world’s largest organizations to rethink the way they operate.

Green Meetings

Religious meeting planners say eco-friendly meeting practices mesh with their group’s core values of environmental respect and stewardship

One on One

As president of the Americas, global leader franchise strategy and executive director, this InterContinental Hotels Group head is responsible for more than 2,900 properties.

Soundview

An Equal Opportunity Commute

From Event Planner to Taste Maker

The level of wine consciousness among meeting attendees has been elevated in recent years, due to the proliferation of wine periodicals, books, seminars, and television cooking shows, as well as the availability of more wines from around the world. Yet, many meeting professionals are uncertain about pairing food and wine at their functions, or are encouraged to use the “house wine” for banquets. Ian Blackburn, CWE (Certified Wine Educator), founder of the California-based wine education company LearnAboutWine.com, spoke with Contributing Editor Sara Torrence, CMP (herself a wine enthusiast and collector) on how meeting professionals can raise the bar when it comes to serving their wine-drinking constituents.

Time Out

Time Out Sponsored by Palace Resorts

Sara on Site

THE CENTER OF IT ALL FOR CAPITAL EVENTS: Washington, D.C. is not just about monuments anymore: It’s in the throes of a renaissance.

Spas

Spas at The Hotel Hershey, The Hyatt Regency Bonaventure, and The MGM Grand Detroit