Ready to level up your Meetings and Events in 2024? Meeting Professionals International (MPI) interviewed three event pros to discuss the three most important components on which people are increasingly focused. These are the three crucial areas that demand keen attention: staffing, inclusivity, and wellness. Let’s dive in and see how you can ace these focal points with flair and finesse.
Staffing: Working Smarter, Not Harder
While there seems to be a need for more staff, many don’t seem to have the budget or resources to onboard more personnel. Molly C. Marsh, CMP, Director of Education and Events at AMR Management Services states, “Our company has struggled to find, specifically, qualified individuals in the program development side of the industry. Those who work with speakers, planning committees, and do our event marketing have been hard to come by, while our events team that focuses on project management and logistical execution for meetings and conferences has remained very strong.” So, with rising hospitality costs and stagnant budgets, it’s time to get creative. Cue the “not so new” kid on the block, AI! Let’s tap into some “creative efficiency” and lighten the load without breaking the bank.
Inclusivity: It’s About People
When it comes to inclusivity, event professionals are being more aware and intentional. So, how do we shake things up? It’s simple: start with people. Jennifer Lazarz, Events Planner and Tradeshow Manager at Medical Informatics Corp says, “Our industry is poised to make a positive impact by ensuring that we work with each other to have inclusivity in our speakers and presenters event-wide [as well as] diverse representation in thought leadership to drive inclusivity and planning strategy.” Forget the RFP jargon for a sec and focus on fostering an environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. Let’s make inclusivity the heart and soul of our planning strategy!
Wellness: Healthy Events = Happy Attendees
Thomas Counts, Director of Sales at GettinLocal, is preaching the wellness gospel loud and clear. “The meetings themselves should be part of a wellness plan,” he asserts. Imagine kicking off the day with a refreshing yoga session or organizing an afternoon team walking tour around the city hosting your event. These activities not only promote bonding but also contribute to overall health and well-being.
It’s no secret that many corporate meetings start off on the wrong foot with unhealthy breakfasts, followed by equally unhealthy lunches and dinners, topped off with cocktails after a long day of sitting. However, there’s a better way forward. Wellness initiatives like quiet rooms, designated workspaces, and offering healthy food options can help cut through the noise of these bustling events.
Thomas recounts a recent trade show experience where a booth encouraged visitors to unleash their creativity with watercolor. It was a simple yet effective two-minute break that left him feeling refreshed and revitalized.
Molly adds another layer to the discussion, noting, “With continuing education a primary focus for many association meetings and conferences, it is very difficult to get buy-in to take away a breakout room to use for a quiet space, or to have longer breaks to allow participants to decompress between sessions. But those are outdated ways of thinking that we really need to continue to chip away so that we can provide healthier experiences for all.”
Event Pros: Level Up for 2024!
In a nutshell, whether you’re harnessing the power of AI to streamline your operations, championing diversity and inclusivity from the get-go, or adding quiet rooms to your next meeting, change is on the horizon for the events industry. So, let’s roll up our sleeves, get creative, and make 2024 the year of unforgettable events!
Download MPI’s full comprehensive Meetings and Events 2024 report by visiting their website.
To see how Heroic Productions can help you plan your next event, contact us.
To learn about marketing events in 2024, visit our blog.
We are excited to announce our newest member to the team, Kris Young as VP, Speakers & Entertainment. In this role, Young will solely focus on helping clients secure talent to help deliver event key messages.
We know it’s hard to believe, but no, we at Heroic do not do everything. We have trusted cohorts, collaborators, and creative comrades—and yes, we have preferences. Our vendor standards are as high as the standards we hold for ourselves.
Multi-location corporate events are more popular than ever. But that can really complicate things for event planners because corporate events that are scheduled in series should all have the same look and feel, no matter where you are. So, how can you take your show on the road and do it right?
Once the holidays are over and everyone’s back in the office, you may think your employees are partied-out. But, no! Kicking off the new year with a kickass corporate event is the perfect way to keep the happy holiday spirit rolling as everyone re-focuses on the work at hand. Throw the right event, and you can reinforce their renewed sense of motivation and look forward to a successful business year.
Lighting and sound convey emotion, which is why they are such critical elements of any AV plan. Emotions are what memories are made of, so creating an evocative experience makes your event memorable. It’s not surprising, then, that both 
Emotion is all about the senses.
Bad, worse and full-out tragedy. For event planners, “disaster” can range from your speaker being unprepared, to a microphone malfunction, to the Fyre Festival. No one wants to think that something truly disastrous will happen during their event, but the truth is that things do happen. And if you aren’t prepared, the outcome will likely be worse – perhaps catastrophically worse. Planning for the worst usually means 
Storytelling. It’s not just for bedtime anymore. Now it’s all grown up and ready to wow guests at your next event. Telling stories can be a compelling way to massively boost your event’s impact and make it more memorable because it has multi-sensory appeal. Storytelling is the all-inclusive technique to deliver that extra wow factor! 
Every event planner’s goal is to wow their audience. While you can always do more to impress them, you can also do less. Nothing, to be exact!
Every event planner dreams of having an unlimited budget. The truth is, though, you can’t have everything, no matter what. And budget limitations are a fact of life. Rather than lamenting them, we must learn to squeeze the most impact and value from every dollar, no matter how many or how few we have.
Have you ever wondered why the “same” meal costs more at a nice restaurant than at a corner diner? Probably not, because most of us just know the difference. At a nice restaurant, we expect a better chef, better ingredients, and better atmosphere at the nice restaurant, and we realize there are costs involved with that. Yet when we want something special, we know exactly where to go for an experience that lives up to the occasion.
We had a unique 360-degree view of this year’s Minnesota Star Awards, the International Live Events Association’s gala to honor the top performers in our industry. Not only did we have the opportunity to present one award and win another – 
When you’re hosting an event of any size, there are a lot of details that have to come together. Chief among them is AV, because every event needs sound, visuals, and (usually) lighting. One of the best and easiest ways to avoid overlooking an important detail is to create a day of event checklist. You can use it to plan your event and also to literally check off each item as you review your final preparations.
There’s nothing more frustrating than putting a lot of time and money into planning an event only to have something go wrong. But, as we all know, it happens — ALL THE TIME! Whether it’s a small misunderstanding about table settings or a technical issue with the soundboard, people will make mistakes and problems will arise. Your job is to remain calm, adapt, problem solve, and communicate.
As you’re looking for that perfect location for your next event, be sure to ask this question: is it a union venue? If so, that fact may 
If you’re hosting a fundraiser, chances are you’ll have a silent auction. Silent auctions are a great way to raise money, and you can get a lot of unique donations to put up for auction. But success (as in maximum dollars raised) is no accident. These silent auction tips will help you get the most from yours.
Staying top-of-mind after an event is important for businesses. And what’s the best way to do that? Provide free swag to event attendees. After all, who doesn’t love free stuff? But beware, there’s stuff, and then there are really great swag ideas. A bag full of “who cares?” won’t do anything to identify your business as innovative or memorialize your brand.
If you are new to event planning, you’re still learning what kind of AV equipment is available, let alone what’s necessary for a particular type and size of event. That’s OK, there’s a lot to learn. And even seasoned pros sometimes need help when it comes to knowing how to plan a small event that makes the best use of audio and visuals.
Looking for some event management tips to help reduce stress? You’ve come to the right place. Being an event planner sounds like nothing but fun to those who don’t have to do the job. But you know it takes a lot of creativity and careful choreography to pull things off flawlessly. And that, of course, is stressful.
Using new or unusual venues keeps events interesting and engaging. But finding the perfect event space can be time-consuming. It has to be the right choice, otherwise, your event could flop or execution could become a major headache. Thankfully, there are websites you can consult to simplify your selection process.
Creating an engaging event for your attendees is top of mind as you’re planning the event. But how do you know if you succeeded? Can you actually measure audience engagement — and, if so, how?
The opportunity to work on Super Bowl LIVE festivities doesn’t happen very often for Minnesota vendors. In fact, the last time we hosted The Big Game was in 1992, when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37–24 at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. When The Big Game came to U.S. Bank Stadium last year, we were honored to have a seat at the table by being chosen as the lighting provider for all of Super Bowl LIVE 2018.
It’s every event planners goal to make things go as smoothly as possible at your event. So it’s easy to follow a tried-and-true formula of branded colors, logos, and speeches from the CEO — no surprises there! But, think about it from your audience’s point of view. No one wants to attend the same event over and over again. So, if you’re focusing on efficiency instead of your attendees, it’s time for a change!
A lot of work goes into hosting a great event no matter what size it is, but larger events require bigger venues and more of everything. And more almost always means more complicated, especially when you’re talking about audio-visual requirements. So, what goes into AV setup for a large-scale event?
If you’re planning an event for your business or organization, load in and load out may not be the first thing that comes to mind. It may not be “your job,” but a smooth load in and load out process can make all the difference for your event. So it is up to you, as the planner, to do everything you can to ensure event setup goes well. 
If you’re an event planner, every one of your projects incorporates audio visual elements in some way. Your needs might be quite simple, or they could be fantastically complex. You don’t have to be an AV expert (that’s what the pros are for!), but a basic understanding of the 
You want people to attend your event, yes? Then don’t get so caught up in planning the experience itself that you forget to promote it! When considering how to promote an event, the more avenues you can tap into, the better — as long as they’re relevant, of course. So, go ahead and use traditional options such as posters and press releases, but be creative, too. Especially when it comes to digital promotion.
![AdobeStock_142288278 [Converted]](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4366639/AdobeStock_142288278%20%5BConverted%5D.png)
If you’ve ever been to a fundraising event, you likely cruised the silent auction tables and watched (perhaps in amazement) as an autographed football jersey sold for $500 in the live auction. Auctions are one of the most fun and profitable ways for organizations to raise money. But a charity auction is also a lot of work.
No matter how great your audience finds your event, it cannot be deemed a success if you 
You can plan fun breaks, great food, and live-wire after-hours entertainment, but if your conference keynote speakers aren’t absolutely terrific, your attendees will leave feeling short-changed. Speakers should be informative, of course. But they should also be so captivating and engaging, your audience won’t believe the time went so fast. More! More!
Creating an extraordinary experience for attendees is your goal for any event, and event staff plays a big part in that. So, once you’ve planned your event, you need to hire the right people to run it. Sometimes, a hotel or conference center will have their own personnel for coat check, food and beverage, etc., leaving you to fill only a few jobs. Other events, however, require an entire staff. And not just anyone — you want experienced professionals who understand your goal and how to bring it to life.
Imagine an event without music, visuals, or food and drink. It doesn’t sound very captivating, does it? That’s because events are better — not only more captivating but more memorable — when they appeal to all your senses.
You have a large corporate event coming up and you need to find a location that works for everyone. Do you want to be close to the office for convenience or further away for a retreat feel? And just as important, if you have entertainment or a big speaker planned, how will the venue work for your show? Here are some key factors to consider when looking for an event location.
It takes an entire team of dedicated individuals to create a large-scale event that draws big crowds and goes off without a hitch. But with a lot of people working on one event, it can be a bit chaotic if you don’t know how to manage them well, so delegation and communication are just as important here as they are with any other aspect of your business.
Sustainable living keeps getting more and more popular with many people, whether that’s opting for reusable shopping bags, organic cotton clothes, LED light bulbs, or composting food scraps. So, it’s no surprise that making events eco-friendly is becoming more and more popular, too. Doing your part to conserve our natural resources can boost your event’s appeal and give attendees more ways to engage while they’re there.
Don’t sign that venue contract! At least, not until you’ve read it and are sure you understand what it says… and what it doesn’t say. Once you sign, you’ve agreed to those details. So, does the contract cover everything you want and need — without sneaking in anything you don’t need or want? Is the language clear? Ambiguity can work against you if something goes wrong.
As a new event planner, you had to learn how to read a venue contract in order to book your hotel, expo center, etc. You learned (perhaps the hard way) where the phrase “the devil is in the details” came from. The same applies to AV quotes. If you can’t 
Not to be
Timing is everything. We hear that often, but when it comes to producing an event, this expression really says it all. Event planners always create a detailed production schedule leading up to the big day, so nothing is overlooked. It’s just as important to have a game plan when you go live, because event timing is crucial if you want everything to go off like clockwork.
Hosting an event no longer means you have to be limited to one location. You can take advantage of technology to increase attendance and create a more inclusive event. And you can do it without sacrificing the sense of “being there” that sparks attendee engagement. Here are some event 
Structural staging for events almost seems to materialize right before your eyes. It’s impressive. But most non-AV folks don’t think about what it takes to set up and tear down, or how critical event safety is during those processes. Equipment can be massive, and it’s fragile. So are human bodies. Rigging all that heavy equipment can be dangerous if you don’t take proper safety precautions.
![Lighting Considerations for Your Next Event [VIDEO]](https://www.heroic-productions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2018-06-26-at-10.41.28-AM.png)
Festivals and other outdoor events have maximum appeal as long as the weather cooperates. But, what if it doesn’t? No matter how “reliable” the date you’ve chosen for your event, you have to be prepared for inclement weather. It can be a small annoyance, or it can cancel the whole event.
Planning any size event takes thought, time, and organization. When that event includes a large crowd, catering, live music, staging, and displays, it takes even more. So, what do you do first, how soon do you book your venue, when should you hire a production company, when do you finalize details?