October 2017

Cover illustration by Ping Zhu

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Halloween Meetings: A Good or Bad Idea?

How potential attendees will react to a meeting scheduled over Halloween depends on the demographics, says a generations expert and researcher.

BY Convene Editors October 13, 2017

Houston After Harvey

Visit Houston’s Mike Waterman on how the destination’s meetings infrastructure weathered Hurricane Harvey — and how it’s moving forward after the storm.

BY Christopher Durso October 3, 2017

Christine ‘Shimo’ Shimasaki on Opportunity

‘Opportunities will come along and may appear smaller at first glance, when in reality they could be much bigger.’

BY Christopher Durso October 3, 2017

7 Business Lessons From Jazz

How experimentation, embracing errors, and other jazz tenets can be applied in business settings.

BY Barbara Palmer October 2, 2017

4 Medical Conferences That Put Innovation First

Medical conferences are dedicated to improving patient care. But what if instead of focusing on incremental change, they pursued amazing advances and crazy innovations? Here are four that do just that.

BY Christopher Durso October 2, 2017

Behind the Scenes: For All to See

Welcoming and inclusive events don’t just happen.

BY Michelle Russell October 2, 2017

We’re Not Going It Alone

Regional partnerships are key to PCMA’s global strategy.

BY Deborah Sexton October 2, 2017

What Keeps a Conference Coming Back?

According to three of the busiest convention centers in North America and their loyal clients, it comes down to the comfort of familiarity mixed with the ability to grow together.

BY Casey Gale October 2, 2017

Food Tours, Progressive Dinners: Ingredients for a Moveable Feast

A progressive dinner format has all the ingredients that attendees now expect: a great meal, the opportunity to make connections, and the element of surprise.

BY Jennifer N. Dienst October 2, 2017

American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting

A record number of exhibitors set up shop at this year’s American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Annual Meeting in Seattle — joined by about 900 orthopedic surgeons, physicians, and allied health professionals.

BY Casey Gale October 1, 2017

13th EVPA Annual Conference

An estimated 450 attendees will visit Oslo, Norway, for the European Venture Philanthropy Association’s (EVPA) 2017 Annual Conference — one of the largest and most established conferences in the world for social investment and venture philanthropy. 

BY Casey Gale October 1, 2017

The Power of Advocacy: How Two Medical Conferences Empowered a Family with Disabilities

Alice Brouhard found the technology to give her daughter an independent life at a medical conference. Then she launched her own event to help other special-needs families.

September 29, 2017

3 Ways to Better Engage Audiences

Here’s how the Construction Financial Management Association has built a strong foundation for online education.

BY David McMillin September 28, 2017

All That Jazz: How Improvisation Helps When Producing Events

Design strategist and hybrid thinker Natalie Nixon on combining qualitative and quantitative research methods and how borrowing from jazz can help you escape a ‘permission-slip culture.’

BY Barbara Palmer September 27, 2017

An App That You Wear

Wearable-tech jewelry keeps a meeting manager on track — and in style.

BY Convene Editors September 26, 2017

Yelp Is on the Way

To provide attendees with top drinking and dining options in San Diego, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization partnered with Yelp.

September 25, 2017

How Do You Measure Guest Experience?

Centerplate’s new initiative goes beyond customer feedback, gathering data to ensure that frontline staff at hundreds of diverse venues deliver a consistently high level of service.

BY Michelle R. Davis September 25, 2017

Your Event App May Become Harder to Find

Will a new rule prevent your event app from being accepted in the App Store?

BY Dave Lutz, CMP August 2, 2017

A TED-Inspired Street Party in Long Beach

The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center debuts an innovative new special-event space that brings new meaning to the phrase “out of the box” — and demonstrates how unused spaces can be transformed.

BY Barbara Palmer July 26, 2017

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