It was December of 1891 and Captain Joseph McFee was distraught. In his heart, he’d promised himself he’d feed 1,000 poor people in the San Francisco Bay area on Christmas Day. But in his wallet, he simply didn’t have the means. Not even close.

Suddenly, he remembered years earlier, as a sailor stationed in Liverpool, England, how a large pot had been placed on the waterfront at Christmastime to raise money for the local needy. All day long, deckhands, longshoreman, and sailors would pass by the bucket and drop a coin or two in it for the less fortunate. There were no grand gestures, just a coin here and a coin there but somehow it added up to enough to make a difference in the community.

The following day, McFee received permission from city officials to place a brass urn at the Oakland Ferry Landing with a handwritten sign next to it: Keep the Pot Boiling. Before long, he’d raised more than enough money to feed the 1,000 Bay-area people who otherwise would’ve gone hungry on Christmas Day. Two years later, the campaign grew to 30 kettle locations on the West Coast with the assistance of two young Salvation Army volunteers. Soon after Christmas of 1895, the two volunteers were transferred to Boston and took the red kettle spirit with them. That year, between three kettles in Boston and the 30 West Coast locations, more than 150,000 people were served.

Fast forward to 2018 …

With the devastation caused in Florida and Southwest Georgia by catastrophic Hurricane Michael in October and the California wildfires this fall, resources of the Salvation Army have been stretched and burdened. Yet, their volunteers continue to say, “We will be here for as long as we are needed.”

As you breeze into a Walmart or Target or shopping mall in the coming weeks, pay notice to the friendly sound of the Salvation Army bell ringers, appreciate the smiles they have for everyone, and consider slipping a dollar – or $5 or $10 or more – into that cross-shaped slot on the top of the shiny red kettle. You can be comfortable knowing the Salvation Army is one of the most efficiently operated charities in the world, according to Charity Navigator which tracks such things. Eighty-two cents of each dollar will reach its targets. The rest goes toward fundraising initiatives, salaries, infrastructure and administrative costs that keep this 153-year-old organization operating in more than 130 countries worldwide.

Finally, as we move full-bore into the heart of the holiday season, the entire team at dynami group wanted to take a moment and express our appreciation of you, the experiences we’ve shared (and hopefully will continue to share for many years), and to send you holiday greetings whether you prefer …

Happy Hanukkah!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Kwanzaa!

Or, perhaps you prefer a simple, “Enjoy your holidays …” We hope the coming weeks and the New Year are full of joy, abundance and kindness for each of you and your families.

CONCLUSION

After a devastating hurricane in Florida and wildfires in California, the Salvation Army could use your help to replenish resources. Every little bit makes a difference!

Cheers,

Photo credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

The post Ever Wonder How Salvation Army’s Red Kettles Became A Holiday Icon? appeared first on dynami.

What’s your preferred leadership style (as a leader or a follower)? There are plenty to choose from, that’s for sure, ranging from tender to tyrannical and everything in between. Consider these five leadership styles and some of their associated luminaries:

• Just Do It! – Task-oriented, walk the talk, take action. (Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo; Jack Welch, GE; General/President Dwight D. Eisenhower)
• Transformational Leadership – A trendy, new-agey way of saying stubborn at times, flexible at others. (Bill Gates, Microsoft; Elon Musk, Tesla; Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook)
• People-First, Always! – Empathetic, inclusive, consensus-building, allows others to succeed. (Sundar Pichai, Google; Sir Richard Branson, Virgin; Mary Barra, General Motors; Basketball Coach John Wooden, UCLA)
• Expect More, Demand More – A maddeningly insistent yet dynamic leader that people both love and hate as a boss. (Jeff Bezos, Amazon; Steve Jobs, Apple; Coach Bill Belichick, New England Patriots)
• Dictatorial – Traditional model of black & white, hard-nosed leadership, leads by intimidation, micromanages, sometimes even ruthlessly. (Larry Ellison, Oracle; Henry Ford, Ford Motor Co.; Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation; Martha Stewart, Omnimedia; Ebenezer Scrooge, banker)

While it’s hard to argue with success, it’s fair-game to favor, if not expect, a leadership style rooted in goodness and compassion when accepting a job or leading a team. It is both a reasonable expectation for a team member and a personal/professional responsibility if you’re the one at the top.

Clearly, much can be learned, both good and bad, by studying varying leadership styles. Wouldn’t it be nice if all leaders were a tidy combination of People-First, Always and Just Do It! Alas, that’s not reality. But … that would be an influential leader.

Speaking of which …

I recently came across an article by David McNally in Training Magazine entitled: The Influential Leader. The premise of the influential leader is “not about what we learn to do to others but what we can learn to be for others – consistently becoming the kind of person others want to follow.”

In it, McNally shares nuggets of insight worth sharing … and emulating.

Ego is best kept in the bottom drawer  – Quoting from the Jim Collins biz-blockbuster Good to Great, McNally says that more than 2/3 of companies led by self-absorbed, bombastic leaders were far less likely to succeed than others. He calls attention to this passage from the book: “the presence of a gargantuan personal ego contributed to the demise or continued mediocrity of the company”. Meanwhile, companies that were able to sustain success over an extended period of time were those being steered by a leader who was “a study in duality … modest and willful, humble and fearless”.

Determining Influence – While charisma is a wonderful asset for anyone to possess, it can quickly go toxic when paired with a lack of personal character. Bernie Madoff of Madoff Investment Securities comes to mind, as does the entire “leadership” team at Enron Corporation.

“Great leadership is ultimately about competence and influence,” McNally posits. “What determines influence (is) the ability to gain others’ commitment to the shared missions and goals of the organization. People follow leaders they believe in – who demonstrate values with which they align.”

When the team sees its leader operating with fundamental integrity, knowing he or she has the individual’s and the organization’s best interests at heart, they willingly and enthusiastically fall in line. As stated earlier, it’s not about doing to others, it’s about being for others. Not unlike The Golden Rule or JFK’s famous line at his 1960 Presidential Inauguration: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Choosing “Right Action” – The foundational book of the Hindu faith is the Bhagavad Gita which is based on the precept of “right action”,  the personal commitment to always do what we know and believe to be moral and honorable. How many times, in the course of the average day – whether you’re sitting at home, sitting in traffic, or sitting at your desk – are we presented with situations in which it’s possible (and sometimes tempting) to take the easy way out and do something less than noble?

When you operate from a “right action” mindset, you stop and consider the effect your decision will have on others and you proceed accordingly. Taking the proverbial high road may make the journey steeper and longer but it’s always the best route. “Right action is often a courageous decision because it might mean taking a stand for what is honest and just,” McNally writes.

Being a nonconformist is something Sir Richard Branson has prided himself on throughout his career – and a rather successful career it’s been! Branson didn’t get there by cutting corners, making easy decisions, or following the pack. He got there by taking “right action” regardless of what others thought.

Business experts’ eyes widened when Branson announced Virgin America would extend unlimited leave – not just maternal leave but an always-available “timeout” for any employee. Many American CEOs (some who’ve never taken more than a two-week vacation in their lives) shook their heads and scoffed at the inanity of such a decision. What about productivity and business efficiencies and overhead and workload and, and, and … ?

“If someone wants to go off for a month and travel the world, they can go and do it,” Branson told Forbes magazine. “They’ll work that much harder when they get back. It doesn’t impact the company.” Branson also criticized America’s standard 2-3 weeks annual vacation at a recent Adobe Summit, a highly popular digital conference featuring leaders from the world’s most beloved brands. “Treating people with flexibility, as humans, like you’d treat your own children comes back to the company many times over.” Branson’s courageous decision made absolutely no business sense and, at the same time, made absolutely perfect sense. “Right action” can be very powerful indeed.

Some want to lead, others are happy to follow – Also from the Bhagavad Gita, “Whatever a great man does, ordinary people will do; whatever standard he sets, everyone will follow.” This is perhaps the most important thing for a principled leader to remember. You set the tone. You are the role model. You are being closely watched. Your actions will trigger others’ actions. Be the kind of person you yourself would be proud to call “my boss”.

The leadership style I prefer to emulate is People First, Always! I’m sure I have my moments when I fall short but I assure you my heart is in the right place 100% of the time. I hope you feel the same.

Choose to be an influential leader because “doing the right thing” will never go out of style.

CONCLUSION

Be mindful of your personal leadership style and course-correct, if necessary. If you lead a business, team or organization, people will emulate you so be sure to set the right example.

Cheers,

The post Is It Time To Take A Fresh Look At Your Leadership Style? appeared first on dynami.

For those of us in the meetings and events industry, it’s critical to understand the tangible impact of current realities like change, speed-of-change, adaptation, discernment and, ultimately, success.

I attended an industry event early last month that featured a fascinating luncheon presentation. Michael Dominguez, Chief Sales Officer for MGM Resorts International, delivered a fast-paced, one-hour whirlwind (appropriate!) of insights that had many in the room snapping smartphone photos of his PowerPoint presentation.

I’D LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, STARTING WITH “THE BIG PICTURE” THEN FOCUSING IT DOWN TO THE HOTEL INDUSTRY:

Change is running faster than our ability to 100% keep up – Sometime in the last several years, the trend lines of Human Adaptability and Technology crossed and, for the first time in humankind, people are, to some degree, tripping and falling like hamsters on a spinning wheel, unable to stay on top of everything. That’s because “everything” now consists of many more “things” than it used to. The key is to identify those platforms and tools we must keep pace with and not sweat the others. To try and do it all perfectly – email, text, instant messenger, cell, social media, etc., etc., etc. – will ultimately exhaust you.

– If you’re fond of being the best door-to-door salesman or VHS repair dude, don’t change. But if you’re looking to survive and thrive in this nutty-fast world, you simply must learn to do things differently. What worked yesterday is wasted time today. If you don’t believe this, when was the last time you saw advertising for Polaroid, Blockbuster, Sears, Radio Shack, Woolworth, Kodak, K-Mart, myspace or napster? As Charles Darwin  — that evolutionary revolutionary – opined more than a century ago: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent … it is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

Coping at the speed-of-life – There is good news amongst the chaos and frenzy: Authenticity is still in style and is as important as ever. Be true to your clients, customers and consumers and you will be rewarded. Meet them on their terms instead of doing what you’ve always done.

At one point during his presentation, Dominguez asked the audience what American company has led the way in recent years when it comes to evolving and remaining relevant to its base. He got the expected responses: “Apple … Amazon … Google”, etc.

Nope, “Domino’s Pizza,” he told the group. Suffice to say virtually everyone’s jaws dropped.

In stark contrast to the Polaroids and K-Marts of the world, Domino’s, Netflix and, yes, Apple, Google and mighty, mighty Amazon have succeeded in evolving and growing but it was the pizza company whose CEO came out publicly and admitted, “Our pizza sucks and we need to make it better” that led all others.

And it has paid dividends. Consider, if you’d invested $1,000 in Domino’s stock just eight years ago (when the “We suck” declaration was made) you’d be sitting on a $21,238 pile of cash today. That wouldn’t be true had their CEO not been bold enough to be authentic.

As Alvin Toffler, author of Future Shock and a rather insightful dude with a crystal ball, once said: “The illiterate of the 21^st century  will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who  cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Clearly, Domino’s accomplished that.

 
So how does all this relate to the meetings and events industry and the hotels we research, site visit, contract with, execute meetings in, and call home for a large percentage of the year?

Boom times for rooms! – Every single significant metric used to measure hotel success – occupancy, average daily room rate, revpar (short for “Revenue Per Available Room” and calculated  as Revpar = Revenue ÷ Available Rooms), occupied rooms, and room revenues – were up, up, up in the U.S. in 2016 with the trend continuing at a record pace in 2017 and, up until recently, this year, too. For the first time since 2010 – a run of 102 consecutive “plus” months – the U.S. hotel industry saw a slight 0.3% dip in revpar in September, according to STR which monitors the lodging industry. (The record of 111 consecutive months of revpar growth was established 1992-2001.) Hurricane Irma helped smash the demand record in September 2017 which made this month’s year-to-year comparison a toughie to surpass. But Dominguez said all indicators are the positive growth will continue for at least two years.

That panic button …? Yeah, no need to push it yet. The industry is alive and well with no end to bookings in sight.

Demand is outpacing supply – Every year since 2011, there’s been a call for more rooms than there are rooms available for groups. Some industry analysts believe this balance in favor of sellers has helped the industry skip a downturn which typically occurs every 8-10 years. Expect group rates to continue to be less than a bargain moving forward. And the booking cycle will include even greater lead times.

Less is apparently more these days – Put your Real Simple magazine aside for a moment and consider this: The biggest area of growth in new hotel construction is in the “Limited-Service” category which means hotels with fewer ballrooms than we traditionally have seen, or those ballrooms and other conference spaces are shrinking. Thus, if you find an attractive group rate, you might have to be creative and locate a nearby space large enough for your group’s business and social settings. (This adds ground transportation, budgetary and agenda timing challenges.) This “limited-service” movement is particularly true in the upscale and upper-midscale categories which makes sense since they’re already outpacing the industry in terms of room demand. And while there are six new hotels opening in the U.S. this year with 50,000+ square feet of meeting space, that trend is expected to turn downward in 2019.

Fewer Meetings = Larger Groups – Interestingly, during the period 2013-2015, we saw a trend begin towards fewer meetings but larger groups of attendees. There was actually a decline in group size in the >300 and 300-900 categories while meetings of 1,000 people rose.

People are suddenly more than mere units – Demographics have always been, and always will be, important but numbers-based data needs to slide over and make room for non-black & white considerations called “psychographics” which is hoity-toity-speak for what tickles peoples’ fancy. It’s no longer simply a matter of age, gender breakdown, race, geographical location, and employment status, it’s also the “grey areas” like personality, value systems, attitudes, interests and behavioral patterns. That’s why we’re seeing “lifestyle brands” popping up in the hotel industry – Stay Well, Kimpton, West Elm and Shinola to name a few. Finally, the industry has awakened to the fact that behavioral science is just as important as mathematics and percentages when it comes to targeting markets and managing your business. It seems behavioral science has actually become more important than math when assessing what the consumer needs and desires.

In Conclusion …

Just as Domino’s did, we must all step back and honestly assess how we approach what we do and how we do it. Today’s meetings and events (or Meeting and Event Planner, for that matter) are not the same as yesterday’s. Modern times and industry dynamics everywhere are shifting and being reshaped. We must keep pace or we’ll become irrelevant because, “The times, they are a’ changin’ …” (Sing it, Bob Dylan!)

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE

Today’s meetings and events (or Meeting and Event Planner, for that matter) are not the same as yesterday’s. Modern times and industry dynamics everywhere are shifting and being reshaped. We must keep pace or we’ll become irrelevant.

Cheers,

The post If You Want To Survive The Meetings And Events Industry, You Must Read This … Now! appeared first on dynami.

You can too!

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THEMES THAT REALLY CREATE RESULTS

Most conferences and conventions have a theme, but only a few really leverage its full potential. Instead, they put a graphic and a few inspiring words on their materials and scatter it among their content, but it is forgotten as soon as the event is over.

The best themes have long lifespans and help make the meatier content clearer and more actionable. Find out the top considerations for creating a theme that elevates the impact of every event in our free white paper.

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NOT ALL ATTENDEES ARE CREATED EQUAL

New franchisees, under-performers and top performers with a lengthy track record all have different needs at your convention. Giving them the same information in the same way really doesn’t work. Find out how you can design a more customized convention experience for ALL your attendees, whatever level they are at at the moment.

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MAKE EVERY ENGAGEMENT COUNT

There are endless opportunities during every convention to reinforce key content, provide deeper dives into important initiatives and build awareness for major actions that are needed. Still, it requires careful forethought and planning to create the stream of content effectively

Check out where you might be missing a great opportunity to reach your attendees outside of the session rooms for greater impact.

[DOWNLOAD THE FREE REPORT HERE]

Cheers,

The post Inspired Franchise Conferences: THE POWER OF GREAT CONTENT appeared first on dynami.

Here are 10 fascinating things you probably didn’t know about our Manager, Event Marketing

Hi, Everyone!

Here’s my story …

1. I grew up on a small farm just north of Atlanta in Lawrenceville. My family owned about 20 acres (think Green Acres with cows, chickens, apple trees and a large garden) that had been in our family for decades. We ended up selling and moving 20 miles north to Cumming when I was in high school. Our “Green Acres” is now a part of Ronald Reagan Parkway, a very busy, east-west toll road in Gwinnett County. My, how times change!
2. Speaking of times changing (and time zones), I love traveling! I’ve been to Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, China, England, France, Germany, The Republic of Maldives, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Peru; and have made multiple stops in the Caribbean and, of course, throughout the good ol’ USA. I once traveled around the entire world in a westerly direction in one trip (multiple stops, of course)! Destinations I dream of traveling to one day include Guam, the Seychelles and South Africa.
3. My husband and I attended a smallish liberal arts college (Georgia College in Milledgeville) at the same time but didn’t know each other. It wasn’t until five years after graduation that we officially “met” while I was on a date … with his best friend. Don’t worry – no hard feelings – it was just a friendly, casual wedding date. They’re still best friends and, ironically enough, the mother of my “friendly, casual” wedding date officiated our
4. My husband and I were married in April 2017. For our honeymoon, we journeyed nearly 10,000 miles to the Maldives in the middle of the Indian Ocean and stayed in one of those travel magazine, over-the-water bungalows that’s on everyone’s Bucket List. It was for me, too. Not anymore. It was also the first time my husband had traveled internationally. Go big, big, big or go home, right?
5. They say your reasoning skills don’t fully develop until you’re around 25-years-old. Thus, I thought it would be fun to skydive for my 25^th My theory was, if I waited any longer, I would probably be more fully reasoned and talk myself out of it because let’s face it, jumping out of a plane at an altitude of 13,000 feet is not a rational idea. The experience was awesome but I can honestly say, it’s one of those one-and-done Bucket List adventures.
6. We adopted two black Labrador/Shar Pei-mix pups named Oliver and Otis. We got lucky, because they’re adorable like Labs with a few extra wrinkles. They have the temperament of a Shar Pei, so they’re super laid back. We love ‘em!
7. Speaking of a dog’s life, I used to volunteer for Canine Assistance, helping to train their service dogs. It’s truly amazing what a dog can do!
8. I used to say running keeps me sane (well, as sane as someone in the Meetings & Events industry can claim to be, that is). I ran the Chicago Half-Marathon in 2013 and quickly came to appreciate the extraordinary commitment of time and discipline it takes to train long distance. It’s truly a feat … a feat of feet, you might say. Nowadays, I stick to shorter runs and jogs, but I sure do respect those who run long distances. I still use running as a coping mechanism when life gets crazy!
9. My husband and I love wine! We learned all about the agricultural process and factors, the science behind wine-making, and how various flavors are achieved. It’s absolutely fascinating to us. We’ve started quite a collection which includes many wines we’re currently aging. (I wasn’t always an instant-gratification girl!) We prefer “new world” wines over the “olde world”, so Napa is one of our favorite destinations — definitely a more-than-one-and-done Bucket List experience.
10. My birthday falls on Christmas Eve and I used to be a professional gift-wrapper. For me, there’s something therapeutic about wrapping packages (assuming you don’t wait until my birthday to start wrapping for Christmas Day). I like to joke around and say I’m “part elf” … without the pointy ears.

And for a bonus insight …

11. I am a member of Meeting Professionals International and earned my Meeting Professionals International (MPI) certification in 2016 which was a goal of mine the day I started in this wonderful, exciting industry. I’m very proud of that accomplishment. My next goal is to complete the MPI Experiential Event Series certification and get hands-on, behind-the-scenes experience with some of the world’s largest and most impressive mega-events.

I approach each day with the following philosophy: Always align my efforts with the client’s business goals and objectives, and create a memory along the way. I believe wholly understanding the “why” is a critical aspect of my role. Making the connection between a company’s organizational strategy and the specific meeting or event goals is the key. This allows me, as Event Planner, to focus on what is critical to the organization and its stakeholders. It ensures the event is designed and focused on accomplishing stated goals, exceeding attendees’ expectations, and maximizing the client’s return on investment. In short, strive for max impact that creates results.

Having said that, the event must also be highly memorable and trigger attendees’ “Remember when we …” button years later. I want everyone – client, attendees and event team members — to walk away truly “wowed”. We accomplish this by incorporating the latest event trends and innovative concepts to create a one-of-a-kind attendee experience with the added polish of a personal touch.

So there ya have it. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it … and adding to it all the time. I look forward to working closely with you on new adventures in the near-future!

CONCLUSION

Farm girl to college girl to globe-trotting, wine-lovin’ “dog person” … Lauren Justice Kolve is passionate about pairing your objectives and goals with her creativity!

Ciao!

The post Meet Lauren Justice Kolve, dynami group’s Manager of Event Marketing! appeared first on dynami.

As with everything, there are tips, tricks and little-known secrets that can make life on the road much more enjoyable. Here are 10 for your consideration…

Centralize and organize all travel-related info – That thing you always have on your person isn’t merely a mobile phone, it can be an invaluable, mobile repository of important travel info – flights, hotel confirmations, ground transportation arrangements, restaurant reservations, appointment schedule, etc. Check out the TripIt app (available for iOS and Android) which keeps all travel data conveniently in one place.  Also, don’t forget to shoot a picture of your rental car, your hotel room number and parking lot space number in case it slips your mind. Store those images in the TripIt app. It’s also a wise idea to shoot a photo of your driver’s license, auto insurance card, medical insurance cards, list of prescriptions and your passport

Think twice before booking the last flight out – Yes, you’re busy. Yes, you’ve got back-to-back, all-day meetings. And yes, you’re catching the last flight out. Bad idea. If that flight gets canceled, you’re cooked and that big presentation you’ve been slaving over for weeks will never pass before the client’s eyes. Don’t risk it. Always give yourself a secondary option in the event of inclement weather, mechanical breakdowns, etc. Also, if you’re traveling to a more remote location and there’s only one flight per day, go a day early.

Maximize your commute time – Consider booking an executive limo or sedan service vs. driving yourself to and from the airport and renting a car at your destination. The average biz traveler spends an hour driving to the airport, then another hour after renting a car upon arrival and

driving to their destination hotel. Add another hour for driving around to “get the lay of the land” then reverse the whole process for the return trip. That’s five hours that could’ve been spent polishing that presentation or following up on urgent tasks. Research global limo services, set up an account, and you can leave the ground transpo up to your trusted limo provider. Of course, there’s always easy and (mostly) convenient Uber or Lyft which is becoming more and more mainstream with business travelers. Just be sure to assess, in advance, their presence in the market to which you’re traveling.

If you must rent a car, be selective – Travel + Leisure recently released its annual list of leading of U.S. auto rental companies. For the fifth year running, National was tops with a customer satisfaction rating of 80.4%, followed in order by Enterprise (78.7%), Hertz (76.4%), Alamo (74.5%) and Sixt Rent a Car (73.9%). Business travelers particularly noted National’s clean fleet, high-quality customer care, and vehicle availability. They also like the Emerald Club loyalty program which allows members to bypass the check-in counter and choose their own vehicles from dedicated aisles.

It’s OK to pick your (airline) seat – Experienced business travelers overwhelmingly turn to Seat Guru (part of the TripAdvisor family of services) when it comes to choosing airline seats. Seat Guru offers seat maps, flight shopping, in-flight service listings, seat advice, user comments section, and a Guru Factor comfort rating system.  Other similar service-providers such as Seat Expert, Expert Flyer, Seat Plan, Skytrax and Seatlink offer data regarding available, in-flight power ports; cabin crew ratings; seat widths; leg room; overhead bin space; and the ability to create an alert when a more desirable seat becomes available. (As an added FYI … the U.S. Senate last week overwhelmingly passed legislation that extends funding for the Federal Aviation Administration for another five years. Included in that legislation is the mandate the FAA come up with minimum seat widths and minimum space between rows of seats. Stay tuned.)

Worst-Case Scenario: Your flight’s been canceled, you missed a connection or you got bumped. Now what? – It happens, so be ready and be smarter than the masses. Don’t sprint to the nearest ticket counter or start dialing the airline’s 800 number where you’ll be on hold for extended periods of time. Tweet at the airline for help. Most major carriers have Customer Service Reps monitoring Twitter 24/7 and they will respond to you quickly and provide rebooking assistance.

Look before you book a hotel  – Yes, many business travelers are loyal to the hotel flag that will help them build the most travel points but that may not always be the right strategy. Unless you’re booking a room simply to lay your head down, you’ll need more than a comfortable bed and soft pillow. It’s likely you’ll be spending some portion of your “road time” working in your room. Do a little legwork and find out about in-room workspace, electronic connections, WiFi speed, on-premise business facilities, ambience, lighting, etc. All these factors will have an impact on your productivity. Look for a location convenient to the airport, client’s office and restaurants. You might even want to scan the Room-Service Menu in advance if you expect to be working late. And when it comes time to de-stress, be sure there’s a fitness facility onsite or a nearby walking trail or park.

What’s in your wallet? – There’s a wide array of premium credit cards specifically targeted at business travelers. Check them out and compare. A recent article by “The Points Guy” who has made a career of “gaming” the system and amassing huge amounts of travel credits to explore the world at little or no cost, recommends The Platinum Card from American Express. Beyond the well-known perks of access to Centurion Lounges (located at nine major airports with three more coming soon) and $200 in annual airline fee credits, the card grants you elite status at Hiltons and Marriotts (good for upgrades and bonus points), baggage insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, roadside assistance, purchase protection, and even $100 in annual purchase credits at Saks 5^th Avenue.

If cavemen invented the wheel 5,500 years ago… – Why did it take so long to put wheels on suitcases and laptop bags? And why did it take so long to realize four wheels are better than two? You’re behind the times if you’re totin’ anything other than a 360° spinner, those sleek 4-wheeled suitcases that stand upright with wheels that spin in all directions. They’re becoming more common and prices are coming down. Check for a sturdy polycarbonate casing and equally sturdy wheels that will hold up under trying conditions. Some spinners offer built-in USB chargers, TSA-approved combo locks, scratch-resistant exteriors, Bluetooth tracking technology, even a handle that doubles as a luggage scale.

Do-it-yourself, in-room laundry service – Who has time to Google “Laundromats near me”, much less spend an hour or two washing, drying and folding clothes? Probably not you. And who has the deep pockets to pay for a hotel laundry service? Definitely not me. There’s a simple solution. Pack a Ziploc gallon bag or two, fill with water, laundry soap, and soiled clothing then seal and shake, shake, shake. Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry overnight. Use your in-room iron and your clothes will always be fresh, clean and neatly pressed. There are also travel clotheslines for hanging clothes near windows, fans, radiators or in showers. Travelon makes a line of dry laundry soap sheets which start as solids and dissolve in water. And if you’re a water conservationist, multi-task and wash your clothes while you’re taking your shower. (Shampoo works well as a substitute laundry detergent.) And don’t forget to pack a stain stick to make sure that red wine Oops! from dinner — or lunch if you’re in France or Italy — doesn’t permanently set.

These are but a few travel tips and shortcuts to make business travel a more enjoyable experience. Wander if you wish. Travel if you must. Either way, make it as pleasant, comfortable and efficient as possible. I’d love to hear your biz travel secrets!

CONCLUSION

Business travel is both a blessing and a curse. Be at your productive best by keeping any (or all) of these travel tips in mind next time you hit the road.

Cheers,

The post 10 Hot Tips And Secrets For Today’s Business Traveler! appeared first on dynami.

“Daddy,” she whispered, finally, while tapping him on the arm, “Trees only have one leg.”

Through the prism of purity, it’s amazing what we can all discover. Trees do only have one leg! But it takes a child or an adult that has reclaimed that “child within” to make such an observation. It takes looking at the world a little differently. Or going back to the way you viewed the world when you were only knee-high to a grasshopper.

If you’re a parent of school-aged children, no doubt your kids have headed back to the classroom, or soon will. (My daughter started fifth-grade and my little guy started third-grade last week.) Supplies have been bought, along with new shoes and first-day-of-school outfits, and some kids will become bus-riders or enter a new school for the first time. As much as the little ones groan when the gut-punch of back-to-school advertising hits and summer vacation ends, they generally harbor a sense of adventure and excitement under all that whininess when it’s time to climb back in the saddle and see if “the next grade” truly is tougher than the last.

What will my homeroom teacher be like?

Who will I sit next to?

Will there be any new kids in my class?

Where’s the boys’ or girls’ room, and the water fountain and the lunchroom, and how long do we have for lunch, anyway?

Where will our field trips take us?

When do I get to go to the playground?

And what will I get to do that’s new and different?

These are all important questions and priorities that emerge from youthful curiosity and wonderment as they ready for the next challenge. And by and large, they generally always are ready for the next challenge. Bring it on!

I can’t help but wonder myself: Why can’t we, as adults, stride confidently into new situations with that same thirst for knowledge, sense of adventure, and desire to discover that our kids have? In so many ways, the ones we work so hard to protect are actually quite fearless. Or, perhaps more appropriately, why can’t we choose to try out a new prism and see if the seemingly familiar world around us can actually be viewed differently?

It’s all about perspective.

How else do you explain young ones singing joyfully at the top of their lungs in the Kids’ Chorus (even if they can’t carry a tune in a sturdy bucket)? Or the cute, little pig-tailed girl happily lugging a trombone case half her size to the bus stop each morning? Or kids that grab Crayons or paint brushes and create stick-figure artwork of family and friends and beam like mini-Michelangelos when their masterpiece is posted on the ‘fridge.

We’re all born great artists, and poets, and dancers, and singers, and sculptors, and actors, and musicians. It’s only later in the life that we discover we’re probably only good (perhaps great) at one or two of those disciplines and nobody gets the full package. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still pursue activities that we may not excel at but can still turn to for pure pleasure. It’s quite OK to have some fun along the way … because that “way” is not endless.

Stop and Watch the Ants

Parenting experts encourage adults to be slow and deliberate when taking young children for a stroll. They recommend allowing time and opportunity for exploration and learning. Physically, the little ones are closer to the ground, their eyesight is sharp, their mind open, and they want to stop and see what those ants are building, or collect those colorful leaves, or imagine what type of exotic animal left that paw print that looks amazingly like the yappy chihuahua’s next door.

This is important because, unlike most of us adults, they’re still in discovery and exploration mode. They want to learn. They’re curious. They wonder. And, perhaps most importantly, they allow themselves to be fascinated by the world around them, including other people. And just as you give them the time to satisfy their curiosity and wonderment, you need to do the same for yourself.

Yes, you have deadlines approaching. Yes, money is tight. Yes, your spouse was a bit of a crank this morning. Yes, traffic sucked today, just as it did yesterday. And, yes, you work for an overly demanding boss, or with some co-workers who spend more time protecting turf than they do being productive. You may think you already have too much on your plate and that it’s too late to do something new and different – that you can’t teach the proverbial “old dog” new tricks – but I call BS on all that.

There are 1,440 minutes in one 24-hour day. Surely, we can spare a few of those minutes each day to turn back time and feel the wonder and excitement that simple things like toys in cereal boxes or catching fireflies at night brought us all. Five or 10 minutes spent joyfully can probably offset the toughest of days at the office. But you must be open to allowing …

If you learn one thing this “school year”, let it be that the playground is always, always open.

CONCLUSION

Make a point each day to carve 5-10 minutes from your busy schedule to look, observe and learn. That brief return to wonder and curiosity can renew your spirit!

Cheers,

The post Curiosity Inspires Learning: Let Yourself Be A Kid Again! appeared first on dynami.

This oh-so-brief respite is also a great time for business folks to explore a bit and discover new tools and resources that can help us all be better in our roles. 

Here are four you definitely want to check out …

itseasy.com – When was the last time you checked the status of your passport? When was the last time you tried to get your passport renewed when turnaround time was critical? Not fun.

That’s where ItsEasy (sic) comes in.

Based in New York City with offices in Washington, DC, Boston, Denver and LA, ItsEasy is one of the nation’s largest expeditors of passport and visa applications for travel to virtually any country on the planet. Some applications are turned in a month, some in a week, and there’s even a 1-day turnaround if you’re really up against the wall.

The application process is clean and simple. Say you’re looking for a travel visa, simply enter your nationality, state of residence, destination country, type of visa needed, and number of entries. It immediately lays out all relevant rules and regulations for travel to/from and within that country and allows you to select from pricing tiers with turnaround times designated. Gather the required documents and either hand-deliver or Fed-Ex them to the company and, whoosh, just like that, you’re only days away from receiving your visa.

In a word, it’s easy!

unsplash.com – Budgets are tight, deadlines tighter, and you’ve got a presentation due tomorrow that’s looking, well, sorta blah. The content and triple-checked data are all correct and

relevant but the lack of photo imagery makes your PPT deck look more like the front page of the WSJ.

Unleash unsplash.com, a great go-to resource for freebie, high-rez visuals that will breathe life into that dull deck you’ve been fretting over. Go to unsplash.com, key in the type of image you’re looking for and, voila!, options galore. And in varying aspect ratios (i.e., vertical, horizontal, square, etc.) A prompt encourages you to give credit where credit is due and name the photographer but also states that’s not required. I searched for a lighthouse and had a beauty of a shot on my desktop ready for use in just two clicks.

Check ‘em out!

lumosity.com – If you’re a distance-runner — marathoner, half-marathoner or weekend 10ker — you understand the importance of giving your weary bones a rest every now and again. But you also know how easy it is to lose your edge if that brief timeout turns into a week away from training.

Same’s true for your brain. Don’t let the summer slowdown rob you of your mental edge. Stay sharp with Lumosity.com, an online provider of games, puzzles and mind-benders that will keep that cranial matter a rich shade of gray (if there is such a thing).

You’ve probably heard their commercials on satellite radio but maybe you haven’t checked ‘em out. It’s worth it. For about 15 bucks a month (or choose 80 bucks a year), you can access hundreds and hundreds of mental challenges that will keep you alert and focused. And they’re fun and engaging, too!

Programs are scientifically developed and users’ results are used for ongoing research to help us all better understand mental cognition (which sounds a bit funny – “better understand mental cognition”).

Stay sharp, y’all!

corbinball.com – Stumped as to how to make your upcoming event or tradeshow experience truly meaningful and memorable? Wondering how to structure your next program to create a palpable “buzz” and get your folks energized? Enter Corbin Ball, one of the world’s leading experts in the area of technology applied to events, tradeshows and conventions. To visit his site is to stroll around a virtual Disneyworld if you’re a corporate event professional. There is so much content, so many rich topics, and so many tips and insights, it’s almost dizzying. (All the more reason to keep your brain sharp with Lumosity, right?)

One recent article by Ball, entitled Virtual Meetings Will Not Replace Face-to-Face Meetings, addresses the distinct advantage of in-person events despite a massive, worldwide trend to do everything in life virtually, thanks to the tech explosion of the past decade or so. While there is a role for the periodic virtual meeting or expo, Ball believes the traditional meeting and tradeshow models are here to stay.

“Webinars and other virtual meetings are great for short information exchange,” the article says. “However, in today’s multi-tasking and often distracting work environment, attention spans are short. Thirty to forty-five minutes is usually the maximum you can expect someone to pay attention to a webinar while sitting in front of a monitor.

“Meetings, on the other hand, take people to a more-focused environment with fewer distractions. As long as attendees are informed, entertained and fed, event hosts can keep them engaged for days … the opportunities for networking, brainstorming, and relationship-building are usually far greater at face-to-face events than online. Meetings provide a vastly richer, more targeted, and more focused learning experience than nearly any virtual meeting.”

Remember that line: “As long as attendees are informed, entertained and fed, event hosts can keep them engaged for days.”

CONCLUSION

Take advantage of the brief summer slowdown to brush up on some great new tools and resources that will make you a superstar in the corporate meetings and events industry.

Cheers to summertime and discovering new tools and resources!

The post 4 GREAT RESOURCES TO MAKE YOU A BETTER MEETINGS & EVENTS PROFESSIONAL! appeared first on dynami.

But first, let’s spend a couple minutes on biz …

________________________________

AR, VR, AI … to many, it’s all alphabet soup. But to those of us involved in the corporate meetings and events industry, it’s the future. Exciting things are happening in technology and we wanted to top-line a few for you. Today, let’s focus on Virtual Reality (VR)…

The next best thing to being there

Virtual Reality (VR) has been around a while but has either been too “out there” or too pricey for many. That’s changing. Actually, cost of VR is coming down while functionality and application is on the rise. VR is rapidly changing the way we interact with our clients, select meeting and event venues, and execute program design.

With nothing more than a pair of VR goggles that work on Apple and Android platforms, as well as an associated app, you can actually tour a venue in vivid, 3-D clarity and detail from the comfort of your own home or office. (Please, not while driving!) This comes in very handy when time is tight and you simply can’t break away to do a site visit but really need to nail down the perfect space for your upcoming corporate meeting or event.

Tradeshow Managers, especially those exhibiting automobiles or heavy equipment, can cut down the enormous footprint they traditionally have needed to hawk their wares, in favor of VR stations that whisk booth attendees away to the autobahn in a sleek new sports car, or to the middle of an Iowa cornfield aboard a new, state-of-the-art tractor.

VR also allows meeting and event planners to create a virtual meeting or event space, including stage set, lighting configurations, seating arrangements, room décor, etc. then share it with a client on the other side of the country. It wasn’t too long ago, renderings drawn with colored ink pens were considered de regueur. Clients are now able to react to space designs, tweak this, move that, add or reduce seating and – voila! – you’ve got an approval.

This big ol’ world of ours is getting smaller every day … and VR is an awesome way to bridge the miles, reduce time and costs, and expedite the approval process. It’s sort of like being immersed in your own real-life video game!

Ten Things About Julie Thompson-Whelan You Probably Didn’t Know …

• I live in Suwanee, GA, about 30 miles NE of Atlanta though I’m originally a Carolina Girl (South Carolina, that is). I earned my B.A. degree with a concentration in Hospitality & Tourism from College of Charleston and, while I love my alma mater, I’m a huge Clemson University fan.
• I’ve been married nearly six years and I still think he’s awesome.
• With the exception of fine folks like you, I sorta prefer the company of dogs to people,  especially chihuahuas which I rescue (#adoptdontshop). At least chihuahuas have an excuse for yapping incessantly!
• Speaking of dogs … I actually shared a dog for a decade with my best friend.  And as a total side note, don’t ever ask a dog (who really isn’t a “good dog”) who’s on his deathbed to send you the lovely, sweet and kind dog you’re supposed to have. I ended up with one that made me realize the first one wasn’t so bad, after all.
• “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy …” This “Bess” intends to spend as much time cruisin’ the waters of Lake Lanier on my jet ski or aboard our boat during the summer months.
• I hate raw onions and weeds … which, in my mind are one in the same.
• It’s one thing to have younger sisters but my two “little sisters” are 16 and 18 years younger than me!
• I’m on the Production Team at Gwinnett Church (#forgwinnett).
• I’ve reviewed and edited more than 3,000 slides for clients this year … and it’s only June!
• ¡En agosto, me voy a Cuba! (In August, I’m headed to Cuba!) And I fully plan to blog the great, the good, the bad, and the ugly about my experience. Please don’t ask me to smuggle home some cigars. I prefer life outside a jail cell. (I mean, they don’t allow chihuahuas or jet skis in jail and they’d probably make me eat onions while pulling weeds!)
• (Kenneth Jones, my boss, made me include this): “Julie’s personal commitment to quality  is obvious in everything she does. Her extra effort, dedication, insights and opinions are all extremely valuable to the successful undertakings of the dynami group. She’s our Chief Get-It-Done Officer!”

Me, again (Julie).

If you look closely, you can see me raising a pint of Summer Shandy in your honor; wishing all of you a safe and celebratory Fourth of July holiday and an absolutely awesome summer!

CONCLUSION

Virtual Reality (VR) is an awesome way to bridge the miles, reduce time and costs, and expedite the approval process. It’s like being immersed in your own real-life video game!

Till next time,

The post A Little About Event Tech, A Little About Julie Thompson-Whelan appeared first on dynami.

In his annual letter to employees, shareowners, the media, Wall Street and everyone whose lives are impacted in some way by Amazon – which means every darned one of us, just ask Alexa – Bezos repeated his rule that PowerPoint remains banned from all executive meetings at Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer.

Say what …?

You read that right. No templates, no pie charts, no trend lines, no bullets or sub-bullets, no headers or footers, no fretting over font types and sizes, no last-minute revisions for the poor soul who’s riding herd on visuals backstage. Nope, none of that.

Instead, Bezos requires six-page narratives from his executive team which is, essentially, a corporate version of the dreaded essay from your high school days. But why six pages instead of three, or two, or one? It’s simple. You can’t bang out a 1-pager 30 minutes before a meeting simply to keep your boss happy and create the illusion your enlightened perspective has crystalized after deep contemplation.

It takes time, research, thought and facts to put forth six high-quality pages of persuasive narrative. No winging it here, you better get started early and work hard at it. And that’s the rub. Business people are so busy, they simply don’t have time to do just that, or so they say. Well, they’d better take the time. I venture to say the brainpower you invest in truly thinking through your topic and crafting a memorable presentation is worth twice the time you spend studying your bulleted visuals on the down-stage monitors.

Hieroglyphics instead of PowerPoint …?

Bezos’ reasoning also harkens back to the days of cave-dwelling, heavy-browed, shaggy-haired men who carried clubs and grunted to communicate. (Sounds like the crowd at an Insane Clown Posse concert.) Seriously, you can learn a lot about human interaction and its application to the world of business by studying anthropology.

And Bezos has.

When humans first learned how to harness fire, they not only escaped the limitations of a boring Paleo diet, they gained the ability to cook food over heat with a side benefit of hangin’ with the boys by the campfire while a side of yak sizzled on the spit. To kill time, they told stories. Lots of them. Thus, began a more profound human interaction and the ability to teach through tales.

That’s why Bezos bans PPT and demands a six-page narrative – which is simply an academic way of saying: “Write me a story to make your point.” The first 30 minutes of any executive meeting at Amazon are held in silence to allow all in attendance to read, re-read and, if you’re an Evelyn Wood grad, re-re-read the narrative. This is all a prelude to thoughtful discussion, debate and ultimately insightful, strategy-based consensus.

(It’s also interesting that Bezos adheres to a strict “two-pizza rule”, meaning meetings should be small enough for two pizzas to feed everyone in the room. Sounds crazy but it’s hard to argue with the world’s richest man who’s helping to shape all of our futures at this very moment.)

Brains Dig Stories …

The human brain is hard-wired for the acceptance of narrative. Studies have shown that effective storytelling is far more powerful when it comes to comprehension and retention of information than bullets on an edge-blended widescreen. Does that mean visuals should go the way of popped collars and 8-track players? Hardly. The brain also responds well to imagery – the sharper, more colorful, and spectacular, the better.

Instead of laboring over 4-5 data bullets, spend that time laboring over an image or two that will amplify the point you’re making onstage, or at the head of the conference table. But only do that if you wish for your presentation to be successful.

The magical mix of memorable wordsmithing, crafty storytelling and illuminating pictures – Dr. Seuss comes to mind – is what all presenters should aspire to. (Actually, Keith Morrison of NBC’s weekly newsmagazine Dateline also comes to mind. He could draw you in and keep your rapt attention describing an oil change with his storytelling style.) Good stories delivered well activate the mind’s eye, trigger the imagination, and use all eight cylinders of the brain that, sadly, spends too much time idling or cruising on a mere four cylinders.

OK, does this mean all executive speech writers are soon headed for the soup line and an unemployment check? Again, hardly. A talented writer can work with you to pick your brain and extract great information and anecdotal gems that can be fashioned into storytelling that packs a punch. Hey, it worked for Jesus who was a big fan of teaching in parables. And Aesop has had a fabled legion of followers for centuries.

Trust me (or them), it can work for you, too.

No offense but Aristotle was probably a better storyteller than you.

Putting aside Aristotle’s notorious and controversial “takes” on evolution, Christianity and the eternal soul, you’ve got to give the dude credit for putting some brain cells behind his writings. Were he alive today, no doubt most of his works would’ve climbed to No.1 on (heh-heh) Bezos’ Amazon Best-Seller List.

Seriously, Ari was a strict adherent of the three elements of crafty storytelling – Ethos, Logos and Pathos. And considering he was an A-Lister at Greece’s earliest toga parties and hobnobbed with some of the world’s great leaders back in the day, he must’ve been taken very, very seriously. Which is precisely the spot you want to land on the next time you present to a large audience or in an executive meeting.

Let’s break those words down …

• Ethos is character and credibility. (Nobody’s gonna pay a sack of attention to someone who doesn’t truly know what they’re talking about.)

• Logos is logic, basically an argument that appeals to common sense, intellect and reasoning; something that makes another stop and say, “Hmm, I never thought of it that way.”

• And Pathos is where it all comes to life — the silver bullet, the secret sauce, the deal-maker, not breaker. Pathos is passion and emotion and the ability to present your case in an inspiring and memorable way. You can’t, and won’t, knock it outta the park if you skip the emotional dimension when creating your presentation.

Some call him Bezos, others call him Bozo …

The all-dug-in, skeptical side of you may be snarking about Bezos’ “No PPT” and “Two Pizza” policies. After all, why should anyone take seriously an eccentric who also happens to be history’s first and only centibillionaire (someone whose net worth exceeds $100 billion, I had to look it up, too). He eats breakfast octopus and roasted iguana, and was once described by The New York Times’ Nellie Bowles as “brilliant but mysterious and a cold-blooded corporate titan”. Sort of Steve Jobs on steroids, you might say.

(He also doesn’t believe in early-morning meetings. Love him or hate him, we can all stand behind that policy.)

EF Hutton had nothing on Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. When Bezos speaks, people listen — even those who dislike him (witness one Donald J. Trump). But considering Bezos has built one of the world’s largest corporations (as measured by market capitalization, the total value of a company’s outstanding shares) in less than 25 years, Jeffy has Ethos out the yin-yang. He also has 112 billion reasons in his personal bank account. So, take a tip from Amazon’s top-dog.

I can only imagine hangin’ ‘round the campfire with the likes of cavemen, Aristotle, Jesus, Aesop, Dr. Seuss, EF Hutton and Jeff Bezos. I know I could learn a lot from them, seriously. Maybe you, too.

CONCLUSION

Don’t be “that guy” onstage at your next meeting or event. You know, the data-packin’, spare-no-bullets DrivelMaster of mind-numbing pie charts and performance metrics. Instead, bring your audience together around a figurative campfire and tell them stories that inform, entertain and persuade. Make it memorable!

Cheers,

Related Posts:

• Sticky Stories
• Why Images Speak Louder Than Words… Just Ask Your Audience!
• 7 Strategies For Empowering Your Visuals And Inspiring Positive Change

The post How Ancient Cavemen Have Inspired Amazon’s Jeff Bezos appeared first on dynami.