issue #3

Generating an original meeting theme that captures the imagination of increasingly meeting-savvy, jaded audiences can feel like a daunting task. In the current economic squeeze, even companies who traditionally have turned to outside agencies for “the big idea,” are relying on their internal resources to invent the thematic message for meetings. In addition, tightening budgets impact every facet of meetings, which also means that a meeting theme must do more, mean more, and facilitate more than it ever has.

Few meeting stakeholders question the validity of a meeting theme to frame key content, build engagement and excitement, and create the live experience. However, many executives and attendees alike also view themes as a necessary evil – they comment on how trite, forgettable, uninspired, unoriginal and almost laughable themes can frequently seem.

Developing a meeting theme in a climate of heightened expectations and limited support can feel nearly impossible for even the most experienced creative minds. What follows is a simple how-to guide for getting the freshest, most on-target creative ideas, quickly, even from novice brainstorm participants.

<Read MORE>

by Stacey Krizan

Picking the right marketing agency is enough to make a business owner crazy – especially if they are not marketers themselves. Take my friend, who owns a local, rapidly growing software company. He called me late the other evening to vent, “I am going to fire my marketing agency tomorrow.” Naturally I wanted to know what had happened to lead him that unfortunate conclusion. His reason seemed rational enough – they didn’t live up to what they had promised to deliver.  He had done everything right, in theory – he had parameters and deadlines and objectives set in advance and written into a contract form – but the agency, while remarkably creative, never delivered a production schedule so he knew when items would be coming through for review.

<Read MORE about the Five SImple Rules at Catalyst Magazine Expert Blog>

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), tradeshows and events, as an industry, is second only to the building industry as global offenders of waste and environmental concern. Yet, while “green” is a topic of great interest and concern, currently only a small number of all exhibitors is currently doing anything to address the issue.

Many within our industry are advocates of green meetings simply because “it is the right thing to do.” However, most corporate executives take a conservative view, asking the unavoidable question, “What will this cost me, and what will it mean to my bottom line?” Those who have begun to invest the time, energy and dollars in green meetings often are motivated by the public recognition they can gain. Green meetings, quite simply put, are good for business because they are good for consumer perception. But what does being green truly cost when it comes to tradeshows and meetings? This answer is not so clear-cut.

<Read MORE at the TalkWOW Blog>

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