American opera singer Beverly Sills once said, “There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.” In our world, there are many amazing places that are fairly easily accessible, which people can and should visit as time permits. Places where, ar...

The morning started with chocolate. It was a drizzly, cold March day in Paris, and the first stop on the Secret Food Tours in Montmartre was at a chocolatier—an award-winning Parisian chocolatier. How could the day that followed have been anythin...

Whenever I go to conferences and trade shows globally, I always notice a bit of “budget envy” that comes from those who plan small to mid-sized events. They marvel at the bells and whistles, all the features and functionalities, that larger meeti...

When it comes to designing an event survey, you need to know the desired outcome prior to taking action. This means asking stakeholders what information needs to be gleaned from the survey and how the results will be used. You also need to create...

The word retreat literally means “to withdraw from enemy forces as a result of their superior power or after a defeat.” There are many reasons why a staff team might hold a retreat; e.g., to avoid office chaos and distractions and...

The past month, Congress did something that one may consider amazing. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., sat down and agreed to permanently fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, or SGR. Then both t...

To some, the term "networking" is overused, and even may sound a bit sleazy. We've amplified that by promoting speed networking and boasting about the number of professionals attending our conferences. I’m a firm believer that making new conne...

A few voices can make a difference! That’s my takeaway from two eye-opening and informative days in Washington, D.C., at the end of April for the Global Business Travel Association Legislative Symposium 2015. What an opportunity to share my...

I had not been to Baltimore in probably seven or eight years, but was there last week for some site visits and client appointments. I was very impressed with the changes that had taken place over this time. It was much cleaner and safer than I re...

If your marketing spend is greater than six percent of your direct conference expenses, your fan base and positive word of mouth (WOM) marketing are lacking. Authentic WOM marketing, received from a trusted colleague, is hands down the most...