Smart Start Radio: Fuel for the Purpose Generation of Meeting Planners

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When the event ends, most planners move straight into what’s next. Fix what broke. Prep the next timeline. Keep it moving.

But what if the real opportunity is in what worked?

In this Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay explores the idea of “me-o’clock,” inspired by a Smart Meetings story, and why intentional reflection is one of the most overlooked tools in event planning. Not a rushed debrief. Not a report you check off. A real pause to ask: what actually landed?

Through relatable examples and simple, practical steps, this episode reframes reflection as operational wellness, a way to build smarter, stronger events over time.

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Food can make an event memorable, but it can also make it memorable for the wrong reasons.

In this episode of Smart Start Radio, Eming Piansay talks with Executive Chef Kaitlyn Weber of Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa about the reality of feeding hundreds of guests at meetings, conferences and weddings.

They discuss menu design for large groups, handling dietary restrictions, managing last-minute changes and why planners and culinary teams need to work closely together to create the best experience for attendees.

This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the timing, logistics and teamwork that go into every successful banquet. 

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When a destination suddenly finds itself in the global spotlight, meeting planners start paying attention. But how does that visibility turn into real opportunities for conventions and events?

In this episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay talks with Peter Gamez, president and CEO of Visit Oakland, about how recent cultural moments, including Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, filmmaker Ryan Coogler and Grammy-winning artist Kehlani, are bringing new attention to Oakland, California, and why that matters for the meetings industry.

They discuss how positive storytelling shapes perception, how curiosity from planners turns into bookings, and why destinations that lean into their culture, food scene and local experiences are creating stronger meetings and events.

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In this Coffee Chat episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay takes a closer look at why B2B events are shifting away from larger formats toward smaller, more intentional experiences.

Inspired by a recent SmartMeetings.com article, the conversation explores how tighter budgets, travel fatigue and the rise of Gen Z attendees are changing what people expect from conferences and meetings.

Instead of assuming that bigger always means better, planners are beginning to experiment with smaller formats, more interaction and more thoughtful event design.

In this episode, we break down three key shifts planners should be thinking about right now: designing for interaction rather than attendance numbers, making experiences more intentional and rethinking how success is measured.

If you are planning your next event and wondering whether scale still equals impact, this episode is for you.

Read the original story here: https://www.smartmeetings.com/meeting-planning/179166/b2b-events-are-getting-smaller-and-smarter-for-gen-z

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In this Smart Start Radio: Coffee Chat episode, host Eming Piansay breaks down the concept of chronodiversity and explains how understanding human energy patterns could change how planners design event agendas. 

Inspired by a story on SmartMeetings.com, this episode explores simple ways to create schedules that support engagement, learning and attendee well-being.

Read the original story here: https://www.smartmeetings.com/meeting-planning/178790/chronodiversity-the-next-frontier-in-event-design

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In honor of International Women’s Day, Smart Start Radio goes beyond surface-level celebration and into what leadership actually looks like in today’s meetings and events industry.

Host Eming Piansay sits down with Christine Erickson, senior vice president of global supplier relations and partner network at BCD Meetings & Events, who oversees a global ecosystem supporting 60,000 events annually. Together, they explore how women leaders are shaping collaboration, driving sustainability, elevating supplier partnerships and strengthening the case for face-to-face experiences.

Erickson shares why emotional intelligence and business acumen are not competing skills but complementary ones, why leadership paths are rarely linear and how intentional mentorship can accelerate growth. She also offers practical advice for women ready to advocate for themselves and advance their careers.

As Erickson puts it, leadership is about “capturing hearts and minds”  and building communities that lift others along the way.

Because celebrating women once a year is great. Investing in them every day is better.

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In this week’s Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay, Multimedia Editor at Smart Meetings, breaks down one of the biggest shifts shaping events right now: attendees aren’t behaving by age group or job title anymore,  they’re behaving by pressure. Inspired by the SmartMeetings.com story What Meeting Planners Need to Know About Event Attendees in 2026, this episode translates research into three practical moves planners can use immediately.

 From designing for outcomes instead of attendance numbers to creating smaller connection spaces and treating time like the scarce resource it is, this is your quick framework for building events that actually feel worth it.

Read the story here: https://www.smartmeetings.com/magazine_article/what-meeting-planners-need-to-know-about-event-attendees-in-2026

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Headlines can be loud, but reality on the ground is layered. In this Smart Start Radio: Coffee Chat, host Eming Piansay breaks down takeaways from Smart Meetings’ March story “Breaking Through ICE,” by editor-at-large Gary Diedrich, and translates them into three practical moves meeting planners can use right away.

You’ll learn how to right-size the map (separating the camera frame from your attendee footprint), build confidence with a written safety and security plan you can clearly explain, and design resilient operations when hospitality staffing and service delivery are strained. Eming Piansay also shares rapid-fire questions to use on your next site selection call, internal risk meeting and attendee communications draft, so you can protect attendee trust while continuing to support the destinations you meet in.

Read the story in our magazine here: https://pubs.royle.com/publication/frame.php?i=861357&p=&pn=&ver=html5&pre=1

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If you’ve read one more 2026 forecast and thought, “Okay, cool… but what do I actually do with this?” this episode is for you.

In this Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay breaks down three shifts that will realistically impact planners heading into 2026: meeting space compression, international travel perception and accelerating vendor mergers. No panic. No headlines. Just practical strategy.

You’ll walk away with three actions you can implement immediately and a simple Monday morning checklist to protect your timeline, your room block and your contracts.

Because the real risk isn’t the market. It’s reacting instead of planning with intention.

Podcast: Smart Start Radio: Fuel for the Purpose Generation of Meeting Planners
Host: Eming Piansay
Release date: February 12, 2026
Length: 7:53
Episode page: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316002/episodes/18671916

Episode Summary

If you’ve been reading 2026 forecasts and wondering what to do with them, this short Coffee Chat is your reset. Eming Piansay breaks down three realistic shifts that will impact event planners heading into 2026, without hype or panic, and shares practical actions you can implement immediately. You’ll also get a simple Monday-morning checklist designed to protect your timeline, room block, and contracts. The core message: the biggest risk isn’t the market, it’s reacting instead of planning with intention.

What You’ll Learn (Key Topics)

• Three 2026 shifts impacting planners:
  1. Meeting space compression
  2. International travel perception
  3. Accelerating vendor mergers
• How to respond with strategy over headlines
• Three immediate actions to reduce risk and protect leverage

Leave us a message on our Smart Start Radio Listener Line: https://www.speakpipe.com/SmartStartRadio

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In this episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay examines how diversity, equity and inclusion work is evolving in today’s professional landscape.

Eming speaks first with Alexis Braly James, CEO and founder of Construct the Present, about inclusive leadership and organizational accountability, followed by a conversation with author and leadership consultant Shari Dunn, whose book Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work explores workplace bias.

The episode also addresses workplace conflict, competency bias and strategies for creating thoughtful, equitable environments for meeting planners and industry leaders.

Connect with Alexis: https://constructthepresent.com/

Buy Shari's book: https://thesharidunn.com/buy-now

Show Notes: 

Episode: Reframing Equity in a Changing Workplace
Season/Episode: Season 3, Episode 27
Length: 56:28
Host: Eming Piansay
Guests: Alexis Braly James; Shari Dunn
Listen: https://www.smartmeetings.com/podcasts/smart-start-radio-reframing-equity-in-a-changing-workplace

Episode summary

In this episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay explores what equity and inclusion look like in today’s shifting workplace landscape—and what that means for meeting and event professionals tasked with building spaces where people can participate fully and safely.

Eming speaks with Alexis Braly James, CEO and founder of Construct the Present, about inclusive leadership, organizational accountability and how DEI work is evolving amid political and corporate rollbacks. Then, Eming sits down with Shari Dunn, author of Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work, to unpack workplace bias, “competency checking,” and why so many professionals mislabel systemic barriers as personal shortcomings.

Why this matters for meeting pros

Equity isn’t a statement—it’s a set of choices planners operationalize through codes of conduct, accessibility, accountability processes and safety planning. This conversation offers practical ways to design events and workplaces that move beyond performative inclusion and toward clearer expectations, repair and real belonging.

Guests

Alexis Braly James — CEO + Founder, Construct the Present
Alexis helps organizations build healthier, more inclusive workplace cultures through strategic implementation, training and equity audits.

Shari Dunn — Author + Leadership Consultant
Shari is the author of Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work and works with organizations on leadership, communication and workplace equity.

Links & resources

• Connect with Alexis Braly James / Construct the Present: https://constructthepresent.com/
• Buy Shari Dunn’s book (Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work): https://thesharidunn.com/buy-now

Timestamps / chapters

• 2:35 — Alexis Braly James on inclusive leadership, accountability and how DEI work is evolving
• 27:38 — Shari Dunn on competency checking, bias at work and the realities behind “imposter syndrome”

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