After a long break, I went back to school…the Hospitality Management School at Ferris State University (FSU). I am a proud graduate of FSU and they invited me back to share with the students (primarily upperclassmen) my 25+ year journey through our dynamic industry. I was introduced by a senior
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How Important are Relationships in the Hospitality Industry?
I have attended several events this year and each presenter has highlighted the value of relationships to your overall success. This is especially true in the hospitality industry as we all need to work together to achieve a common goal…a successful meeting or event. Last month, I brought my team
Read moreEvent Planners: What New Ideas Are You Bringing to Your Meetings and Events?
It is a new and exciting year in the meetings and events industry. As meeting planning professionals, we need to remain up-to-date on all the new trends and exciting ideas that are being implemented. For 2015, these are just a few of the ideas that will be impacting our meetings
Read more10 Items That Should Be On Every Meeting Planner’s Checklist
I am writing to my fellow meeting planning professionals from the desk in my hotel room while on-site with one of my groups. This client was canceled by the originally contracted hotel and forced to find another location only eleven (11) months prior to their event. As I sit here,
Read moreTechnology Tools For Meetings Planners When Traveling
I am writing this post from my hotel room in Atlanta while onsite with one of my customers for their event. The meeting kicks off later this week so we are in the unpacking, setting up and having some healthy discussions on ways to improve our productivity (professionally and personally).
Read moreThe Biggest Obstacles to Outsourcing in the Meetings and Events Industry
By Doug Baarman Why are we sharing this information? Your first question may be, why write an article about the biggest obstacles to outsourcing? We decided to address this topic directly because in the areas of planning and executing a successful meeting or event, we believe there are old
Read moreImportance of Incentive Trips to the Hospitality Industry
By Doug Baarman I just returned from a cruise through the western Mediterranean with my family. We went to celebrate several of our significant birthdays as a ‘reward’ for reaching these key thresholds. It was an amazing experience and a wonderful celebration. On the topic of rewarding accomplishments, our ship’s
Read moreTravel Industry Improvements
By Doug Baarman Every time I fly (which in the meetings and events industry is often), I am amazed with the overall flying experience and our challenge with making improvements. On a recent flight, I read an article about the ’85 Things That Have Made Travel Better’. There have been
Read moreConferenceDirect Announces Team Director of the Year
Doug Baarman receives award for top performance and leadership for fourth consecutive year Doug Baarman, Senior Vice President of Sales was recognized for the fourth year in a row as ConferenceDirect’s Team Director of Year. He was honored at the ConferenceDirect Awards Dinner during its Annual Partner Meeting in Anaheim,
Read moreFavorite Destinations of Meeting and Event Planners
By Doug Baarman One of the more enjoyable parts of being on the meeting planning side of our industry is learning new destinations. I have been on a bunch of site visit trips and have truly enjoyed every place that we visited: Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Salt Lake
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