Tips to Maximize Your Experience at the 2019 Canadian Meetings & Events Expo
The annual IncentiveWorks Conference & Tradeshow was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Tuesday, August 14th and Wednesday, August 15th. IncentiveWorks launched in 1991 and since then has advanced into an outstanding 350+ exhibitors representing 700+ companies and world-class education for over 2,000 planners. IncentiveWorks announced its plans to rebrand as the Canadian Meetings & Events Expo in 2019 in order to expand its reach and influence, therefore, attendees should prepare for an even bigger event in 2019. Whether you’re new to the industry or are a seasoned veteran, the extensive selection of educational sessions and the vast tradeshow floor can be overwhelming. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your experience at next year’s Canadian Meetings & Events Expo is productive and valuable:
Enhance Your Networking Skills
As the 2018 IncentiveWorks slogan goes: “Connections make great meetings.” IncentiveWorks unites meeting and event planners nation-wide, allowing attendees to develop connections, grow their networks and enhance their networking capabilities. If you’re an intermediate networker, begin next year’s Canadian Meetings & Events Expo by shadowing a senior colleague with expert networking skills. First, study how this expert interacts and connects with industry peers. Next, force yourself beyond your comfort zone by independently exploring the tradeshow floor and developing your own connections. As you interact with new people over the course of the two days, you will refine your elevator pitch and make valuable connections with other planners and suppliers.
Maximize Your IncentiveWorks Connections
Complete some prep work in order to amplify your networking experience at next year’s conference and tradeshow. This year, IncentiveWorks partnered with EventMobi to develop a mobile app that enabled attendees to create quality connections by blending in-person and digital networking. This allowed attendees to develop their connections beyond the tradeshow floor by interacting with registrants and scheduling appointments with suppliers in advance. Planners should also keep in mind that many exhibitors and partner organizations associated with IncentiveWorks organize events to coincide with the two-day conference and tradeshow. Most of these events are by invitation only, so planners should ensure that they connect with their existing suppliers in order to get an invite. Attending these additional events will allow you to kick-start your connection building before the conference and tradeshow begin on Tuesday morning.
Learn About the Newest Trends & Innovations
IncentiveWorks delivers the industry’s freshest trends and innovations in a convenient two-day package. Redstone’s goal is to deliver unique ideas and opportunities to our clients to enrich their events and associations. Attendees should explore the tradeshow floor with an open and creative outlook to ensure that they leave with new ideas that will spark event registrations and engage the members of the associations they manage. For example, consider these two unique activations that Redstone discovered at this year’s IncentiveWorks:
- ARHT Media demonstrated its incredibly realistic holographic telepresence technology. Transport a speaker to your next event from anywhere in the world!
- Niagara Falls Business Events partnered with Pinpoint National Photography to offer a headshot salon to attendees. Are you planning an upcoming AGM and are struggling to meet quorum? Persuade your members to register by offering them a complimentary updated headshot!
Strategically Select Education Sessions
Purchase the full-access Conference Pass to enjoy the luxury of choosing from more than 12 education sessions and four keynotes. The education sessions are applicable to all experience levels and also allow you to earn CE credits towards your CMP application or re-certification. Your session selections should be strategic. Before selecting which sessions to attend, review the entire agenda, research each of the speakers and reflect on areas that you feel require development.
Unite & Celebrate the Best in the Industry
As the Canadian meeting and event industry unites in Toronto, it’s a vital opportunity to recognize and celebrate the success of industry peers. M+IT’s Hall of Fame inductees are selected from nominations in each of the following categories: Volunteer, Builder, Planner, Innovator, Mentor, Rising Star, and the Big Idea. This year, Redstone was proud to celebrate the nominations of two team members:
- Congratulations to Redstone’s CEO, Carly Silberstein, for her nomination in the Volunteer and Planner categories. Carly is honoured to be recognized alongside such inspiring and accomplished industry volunteers and planners.
- Congratulations to Redstone’s Senior Account Coordinator, Nzinga Brown, for her nomination in the Rising Star category. Nzinga is a vibrant and dedicated event and association professional and Redstone is thrilled that she was recognized for the profound success she has achieved at this early stage in her career.
The #REDSQUAD looks forward to attending the new and improved Canadian Meetings & Events Expo as IncentiveWorks rebrands and enhances its influence for 2019. We hope that this set of guidelines will allow you to maximize your experience at the 2019 conference and tradeshow! What were some key takeaways that you gathered at IncentiveWorks 2018? Leave your comments below!