The concept is straightforward: Find someone you don't know at the conference cocktail reception and strike up business-related small talk. But as most people will confess, networking is not easy. And I'll admit it: I'm kind of shy, which makes it...

Challenged by the dire economy and concerned about perception issues surrounding their meetings and incentive programs, the 600-plus attendees who gathered at the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun for the 51st Financial & Insurance...

When it comes to meetings with multinational attendees — whether held in the U.S. or elsewhere — logistics are everything. Foreign currencies, visas, contract clauses: There's a lot of ground to cover...

Our reader research revealed changing destinations, shrinking budgets, and disappearing amenities—and that’s just the start.

An interview with FICP’s vice president, finance

The Green Meeting Industry Council, a national 501(c)(6) organization that serves as the voice of the green meetings movement in the U.S., has its first two chapters under development and has announced plans for its 2009 annual meeting...

An opening conversation between a cruise line and a prospective charter client might go this way, according to Elena Rodriguez, director of incentive and charter sales for Princess Cruises. “We'll determine if and where they've cruised in the past...

CMI: Are there any additional fees associated with chartering a ship...

If you are planning what you regard as a unique event, are the details of its execution confidential? If you are an independent planner responding to a request for proposal for planning services, would you be happy if the prospective client used...

With discussion topics ranging from the economy to site selection to retaining top talent, executives from the 18-member Lynette Owens & Associates Advisory Council met last summer at the Ginn Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla. “The...