Meetings Today Podcast

Courtney Stanley, host of Meetings Today's Dare to Interrupt podcast, has championed women's empowerment in the meetings and events industry for more than a decade, including co-founding the #MeetingsToo movement. Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson spoke with Courtney about how she got into the meetings industry, the inspiring women she's interviewed, and how women (and men) can furth...

In this Meetings Today podcast, destinations content manager Taylor Smith sits down with Carolina Viazcan, vice president of sales at Visit Greater Palm Springs, and Colleen Pace, chief sales and marketing officer at Visit Greater Palm Springs, to talk about what's new in Greater Palm Springs, from air service updates, new and renovated properties and more, and to learn little bit about the be...

From the recent re-opening of a particularly scenic stretch of Highway 1 to new hotel developments, major sporting events, news from Pebble Beach and two marketing initiatives from his DMO, Meetings Today checks in with See Monterey President & CEO Rob O’Keefe to get the skinny on the latest meetings, attractions and hotel haps in California's Monterey County.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC, at PCMA Convening Leaders 2026 to discover what's new in the nation's capital in regard to meetings and conventions.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Lisa Messina, chief sales officer for Visit Orlando, and Mike Tester, executive director for the Orange County Convention Center, at PCMA Convening Leaders 2026 to discuss goings-ons in the nation's most popular meetings and leisure destination.

Orlando is a destination that is no stranger to superlatives. From being named the top meetings destination in North America for the 10th time to logging record visitor numbers both in the leisure and meetings segments, this Florida phenomenon is always ahead of the competition. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson met up with Lisa Messina, chief sales officer for Visit Orlando, at IMEX America 2025 to...

Following the release of the 2025 Incentive Travel Index (ITI) on Smart Monday and an insightful panel discussion in which industry leaders broke down this year's survey results, Meetings Today's Taylor Smith tapped Padraic Gilligan, SITE's head of research and consultancy, to get his quick, 15-minute snapshot of the 2025 ITI and the key takeaways today's incentive travel professio...

Human trafficking is one of those issues that is difficult to talk about yet so critical to address. Three meetings and hospitality industry giants, Maritz, Marriott and Hilton, have stepped up to the plate to form the Fight Against Human Trafficking Coalition, which will provide a wealth of resources and training to combat this travel industry scourge.

Meetings Today's Taylor Smith sat down with Hyatt's Trina Camacho-London, vice president of group sales, and Christina Gambini, vice president of global sales, to talk business travel trends and how they've shifted since the first half of the year.

What are the top four legal concerns impacting the meetings and events industry? Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson sat down with Maritz Deputy General Counsel Jill Blood at IMEX America 2025 to find out what's keeping both planners and suppliers up at night, and strategies to overcome these vexatious legal dilemmas. Discover how you can protect your organization.

On this episode of the Meetings Today podcast, learn all about the meeting planner's guide to Indianapolis' new developments with Leonard Hoops, CEO and president of Visit Indy.

In this Meetings Today podcast, destinations content manager Taylor Smith sits down with Richard Bliss, CEO of BlissPoint Consulting, a LinkedIn Top Voices Influencer and a 2025 Meetings Trendsetter, to understand he helps executives master modern communication tools for strategic business advantage, specifically through LinkedIn.

In this Meetings Today Podcast, recorded on the IMEX America tradeshow floor, Taylor Smith sits down with Amanda Armstrong, senior vice president of communications and industry relations at Encore, to talk about how Encore made an impact at IMEX, the importance of awakening all of your attendees' senses and the future of event technology. Note: This episode was originally published October 18,...

In this Meetings Today podcast episode, Content Developer Taylor Smith speaks with Kim Mueller, Director of Sales for Ocean City, Maryland’s Department of Tourism about everything that makes this East Coast destination the total package for meetings and events of all kinds. Note: This episode was originally published April 9, 2025

On this episode of the Meetings Today podcast, our own Taylor Smith talks with Tahira Endean, head of program at IMEX, about her new book released at the end of March that invites industry professionals to see events “not merely as logistical undertakings but as powerful catalysts for happiness, productivity and trust.” Note: This episode was originally published April 24, 2025

National keynote speaker, MC and author Joel Zeff joins Logan Pratt on this episode of the Meetings Today podcast to talk about the necessity of a good MC at events, the power of "ta-da," celebrating life's small wins and how the power improv can change people's lives for the better. Joel Zeff is the author of Make the Right Choice: Lead with Passion, Elevate Your Team, and Unlea...

Tyler Davidson sat down with Doane Liu, chief tourism officer for the City of Los Angeles, to discuss some of the global marquee events headed to the City of Angels in the next few years, along with general happenings impacting its meetings and conventions scene, including the much-anticipated improvements at LAX.

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson caught up with new San Diego Tourism Authority President & CEO Daniel Kuperschmid at ASAE's Annual Meeting to find out what the new DMO leader's objectives are, how his 30-year career in hotels informs his new position, major meetings-related developments in what may be the hottest destination in the U.S., and some of the undiscovered gems of this So...

Meetings Today's Tyler Davidson caught up with Al Hutchinson, former president and CEO of Visit Baltimore, to explore his new venture, AVH Enterprise, and its mission to provide comprehensive leadership development, strategic planning and social impact solutions tailored specifically to DMOs.

Visit Irving Executive Director Maura Gast explains how this Dallas Metroplex meetings destination is making strides in wellness and its skill at hyper-personalizing its meetings offering for planners and attendees.

On this episode of the Meetings Today podcast, digital content coordinator Logan Pratt sits down with Carolina Viazcan, vice president of sales for Visit Greater Palm Springs, and Laruen Bruggemans, director of sustainability and community engagement, to learn how the destination is both creating new developments while balancing its commitment to environmental and social sustainability. This podca...

With $10 billion in infrastructure investment and new dining, retail and entertainment districts such as OCVIBE, Anaheim, California, has embarked on what it has dubbed the "Golden Decade." Meetings Today caught up with Ronnie Collins, senior vice president of sales for Visit Anaheim, to learn the details, and also about mega events coming to the destination, a major property renovation...

Phoenix has earned the moniker "Championship Valley" because of its extensive experience in hosting big sporting events like the Super Bowl and basketball championships. Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer, Visit Phoenix and Eric George, special events administrator, City of Phoenix, discuss what goes into the execution of large-scale sporting events and world-class conventions in Phoenix...

Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center DOSM Russ Mitchell talks about the brand's massive new $1.3 billion property near San Diego, which will be the largest hotel on the West Coast. Located in Chula Vista, California, and set for a May 15, 2025 opening, the property will offer a whopping 1,600 rooms and more than 477,000 square feet of meeting space that includes the 47,000-square-foo...

The threat by the Trump Administration to levy significant tariffs against three of the biggest trading partners of the U.S. became reality March 4, 2025, and the impact on the meeting and events industry is still unfolding. Meetings Today’s Tyler Davidson engaged Voices in Advocacy’s Roger Rickard, the leading expert on political advocacy in the meetings industry and beyond, to gauge how the 25%...