Joanne's Meeting and Event EGuide April 28, 2020

Joanne's Meeting and Event EGuide

April 28, 2020 - Part One

Once again I have so much I want to share with you, it is taking longer to get this out. Not only that, but because things change daily, as you well know, I am rewriting and prioritizing all the time. One thing I am doing for this issue, is breaking it down into two parts---so this one is Part One. This is more along the lines of what I am doing. Part Two is really about organizations.

I did this so if you do not feel you are a manager, leader or influencer in your organization, you may not want to take the time to look at it. So here is Part One, which as I explained before, will be resent if you don’t open it the first time. Then there will be Part Two and it will resend to. So you may get 4 emails from me in a short time, and I am sorry. Tip—open it when you first get it, even if you don’t read it till later, and you won’t get the resend.

If you are wondering what some of my thoughts are on the future, read the section on Smaller Meeting Markets.

Be safe and be well.

Just in case you missed the last edition, here is a link to it for you

March 30, 2020 Edition It was a different world.

Got a question? Want me to find something for you? Did you get this forwarded to you? If you would like to be on the list, text MEETGUIDE to 22828. Or just sign up here online.

In this issue…

Humor and Laughs—we need them

Things That Interest Me

All Things CMP – including information about 16 hour virtual class

Career and Jobs

Smaller Markets

One On One

Just pure humor and hopefully laughs…that is the only redeeming value. And an important one.

I know—there are a million memes, videos, cartoons, TikTok---but here are some that truly made me laugh out loud and people who travel more than the average person, will appreciate. If you did not see the one I posted on LinkedIn with the post trip reenactment, you might want to take a look.

So people are struggling with learning how to work from home (#WFH for those who might not have seen the new #).

What happens when you are a Flight Attendant Working from Home?

Travel and Leisure gives us our first look including how it can affect our relationships with those we live with:

Work from home Flight Attendant

Escape gives us our second:

A Virgin flight attendant has joined the epic ‘bin outing’ trend.

Wine tasting tour at home? Rock Climbing? Safari? What’s your 3 Letter Code for Destination? Escape

The funniest travel memes to brighten life in lockdown

And because some of you know I have an obsession with Peeps, and you may have some stuffed at your house right now (although good chance this year you actually ate them) here is:

7 Easter desserts that incorporate Peeps. Help a Peep reach its full potential.

Peeps

Things that Interest Me, and Maybe You

How Hotels Are Taking Care of Their Resident Animals During COVID-19

Travel and Leisure

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has forced temporary hotel closures, there’s still a lot of work going on behind the scenes, especially for properties that have animals in their care. Around the world, trainers and naturalists continue to look after the critters they — and guests — love so much.

Taking care of resident Animals

How to Clean Your Suitcase AAA

If we were not thinking about this before, we will be now.

Cleaning your suitcase

Here’s what you do with two-thirds of the world’s jets when they can’t fly Bloomburg

Just finding space to park can be a problem, and idle planes require a surprising amount of work, from maintaining hydraulics to stopping birds from nesting.

Idle Planes

The blind spot in reopening the economy: Will Americans feel safe? Axios

There's a big blind spot as governors weigh how and when to lift stay-at-home orders: If businesses' doors reopen, will the people come?

Will they come?

All Things CMP

Many of you have already heard, but the May Exam has been cancelled. Prometric is hoping to open at least some testing centers around the world June 1, but as we know everything can change. Although EIC would have loved to have a test before August, it most likely will not happen. Prometric will be 2 ½ months behind on June 1.They have hundreds of clients. They are prioritizing medical exams. I am sure that makes sense when you think about it.

Two virtual events coming up:

May 6

CMP Information Session – partnering with MPI Global

This onehour , free session will be an overview of CMP, from applying to recertification. This will NOT cover specific material. This will not be a webinar with slides—this will be “live” . Register through MPI:

CMP Information Session

May 12 – 15 (4 hours a day)

Meeting and Event Intensive Class

Partnering with AVFX and Eventsquid

16 hour Livestreamed Meeting and Event Intensive Class---it’s the one that I usually do over a two day weekend. Hours count towards CE’s for applying or recertification. If you have ever wanted to attend, and couldn’t make it to a class, consider this. I do not plan on the Virtual Version, being a forever thing, so this is your chance.

Registration is $600 with two options:

Payment plan over 6 months, $100 a month

Pay in full and get a $100 discount

If you want to pay another way, Venmo, PayPal, Check, something else, just contact Joanne. If you want to take this class, we want to make it happen for you.

Also this counts as a “Take Twice” Class. That means two things.

The first is if you take this class, you will be eligible to take another one at no additional charge, including those classes in person (It will happen someday).

The second is if you have taken my 2 or 3 day class anytime in the last 20 years, you can come take it again, at no charge. Even if you have taken it twice—come back for a third or fourth time. It gives you 16 hours for recertification if you have your CMP, If you never did earn it, now’s the time to finish. If you let it lapse, let’s get it back. Your prior class has to be a class I ran through my company.

Meeting and Event Intensive Class

Career and Jobs

This is your Guidance Counselor for Grown Ups speaking.

I realize that many of you are not only worried about protecting yourself and you loved ones, but also worried about your job and career. I have talked to people who are working full time, sometimes more than full time, because everyone else has been cut. Or people whose hours and pay have been cut. Or those who have no job or pay right now, some know they are not going back, and some are hoping they will be called back.

The more I work with people who are job searching and looking at their career, not just now, but at all times, I realize what we were told for years is true. You should always be ready. Now that means an active, updated, personalized-to-you presence on LinkedIn. A resume’ that you like, and represents who you truly and uniquely are. Someone who takes control when they walk into the room (virtual or otherwise) for an interview or performance review. “Putting your best foot forward” is more than showing up and working hard.

In my capacity of The Guidance Counselor for Grown Up, I have been creating short videos called “Tea with Joanne”. They are now on Facebook

Tea with Joanne on Facebook

and a YouTube Channel

Tea with Joanne on You Tube

And all jobs I am learning of I am posting on LinkedIn directly. You may want to follow me. I encourage as you think about “What’s Next?”, that you “Think Outside the Meeting Room”---where else can your skills be used that is not a traditional position you might look for?

Smaller Markets and why I feel you need to know them, and be ready to use them

Everyone loves the Primary Markets, and honestly, I think part of the time in meetings and events we love bragging that our meeting is going to be there. Sales Reps from those cities can act like if your meeting is not there, well….it’s not real. (this should get me a few emails!).

As I wrote a few years ago when I was writing about CMP Conclave being in Birmingham Alabama:

You may be thinking “Why would I want to go there?” I love small cities that have come back to life from rough times----and almost all have had those rough times as the country has changed in the past 50 years or so. I am a big fan of smaller meetings markets because they have everything you need, at an affordable price point. Yes, larger cities have more restaurants, more hotels, more museums and more entertainment----but you don’t use them all when you have a meeting. Smaller cities still have “more than enough” restaurants, hotels, museums and hotels at a “more affordable” cost.

This is why I think this is important now . I was in the industry at the time of the September 11 tragedy. Obviously it affected the US the most, and I can only speak from a US perspective. No one wanted to get a plane. People did not really want to travel and if so they wanted to be close to home. Many people did not want to be in large cities. What emerged was many regional meetings taking the place of large national, and international meetings.

The reasons may be different, but once again many people will avoid planes, cities and being too far from home. They want to feel as safe as possible, and be able to get back to their family easily if something was to happen. I see once again a lot of regional meetings happening, within a 5 hour drive of people’s homes.

Large cities, primary markets, will not make sense for many of these meetings partially because of cost, but also many people do not live a 5 hour drive from one of them. So what is there?

Smaller markets—some of which have risen in visibility and reputation a lot in the past decade, to the point you think of them as a major market. Some I think of in that category are Pittsburgh PA, Columbus OH, Indianapolis IN, and Cleveland OH. They are also central in the country which makes them very accessible. But there are many others you may never have thought of. That does not mean they do not have what you need, especially since many of them have been working to create a wonderful infrastructure and rebirth. Buffalo NY, Albany NY, Lehigh Valley PA, Fort Wayne IN, Reno NV, Sacramento CA, Birmingham AL, Lexington KY, Chattanooga TN, Atlantic City NJ, Morgantown WV—these are all ones I have been to in the past 10 years that are great places to be, and believe me I am always looking through my meeting planner eyes.

This is the time to be building you changed strategy for your meetings. It’s also the time to do your homework. A good resource is “ Small Market Meetings Magazine”. Take a map and start drawing circles---what is there? Be ready to be the one who has alternatives---solutions to the problems.

And in the meantime, you might find some interesting places to go –I know I have.

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The Ordinary Success Project LLC is a CMP Preferred Provider. The program(s) identified with the CMP Preferred Provider logo meet the requirements to receive continuing education (CE) credit for the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential. The use of the CMP Preferred Provider Pre-Check logo is not an endorsement by the Events Industry Council of the quality of the session. For more information about the CMP credential or CMP Preferred Provider Program, please visit www.EventsCouncil.org .

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