Plan Your Meetings

Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But that doesn’t explain why there are so many different names for the generation born between 1980-1995 (or 1977-2000, depending on your source).

Gen Yers are the little brothers and sisters of Generation X (1960s-1970s), who were named after a self-consciously “hip” book by Douglas Coupland. Originally meant as a derisive term, Gen X stuck, largely because it replaced the even more insulting “Baby Bust” label.

“Gen Y” has never been popular with the generation it describes, mainly because it’s derivative. But, the terms created to replace it are not much better. Generation Next (Gen Next) comes from a Pepsi commercial filmed during the first wave of Spice Girl popularity. Echo Boomers reflects the live births boom between 1989-1993, and reminds Gen Yers that most of them are the children of late-blooming (or re-married) Baby Boomers.

The latest terms — Millennials, Digital Generation and Internet Generation (iGen, natch) — are attempts to give the generation a name that’s more independent and reflective of their place in history. But, confusingly, none of the prior terms have fallen out of use, and no single term has become the “correct” one to use.

It could be worse, though. According to Wikipedia, there’s a “heretofore lost generation,” born between 1954 and 1964 that was incorrectly lumped into the Baby Boomer and Gen X cliques. The name? Generation Jones, which refers to “the unrequited craving felt by this generation of unfulfilled expectations.”

Travelsintaste.com offers luxury restaurant information for cities in the U.S. The site includes video tours of restaurant kitchens and cooking demonstrations, as well as “up-to-the-minute news about fabulous destinations.” A restaurant in each city is highlighted and changes frequently. Users can map destinations, make reservations, check local weather and email restaurant information. Useful for planners with high-rollers.

Change is a major reason why the allure of traveling to meetings and events is so strong, despite the challenges and expense. People may complain about having to make the time to attend, but meetings that get them away from the office produce many positive benefits. Studies and experience attest to a sense of renewal, creativity and comraderie within industries or corporations following meetings that bring people together in a different environment.

If you’re a corporate planner, you’re probably contending with smaller budgets, and may be considering venues that don’t require long-distance travel and major commitments on the part of busy executives. However, the impact of place is still an important consideration. People are usually willing to drive to destinations that are up to three to four hours away. Consider a retreat that is a drive away from the office, but a world away from their daily grind. Or, if yours is a campus environment, take your smaller group meeting to one of the newest city restaurants or a hip, new boutique hotel. New environments refresh people and get the creative juices flowing.
Tell us about your latest meeting discovery by posting a comment below.

The musical “A Catered Affair” is playing on Broadway to good reviews. It’s about a working class Bronx family in 1953 who must decide whether to spend their life’s savings on a family business or a wedding for their only daughter. The advertising teaser reads, “A simple decision, but is anything simple when it comes to family?” The only vendor in the cast is the caterer. I haven’t seen the show, so I can’t tell you anymore, but the ads made me reflect on movies that have involved event planners. Here are a few: “Monsoon Wedding” is a movie about an extended Delhi family preparing for a daughter’s traditional Punjabi wedding. The rainy season is on its way, literally and figuratively. P.K. Dubey, the hapless and eventually endearing wedding planner (or “contractor” in the local lingo), is having to deal with the coming monsoon, the servant girl who catches his eye, his demanding client and his equally demanding mother. In “The Wedding Planner,” the workaholic wedding planner (does that sound familiar?) played by Jennifer Lopez is so devoted to her career she doesn’t have time to find a man. Things change, however, when she has an accident involving a runaway dumpster during wedding preparations. Then, of course, there’s “Father of the Bride” in several versions. It’s a comedy about a man trying to cope with all of the disasters that happen along the way from the time his daughter announces her engagement until the wedding actually occurs. There’s the original 1950 movie, a television series, a play and a 1991 remake starring Steve Martin (with a sequel). The funniest member of the cast in the remake(s) is Martin Short as the wedding planner. So, why aren’t there more movies about event planners? There’s certainly plenty of fodder in the day-to-day details and challenges that planners face. Any would be screen writers out there?

By Christine Born

When I used the word “recession” in a recent “good news” email about companies that took advantage of difficult times in the past and came out ahead, I got some negative feedback. People don’t like to say the word out loud. Generally, government and financial advisors, news commentators and press reports dance around it. But we all know what they’re talking about, don’t we? So, don’t worry about what it’s called, think about how to use it to your advantage.

The lead story in the latest AH&LA SmartBrief refers to a “downturn” looming, but it isn’t all bad news. The plus side for planners and visitors is that new projects are being added, in the face of increasing competition from other destinations, such as Las Vegas. Another news story, “Smaller meetings aim for more unusual experiences,” reports that with the economy going into a slump, small companies are increasingly valuable to hotels, which are placing a heavier focus on giving guests more of a creative experience.

How are you dealing creatively with budget limitations? How are the current economic “challenges” changing the way you do business?

PYM LIVE Events are held annually in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Orlando. Other locations are being added this year, so keep watching these pages for more information. Educational seminars offer meeting tips, creative shortcuts and information on the newest industry trends, as well as Continuing Education Units (CEUs). You’ll get a chance to meet and learn from top industry speakers and professionals in an enjoyable, easy-going environment created to entertain you and help make your meetings and events Extraordinary.