Things that Rocked in 2010

In no particular order, things that made 2010 amazing.

1. My family (husband, son - 11, daughter - 10) all getting their black belts in Tae Kwon Do.
2. Finishing my first degree - Bachelor of Hospitality Management. This took two years of time spent in the classroom with an awesome peer group, on - line courses and many projects, assignments and exams completed - well worth it now!
3. Winning the opportunity (based on the creative treatment) to produce the Welcome Reception for the MPI WEC10 in Vancouver - and getting a 98% satisfaction survey result in the post-conference delegate survey!
4. Working on my second Olympic and Paralympic Games.
5. Enjoying the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games time in Vancouver with family and friends - amazing sports, pavilions and energy in the city!
6. Taking six entire days off over the holidays - food, friends, family, and skiing!
7. Seeing numerous fabulous programs and events brought to life with the team at Cantrav - the energy each individual pours into the programs and events continues to inspire and impress.
8. Seeing Paris and the surrounding area with my amazing family, and our lovely friends Verena and Kader. (words can't express our appreciation for their hospitality, advice and friendship - they rock!)
9. Babies. So many new lives created, so many friends lives changing in ways they can't imagine - enjoy, and so many challenges we still have friends facing in this arena - your courage and determination astound and inspire.
10. Children and Teens we know - from my own to the many around us that are growing up knowing that here we have a lot and finding ways to share, from Samaritan shoeboxes, to Me to We, to anti-bullying, and to exploring their worlds through the good and the challenging, and finding their way to the "other side" - yes, we did it too and it is amazing to see this next generation being strong, learning and growing.  
11. Twitter. I know, I didn't expect it either but the flow of interesting information, challenging and inspiring thoughts and ideas, and people that are amazing that I would not otherwise know about... it is pretty neat to have access to our world in a whole new way.
12. Friends and family - so many people in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the US and around the world that we don't see enough during these "happy, tired" years but who we do appreciate every second we have with them - whether live, on the phone or through letters, facebook and email - keep it coming folks! 

Please comment and share what rocked your world in 2010! 

You cannot duplicate success - Part 2

So continues my thoughts as inspired by Oprah's comment that  "I began to see that not only can you not duplicate success, you're not supposed to. Every new endeavor is created out of the quality of the energy you bring to it and is meant to be its own thing."  

At work success has different measurements, our own, our peers, our supplier partners in the success and the event's stakeholders.  What continues to keep us energized and our events interesting is there is freedom in the approach. With the freedom to generate ideas and apply them to projects, that is when energy is created - an energy that brings the programs to life and generates success. It is not about what has been done, it is about what we can do next, using the experience gained from the past to make what we are doing now even better. I can hardly wait to see what 2011 brings! 

You cannot duplicate success - Part 1

So said Oprah in her closing article in the January 2011 issue. "I began to see that not only can you not duplicate success, you're not supposed to. Every new endeavor is created out of the quality of the energy you bring to it and is meant to be its own thing."  While talking about OWN, she articulated perfectly (and in her inimitable style) how I try to approach each project. 

I believe each of us recognizes when we are successful, as measured by our individual benchmarks. As 2011 approaches, this coming year I will refocus and put both more energy and time into my family. At 10 and almost 12 our children are successful in their own right and we want to continue to provide the foundation that allows them to succeed, to fail and learn, and to be their individual best. Plus, my family is fun to hang out with, and we have many friends we like to spend time with, and for me, a measure of success is the amazing people we get to have fun and grow with - and this is energy well spent.

Teamwork and Rocket Ships

So one of the requests that is common for us is to come up with a teambuilding exercise that incorporates sustainability and will inspire the team both during the exercise, and then into the future as they return to their normal routine. There are many ways of doing this - we could be inspired by a Sports Day as below. What I love about this is that the entire school is divided into four teams - and they just have to wear a shirt of that color, and boom - they are in! They are led by the grade sevens to develop a team cheer, and they have an awesome day. What I love about this particular picture is that the anchor for this tug of war is one of the smallest in the class - but she believed she could do this job. (not a massive surprise as this is my daughter).

Earlier this week, we watched (again) Apollo 13 and yes, I cried through a lot of it, for me a sign of a great movie, even when I know the ending. Here is the thing about Apollo 13, it really shows what happens when a culture has been built that embraces the team. Each member is valued for their individual contribution, and each knows what they can offer to the team and where they fit. When push came to shove, the entire team was willing to stand as one, to stay awake and keep focused on the task at hand that they could all contribute to, and to support each other all the way until the end. There are other examples of this out there, but this one really is a brilliant showcase of the power of both teamwork and a strong organizational culture.

When people ask us to create teambuilding for their organizations, ultimately this is exactly the type of response you would hope to create. The thing is that what we have to do really is to first understand the culture that exists, to determine what teambuilding / simulated exercise would best suit their objectives, and then to use this as a building block that supports (or is part of a transformation exercise, depending on the objectives) the organizational objectives. Ideally, this building block will be an enabler that should your organization face a critical situation - and there are many possibilities of what this may be - that your team will better understand each other, their roles and fit, and how they can contribute to the solution. Ideally, they will be able to "bring it home!"

I know I have many events that I have had amazing teams to rely on - at this time of year, it is a big shout out THANK YOU to all of you! (you know who you are)

Entertainment or Enjoyment

In the business of planning events we often use entertainment to increase enjoyment, and we often entertain people through experience, showmanship, dining or delivering the spectacular. But equally as often there is little time given to reflect and collect your thoughts, time that is just simply enjoyable. Sometimes, we are afraid to build it in, focusing on networking, education, programed time that will provide a "measurable benefit". Occasionally, we are learning to build in the valuable "hallway conversation" time that is proving to have the immeasurable value that participants seek. It is critical that we continue to think about this, particularly as we have participants who seek more control of their own programming.

Often when we travel to a new destination, whether it is for work or pleasure, it is the silent moments between events that are the times of greatest pleasure; a coffee enjoyed on a patio solo or with a quiet friend; a walk that takes you down an unexpected street where you discover... well something you didn't expect. It is perhaps that, particularly in North America, we spend so much time focused on work, activities, or getting things done, that we need to be away to enjoy what is the guilty pleasure of "stealing" these moments.

We certainly are not going to shy away from providing appropriate entertainment - it has value in creating ambience and energy, in bringing your messages to life, in creating a special experience guests can't have elsewhere, and ensuring the "special" stays in special event. In building programs, considering both the programmed time as well as allowing time for guests to explore and create memories that are both from their group experiences as well as their individual moments, will be what has participants ready to return again.

Interested to hear opinions on how you balance programming!
  

Event Leadership

Special Events: events for a new world by Dr. Joe Goldblatt (Sixth Edition) recently came across my desk for review. While the specific review was related to the new chapter on green meetings, I was inclined to start from the beginning, and boom, there it was, right at the beginning, what is this profession we call the event industry... defined.

Event leadership is defined as "a profession that requires public assembly for the purpose of celebration, education, marketing and reunion."

If we consider the characteristics that those who determine certifications and designations and how they qualify a specific job as a profession, we can assess if this applies.

1. The profession must have a unique body of knowledge.
2. The profession typically has voluntary standards that often result in certification. 
3. The profession has an accepted code of conduct or ethics.

Based on the above, and due to the great work of multiple organizations committed to the professionalism of this industry, we can indeed say it is a true profession. When we really consider our industry, no matter what avenue followed, from meeting planning to event production, incentive house, destination management, festivals, trade show and exhibition management, wedding planning, sponsorshp, fundraising, and the many specialized vendor partners we rely on, it is one that requires immense cooperation, and a great body of knowledge to be successful.

We have a number of designations available through a number of certifying bodies, and there are a plethora of certificates, diplomas and degrees, including masters, available around the world in institutions both private and public.  The interesting thing though, is that unlike other professions (law, architecture, engineering as examples that also fit the above criteria), our greatest challenge has been that to enter the event industry, you don't need to have any particular piece of paper or specific qualifications to enter. The only real barrier to entry is your self.

To be successful, a start is to have knowledge about the basic structure of the type of event you want to be part of. Then, to be solution oriented,  creative, forward thinking, strategic, a great communicator, and to have passion for an industry that requires intense collaboration, and often involves intense competition, are the next skills to develop.

This then becomes the base, (and tools like this textbook are meant to provide a basis for) is event leadership. When you take your skills and atributes, and combine this with that next layer, the ability to inspire and lead a team of people to be successful event after event, you begin to be a leader.  Eventually, leaders will create a culture and establish a vision for success that spans a variety of industry sectors, and to inspire a team - internal and partners - to truly be engaged and empowered to bring their unique skills as you work together to bring brands to life in unique settings, and to create environments that engage and deliver emotional connections that drive ROI.

I love seeing the students, the novices, and the newbies as they are so enthusiastic, and their desire to learn and grow continues to inspire me!  As we see the more experienced professionals continue to do this amazing work and to see the ideas that are generated and then brought to life is awesome.  To watch our industry work so hard with initiatives ike the Event Camp series, and knowing so many talented, committed people who work across the spectrum understand the need to deliver messages that will stick and are discovering better ways to do this and finding clients that "get that we get it" - while the economy is providing its challenges, the desire to use our skills to make the world a better meeting place remains great!

What do you think makes a great event leader?

Value in a DMC

Recently this question was asked on a LinkedIn DMC Forum by Thomas H Hallin:
If you would rate a DMC (Destination Management Company) - in what areas / categories would you find it to be of most value to do so?

I wanted to share my answer because I think that it offers a good perspective.


Thank you for asking this question. I have worked across the industry - as a PCO, Incentive House Planner and Producer and at now two DMCs in Western Canada. I have spent many more years buying DMC services than providing them, and as a result I tend to be our own toughest critic as I do see it from both sides. Reading this it is great to see two things - one is that organizations do see the value in using great DMCs and the second is that when I really look at our organization I can say with pride that our team really does focus on doing all the things that seem to matter. We do it because each individual cares about each individual having an excellent experience and about relieving stress for our clients when they come here. We also want programs to be creative too - we have no interest in doing the same program over and over again and any opportunity to customize the experience is what keeps us engaged. New tours - please ask, new venues - well buildings are buildings - so we stay current on what is working, what is new, what is renovated and most importantly on what is going to be a fit for various types of groups and how we can use the venues as one building block in the experience.


The world of meetings and events has changed exponentially in the 27 years (and yes we have some people who have been here for much or all of this time as well as new fresh-idea'd team members) and responding to the changes in the participants and their needs, the agencies and what they now need to provide in terms of collateral, content and value, and ultimately to the expectations for experiences that deliver memories, build relationships and drive loyalty for your end clients is critical.

As a few people have mentioned, it becomes most important when something happens that requires common sense, connections and a service ethos that goes beyond the norm, backed up with processes and systems of support that have your DMC being a key partner in managing a variety of unusual situations. Again, having been on all sides of this - a strong DMC is your best local ally.

Being a great DMC is, like many aspects of our industry, a demanding job with long hours and many demands. The people who do this are true customer service focused individuals (both here and anywhere I have worked with a great DMC) who come together to lead teams of supplier partners chosen to be appropriate to your specific programs. Create dialogue as you go through the process of choosing your DMC - they will be your best allies for success!