LIVE 2008 Dallas
Event Review:
Dallas-area planners are familiar with the Dallas Arboretum — it’s long been a popular wedding venue — but they saw the botanical garden’s facilities in a new light March 5 during the Plan Your Meetings Live 2008 Dallas event. See photos from the event.
“I didn’t know how well the Arboretum did meetings,” said Marla Werst from Peapod Productions. “We’ve done other stuff here, but the way they can black out the windows for presentations … I never would have known they could do that.” The Arboretum’s Rosine Hall was divided into three sections for the day’s event: a seminar room, an exhibit hall and a banquet room for the keynote luncheon.
The morning educational session allowed planners to gain continuing education units to apply towards achieving or renewing their Certified Meeting Professional status. “The Irreplacable You: Prove Your Worth” was presented by PYM Associate Editor Kristi Casey Sanders, who taught planners how to calculate event ROI, and communicate how the work they do produces revenue, drives sales and helps fulfill organizational goals. Veronica Luna-Barnes, a planner with the DFW Airport, remarked, “I wish I would have heard [Sanders'] presentation before I asked for a raise.”
During the presentation, Sanders pointed out how wide a planner’s circle of influence is by having one person name all the people she must negotiate with or answer to when planning an event, and having audience members stand to represent those vendors or meeting stakeholders. “By the time [she] was done, most everybody was standing,” said Nancy Steele, client coordinator at Capstone Partners. “Until you watch people standing up, and then look at the numbers and see, you don’t realize that’s what you’re dealing with. I guess that’s what we know in the back of our minds, but … you come into a job and people just assume that by osmosis, you can do it.”
Before attending the seminar, Steele thought she was in the meeting planning minority. “To realize that most of the people in there may not be certified, that it’s not the job they came in here to do, that someone came in and told them to plan meetings … to realize that’s how so many event planners gain that title, made me feel better about what I do,” she said. Even PYM partners learned something. MaryAnne Groenings, an account manager for Motiva, said with a laugh, “I had no idea how much meeting planners are dealing with. No wonder they’re so cranky on the phone.”
After the morning session, Karen McCullough, CSP, delivered a powerful keynote address, “Generations in the Workplace: How to Adapt Your Meetings to the New Generations.” Marla Werst, executive producer of Pea Pod Productions, said, “Karen was amazing. I went through three Gen Y assistants in a year, and I couldn’t figure out why. After Karen’s speech, I realized they just wanted to be me, to have my job. But they can’t, because I’m the owner.” McCullough broke down personality traits of the four generations currently in the workplace: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. Then, she invited the audience to share “aha” moments and try to identify musical selections created by the different generations.
Deanna Wooten of the Dallas County Medical Society said McCullough’s presentation held a lot of “aha” moments for her, especially because she was the youngest person in her 20-person office for many years. In the past year, the company has brought on three new people who are younger than she is, and the different ways each generation wants to do things has been causing tension in the office. “This has given me a lot of ideas to go back and use,” she said.
Ann B. Harris of Serv-Mart Inc., the only Traditionalist meeting planner in the audience, enjoyed McCullough’s presentation as well. “Fantastic education on diversified generations,” she said. “I will have four generations coming to our meetings and it’s good to be aware of what people want.”
After the keynote luncheon, attendees spent time exploring the facility, networking and attending a mini-tradeshow. The small scale of the show appealed both to partners and planners. “It was great,” Werst said. “All the vendors in there were friendly; I didn’t find anyone out of place.” Wooten added, “There’s a few venues for sure that I’ll use. And networking has been great. To talk to people who really plan meetings for a living, and get their feedback is a great benefit.” Networking also was a big draw for Donna Leach, a meeting planner from Concentra, who observed, “MPI is so cliquish. You meet so many different people here.”
Exhibitor Groenings enthused, “This was great. I can’t wait for the next one. I made some great contacts.” Another PYM partner, Pamela Watkins, director of sales and special events for the Beaches of South Walton, said, “Wow! [PYM is] on the ball. I got a lot of positive feedback from planners at the expo.”
The day ended with a door prize drawing outdoors, to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Everyone walked away a winner, with gifts ranging from iPods to two-day getaways in Northwest Florida. At the end of the show, Leary O’Gorman, senior sales manager of Colorado’s Silvertree Hotel, approached a PYM representative and said, “I hope you’re happy. You should be very proud. I like the intimacy of this event. I don’t like those huge tradeshows.”
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