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PLANNER'S PORTFOLIO | MEETING STRATEGIES 14 MAR-APR 2018 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS • MCMAG-ASIA.COM dockside restaurant; and "Raise the Bar," which took attendees to a barre tness class and a revolving restaurant. "We believe in getting creative by using venues that don't traditionally cater to meeting professionals," says Je Duncan, president and chief executive ocer of Meetingmax. 13. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. That awesome new cocktail lounge that recently opened can be a great venue for your meeting, as it is probably closed during the day, Duncan adds. Universities and colleges are ideal venues, as well. Many of them have downtown campuses that can be used for breakout sessions. 14. BRING IT WITHIN. Last year, the theme of the Unconvention was "Breathe Easy." In the middle of the keynote address, the speaker led a ve-minute group meditation session. "In looking around the room, I was impressed that all our attendees took part. People commented that they didn't experience the usual after-lunch energy slump that afternoon," Duncan says. 15. DISRUPT THE FLOW. A chair yoga session kicked o the next day, Duncan recalls. "Participants used their chairs as props to do dierent poses and stretch. The feedback that I received afterward was overwhelmingly positive. People felt really alert and engaged," he says. "While both elements tied in with our theme, they could easily be incorporated into any conference and utilised to disrupt the ow of information, and allow people to re-set and re-engage." 16. MAKE CHANGE A CONSTANT. Another way Meetingmax disrupts its convention is by using dierent venues for morning and afternoon sessions. "Splitting up the day helps keep guests alert and to remember the content that was delivered," says Duncan 17. MIX IT UP. For larger meetings, break into small groups, mixing up participants who don't normally collaborate. Assign roles to participants, such as the Devil's Advocate -– the individual who ensures diverse ideas are presented, or the Idea Builder – an individual who is responsible for building on every idea presented, says Gina Abudi, president of Abudi Consulting Group and author of Implementing Positive Organizational Change: A Strategic Project Management Approach. Play With a Purpose idea-sparking workshop 18. CONSIDER A SIDEBAR. Networking is one of the most important objectives of most meetings. David Blackmer, director of member experience for AAPC, a medical coding, training, and certication association, is always trying new things to get attendees to interact. Side meetings are eective, says Blackmer. The organisation hosts focus groups during its conference with attendees that represent a broad spectrum of the entire event's attendee demographic. "Those who attend the focus group have one shared interest, oering their opinion," says Blackmer. "Throughout the discussion, attendees will form a bond with each other and be more enticed to openly interact with each other after the focus group." 19. TAKE IT OUTSIDE THE MEETING. AAPC primarily serves those who are involved in healthcare reimbursement. It creates a separate event, connected to its main annual conference, for presidents, CEOs, and the higher tier of healthcare management. "They attended dierent educational sessions, but most of the meals, exhibit hall time, and general sessions were shared," notes Blackmer. "We believe in getting creative by using venues that don't traditionally cater to meeting professionals." professionals." JEFF DUNCAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MEETINGMAX PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

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