This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
Name: Dianne Heffernan
Company Name: CCE Global Meetings & Incentives
Job Title: Chief Events Officer
Years of Experience: 44
How do you think you are positioned, after months of persevering with the pandemic, to take advantage of our new and disrupted meetings/events landscape?
I believe that the disruption has actually opened new opportunities. During these difficult times, many companies disbanded or eliminated their Meeting & Event Department. In addition, many older meeting planners made the decision to retire. Both of these situations created opportunities for us to offer our services to companies who may consider outsourcing their meeting planning and for us to work with retiring planners to take over the management of events they had planned in the past.
As our community moves forward with planning in-person meetings, what new technologies or processes are you implementing that you may have not looked at before?
Of course, we are looking at HopSkip, but also at platforms like SafeToGo to help us track our travelers as airlines increasingly cancel flights. We are looking at apps like Monday and Calendly to help us stay productive and new and emerging registration/event management technology.
As we see virtual meetings transition back to face to face, hybrid meetings are beginning to be the vehicle to return to normalcy. What are your thoughts on hybrid meetings versus traditional fully in-person meetings?
That completely depends on the meeting. While hybrid meetings may work well for many meetings, they are not applicable to Incentive Travel where the experience is most important. There is no substitute for being there!
In your opinion, what do you think the biggest value for your attendees is in regards to returning to live events?
For the moment, it is the opportunity to see others live in person and not rely on weak internet or mute buttons. Nothing will ever replace in-person events.
As the pandemic fades away and we return to face-to-face events what do you hope changes, either for planners or hoteliers, in the traditional RFP and proposal process as a result of all of the learnings from the last 20+ months?
When the virus first hit and before the pandemic was declared, many clients wanted to know what their options were and were in a bit of a panic. Rather than relying on emails, I found that phone calls and video calls resulted in better outcomes quicker. It is easier to have a conversation with someone when you can see their face and body language. I believe that face-to-face negotiations also have better outcomes. It is fine to send an RFP, but the process is enhanced when it is followed up with a call or video call so the nuances, which may not be visible in the RFP, can be shared
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.