Meetings Today Podcast

Many organizations, and especially associations, are challenged by legislation and policies that are counter to the values of their members, such as "bathroom bills" and statewide measures outlawing abortion. The firm opposition to these laws leads some to consider cancelling their meetings in the destinations in which the laws were passed.  But cancelling or moving meetings can lead to legal...

From a new hockey arena to expanded airlift and its ever-present roster of top spas and golf resorts, Greater Palm Springs has emerged from the pandemic reinvigorated to win meetings and conventions business. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson talked with Carolina Viazcan, vice president of sales for Visit Greater Palm Springs, to discover what’s new up and down the Coachella Valley, and how groups t...

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson touches base with Lori Cassidy and Pam Kressley, 30-year hospitality industry veterans who  just launched an incentive travel option that greatly simplifies the reward process while multiplying travel options for both awarders and awardees. And if exclusive resorts and luxe cruises don't do the trick, companies can even launch their high-performing incentive wi...

Meetings industry veteran Kevin Iwamoto, chief customer officer and head of enterprise for meetings technology company Bizly, has occupied top positions in meetings industry organizations, from president of NBTA (now GBTA) in the wake of 9/11 to senior-level positions on Hewlett-Packard’s global travel and meetings team and Disney. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson spoke with him about stereotypes a...

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson chats with KiKi L'Italien, host of Association Chat podcast and senior consultant with Tecker International, about ASAE's Annual Meeting & Exposition, including the successes and challenges of its stringent COVID-19 testing policy (COVID spoiler alert!), as well as a unique new CSR option that encourages association attendees to contribute to organizations that...

IMEX America has always had a robust educational program, but is now embarking on a three-year strategy to consolidate and redesign the offering. Helping shepherd the process is Tahira Endean, an industry veteran and former head of events for SITE who was recently hired as IMEX Group's Head of Programme. Carrying the theme "Pathways to Clarity," IMEX America will kick off October 10 in Las Vegas w...

Many planners think a hybrid event is simply a program that ties together a single in-person event with a simultaneous digital component. Think again! Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson talks with Cvent's Rachel Andrews, senior director, Global Meetings & Events, and Patrick Smith, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, about their experience producing the hospitality tech giant's Cve...

Dallas is embarking on a $2 billion convention center expansion that will also result in a new downtown entertainment district and neighborhood. Visit Dallas President & CEO Craig Davis goes over the details of this massive project that will reposition the city as a top meetings and conventions draw.

Meetings Today sat down with Lee Rubin, keynote speaker and one of two featured speakers at this July's Meetings Today Live! West Denver/Aurora to hear about his backstory and highlight the key elements of a strong, consistent corporate team. 

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a centrally located meetings mecca with lures ranging from big-city attractions such as world-class museums to charming small towns with only-in-Texas appeal, to suburban communities filled with facilities that are purpose-built for large meetings and events. Plano is a Metroplex city that offers a little bit of it all, and also boasts close proximity both of the...

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Encore's Cathy Schlosberg, senior VP of marketing, and Amanda Armstrong, SVP of Brand & Community Engagement, on how meetings technology from in-person to hybrid has undergone a radical transformation because of the pandemic. Discover the latest stats from this essential meetings and events player, and why it is bullish on the vitality of all meeti...

Meetings industry veteran Maura Gast, executive director of Visit Irving Texas, is one of the most engaged leaders in the business—name a board and chances are she’s been on it! Hear what she has to say about the recovery from the pandemic, in terms of both Irving and the industry as a whole, and key destination updates as major Irving attractions such as Toyota Music Factory rev up to welcome mee...

May 19, 2022, is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, so we sat down with meetings tech titan Cvent to talk with their new senior product manager for accessibility, Stephen Cutchins, and senior director of product management, Carl Aldrich, to discuss the strides and challenges the meetings and events industry has experienced in ensuring everyone is included. Learn about cutting-edge accessibility t...

Meetings Today catches up on the latest events and development news in Milwaukee with Leslie Johnson, vice president of sales and services for VISIT Milwaukee. We discuss the highly anticipated Wisconsin Center expansion, what the city's various entertainment districts can offer groups, and new hotel openings on the horizon.  *Produced in collaboration with VISIT Milwaukee

Garrett Ronan, U.S. chief operations officer for etc.venues, talks about post-pandemic meetings and conference center trends and the company's potential expansion plans in the U.S. after opening two New York City venues shortly before COVID-19 roiled the industry.

What does it take to put on an event like the Super Bowl? Darren Green, Chief Sales Officer for LA Tourism, joins Meetings Today to share how his team worked with L.A. hospitality partners and the NFL to host Super Bowl LVI and its surrounding events. We also discuss new developments in L.A. that meeting planners should know about and big events coming to town in the next few years.

Meetings industry veteran Christine “Shimo” Shimasaki, of Simpleview's 2Synergize, is privy to booking pace data from hundreds of DMOs. Here's her well-informed take on where the meetings industry is regarding the return to in-person events, and how data-driven strategic decisions are the key to its future.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with PCMA leader Sherrif Karamat and DI leader Don Welsh to discuss the organization's upcoming Business Events Industry Week, current in-person meetings trends and the associations' stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry faces a challenge attracting the next generation of talent. In fact, it’s a major topic of discussion among its leaders. In this Meetings Today Podcast, recorded at PCMA’s Convening Leaders, EIC CEO Amy Calvert tackles the subject of the hospitality industry talent pipeline, as well as a major revamp of the EIC’s CMP program.

Tyler Davidson talks to James Rees, president of Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), about one of the events industry's most pressing issues: sustainability. At PCMA Convening Leaders 2022, Rees details the Net-Zero Carbon Events Pledge initiative, key challenges surrounding business travel and carbon footprints, and the way forward for greener in-person meetings.

Tyler Davidson checks in with Michele Polci, citywide director of catering sales, Las Vegas, for Caesars Entertainment at PCMA Convening Leaders about how the meetings and conventions giant navigated the pandemic, critical questions planners should ask about service levels and the supply chain, and the latest cuisine trends for large gatherings.

JUNO’s Josh Hotsenpiller sits down with Tyler Davidson to discuss the events platform’s big partnership with PCMA, and how everything we do comes down to one important concept: human connection.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson discussed Visit Corpus Christi's meetings offer in which the destination will host an opening or closing reception in one of the destination's many interesting offsite venues. The CVB's Nicole Olivares details the Coast Your Own Way meetings offer and what the Gulf Coast destination offers for meetings and events.

Meetings Today's Sarah Kloepple sits down with Stephanie Glanzer, senior vice president and chief sales officer for MGM Resorts International, to discuss how the company has come through the pandemic better, with new safety protocols, the launch of new meetings campaign "Here" and how planners can make a difference through their events at MGM. This podcast was produced in partnership with MGM Reso...

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Mike Wainwright and Don Pfeffer at IMEX America 2021 to get key insights from the global hotel giant's Convention & Resort Network (CRN) regarding the recovery of the meetings industry. CRN's Mike Wainwright,  vice president of  sales, Gaylord Hotels and Marriott Convention & Resort Network, and Robert Pfeffer, senior director, Conven...