March, 2021

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The Impact Of VR On Virtual Events & Digital Experiences

Endless Events

Sometimes, one has to look on the bright side of things. From the ashes of the destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, new opportunities emerged. The world learned how to stay connected when being isolated was a requirement. People came together in extraordinary and unprecedented ways even though, technically, that wasn’t possible. And all of this happened thanks to the wonderful opportunities put forward by technology.

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2021 Outlook: Traveler Sentiment Update

Advanced Travel and Tourism

Destination Analysts reports that despite feeling safer and increasingly more positive, many Americans do expect a longer term impact from the pandemic on their travel, from spending less to sticking outdoors. New COVID variants, uncertainty on the current COVID vaccines’ effectiveness with such variants, a European third wave, and Spring Break rowdiness made headlines this week, likely contributing to a small but notable rise in pandemic-related anxiety among American travelers.

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Safe Travel

Motivation Excellence

VIKTOR is committed to providing safe and healthy travel experiences for our trip participants. Our Safe Travel protocols guide every step of our travel operations to adapt to the latest COVID conditions. By working together with each partner involved in the trip, VIKTOR will continue to deliver inspiring experiences that mitigate health risks for our travelers.

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Privacy Policy Changes and the Potential Impact on Digital Marketing

The Abbi Agency

Privacy Is Changing Online Marketing – Are You Ready? Digital marketing has made leaps and bounds when it comes to personalized messaging. Gone are the days of Viagra pop-ups; instead, marketers have ushered in a new era of individualized marketing. We’ve all been there — we’ve just had a conversation with a friend about buying a new leash for our dog, and next thing we know we’re seeing ads for dog leashes.

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COVID-19 Travel Consumer Sentiment Study

TravelBoom and sister agency, The Brandon Agency, release new consumer sentiment study on travel amidst the COVID-19 second wave

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Secondary City Tourism—On Track To Recover First

Dana Communications

When 2018 drew to a close, Expedia proclaimed it “The Year of the Secondary City.” Late the following year, Booking.com predicted “the rise of the second-city traveler” as a top trend for 2020. Then the pandemic hit and tourism everywhere evaporated. As COVID-19 cases decline, vaccinations ramp up and travel restrictions are lifted worldwide, we predict that secondary city tourism will actually outperform visitation to the globe’s former first-tier destinations.

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#RotterdamExperiment 2 – The best gamification is gamification that is unnoticed

The MICE Blog

‘The Rotterdam Way involves embracing innovation. The Rotterdam Experiment is an accelerator of change and our contribution to the recovery of our industry.’ Catherine Kalamidas, Account Manager Congresses at Rotterdam Partners Convention Bureau opened the second edition of The Rotterdam Experiment about gamification , which took place on 18 February. .

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More Trending

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The Ultimate Guide to the Church Seating Layout

Social Tables

The church seating layout is used for houses of worship, but it’s also found in lecture halls, performing arts centers, and conference spaces. You may already recognize it from an event you’ve planned or attended at a university, seminar, or yes, church. But what is the church seating layout exactly, and why is it used for events outside of churches?

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No, I do not hate in-person meetings

Conferences that Work

I’d like to be clear that I don’t hate in-person meetings , despite what some have been posting recently on a Facebook group for meeting professionals: “Often wondered why so many on this feed hate live events.” “It is my opinion that this group does not support any in-person meetings or gatherings of any kind…” ” I am sad to see so many industry giants verbally destroying our industry – apparently with glee.” Let’s explore what’s

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The State of Weddings in 2021 & Beyond

Special Events

A rundown of what to expect during wedding season this year, including a focus on diversity, the "pintimate" wedding, and incorporating technology into the big day.

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8 Clues that Your Meeting Hotel Is—or Isn’t—Financially Strong

MeetingsNet

One hotel exec’s advice for keeping an eye on the health of a conference venue. With travel at a virtual standstill over the past year, hotel properties are going through tough times. As meeting bookings resume, planners need to do their due diligence to ensure that their property of choice will be operating—and delivering service levels that meet expectations.

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Evolution of the DMC:Renewing Business Relationships with Deeper Trust, Transparency & Understanding

The evolution of the DMC industry requires that it embark upon a renewed relationship with clients that is built upon transparency, trust, and understanding.

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#RotterdamExperiment 2 – Gaming and the events industry: from individual entertainment to purpose-driven collaboration

The MICE Blog

What does the gaming industry have to do with events? Did you know that the gaming market size globally is valued at USD 175 billion? That’s almost twice the total market size of the movie and music business combined, globally. These were some of the fascinating insights shared by the Rotterdam Experiment ambassador and futurist Yuri van Geest at the second Rotterdam Experiment that took place on 18 February 2021. .

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Monetization & Engagement Strategies For Virtual Events With Liz King Caruso

Endless Events

Virtual events were all the rage last year, whether we liked it or not. While some adapted fast and organized extraordinary virtual events in 2020 , many are still grappling with the new reality. But according to today’s #EventIcons guest, it’s high time we stop reminiscing about the past and start planning for the future! Liz King Caruso is the CEO of Liz King Events and techsytalk.

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Metasearch in Hospitality: an Overview of Hotel Search Engines

AltexSoft Travel

The hospitality industry was among those that suffered the most because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, the hotel occupancy in the US dropped to its lowest level ever — the bewildering 24.5 percent. The annual average was roughly 44 percent, which means that more than half of hotel rooms were empty during the whole year. To survive the crisis, hoteliers have to take measures, i.e., prioritize cleaning procedures, adopt contactless technologies — and reconsider their distribu

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How Much Do Wedding Planners Make? 7 Factors That Impact Salary

Social Tables

Skip to content Menu Solutions Interactive Floor Plans Collaborative event sales software that increases qualified leads and drives direct revenue. Event Diagramming Collaborative event management software that saves time, boosts revenue and drives loyalty. NEW Sales & Catering CRM Seamlessly manage and optimize group sales performance across your entire portfolio.

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A Word from Women in Events - Women’s History Month

Stova

Women’s history in the United States has made groundbreaking strides in the last 200 years. From Sojouner Truth’s “ Ain’t I a Woman” speech in 1851 to the 2020 election where Kamala Harris was voted in as the first woman Vice President. Women’s History Month has grown in the last century from one day in 1909, to a week in 1978 , and finally expanded to last the entirety of March in 1987 with a vote from Congress.

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Another Major Hotel Company Offering Covid Tests On Site

MeetingsNet

Accor joins Hilton and Marriott in the effort to lure back meetings and events in addition to leisure guests. Hospitality firm Accor, whose hotel brands include Fairmont, Sofitel, Orient Express, and Raffles, has announced a partnership with healthcare-technology provider x.labs to provide optional Covid-19 testing for guests at all properties in the U.S. and Canada.

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Your Guide to Client Communication During Engagement Season

Special Events

You might have your marketing strategies in place already, but you need to also be mindful of your communication habits when responding to inquiries and navigating the sales process.

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The Future Is Now: The Case Of Event App Design

Endless Events

Before the pandemic hit in 2020, the events industry was a well-oiled machine. Virtual and hybrid events were nowhere near as common. While every big event already had its own event app, event app design was something only a few businesses dealt with. Then came March 2020, and with it, huge changes. Event technology is no longer just one aspect of an event.

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5 Reasons People Go to Live Sporting Events

Eventbrite

Not everyone goes to sporting events to watch the game. So why do people get off the couch and into stadiums — and how can you use the insights to improve your events?

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What Does Event Health and Safety Look Like in 2021?

Meet Green

Event health and safety are important to us here at MeetGreen. We pride ourselves on taking every precaution to keep event participants safe and healthy. From the beginning, we planned for health and safety. In 1994, we developed an Emergency Response Plan to keep everyone protected with our first event for 2,500 people. The plan included working with these partners: Venue.

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Innovation – The Reason the Events Industry Still Stands

Stova

The world has a funny w ay of surprising us and showing us who we are, sometimes. The events industry is a perfect example of this. Events – something that seems completely evergreen, untouchable, classic – was arguably one of the first global industries to be impacted by COVID-19. Yet, it’s somehow still standing and thriving in the face of all of this hardship.

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How Bad Was 2020? EIC Plans to Find Out

MeetingsNet

The Events Industry Council is gearing up for a global economic-impact study that will quantify losses from the pandemic. It’s been more than two years since the Events Industry Council released the Global Economic Significance of Business Events study, and the world has been through a lot since then. As a result, the umbrella organization for the meeting and convention industry has set its sights on a similar study, with a twist.

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Inclusive Tips for Client Consultations

Special Events

Check our these "Inclusive Tips for Client Consultations" that you can implement in your business to ensure that every lead that walks in the door feels welcomed and appreciated.

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Deep Dive: 3 Events In 2020 That Proved Virtual Is Glorious

Endless Events

After what seemed like a decade, 2020 is finally behind us. Saying that it was a tough time is an understatement. And we’re willing to bet you’re sick and tired of hearing just how much it sucked. Yup, COVID. Oh yeah, that sure ruined a lot of stuff! No, the industry was definitely not expecting it. Can we talk about literally anything else, please?

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7 Expert Tips to Designing a Safe In-Person Meeting

Cort

By now, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all become accustomed to meeting virtually, logging onto our laptops, and joining a video call instead of gathering in person in a conference room. And although this type of digital gathering is necessary in many cases, it has also created a whole new scourge—Zoom fatigue. Of course, there’s no denying that in-person meetings are more effective (and exciting) than virtual ones.

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Increasing Your Direct Bookings with Google’s Free Hotel Links

Sojern

Google recently announced the release of a ‘Free Booking Links’ module that allows Hotels and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) increased visibility in Google Travel. For hotel marketers, this change is good news, as it means there is a new source of free direct bookings that complements your existing metasearch campaigns. . Why the change? A key component to booking a hotel is price, and Google’s objective is to improve the Google Travel user experience (as well as incentivize hotels to display the

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A New Way to Engage - The  Evolution of Gamification

Stova

Gamification is a topic our clients often mention to our dedicated account managers. With q uestions ranging from “ how does it work ?” to “ what can we do better ?” , gamification has become an enticing factor a n d an answer to keep ing attendees engaged during multiple-day events and everyday team meetings. Since becoming a staple in virtual events , gamification is now a dri ving force to ensure a fun and diverse way to engage with attendees.

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Social Impact Recipients Bring Heart to the EIC Global Awards

MeetingsNet

4 excerpts from the Social Impact Award winners’ acceptance speeches that doubled down on the event theme: A Moment of Hope and Reflection. Members of the meetings and hospitality community gathered virtually on March 25 for the Events Industry Council’s annual Global Awards ceremony, honoring Hall of Leaders inductees and, new this year, Social Impact Award recipients.

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Streamlining a (Hopefully) Busy 2021

Special Events

With vaccine distribution hinting at a full return of events in 2021, it could very well end up being quite a busy season as the industry makes up for lost time.

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Hybrid Venue Checklist: Here’s What To Look For!

Endless Events

Well, hello! It’s always a pleasure to have you with us so we can better help you navigate the world of events. If you’re here, chances are you came from our recent hybrid webinar , featuring Will Curran and Kyle Kocinski. Or maybe you just can’t wait to start planning for your first hybrid event of 2021 and beyond. Whatever the reason is, we’re glad to see that you’re taking action and learning about one of the most important aspects of the experience.

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Ask These Questions To Ensure Your Event Destination is Prepared

Achieve Incentives

Are you wondering where to start as you are trying to identify a safe destination for your next event? We’ve got you covered. Whether you are planning an event for this summer or for 2023, there is so much to consider, and it can feel really overwhelming. Before you get started on selecting a destination, you’ll want to make sure it can safely host your attendees.

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Planning Tips for Indoor & Outdoor Events

Cort

Depending on where you live, certain restrictions for events are beginning to lift, little by little. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does have advice for those attending and planning events, but your own state or municipality may have its own rules. However, post-COVID events still have a focus on being outdoors for 2021, although in many states you are able to hold small gatherings — they are just limited by capacity.

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First Look: The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Event Engagement

Stova

Four out of five MeetingPlay clients report engagement as a top challenge for virtual events — but that’s only because they haven’t yet read our new guide to virtual event engagement. In this comprehensive, fun-to-read e-book , you’ll learn why engagement matters, break down the four types that are critical to implement in your virtual events, and get inspired by examples and ideas you can implement for your own virtual events right now.

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How Many Meetings Hotels Won’t Make It Through 2021?

MeetingsNet

A veteran industry analyst sees positive trends ahead, including lots of recovery capital in the market to shore up ailing properties. Across the country, the ramping up of Covid-19 vaccinations and the falling infection rate has brought hope to the events industry. A survey released this week by Freeman shows that the vast majority of exhibitors and attendees of business events expect to be at in-person events by this autumn.

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10 Ways Live Music Creators Have Elevated Virtual Concerts

Eventbrite

Creators across industries have had to rethink what their in-person events look like because of the challenges of COVID-19. One of the greatest pivots has been in the music industry. With most large in-person concerts out of the question for the time being, artists have shifted to performing live concerts online, and creators have put their […].

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