When I hear a meeting professional is mentioned in the mainstream media, I get a little nervous. Is it because of some scandal or boondoggle? A lone voice defending meetings in an effort to balance an otherwise meeting-bashing extravaganza?
But when I saw a link to this Q&A with Christy Lamagna, CMP, CMM, CTSM, founder and president of Strategic Meetings and Events, in Forbes, I was just excited to hear what she had to say. I’ve been a fan of hers for years—it's so weird that we just met in person for the first time at IMEX America this year—and I knew she would show the meetings industry in a good light.
And she does, though she also shines that light on a few of the areas that still need work, such as a lack of professional standards with real teeth, unethical fam trippers, and “box-checker” clients who aren’t willing to do the work of connecting the meeting to real goals and outcomes. But she also talks about the importance of being strategic about meetings and events, because when we are, the results can influence behavior and bring about real change. We can’t talk about that enough.
This is my favorite quote of many in the article:
You want the strategist to ask, “What's your goal for having this meeting? Tell me what you would like to accomplish. What do you want your attendees saying, thinking, and doing when they leave?" The goal is to make events investments, not expenditures.
Here’s the link: Sick of Lousy Meetings? Christy Lamagna Has the Solution
