Break the Ice by Moving Beyond Traditional Group Activities
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From philanthropy workshops to glow-in-the-dark yoga, planners are moving to more meaningful ways to interact.
Event Garde
Hot Topics in the Michigan Meetings + Events Industry
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Our editorial advisory board members talk about the shortage of hotels, technology must-haves and the next ‘big thing.’
An Inside Guide to Web Redesign
Q: Our current website is no longer meeting the needs of our internal and external audiences. I’m in the market for a web redesign, but I don’t know where to begin. Do have you any pointers?
A: Whether the site is narrowly focused on a signature event or more broadly focused on your overall organization, there are a number of steps you can take to build a successful and buzz-worthy website. Having recently undergone a significant web redesign, here are seven of my key lessons learned.
Setting the Stage for Sponsorship Renewals
Q: Sponsor revenue for our meeting is declining. How can we help sponsors justify their investments and set the stage for renewal discussions? A: Post-event fulfillment reports consistently rank at the top of sponsors’ lists of the most valuable services provided by conference hosts. Indeed, according to the 2012 IEG/Performance Research Sponsorship Decision-Makers Survey, fulfillment reports tie audience research as the most important service provided by conference hosts.
15 Reasons to Book within the Group Block
Q: What’s the best way to fill my group room block during my upcoming convention? There are so
many available choices, from vacation rentals through websites like Airbnb and VRBO, to discount
hotel stays through sites like Priceline and Orbitz.
How to Use John Medina Brain Rules in Your Next Meeting
Q: I’m planning our association’s upcoming conference. How can I ensure participants actually remember and use what they learn? 
A: According to Brain Rules, by John Medina, people usually forget 90 percent of what they learn within 30 days. However, if you understand how the brain functions, you can greatly improve retention and application of new information. Following are seven of Medina’s original 12 rules, with explanations for how they apply to a meeting planner’s job.
Event Snapshots: Showcase of Ideas at Eagle Eye Golf
Planners and suppliers gathered at East Lansing’s Eagle Eye Golf in November for the 2014 Showcase of Ideas. The event, a partnership between VIKTOR and Event Garde, featured sessions on branding, contract negotiations and the 2015 ASAE Annual Meeting.
Guide Event Speakers With this Instructional Design Process
Q: My association is planning its yearly conference, and we really want to make the sessions memorable. Where do we begin to overhaul our program?
A: Two words: Instructional design. Instructional design is a systems approach to analyzing, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating any instructional experience.
Association Hunger Games: Victory or Defeat?
Aaron Wolowiec, MIM+E’s Meetings Coach, traveled to the ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition this year. We asked him to share the presentation he gave there with us.
