In a Twitter chat hosted jointly by Financial and Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP) and Smart Meetings on Tuesday, participants highlighted the resiliency of meeting professionals and shared how the community is coming together during these tough times. #SmartMeetingsxFICP looked at FICP’s Spring 2020 Pulse Survey Results, and industry professionals shared their tactics for working and planning in 2020.
Here are key takeaways from the #MeetingsChat.
#Community
Smart Meetings’ first question to meeting profs was what they are doing to get back to work stronger than ever. Anh Nguyen, CMP, used that springboard to tweet about building community, making connections and taking the opportunity to meet people she wouldn’t have otherwise. FICP also referenced virtual FICP chats in which industry professionals discussed community-building in the industry. (Read about the most recent chat here.) Nguyen gave a shout-out to the venues she’s been working with: “They have been AMAZING. I can’t even imagine the stress that they’re under to move all these programs, and all of them have been flexible and gracious.”
I’m spending time building a community, sharing learnings and supporting each other. The pandemic has created these forums for us to connect with people that we likely would have never met, like for me & @StephanRachel, @lindsaythecmp, @VocalVideo, @AKthe5th #SmartMeetingsxFICP
— Anh Nguyen, CMP (@atnguyen) June 2, 2020
#COVIDchanges
No one is sure exactly what the events and meetings industry will look like post-COVID-19, but educated guesses are being made. An increase in virtual events and a bigger focus on sanitation have been frequently discussed as two sure bets. To the question, “What is the biggest change you think will happen post-COVID-19?,” Jeanette Paschal, at Sound Meetings & Event Management didn’t focus on technology or safety. Instead, she expressed in 11 words what resilience in the meetings industry is all about: “We will all be more gracious and kind to each other.”
#Coronaviruschallenges
Smart Meetings asked if meeting profs were cancelling, postponing or pivoting to virtual their events planned for Q2. FICP responded with insight into top challenges facing meeting planners attempting to re-schedule events. The biggest hurdle? A lack of availability for desired dates in Q3 and Q4, according to FICP’s Pulse Survey results. However, planners are staying strong: 89 percent are handling cancelled or re-scheduled events on a case-by-case basis, ensuring as much as possible that clients aren’t missing out, despite obvious difficulties. Just another example of the adaptability and durability of meeting professionals.
Beyond Q2, o many meetings and events are being pushed to the third and fourth quarters. The biggest hurdle our #meetingprofs reported is availability of desired dates. What challenges have you run into when rescheduling? #smartmeetingsxficp https://t.co/4M6nj5N1Ca pic.twitter.com/xYP0UkEHYI
— FICP (@FICP) June 2, 2020
