Planning any type of meeting or event is always a stress-inducing affair, but with the rampant regulations in the murky world of pharmaceutical and medical meetings, planners best know the lay of the land before they accept the mission. Three of the major healthcare meetings certification programs include: 3Sixty's Healthcare Champion Program, MPI's Healthcare Meetings Compliance Certificate and the EIC's CMP-Healthcare Subspecialty.

A number of issues impacted the meetings industry in 2018, from strikes and other labor actions in various destinations across the U.S. to major hotel chains cutting their traditional commission level for independent planners. Meetings Today polls its readers every year on how their jobs and programs fared, how they expect their budgets  will shape up, the sites they typically use for their programs and other questions that help shine a light on the state of the profession. 361 meeting planners answered the call. Following are some highlights.

NGALA Wildlife Preserve, located on a private, wooded 42-acre property outside Naples, Florida, caters to corporate events and is a home for a variety of rescued animals that cannot be reintroduced back to the wild. NGALA, which translates from Swahili to “Place of the Lion,” was founded by Donovan Smith nearly 20 years ago and is currently home to about 45 animals in addition to over 100 venomous reptiles introduced to the preserve by Smith’s “better half,” Khara Geders.

With everything from the high cost of airfare to the popularity of bleisure travel and direct access to local experiences, drive-to meetings have become increasingly favored among attendees in reasonable proximity—from 90 minutes to a few hours. Find out why Asheville, Valley Forge and Boise made our list.

Integrating a piece of history into a meeting starts with its location. From coast to coast, the U.S. offers a bevy of storied properties. Following are just a handful of options, some recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as part of its Historic Hotels of America, which are selected for maintaining their “historic integrity, architecture and ambiance,” while others have their own stories to tell.

From plant-based and hyper-local to gut-friendly and booze-free, culinary wellness is here to stay, and it’s having a huge impact on attendee expectations at events. In the coming year, planners should prepare for healthy, innovative food and drink to be exceedingly popular at gatherings, according to Christine Couvelier, global culinary trendologist, chef, educator and speaker.

The American pastime is proving to be a fertile field for baseball stadiums—also known as baseball parks—that are courting meetings and events. In fact, many new ballparks that have been built in the last decade or so count on non-game revenue as a healthy portion of their revenue.

As catastrophic hurricanes, unprecedented flooding, massive fires, deadly earthquakes and even disruptive volcanoes dominate the headlines, it’s impossible to forget the indelible images and stories of personal hardship that follow natural disasters. But with every story of loss there are also uplifting stories, and in the hospitality world some of those stories have been about renewal.

Golf resorts are staying in the game for the next generation by offering innovative new ways to play and other features. Incorporating the latest technology, moving away from traditional play and even taking the game off the course are among the trends leading the way for golf events in 2019.

As any planner knows, coming up with unique decor, food, drink and overall ambience to fit the objective of a gathering is always a challenge, but a welcome one if you do it mindfully and with intention, according to Deb Gee, experience designer with Lululemon. Weaving the season into events is a great place to start. Gee shares her winter toolkit to help out with event planning around the holidays whether for business or personal gatherings.