1INTRODUCTION

An exciting, new meetingand event (M&E) ecosystem
is currently emerging, largely due to a technological revolution
accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This revolution has
caused the delivery of meetings and events to change, and executive-level meeting professionals are now rethinking how they
design and operate Total Event Programs or Strategic Meetings
Management (SMM) programs, taking deep dives into the needfor expanded stakeholder groups that now include risk, marketing and information technology (IT) professionals as core—versus periphery—team members.
And despite the core changes brought by new technologies,
there exists an understanding that the focus continues to be on
people and the best ways to engage participants.
M&E is big business. According to the Events Industry
Council, organizations spent US$1 trillion on M&E globally in
pre-pandemic, while individual organizations spent 1% to 3% of
their revenue on meetings (depending on industry), according
to Business Travel News. And meeting professionals play a criticalrole in validating return on investment (ROI) for this category ofspend. From a 2021 survey conducted by Forrester Consulting,
74% of respondents consider events to be their most importantdemand-generation tactic, so ensuring that M&E spend is maximized is essential to continue to engage and build loyalty withcustomers, employees and members.
Forward-thinking meeting owners and event marketers
understand the need to continue meeting with clients, closing sales, building pipelines and increasing customer loyalty,
even when meeting in-person was not an option. Instead ofbeing stymied by the inability to meet face-to-face to maintainor build business, they saw the opportunity that digital technologies could provide in driving business-goal achievement.
Although viewed as not-ideal, digital tools were a realistic
alternative to not being able to meet with key clients, and as abonus, they provided an unexpected trove of data and metrics
previously unthinkable for large scale events. The ability tomeasure time spent in a session, expand reach and amplify
messaging on a global basis proved music to the ears of digitaland event marketers.

Those who embraced digital technologies for meeting andevent delivery early on helped to lead a momentarily frozen
industry into the activity of conducting meetings and eventsby utilizing digital technologies that had previously supported
webinars or a small portion of in-person meetings, such as live
streaming general sessions, to now delivering entire meetings
or events in completely virtual formats.
For many—though not all—there was a learning curve, andmeeting owners leaned heavily on their supplier partners todesign and deliver meetings using tools that were unfamiliar tothem, their presenters, internal stakeholders and their audiences. Educating all members involved in the M&E lifecycle
became a critical success factor in producing positive meeting outcomes. Planners and event marketers are now M&E
producers and need to be fluent in all three delivery formats:in-person, virtual and hybrid.

Those who embraced digitaltechnologies early on helped
lead a frozen industry, utilizing
tech that had previously
supported webinars or small
in-person meetings, such as live
streaming general sessions, tonow delivering entire meetings
or events in completely virtual
formats.
One of the first lessons learned about producing virtual
events was the importance of engaging the audience in waysthat were meaningful, personal and perceived as valuable
uses of time—and selecting the right technology tools thatwould help achieve those goals. In recent years, some digital
tools have been purpose-built to effectively support multiple
functions of an event, such as general sessions, breakouts, expo
floors and networking. Some of these were effective and others
failed to produce positive outcomes or satisfy attendees.

STRATEGIC MEETINGS MANAGEMENT IN A NEXT-GEN WORLD

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Predicted Change
in Formats
2021 vs 2020
Smaller in size
Shorter duration
More local

60%

39%

31%

14%

NEW WAYS OF WORKING

18%

Virtual

17%

42%

31%
63%

HybridNo significant changes/
Same size

67%

10%

2021
2020

14%
17.5%

35%

52.5%

70%

Source: EventMB State of the Event Industry 2021 Report*

As digital M&E evolves from virtual to hybrid (alongside in-person and webinars), selecting the proper delivery
method(s) to suit the needs of participants proves essential.
Hybrid event options and elements are here to stay, as evidenced in this data from the EM State of the Event Industry 2021
report, indicating that what has remained consistent over thelast year, is the perception that hybrid is the format of the future. Most respondents (63%) say they see their events becoming hybrid in the future. Read the full report here.
The significant reduction of in-person meetings during the
shut-down led to unintended consequences, such as the reduction of carbon emissions; a multi-causal interest in diversity,
equity and inclusion; and a focus on health and wellness.
As a result, Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) is evolving. Expanding from a main emphasis on risk mitigation andcost containment, it has transitioned into a critical new pathway

via which meeting professionals assist organizations in achieving sustainability and supplier diversity goals with modified
M&E policies and advanced supplier sourcing strategies.
For example, meeting professionals are creating policies,
guidelines and strategies that reduce carbon emissions, single-use plastics and general waste from M&E or that include
local and minority suppliers in addition to the large national
and/or global vendors. Keeping all of those involved in planning and participating in M&E healthy and safe has gained
more importance, thus a new emphasis on venue cleaning protocols, the emergence of corporate COVID-19 officers and thecreation of cross-functional teams who approve each in-person
event. When designing programs, meeting professionals are
purposefully integrating wellness within all event formats to
help participants achieve wellbeing.

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2

NEW WAYS
OF WORKING

Flipping the switchfrom in-person to virtual meetings in early 2020 was a difficultchange for many meeting professionals, but it brought newopportunities to explore what those early adopters of digital
M&E had already embraced. Virtual meetings provided hugereach and amplification previously unseen at events held in asingle location.
Attendance grew at-times exponentially and internationally; social media views exploded from hundreds of thousands ofimpressions and engagement to millions. Meeting professionals
discovered that the granularity of data from digital technology
provides richer insights because so much information can betracked, including dwell time (how long a participant stayed in asession), the specific interests of key market segments, modules
completed during a skilling challenge—all in addition to typicalin-person meeting data like participant satisfaction and cost perattendee.

This last data metric—cost per attendee—has become
an intriguing metric related to virtual and hybrid M&E.
Although technology expenses can be quite high, the amplification of attendance across geography and time can reduce
per-person costs dramatically, making return-on-investment
practical for engaging with target audiences.
Since the transition from mostly virtual M&E during theheight of the pandemic, several versions of the event-format
spectrum have developed. The graphic below from the 2021
Events Industry Council Digital Guidebook depicts a spectrumof five formats from 100% in person to 100% virtual, withvariations of hybrid design in-between. Another spectrum
identifies six formats: in-person only, broadcast, hybrid,
digital-first, digital only, on-demand). Cvent identifies four
primary formats: in-person, virtual, hybrid and webinar.
Whatever the terminology, it is important to select the appro-

A New Normal: The Event
Format Spectrum

100% in-person

Traditional meeting
format, Multi-day
duration, longer
sessions. In-person
content can be
captured andrepurposed later.

Mostly inperson, little
virtual

Budget weighted
towards in-person
audience. Virtual
attendees in watchonly mode. Digitalplatform has hybrid
focus with an inroom bias. Virtual
experience simpler.

50/50 in-person
and virtual

Mostly virtual,little in-person

100% virtual

Budget evenly
weighted towards
both audiences.
Hybrid-focused
production andplatform bring
together bothaudiences.

Budget weighted
towards virtual
audience.
In-person audience
secondary. Digitalplatform more robust
virtual features andmay forgo somein-person features.

Event may be used tofill gaps in an event
schedule leading up
to an in-person event
e.g. pre-work. Digitalplatform may be 100%
virtual or may needto carry content
through to a future
in-person event.

STRATEGIC MEETINGS MANAGEMENT IN A NEXT-GEN WORLD5

priate delivery method(s) based on multiple decision criteria:
event goals, degree of interactivity, participant expectations,team skills, the planning timeline and budget parameters.
“Beyond a single event format, we’re also seeing theconcept on the ‘continuous event’ emerge, says Patrick Smith,senior vice president and CMO at Cvent. “In the digital world,
engagement with your customers, employees or peers neverhas to stop. The continuous event is the idea that organizations can create ‘always-on’ digital environments where theycan engage an event community before, during and after
their events. Content can now be accessed on-demand andnetworking online through video is commonplace, so the
traditional start and end dates of events start to blur.”
In addition to selecting which event formats to utilize,
there is also a new event landscape to consider as noted inthis depiction from a 2021 GBTA/Cvent industry study. This
landscape takes into consideration the timing of delivery. Is
the content for different audiences synchronous (at the sametime) or asynchronous (at different times)—knowing thedesired level of engagement for participants across educationand networking and understanding that venue location canhelp maximize in-person attendance.
One tactic is a hub-and-spoke (also called pod) design
with a main location and several hubs (or equal/equivalenthubs) accessible to more attendees and requiring less travel.

Driving the Industry Forward with
Successful & Safe Hybrid Events
After seeing the swift pivot to virtual across the industry during the
global health crisis, MPI leadership knew they needed an innovative
approach for their WEC Grapevine conference in late 2020. With thegoal of leading the industry to return to safe in-person experiences,
they decided to host a hybrid event in early November. “We knew wewanted to go hybrid because we needed to be able to connect withour constituents and be able to move forward,” says Melinda Burdette,senior director of events. “We were bold in our commitment to move
forward with an in-person and a fully live, digital event.”
Safely executing the hybrid event meant crafting a strategic planfor both the digital and in-person experiences. MPI needed to trackand measure data points across both audiences using a centralized
platform. They used Cvent’s Event Management solution to ensure aseamless registration process, allowing attendees to choose the rightexperience for their comfort level and education needs.
MPI knew the flexibility of the system could field changing attendee
needs as the global situation evolved. For example, the registration
system could easily manage cancellations or conversions to digitalwith unique price points and other mitigating factors. “We also
implemented a risk-free registration opportunity because so manyof our attendees were experiencing hardships due to the pandemic,”
Burdette explains. MPI integrated the registration tool with theFreeman virtual OEP platform to ensure a seamless data flow between
systems. This gave their team on-demand reporting to help prove
event ROI.
For the full case study, go here.

A New Event LandscapeAttendees are in multiple
locations; in-person and virtual
Attendees may mix but are notrequired to

IN PERSONHYBRIDVIRTUAL

Content may be consumed at
the same time, but experienceshould be optimized for eachaudience
Attendees may have different
drivers for engaging in eachexperience

STRATEGIC MEETINGS MANAGEMENT IN A NEXT-GEN WORLD6

Understanding and utilizing all of these options allow M&E
producers the opportunity to layer content with multiple delivery methods and touchpoints, thus maximizing access bothduring and after the event.
“When thinking about what event format is right for you,start with your event goals, attendee mix and geographic
implications,” says Julie Haddix, senior director of solutions
marketing at Cvent. “If your event is all about a wide content
reach, virtual may meet your goals. If it’s a group of local people who need a conversation, in-person would make sense. If
you need to bring together a wide geographic mix, hybrid may
make sense, potentially with a ‘hub’ model. No matter what
you choose, you also don’t have to go ‘all-in.’ Think about what
has to be live, what could be simu-live and sessions that could
be pre-recorded for on-demand viewing.”
There has been an explosion of stand-alone event technology platforms rushed to market recently in order facilitate virtual M&E production for a wide range of internal and external
events. See the infographic below. With so many technologies
available and the need to integrate them into other corporate
tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
systems, event programs and financial systems, it may be time
to consider concepts like Cvent’s Total Event Program (TEP)

When thinking about what
event format is right foryou, start with your event
goals, attendee mix andgeographic implications.
No matter what format you
choose, you also don’t haveto go ‘all-in.’ Think about
what has to be live, what
could be simu-live andsessions that could be
pre-recorded for ondemand viewing.
so that there are fewer disparate technologies to manage when
delivering M&E. Whatever the technology tools in use, it iscritical to remember that the focus needs to remain on participants and that the technology is simply one of the instruments used to produce and manage meetings and events.

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3

EVOLVING STAKEHOLDERENGAGEMENT

Seventy-five percentof companies surveyed had a C-level executive (think Chief
Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer or Chief Executive
Officer) involved in the decision to hold M&E post-shutdown,
according to 2021 research by GBTA and Cvent. Gaining
high-level visibility into the meetings and events contracted
and delivered during COVID-19 became essential to mostorganizations.
As M&E needed to be cancelled or postponed because of
COVID-19 restrictions, those with an SMM in place could
quickly and easily determine what was already contracted andwhat potential penalties were estimated to be. SMM owners worked with their suppliers to either reduce or eliminate
penalties or rebook for future programs without penalty. They
proactively shared this information with leadership and recommend strategies for minimizing both financial and reputationalrisk. Many also gained a seat at the table of those determining

how and when the return to face-to face meetings would occur, continuing to demonstrate their value to key stakeholders
within companies.
“Marketers and SMM practitioners historically spoke different languages,” Haddix says. “Marketers focused on driving
leads and increasing sales pipeline while SMM practitioners
focused on efficiency and cost-savings. The pandemic saw
these two groups finally speaking the same language. Together, teams had to figure out how to produce virtual events thatengaged attendees and achieved business objectives. As we
return to in-person, and all event formats remain a part of thetotal event program, these groups now have common groundon which to operate in the new event landscape.”
Conversely, those organizations with no central view totheir M&E were unsuccessful in capturing the total M&E
spend and paid significant cancelation penalties because of

Who’s Involved in Decision?

Who has most influence?

multiple answers allowed

one answers allowed

C-suite75%

49%

Security/risk department

65%

17%

HR department

60%

5%

Legal/compliance department

58%

7%

Travel manager/meeting planner

56%

3%

39%
31%
31%

Budget owner/buiness unit

3%

Company employees

1%

Occupational health department

8%

Third party consultant

6%

11%

0%

Other

6%

STRATEGIC MEETINGS MANAGEMENT IN A NEXT-GEN WORLD8

poorly negotiated contracts, and likely still don’t know theentire impact to the organization. With more interest at the
C-level, came more scrutiny about overall M&E spend, savings
and risk mitigation.
Progressive meeting professionals have taken this as a golden opportunity to make the case for the development of SMM
programs, which maximize M&E spend, minimize contract
cancelation fees and provide actionable data regarding enterprise-wide portfolios. These meeting leaders understand thevalue of engaging with key stakeholders within organizations togain support. Following are some of the new and old memberson the expanded stakeholder map.

on various high-level or highly visible events or to advise on
the creation of crisis management plans. Since the pandemic,
many organizations have expanded the role of security to help
avoid reputational risk and increase Duty of Care for meeting
participants by validating cleaning protocols at venues andensuring local regulations are followed.
• Legal Counsel: An organization’s lawyers have always
been involved with negotiating favorable contract clauses,
now there are net-new conversations with legal regarding revised and/or new clauses about health and safety to help protect organizations from penalties and fees, as well as attendee
safety and health and its implications on potential liabilities
associated with in-person events.
• Suppliers: Partner relationships have deepened as the degree of reliance and communication exponentially increased.
Meeting professionals are leaning on technology suppliers to
guide them through the new landscape of digital technologies.
Communications during contracting and planning stages
start earlier and are much more detailed, covering not only
modification of contract terms and usual planning activities but also insights on local regulations, current cleaning
protocols and details on how other groups will interact with
programs. More than 60% of meeting professionals depend
on industry experts outside of their organizations to create
hybrid strategies and deliver on hybrid events, according to
the EM State of the Event Industry 2021 report.

• Information Technology: IT involvement means theseleaders are the new cooks in the kitchen, now an essential partof the digital technology evaluation team creating confidence
when selecting digital platforms that align with corporate
guidelines and avoiding cyber security breaches that would
expose personally identifiable information (PII) and/or organizational proprietary information.
• Data Analyst: With the rise of digital tools and theirability to capture volumes of data, the need for experts in data
analysis has increased. This role joins the team in determining business objectives at the start of the planning process,building the framework to capture information, examine thedata and provide actionable insights and program metrics todetermine ROI and the delivery of goal attainment.
• Demand Generation and Digital Marketers: Digitalteams, which may not have previously realized the power of
events as a marketing channel, now see the opportunity technology provides and are reaching out to meeting professionals
to benefit from their skills and expertise.
• Event Marketers: Event marketNo One
ers usually prefer to work outside of
the realm of SMM, using their nicheInternal Marketing Teamsuppliers without restriction. Recently,
AV Partner
they have become aware of the value
and support that an SMM program can
Event Tech Vendor
provide with navigating multiple delivery methods in the new event landscapeInternal IT Team(in-person trade show, virtual webinar,
hybrid roadshow).
External Consultants• Security & Risk: Typically, theseOther
7%
players have been in the periphery of
the stakeholder group. Pre-pandemic,
10%
Source: EventMB State of Event Industry 2021 Report*
they were asked to do risk assessments

Sources of Support
in Designing Hybrid
Strategies

STRATEGIC MEETINGS MANAGEMENT IN A NEXT-GEN WORLD

32%
25%
23%
22%
20%
19%

20%

30%

40%

9

4

SUSTAINABILITY, HEALTH& WELLNESSAs COVID-19 persists,

there is a growing sentiment of online M&E fatigue; however, meeting participants have benefitted from the convenience and accessibility of digital events and the digital delivery of content will continue. The benefits of online learning include improved quality of life
(time away from home and family) and reduced carbon emissions.

• MGM Resorts International completed substantial construction
on its Mega Solar Array in North Las Vegas.
• MPI offers its Sustainable Event Strategist certificate program toglobal students. Learn more here.
• The Clean the World Foundation has served more than 15
million people in over 127 countries.

Hybrid and virtual M&E support the goals of Diversity, Equity, andInclusion initiatives by enabling those who may not have the finan-“As we talk to our customers, we’re seeing many global enterprise

cial means to travel to participate in meetings and collaborate withorganizations at the forefront of change, driving their leadershippeers in multiple geographic locations. It is important to note thatteams to embrace sustainability requirements within their event strat-

the lack of universal Internet access remains a global concern andegies,” says Karen Carter, Cvent’s director of enterprise marketing inbarrier to entry for millions of people around the world.

Europe. “These requirements cover things like being more thoughtful

Global carbon emission levels were down a record 7 percent in

about in-person vs. virtual meetings, selecting properties that employ

2020, according to the Global Carbon Project (GCP). Many compa-

their own sustainability practices and setting carbon emissions goals

nies are in the process of revising travel and meeting policies to help

for their employees and travel departments.”

achieve their carbon goals by limiting air travel, reducing meetings
size and using green-certified properties, among other strategies.
Other examples of reducing the volume of F2F meetings include
instituting a cadenced approach to meeting delivery. For example,
an organization with four annual board of director meetings may
now hold two online and two in-person. Another approach is to
reduce travel distance for attendees and use cars, trains and light

Millennials and Gen-Z regard climatechange as the most important issue of
their generations and they will keep
the industry motivated on changing
behavior to positively impact theenvironment.

rail instead of air travel. Creating a hub-and-spoke hybrid meeting
design with a central event location and multiple regional locations

Meanwhile, the focus on individual health and wellness continues.
According to the University of Maryland, “Wellness is fuelingcan help accomplish this.
Millennials and Gen-Z regard climate change as the mostyour body, engaging your mind and nurturing your spirit. How weimportant issue of their generations, according to ThrustCarbon

think about wellness is affected by our culture and our life expe-(a company that helps organizations operate sustainably), and theyriences.” By purposefully integrating wellness into the design ofwill keep the industry motivated on changing behavior to positively

experiences of all formats, meeting professionals can help attendees

impact the environment.

achieve better overall wellness.
Meeting professionals who utilize the eight dimensions of well-

Recent industry sustainability advancements include the following.

ness during the design process create integrated well experiences• In December 2021, United Airlines became the first airline tothat rise above bolt-on physical wellness activations like yoga breaks

operate a 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) passenger flightor gamification programs. The eight dimensions include emotional/

in the commitment to its eco-skies initiative.

mental, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physi-• BP created a free tool kit and carbon calculator bp Target

cal, social and spiritual.

Neutral for designing more environmentally friendly M&E

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5

THE FUTURE OF SMM

Aspects of the new M&E landcape
have combined to have an overall impact on design of SMM programs. What was importantpreviously—such as mitigating contractual risk and cost savings—may not be top priorities
now. The components of SMM are being re-examined and revisited so they better align withthe current business environment. For almost 20 years, the industry has used the GBTA SMM
Wheel as the gold standard for SMM program design. To the right is the most recent version.
Consider the following evolving aspects Strategic Meetings Management.
An expanded list of stakeholders now includes marketers, IT and data analytics; broader responsibili-

STAKEHOLDERS

New sourcing strategies help organizations achieve sustainability goals; purchase from more local purveyors;

STRATEGYPOLICYties for security and legal; and increased engagement with supplier partners.

and include smaller, diverse suppliers alongside national or global vendors.
Revised M&E policies include guidelines regarding utilization of virtual/hybrid events (who attends
and how) and approved suppliers (green meeting guidelines).

TECHNOLOGYTechnology tools enable more widespread adoption of digital events, creating ties to cyber security andPII policies and leading to the need for Total Event Program design.
Updated approval requirements create more visibility, reduce reputational risk and increase duty of

REGISTRATION

care. M&E registration data security leads to regional review and approval policies.

EVENT OBJECTIVES

Meeting professionals put more effort into defining event objectives with new collaborations with
event/digital marketers and data analysts.
Net new collaborations with suppliers regarding technology capabilities, cleaning

SOURCING & PROCUREMENTPLANNING & EXECUTION

protocols and contract clauses mean stronger overall relationships.
Expanded teams consist of virtual- and F2F-specific staff, digital technology and A/V production,
audience engagement specialists, social media, onsite medical and COVID-19 Compliance officers.

PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE

A new focus on what the participant wants and needs will lead to more sustainable meetings,
health and wellness integrations and options to participate remotely or in-person.

PAYMENT & RECONCILIATIONDATA ANALYSIS AND REPORTING

Virtual payment continues to gain popularity; however, the payment and reconciliation processcontinues to be a pain point for many organizations with older financial systems.
Much more granular data makes for better ROI analysis, and new metrics help evaluate
M&E success with more actionable data to manage enterprise-wide M&E portfolios.

“Many customer meeting policies and procedures have
evolved during the past 18 months,” says Allison Hamil, seniordirector of professional services at Cvent “These changes focus
on safety and the attendee experience with the return to in-person or hybrid events. Some have introduced new attendee-levelapprovals, pending health screening protocols before registration
confirmation is sent. Those clients are eager to deploy the new
Cvent Health Check feature. Several plan to use it for hybridinternal meetings such as annual sales kickoffs. Other clients use
Cvent technology to automate additional meeting-level approvals formeetings with an in-person audience. Common elements include
new registration sections, as well as automated routing to legal,
environmental health or other safety departments for visibility andcompliance reasons. This extra step keeps attendees safe and helps
customers manage risk while protecting attendee privacy and leading
to great attendee experiences.”

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6

CONCLUSION

A new meeting and event

Savvy SMM practitioners realize that this is the prime time tolandscape has emerged due to the technological revolution acceler-either refine an existing SMM program or gain buy in for theated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on in-person meetings.

creation of an enterprise-wide SMM. There is now more C-level

M&E managers, event and digital marketers and SMM programattention on the value of M&E, and the fees and penalties paid forowners have all experienced and adapted to rapid change.

pandemic related cancelations provide a compelling business casefor SMM. Additionally, organizational goals and objectives have

Many M&E professionals are upskilling or reskilling to not onlychanged and SMM programs can truly assist in achieving theseeffectively design and operate hybrid and virtual events (see MPI’s

goals in the following ways.

certificate programs here) but also to address automation and• Reducing the environmental impact of M&E

artificial intelligence, which are also impacting their jobs. Meeting• Creating more (though still limited) inclusion via virtual

professionals are exploring new technologies and incorporatingthem into the design and delivery of M&E, but not at the expenseof a focus on people.

and hybrid meetings• Increaing the use of diverse suppliers through strategic
sourcing• Mitigating reputational risk and increasing health and safety

Technology now offers an enhanced means of creating participant
experiences that touch emotions, inspire action and change andmatch the interests of those participating. Keeping these digital

via more stringent approval processes• Improving return on investment reporting by utilizing granular
data available from digital technology tools

solutions simple with integrated systems can increase ease of use
and satisfaction among presenters, sponsors and participants.

YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Take advantage of the recent learn-

Although M&E professionals and producers are embracing digitalings from the rapidly advancing meeting industry. First, don’t betechnologies, there is still a need to lean on suppliers for theirafraid to explore new technologies and fully embrace hybrid andexpertise and ability to extend bandwidth.

virtual as an extension of your in-person M&E. Second, no matter
what the current state of your SMM (if any), make it a priority to

When evaluating tech partners, look to suppliers who can support

refresh your program or commit to exploring the potential of im-

the majority of the M&E lifecycle in addition to helping to curate

plementing one, if only to gain visibility to enterprise-wide M&E

and facilitate meaningful and impactful M&E.

so that there are controls in place to protect your organization.

Betsy Bondurant, CMM President, Bondurant Consulting
Betsy Bondurant, CMM, offers a unique 360° perspective with expertise in hotel sales, meeting and trade show management and procurement, including 20 years of direct involvement in the discipline of Strategic Meetings Management (SMM). Betsy implemented a pioneering
corporate-wide Strategic Meetings Management program at the world’s largest Biotech company. In 2007, she moved from corporate meetings
into consulting, dedicated to providing unbiased assessments and recommendations for SMM programs. Betsy is a professional speaker andexpert and has authored many articles, developed educational content and presented to global audiences. She is currently chair of the digital
guidebook subcommittee for the Events Industry Council (EIC) APEX Commission. Betsy earned the GBTA Presidents Award in 2021 and wasrecognized in the inaugural 15 over 50 by Connect Corporate in 2019. Betsy has been recognized as one of Top 25 Women in the Meetings
Industry by Meetings and Conventions magazine and one of Meeting News’ 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry. She has
earned MPI’s Chairwoman’s Award and is a Business Travel News Best Practitioner.
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About Meeting Professionals International
When we meet face-to-face, it empowers us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. That’s why MPI strives to lead theworld in education, networking and innovative solutions that advance not only the meeting and event industry, but the careers of the professionals in it.
Through MPI’s global network of local chapters, we activate, educate, support and connect the connectors—
people who are passionate about bringing people together. MPI serves the entirety of the meeting and event
industry, regardless of need, audience or specialization. MPI delivers leadership and education that are not
only credible—they’re actionable. We empower our community to visualize and execute one-of-a-kind experiences that inspire people to evolve their outlooks, reexamine their preconceptions and take positive action.
Because when we meet, we think in ways previously unthought. Because when we meet, we break throughbarriers that kept us apart. When we meet, we change the world.®
For more information, visit MPI.org.

About Cvent
Cvent is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with more than 4,000 employees andnearly 21,000 customers worldwide. Founded in 1999, the company delivers a comprehensive event marketing and management platform and offers a global marketplace where event professionals collaborate withvenues to create engaging, impactful experiences.
Cvent is headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C., and has additional offices
around the world to support its growing global customer base. The comprehensive Cvent event marketing and management platform offers software solutions to event organizers and marketers for online event
registration, venue selection, event marketing and management, virtual and onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. Cvent’s suite of products automate and simplify the entire event management process andmaximize the impact of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Hotels and venues use Cvent’s supplier andvenue solutions to win more group and corporate travel business through Cvent’s sourcing platforms. Cvent
solutions optimize the entire event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world tomanage millions of meetings and events.
For more information, visit Cvent.com.