Event Architects To Know in 2024 - Robin Reuben, Key Meetings & Events
Robin Reuben, of Key Meetings & Events, discusses how she builds and plans meetings and events in the evolving hospitality landscape of 2024.
Luke Whalin
Oct 28, 2024
Welcome to the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where we highlight event professionals making waves across the events industry to share lessons learned and raise awareness of their invaluable contributions.
Name: Robin Reuben
Company Name: Key Meetings & Events
Job Title: Director of Operations
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
I've been in the industry for over 30 years. I started my career as a meeting planner at a non-profit called Western Independent Bankers. After 12 years there, I moved on to corporate planning for 19 years at McKesson Corp. and helped build the internal meetings department. Currently, I am the Director of Operations for Key Meetings + Events, where we architect programs that reflect our client's unique brand ethos, delivering full-service planning from ideation through implementation.
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
It depends on each meeting's unique needs. I look for the best location based on the audience, the right meeting and event space flow, and the highest-quality sleeping rooms at the most competitive rate.
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
What common financial challenges often arise when organizing an event, what strategies do you use to mitigate them, and how do you avoid them?
First and foremost, we need to understand the goals & objectives of the program as well as the sleeping and meeting space needs. Then, we discuss location options and create/send an RFP.
Oftentimes, budgets get cut, or clients want to add things that will add $ to the budget. We collaborate with them to re-evaluate the overall budget and see if we can cut some of the items without cutting back the quality of the program. We are always guiding our clients to spend money on the items where they will get the most bang for their buck!
How do you leverage technology to boost efficiency during the planning, execution, and post-event stages? What does your “event tech stack” look like? (For example, using Survey Monkey for surveying attendees post-event)
We utilize Stova for our registration website, surveys, and mobile app needs. Currently we are utilizing HopSkip for our sourcing of hotels, Salesforce to log our events, and we have a proprietary dashboard for our clients.
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
Yes, we have SOPs throughout the planning process and have developed our own budgeting tool and many other templates to enhance the client experience.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
Yes - our strategy is to make the entire program a seamless experience for the attendees. We like to take a theme and weave it through every component of the program/event.
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
We have monthly calls in the initial planning stages and then weekly as we get closer to the program. Additionally, we have monthly budget check-ins with key stakeholders, so they are aware of where they are with the budget throughout the planning process. Onsite, we have a client pre-con, and daily touch-base meetings as needed. Post-program, we do a complete client debrief.
How do you facilitate networking opportunities among attendees? Are there any specific tactics or strategies that you recommend?
What's your go-to plan for handling emergencies or unexpected situations during an event?
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced while planning an event conference and how you overcame it?
Networking is very important, and we help facilitate this in different ways depending on the client's goals and objectives. Some tactics we have used are icebreakers like trivia, human bingo, game shows, and breaking people into smaller groups to interact with each other or doing a CSR activity. There are many different ways to incorporate networking into a program/event.
We have an emergency plan for each program where we assign roles to team members (i.e. communications, checking a specific floor of the hotel, etc.). Sometimes we encounter something completely unexpected (like bees forming a hive on a tablecloth at an outdoor evening event) - we tackle that calmly and contact a team member who happens to be a beekeeper.
In 2021, we thought we were going to bring back an annual all-employee meeting for one of our top clients. However, after one month out, they decided it was not wise to bring 400 people together. So, we broke the event into 4 regional roadshow-style programs (NY, Dallas, London & SF) with all outdoor venues - quite the challenge. We were planning the next one while at the current one, but they all went off without a hitch.
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
We conduct a thorough internal review to revisit the goals of the program and compare them to the successes and challenges experienced on-site, then we pair this information with the meeting metrics (event technology findings, guest experience, client experience, budget, cost savings) and conduct a full program debrief and consult on the next year's planning process.
What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you use to evaluate the success of an event?
We use surveys to understand how successful certain elements and content are and to gather client feedback. We look and the goals and objectives to know if they were met along with the financial goals.
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
Get involved in an industry organization and start relationship building - MPI, PCMA, and ILEA are all great organizations to connect with for both education and networking. Also, finding a mentor is a fantastic way to learn and get introduced to the industry