See ya, 2013, it’s been real.
As we wrap yet another year here at Meetings Focus, I think it’s important to recognize some big accomplishments that occurred over the past year, starting with the format of the article you’re reading right now.
In March we embarked on a major reformatting of our website and magazines, redesigning both and transforming our print product so all of our regional coverage is combined into one issue, with the regions readers select included in one big, glossy package wrapped in a bow.
Well, not actually wrapped in a bow—that idea never made it out of the focus group.
The end of one year, naturally, leads us to the beginning of another, and so we’re proud to unveil the predictions of our readers and assorted industry experts in the annual Meetings Focus Trends supplement, which features the responses of nearly 600 meeting planners who answered our fairly exhaustive survey.
No one expects a lot of volatility in the meetings and hospitality industries next year, but as we’ve witnessed with the government shutdown not long ago, there are a lot of variables that could be in play.
Look for Trends riding along with this issue.
And speaking of this issue, we’ve got a full complement of interesting stories for you to peruse this month.
Look for Corbin Ball’s “Talking Tech” column on page 17 to see how you can utilize the many easy-to-use and affordable video production software options to augment your outreach and increase attendance.
Features this issue detail how to mix up your group golf programs; cutting-edge technology—and resulting bandwidth needs—shaping the meetings environment; and our cover story, which details some of the exciting new renovation features major hotel brands are using to transform the way we meet.
Of course, all of this is accompanied by the destination sections selected by you, depending on where you plan your meetings and events.
So arrivederci 2013, and stay tuned for more exciting developments next year, including a full slate of Meetings Focus Live! programs.
