Monthly Journal of the Senior Planners Industry Network Issue 46 – July 2014 Issue 52 – March 2015
SPiN:News
March is Here -
Time for Spring Cleaning? By Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP I know it is for me because I live in sunny Florida, but many of you that live up North may be thinking I’m a little early with those ‘springy’ thoughts, right? Let me assure you that as a transplanted Michigander I do remember the cold, dark, never-ending winters very vividly, even down to the last set of unmatched mittens that were always scattered on the floor in the unheated back-of-the-house mud room. But, I also remember feeling a tiny sense of hope once we tore the month of February from the calendar (yes, we did that back then) and snowplowed our way into March. What’s that I hear? I tiny bird attempting to sing as he lands on an icy telephone wire above me? A small crocus knocking on the frozen ground above trying to burst open? Yes, I believe it is! Okay, so I’m a bit optimistic about spring, but even those of you who are still snowbound have to agree that once the white stuff melts you, too, feel a flutter of renewal at the promise of spring in the air, right? Hence the need to start cleaning . . .and organizing. . .and sorting. . .along with purging, merging,
Upcoming Events Mar. 24
SPiN:Lab - 9 Tools to Bring Balance (Brain)
Mar. 26
San Francisco Branch Event
Mar. 31
SPiN:Lab - 9 Tools to Bring Balance (Body)
Apr. 7
SPiN:Lab - 9 Tools to Bring Balance (Being)
Apr. 9
SPiN:Roundtable Meetings
(Continued on page 5)
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Issue 52 – March 2015
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In this Issue Spreading the SPiN Love Around
pg. 3
Show Me the Love
pg. 6
Strategic Meetings Management: The Shift from Logistics to Strategic
pg. 8
Meet SPiNCon 14 Speaker Lynne Wellish, CMP, CHSE
pg. 9
How is Your Heart Doing?
pg. 10
Combatting Conference Fatigue with Fitness Energy Breaks
pg. 12
An Offer from SPiNCon 14 Speaker Cynthia Stadd
pg. 14
Play with a Purpose’s Sharon Fisher
pg. 15
San Diego Q1 Branch Event at Vintana Register here for the April 16 Branch Event on Legal Issues Facing the Meeting Industry Today & Balboa Park Centennial Update
“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” -Doug Larson An exclusive - never pretentious gathering place for people just like you 2
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Have You Heard? SPiNCon 2015 will be held in Oak Brook, IL located in DuPage County...just 20 minutes outside of Chicago! Save the dates to join us November 15-17. Interested in learning more about SPiNCon volunteering opportunities, our hosted buyer program or when registration opens click here. Call for Speakers is Now Open!
Are you a presenter & want to speak? Do you have a topic suggestion? We want to hear from YOU! Presentation topics must fit into one of these categories: Brain, Body, Being BY senior-level planners, click here to share your topic today FOR senior-level planners 3
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My Stay at the LA Hotel Downtown By: Catherine Jensen, SPiN Communications Manager During a recent vacation to Los Angeles my lodging with hosted by the gorgeous LA Hotel Downtown in the heart of downtown. The hotel is in walking distance from the Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre and since it was Grammy weekend I had to make my way down there to look for celebrities partying (no such luck). The hotel is currently 90% complete with a $20 million renovation and the results are breathtaking! The lobby welcomes lots of natural sun light, plenty of seating (including couches in seating arrangements perfect for visiting and drinks!) and stunning chandeliers. This summer they are going to re-do their pool area and rebrand to the WH Lobby Grand Hotel. The hotel is slightly located on a hill from the street so the final renovation will be bringing their lobby to street level so everyone can see into the beautiful lobby. I was able to spend 5 nights there so I was able to really explore the hotel and visit with the staff including touring the meeting space. There are 8 rooms totaling 25,000 sq ft located all on one level (2nd). Their dining room is also available to use for private parties. Speaking of the dining room their menus focus on Asian fusion and seasonal farm to table items, as I met with the chef I could just tell how passionate and proud he was of his menus and team.
Lobby Bar
I loved how they really thought of the meeting planner when designing their sleeping rooms. There was places everywhere you turned to plug into and stay connected. They listened to what their planners needed to relax for those few briefs moments we get in our rooms!!
The LA Hotel Downtown strives to “offer a gracious welcome and a fond farewell.� I can say that was the experience I received from employees who are proud of their work (the average tenure is 13 years). If you are looking for a place to host your next meeting in Los Angeles contact Bruce Curry, Director of Sales & Catering with a rfp here.
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Issue 52 – March 2015
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March is Here Time for Spring Cleaning? (Continued from page 1)
consolidating and attacking some of those overstuffed drawers, files, and bags that we all have scattered about. Was going paperless on your 2015 resolution list? If so, how’s that going for you? How about cleaning out that travel bag you take everywhere that somehow gets larger and heavier with each trip even though you’ve also made a vow to travel with less weight? I don’t know about you but spring seems like a swell time to get my act together and just organize some of this chaos which reigns all around. That includes eradicating those dust bunnies I’ve been ignoring as they blatantly stare back at me from their hiding spots and wiping out those emails dated back from, um, never mind the date. The important thing is that during the spring months most of us still have the energy and belief that it can and will still get accomplished within the time frame of the current year. Oh yes we do!
So how about you? I posted a question in our LI discussion group and got a few private answers which reinforced my belief that we all ‘carry secrets’ about being disorganized even though we claim to be professional organizers for everyone else. Ha! Yes, so here it is. My name is Terry and I’ve made a pretty good living planning meetings and events while still carrying an unnecessarily overstuffed travel tote everywhere I go. Whew, that felt good! Further, I have not one but two drawers full of, well, I don’t know what but I’m determined to find out before March has flown out the door faster than it arrived. So there you have it. Spring cleaning has begun in my world. Anyone care to join me?
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An Interview with Stephen Baalmann, Director of Sales Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark & St. Louis Union Station Hotel I had a few moments to chat with our wonderful SPiNCon 2014 host to share with those who weren’t able to attend some history and details about the Union Station Hotel. SPIN: St. Louis Union Station Hotel is rich in history; can you provide a brief background of the property? SB: In September 1894, St. Louis Union Station opened as the largest, most beautiful terminal in the United States. The gem of this new Station was The Grand Hall with its gold leaf, Romanesque arches, 65-foot barrel vaulted ceiling, and stained glass windows. In its prime in the mid 1940′s, more than 100,000 passengers passed through Union Station daily. After World War II, however, the general public began choosing other forms of transportation and finally, in October 1978, the last train pulled out of St. Louis Union Station. In August of 1985, St. Louis Union Station reopened, and in October 2012, St. Louis-based Lodging Hospitality Management purchased the property. With the acquisition, the hotel became a 4diamond Double Tree Hotel by Hilton and the company launched a massive renovation project touching all aspects of the Station. Today, St. Louis Union Station Hotel continues to awe visitors with their experience in Grand Hall, complete with 3D high-definition projection mapping projected on the ceilings. SPIN: Wow! What does that mean for planners looking to host their event on property?
SB: With 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, we have extensive space for successful corporate events and memorable social gatherings. St. Louis Union Station houses 537 guest rooms including 38 suites, and we are just a short walk to the Scottrade Center, and Peabody Opera House, and minutes from Busch Stadium, the Gateway Arch, Edwards Jones Dome, and America's Convention Center. We offer an ideal location, and state of the art meeting space.
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SPIN: Aside from that, why should planners call you for their next event? SB: It starts with comfort and convenience; but layer in technology, amenities, flexibility, and our dedication to every event, and that helps us stand out from the pack. Our entire team is devoted to each and every success of our events! You can even ask a few of your SPiN Planners who experienced the property first hand this past November.
”I am a great believer in luck, and I
find the harder I work, the more luck I have.”
- Thomas Jefferson
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Meeting Value: What Lens Are You Looking Through? PART 2 of a 4 part Series authored by SPIN Member Terri Woodin, CMP, Senior Director, Global Meeting Services at Meeting Sites Resource Last month on these pages, I discussed the need for meeting planners to build their business acumen
and drive meeting value and ROI within their organizations. Clearly there are increased expectations from senior management for improved planner productivity, added meeting value, cost savings, contract risk mitigation, attendee learning and ROI. Yes, it's safe to say that stakeholder expectations are at an all-time high. The Meeting Value Equation
Since measurable meeting value is on the minds of most corporate and association planners, the first question is "what do my stakeholders value"? Meeting value, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, so having transparent metrics, targeted to each stakeholder, is essential. Procurement and the CFO are focused on cost savings, HR on training and integrating new skills and Marketing places the emphasis on branding, content and strategic communications. On the association side, stakeholders are not just focused on savings, but high impact education, member retention, and boosting sponsorship & exhibitor revenues. The reality is that today, business executives do see meetings and events as essential to their company's success. The opportunity is there for corporate and association planning teams to become strategic partners in the process. By reviewing all stakeholder goals and objectives for each meeting, you can then create specific metrics to define, measure and report success, which allows you to grow your business plan approach to these investments called meetings. The reality is that Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) is here to stay, so prioritize the components that will work for you and "raise the bar" on stakeholder communications and value based outcomes‌ which clearly is the fast track to both business and career success! For a complimentary copy of MSR's "SMM Action Plan for Success", contact twoodin@meetingsites.net MSR is a global strategic meeting management solutions organization with a 20 year track record of meeting excellence. This includes global hotel sourcing, custom contract negotiations, professional meeting support services and Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) consulting. Terri speaks at many industry events and contribute articles to industry trade publications. She has served on many industry advisory boards. MSR is a recognition recipient of Meeting Professional International’s Golden Paragon Award, MPI’s highest recognition for meeting excellence.
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Allison Kinsley Challenges Herself and You to Take a Journey: 10 Days of Silence “I realized after the fact that I had overcome a long list of things that may have been barriers for me had they not all been part of my 10 days away. I’m now on the lookout for other things I “could never do.” In this deeply personal account of a meditative retreat, Allison Kinsley shares the fears she faced when embarking on a 10-day journey that challenged her both emotionally and physically. Learn how you can benefit from such an experience and how it should be applied to your career and daily life as a meeting planner. Read the article.
Words that Amuse Me by Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP 1] BANGST= experiencing stress over your diminishing bank account 2] FIDGITAL= excessively checking your electronic devices 3] POVERTUNITY= a job with more status than money 4] MARTYRMONY= staying married out of duty 5] TWITICULE= mocking someone in 140 characters (or less, please) 6] CHOREGASM= (okay, do we really need to explain this one?) These were all taken from a new book, That Should Be A Word by Lizzie Skurnick (of NYTimes fame) due out next month. Click here for more details. So how about it? Any ideas for creative new industry words from our planner-readers? Send your submissions to the editor at tml@cfl.rr.com and we’ll be happy to share in future issues. For starters, how about this one: MEPLAIN= meeting planner pain, usually felt first in the legs/feet followed quickly by eyes, head, shoulders, and everywhere else at the end of a long program in a large facility. Anyone feelin’ it?
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Pasta Pictures A Recap of SPiNCon Recess Activities by Carolyn Browning, CMP, CMM You sit down at a table and see a bowl of dried pasta of all different shapes, sizes and colors in the center. This is recess, so I started thinking about what this was for:
Is it a creative, colorful centerpiece that will be repurposed for a future meal (sustainability creeping its way into my mind)? Are we cooking? Alas, no recipe, not a lot of time & no cooking facilities Are we making necklaces? Fond memories of making these at camp and wearing ones my kids made come to mind Are we practicing our sorting skills? I had played a “minute to win it” game at another meeting where we needed to sort M&Ms by color, so I figured this was plausible.
I was wrong on all counts. Our recess leader, Sharon Fischer explained that at our tables, we each needed to share our first job. Then, as a table we would use the pasta to depict one of those jobs and after we were finished the group would decide on the most creative image. Well, we are a diverse bunch! First jobs ranged from working at a salon, to a pizza parlor, ice cream shop, babysitter and housecleaner. Working with just the pasta was a challenge, but of course we were undaunted! There was some borrowing/bartering between tables and some dubious artistic talent at others – all accompanied by a lot of chatter and laughing. The two most creative depictions/cool first jobs were working on a train at a kiddie zoo/park and working at a miniature horse farm! You just never know where life will lead you – meeting professionals come from all sorts of backgrounds! (images courtesy of Josh Power Photography)
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Issue 52— March 2015
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Thoughts on Spring Cleaning
(from someone who is SOOOOO sick of snow & this long winter) By Carolyn Browning, CMP, CMM Spring cleaning – I never really understood what that was about. Growing up there seemed to be 2 main cleaning seasons in my house – it was easy to tell as that’s when the drapes would be changed. Yes, I’m old enough to remember pinch pleated hanging drapes that went to the floor, needed special rods, took forever to hang with those annoying clips and heaven forbid the cords got twisted or broken. My mom had spring/summer drapes and then fall/winter ones. When the drapes got changed, you also swapped out clothes, moving the next season’s wardrobes either into the attic, into boxes under the bed or donated things that didn’t fit (wahoo - that meant shopping!). It also meant there was extra cleaning to do, windows to wash, rugs to shampoo (do people even do that anymore?), kitchen cabinets to empty and clean (how dirty do the insides get anyway?), and the oh such fun refrigerator cleaning (finding some science experiments, washing everything down and putting in a fresh box of baking soda).
Now that I’m older and am a parent and homeowner of my own, spring cleaning means something totally different. Spring cleaning (especially after this winter!) means putting away the winter coats, boots and shovels. It means not having to clean snow or ice off my car in the morning. It means not worrying about my husband up on the roof shoveling snow. It means waiting with anticipation for some flowers to burst through the remnants of snow and for the lawn to appear. It means cleaning off the patio and deck furniture. It means the countdown to opening day for baseball season.
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Monthly Journal of the Senior Planners Industry Network Issue 52 – March 2015
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Motto
SPIN is a peer-led and peerfocused community of seniorlevel meeting and event planners who create and share the industry’s highest level of education, networking and engagement.
SPIN is the industry’s only supplierfree association strictly serving senior-level meeting and event planners. We influence the future of our industry through extreme innovation, unparalleled education, and a true sense of community and collaboration among peers.
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Our Membership Qualifications Membership is strictly for planners and you must have 10+ years’ experience to join.
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