Planners on Purpose Podcast

This episode features Kenny Totten, Co-Founder and COO of Allyfly which makes group airfare booking easier for event planners.

Episode Highlights

• The internet is designed to disrupt all middle-men and agencies need to find ways to support themselves online.
• Kenny talks about how he and his business partner Eric took a risk in building a group travel tool in the midst of a pandemic and how they went from $0 to $1 million in revenue within the first year after.
• Allfly Quest is a product specifically for the event industry which partners with meeting planners, incentive houses, and event companies to be trusted airfare partners.
• Allfly Quest's function is a booking platform in which groups can book flights easily and planners and companies get referral fees for booking their groups.
• Companies can save approximately 15% discount by booking through Allfly.
• We discussed differences with Allfly in comparison to other booking tools, and the benefits of working with Allfly.
• Allfly currently integrates with tools like Cvent and Swoogo, and has more integrations on the way to make it even easier to work with other platforms that event planners commonly use.
• Reports are looking much different with Allfly as reports that are provided are given in the form of graphs and charts so that event planners can see the pattern of travel with their groups.
• Discussed how the nature of white glove service is changing and how technology is providing the best options. Quick booking is better service, and where exactly "hands-on" support is integrated within a program matters more. 
• You don't have to sacrifice white glove service for speed." -  Kenny Totten
• "White glove service is about giving people the opportunity be serviced in a way that they want to be serviced." - Kenny Totten
• Discussed the changes in technology and how fast they are occurring. Kenny suggests that it is important to know and learn about these technologies because they will shape our future.
• It is important with new technologies like Chat GPT that you review what's given to you and put your professional eyes and understanding/filter on it. 
• Talked about how AI tools such as ChatGPT can change our roles in society and how can we still show up and provide value.
• If you are looking for tips on how to grow and scale a business, Kenny talks about the struggles that Allfly had as they were rapidly growing and the characteristics of a driven team.
• "If you want to change something, you have to track it first." - Kenny Totten
• How working out, doggie walks, and sleeping well, helped Kenny Totten in taking more healthy steps in his life.

Links and Resources
Allyfly
Kenny Totten Linkedin

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Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

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Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

Getting your Certified Meeting Professional certification and designation is a big decision, and I want you to know all about the requirements. This episode will focus on providing you with why you should move forward with getting your cmp, the benefits, and the requirements. 

• To learn more about the specific requirements to apply for the Certified Meeting Professional Designation, go to eventscouncil.org.
• The CMP aims to set the standard of experience for event professionals in the industry.
• The structure, process, and certification have maintained their designation for over 30+ years.
• 98% of Certified Event Professionals maintain their CMP's after initial certification.
• In order to get your CMP you have to have applicable education and experience in the event profession and pass the Certified Meeting Professional exam.
• The application process requires a fee and a brief waiting period for acceptance.
• All of the experience and education on your application is checked thoroughly to ensure the integrity of the program. 
•  Once approved, you can move forward to schedule your appointment for the exam within 1-year.
  
  

Links and Resources
Events Industry Council
Planners on Purpose CMP Study Group

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

In this episode, I discuss my journey from being in overwhelm with many good things happening in my life to earning my CMP designation. If you're on a journey to advance professionally, then this episode not only goes through my journey but identifies key areas of support that you'll need to make it to your next level.

Episode Highlights

• When you are on a journey with significant changes in your life, make sure you have important structures set up to help and support you.
• In my journey, the importance of a good team, along with good tools ultimately got me through a time of overwhelm. 
• The people that you surround yourself with can either support you or hurt you. When you are going through a challenging time, check the people that you are with and ensure they are there to support you.    
• The Certified Meetings Designation is an industry badge of excellence, and if you are a meeting professional, earning this globally recognized designation can set you apart from others.
•   A great way to set yourself up for success when taking the CMP exam is to join a CMP Study Group. Planners on Purpose has a study group that will support you in this endeavor.   

Links and Resources

• Planners on Purpose CMP Study Group
• Event Industry Council

Thank you so much for listening, until next time stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

In seasons of growth and expansion, there is always an opportunity to move to the next level. Are you positioned to get to your next-level as an event professional? How do you stand out so that you can advance in your career?  This episode highlights how you can stand out amongst everyone and get to your next.

Episode Highlights

• Be an event planner that stands by your word. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Do the things you set out to do.
• Offer your input and suggestions when they are being asked. You never know how your insight can help others with what they do.
• Refrain from giving unsolicited advice, always ask so that your suggestions are received well by others.
• Focus on managing your time well. It's important to find unique ways to handle your responsibilities so that you are able to take on more.
• Tie up all your loose ends well. This is helpful in times of transition. Make sure that you are transparent, and getting others what they need to be successful..
• Communicate often, and communicate clearly. So many challenges happen because direction or a particular situation isn't made clear. 
• Lean into opporuntity when it arises. If there is a need for help, be the person that raises their hand to help and do it well.
• Earn a certificate or designation. Consider the CMP certficate for meeting planners. 

Links and Resources
CMP Study Group by Planners on Purpose

Thank you so much for listening to this episode, and until next time stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

Event planners have many skills that they lean on in order to plan amazing meetings and events. If you are new to the event planning space this episode will provide you with 5 basic essential skills that event planners can lean on when developing yourself as an event planner.

Episode Highlights

• Customer service is an essential skill that allows you to service your client effectively.
• With customer service, it's important to be pleasant and easy to work with. This will bring customers back to you again and again.
• Put yourself in a position where you can level up your customer service skill set by solving customers' requests often.
• Hospitality is another essential skill as an event planner that you need to show your clients that you can go over and above to surprise and delight as a means of adding to their experience at your event.
• Event planners should learn to build their creativity and problem-solving skills as coming up with new and exciting experiences and solving problems are common in our space.
• Although event planning platforms are numerous, it is very frequent to see spreadsheets or Excel for numerous functions. 
• It is such a powerful skill to be influential. When you use influence as a strength you can help your clients see solutions in the way that you see them so that they can make the best decisions for their event. 
• Be aware of the opportunities for influence that you have around you in order to start flexing this essential skill.      

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Planners on Purpose podcast. Until next time, stay on purpose.  

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

Do you struggle to maintain your work-life balance as an event professional? Do you feel like you are constantly overwhelmed? This May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, we are reading How to Keep House While Drowning. And, in this episode of the podcast, we will talk about tips to help you embrace more ease in your work and at home while planning those amazing events. Here are some takeaways from this episode:

Episode Highlights

• The next book club selection is How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis. It's a great book for anyone struggling with overwhelm, burnout, and could use a little uplifting in a time of struggle.
• What often happens in the homes of event planners are typically hidden and not often disclosed, but it is important that we are supportive of each others boundaries and the transitions that they might be having in their home lives as well. 
• What I've learned over the years when it comes to balancing all the things:
  • Focus on what is most important in the season you are in.
  • Create boundaries for anything that may be sneaking over the fence. 
  • Say yes to the things that excite you - however, you'll have to ensure you have the space to manage them. 
• What people say "out loud" about a person or directly to you can be damaging. Event professionals should be mindful of judgements of others, especially if they are going through a tough time and are struggling with work tasks. Find ways to support if at all possible.
• Many times we are overwhelmed by the amount of tasks we have to do at home and at work. Remind yourself that it's okay and you will get through it.
• "You don't exist to serve your space, your space exists to serve you" - KC Davis. We need to change how our spaces work for us, instead of us working for them. 
• "Human beings can only exert high effort for short periods of time.' - KC Davis. This is a reminder that we need to balance our days with high and low periods so that we have time when we come home to support those that matter the most.
• People struggle differently - privilege isn't the only difference. We all come from many different backgrounds, jobs, we also plan different events - so we all struggle differently. And if we are all struggling differently, we will resolve challenges differently as well.   
• How one measures work-life balance will vary for each person. The key is being aware of your needs and seeking out a supportive community to help you get to where you need to be.

Links and Resources:
Planners on Purpose Book Club 

Thank you so much for tuning into the podcast. Until next time, stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

In this episode, we explore the power of focus that is needed while planning meetings and events. With so many distractions, tasks, and to-do's event planners face the challenge of staying focused so that they can get all of the things done. If you are struggling with focusing while you're planning events, then this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights

• It's so easy to procrastinate when you are planning your events, which makes the power of focus even more powerful to put into practice.
• Your focus determines the direction in which you want your work to go. If you have a goal of an amazing event, then your focus needs to be on ensuring your work is amazing.
• If an event planner struggles in starting a task, it is potentially because the outcome may not be going the way we want it to go. The struggle comes in the uncertainty of our expectations.
• It can be easy to procrastinate on our problems because our problems require us to concentrate. Concentration is a key component of being focused.
• Where your focus goes your energy flows, so make sure your mind is set on focusing on your task to completion.
• Just like any athlete, make sure that you are doing your warmups before getting on the field of your workplace. Set your stage, create the optimal environment, give yourself a pep talk, bring your positive energy, and set up boundaries so that you can be the best you can be while you are completing your best work.
• So many distractions are thrown at us while we are trying to complete a task, set boundaries and evaluate each request to ensure its priority matches your own before you agree to complete it. 
• Remember to avoid distractions smokescreens, false alarms, and emotionally draining distractions that may come your way. Find those unique ways of approach to protect your time, space, and energy.
• There is power in where you focus, because the more you focus, the more you can get things done. 

Links and Resources:
Planners on Purpose Community

Thank you so much for tuning into the podcast. Until next time, stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

Tim Flors has been a hotelier at heart for most of his career. From the Baymont Inn and Suites as Director of Sales to National Sales Manager and Director of National of Sales at Gaylord Palms Resort - he has meetings and events in his blood. Tim joined Groups360 to see how they make it easier for event professionals. 

“The process is broken,” he explains. “It’s inefficient and ineffective. It’s biased. It’s adversarial. And no one is transparent. It’s the way things have always been done, but we’re changing all that. Our solutions empower planners to make more precise decisions.”

Episode Highlights

• Groups360 makes it better and easier for event professionals to book groups online. 
• Groups360 is able to give better information on hotels and better user experience to the event professional when it comes to their online search.
• This tool offers event professionals the ease of booking hotel sleeping rooms and meeting space including catering and equipment in the meeting space which is a plus.
• Groups360 has future plans for separate bookings to be made (hotel with separate meeting venue) which will help with unique situations where meeting and sleeping rooms aren't able to be in the same location.
• Currently, event planners have access to send RFP's to over 200,000 properties globally in 225 territories and countries, and you can see live space inventory at about 10,000 hotels globally. 
• There are integrations, partnerships with registration tools, and SSO capabilities coming down the way for Groups360 which makes the way for very exciting enhancements are on the horizon.
• Groups360 has a simple search which is unique to the industry and their wide selection of inventory is also an advantage over other tools.
• Whenever a booking is made, a notification is made to your specific Global Sales Teams, so event planners can have ease in knowing that everyone is aware of their meeting.

Links and Resources:
Groups360 

Thank you so much for tuning into the podcast. Until next time, stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

Brittny Drye is the founder and editor of Love Inc., a wedding blog and digital publication centered on equality. She has been celebrated by the New York Times, The Advocate, Cosmopolitan and more. Brittny champions inclusivity and is an anchor for advocacy in the equality and inclusion space. In this episode, Brittny will unpack inclusivity and how you can be more inclusive for your clients. 

Episode Highlights

• Being truly inclusive is a mindset. It's the language you use, the imagery you show, and the relationships you have. Inclusivity means including everyone all the time.
• Inclusivity is about educating yourself so that you are equipped to do it in a more authentic manner. 
• If you are looking to ensure that you are being inclusive, take a look at your marketing, your forms, and adjust them so that they are representative of what your authentically represents.
• As a planner, it is important not to assume a traditional wedding, and ask your couple what they are looking for in their wedding as couples nowadays are doing weddings how they want to do them. 
• If you are in a position where you have made a mistake when it comes to inclusivity, apologize, and move on. 
• Planners are the gatekeeper between their clients and the rest of the vendor team. You want to make sure you are doing your homework to ensure that the venue and vendors are inclusive and will be able to represent your client well for their event. 
• If you are in a position where you have to speak up for your client, ensure that you have written documentation so that you have what you need to protect your client.   

Links and Resources:

Love Inc. Mag
Love Inc. Instagram
Love Inc. Facebook

Thank you so much for tuning into the podcast. Until next time, stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.

As a successful wedding photographer, Lynne Reznick captures each couple’s unique love story through her images. Lynne's start in the photography space began with mentorship, so in this episode, she will share her passion for mentorships with us. 

Episode Highlights

• As a mentee don't put pressure on yourself to know everything immediately. Give yourself space to learn and grow under someone's guidance.
• Mentorship is a long-term relationship you build with someone in the industry. It's about building a relationship over time between mentor and mentee.
• Mentors need to show passion for what they are mentoring and have a passion for being a teacher in leading and nurturing the mentee over a long period of time.
• It's important to serve the new generation of event pros in this industry. Mentorship is an integral piece that can help support.
• To get started in mentorship, put a structure in place, learn how much time you can commit to it, and what the advising will be like - then put it out on social media. 

Links and Resources:

Lynne Reznick Photography
Lynne's Instagram

Thank you so much for tuning into the podcast. Until next time, stay on purpose!

Support the show

Share today's episode and tag me @plannersonpurpose

Snag Free Gifts and Learn More at https://www.plannersonpurpose.com

Overwhelmed and Struggling with how to move forward? Get clarity by downloading my FREE Master Your Burnout Guide.

Want to work together, friend? Well, I'm here to help you start to get clarity, confidence, and zap out the chronic stress you experience in your event planning process. 

1. Get Clarity and Confidence in Your Purpose by scheduling a Purpose Call.
2. Advance your Career by Adding Ease To Getting Your CMP.