SMERF e-News
Mark Your Calendar! The 2008 Brand Engagement Conference
With its focus on Brands and People Performance, the New York Incentive, Rewards & Recognition Show, scheduled for May 7-8. 2008 in New York City, is delivering what major brands have sought for years: a boutique-style conference and expo focusing on how brands can help organizations meet their people objectives, and how people can power brands. With its prime location and an audience of leading end-users and marketing agencies, this is the first true opportunity for vendors, buyers and industry experts to work together to show corporate America the exciting connection between brands and people. Show sponsors are committed to creating a unique venue for resellers, incentive companies, agencies and end-users who are truly interested in brands and how they can be used to accomplish their objectives and address their motivation and productivity issues. This year, the NYIRR Show – encompassing the Brand Engagement Conference's 11 seminars and 9 'What's Hot' Sessions of various brands and product categories – will take this theme to the next level with the addition of top-tier speakers and education.
The Keynote presentation on Wednesday, May 7 will be delivered by best-selling author and customer relations management guru Don Peppers. Best known for co-founding one-to-one marketing house Peppers & Rogers, Peppers first rose to prominence after his 1993 book The One to One Future was called by Inc. magazine "one of the three most important business books of all time." He has also been tabbed as "one of the foremost business gurus of our time," by Business 2.0. Peppers' latest book is Rules to Break & Laws to Follow. Collectively, Peppers' books, many co-authored with colleague Martha Rogers, have sold over one million copies world wide. On Thursday, May 8, branding expert Mark Schumann, who most recently co-authored Brand from the Inside: Eight Essentials to Emotionally Connect Your Employees to Your Business, will deliver the day's keynote address. The theme of this year's NYIRR Show is "Brands Powering People; People Powering Brands." For a complete education schedule and list of exhibitors, as well as information on how to register for this year's show, go to www.nyirr.com.
Meeting Management: Top Trends for 2008
It's no surprise that "going green" remains at the top of the list of trends in the meetings industry. But along with the predictable there are a few surprising items on Benchmark Hospitality's annual list of "Top 10 Meeting Trends." Some of the notable trends to watch for this year, according to Benchmark, include:
- Teambuilding. Teambuilding is hotter than ever and now includes nontraditional activities such as group moviemaking or culinary cook-offs, and the activities are often driven by the destination. For instance, caving, spelunking and rock climbing are perfect teambuilding activities in mountainous destinations. Another trend is to take on team activities in support of social causes.
- Changes in Recreation. Golf is no longer the hottest way to spend leisure time at meetings – and although spa time is growing in popularity, Benchmark says it's not the true trend either. "What seems to be evolving in recreation is a desire to experience all that a destination has to offer," says Ken Ellens, spokesperson for Benchmark. That may include walking and biking through forests, touring historic sites, climbing mountains and mesas, descending into canyons and even shopping. "Activities once reserved for personal time only are now being encouraged as part of the group experience," Ellens adds.
- Interactive Event Web Sites. Meeting blogs are being taken to the next level with interactive event Web sites. These Internet-based conference learning tools are set up by group leaders for a particular meeting and designed for conference attendees to reference before and during the conference in order to preview and review conference materials. The sites also enable feedback and continued group interaction, as well as help minimize paper handouts.
For more information about Benchmark Hospitality and its "Top 10 Meetings Trends" for 2008, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.
Find the Right Speaker for Your Event
Choosing the right speakers can determine the success of your meeting. While the perfect destination may attract more attendees and memorable menus can help them enjoy their experience, the speakers they hear will really determine whether your event fulfills its educational and motivational objectives. Ensuring those objectives are met involves more than simply hiring a speaker and signing a contract. The most thorough meeting planners don't just conduct a detailed search for the right speakers; once they've been chosen, planners work with them to make sure they understand the audience and the objectives of the meeting. The SMERF Meetings Toolkit includes information about choosing the right speaker and following through to make sure your group benefits as much as possible from every speaker choice. To read the guidelines, click here.
Innovative Management: Learn How to Go Green
Red 7 Media has announced the launch of the Green Event Summit, the first national conference bringing together executives representing every facet of the event and trade show industry to discuss, learn and share best practices for creating eco-friendly meetings and events. The Green Event Summit will take place at the Sheraton Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 12-13. The Summit will examine the trends of the green movement, assess the financial impact of greening events and create a framework show organizers can use to reduce the impact of their events on the environment. The conference will include separate subject tracks for show organizers (EXPO), corporate event marketing executives (Event Marketer), special event and corporate meeting planners (Agenda) and creators of events, exhibits and environments (Event Design). Show management session highlights include: "Responding to member and exhibitor pressure to go green," "Municipal mandates that will impact your show," and "Adding green to your RFPs." Several leading industry associations are working with Red 7 Media as industry partners in the Green Event Summit, including:
- Society of Independent Show Organizers
- National Association of Consumer Shows
- Trade Show Exhibitors Association
- Event Marketing Institute
- Exhibit Designer and Producers Association
- Exhibition Services & Contractors Association
For information about the event, visit www.greeneventsummit.com.
The Executive Strategy Package at Miraval Resort, Tucson
Miraval Resort, Tucson recently announced a new "Executive Strategy Package" designed to keep guests sharp in the boardroom. Launching in March, the renowned resort is offering corporate groups an innovative brainstorming retreat that will inspire increased productivity, performance, and satisfaction. These custom two- to five-night retreats include a variety of components that have been proven to promote a healthy corporate organization. Guests will experience the benefits of nutritious, energizing meals, classes with take home tools to place the group on the cutting edge of productivity, challenging physical activities, and team building. Created to encourage life-long learning, a corporate retreat at Miraval will inspire lasting changes within an organization via two programs: Mindful Decision Making and Mindful Stress Mastery, geared to corporate groups looking to transform their attitude and reach unprecedented levels of achievement. Guests will discover new clarity, learn to manage stress, strengthen their minds and bodies and ultimately enhance their ability to respond to challenges that arise. The cost of the package ranges from $350 to $750 per person/per night and is completely all inclusive. Contact Miraval's Regional Directors for information at (520) 825-4000, or visit the group section of our website at www.miravalresorts.com for contact information.
Taking 'Reuse' to the Next Level
Everyone knows to "reduce, reuse and recycle," but sometimes it takes a lot of creativity to actually find new uses for old stuff. Scott Corridan, designer/producer and head of Corridan & Co., offered attendees at The Rental Show in Las Vegas plenty of new ideas for reusing items that might traditionally be discarded after one or several meetings. According to Special Events magazine, Corridan offered a variety of examples of such repurposing. "He broke the stems off low-end glassware, yielding bell jars or cloches that can serve as holders for flowers or bases for centerpieces. He tore the edges of shopworn table linen into strips, which he then tied into bows for dramatic tabletops. He also cut damaged overlays into long strips to serve as table runners and suggested gluing frayed fabric onto votives." For more ideas of second (and third and fourth) uses of event paraphernalia, to read the entire Special Events article, click here.
In The Current Issue of SMERF Meetings
Journal...
At Your Leisure. Meeting planners are thinking outside the box when it comes to incorporating leisure time into their events. In fact, some industry executives say leisure activities are more important than ever before – largely because attendees' expectations are higher than ever before. To read the full article, click
here.
Unique Venue: '…We're Going On a Cruise Where?' More than 9,500 miles of coastline surrounds the continental U.S. – including two oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to meet in San Diego or New Orleans or Tampa in order to have an aquatic adventure at your next conference.
To read the full article, click
here.
Case Study: SAME Creates New Events Through Strategic Partnerships. Professionals in the military and defense industry understand the value of teamwork. So it's no surprise that event planners at the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) realize that partnering with other like-minded groups can produce conferences that offer richer, deeper content. To read the full
article, click
here.
Destination Planner: Arkansas. Arkansas is billed as "The Natural State," but its many wonders and destinations go far beyond what Mother Nature offers. This diverse state provides SMERF meeting planners with many exciting man-made options as well – from impressive military bases to the Clinton Presidential Library to scads of awe-inspiring historic churches and museums. Here's a look at three cities that highlight some of the must-see venues in this beautiful region. To read the full
article, click
here.
Destination Planner: Louisiana. "Lagniappe" is a Cajun-French word meaning "a little something extra." And it's an appropriate description for Louisiana, a state that fills the senses with its flavors and traditions. From New Orleans in the South to Shreveport in the North, there's definitely more than a lagniappe of opportunity for great events in Louisiana's major cities. To read the full
article, click
here.
About Selling Communications Inc.
Selling Communications, Inc. is a fully integrated, target marketing, media and technology agency that improves results for clients by focusing on the people who matter most. We can help your business grow and save you money by targeting key prospects, getting their permission and strategically integrating your marketing and sales communications with the specific audiences most likely to affect your business performance.
Take advantage of these SCI services to improve your business development:
- Results
Marketing Agency Solutions: Identify and get permission to communicate with the people who matter most through an integrated program rooted in permission-driven databases, direct mail, e-mail, Web sites, brochures, newsletters, public relations and sophisticated telephone sales that produce results. Go beyond the traditional sales and marketing approach by providing useful information and resources to build better, more measurable relationships.
- Target
media: Build your brand and bring it directly to your power buyers through our stable of established niche print and online magazines in the sales, marketing and meetings fields (including this newsletter), the Sales Marketing Network Info-now.com and SMERF
Meetings Journal.
- Integrated
Communications Technology: Build permission-based databases through Solata software to effectively communicate with the people who want to hear from you and precisely track the results in real time. Solata is also available to other media companies and marketing agencies seeking to profit from integrated, permission-based marketing and communications.
For more information on Selling Communications, its products and services,
contact Jim Kilmetis at 914-591-7600, ext. 229 or send an e-mail to jkilmetis@sellingcommunications.com.
Tapping new customers, and keeping those you already have, costs less
than you'd imagine...
Our Contact Information:
Selling Communications, Inc.
520 White Plains Rd, Ste. 120
Tarrytown, New York 10591 |
