What the Future of Sustainable Events Looks Like

Event planners continue to seek out innovative ways to ensure their meetings are sustainably run. That’s particularly important for a destination like Monterey, Calif. With beloved sites including Big Sur, Carmel by the Sea and Pebble Beach, protecting natural surroundings is a vital part of any ga…

How AI Is Enhancing Event Planning

Like almost every business sector, the events industry has been abuzz about AI for months. And the more widely these tools are adopted, the more rapidly they seem to evolve to better meet the needs of meeting planners.   At this exciting but uncertain moment in event tech, we spoke with Huong Nguy…

Beyond Pride Month: Welcoming LGBTQ+ Attendees Year-Round

Kyle Jordan, chair of LGBT Meeting Professionals Association, discusses inclusivity goals and best practices for business events Join Northstar's Loren Edelstein in a conversation with Kyle Jordan, chair of the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association, for an update on the nonprofit's efforts and th…

The Benefits of Planning Events With Independent Properties

When it comes to developing creative, out-of-the-box meeting experiences, independent hotels provide a number of appealing options for event planners. In this episode of Eventful, created in partnership with the Caribe Royale Orlando, we delve into the advantages of working with independent propert…

The Impact of Controversial Laws on Meetings and Participants

Attorney Joshua Grimes provides a legal perspective on duty of care, cancellation clauses and more when planning events in states with controversial legislation. Many meeting professionals believe controversial issues like abortion rights are political concerns that have no bearing on their jobs. …

10 Future Trends for Meetings, Life and Work

What does the future hold for our business and personal lives? Risk-management expert Bruce McIndoe, president of McIndoe Risk Advisory, LLC,  tackles that topic in this enlightening discussion with Northstar’s Loren Edelstein. From weather disasters to robotic companions, here’s what to expect in …

What to Do When a Hurricane Hits Mid-Meeting

Creating an emergency response plan is one of the many responsibilities that fall on an event planner's plate. While they hope to never need to execute it, sometimes disaster strikes mid-meeting. On this episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, Senior Associate Editor Elise Scho…

The 2022 Salary Survey: What Do the Numbers Mean?

Salaries have recovered, but the pay gap between women and men has widened. In conjunction with the publications of the 2022 Northstar Meetings Group/Meetingjobs-Cadre Salary Survey, we discuss the findings with Dawn Penfold, president of Meetingjobs.com, in this episode of Eventful, the Podcast f…

The Misguided Relationship Between Planners and Virtual-Event Tech

Bob Mitchell, an integrated marketing and event strategist with a background in the television industry, believes virtual-event tech platforms are scrambling for business now because the entire business model of the past two years was based on false assumptions. Most planners did not want to be dig…

The Reinvention of Meeting Professionals International

President and CEO Paul Van DeVenter discusses how the events industry organization had to find ways to remain viable during the pandemic — lessons that resulted in a new structure and focus. Staying relevant to members was not a problem for MPI over the past two years, according to president and C…