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Why free time, authenticity and immersion are redefining program inclusions What are the latest trends emerging for incentive travel 2025 and beyond? Since attendees are trending towards more free time, 52% of participants chose reduced activities, and 50% chose reduced gifting to save on budgets.
Sustainability in hospitality is no longer a trend but rather a foundational set of practices, including for Marriott Bonvoy Events. Connect Responsibly offers customers detailed Meeting Impact Reports to measure the environmental impact of their events, along with options to purchase carbon credits.
Smart Meetings made history by convening top meeting professionals in an iconic location fresh off an almost $200 million renovation to experience the best motivational practices employed today. of historic and modern conference center space offered something for attendees and their guests while they were meeting.
Many meeting profs are looking to Fiji, which is experiencing record-breaking visitor numbers. Dream Yacht Worldwide Shares Trends, 2025 Predictions Dream Yacht Worldwide (DYW) says its research reveals that early bookings, short-haul vacations and destinations beyond the Caribbean are among the top travel and sailing trends of 2024.
As we approach 2025, these trends will help define tourism’s next chapter. What We Did Trends are a great place to start when building your marketing strategy. They can help inform how you can meet customers’ evolving needs, provide insights into how you can gain a competitive advantage, and more.
MPI, the largest association within the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry, has announced it will hold its 2025 European Meetings & Events Convention (EMEC) in Istanbul, the site of the EMEC 2014. The post MPI Gears Up for EMEC 2025 in Türkiye appeared first on Smart Meetings.
Smart Meetings was there and brought back this report. Canada Visit California Global Managing Director in Canada Julie Goergas shared trends in Canada’s $4.3 Slow tourism is also trending as Italians look for authentic, community-based experiences like vineyard tours, cultural emersions in cities or treks in national parks.
WTP’s Frank Harrison Shares the Top Three Business Travel Trends for the Coming Year Frank Harrison As the travel industry around the world continues to recover post-pandemic, new business travel trends have emerged that meeting professionals will have to master to optimize attendance.
We sat down with the Maritz team to ask what top event technology trends they see for 2024 and how they will fundamentally change the meeting professional’s job. It will automatically plan their agenda and get them booked on a flight and with a hotel that will meet their specific needs. It will also be interactive.
This year, we took a different tack.Instead of those wide-ranging forecasts, Convene editors wrote succinct trends reports for each sector. And, as always, the Forecast includes our Annual Meetings Market Survey , which gives us a strong sense of where we stand at this moment in time the ups, the downs, the challenges, and our overall mood.
We asked the experts at three properties to share trends in wellness activations they are seeing in 2023. Q: Are there any emerging wellness trends that are on the rise in 2023? DH: IV therapy continues to be a strong trend. The post Wellness Hacks: Deep Relaxation Trends appeared first on Smart Meetings.
2024 follows suit and ushers in some interesting travel trends that will be popping up on your radar soon. Dupe Travel – The TikTok beauty trend has manifested its way to the travel industry, this time offering budget-friendly alternatives to destinations that carry a bigger price tag. This trend will extend into 2024.
New and Renovated Hotels Reflect Top Trends 2025 is a year to get excited for. With a host of exciting new hotels slated to open throughout the next 12 months, plus some major strategic visions in the works at major brands, the opportunities for every style meeting are boundless.
Smart Meetings Wellness Experience brought not-a-buzzword, capital-W Wellness to life in word and action. Read More: The Science of Event Happiness Featured at Smart Meetings Elevate Experience Wellness, now. Its meeting people where theyre at, and there are so many ways we can do it. Wellness is already in events DNA.
Refract Seattle 2024 was the largest yet, in the festival’s sixth year—and it’s a shining example of an opportunity for business meetings and events, from citywides to VIP groups, to get connected with the locale of their chosen destination in an unforgettable way.
10 years ago, I pointed out that most meetings are small meetings. It seems the meeting industry is finally catching on to this reality and its benefits. Smaller meetings, known by industry experts as micro events, continue strong growth. These are smaller (< 100 attendees) meetings, often held offsite.
Following the ever-changing trends of the event production industry This summer marks the 30th year event and entertainment production company Empire has been putting on live events across six continents. People are now saying, ‘Well, what do we want to get out of this meeting? Founded by J.B. What are the actual outcomes we want?
To find out what the university is teaching future meetings and event professionals and what they gleaned from the two days of sessions and networking, we asked Ryan Becker, senior vice president of communications and strategy with Visit California. Those values are encapsulated in the vision statement: Live, protect, explore.
Thinking about a Caribbean locale for your next meeting or event? New options for meeting profs are Sandals St. I look forward to the destination meeting its new targets going into the new year and continuing to offer travelers a premier choice for their Caribbean holidays. Planning an incentive trip with wellness in mind?
Read More : Gen Z Meeting Professionals Navigate Industry Challenges and Hope for Future “One of the things that surprised me—and I did find a little bit concerning—was the demographic split with the younger residents not being as supportive,” said Kristin McGrath, executive director at Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I
Find something for everyone while absorbing the city’s culture Anticipating culinary expectations for groups can be stressful for meeting professionals, especially with more awareness of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and religious-based dietary restrictions or preferences. An easy solution? A food hall.
Editor’s Note: This is the first edition of Meetings Uncovered—Smart Meetings’ newest column focused on keeping you up to speed with the latest news in the hospitality industry. . These are missed birthday parties, graduations, time with loved ones and important meetings.”. Read more here. Read more here.
Welcome to Smart Travel, where we’ll be spotlighting the latest can’t-miss travel news, from groundbreaking studies and data to tips on decompressing from your next destination meeting. companies is expected to meet or exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024—but the full picture isn’t so simple. We have you covered.
Remo is a map-based virtual event platform that has been building events and meetings since 2018. “ Remo is a map-based virtual meeting and event platform. We have universities that want to do their football stadium on a map and you come and have a meeting in the stadium. Introducing Remo, A Map-Based Event Platform.
Healthy Alternatives to Beer and Wine “Sober curious” is gaining traction as a lifestyle trend, and many seem to be dipping their toes into going spirit-free. This trend isn’t merely a random personal choice; it’s truly reshaping the very fabric of events and conventions. Harrah College of Hospitality.
How the gig economy is impacting the events industry In honor of Labor Day, Smart Meetings chatted with Tracy Judge, founder and CEO of Soundings , to get the latest scoop on the trends currently emerging within the freelance meeting planner gig economy. SM What types of freelance meeting planner roles are most in demand?
This isn’t just a trend; it’s a bridge, extending connection to all. Read More : Why AI Might Mean Salvation for the Meeting Industry Imagine walking into a bustling kitchen, the aroma of garlic mingling with the savory scent of soy sauce and ginger, the clatter of pans, and laughter from the dining room.
At Muir, Autograph Collection , an oceanfront property in Halifax, Canada, planners who are seeking a unique and memorable setting for their event can book meeting spaces with 360-degree water views, or even rent the hotel’s 36-foot private yacht. W Philadelphia , which offers more than 45,000 sq.
Accor Survey: “Meeting Expectations: The Future of Meetings & Events” World-leading hospitality group Accor operates a diverse hospitality group of over 40 hotel brands, from luxury to economy. Sophie Hulgard, Chief Sales Officer at Accor, says, “The total global meetings industry worldwide is forecast to be worth $1.78
For many meeting professionals, taking a well-deserved breath after a year of planning large conventions, attending the International Association of Exhibitions & Events (IAEE) Expo! I attended in search of trends shaping U.S. Meeting professionals can ignite others with the work they do. is an annual tradition.
Many meeting profs are looking to Fiji, which is experiencing record-breaking visitor numbers. Dream Yacht Worldwide Shares Trends, 2025 Predictions Dream Yacht Worldwide (DYW) says its research reveals that early bookings, short-haul vacations and destinations beyond the Caribbean are among the top travel and sailing trends of 2024.
Holiday travel is a growing trend with as estimated two-thirds of American’s planning to take at least one holiday trip this year *. Celebrate the holiday season where history meets festivity in charming Historic Yorktown. Here’s a list of some of our favorites to bring you peace, joy, and inspiration!
What the impact of a younger generation means for the future of the meeting industry No two generations are the same. Smart Meeting spoke with Ken Holsinger, senior vice president of strategy at the event management company Freeman, to pinpoint how data can be used to enhance the event experience for all ages.
Event Trends In a fast-paced agenda built based on attendee feedback, the group explored the future of incentive travel and how AI could help everyone plan smarter. The 2026 Hosts Global Forum will go to the ends of the earth to uncover more essential meeting truths by gathering in Alaska as guests of Alaska Destination Specialists.
The challenge for meeting professionals is to determine the appropriate amount of “me-time” and surprise and delight, balanced with confidence that their needs will be taken care of so they can focus on the content being presented. One person’s decadent spa soak may be another person’s rigorous trail ride. million restoration and cleaning.
To fully understand the importance and impact of AI on the meetings space, Smart Meetings spoke with Iain McCowan, director of AI at Dubber , to glean some sense of how it can be a helpful tool for planners. With the use of AI, Dubber captures key moments and insights within an online meeting space.
Catherine Chaulet “Meeting planners can actually appreciate the organizational strengths of the Olympic Games, seeing how everything is organized in a way that ensures security measures are in place,” says Catherine Chaulet, president and CEO of Global DMO Partners , based in Washington, D.C., appeared first on Smart Meetings.
What do economic forecasts, vulnerable leadership, Asia trends, values-driven political actions and global social advocacy have in common? We asked PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat about the high-profile, diverse agenda at PCMA Convening Leaders for 4,000 meeting professionals in Houston this week. Former U.S.
That is why Smart Meetings gathered top meeting professionals F2F in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for three days this week at Smart Meetings Extraordinary Experience Mid-Atlantic to learn about the industry and each other. The sight was awe-inspiring and as Smart Meetings CEO Marin Bright put it, it made everyone feel safe.
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Experts offer tips and ideas for meeting professionals As the year slowly comes to a close, many financial and insurance meeting planners may be thinking about what they should be keeping on their radar. They want to feel as though they have a role in choosing their own meetings journey.
Modernity and history entwined to welcome European meeting professionals The best ideas happen when diverse points of view come together. The post MPI’s EMEC 2025 Pursued Harmony in Turkiye appeared first on Smart Meetings. Compliance requires continuous improvement and annual compliance checks.
More than a third (38%) say business travel is important for staying updated on the latest trends, technology, and advancements. The post Meeting Profs Travel Report: Who Travels for Business? appeared first on Smart Meetings.
Two-thirds of meeting professionals have reported the recovery of the hospitality industry to more than half of 2019 levels and one-third reported having reached beyond recovery to 80% of 2019 levels, according to new research by IACC’s new report, Meeting Room of the Future Barometer Late—November 2022.
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