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You want your meetings to touch your attendees’ lives. One way to do that? Have them touch the world around them.
Adding tactile activities to your meetings can help make the event indelible in your attendees’ minds. The sense of touch is one of the first sensory systems that evolved in humans, so it’s hardwired to our memory banks in a way that other activities—say, reading a bunch of materials—aren’t.
It’s also just plain fun to touch things. (Are attendees at promotional events ever more engaged than when they have a chance to hold a new, long-awaited product in their hands?) Read on for actionable ways to bring a touch of the tactile to your events.
For ways to bring the other senses into your events, visit the other articles in this series: <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/428/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-visual">sight</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/429/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meeting-super-sonic">sound</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/511/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-event-more-tasteful">taste</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/512/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-incorporate-scent-into-your-events">smell</a>.
<h3>Make your swag touch-friendly</h3>
By its nature, swag bags are tactile—you’re asking attendees to carry around something physical when they pick up a gift bag. Make that more useful to attendees by including “please touch” gifts, such as a notebook with a fuzzy or textured cover or a fidget toy. You can take it a step further by including a small card explaining why you chose those items: Taking notes by hand helps with memory retention because of its physical nature, and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fidget-toys-arent-just-hype/">fidget toys can help people harness attention</a>.
<h3>Enable haptics</h3>
Know that feeling when your phone buzzes in your pocket? Use that sensation in your favor to guide attendees within your venue. If your audience is tech-savvy, or demographically likely to have embraced the Apple Watch, they may be willing to download apps or enable features that issue haptic reminders when certain events happen—say, when they approach a meeting spot with a particularly cool offering.

<h3>Create an immersive experience—literally</h3>
The draw of “immersive experiences” is that they create a wholly different environment for attendees. But you can take it literally and physically immerse your attendees in a sensation shift. Start by playing with temperature, as found at an August promotional event that deployed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/experiential-marketing-activations-sponsorships/article/22418964/three-activations-at-btc-2022">snow machines and an ice bar</a>. Too much hassle? Even “immersing” your guests’ hands in a temperature shift can evoke the same shift in sensation—one liquor brand had attendees <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/catering-design/beverages/article/22366676/how-3-spirits-companies-tickled-taste-buds">reach through vapor to grab an ice-cold drink</a>. Not enough for ambitious planners? Ball pits don’t have to be just for kids.

<h3>Give attendees a tactile experience</h3>
Most of the sensory tips here are about your attendees touching something—but humans crave being touched too. Small luxuries are one place to start, such as chair massages, reflexology stations, and manicure booths. Depending on the vibe of the event, you could even have a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/experiential-marketing-activations-sponsorships/article/22366861/inside-shake-shacks-miami-event">“braid bar”</a> for hair braiding, or a head massage booth for a touch of tactile ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response, aka “the tingles”). Remember that it’s not just about having a spa service; being touched is about human connection. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meetingsnet.com/corporate-meetings-events/experience-design-cmi-25/gallery?slide=1">Folk dance</a> usually involves holding hands or linking arms, and can create a memorable opening or closing event. Just make sure to keep any hands-on events optional and particularly professional in nature, and to have hand sanitizer at the ready.
<h3>Break the ice</h3>
A good icebreaker can go a long way toward cementing groups. Having an activity that involves the hands can be helpful for shy attendees, allowing them to participate without fearing that they’ll be put on the spot. You can have people get their hands dirty with a <a target="_blank" href="https://gardenuity.com/pages/corporate-partners">group gardening workshop</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kinetic-sand-and-artist-dan-lam-encourage-you-to-touch-the-art-this-november-301423150.html">kinetic sand sculptures</a>, or group decoration of an item that serves as a centerpiece for the event (like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/experiential-marketing-activations-sponsorships/media-gallery/22471427/cool-event-ideas-from-september-2022?utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_campaign=10/3/2022_EN.1003BizBash&amp;utm_source=">this oversized shoe</a>). Or just set up a crafts event, such as a booth for making <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/event-production-fabrication/media-gallery/22353760/miami-swim-week-2022-recap">cellphone straps</a> like a recent beauty event did. Bonus points for tying the hands-on activity to the purpose of your meeting, as with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/event-production-fabrication/media-gallery/22432201/a-look-inside-nycs-new-hiphop-museum">DIY graffiti wall</a> for the opening of the Universal Hip Hop Museum in New York City. Another option that’s more explicitly geared to prime tactile sensations is to set up a guessing game, where participants are blindfolded and then handle various objects, both common (an orange, grains of rice) and uncommon (windup chattering teeth, wooden shoes), and guess what they are.

Global

Tickle Your Guests’ Delight by Adding Tactile Activities to Your Events.

The Five Senses of Meetings: Make Your Meetings More Tactile

Even the simplest of meetings has something you can taste, even if it’s as humble as a cup of coffee. That ubiquity means that taste is already a part of every meeting you’re planning. Why not use the gustatory senses to level up your meetings?
Having delicious food and drinks on hand is part of the equation (and it won’t earn you any complaints). But leveraging the morsels you offer to maximize your meeting’s impact will make your event all the sweeter. Here are five ways to get started.
For ways to bring the other senses into your events, visit the other articles in this series: <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/428/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-visual">sight</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/429/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meeting-super-sonic">sound</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/516/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-tactile">touch</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/512/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-incorporate-scent-into-your-events">smell</a>.

<h3>Test your taste buds</h3>
A taste test requires participants to focus their senses so they can discern one variety of whatever they’re tasting from another—making it a great exercise for priming people to truly pay attention to the moment. An expert-led tasting educates attendees on the treat in question, but it’s not your only option. Try setting up stations, each hosting a different variety of the featured item, and let guests draw their own conclusions. (You can also up the ante and make it a blind taste test, then give out prizes to the people who guess the most ingestibles correctly.) As for what to taste: Wine and chocolate tastings are perennial favorites, but you can get creative. Tasting the differences in everyday items—honey, salt—can reveal exactly how attuned we are to subtle variations in flavor.
<h3>Make standard snacks sensational</h3>
Sometimes it’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. Let that guide a taste voyage, by offering a relatively simple snack that’s served or prepared in an interesting fashion. Try a station using liquid nitrogen to make popcorn or ice cream, for example. Even just serving food in a heightened manner can make your event more memorable, whether that’s serving meals under cloches, using edible presentations, or deploying bento boxes.

<h3>Get attendees’ hands dirty</h3>
Who doesn’t love a sundae bar? True, everybody loves a sundae, but the joy of a sundae bar is getting a chance to build your own dessert without the effort of gathering ingredients. You can extend that thinking to pretty much any otherwise standard menu offering, elevating it beyond the item itself. Hot dogs with all the toppings, lemonades with a choice of herbal infusions, and, sure, sundaes—the point is to let guests build it themselves, not just serve it to them as is.
<h3>Withhold taste</h3>
Preventing people from tasting can call attention to the gustatory senses just as much as feeding them. At a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/catering-design/event-design-decor/media-gallery/22144139/event-decor-inspiration-from-diffa-by-design-2022">2022 fundraiser for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS</a>, the New York School of Interior Design built a tiered faux serving structure with expensive foods stationed at the top, literally untouchable. This particular execution was designed to call attention to food inequality, and the concept could apply to any meeting with a theme centering on scarcity—or, on the opposite end, desire. (Just make sure you eventually feed your attendees, even if you play tricks with priming their palates.)
<h3>Match your menu to your meaning</h3>
Catering offers you the opportunity to underscore your meeting’s mission in a visceral way. Hosting an event marking an anniversary milestone—say, an association’s 50th anniversary? Plan around foods popular in the 1970s, such as Watergate salad and fondue. Want to call attention to your host city’s history? Plan a menu around that city’s heritage. If other menu considerations limit your ability to go off the grid, get creative with naming. For the <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/inspirational-stories/article/405/ask-the-right-questions-get-the-right-answers">Florida Dental Association’s 2022 convention</a>, the “Sea Vibes” theme meant there was plenty of seafood on offer. But simply renaming the salad bar “Poseidon’s Power Greens Salad Bar” kept seafood-averse folks sated while remaining on theme.

Think Beyond Standard Catering to Make Your Meeting More Memorable.

The Five Senses of Meetings: Make Your Event More Tasteful

Promote

If it were as easy as it sounds to “stay in the moment,” the mindfulness-app industry might be worth $1 million—not $1 billion. Fact is, in a world with distractions pinging us from every angle, it can be difficult to be truly present—which detracts from the attendee experience.
How can planners fight this battle for their attendees’ undivided attention? Use tools to help keep attendees’ minds in the moment and resist getting swept up into the rapids of distractions. Some of those tools are even digital—yes, tech can be a distraction in and of itself, but there are ways to harness it to stay present.

<h3>1) Go retro with instant cameras.</h3>
Yes, cameras are ubiquitous, but we’re not talking about the camera on your smartphone here. Remember Polaroids? Part of their charm lies in the one-and-done factor. Planners can activate this sentiment by supplying instant cameras at in-person gatherings.
You can’t top the convenience of digital cameras, but instant cameras are nostalgic and produce tangible photos that you can hold in your hand, <a target="_blank" href="https://dailytitan.com/opinion/physical-items-are-more-valuable-than-digital-ones/article_41f8716e-b90c-11ec-b87e-e3e633282f8e.html">which engage people more deeply</a> compared with their digital counterparts. And something tangible is probably what your attendees are looking for after two years in front of screens. It’s no wonder that <a target="_blank" href="https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/polaroid-instant-film/">Polaroids are making a comeback</a> in the age of smartphones.
<h3>2) Use apps to help attendees focus on the now.</h3>
Another thing about photography: When people take photos on their phones, they tend to immediately look at how the picture came out. Problem is, while attendees have their eyes on their phones, they’re no longer in the moment, missing parts of the event experience. But some photo-sharing apps can remedy this by delaying the payoff. <a target="_blank" href="https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/dispo-digital-disposable-cam/id1491684197">Dispo</a>, for example, acts as a digital disposable camera, building in time for photos to “develop” before anyone can see or share them—eliminating the tendency to look at photos while actually doing the activities being photographed.
Apps’ here-and-now potential goes beyond photos. Since many attendees are going to have their smartphones in their hands no matter what, planners can help attendees use their phones as a tool to stay in the know, in the moment. Some conference apps—such as <a target="_blank" href="https://whova.com/">Whova</a>—let attendees submit questions to live Q&amp;As, participate in polls and quizzes, access resources for more information on sessions and speakers, and interact with other attendees. On most of these apps, the event manager can also send push notifications to attendees about schedule changes and other updates.
<h3>3) Make it interactive.</h3>
Tech-enabled options to deploy during sessions include polls and quizzes—but there are non-tech options too, such as handheld signs distributed to participants, that allow them to express their sentiments during sessions.
You could also simply give attendees a quick task and have them split into groups to complete it—perhaps brainstorming an idea based on a creative prompt, which is then shared with the other groups. Virtual or in person, the goal remains the same: Get people involved. If you give attendees something to do instead of just information to process, chances are better that they’ll stay locked in.

Tech Can Redirect Attention. Here’s How to Use That to Your Advantage.

Three Tools to Keep Your Attendees in the Moment

Of all the five senses, scent might be the greatest challenge to incorporate into an event. Sure, you can have an aromatherapy booth or look for a fragrance sponsor for your swag bags, but why limit yourself?
Scent has a particular power to trigger memories, so if your goal is to create memorable events, fragrance gives you a leg up. Just make sure that when you incorporate scent into a session, you let people know ahead of time and have a fragrance-free zone so that people who are hypersensitive to scents can have a safe haven.
For ways to bring the other senses into your events, visit the other articles in this series: <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/428/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-visual">sight</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/429/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meeting-super-sonic">sound</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/511/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-event-more-tasteful">taste</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/516/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-tactile">touch</a>.

<h3>Offer a signature scent…</h3>
Your venue might already be a step ahead of you on this front, as with the bespoke fragrances found in many of Marriott Bonvoy's distinct hotels. That’s for good reason: Because of the unique connection between scent, memory, and emotion, a one-of-a-kind scent can immediately transport guests back to the moment they first smelled a particular scent. Creating a signature scent for your event, dispersed either as a low-grade air freshener or at specific stations, can add a whiff of luxury—and if you send attendees home with a small vial or sachet of the scent, they’ll be able to “revisit” your meeting in a visceral way.
 
<h3>…Or have attendees create their own</h3>
Let guests try their own hand at perfumery in a session geared toward networking, team-building, or recreation. You can bring in a professional guide, or simply have essential oils on hand for people to mix and match. Some planners have found success by having attendees create fragrances that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.themeetingmagazines.com/acf/entertainment/">align with their goals for attending the meeting at large</a>. Custom scents were key to the success of an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smartmeetings.com/news/144816/scented-supper-made-meeting-memories">Incentive Research Foundation conference at JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort</a>. Fragrance giant Jo Malone began the event with a scent-blending bar, then progressed through a dinner featuring flavors paired with scents.
 
<h3>Sniff out the right flora</h3>
Heady blooms such as roses fit the bill, but you don’t have to have a flower show to offer pockets of natural aroma as a respite for your attendees. Try surrounding indoor topiaries with gently scented ground cover such as sweet woodruff, or create backdrops with clusters of jasmine or gardenia. You could also create a miniature herb garden, encouraging people to pluck leaves to carry the scent with them.

<h3>Play with perception</h3>
Aromatherapy booths have their place at events for a reason—a whiff of peppermint can be energizing, while the scent of lavender is associated with relaxation. But canny meeting planners have an unexpected trick up their sleeves: making a space seem larger than it is. Researchers have found that the scent of apple and cucumber makes people perceive a room as being bigger. If infusing an unexpectedly small space with fragrance is out of the question, a station offering cucumber water can step in.
 
<h3>Get a whiff of this icebreaker</h3>
While scents can trigger powerful memories, it’s not always easy to identify what exactly goes into a particular fragrance. Use that to your advantage with an icebreaker guessing game: Gather a mixture of strongly scented items, essential oils, and premade fragrances. Place them in opaque containers at different stations, and have people open and smell what’s inside. Aim for a mix of the easily guessable (apple, grapefruit, soil) to the familiar yet esoteric (salt, ozone, Champagne) to keep people talking and comparing notes.
 
<h3>Create a scent lounge</h3>
One liquor company had its work cut out for it when it created <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/catering-design/beverages/article/22366676/how-3-spirits-companies-tickled-taste-buds">stations featuring the concentrated aroma of the ingredients</a> in the liquor being promoted. If your meeting is focused on food, beverage, or a destination, this is easy enough to mimic. But the principles can apply to any field or theme. An arts conference could have stations featuring the scents of paint, chalk, and clay. Chalk could come in handy again in a meeting for educators, along with the aromas of ballpoint ink, fingerpaint, and apples.

Give Your Event the Smell of Success With These Tips.

The Five Senses of Meetings: Incorporate Scent Into Your Events

Flagship events—annual meetings, biannual expos, major conferences—have their place. But a new trend is emerging that amplifies the power of host organizations, and the power of community.
Meet “everyday events”: smaller, more frequent touchpoint meetings. These everyday events—which can be as short as a half-day in duration—are on a smaller scale than what many planners might be used to, and not just in attendance. They have smaller budgets, more focused goals, and more limited time for promotion. But just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean they carry less weight.

<h2>It’s Time for “Everyday Events” to Shine</h2>
Research from the sales event platform Splash shows that people need to interact with a brand nearly 30 times before actually making a purchase—a number that’s increased more than 60% in just two years.
Regardless of whether your event is sales-focused, this emerging phenomenon has a place in your meeting strategy. There’s more information available than ever before, so to drive loyalty—whether in sales, membership, or attention—purpose-driven frequency is key.
Touchpoint events also have the potential to address one of meeting planners’ 2023 pain points: availability. Finding availability for events was planners’ No. 2 challenge in <a target="_blank" href="https://globaldmcpartners.com/sites/default/files/media/files/GDPPulseSurvey2022Q4/2022_GDP%20Q4%20Pulse%20Survey%20Summary%20Report.pdf">a recent survey</a> by Global DMC Partners. It might seem counterintuitive that more events can help relieve this pressure, but because everyday events are shorter in duration, planners can take advantage of one-day slots at venues and in supplier schedules, which are easier to come by.
Finally, there’s the human factor. The tumult of the past few years has attendees reevaluating the big picture—and yearning for connection. Hosting smaller, more frequent events allows people to nurture that instinct. And if that instinct turns into a loyal attendee for flagship events? All the better.

<h2>Four Principles for Creating Successful Touchpoint Events</h2>
1. Lean into what makes an everyday event special. If you approach a touchpoint meeting as a miniature version of an annual conference, you’ll be overwhelmed and attendees won’t get what they need. Instead, remember your mission for these events.
Intimacy-building. Creating a pipeline of communication. Fostering connections that go beyond networking and into collaboration. Large meetings can achieve these goals, but everyday events are crafted specifically for them. Let that guide your attention and your resources.
2. Frequent meetings require frequent communication. Potential delegates can easily be overwhelmed with emails and text blasts about events, and overdoing it risks drowning out communications about larger, revenue-building events. That said, the nature of everyday events means that attendees who might be interested but can’t make the first few iterations might be able to attend later ones.
Social media can hit the right tone and frequency about touchpoint events without overwhelming attendees. <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/422/perfect-the-art-of-the-hashtag">Strategic hashtags</a> can help you subtly avoid confusion among followers about the difference between flagship events and these smaller ones. Also consider a unique branding for these events—an “unplugged” version (softer colors, less flashy typefaces) of your larger event communications can help get the point across.
3. Get experimental. Everyday events aren’t incubators for larger events. That said, their smaller scale allows you to try out new formats and new suppliers with less risk. You can even use everyday events as a pressure test for themes and topics for upcoming conferences and panels, inviting attendees at the smaller events to share their experiences with the “trial-size” version on your social channels to generate excitement for larger meetings. (Who doesn’t love feeling like an insider?)
The smaller format also lets you better connect with attendees to hear their feedback. Post-event surveys are always useful, but these smaller events are also a space for casual feedback, because you’ll have less going on during the event itself. Let attendees tell you what they want to see, what worked, and what didn’t—not just for potential use in upcoming larger events, but to inform your strategy for your next intimate gathering.
4. Choose your team wisely. Touchpoint events are a lighter lift for you and your team, but they still require a good deal of communication. This shows in what marketers report as the No. 1 problem with repeatable events, <a target="_blank" href="https://go.splashthat.com/rs/985-MUN-268/images/2023-events-outlook.pdf">according to Splash</a>: coordinating across departments.
Think of your team as a task force, with each member selected for a specialized skill. When assembling your task force, look for people who are adept at creating systems that can pseudo-automate the logistical planning that goes into these events, people who don’t need a lot of hand-holding, and people who might thrive on having a pet project. Everyday events are an opportunity for early-to-mid-career meeting planners who have enough experience to know what success looks like and how to get there, so keep an eye out for eager employees who are at that point in their careers.

Are More Frequent Meetings the Answer to Planners’ 2023 Woes? Surprisingly, Yes.

Small Meetings, Big Impact: The Power of “Everyday Events”

Celebrate

From the dawn of time, humans have been drawn to gather together near water. Today, our instinct to meet near water isn’t about survival—but the sense of togetherness that comes from sharing companionship and connection at one of Earth’s most bountiful elements means that we still flock to lakeside retreats, ocean beaches, and poolside parties.&nbsp;
That makes water a meeting planner’s secret weapon. At a time when event attendance is still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels, hosting a meeting at a venue known for its water features can be an added draw for delegates.&nbsp;
But it’s not just about boosting attendance. Being in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/act.2019.29228.jha">“blue space”</a> brings health and social benefits that are particularly conducive to meeting planners’ goals, including reduced stress and deeper social interactions.
Gaylord Hotels and Resorts in particular are known for their water features, but the entire Marriott Bonvoy portfolio has a wealth of aquatic delights for planners to choose from. Whether your meeting is best suited for a tranquil lakeside retreat, boisterous water park fun after-hours, or beachfront access for post-session unwinding, bringing a little H2O to your event can strengthen your meeting’s mission—and add a lot of joy.

<h2>Indoor-Outdoor Gathering Spots: Four Beachside Properties</h2>
<ul>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/HNLMC">Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort &amp; Spa</a>: A champion of indoor-outdoor meetings, this resort offers attendees a uniquely Hawaiian way to connect with water—and with each other. The resort’s ʻauʻaukai ceremony, stemming from the belief of early Hawaiians who used it for renewal and connection, incorporates practices of purification via ocean water and is performed at sea. After team members return from their meetings, held in more than 30,000 square feet of event space, they can participate in the ceremony and emerge with a clearer focus on mutual goals.</li>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/MRKFL">JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort</a>: More than 140,000 square feet of event space spread over 62 rooms. Three miles of private beach along the Gulf of Mexico. Two championship-level golf courses. How could any meeting here be less than a success?</li>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/MIASB">The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach</a>: This restored landmark hotel offers private daybeds at the pool—and access to Miami’s world-famed South Beach, complete with white sand. There’s room for business, too: Attendees can gather in more than 20,000 square feet of event space, and meetings can culminate in the 10,000-square-foot art deco ballroom.</li>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/CUNJW">JW Marriott Cancun Resort &amp; Spa</a>: Spectacular for meetings with outdoor components (but no slouch in indoor spaces, with eight event rooms), the beachside hotel grants attendees access to a resplendent Caribbean beach.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Intimate Meetings, Massive Galas, and Everything In Between: Five Pool-Forward Properties</h2>
<ul>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/HOUMQ">Marriott Marquis Houston</a>: The Lone Star State gets Texas-sized treatment here, with a Texas-shaped lazy river alongside a rooftop infinity pool and whirlpool. With more than 153,000 square feet of meeting space and 52 event rooms, the Marriott Marquis Houston would already be a draw for planners. Add in the Altitude Rooftop &amp; Pool deck with panoramic views of downtown Houston, and meetings are primed for success.</li>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/MCORZ">The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/MCOJW">JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes</a>: These two neighboring properties can work as a pair. The Ritz-Carlton offers more than 147,000 square feet of meeting space, a day spa, and a lap pool. Attendees craving more water features have access to the Grande Lakes Waterpark—complete with lazy river, waterslides, and Jacuzzis—at JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes (which has more than 100,000 square feet of flexible indoor space and another 100,000-plus square feet of outdoor space as well).</li>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/PHXWS">The Westin Kierland Resort &amp; Spa</a>: Surf’s up—in Scottsdale, Arizona, thanks to a flow-board simulator that lets attendees “surf” in the desert. For those not ready to hang loose, there’s the pool, a 110-foot waterslide, and a lazy river. And with 41 event rooms encompassing more than 200,000 square feet of meeting space, it’s not all about catching waves.&nbsp;</li>
 <li><a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/PSPSR">Renaissance Esmeralda Resort &amp; Spa</a>: This Indian Wells space in the Greater Palm Springs area hosts midsize events, with space for up to nearly 2,000 attendees. The desert oasis has a sandy “beach” pool and spa amenities, including waterfall spas and a whirlpool.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Riverside Hustle, Lake Getaways, Boating Delights: Three Waterfront Gems</h2>
●	<a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/SATDT">San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk</a>: Located across from the convention center and right on San Antonio’s world-renowned River Walk, this hotel gives delegates the chance to relax on the riverside Oak Tree Terrace space before ambling to the Alamo Ballroom or any of the other 13 event rooms. (And for those who prefer their water to not be a spectator sport, the indoor pool awaits.)
●	<a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/AHNRZ">The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee</a>: An Eden of luxury meeting space offering bird-watching and other lake recreational activities, this Georgia property splits its 58,000 square feet of meeting space between 24,000 square feet of indoor rooms and the great outdoors. Executives, incentive awardees, board members—all will return from this tranquil lakeside retreat rejuvenated.
●	<a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/RSWWI">The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village</a>: Nestled amid 400 miles of navigable canals and waterways, this resort space offers opportunity for attendees to gather outdoors. Not that indoor spaces are ignored: Over 11 event spaces and nearly 30,000 square feet of meeting spaces let attendees take the inspiration that struck them on the canals and turn it into action.

North America

Need a Surefire Way to Help Attendees Connect? Just Add Water

It’s Time to Make a Splash: Water-Friendly Meetings

Meetings are about the future. That doesn’t mean planners should eschew the past. Choosing a host city that’s rich in history can set a theme—and an intriguing backdrop—for an event, and can help drive attendance. These five destinations are natural settings for rooting your meeting in heritage, while still looking toward what’s ahead.

<h2>Baltimore</h2>
If Washington, D.C., is the obvious choice for mid-Atlantic American history, Baltimore is the sleeper hit whose time has come. The city’s history is embedded in American lore—it boasts more statues and monuments per capita than anywhere else in the United States—making the city feel oddly familiar even to the first-time visitor.
Baltimore’s top attraction, Fort McHenry, is impressive both for its size and its history. When an oversized U.S. flag was hung there in 1814 to signify victory in the Battle of Baltimore, a local lawyer named Francis Scott Key was inspired to pen a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry”—which, when set to music, became “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The city’s familiarity doesn’t stop there. Remember the “B&amp;O Railroad” square on the Monopoly board? That’s the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and visitors can pop into the <a href="https://www.borail.org/">B&amp;O Railroad Museum</a>. And a stroll with the city’s free <a href="https://baltimore.org/bop-pass/">BoP Pass</a> takes visitors through a tour of Baltimore’s rich Black heritage and history, including an <a href="https://baltimore.org/listings/frederick-douglass-isaac-myers-maritime-park-museum/">interactive experience about the life of Frederick Douglass</a>, murals and monuments for Billie Holiday, and discounts on select <a href="https://baltimore.org/what-to-do/black-owned-businesses/">Black-owned businesses</a>.
The city’s 300,000-square-foot convention center is the largest of its gathering spaces, but multiple Marriott properties offer smaller spaces as well, including <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/BWIWF">Baltimore Marriott Waterfront</a>—which happens to be in Fell’s Point, one of Baltimore’s most historic neighborhoods.

<h2>Montreal</h2>
One of the largest French-speaking cities in the world, Montreal was centuries ahead of its time in thinking globally. Its early development as a fur trading center positioned it as a major player in everything from international transportation, the westward expansion of the U.S. and Canada, and the development of global finance.
That internationalist tradition continues today. A true melting pot of European and North American cultures, Montreal is considered one of the world’s great cosmopolitan centers. (In fact, it’s the first North American city to be granted the UNESCO City of Design designation.)
Like any citizen of the world, it knows how to play a gracious host when the time comes, as it did for the Summer Olympics in 1976. Its infrastructure for meetings has kept pace since then: The Palais des Congrès de Montréal convention center can support up to 20,000 users on its Wi-Fi network and has more than 500,000 square feet of meeting space—and it’s just steps away from <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/YULLE">Le Westin Montreal</a>, which offers an additional 48,276 square feet of meeting space.

<h2>Doha</h2>
Want to watch history being made—and even be a part of it? Host your next event in Doha. The newest city on this list, Doha’s history may be recent, but that doesn’t make it any less rich than its elders. A humble pearling village as late as the 1930s, Doha exploded in size and wealth in the 1950s with the advent of oil drilling, rocketing from 14,000 inhabitants to more than 80,000 in the span of 20 years.
When Qatar declared independence from Britain in 1971, Doha was named its capital. With its international prominence came international design, including the Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M. Pei, and the National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel. But if you and your attendees want a taste of the area’s history, head to the city’s souk, which has been restored with an eye toward preserving the original Bedouin style.
The city’s convention center boasts nearly 100,000 pillar-free square feet that can be spatially customized into five halls, in addition to its 18 meeting rooms. It’s surrounded by accommodations including <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/DOHMQ">Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel</a>; <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/DOHRZ">The Ritz-Carlton, Doha</a>; <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/DOHWH">W Doha</a>; and <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/DOHSI">Sheraton Grand Doha Resort &amp; Convention Hotel</a> (which in and of itself has 16 meeting rooms and nearly 95,000 square feet of meeting space).

<h2>Kyoto</h2>
To understand Japanese history, there may be no better destination than Kyoto. For more than a thousand years, Kyoto was the capital of the nation. Tokyo took that title in 1868, but today Kyoto’s 2.5 million residents enjoy the cultural wealth that resulted from its centuries as the heart of Japan. For international attendees, Kyoto offers a particularly rich buffet of Japanese icons such as kabuki theater, tea ceremonies, and samurai culture.
But Kyoto holds another, more subtle sense of history for meeting planners in particular. Much of the world knows of Kyoto through a meeting: the gathering that birthed the Kyoto Protocol. Hosting a meeting in Kyoto can lend an event a sense of gravitas—after all, global, even universal, history was made here. <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/UKYAK">The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike, Autograph Collection</a>, situated a seven-minute walk from the Kyoto International Conference Center, hosts an additional 27,000 square feet of meeting space over eight meeting areas.

<h2>Bogota</h2>
The capital of Colombia, Bogota has played a key role in South American history for centuries. Pre-colonial Indigenous groups developed sophisticated metallurgy techniques, thousands of which are on display today in the city’s magnificent Museo del Oro, or gold museum. When the Spanish founded the city in 1538, it became a seat of colonial power on the continent; similarly, when colonial rulers were overthrown in the early 19th century, Bogota served as a gathering place for prominent nationalists.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Bogota’s political turmoil may have made meeting planners question its suitability as a host city. But the city has worked hard to reclaim its spot on the world stage, investing in security, public transportation, and tourism infrastructure. Today, the city of 11 million is known as an Andean jewel filled with world-class restaurants and art. The <a href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/BOGJW">JW Marriott Hotel Bogota</a> is situated in El Chapinero, the city’s hub of dining destinations, and has capacity for intimate meetings and easy public transportation access to Bogota’s convention center.

Anchor Your Events in Heritage and History.

Five Destinations That Will Make Your Meeting Historic

Life is but a game—or at least, it can be if you incorporate play into your meetings from the ground up. Here are a couple of ways to make the gaming life a part of your next event.
 
<h3>Gamify Engagement, Hybrid-Style.</h3>
One of the challenges of hybrid meetings is making sure that virtual attendees and in-room attendees both stay engaged with the goal of the meeting. Introducing a gamification element that is rooted in the event’s virtual capacity can bring both sets of attendees together.
While there are plenty of apps and services available for gamifying sessions, your basic platforms probably already enable gaming to a degree. A Zoom poll turns into a game when the prompt is trivia or an icebreaker question; collaborative whiteboards allow participants to, say, solve a challenge together.
Another fun option: social media. Set up a scavenger hunt or photo challenge, and ask attendees to participate using a custom <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tips-and-trends/article/422/perfect-the-art-of-the-hashtag">hashtag</a>.

<h3>Design the Meeting Around a Purpose-Built Game Space.</h3>
Bringing games into a space is one thing—but bringing participants into a game space is another. When looking at venues, consider the value-add of venues that have built-in game rooms. They’re an obvious choice for icebreaker events, but imagine what a small group session at an in-house bowling alley could turn into!
A few spots that set a playful example:
<ul>
 <li>Harbor Social at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/wasgn-gaylord-national-resort-and-convention-center/overview/">Gaylord National Resort &amp; Convention Center</a>, National Harbor, Maryland: Shuffleboard? Check. Air hockey? Check. Duckpin bowling, 10,000-square-foot sports bar, bocce court? Check, check, and check. That’s in addition to 94 event rooms, 101 breakout rooms, and nearly 550,000 square feet of event space. This space was purpose-built for networking after an evaluation of what people missed most about in-person gatherings: being together and networking with others.</li>
 <li>Rampart Casino at<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/lasjw-jw-marriott-las-vegas-resort-and-spa/overview/"> JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort &amp; Spa</a>: The on-site team is experienced in coordinating with meeting planners who want to give attendees a taste of the Vegas experience without spending valuable convention time roaming the Strip. A meeting-branded casino night would be a hit—but if that doesn’t fit the tone of your attendees, take advantage of on-site lessons.</li>
 <li>10K Alley at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mrkfl-jw-marriott-marco-island-beach-resort/overview/">JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort</a>: The <a target="_blank" href="https://10kalleyatjwmarco.com/">bowling alley</a> isn’t the only game on tap here—arcade games and mini golf round out the offerings. (And games aren’t the only thing on tap either; the bar hosts more than 50 Florida-brewed craft beers.) With state-of-the-art facilities (virtual reality, anyone?), it’s well-equipped for events.</li>
</ul>

Let’s Talk About How to Gamify Your Next Event.

Push “Play” on Your Next Meeting With Games

Mic check? Done. AV setup? Done. Music selected? Done.
Your sonic setup can begin and end there—but it doesn’t have to. Music helps set the tone for an event, but the auditory world goes beyond music. Sound is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.livescience.com/8426-brain-link-sounds-smells-memory-revealed.html">just as powerful as sight and smell</a> when it comes to triggering emotions and forming memories, and using it in ways other than the expected can help you shape your meetings. Here are some ideas to inspire the audio at your next event.
For ways to bring the other senses into your events, visit the other articles in this series: <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/428/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-visual">sight</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/516/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-tactile">touch</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/511/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-event-more-tasteful">taste</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/512/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-incorporate-scent-into-your-events">smell</a>.
<h3>Pairing sound with visuals</h3>
GE and The New York Times Magazine partnered to <a target="_blank" href="https://giantspoon.com/work/general-electric">create an aural experience</a> to go with a special issue of the magazine. They aimed to help readers match <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tips-and-trends/article/428/the-five-senses-of-meetings:-make-your-meetings-more-visual">images</a> with vivid, engaging sounds, such as the glass-breaking crackle of a lava flow from Kilauea and honking horns and shouting street vendors in Lagos, Nigeria. If you’re introducing new machinery or tech at a conference, try pairing images with the sounds it makes when operating.
<h3>Take a bath</h3>
Sound baths have gained popularity as a meditative aural experience. You can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/03/style/self-care/sound-baths.html">do the real thing</a>—Toronto General Hospital recently held a sound bath performance as part of its Music Can Heal concert series. Or borrow from the phenomenon by creating a sound loop that you can stream throughout the meeting. For a tourism event, try evoking the feeling of travel with the sound of jet engines, church bells, taxis, and a street festival.
<h3>Branding with sound</h3>
Beyond commercial jingles, brands are experimenting with sound—BMW, for example, <a target="_blank" href="https://qz.com/1655649/interstellar-composer-filling-the-silence-of-bmw-electric-cars/">partnered with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer</a> to craft sounds for its notably mute electric cars. A sonic brand can be as simple as a few notes that, over time, become associated with a company through marketing. (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketingdive.com/news/mastercard-sonic-branding-timbaland-priceless-album/625808/?utm_campaign=mkb&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_source=morning_brew">Mastercard recently took the plunge</a> into sonic branding with an album featuring tracks inspired by the Mastercard melody, familiar to us through their commercials.) Give your meeting a sonic brand by choosing a special sound to indicate the start of a meeting or end of a break period. Think: the sound of clinking glass for a meeting of beverage professionals, or chirping crickets for a gathering of conservationists.
<h3>An audio adventure</h3>
Sound has the power to transform a space and transport listeners to another dimension. Take a cue from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.darkfield.org/seance/">Séance</a>, the “intense sonic performance” that was a hit at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Guests sat in a small, dark space and listened to an immersive audio experience that had them believe a séance was happening in their midst. In a meeting, try giving guests headphones and streaming sounds related to the meeting’s purpose to set the tone—a medical conference might use a soundscape that incorporates sounds health professionals hear through a stethoscope, for example.
<h3>ASMR in person</h3>
ASMR—or autonomous sensory meridian response—is a physiological response to sensory cues. In recent years, it has gained popularity through “whisper videos” online, but <a target="_blank" href="https://whisperlodge.nyc/">it’s a hit at events, too</a>. Try holding a live ASMR performance at your event that immerses guests in the experience, like the sound of rustling pages and clicking keys at a literary event.
<h3>Incite virtual conversations</h3>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.clubhouse.com/">Clubhouse</a> is a virtual water cooler, where users can wander “hallways” and step in on meeting rooms to engage in audio-only conversations. Professionals tout it as a networking hub. For virtual meetings, the app can be a great way to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smartmeetings.com/tips-tools/technology/131412/meeting-planners-clubhouse">keep the conversation going</a> outside of videoconferences and breakout sessions.

Haven’t you heard? Planners can move beyond music to make your meeting an auditory experience.

The Five Senses of Meetings: Make Your Meeting Super Sonic

Whether planning a gala for a nonprofit or simply adding a charitable aspect to a corporate event, meeting planners know that a good cause can add a sense of mission to a gathering. But just because there’s an altruistic aim doesn’t mean that planners can overlook one of the tenets of their work: delighting attendees.
In fact, one of the findings of <a target="_blank" href="https://news.marriott.com/news/2023/06/05/marriott-international-pcma-and-cema-release-guiding-principles-in-experience-design-findings-at-the-exchange-association-masters">the joint study from PCMA, CEMA, and Marriott International</a> was that successful meetings lean into “the power of play. ” The idea is that by tapping into playfulness, meeting planners create new avenues for ideation and collaboration. While this has its most obvious benefits in meetings focused on innovation, meetings with a philanthropic bent are similarly enhanced—and made more memorable—by play.
Here are five tactics to balance philanthropy and play in your next charity-oriented meeting.

<h2>Create a Place of Play (Metaphorically)</h2>
If your cause has a physical component, give it some context by bringing it to the event. And if literally bringing it to the event isn’t possible, all the more invitation for you to get creative.
At <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/483/hosting-sustainable-events-while-supporting-local-culture-and-communities">Marriott’s The Exchange Australia event in 2023</a>, planners built an interactive zone featuring lush greenery in which participants could donate a tree to be planted in the host country. In the same vein, the Robin Hood Foundation, which aims to eradicate poverty in New York City, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/event-production-fabrication/media-gallery/22862447/robin-hood-benefit-2023">created a candy-themed version of the city for its 2023 gala</a>.&nbsp;
What made both events particularly engaging: a sense of place. As the PCMA report notes, “Creating dedicated spaces that are flexible and without too many rules will encourage play.”

<h2>Involve the Beneficiaries</h2>
If your mission is humanitarian in nature, ask the people who are benefiting what they’d like their supporters to know about playfulness. For example, an event benefiting refugees could feature an interactive opportunity for attendees to sample from cuisines of the part of the world the beneficiaries are from; a gala for people with disabilities could showcase performances or art created by people in the community.
If you’re drawing talent from your pool of beneficiaries, consult them at every step to make sure they’re comfortable with how they’re being presented to attendees and represented in marketing materials.

<h2>Find Creative Partners</h2>
Take inspiration from the stars: The Elton John AIDS Foundation is known for its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org/event/31st-academy-awards-viewing-party/">annual Academy Awards viewing party</a>, which brings a high turnout along with attention and donations to the organization’s mission.
But you don’t have to bring in A-list celebrities to give your fundraising a little glitz. When a Native American youth center in Minneapolis was rendered unusable because of a fire, the organization, MIGIZI, <a target="_blank" href="https://associationsnow.com/2020/11/four-ways-organizations-getting-creative-fundraising/">partnered</a> with the creators of cult favorite TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. The joint fundraiser benefited MIGIZI while also raising funds to create two new episodes of the long-gone show.
That fundraiser was virtual, but the principle applies to events, too: Working with an entity that brings a spritz of glamour ushers in new attention to your work, and can make for a particularly creative event.

<h2>Gamify It</h2>
There’s a reason fundraising leaderboards are ever-present at charity events: As much as a gathering is about collaboration, a little competition is always fun.
That’s something Second Harvest, a food rescue organization in Toronto, learned when it hosted a “Cake or Fake?” challenge as one of its offerings for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/event-production-fabrication/media-gallery/22578520/top-benefit-galas-for-2022">the 2022 rendition of its annual fundraising event</a>. Chefs crafted cakes designed to look like non-cake items (a loaf of bread, a jar of maple syrup), and guests guessed whether the item was real or made from cake.

<h2>Pick a Theme, Then Play With It</h2>
If your event is an annual or otherwise recurring event, you have an opportunity to build anticipation throughout the year by having a signature theme that varies from year to year.
Take it from the success of the Mad Hatter’s Luncheon, an annual fundraiser for the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Since its inception, the gala has encouraged attendees to don fantastic hats. Each year, the specific theme changes, giving attendees an opportunity to flaunt their finest; the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.papercitymag.com/society/the-seen/mad-hatters-luncheon-2023-arboretum/">2023 theme was “English elegance,”</a> resulting in a crop of fascinators and outlandish garden scenes atop guests’ heads.
Another example from D-Town: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2023/april/life-jackets/">DIFFA Dallas’ annual jackets auction</a>. Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS has a natural tie-in to a fashion theme; the Dallas event sees designers creating custom jackets that are then auctioned off. Even for attendees who don’t plan to bid, the anticipation built throughout the year about the jackets ensures a high attendance rate.
Solemnity has its place at charitable events, of course. But tapping into the power of play can be another way to underscore the importance—and the humanity—of your event.

Good Works Can Mean Good Play, Too. These Five Tips Show How to Do It.

Make Your Meeting’s Charitable Component More Playful

Roughly half of business travelers say they want local cultural experiences to be a part of their meeting experience, according to research from Mintel. To meet this demand, it’s easy enough for planners to throw some information about the destination into orientation materials—museum this, Restaurant Row that.
But to make these cultural experiences more meaningful, planners can look for ways to incorporate local experiences into their overall agenda. We’ve rounded up ideas from the experts, including North American destination marketing organizations and convention and visitors bureaus, along with Marriott Bonvoy properties.
<ul>
 <li>Start the relationship from Day 1. “During familiarization trips, we’ve coordinated event safety and security training with Tampa Police Department representatives hosted in their downtown command center,” says Adam DePiro, vice president of convention sales at Visit Tampa Bay. Planting seeds for programming ideas on familiarization trips can help you get ahead of the game.</li>
 <li>Let the destination lead your team-building activities. “We partner with Mardi Gras World, the local company that designs and produces all the big Mardi Gras floats, to incorporate Mardi Gras experiences for groups,” says Emily Liuzza, complex director of marketing at New Orleans Marriott, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, and New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District. “This can include hosting events in their den around all the big floats to groups renting floats and having their own Mardi Gras parade downtown. We can also close off streets, and groups can ‘second-line’ [parade] with a live jazz band leading the way to an off-site venue in the French Quarter or someplace within walking distance downtown.” Making a destination-specific activity part of your kickoff can root the entire event in both time and place.</li>
 <li>Contribute to the community. “Many native plants that have been added are varieties that once thrived in our region but have declined due to development and the introduction of foreign plants,” says Jaydene Kanekoa, senior marketing manager at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort &amp; Spa. “In 2022, our Activities and Culture team activated the Ho’okupu Initiative. In Hawaiian, Ho’okupu translates to an offering, a tribute, or to cause growth. This program is aimed toward planting endangered, endemic Hawaiian plants across our beachfront location while removing invasive species.” Getting attendees to jump into the community with a joint activity—in this example, weeding and planting to preserve natural habitats—builds team bonds and adds meaning to multiday events.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Location-hop, topic-hop. “New Orleans is known for its cuisine,” Liuzza says. “Groups will frequently do dine-arounds one night at the various restaurants around the two hotels. Sometimes they will do a second line out of the hotel to start the dine-arounds.” Add variety to round-robin discussions by adding a change of location to each new topic of discussion: At the first location, attendees focus on breaking the ice. At the second, they focus on dissecting a shared problem that unites the attendees. At the third, they focus on finding solutions.</li>
 <li>Let the location anchor group goals. “We offer groups the opportunity to ‘adopt a native plant or tree,’” Kanekoa says. “Working with our experts, groups can purchase a native plant or tree from our local nursery, and we curate a special planting ceremony where attendees may witness or assist with planting the seedling on property. This is typically accompanied by an ‘oli [Hawaiian chant].” Planting native flora during a goal-setting session can add a sense of responsibility to goals. When attendees waver in their action plans toward goal achievement, they’ll have a place on terra firma to think about, anchoring goals that might otherwise seem abstract.</li>
 <li>Bring in local experts. Take a cue from your peers: When JW Marriott Tampa Water Street hosted the 2021 Meeting Professionals International Thought Leaders Summit, Tampa Bay itself played a critical role. “Aligned with MPI’s five critical conversation topics, Visit Tampa Bay identified and secured local subject matter experts,” DePiro says. In 2022, the Homegrown: Marriott Hawai’i &amp; French Polynesia’s Operations Conference brought in knowledgeable experts to participate in panel discussions, including farmers, distributors, and cultural practitioners.</li>
 <li>Follow the locals’ lead in collaboration. “Chef Jayson has been with the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort &amp; Spa for 37 years,” Kanekoa says. “His decades-long tenure at the resort reflects his commitment to his craft and strong bond with local growers.” Meetings are all about collaboration—asking a venue coordinator to share how collaboration played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the evolution of the event (say, by talking with the chef about their relationships with local growers) can drive that point home.</li>
 <li>Get local personalities involved. Aligning your meeting’s values with the values of local stars adds a punch to your event. For example, Tampa Bay is known for its inclusive mindset, as evidenced by the election of Mayor Jane Castor, the first openly gay mayor of Tampa—and a mayor who greets various conventioneers in person. Turning to local makers can serve a similar purpose: Portland, Oregon’s My People’s Market hosts the sale of goods of more than 100 diverse local entrepreneurs. “One service our organization can offer to planners meeting in Portland is the opportunity to create a mini My People’s Market as a part of the meetings and convention experience, offering the chance to engage directly with our creative community right on the conference room floor,” says Angela Nelson, vice president of equity, diversity, and inclusion at Travel Portland.</li>
</ul>

Your Destination Is More Than Just a Pretty Face. Here’s How to Use It to Improve the Attendee Experience.

Make the Most of Your Destination

We’ve all seen Instagram stations at events go beautifully—and we’ve all seen the lackluster feel of a lonely, not-quite-right activation. One of them can be a powerful marketing tool for our host organization … and the other can lend a note of neglect to an otherwise stellar meeting.
With help from Laura Troy, Marriott International’s creative director for the United States and Canada, here are three keys to making sure your activations emanate the energy you want.
<h3>Know What You Want People to Do</h3>
Before you design an activation, think about what your goal is. Do you want people to gather and mingle? Do you want them to post on social media? Do you want them to be engaging in a specific activity, such as a game? Being clear about your intent will help you strike the right tone.
It’s fine to have posting on social media as your goal, but Troy warns against prioritizing that over actually being social. “Some of these Instagrammable moments really help bring the vibe of the event, because you’re becoming closer with your colleagues,” she says. “But if you walk into a space and people don’t really look like they’re having fun, they may not stay—and at the end of the day, events are about sharing space and vibing with each other.”
Once you know your goal, make sure attendees are clear about what the space is intended for. “If there’s a great visual scene but people walk up and don’t really know what to do, you’ve lost something along the way,” Troy says. “Obviously <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/422/perfect-the-art-of-the-hashtag">a hashtag can help</a>, and some people are continuing to do that, but we want it to be self-explanatory. Make sure it’s really clear what you want people to do so you don’t have five or six things happening at once.”
You also want participants to feel comfortable. Food and drink help with this, as do props. “We tend to be a little nervous in social situations, so having something tangible really helps us feel more at ease—sometimes you’re standing there and just don’t know what to do with your hands,” Troy says.
<h3>Know What You Want People to Feel</h3>
“Think of a really good wedding,” Troy says. “You don’t remember the decor for the most part, but you remember how you felt. So these activations all come down to feeling. What do you want your attendees to leave this conference feeling?”
She points to two recent events that tapped into emotion particularly well. One had a Parisian garden party theme, with food stations that encouraged circulating, all with a sophisticated yet relaxed vibe that suited the event’s goals.
Another event took a more plastic turn—a Barbie-themed activation featuring varying shades of pink and a vintage car. Troy nods to the enduring popularity of both the toy and the 2023 movie in making the activation memorable, but she also highlights a lesson that planners can take from Barbie’s success: People love nostalgia.
“There’s something about nostalgia that makes people really feel,” she says. “What kinds of things can you not just invent but reinvent for your attendees? Introducing new things is great, but don’t forget about taking things from the past and putting a new twist on it.”
Both of these events featured palettes that set the right tone, whether that was vibrant pink or Louvre-ready pastels. And each had a calibrated volume level that encouraged people to connect energetically without drowning out conversation.

<h3>Know When It’s Too Much</h3>
The Parisian garden party activation had another plus going for it: the appearance of effortlessness.
“You want it to be fun, and that takes a lot of organization, but you don’t want it to appear overly organized,” Troy says. “Effortless chic gives the event a feeling of spontaneity. Think of that French-girl style, that no-makeup makeup look—that probably takes a lot of time to put together, but the effect doesn’t look staged.”
Abundance has its place in Instagrammable moments, of course. But if an activation looks too precious, overly styled, or hyperorganized, it loses its charm. Think coordinated, not matchy-matchy; striking, not overwhelming. Take uplighting: It can lead to a stunning effect, but if it comes at the cost of making an activation look like a movie set instead of a place to hang out, it can backfire.
One place Troy recommends going big, though, is in themed events. “If you’re going to do a theme, you’ve got to nail it,” she says. “Have all the pieces really go together. An easy way to help that along is with food and drink—it sounds cliche to have a drink of the day, but the fact is, it works, and that’s what people remember.”
Fostering the right dose of Instagrammable moments isn’t always about giving attendees more. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more. “It could be fun, it could be quirky, it could be trendy, colorful—but it doesn’t have to be over the top,” Troy says. “Always leave them wanting more.”

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When you’re determining the best furniture setup for your meeting, it may be tempting to go with the obvious. General session? Theater seating. Breakout discussions? Circle or horseshoe. Networking event? Cabaret-style seating.
That might indeed be what your event needs. But to make your meeting more memorable, consider the furniture configuration as a part of the overall design.
“Every single day, you are in interior spaces,” says Drew Condon, studio director and senior associate at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ccirclecreative.com/">CenterCircle Creative</a>, an interior design &nbsp;firm focused on business events. “And how that interior space is designed is going to reflect how you feel. If you’re in a space that feels cold, you’re going to feel that—so we like to design our spaces to where people want to stay in a general session for five hours, people want to go to the breakout and have a collaborative, meaningful meeting.”
Working with an interior designer can ensure that you’re fashioning the space that will help your meeting achieve its mission. Whether you’re working with a designer or DIYing it, here are three territories to consider as you determine which furniture configuration is best for your meeting.

<h2>Start With the Basics</h2>
Much of this will be the nuts and bolts of your meeting’s framework. How many attendees are you expecting? How many general sessions will you be hosting, and how many breakout sessions? What level of catering will you be providing?
Here’s the key to using this rudimentary information skillfully: Don’t stop there. “A lot of times meeting planners think they need something, and we want to help guide them to what they actually need,” Condon says. (The same principle holds true for <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/481/five-tips-for-better-communication-with-your-tech-team">working with your audiovisual team</a>.)
He gives an example of a meeting planner saying that they need a general session with 500 seats and that it doesn’t matter how the furniture is arranged. “So we try to pry into them. Do you need particularly comfortable seating? What demographics are we looking at? Are they wearing casual clothing or are they wearing suits; will they need power?”
If you find yourself making basic seating equations based solely on session type instead of on the needs of your attendees, that could be a sign you’re working by rote. Dig deeper.

<h2>Envision How You Want the Space to Be Used</h2>
“One thing we really wish we knew right off the bat is how attendees are going to use the space,” Condon says. “How much actual time are they spending there—is it an hour or a day? We need to know that so we can design the right space, whether that’s quick and agile or if they’re going to be spending the majority of the conference in that space so we need to provide more comfort.”
The choice of posture, as Condon refers to the way seating affects engagement, can lead you to the right setup. Consider the task that attendees will be engaging with, and plan accordingly. Say that you expect a session to be an intense breakout requiring high focus. Choosing furniture that necessitates an upright posture subtly encourages that attentiveness.
Knowing how you want attendees to interact with technology also informs your setup. If the space is not meant to be used in a technologically interactive way—i.e., phones discouraged—having spaces specifically for attendees to briefly use their devices helps support conference-life balance without encouraging excessive phone use.

<h2>The Biggest Takeaway: How You Want Attendees to Feel</h2>
After Condon has ascertained his clients’ basic needs, he goes to the heart of the matter. “We like to dive in a little bit deeper and ask about what they want their attendees to feel,” he says.
Just as leveraging a destination in a meeting can help make an event more memorable, using furniture and accessories to anchor attendees in an emotional state can help the meeting take root in their memory after the conference has ended. Upholstered furniture, for example, is likelier to create a feeling of softness than metal furniture, which might be more suited to a meeting aimed at productivity.
Even when you’re limited to the furniture inventory at the venue, choosing creative configurations can help facilitate the feeling you’re after. Banquet-style seating for general sessions can help elicit conversation, which may be what you’re after—but if you want attendees to walk away dazzled by a big-name keynote speaker, traditional theater-style seating may keep people’s attention where you want it.
If you’re able to work with a designer, you’re a step ahead. But preparing for your conversation with that designer will pay off. “I hate to say it, but sometimes furniture is the last thing that planners are thinking about,” Condon says. “We want to remind them how important that feeling is to making an event successful.”

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You want your event to linger in your attendees’ minds long after they’ve gone home. Here’s a way to do that: Have less content.
That might seem like a paradox. But taking the foot off the gas pedal can help make meetings more memorable—the less jam-packed a schedule is, the better that attendees are able to absorb what they’re learning. Here’s why and how to ensure your attendee experience is richer, not busier.

<h2>Why Less Content Makes a Meeting More Memorable</h2>
Meetings, especially multiday gatherings, require a lot of focus from attendees. They’re in sessions, they’re learning, they’re networking. That’s why they’re there, but their cognitive resources often become overwhelmed anyway, leading them to not retain as much information as they would at a slower pace.
This in turn diminishes the value they derive from attending, rendering your meeting less productive than it could be—and potentially making attendees less likely to sign up for your next event. It can also drive burnout, something that 39% of attendees say is still a top challenge for them, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.freeman.com/resources/freeman-trends-report-q1-2023/">according to research from global events firm Freeman</a>.
This is particularly true of Generation Z and young millennial attendees. Freeman’s 2023 report states, “holding them captive at an event center for four days, feeding them every meal and keeping entertainment on-site, flies directly in the face of their well-researched preferences. Their time is their most valuable asset, and they want to spend it wisely.”
Easing up on a meeting’s agenda also supports <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/518/the-form-of-inclusion-your-events-might-be-missing">neurodiversity initiatives</a>. Delegates—both those with specific neurodiversity needs and those who do not require accommodation—may begin the day full of energy and eager to take in a full day of programming. But between being out of their normal cadence, not having control over their diet and environment, enjoying serendipitous encounters with long-lost colleagues, and being “on” for long periods, they may need time to recharge. People with neurodiverse needs have long been accustomed to modulating their energy to accomplish their goals; when you adjust your programming to account for people who explicitly need support in managing their time and energy, you give everyone a boost.
Not yet convinced? Pruning your schedule can translate to spending less, supporting your budget needs—which <a target="_blank" href="https://globaldmcpartners.com/global-dmc-partners-releases-results-and-key-findings-q2q3-2023-meetings-events-survey">75% of planners</a> say is their top challenge right now.

<h2>How to Pare Down Your Agenda</h2>
Given that costs are still a top challenge, lengthening the duration of an event may not be on the table. Instead, find ways to do less in the amount of time you have.
There are two primary ways to do that: Have fewer sessions and activities, and have the sessions themselves be less jam-packed.
If you opt to have fewer sessions overall, consider facilitating transportation to your destination’s attractions—but without planning a full off-site activity. This helps your attendees make the most of your destination without adding another must-do that might make overburdened attendees groan.
As for giving the sessions more air, work with session leaders to ensure they’re not overloading their presentations with information. If speakers are concerned that their presentations won’t deliver unless they’re crammed with information, remind them that details can be circulated after the presentation via a handout or electronic means. That can free up the talk to give their overall message—and their audience—room to breathe.
Consider incorporating Q&amp;A sessions with no set agenda. At October 2023’s CDW Solution Forum on Cybersecurity at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/satjw-jw-marriott-san-antonio-hill-country-resort-and-spa/overview/">JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort &amp; Spa</a>, one session was a completely freestyle Q&amp;A among panelists from various sessions. Another, dubbed “Hot Topics,” saw two panelists eating progressively hotter salsas while answering audience questions collected throughout the two-day event. The result: a playful, low-cognitive-load session that allowed attendees a chance to relax without worrying about taking notes.
Whether you host fewer sessions or just clean up the ones you have on tap, follow the advice of meetings efficiency expert Philippe Beaudry, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meetingcatalyst.co/limit-overload-enhancing-meeting-effectiveness-by-managing-cognitive-load/">recommends</a> scheduling breaks in addition to other tactics that help prevent cognitive overload.
If you find yourself reluctant to pare down on content in order to preserve your event’s value, just remember: When attendees are too drained to enjoy your programming, they’re also too drained to be invigorated by your message. The biggest value-add of all might not be an addition, but a subtraction.

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