IT’S TIME TO GET PERSONAL

Customized event experiences encourage happier, more engaged attendees

BY AMANDA CHRISTENSEN

» WHETHER IT’S A LARGE-SCALE CONFERENCE with hundreds in attendance or an intimate teambuilding retreat for co-workers, it’s important to provide personalized meeting itineraries that cater to guests’ preferences, values, and interests. The International Association of Conference Centers reports that there has been increased personalization of attendee experiences in recent years with 80% of meeting planners reporting that their jobs involve more experience creation than two to five years ago.

Attendees not only want to spend their time at a conference learning and connecting, but they also want to engage in sessions and activities that align with what matters to them—from a lecture on branding or mindfulness to activities like hiking or wine tasting during prearranged free time.

COMPILED BY BETH BUEHLER

Dreamforce, an annual user conference in San Francisco, California, brings industry pioneers, thought leaders, and internet technology professionals together for a weekend of lectures and networking. The event incorporates guided meditation and mindfulness sessions for attendees to align their mental and physical well-being with their conference goals. After all, a content attendee is a more engaged attendee. salesforce.com

Maritz Global Events, based in St. Louis, Missouri, uses a team of consulting experts to personalize events from a portfolio of 20-plus event attendee personas—created from a combination of event strategy and behavioral research—that helps planners anticipate, visualize, and align with the motives of potential event-goers. maritzglobalevents.com

Mystery Trip, an event-planning company based in Los Angeles, creates mystery itineraries that are kept secret from attendees until they arrive for the activity. Each itinerary is custom-made for guests based on a survey taken during the initial kick-o meeting to determine what the group is most interested in doing. Examples include taking a team from Netflix to Gri th Park in Los Angeles to film a mock ’90s sitcom intro. mysterytrip.com

Gourmet Munchies In Fab Flavors

Popcorn flavors like Blisters On My Buttercrunch, Salted Cocoa Caramel, and SriraCha-Cha are sure to add a burst of flavor and joy to table settings, snack tables, and gift boxes and come in single-serving packages made by Colorado-based Too Haute Cowgirls. For a cowgirl-themed event, pair Fistful of Fleur de Sel popcorn with wildflower seeds and a scented candle for memorable party favors. A barbecue is sure to be remembered when guests receive a gift of Have Bacon Will Travel popcorn, a mason jar of trail mix, and a pack of sparklers upon arrival. toohautecowgirls.com

Stirring It Up With Old Fashioneds

» WITH NOSTALGIC experiences trending this year, planners are seeking new hands-on opportunities. In Salt Lake City, Utah, The Grand America Hotel’s Old Fashioned Series works well for intimate meeting breakouts or small group gatherings. Led by inhouse spirits experts, the class takes groups through three different kinds of old fashioneds using gin, whiskey, and mezcal distilled in Salt Lake City and Park City. The Grand’s bar team brings in a personal and seasonal flair to the series with two rotating cocktails. grandamerica.com

Presenting the Best Carry-Ons

When taking to the skies for a meeting or event in a distant city, you will need a carry-on to hold your pantsuits, starched shirts, toiletries, and, quite possibly, digital projector. Southwest Meetings + Events looked at the best options for discerning travelers.

BEST OVERALL Away » The Carry-On

The Carry-On from Away has a dent-proof polycarbonate shell, leather details, a waterresistant laundry bag, a TSA-approved combination lock, and an interior compression system. The 360-degree spinner wheels glide down the jetway, and The Carry-On meets most airline carry-on standards for less than $300. The Bigger Carry-On offers more room for your business attire. awaytravel.com

BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY

Target » Open Story Hardside Carry-On Suitcase

Available in black, denim blue, dark green, and champagne, the 21.5-inch Open Story Hardside Carry-On Suitcase from Target checks all the boxes at less than $200. With a hard-shell exterior made of a sturdy polycarbonate and mesh interior compartments, this budget option is compatible with almost all airline carry-on standards. It is also available in a 29-inch size. target.com

BEST SPLURGE-WORTHY

Rimowa » Original Cabin Carry-On Aluminum Suitcase

At $1,400, the Rimowa Original Cabin Carry-On Aluminum Suitcase will appeal to travelers with high standards. In addition to the metal shell exterior, the Rimowa has a lifetime warranty, cotton interior, metal zippers, multiwheel roller system, adaptable interior divider, TSA-approved locks, and sturdy telescoping handles. When cost isn’t a concern or you wish to protect breakable tech, the Original Cabin Carry-On is the suitcase for you. rimowa.com –Todd R. Berger

Ride in Style to the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon Railway runs daily from Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Composed of railcars from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, the train departs daily at 9:30 a.m. and returns at 5:45 p.m., providing a 2 1/2-hour layover at the South Rim. Options range from luxury dome cars and an open platform observation car to vintage coaches with windows that open. Groups can charter an entire luxury private railroad car, regular cars, or even the whole train complete with chefs, bartenders, and entertainers.

Williams is about 2 1/2 hours from Phoenix, Arizona, and 3 1/2 hours from Las Vegas, Nevada. If traveling from these cities, consider booking a night or two at the historic Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, featuring 298 guest rooms and three meeting spaces, in Williams. thetrain.com

Doughnut Lovers Rejoice

Want to increase attendance or start the day off right for your group? Pick up a box of goodies at Pinkbox Doughnuts, which offers a fun, modern-day twist on the classic doughnut shop with a whimsical pink interior and 70 varieties of doughnuts that have sweet designs and plenty of personality. Pinkbox recently added an eighth store in North Las Vegas which joins existing locations across southern Nevada; the California and Nevada border in Primm, Nevada; and St. George, Utah. There is also an outlet at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Established in 2012, Pinkbox Doughnuts is expanding rapidly and operates a doughnut food truck that travels to parties and special events. pinkboxdoughnuts.com

Dinner With A View

» GROUPS CAN ENJOY a steakhouse experience while savoring the outdoors by the lights and action of the Las Vegas Strip at Carversteak. Located at Resorts World Las Vegas, the restaurant features a 3,500-square-foot terrace complete with a bar, dining space, and lounge gardens. The North and South Patios and Center Patio Bar carry the restaurant’s midcentury-modern vibe outdoors, and all three areas can be reserved for large group gatherings and special events. The 13,500-square-foot restaurant can host 15 to 500 in varied arrangements, and additional private dining options include The Knife Shop and Whiskey Room.

Carver Road Hospitality launched Carversteak in late 2021 and opened Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas this June. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas with additional offices in Miami, Florida, and New York City. carversteak.com

Visit Reno Tahoe Managing Four Key Venues

» VISIT RENO TAHOE OWNS AND OPERATES the Reno-Sparks Convention Center and began overseeing operations at the state-owned Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center and city-owned Reno Events Center and National Bowling Stadium in mid-2022. The venues were under a third-party management agreement since July 2018.

After more than 18 years working in management, maintenance, and operations at the four Visit Reno Tahoe-managed facilities, Trent LaFerriere was promoted to vice president of facilities in tandem with the transition. visitrenotahoe.com

Gocar Driverless Tours Roll Into Vegas

» GOCAR TOURS, the inventors of GPS-guided driving tours, added Las Vegas, Nevada, to its list of locations that also includes Monterey, San Diego, and San Francisco, California; Lisbon and Porto, Portugal; and Barcelona, Spain. With GoCar Las Vegas, groups meeting in the city can choose from a variety of tours such as the bright lights and neon signs of the Las Vegas Strip, the murals and eclectic restaurants of the Las Vegas Arts District, and famous movie locations. In coming months, longer-distance tours of Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam will be added.

The GoCar guides the driver while the audio commentary shares stories, facts, and provides recommendations. GoCar Las Vegas will serve as the proving ground for driverless technologies powered by Faction Technology Inc. later this year. In this scenario, GoCar arrives driverless at the client’s location, where they get in and take control of the vehicle

Portable Art for Trade Show Booths & Events

Big Wall Decor challenges the notion that owning large, beautiful artwork is only for the wealthy art connoisseur. With more than 20 years of experience printing for luxury brands, the Big Wall Decor team uncovered a new print and framing solution that makes it easy and affordable to display large-scale, on-trend artwork in trade-show booths, at events, in the office, and at home.

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Spring Lake, Michigan, the company works with emerging artists who feature their Instagram handles and signatures at the bottom corner of the fabric prints and are paid based on each piece sold. A big bonus for the meetings and events industry is that the wall art is portable and can be quickly assembled or dismantled. Custom designs can be printed on durable, fade-resistant ArtFab fabric to stay in step with rapidly changing marketing campaigns. bigwalldecor.com to begin a tour, stopping along the way as they wish. When finished, travelers drive back to their hotels, and the GoCar returns driverless to GoCar Las Vegas. gocartours.com