As humans, our innate tendency to make observations, form opinions, and shape judgments quickly can lead to assumptions. Built on a fear-based paradigm through previously learned behavior, assumptions result in cliques, exclusionary behavior, and homogenous communities. Displaying our name badge is a seemingly innocent gesture that presents our name, job title, and organization. Intended to ease initial interaction, name badges can also divide us. Social hierarchies, power dynamics, and desire to achieve a return on investment, the name badge can intentionally, or inadvertently, hinder enriching communication between professionals. This workshop will discuss how every intentional engagement is an opportunity for personal growth, professional development, and stronger diverse networks.

Learner Outcomes

1. Learn how to recognize and describe the five primary biases to deepen workplace relationships.

2. Discuss and comprehend the five Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies to improve workplace culture and develop diverse partner ecosystems.

3. Discover the value of every social interaction to aid in growing an expansive network across all dimensions of diversity.

4. Gain new resources and tools to implement three strategic methods for cross-cultural opportunities.

Session Sponsored by: 

Find the tech tools you need to keep your participants engaged while meeting the goals and objectives of stakeholders and delivering on virtual, hybrid, and in-person experiences that change worlds. The tech companies in the demo slot include:

eventPower: Tools by Meeting Planners, For Meeting Planners
The eventPower Virtual Event Experience delivers your in-person, virtual and hybrid event to all attendees in one seamless and engaging online experience. Powered by the eventPower suite of conference tools including registration, speaker and agenda management, and exhibit and sponsorship sales and fulfillment, the tools bring your in-person event to life in a virtual setting (no masks required). Join us to learn more about the all-in-one solution developed by meeting planners, for meeting planners.

Better On-Site Teamwork with There.App
Success at major events requires effective collaboration across schedule, travel, and location details. There.App brings together all aspects of on-location teamwork with access to shared files, calendars, to-do lists, and more, including people's live locations at key moments. The solution positions every team member collaborating at an event to manage through pivotal situations as they arise.

How to Create Memorable Virtual Event Experiences with Hoppier!
Want to make your virtual events more memorable? After helping with 1000's virtual events around the world, Hoppier is sharing this free demo on how to create an amazing, memorable virtual event. When you join you'll have the ability to redeem a $5 Hoppier card to grab a coffee on us.

Technology Room Sponsored by:

There is no better way to know how COVID-19 has affected contracts, negotiations, and the market than hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth. This panel consists of a meeting planner, a hotel sales professional, and an attorney, hashing out what’s new, what’s negotiable, and how COVID-19 has changed the on-site look of meetings. Contract language related to COVID-19 will be discussed, force majeure as well as a specific language. The measures being used to limit or shift liability will be discussed, including testing, proof of vaccination, social distancing, mask requirements, waivers, and insurance. Other negotiation issues such as performance clauses will also be addressed. 

Learner Outcomes

1. Illustrate force majeure language that each party may offer in negotiations and why the language may be or not be acceptable to the other party.

2. Contrast the positions of the planner and the venue regarding contract terms in the immediate future and in the long-term. 

3. Give examples of on-site COVID-19 measures that have been successfully used on-site to limit risk and/or liability.

Session Sponsored by: 

Multi-location is not hybrid! IACC has developed the concept of multi-location meetings and conferences and has studied their characteristics, their advantages, and limitations. in this session, we consider connected meetings across different cities or countries, achieving goals for the return to Live events, whilst taking out risks of meeting in a single location. An IACC MultiPOD Meeting is a unique format, merging in-person and virtual, with one gold-star standard framework with venue brilliance at the heart of it. IACC believes that staging a connected business event that has live audiences in more than one location, need not be out of reach logistically or financially. In this exploration session, each element, venue, technology, and content will be considered carefully and demonstrated first hand.

Learner Outcomes

1. Understand what venue, technology, and content expertise you need to have in place to deliver a multi-location business event. 

2. Consider the role of the venue in reducing costs and sharing operational responsibilities. 

3. Learn how multi-location meetings can increase audiences and provide you with greater impact and ROI.

Session Sponsored by: 

Strategy is at the core of everything we do as event professionals. We align business objectives with those of the participants to create an experience that delivers positive ROI for the host and attendee alike. We examine the event from every angle, ensure we have all possibilities covered, and see each event as a bridge to the next. It’s no small task – especially within the context of a global pandemic. The Covid crisis has forced us to turn event strategy, design, and delivery on its head and approach everything differently. We are, indeed, living, planning, and gathering in a revolutionary time. So it seems there is no better time than now to refocus our strategic lens to incorporate holistic goals and objectives grounded in sustainability. In this session, we will show you how and why sustainability is essential to your event strategy and delivers ROI for both the event host and participant. We will analyze the “triple bottom line” value of sustainable development (people, planet, and profit). And, we will look at sustainability through the lens of “ESG” (Environmental, Social, Governance), finding inspiration in the United Nation’s 2021 theme of Innovation and Creativity informed by the UN’s Goal #9: Sustainable Development Goal 9). Through best-in-breed thinking and facilitated collaboration with fellow attendees, you will receive the tools you need to re-approach your strategy with all the sustainability elements you need for success.

Learner Outcomes

1. Learn how you can use the design thinking process to infuse more strategic purpose and greater participant value into your events.
2. Understand the strategy behind using the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how you apply it to your creative design process.
3. Discover philosophies, concepts, and tools that will enable you to develop Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) metrics for your events.

Presented by ADM PRODUCTIONS: Innovative Engagement Technology I (IET): Help! My panelists are everywhere—except HERE
Looking for a cohesive, engaging executive panel, even when no one is in the same place? Now, you’re no longer limited to talk-show style talking heads for your distributed panelists; full-body, “face-to-face” immersion in a unified space is possible.

How to win more clients and stand out from the crowd with 3DCON
In this demo, we will highlight the ways in which 3DCON can win new clients for you as well as delight current clients. 3DCON focuses on high-quality design and immersive technology to deliver successful and memorable experiences.

Choreographed Experiences That Connect and Engage: A Multi-Perspective Journey with the Encore Family’s Storytelling Engine
Get ready for a fun, engaging, and insightful twenty minutes as Tom Andrika, Client Engagement Director with Concise by Encore, takes you on a multi-perspective journey with the company’s storytelling engine, Chime Live™.

AVD Live – Virtual, In-Person & Hybrid events
Audio Visual Dynamics (AVD) is an AV/Staging - Production company headquartered in Northern NJ. AVD has flourished and expanded by adding a full suite of virtual services including their own proprietary platform (AVD Live).

Technology Room Sponsored by:

Ever wanted to be part of a Think Tank? Well, here’s your chance! As we emerge from the great pandemic of 2020, the meetings and events industry has been pivoting and experimenting with planning and logistics for continuing to provide association education and corporate B2B events; and how to pay for it. DMOs have been working to get on-site meetings back in the pipeline. This session with Lynne and Dennis is formatted for maximum audience interactive melding of new ideas, best practices, and expectations. This will be an unprecedented forum and exchange among those on the front lines." 

Learner Outcomes

1. How can DMO’s help event organizers monetize their hybrid meetings. 

2. The future of RFP’s from Meeting professionals? 

3. How destination “Site” Tours are changing and will continue to evolve; The new way DMO proposals should be crafted.

Session Sponsored by: 

Kitti Tong had just returned from running a conference in San Antonio for hotel owners when she was hit by a car walking home from work. With life-threatening injuries, she lay in a coma with a severe traumatic brain injury. Kitti spent five months in the hospital relearning to walk and participate in life; the months at home that followed concentrated on talking, reading, and writing. Her co-worker, Regina Richardson – a lifelong hotelier and now her legal guardian – joins Kitti to share their experiences with the brain’s amazing ability to compensate.

Learner Outcomes

1. Gain an understanding of neuroplasticity through real-life examples.

2. Learn how to increase learning effectiveness for neurodiverse audiences through practical event planning elements.

3. Be inspired by the brain's amazing ability to compensate.

Session Sponsored by: 

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and the fastest-growing organized crime against humanity in the world. It is a multi-billion dollar per year industry that spans over 170 countries and is in all 50 states of the United States.

Hear firsthand about the myths, facts, and statistics of human sex trafficking and learn how the meetings and events industry contributes to these heinous crimes and what you and your business can do immediately to implement change and awareness."

Learner Outcomes

1. Maximize the education provided on human sex trafficking and share the knowledge in your business and with your family.

2. Discover the many truths about human sex trafficking and how the meetings and events industry plays a role.

3. Apply the ten things they can do immediately to implement change and awareness.

Session Sponsored by: