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Accessibility & Inclusion

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Announcements

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Budgeting & Cost Savings

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accounting

10 Must-Know Terms for Budgeting

The world of budgeting has its own vocabulary – and you, as a planner, need to speak the same language as the CFO.
March 10th, 2025 at 8:01 AM EDT
meeting budgets

Meeting Budgeting 101  

Planners spend most of their time on design and logistics, but at the foundation of every successful event lies a balanced budget.
March 7th, 2025 at 7:48 AM EST
tipping at meetings

Tipping Etiquette for Planners

A mandatory service charge doesn’t always get back to the team, some employees can’t accept cash, and minimum wages differ by state. There’s nothing simple about tipping.
February 27th, 2025 at 11:03 AM EST

Careers & Personal Development

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Contracts & Duty of Care

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Businesspeople's hands on top of a contract

How to Address Tariffs in Event Contracts

Tariffs can trigger unexpected cost spikes for both planners and suppliers. Building flexibility into contracts through substitutions and force majeure protections can help mitigate financial surprises and keep events on track.
March 20th, 2025 at 9:47 PM EDT
Security camera in a parking lot

Parking Lot Safety: What Planners Need to Know

With car break-ins surging in some U.S. cities, business event planners must now consider parking lot safety as part of their site selection and contract process. 
March 12th, 2025 at 3:45 PM EDT

Coronavirus

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Planners Beware, Covid Cases on the Rise

A new Covid variant is sweeping across the United States. One industry professional raises the alarm after contracting the virus at a recent convention.
August 23rd, 2023 at 6:11 AM EDT

What E3’s Cancellation Means for the Meetings Industry

65,000 attendees, 4,000 jobs, and $88 million in revenue won't be coming to Los Angeles in June, with leading video-game-industry trade show E3 canceled for 2023. It was meant to be the first in-person show since 2019. However, major exhibitors were unwilling to commit. Will other events follow suit?
April 4th, 2023 at 10:49 AM EDT

China Shutters Major Event 9 Hours Before Opening Due to Covid Outbreak

TCT Asia, a major trade show, was shut down by Shenzhen authorities nine hours before it was set to open due to Covid numbers in the city creeping up to 24. Navigating policies and enforcements like this is a challenge for show and event planners, but it’s a reality that’s here to stay.
September 2nd, 2022 at 6:35 AM EDT

Destinations

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hotel

11 Fresh Options for Meeting in the Western U.S.

The Western region of the U.S has always been known for its innovation, and these new and newly renovated properties include a just-introduced culinary concept hotel and the only hotel in the U.S. with on-site flight simulators.
June 6th, 2025 at 9:15 AM EDT

Diversity and Inclusion

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How Wordly Enables Inclusive Meetings With AI: Watch Video 

Everyone deserves a seat at the table, no matter what language they speak. Wordly helps organizations create more inclusive meetings and events by using AI to provide real-time translation and captioning, making it easier for global teams to participate fully and stay connected.
June 12th, 2025 at 4:16 AM EDT

How Louisville’s Award-Winning Charm Built a Top Event Destination

With two convention centers, accommodation options that cater to every type of attendee, and an airport with nonstop service to 38 destinations, Louisville checks all the boxes of a premier convention city. To understand its magic, though, you need to look at something that cannot be built: the authentic sense of Southern charm that defines the community.
May 22nd, 2025 at 4:28 AM EDT

Event Design

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microphone for a celebrity

The Spotlight Fades on Celebrity Speakers

As budgets tighten and return on investment comes under scrutiny, planners are rethinking the value of high-priced celebrity speakers. Instead, they’re prioritizing industry experts who offer actionable insights, often for a fraction of the cost.
June 13th, 2025 at 9:14 PM EDT

How Convene’s Full-Service Approach Streamlines Event Planning

With timelines shrinking and attendee expectations rising, meeting planners are seeking out venues to eliminate friction at every turn. Convene’s vertically integrated model sets the benchmark for the next generation of all-in-one event spaces.
May 29th, 2025 at 4:32 AM EDT

Meetings Innovator: Tahira Endean

IMEX Head of Programming Tahira Endean lives and breathes creativity. So it makes perfect sense that she would dream up the idea of categorizing ‘joy’ as a KPI — and then write an entire book about it.
March 28th, 2025 at 5:10 PM EDT

Event Logistics & Operations

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site selection companies

What is a Site Selection Company?

Many event planning companies offer site selection among their suite of services, but some companies specialize in finding the right venue for your meeting or incentive trip — at no cost to you.
April 2nd, 2025 at 11:06 AM EDT
registration

6 Tips to Make Registration a Breeze

Registration is attendees’ first impression of an event — and involves much more than just filling out a form and printing a badge.
March 28th, 2025 at 9:35 AM EDT

Event Management

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Capitol buidling

Planner Left Stranded After Hotel Changes Hands

No rooming lists, diagrams, or BEOs — and no responses to her calls or emails — left this planner on edge as her hotel went through a change of ownership just weeks before her meeting.  
June 27th, 2025 at 5:55 PM EDT

Event Marketing & Promotion

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a girl with a megaphone depicting event promotion

Event Promotion Wording: A Key to Effective Event Marketing

Effective event promotion wording attracts attendees and strengthens your marketing strategy. Craft clear, engaging messages that resonate, create urgency, and highlight key benefits to make your event unforgettable.
February 26th, 2025 at 8:55 AM EST

Event Technology

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Screenshot from the AI and the Future of Meetings event featuring speakers Elyse Dawson and Meg Pisani, along with Skift Meetings Editor Barbara Scofidio.

Planners Share Their Top AI Prompts

Pick a task, from emails to seating charts to FAQ documents, and there’s probably a way AI can help, said these two meeting pros during Skift Meetings’ recent AI & the Future of Events virtual event.
March 20th, 2025 at 5:06 PM EDT

Ideas & Inspiration

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wellness at meetings

6 Fresh Takes on Wellness at Meetings

The focus at meetings today is no longer about making the case to include wellness but on finding new and creative ways to do so.
April 22nd, 2025 at 1:40 PM EDT
speakers bureaus

How Can Speakers Bureaus Help With Your Meeting?

It can be a daunting task to choose a speaker from the thousands listed online. Enter speakers bureaus, which not only represent curated collections of speakers but also manage all the details for planners.
April 21st, 2025 at 5:36 PM EDT

Incentive Travel

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Industry News

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Inspiration

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How Visit Atlantic City Is Rethinking What Blended Travel Really Means

Many destinations still separate blended travel into distinct categories: There’s business time and leisure time before or after the meeting or event. But in reality, this isn’t how meeting attendees view their trips. Visit Atlantic City is making major changes to deliver a more unified experience and challenge the traditional boundaries between work and play.
February 6th, 2025 at 6:00 AM EST

Meetings Innovators

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Kathryn Frankson

Meetings Innovator: Kathryn Frankson

From robots to rock 'n' roll stages, Money20/20's marketing guru Kathryn Frankson has a knack for turning heads and raising eyebrows. But behind the wild ideas and viral moments is a seasoned innovator with some serious wisdom to share.
January 30th, 2025 at 6:51 AM EST

Meetings Innovator: Anh Nguyen

When Anh Nguyen realized the events industry's "do-it-all-yourself" culture wasn't compatible with motherhood, she built a solution: a collaborative network of senior planners. But that's just one of her many innovative approaches to working in the meetings industry.
December 31st, 2024 at 5:00 AM EST
Female speaker talking from the stage at a conference

Mary Jo Blythe: Meetings Innovator

Forever changing the lives of front-line hospitality workers – one person at a time – is Mary Jo Blythe’s mission as founder of The Above and Beyond Foundation.
November 28th, 2024 at 9:09 AM EST

On The Road

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surviving long-haul flights

Expert Advice for Surviving Long-Haul Travel

The goal for meeting planners flying long-haul is to arrive fresh and ready to work. Who better to ask for advice on how to do that than fellow travelers and flight attendants?
April 25th, 2025 at 4:22 PM EDT

People

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Photo of person laughing wearing white clothes sitting on high chair in an urban setting

Megan Henshall: Meetings Innovator

Rehumanizing corporate life is the new mission of Google Xi. Its founder, Megan Henshall, is Skift Meeting's first-ever Meetings Innovator.
October 31st, 2024 at 10:05 AM EDT

Skift Meetings Podcast

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Skift Meetings Podcast logo

AI and the Human Touch

On this episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast, we delve into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the events industry while emphasizing the enduring importance of human connection.
January 8th, 2025 at 4:51 PM EST

Sustainability

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Meet in Fort Myers With Eco-Friendly Event Options

With over 290,000 square feet of meeting space, sustainable venues, and immersive CSR experiences like mangrove planting and oyster bed restoration — all set against stunning natural backdrops — Fort Myers' islands, beaches, and neighborhoods are a top choice for eco-conscious event planners.
May 13th, 2025 at 4:33 AM EDT

Sustainability and Inclusion: How Melbourne Elevates International Conferences

Melbourne stands out as a premier conference destination, offering the perfect blend of business and leisure. With Australia's largest conference facilities, Indigenous cultural experiences, sustainable venues, and a vibrant city atmosphere — all within 90 minutes of natural attractions and wineries — it creates inclusive, memorable events for global attendees.
April 30th, 2025 at 4:03 AM EDT
Lobby of a modern and upscale hotel with many plants, low lighting and comfortable seating

MCI's Green Push: Rethinking Event Sourcing

MCI's sustainability push could disrupt site sourcing. Its bespoke, standardized metrics call for transparency, and may set the tone for industry-wide change.
February 21st, 2025 at 2:00 AM EST

Technology

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Man holding iPhone with AI apps on the screen

Event Tech News Roundup: April–May 2025

The event tech landscape continues its AI acceleration, with several major platforms — as well as destinations and companies outside the event tech sector — rolling out AI-powered features. Meanwhile, strategic acquisitions signal ongoing industry consolidation.
June 5th, 2025 at 7:36 AM EDT

Toolkit

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corporate meeting planner with a tablet

So, You Want to Become a Meeting Planner?

Behind every unforgettable event is a meeting planner making magic happen. If you're organized, calm under pressure, and love bringing people together, this career could be your perfect fit. Learn about the key skills, certifications, salary expectations, and steps to start your journey in event planning.
April 10th, 2025 at 8:10 AM EDT

Trends & Insights

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risk management

How Risk Managers Keep Their Own Attendees Safe

Other events could take a page from the volumes of safety advice that Riskworld, the world’s largest gathering of global risk professionals, creates for its attendees.
May 14th, 2025 at 12:46 PM EDT

Venues

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Wellness

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Women Leaders in Meetings

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Janet Trapenhagen

Women Leaders in Meetings: Janet Traphagen

Janet Traphagen has spent her career helping define what leadership looks like in the business events space, not just through her rise at Creative Group, but through the values she champions: emotional intelligence, authenticity, and culture as a performance driver.
June 9th, 2025 at 3:35 PM EDT
Pat Schaumann

Women Leaders in Meetings: Pat Schaumann

Few people can claim to have helped create an entire discipline within the meetings industry. Pat Schaumann is one of them. Her work in healthcare meeting compliance has become the global standard.
April 17th, 2025 at 6:39 PM EDT