Inspiration Hub

I recently asked my team what, if anything, they learned about themselves during the coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine lockdown. Responses varied, but the point was to acknowledge the unimaginable situation we are in and how we might use such a time for change.

Travel and daily life continue to be affected by COVID-19 as “shelter-in-place” orders are mandated across the United States, and the world. Even still, amid isolation and quarantine, technology and the internet are keeping people connected. From working remotely to socializing with friends and family, there is readily available tech that can assist in day-to-day tasks during these uncertain times.

According to many economic assessments, including this one, the financial impact of COVID-19 is being felt in the travel and hospitality industries first. Unfortunately for meeting planners, this means that some are facing a period of intense scrambling to postpone an event or move it online; for others, it means a period of un- or underemployment.

As we are entering further into the year, we must take a look around us to see if we have the boundaries that we need for our lives put in place. Boundaries are limits, simple limits put in place to prevent us for going overboard. Also boundaries can be limits that are in place so that others do not interfere with them. Here are 10 boundaries that you should put in place right now to help you lead a more healthy and productive life.

Mental health in the workplace is gaining more attention these days as study after study is revealing how stress can negatively impact employee wellness and performance. As road warriors, there are ways that you can mitigate the strain on your relationships that frequent travel can cause. While you may love your job and don’t mind the travel, being away from family and friends can still take a toll in part due to something called ambiguous loss, which is a term that describes the uncertainty about how a relationship with a loved one may change due to separation. Below are strategies for keeping your relationships strong when your job keeps you apart.

Do you ever get so overwhelmed with work that you start to feel paralyzed? The to-dos keep coming, and you don’t even know where to begin. It’s ALL important, and it all HAS to get done. 

If so, you’re certainly not alone. Even if you’re an extremely organized person, it can be hard to determine what tasks to tackle first. If your to-do list is no longer cutting it, and prioritization is starting to become an issue, try this alternative approach to time and project management.

You may be vaguely familiar with feng shui (uhm…it’s a Chinese organizing thing, right?). Whether you feel the flow of chi or not, the issues that the practice aims to tackle with energy optimization have scientifically established effects on your performance.

Movies are almost as much a part of our holiday traditions as food. It’s a Wonderful Life has such a strong association with Christmas it is shown in independent movie theaters like New York’s IFC Center, and cinema chains such as Bow Tie, 73 years after it was made.

Being an effective meeting planner means you’re an ace at multi-tasking, plus your networks are wide and your personal tool kits expansive. As we age and start thinking about the future, those assets will come in handy when exploring new paths of happiness or finding a truer sense of purpose throughout our golden years.

Leaders go through unique situations that only they have to navigate. It is only logical to conclude that leaders need to be able to relieve stress just as much as the people they lead do. The problem is, many times leaders are working so much without much downtime. So what are some ways that leaders can relieve their stress all while keeping up with the pace of what they do? Well here are 10 stress relief tips that can help.

Mistakes happen — even to the most organised event planners. It’s hard to be perfect when you’re juggling endless details and deadlines, corresponding with dozens of caterers, and trying to woo sponsors, all at the same time!

After all, you’re only human.

Take a look at some of these common event planner mistakes to see if you can relate. If you’ve been lucky enough to avoid these mistakes so far, follow the bonus strategies to keep that error-free streak going.

I recently read an article about the drivers for stress on Forbes and how they can impact how we see ourselves and our future. There are several ways that stress enters our lives. One of the major ways is through the collision of work and life. Eventprofs like everyone else have to jump in the battle for balancing both of these areas of their lives and it isn’t always a clear path to look to. Let’s take a look at these top drivers for success, and explore how as Eventprofs we can take necessary steps to decrease the amount of stress that these areas have hold over our lives. We’ll take a look at these drivers for stress, evaluate the impact for our industry and give you some tips to overcome them.

If Bill Gates dropped a dollar, would he pick it up? You may have heard some version of this question before. Following a 2011 experiment by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Internet was ablaze with the finding that Gates would have to stumble across $45,000 in order for it to be worth his time to bend down and pick it up.

Mistakes happen — even to the most organized event planners. It’s hard to be perfect when you’re juggling endless details and deadlines, corresponding with dozens of caterers, and trying to woo sponsors.

Event planning is a mix of fast-paced excitement and mind-boggling stress. You know it’s worth it when you see the smiles on your attendees’ faces — but sometimes it’s hard to remember that feeling during a last-minute crisis. Whether you need to get pumped up to power through an event-day marathon or a tricky sponsorship negotiation, mantras can help you feel centered so you can take action.

It’s easy to get into an afternoon/end-of-day slump. But how you end your day can have a great impact on how you begin your tomorrow. Obviously, you want your work days to be as productive as possible, so to make that more of a daily reality, try ending each day by completing the following six tasks:

While the featured speaker at your conference may only be on stage for 40, 60 or 90 minutes, as a meeting professional, you are most likely “on stage” throughout the entire conference. From corporate clients to team members, venue partners to service providers and conference chairs to attendees—the variety and number of people you are in contact with seems to be endless. Making a stellar first impression on them should always be at the forefront of your mind. This is because once one an opinion has been formed, it can be hard to change and will dominate someone’s view of you regardless of how often it is contradicted by new experiences. Therefore, your “stage performance” prior, during and after a conference should be a top priority for you and its success will depend on four basic elements.

Many in our industry have heard me speak about strategic meetings management, General Data Protection Regulation, business travel, and other industry-related topics. Most recently, I have been asked to speak about personal career branding, and how as an industry we need to have a greater awareness of our personal brand, and how having a brand can help or hurt your career trajectory. 

Event professional’s New Year’s resolutions are often predictable variations of the same goals: selling more tickets, achieving a better work-life balance,  or learning how to relax. It’s human nature to want to grow and improve — but resolutions are doomed to fail if you keep making the same ones year after year without a game plan. Keep reading to see which of these New Year’s resolutions you’ve likely broken in the past — and how just a little tweak might make this the year that you finally follow through.

It’s only been a day and I’ve already had to harness my willpower (big time) at times to stick to some of my goals. Why is resisting those carbs so hard? They say it’s not the destination but the journey. Yet, even though our intended destinations are clearly visible, the road can remain unclear. So what do you do when your goals are made, and it’s time to hit the road? What steps to you make to get to your destination? Do you go left or right in this journey of completion?

It’s hard to believe 2018 is almost over. As the year winds down, it’s natural (and good!) to reflect on the past 12 months. In fact, doing so can help set you up for a more successful new year. Now, 12 months is a lot to reflect on. To help narrow the scope, here are 12 questions - some about you, some about your organization’s membership - to ask yourself for an even better (and more successful) 2019.

If there’s a special event professional in your life, you know they already had your holiday present picked out months ago. (Their penchant for preparedness extends far beyond events.) You, on the other hand, are a little more last-minute in your gift selection.

December 31 seems to creep up faster and faster every year. While resolutions aren’t for everyone, I think we can all agree that a new year is the perfect time to start fresh with something, whether that’s a new initiative at the office or working on something a little more personal.