by Shawna Suckow, CMP

• Top 5 things suppliers do that bother planners
• How can suppliers impress and win business?
• Committing to do better

It seems that my article, Planners Behaving Badly in the last issue struck a nerve with planners. You know I’m all about telling it like it is, so it’s only fair to now share with you the top five things suppliers do that bother planners. Fair’s fair, right?

The look of a booth at any convention or trade show can mean the difference between tepid traffic or invaluable interactions. Not only drawing in a lot of people, but the right people. The setup of your display can mean anything from the floor plan and product displays to the demonstrations. Reigning in an idea and being interactive with your audience is important in any convention setting, but no matter how good you are at talking to people, the eyes are much more easily tuned to receive information than the ears, especially in the sometimes noisy space of a convention floor.

Midwest Meetings reached out to The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group (thetradeshownetwork.com) and they offered the following tips to consider before designing your next trade show exhibit.

The Missouri River splits the Mount Rushmore State into two distinct Midwestern cultures that coexist in the vastness of the rolling plains. East River holds the largest metropolitan area of the state in Sioux Falls among the rolling plains of agriculturally rich land with the state capital right on the river’s border. West River is the historic Black Hills, the majestic Mount Rushmore, and the rough-and-tumble Deadwood all nestled into the hilly ranches of the badlands.

North Dakota suffers the same fate as many of its neighboring states in that movies and television have been working to characterize them. Ask the visitor what they may know about the state and you may get boom towns or you may get Fargo, the show, not the city. Fargo is wonderful though, the city this time, it has a great deal to offer in terms of events, meetings, and charm. We’ve previously featured amazing spots such as Red Raven Espresso Parlor in Fargo that are tucked away and waiting to be visited.

Nebraska holds an interesting dichotomy in which it has some amazing modern spots hidden inside some equally (amazing) historical spaces. Nebraska does not try to distance itself from its agricultural base either, instead, supporting it with agri/ecotourism like the Nebraska Tourism Commission did last year. Even the music to come out of places like Saddle Creek Records in Omaha are both reminiscent of older folk tradition mixed with modern instrumentation. The point is that Nebraska embraces itself and shows the most true side of itself that it can without obscuring the culture that built it.

It’s known for starting the NCAA, it’s from the Wizard of Oz, it’s got the band of the same name, Kansas seems to have everything. The Sunflower State is a hotbed of history and culture from the Civil War to Civil Rights and producing heartland artists like Martina McBride and Jerrod Niemann. Kansas has a strange past from establishing the Air Capital of the World in Wichita to establishing a state capital whose name originates from a Kansa-Osage phrase meaning “a good place for potatoes” according to one of the best Native American dialectic professors, John B. Dunbar of Topeka.

Iowa is a bastion of Americana in the Heartland, starting off as an agricultural hub, moving into an industrial area, and now housing a surprising number of cities that are signifi cant in their historical, culinary, and artistic endeavors. Midwest Meetings had the pleasure of talking to a few experts across the breadth of this culturally wealthy slice of midwestern pride. Starting with Julie Kronlage from Travel Dubuque, we asked her about some entertaining spots in her city.

• Choosing the best tournament style for your group
• Lean on the golf pros
• Golfing with mixed skill levels

Planners, are you puzzled by all the choices you have to make when it comes to deciding what type of format to follow in your next golf tournament? If so, you’re not alone. While it’s tempting to opt for the standard ‘scramble’ option, it’s also good to consider other formats, especially if yours is an annual tournament with the majority of your players coming back time and again.

​• Finding the WOW factor in Midwest resorts and lodges
• Service is king
• Focus on employee satisfaction to provide the best experience

When people talk about service, it’s usually in context to a love-hate relationship.

“I LOVED that waitress! She was so fast and efficient!” “I HATE that hotel! We had a bad experience there one time and will never go back!”

• Meet Chef Jeff Minkwic
• Chef ’s advice to meeting professionals
• Tips for working on a tight budget

Jeff Minkwic, Executive Chef at Boyne Mountain Resort knew at an early age he wanted to be a part of the culinary world. Growing up in Detroit, MI, he started cooking at home with his father and mother and continued his career path as a teenager working as a dishwasher at The Little Café in Detroit, part time at Las Vegas Fruit Market, and then at Elias Brothers Big Boy as a cook.

• Meet Teresa Cox, CMP
• Saving an event fail
• Making an “experience” for her attendees

Teresa Cox, CMP is the Events and Administrative Supervisor at DuPont Pioneer. Her role and responsibilities in the meetings and events industry have grown significantly from when she first became a dishwasher at a local restaurant and started her path to meeting planning. Teresa is a strong supporter of the meeting/events industry, volunteering for MPI (Meeting Planners International) Heartland chapter and currently taking on the role of their Vice President of Communications.

By Tom Eisenhaur and Steve Smith

• Make sure your event has the power it needs
• Know your audience
• Produce once; reuse often

Even the savviest meeting planners can’t always keep up with the latest in technology, so it’s critical that an audiovisual team have great communication and organizational skills to help understand the underlying importance of quality AV. In today’s media-obsessed culture, good AV can mean the difference between a dull attendee experience and one that engages and excites the audience.

• 7 tips to prevent getting sick while traveling
• Using mobile apps to stay healthy

The hallmark of any conference or meeting is the connecting and sharing amongst attendees. While it’s fantastic to have the thoughts and ideas fl owing, it’s equally important to stop whatever bug or virus is also in attendance. Here are a few tips for staying healthy.

Leave Work At the Door
Sure, you may be teambuilding for work or only co-workers but leave the minutia of the day-to-day stress out of the build. If you’re trying to foster an environment of professionalism and courtesy then it is extremely pertinent to strike the records from your mind about how the project managers won’t answer your emails or that design can’t get your graphics done. Just learn to work with people as exactly that, people.

By Sean Schuette, CMP

• Planning in a VUCA world
• Ask yourself “What needs to happen to get this done?”
• Opening yourself to transparency and vulnerability

The year 2015 was one of the busiest I can recall in my near seventeen years in the industry. I had more things to get done, more hotels to stay in, more plane rides to take, and, in the end, the same amount of time each day to get it all done. I pause and wonder, how did I cross the finish line of 2015? Did I cross with a strong stride or did I feel like I barely had enough fuel to take the final step?

• Using mobile- and location-based technology
• Gauging attendee interest

Imagine implementing technology that could give you Google Analytics-like information for your next meeting/event.

• Featuring smoked ice and rye whiskey
• Crafting a twist on the Manhattan

Craft cocktails are in demand in even the smallest of markets. At the core of these creative selections are the classic drinks like Martinis and Manhattans. Taking a classic drink and crafting a twist that makes it both unique and memorable is one of the most creative ways the best of bartenders can share their talent.

Christopher Fenn, Bartender for Rye Restaurant located in the Copperleaf Boutique Hotel & Spa in Appleton, WI was looking for a way to bring the rich aromas from the Rye’s in-house smoked and cured meats into the bar. So the Smokey and the Bandit was formed. “The smokiness pairs naturally with whis key, so all I had to do was figure out how to round out the cocktail.” After developing a method to smoke ice, Fenn essentially made a twist on the classic Manhattan.

• Creative box lunches
• Unique salads on the go

While box lunches can be very convenient, they can also become a little boring. With so many creative chefs in the Midwest, it’s time to say, “bye-bye” to those boring box lunches and, “hello” to creative
and delicious meals on-the-go for your next event.

Chef Shelly Damiani with Mintahoe Catering & Events shares her chicken pecan salad as a creative, unique box lunch idea to take your meeting on-the-go or to send with attendees. Chef Damiani’s famous chicken salad has a creamy dressing, topped with pecans, and served in a pineapple boat. Yup, that’s right a pineapple boat. The sweet juicy pineapple shines  with the other savory flavors of this salad, and it’s sure to bring a smile to your face. The chicken salad is so good it’s remained on the menu for years. A classic salad with a unique twist.