The cool, crisp, calm days of autumn call for enjoying brilliant foliage, blazing sunsets, warm scarves, hot cider, homemade pies and a good book by the fire. Lululemon’s Deb Gee shares some of her best ideas for events during a season of reflection, restoration and transformation.

It’s been a road well-traveled by the time we come to the point of autumn, so it’s a great time to stop, be grateful, honor ourselves, transform with the season and make sure we’re on track with our goals for the rest of the year, according to Deb Gee, experiential design lead for Lululemon.

Joan Eisenstodt interviews meetings career placement specialist Dawn Penfold on how planners can get more respect from stakeholders and executives.

Joan Eisenstodt asks meeting and event planners why the profession doesn't get respect, and what they can do to change that.

Companies flock to Silicon Valley to tap its brain trusts of innovation and snap picks in front of the Google rainbow or the Facebook thumbs up. Afterward, an unexpected world of history, art, nature and, increasingly, excellent and eclectic food and drink experiences indulge visitors. Here are some of the region’s tastiest options.

What should planners consider when selecting a sustainable city and convention center for their next event? What sustainability questions should they ask facilities to help their meetings go green? We explore all of this and more in an interview with Jeff Johnson, the executive director of the Minneapolis Convention Center, and its director of sales and marketing, Katie Smith.