Joanne's Meeting and Event EGuide
June 8, 2020
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Just in case you missed the last edition, here is a link to it for you
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"What do I write? What do I include?"
To a certain extent that has been a concern from the day I started the EGuide. Since the pandemic, even more so. As always I don’t want to repeat the same things you are reading in every other email and article you get.
So I thought I would start with what I think from my reading and listening, about and from the industry, and individuals.
Some of you know I use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in much of my thought process. The first tier is Basic Needs, the second is Safety. We need heavily to focus on both as we move forward. We have to honor that what feels safe to one person, may not to someone else.
Most of my readers are from the US, but not all, so I want to look beyond the US on certain things. A lot of US planners also plan internationally.
So this is where I am:
International meetings from/to the US will not begin till at least mid 2021. Individuals may start travelling internationally, but organizations are not going to want to put attendees at risk, and also many attendees will not go. Even in other countries, many borders have restrictions, especially around what countries people can come from.
Domestic meetings (and tourism) – this is where everyone is going to start. In smaller countries it will move more quickly to “national” meetings. In the US and other large countries, not as fast. I see many similarities to after 9/11. Many people will not want to fly, probably till months after a vaccine is in place. Even trains and other forms of travel, may be fearful to many people. Not only that, but people want to be able to get home if something happens to their family, them, or the world. Therefore many meetings are going to need to be driveable (or walkable), leading to regional meetings.
Attendees will probably consider 5 hours, or less, driveable. If it’s a day meeting, 3 hours or less.
You will need to look at locations and markets, primarily smaller markets (what some call secondary or tertiary cities). Now is the time to educate yourself based on where your attendees are coming from. Here is a YouTube Video that shows you how to use a website that allows you to draw those “circles”
I have used this myself for a client, and found it to be quite easy (after I watched the video!).
All 50 states and 5 territories have different laws, guidelines and phases of opening. Every country too. One of the biggest things I see going on right now is people being confused (and frequently judging others), because they are seeing the whole pandemic through what is going on in their own backyard. We need to be aware of the differences, and try to understand and be sympathetic.
Mask Requirements are an example. Here is a website, that is constantly being updated as to the use of Masks in the US.
Masks requirements
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State Quarantine Requirements
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Also many states have (self) quarantine rules in place. You may think “How would they know?” and yes for an individual, that might be true (although search the articles on Hawaii). But bringing a meeting into a state is a whole other issue. Here is a constantly updated article on that in the US:
An example of outside the US is the United Kingdom
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As you create your Risk Plan (protection of people, property and Intangibles such as your company’s reputation and the company itself):
How will you prevent someone from attending who has symptoms?
What if someone develops symptoms while attending?
What is your legal responsibility if someone gets sick at your event?
What is your communications plan within the meeting and potentially outside the meeting, if someone gets sick?
Large groups— Start with defining large. Again that varies so much state to state, and country to country. Meetings and events of over 1000 are not going to happen most places for a while---at least inside.
Certainly a time, if weather allows, to look at every conceivable outside space and how to use it. You may have seen all of my LinkedIn posts on Drive-in Movie theaters, which there are a few of in the US, Canada and Australia. Here is a list in the US (and the website also has the other countries (and ones in the US for sale).
I saw in article that a ship terminal is now being used for a drive-in movie in Germany---because the cruise ships are not sailing.
Many open spaces could be turned into a complete meetings space including with overnight rooms. I have one all figured out---it may only get done on paper, but it is intriguing.
Here’s an article on things to think about for being inside, whether as an individual, or a meeting.
I am a big believer in face to face meetings, as are you. What I read in one country ---for a large meeting—is people are being broken down into smaller groups, and they spend the entire meeting with that group, making it their “bubble”, They go to sessions together, meals together, even general sessions, they do not really interact with the others. This allows for better prevention and tracking.
My question is---if we have to do something like that, what is the purpose of bringing everyone to one location? They are not really together. Would regional smaller meetings have the same effect?
About a month ago I had a big 'Aha' moment.
What I realized is we had to stop trying to virtually replicate the live events we had planned. Instead we had to “Recreate, nor Replicate”. I actually wrote that down and have that right by my computer ever since. I had to “live it” when I did my 16 hour virtual CMP class a few weeks ago.
What do I see as the difference?
Replicating to me is taking the exact same event, and trying to put it on a virtual platform.
Recreating is taking the same
“Goals and Objectives”
and determine the best possible way to reach them in a virtual format. You first have to know what they really are. By the way---that also means
recreating
the budget with zero-based budgeting.
More to come another day.
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Career and Jobs
I am posting all jobs I come across on LinkedIn to get them to as many people as possible, in a timely manner. Follow me on LinkedIn, or at least take a look.
I know people who are the spectrum from unemployed, to furloughed (with hope of being called back), to working full time with a salary reduction, to full time/full pay, to more than full time (because everyone else got laid off). No matter where you are, and because if we did not know before, we know now, the world can change in a second. Always good to be prepared for a job search, or working towards a promotion.
I have taken some of my career topics (plus some others) and have spent time in my other world: “The Guidance Counselor for Grown Ups”. Most are up on YouTube, and are slowly going up on a Facebook page too. Even if you are not looking, maybe you know someone else these might help “Tea with Joanne”.
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What Do You Want to Know About Speakers?
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I am going to start profiling different professional speakers that I think you should know about---different topics, price points etc. A lot of them also have great blogs and newsletters that you may find interesting.
I am also looking into doing a virtual speakers showcase of 8-10 speakers, so you can see them speak “live virtually”---is that an oxymoron? In other words they would actually be presenting while you are watching, not a video. I think it is important to find good speakers, whose message and personality comes through on the screen.
Since I walk in both worlds, I want to create an opportunity for you to find out all those “behind the scenes” questions. Let me know what you want to know about speakers, what topics are of interest, and would you be interested in a speaker showcase.
On a recommendation from Kim Cowperthwait, CMP , I will also be compiling some lesser talked about tips for making sure your virtual speaker and presentation aren’t the ones that go up on social media---for the wrong reasons!
And since we are in many states of crisis right now, I thought I would bring Gerard Braud (pronounced Jared Bro) to your attention. Gerard is an expert on crises communication, great speaker, educator, advisor and a good guy, and will be easy for you to work with. In his blog he takes things immediately from the news and talks about (from the crises communications viewpoint) what went wrong and what went right. The past few days he has been doing live feeds from his porch about Hurricane Christabel---he lives in New Orleans.
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,
Meet Clark, my latest fan. who apparently found my virtual class interesting. Clark is a Boston Terrier who owns Laura Wheeler, from Famous Saloon in Nashville, TN.
Does this mean I've gone to the dogs?
CMP Classes before August Exam
Here’s what I know this minute---as you well know could change within a day…or less.
I had four in person classes scheduled for July/August. Two already had to be cancelled (one this morning) because of things tied into the pandemic.
If you are interested in any of these classes, please add your name to the appropriate Google Doc. This can be your first time taking a class, or a repeat. You can add yourself to more than one class, knowing you may have to travel to what is available.
As of now this is what is on the calendar:
July 25-26 Nashville –as of now this is on because they are opening the city. Again could change at any moment, and I also have to make the decision about traveling there. If you are interested in this class, please add your name to this
August 8-9 Boston area---Unknown since Massachusetts is still in early reopening phases. If you are interested in this class, please add your name to this:
For the past two weeks I have been beginning looking at a mid July virtual class. I don’t know any more than that, and it is not a definite. If you are interested in that, please add your name here:
If you are having trouble scheduling your August exam—don’t panic.
Read below.
More centers and testing dates and times are opening, each week. Prometric and EIC are trying to catch up after the centers being closed.
From my contact at EIC regarding Prometric:
Site Capacities are changing daily – thankfully in the right direction! As parts of the United State open up and social distancing restrictions ease, Prometric is opening up additional testing centers.
This week, Prometric successfully completed additional site resumption and a return to full-occupancy testing at many locations, based on local and governmental regulations. Based on program designation requirements outlined on the site openings list below (marked “Essential Only” or “All Client Programs”), candidates in markets enabled for "full occupancy" can now schedule into these additional seats. Thus far, Prometric has been able to open thousands of additional appointments in June, July, and August, and have seen in just a matter of days approximately 40% have already been booked. New appointment hours are opening up daily, based on the work of our resumption teams. These will book on a first come, first serve basis.
Here's some links that might be helpful to candidates:
Site Opening List
provides a running list of all of our current open/scheduled-to-open sites and their resumption test date. This list is updated daily to reflect any changes in status, and will be evaluated for further additions on a rolling basis.
Social Distancing Policies
provides a detailed look at our standard and social distancing policies and test center procedure modifications that candidates are expected to follow while at the test center.
Test Taker FAQ
provides answers to frequently asked questions candidates might have about impacts to their exam.
EIC continues to actively work with Prometric to increase capacity and provide alternative sites for the exam.
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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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