Skift Meetings Podcast

Brian Quinn, Skift’s vice president of Editorial Events, shares his insights on how the Skift Global Forum brings together industry leaders for thought-provoking conversations, all within a carefully curated, single-stage experience designed to push the boundaries of travel and inspire the future.

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Skift Meetings Editor-in-Chief Miguel Neves interviews Shawna McKinley, Principal at Clear Current Consulting, discussing the impact of climate change on events and how the industry must adapt to increasing extreme weather disruptions. Ethical responsibility, institutional change, and regulatory influence are factors at play as the event industry seeks to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.

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Subscribe to @Skift Meetings to discover the future of meetings.

Two experts, Carrie Davenport and Jaki Baskow, share their tips for planning holiday parties on this episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast, including:

These tips ensure a festive, interactive, and memorable holiday gathering.

There’s been a growing backlash against DEI programs in recent years. But for meetings and events, diversity, equity, and inclusion is still important. 

For planners, the goal is to expose attendees to a wide range of viewpoints, and for everyone to feel connected – regardless of the political environment. 

“We've made DEI this big scary thing,” said Dr. Brandi Baldwin, an organizational and leadership psychologist and CEO of Millennial Ventures. “You don’t do DEI. Just be someone who honors differences. Be someone who is willing to show up as your authentic self and allow others to show up as their authentic self, even if they vote for a different political party than you do. That's where I think the opportunity lies,” she said on the Skift Meetings podcast.

Some organizations are doing it better than others. “Some companies will say we're all about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it's really a misrepresentation,” said Bea Boccalandro, who advises corporate boards and executives on social purpose issues. “And then there are other corporations that are less public about their DEI efforts but “are just full throttle ahead,” she said on the podcast.

The urgency of DEI programs ebb and flow. After the murder of George Floyd, there was a rallying cry about the importance of these initiatives. Recently, there have been some headwinds, they said.

Decades of research show diverse companies are more engaged leading to financial success. As a result, most are committed to a culture that supports DEI.

For many, meetings and events are a place to start. By including speakers and attendees from different backgrounds a variety of thought will be offered. 

 “We've made DEI this big scary thing,” said Baldwin. “You don’t do DEI. Just be someone who honors differences. Be someone who is willing to show up as your authentic self and allow others to show up as their authentic self, even if they vote for a different political party than you do. That's where I think the opportunity lies,” she said.

Boccalandro cites a Pew Research Center survey in which 56% of those surveyed said that focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing.

She admits that “DEI washing” does happen in corporate America. “Some companies will say we're all about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it's really a misrepresentation,” said Boccalandro. And then there are other corporations that are less public about their DEI efforts but “are just full throttle ahead,” she said.

What’s in a Name?

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest human resources organization, created an uproar when it announced it was dropping the word equity from its inclusion, equity, and diversity focus. Its new acronym is now I&D which stands for inclusion and diversity.

Boccalandro says it’s important not to get hung up on the terms but “the initiative and efforts behind them.”

Keep it Simple

Baldwin stresses that DEI doesn’t have to be overly complicated. “We've made DEI this big scary thing. You don’t do DEI. Just be someone who honors differences. Be someone who is willing to show up as your authentic self and allow others to show up as their authentic self, even if they vote for a different political party than you do. That's where I think the opportunity lies,” she said.

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Shawn Cheng, founder and lead strategist of Curious Bear Management, believes the jury is still out on whether AI has peaked in usefulness for meetings-related tasks.

"It's too early to tell," Cheng said. "We're really just in some way taking a break."

Cheng is an experienced events industry professional who has worked with many emerging technologies. He experiments with AI tools like ChatGPT and advocates for improving the relationship between event planners and tech providers.

Cheng's skepticism towards AI's current capabilities stems from his work with the "#EventprofsBreakShit" initiative, which he has been involved with for the past four years. The project aims to create a transparent testing environment for event technology, allowing planners to provide honest feedback to vendors.

Cheng was initially impressed by the accuracy and speed of AI-generated content, which led many, including him, to quickly adopt and implement the technology.

However, the more Cheng has used AI, the more limitations he has encountered. This prompted Cheng and others in the industry to reevaluate their use of AI. Cheng sees this as a necessary transition to understand the technology's capabilities and limitations.

He has become more cautious in his approach over the past year.

Cheng noted that AI-generated content can lack substance and a unique voice, especially in the creative industry. He also pointed to emerging challenges about copyright and intellectual property.

Despite concerns, Cheng believes there are promising applications in the meetings industry. He sees the technology's current state as transitional, with users reevaluating its capabilities and limitations. Cheng believes this pause is a healthy step in its evolution.

Cheng envisions a future where AI experts work with organizations to help implement the technology effectively. These experts – on staff or external – should have a deeper understanding of the technology, its capabilities, and its limitations.

The AI expert would help the organization, including event planners, understand how to leverage the technology. This can take the shape of creating compelling content or graphics for specific platforms or use cases.

Cheng suggests that organizations would be better equipped to address concerns about privacy, copyright, and other emerging AI-related issues with an AI expert guiding the implementation.

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Gerrit Jessen, Director for Germany of the Event Design Collective, shared his experience as part of a pro bono mission in Uganda, where he applied his hotel management expertise to improve the operational standards of a small hotel. Despite unforeseeable challenges and dealing with manual processes, Jessen focused on making the best of his time there to leave a lasting impact.

Jessen is an experienced hotelier and event designer. He attributes much of his career success to active involvement in industry associations like MPI. He stressed the importance of investing time in volunteer roles to build networks and gain recognition. This involvement enhances personal growth and opens doors for business opportunities.

Recently, Jessen took his volunteering to a new level by participating in a pro bono mission in Uganda through the Senior Expert Service (SES). This organization matches experts with projects worldwide that can benefit from their skills. SES selected Jessen for a mission to the Satellite One Hotel in Nebbi, a remote town in the West Nile region near the Sudanese border.

Upon arrival, Jessen faced several challenges. The hotel’s operations were reminiscent of the late ’70s and early ‘80s, with most processes conducted manually due to unreliable electricity and limited IT infrastructure. For instance, essential tasks like stock management and guest check-ins were done on paper, and the hotel’s few computers were not networked.

Jessen’s approach was pragmatic. Understanding the limitations, he focused on foundational improvements that could be sustained after his departure. One of his primary objectives was to enhance hygiene standards. The simple introduction of a stainless steel table in the kitchen – which was built rather than bought – was the key to separating clean and dirty dishes and significantly improved operational hygiene.

Additionally, Jessen tackled inventory management, a crucial aspect of hotel operations. He implemented an Excel-based system to help the storekeeper track stock levels more accurately and introduced the concept of minimum and maximum stock levels to prevent shortages. These changes aimed to ensure that the hotel could maintain consistent service levels without the frequent interruptions previously caused by stock rupture.

Another significant aspect of Jessen’s mission was educating the hotel’s staff on cost analysis. He worked closely with the kitchen staff to calculate the food cost for each menu item, a previously non-existent practice. Jessen enabled the hotel to identify and promote high-margin dishes, thus improving profitability.

Jessen also addressed the communication gaps within the hotel’s management. He recommended changes to align the general manager's and key personnel's efforts. This included creating an organizational chart to clearly define roles and responsibilities and fostering better teamwork and accountability.

Nebbi's remote location added an extra layer of complexity. Jessen had to adapt to a significantly different pace and style of operation compared to the bustling environments found in Europe or the U.S. Despite the challenges, he found the experience rewarding. He emphasized the importance of not imposing solutions but rather adapting them to fit the local context and capabilities.

Reflecting on his mission, Jessen highlighted the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and leveraging one’s expertise to make a meaningful difference, even in unfamiliar and challenging environments. His experience in Uganda underscores the potential for experienced professionals to contribute significantly to developing and improving hospitality standards in less-developed regions.

Jessen remains listed with SES and is open to future opportunities to share his expertise and drive positive change globally.

As the senior director of events for Meeting Professionals International (MPI), Melinda Burdette oversees the association’s annual meetings. MPI's main events include the World Education Congress and the European Events and Meetings Conference. Planning experiences for thousands of meeting professionals can seem like a daunting task, but Burdette is well-equipped for the job. She is a Certified Meeting Professional and has worked in the medical, nonprofit, and corporate meetings and events industry.

Burdette's career has been varied. She has been a medical meeting planner, a corporate planner and a member of the Atlanta Braves' game-day staff. MPI was a logical next step. "One of the reasons I came to MPI is I wanted to give back to the industry. I wanted to teach that next generation, or the next couple of generations, or even my colleagues about how to think about meetings differently."

"I am, what my CEO calls me, the head chef of chefs. It keeps me on my toes," she said. With a constant eye on future trends, Burdette calls it a pendulum swing. "I've been doing this for so long that there's probably not a trend outside of AI that I haven't already used or experienced," she said.

Burdette often refers to event logistics as managing controlled explosions. Every time MPI has a face-to-face gathering, Burdette and her team are responsible for registration, housing, logistics, meeting specs, F&B, the attendee journey, exhibitors, and more. "We handle all the logistics, be that a 20 person meeting or one for 20,000."

"I am, what my CEO calls me, the head chef of chefs. It keeps me on my toes," she said. With a constant eye on future trends, Burdette calls it a pendulum swing. "I've been doing this for so long that there's probably not a trend outside of AI that I haven't already used or experienced," she said.

"When we go to a mid-tier city, we're the big fish in a smaller pond. We've been doing it for many years and we'll continue to do it. We're going to St. Louis next year and San Antonio the year after that," she said. Burdette always looks to surprise attendees through the meeting's location or a new food and beverage opportunity. At least one surprise is always part of the plan.

Burdette feels that having a sense of humor is a basic need for planners, with so many unpredictable things happening that you just can't make up. "If you don't have a sense of humor about meetings and events, you're not going to last very long because I promise you, we could make a reality show about this that would outsell any Real Housewives," said Burdette.

Many of the events Burdette plans include outdoor gatherings. As excessive heat continues to impact not just the U.S. but the world, plans must be put in place to address the health and safety of attendees. Water, cooling stations and misting fans are must-haves. "I go into every one of the locations we are meeting in and say, 'What's the worst case scenario here?'"

Burdette prioritizes the health and safety of attendees. "We consider the safety of attendees every step of the way: at the airport, ride from the airport to the hotel, walk from the hotel to the venues, bus situation, and convention center."

Burdette doesn't let on the chaos that may be happening behind the scenes. "As the person in charge, I must remain calm, cool, and collected, at least as far as you can see, because I can promise you I'm like a duck swimming to keep my head above water."

Robyn Duda is the co-founder and CEO of RacquetX. From organizing high school parties to launching IBM’s Watson worldwide, Duda has had her fair share of experience in events and trade shows, spending a significant part of her career at UBM, now part of Informa. She took the shift from consulting for brands like Visa and Coca-Cola to taking the entrepreneurial leap to leading RacquetX in her stride.

RacquetX emerged from a conversation with co-founder Marco Giberti, a previous podcast guest, and a group of investors passionate about racket sports. "We have this idea, this kind of an idea. Can you help us validate it? We already have the money raised. Do you want to launch it?" Duda recounted. The challenge was to create and validate a new event platform in under a year—a task she embraced wholeheartedly.

RacquetX served as a trade show and festival, bringing together various stakeholders in the racket sports industry. The event showcased different racket sports, facilitated professional networking, and even included match-making apps to foster connections. Duda focused on creating a comprehensive and immersive experience for all attendees, something she is deeply passionate about.

In discussing the concepts of connection, engagement, and community, Duda emphasized the importance of establishing genuine connections before engaging an audience. "I think you need to have connection before you can have engagement," she noted. Duda feels that real engagement happens only when strong connections are made, leading to strong communities.

As RacquetX plans its second year, Duda’s goal is to double its size in terms of sponsors and attendees. "We are working really closely to make create even more strategic relationships and partnerships now that we have a brand that’s recognizable, trusted," she stated. Her vision for RacquetX is clear, aiming to elevate the event by leveraging the success of its inaugural year.

Beyond RacquetX, Duda is also committed to promoting diversity in events. She previously created "Change the Stage," an initiative aimed at diversifying speakers and panelists across events. "If we don’t have a diverse set of voices, backgrounds, thought and opportunity to people, we’re doing the industries that we all serve a huge disservice," she explained. Duda remains an active advocate for broader inclusion and representation in the industry.

In this episode of the Skiff Meetings Podcast, we speak with Andrea Cadotto, director of sales at Visit Detroit. Cadotto sheds light on Detroit's dynamic evolution and promising future in large-scale events and urban development.

Visit Detroit, established in 1896, was the first-ever convention and visitors bureau. Detroit features many historical firsts, including the first stoplight and the first paved road. The city has continuously positioned itself at the forefront of innovation. Cadotto emphasized that this legacy provides Visit Detroit with invaluable experience and a trailblazing spirit that sets it apart.

Detroit recently hosted the NFL Draft, with 750,000 visitors joining the event over three days. This event showcased the city's logistical capabilities, vibrant community spirit and enthusiasm for high-profile events. Annual events like the Detroit Grand Prix, Movement Festival, and Jazz Festival cement its reputation as an events hub.

Over the past decade, Detroit has undergone a deep transformation. The city has made substantial investments in infrastructure, including enhancements to the convention centers and improvements to the local transportation system. Both public and private investments are supporting the revitalization of the city's economic and cultural landscape.

Detroit's skyline and infrastructure are witnessing significant growth, with several new developments, particularly in the hospitality sector. The recent openings of the Godfrey Hotel and the Cambria Hotel are worth noting. Also noteworthy is the highly anticipated new addition at the Hudson site — set to become the city's second tallest building. The reopening of the Michigan Central Station, now a hub for Ford’s autonomous vehicle research, marks another milestone in Detroit's journey towards becoming a futuristic city.

The influx of events and visitors brings substantial economic benefits to the local community. Cadotto highlighted how local media partnerships and community involvement are pivotal in maximizing the impacts of hosting events in Detroit. These initiatives drive economic activity and foster a sense of pride and ownership among residents, who are eager to showcase their city's resurgence and vibrancy.

As Detroit continues to redefine itself through strategic developments and a robust events calendar, it is set on a promising path. For event planners and business leaders looking for a location that offers historical richness and modern amenities, the city presents an irresistible proposition with its unique blend of grit and innovation. Visit Detroit is ready to welcome the world so that everyone can experience the city's unique charm and capabilities.

In the latest episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast, we take a deep dive into event tech based on the findings of the Skift Meetings Event Tech Almanac 2024. We explore the significant transformations the event tech sector has undergone and discuss the evolving demands on event tech and the latest solutions on offer.

The pivot to virtual event platforms during the pandemic marked a turning point for the industry. Companies like Hopin experienced meteoric rises but faced challenges that led to a decline and eventual sale of assets. Meanwhile, stalwarts like Cvent have shown resilience, maintaining their footholds amid fluctuating market dynamics.

Recent movements, such as Webex's decision to stop marketing products to planners, highlight the sector's ongoing realignments. These changes underscore the industry's volatility and the necessity for adaptability among leading players.

This year’s Event Tech Almanac focuses on a curated list of 85 key platforms across twelve different types. The concentrated analysis provides insights into essential features like integration capabilities and complex pricing models. The report also emphasizes the critical need for robust data security and transparent pricing structures. These elements reflect the sector's response to demands for greater clarity and accountability in service offerings.

Data security is more important than ever in event technology. The almanac’s findings strongly emphasize robust data protection measures, a response to the growing concerns about data privacy across digital platforms.

Data ownership models among different providers are crucial considerations for planners concerned with data sovereignty and security. Shared versus exclusive data rights have clear implications with potential risks and benefits.

Looking ahead, the integration of artificial intelligence stands out as a promising development within event technology. AI is set to play a significant role in refining user engagement and simplifying complex operational processes through automation and predictive analytics. AI will undoubtedly be leveraged to enhance event planning and execution, potentially transforming the landscape of event tech by making platforms more intuitive and responsive.

The Skift Meetings Event Tech Almanac 2024 is an essential resource for understanding the complexities and dynamic nature of the event technology sector. Available for free download, it offers a wealth of information and strategic guidance crucial for navigating the evolving market.