In the midst of a natural disaster or any other crisis, a lot can go wrong, especially if it coincides with your event or trade show.

You can't stop hurricanes or other natural disasters from coming and affecting your event. So, what actions should you take before, during and after a crisis happens?

• Hotel or Special Location Contract - Make sure there is a clause in your venue contract that covers unforeseeable circumstances that prevent either party from fulfilling a contract and relieves you and the venue from performing contractual obligations.
• Insurance - Determine if your event insurance will cover all your event needs. There are many different policies with varying coverage and price points. Evaluate what expenses you will need to cover. What types of crisis should you protect against: terrorism or natural disasters?
• Event marketing and registration - When setting up your registration, determine the dates and policies for cancellation or postponement. Include this information on your registration marketing materials.
• Communication channels - If you believe there is a threat to your conference, contact your venue, vendors, sponsors and insurance company and communicate next steps. Communicate the status of the conference to attendees through the event website, social media and email. Establish a communication plan before you have to notify any changes.
• Staffing - Sometimes in a crisis or a postponement, your original staffing plan won't work. Your staff may have conflicts and not be flexible with your new dates. Have a Brand Ambassador team ready to assist you if need more support. Exhibitors Connections' talented team is ready to help at locations throughout the country.

No meeting or event is immune to crises. Make sure your event has a crisis management plan to help you safely navigate. Hopefully, you never need a crisis plan, but it will pay off if you do.

BY: EXHIBITORS CONNECTION

Greenview, a sustainability consulting and research firm, released its fourth annual Green Venue Report showcasing “The State of Convention and Exhibition Center Sustainability.” The 2017 report includes data for 66 venues from 14 countries, which it said is a 50% increase from last year (up from 44 venues in 2016).

Here’s an overview of some key findings from the report, as noted by Greenview:

• Venues are saving millions with sustainability upgrades. Venues that invest in these technologies received positive ROIs, ranging from a few hundred dollars converting street lights to LED bulbs, to millions of dollars by implementing waste and water programs.
• Waste generated by events is being directly charged to event organizers. In an effort to curb waste generation, 52% of venues charge event organizers based on waste tonnage. Additionally, about a quarter of venues provide economic incentives for organizers to reduce landfill waste.
• Health and wellbeing of staff is of growing importance. Sixty-two percent of venues reported to having a health and wellbeing policy in place that applies to all staff. Policies and programs include health and fitness facilities with free personal trainers to weekly on-site doctor visits.
• Venues continue to reduce food waste. Planning the precise volume of food needed for attendees helps to control costs and minimize waste. Seventy-seven percent of venues practice active food waste management using either manual or automated tracking, slightly down from last year.

The stats above are just a sampling of the information provided within the 2017 Green Venue Report, which is a must-download for planners and suppliers interested in learning more about sustainability.

The 2017 Green Venue Report (and past reports) are available at https://greenview.sg/green-venue/.

by Incentive Research Foundation • May 12, 2017

Each year companies in the United States invest billions of dollars to help their employees get healthier – and additional billions to help them meet face to face. The IRF Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study found a significant disconnect between wellness goals and the incorporation of these efforts into meetings and incentive travel programs. The IRF explores what the meetings and incentives industry could do to create better synergies in support of wellness, particularly for companies that already have existing wellness programs.

Beautifully situated on 22 oceanfront acres, Fairmont Kea Lani Maui offers 36,000 square feet of distinctive indoor and outdoor function space. With four unique restaurants, three swimming pools, award-winning Willow Stream Spa, Inspire Your Energy fitness & wellness program along with Hawaiian cultural activities, Fairmont Kea Lani is the ideal destination for your Maui meeting.

Pros share advice for getting the most bang for your buck and scoring photography worthy of a double take.

A destination in itself, set on 400 acres of manicured grounds with two miles of beachfront.

If you are hosting an event, be sure to schedule a follow-up with your guests. After all, you have a list of people who are interested in your company and who hopefully enjoyed themselves. Don’t let those contacts drift away! Customer satisfaction surveys tend to have response rates of 10% to 30%, and those respondents can give you useful feedback.

Have you heard walking meetings are becoming a great way to nurture conversation outside of a traditional setting?

5 Main Benefits

1. Easy physical activity which is beneficial to general health and immediately elevates mood.

2. New settings promote inspiration and clarity.

3. In a relaxed setting, hierarchy dissolves, putting employees at ease and allowing them to open up and connect.

4.  A shared activity strengthens work relationships and fosters a group identity and camaraderie.

5. Unlike the traditional meeting, there’s no risk of wasting time as walking is always constructive.