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Apr 3, 2026
SMU International Conference Recap 2025
SMU International Conference Recap 2025
00:00
43:23
Transcript
0:00
So we're live, and we're talking about events. This is the events channel, and I... It's basically let's talk about events. Okay. So depending on the theme, depending on the week.
0:11
And this week I'm excited because we are talking, we have a specific topic, topic because we are doing a recap on a recent conference.
0:21
Um, for those that don't know me, my name is Tiffany English, founder of Velvetsal Event and Marketing, uh, helping people with their events in person that are using that as a marketing opportunity to build and grow their brand.
0:34
I'm really excited to have my good friend and planner colleague, Corine Thomas, and we are going to just chat it up for a few minutes and give our experience of our last conference that just happened recently.
0:50
Um, so Corine, before we get started, can you for, well, formally introduce yourself and tell us what you do. Okay. So, um, so I'm an entrepreneur, business owner.
1:04
I, um, my business is Absolute Events by Corine, and I have been, um, I've been growing that since, uh, almost 19 years now.
1:16
So I plan and produce meetings and conferences and all that go along with that, uh, mostly, so full service. Recently, though, I have been focused on sourcing.
1:27
What that means is finding the ideal venue for businesses that need to host their meetings, conferences, retreats, sales, kick-offs, all of those kinds of things.
1:41
And, um, I also help small businesses to grow and thrive. I'm a business growth strategist as well. So I'm wearing two hats. So, but, yes, we're not here not for that, but we're here for- [laughs]...
1:56
all things meetings and events. And as we- We are... can tell, it was great. So. We are, but I, I love your take and your expertise. Uh, so Corine, we met...
2:08
And it's so funny too, 'cause I feel like I've known you longer, but we met, I believe, last year at a, at a previous conference. Right. And since then, uh, reconnected. Is it twice this year already? Oh my goodness.
2:21
Yeah. I'm seeing all kinds of- [laughs]... all kinds of you this year. Yeah. And I asked you, I said, "Hey, do you wanna hop in and talk about a recap?"
2:29
Because I wanted someone to, to talk about, and hear their experience, uh, of, of what they thought the, uh, conferences in general- Mm-hmm...
2:40
and then specifically this one because it was an international based, uh, conference.
2:45
But before we dig in about our perspective, I don't know about you, but a lot of times I'll post about, "I'm going to a conference," or, "I'm going to, you know, meet my planners."
2:56
People are like, "What, what does that mean?" You know, [laughs] it's... And so I, I know our conferences are different than typical, you know, um, industry type conferences.
3:07
You know, we're not talking about legal conferences or accounting conferences, but for me, it's, uh, the purpose is, you know, obviously connecting, networking, but building those connections to do business with.
3:20
So- Mm-hmm... what's your take on these specific conferences? And for people that don't know or that are not part of the industry, like how would you explain it? So I would explain it this way.
3:33
It is an opportunity to meet with, by and large, suppliers, vendors, and by that I mean hoteliers from all walks of life.
3:47
So SMU, for example, and I'm, I'm gonna just explain the acronym, it's actually Successful Meetings University. That was the conference.
3:58
And there we were able to meet, um, hoteliers and DMCs from around the globe. And for us, you know, when our clients come to us to ask for a venue,
4:14
we are typically... They come to us because we're the experts, and we're, we're the experts because we build all kinds of relationships with these hoteliers and venues all over.
4:27
I like to say that I have access to and relationships with hundreds of venues nationwide and in over 75 countries, and that is really true because we get to sit down and meet with those hoteliers, those venues at these types of events.
4:45
So we're building relationships, we're networking with each other and, you know, we, we are given a space to make sure that we are solidifying relationships so that when our clients ask for,
5:01
"Oh, I wanna go to Portugal," we have a contact in Portugal that we can easily just call and say, "Here's what I've got. What, what can you tell me? Where's the best place to go?
5:15
What, um, kind of activities can we do there?" All of that kind of stuff. So it is really, for us planners, it is extremely beneficial. Wouldn't you say? Oh, I absolutely agree.
5:29
And it's such a differentiator between, "Well, why can't I do it myself?" You absolutely could, can. I always tell someone, I'm like, "You wanna plan an event? You wanna plan an international event? You absolutely can."
5:41
But the difference is the access, right, and the knowledge. Yeah. You, like you said, you're planning something in Portugal, now you have the local contacts.
5:50
And that to me, I, I mean, it trumps going to Google and doing a search, you know? Mm-hmm.
5:56
And for me, it's important to meet face to face with, like you said, suppliers, hoteliers, DMOs-Um, so now we have that relationship, and relationships are so crucial, at least on my end, because I'm getting the best possible deal, and I'm able to- Right...
6:13
pass it on to my client. Yeah. Because best believe that they're gonna give a deal over someone that, that they've talked to, known, got to know each other, as opposed to someone blindly emailing them, you know? Right.
6:26
So that relationship is crucial, um, especially in our business, right? Um, and then having these events just really solidifies that, that access. But, um, I wanna dive right in. Let's dive right into SMU.
6:39
So I d- I can't remember if this is your first one, but th- this was my first one, so I had nothing to- This was my first... compare. Okay. [laughs] Okay, good.
6:49
So I had nothing to compare it to, um, other than other, you know, conferences that we've gone to. This one, like I mentioned, was specifically international. So let me hear your take.
6:59
What were your, what were your thoughts as, as far as, like, from the start, day one? 'Cause day one we had the reception, we kinda got in. Um, like, what, what are your thoughts? So day one was amazing.
7:10
So day one for me started with, um, a luncheon, um, that was actually, um, planned and produced by Leading Hotels of the World. Right.
7:23
And by the way, so Leading Hotels of the World, hoteliers and suppliers that they bring to us are kind of a little off of the beaten path. And what I mean by that- Yeah...
7:36
is that they are not your typical brand name hotels. They are exquisite. Some of them are boutique hotels, but they are really five s- four or five-star exquisite hotels that- Oh my gosh, yes...
7:53
most, most wouldn't necessarily know that they exist, except if they're in our world.
7:59
The great thing I like about Leading Hotels, and they're not the only ones that do this, but they're part of a group that you have, they vet who they work with. Yes. Yeah.
8:08
So for me, it gives me great confidence to work with them because they've already done, like, the [laughs] They've done the work... the work for us. We know that they have a high caliber.
8:17
So if you have a client that's saying, "You know, we want luxury, we want, and we want impeccable customer service," I mean, they've already done that.
8:26
So, like, that group, um, Leading Hotels, their inventory of hotels are already, are top-notch. Right. Exactly. And to- Yeah... and to your point, the fact that we don't have to do any vetting- Yeah...
8:40
that also makes our lives easier. Mm-hmm. Which means that we can always give our clients more, better. Yeah. So that luncheon was, um, was wonderful.
8:51
We, we got to see some really cool hotels in Lucerne, Switzerland; Madeira, in, in Spain. Yeah. Which, by the way, I had not realized that it was so close to the coast of Africa.
9:09
Same. Great, great, um, temperature, or the climate, really good all year round. And, um, and also Italy, we saw some, some properties from- Yep... Italy also. So, um,
9:26
again, for us, getting exposure to these really makes the difference when we talk to our clients. And, uh- So... Corrine, can I say something about that lunch? Which I think
9:40
they did a great job about, you know, setting themselves above the competition, because they were the ones that sent a specific invite. I mean, and I was surprised to see you.
9:50
I didn't even know you were th- gonna be there, so- Right... imagine my surprise. Yeah. But they sent a specific invite to planners before the conference.
9:58
I don't know how many invites you got from others, but I, I think I got maybe two. And I always say for suppliers, use this as an opportunity, you know? Right.
10:09
I, I mean, we'll, we'll dive into, like, the, the conference itself, but you only have a few minutes to meet with each planner. So that lunch that went, I think, at least over a couple hours- At least 20...
10:20
we had dedicated time. 20, yeah. [laughs] We did have, we did have good amount of time to spend with each participant. Right.
10:27
But now we have those properties that we wouldn't have seen or wouldn't probably had time to talk about during the conference. Right. And now, I don't know about you, but I'm ready.
10:37
[laughs] Like, I, they're on my radar, you know? For sure. For sure. In actual fact, one of the things that we, we wanna add here is that there were over 100, definitely more than 150 suppliers- Correct...
10:52
this conference. And each one of us met with 19 on the first day. It was just 19, right? Okay, so I had a conversation with another planner yesterday. We were trying to get the numbers straight. I, he, he said 26.
11:06
I think I said 20. It w- I know it was over 20 on that first day, from- Okay. So it's- Well, the first day of the conference.
11:13
We're talking about not the, you know, the day, the day, fir- the first day where we all come in for the reception. Right. But the actual meeting day, from morning, I mean, it was a whole day, you know?
11:25
[laughs] It is a marathon. We did- It was a whole day... we did meet with all of these suppliers for, I think it's about 15 minutes for each supplier. Yeah. We are, it is- Very.
11:36
[laughs] And then that includes the travel time, because that was another thing. Okay, so let's, let's map out what this conference is.
11:43
For, for me, I usually compare it to a speed networking or speed dating, where you're going to table and you're, you're having these, um, rapid conversations.
11:54
But, you know, painting the picture of this, this is, conference was similar to other conferences where you're in this large ballroomAnd the planners are moving around table to table.
12:04
One of my things that I, always makes me nervous is... And I, it's always me, right? I get an appointment on one side and then gotta go immediately to the other side of the room. So- Yeah...
12:15
yeah, I say that to say, you know, you say 15 minutes, but including the time it takes you to maneuver- Yes... from appointment to appointment. But nevertheless,
12:24
I am always, I always walk away from, from those meetings with something. And sometimes, you know, occasionally I'll meet with someone who I met with before at another conference or something similar.
12:38
We get to catch up and they can tell me more about what's happening in the destination, what's changed, what new hotel has opened, and all of those kinds of things.
12:48
So just so you all know, we are really on our feet- [laughs]... running sometimes from one- I know [laughs]... meeting to the next.
12:56
And I'm being serious about, I think the first day it was, it was about 20, maybe 19 or 20. Yeah. So- Yeah... you know, we have time for... They do give us time for break and lunch. Yeah. [laughs] That's important.
13:10
[laughs] Outside of all of that, yeah, we're, we're visiting with these suppliers and s- And I mean, we, we have amazing conversations, though they're only, like, maybe 10 or 15 minutes, depending on how far we have to walk from one to another, but they're good conversations.
13:27
And there is nothing better than building these relationships and having the opportunity to build them.
13:34
If you do not go to these and you are finding venues for, for your clients, um, I, I have to say, you're missing out. I agree. I agree. Uh, I mean, I know it's only, you know, it's only so much time you have, right?
13:49
Because, you know, we're going to these appointments, we're going to these conferences, there's travel time, and we still have to do the work that we do, right?
13:55
So I, I understand where people are like, "I have to get the time." I, what I think is important too is to, to look at these as opportunity to really hone in on your niche, you know? Yeah.
14:06
Because this one was specific to international, but then there's others that are specific to different destinations. Yep.
14:12
So, you know, if you are doing international, for me, it was important to get more of a, the law of the land of where things are geographically, um, to know that I have local support. You know what I mean?
14:24
So that, you know, any time that you're doing something out of the country and you don't have the teams that you're used to working with- Mm-hmm...
14:30
it's good to, to find those people that you know, that, that you're confident working with, that can have, deliver the same program as, as if you were doing here in the US. Mm-hmm.
14:42
So I think that conference accomplished that. It brought out not only just suppliers but knowledgeable suppliers, people that knew their destination inside and out.
14:52
I'm telling you, they're very, very passionate about their destination and bringing meetings and events to it. So yeah. The EMCs that we talk about... So what does that mean? Mm-hmm.
15:03
[laughs] Destination management companies. Mm-hmm. And they are, they are, they do what we do, so let, let's just call them event planners that also handle things like transportation, airports.
15:19
They know a great deal about their destinations, and they're there to help us with planning and anything else that we need that we cannot do from here in the US, especially if we had to do something in Switzerland.
15:34
You know, it's easier to get those things done knowing all the suppliers in that region or that destination. We, you know, we are not armed with all of that. Right.
15:45
So having a partner to help us, you know, with that kind of stuff is really important as well. Absolutely. And that, that knowledge base because you can't know everything about, you know, every place that you go to.
15:57
Let me ask you this because you, you'd mentioned that, you know, sometimes you go to these conferences and y- it's to catch up. Did you find that you knew any suppliers from this, um, beforehand?
16:08
There were- 'Cause all of mine were new. That's great. Yeah. I, what I will say is the majority were new to me. Yes. But there were maybe about three, four suppliers, a handful that I knew before. Yes. Yeah.
16:26
I'm always excited when I meet new- Yes... suppliers and new, new, um... But also the other thing about seeing the people that you know already, it's almost a reminder they exist.
16:41
And whatever you're looking for, especially if you're looking in a particular area, there they are. They're a great reminder that, that's right, I have this person in my pocket or in my back pocket.
16:53
I can call at any time for this thing or that thing. Um, what is that, um, saying? 'Cause sometimes, you know, out of sight is out of mind. Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
17:04
So being able to reconnect with suppliers that you already know is a bit of a game changer- Oh, yeah... because then you'll always remember them. You won't forget them. Correct.
17:15
And I always say this, you wanna be top of mind because, you know, a, a lot of us, myself included, are doing multiple programs. And sometimes I don't remember who I talked to last week.
17:27
But, [laughs] but when you're top of mind, like you said, you're like, "Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, I do remember. Oh, yeah, I think I can... I, I might have something for you."
17:35
So the ones that do show up, I appreciate because they are wanting to be top of mind. And even if we don't have, um, something right away- Right...
17:44
it, it's, it's still on our mind to do, even if it's, you know- Exactly... a month from now, a year from now. Um, but I do appreciate them, you know, being top of mind. Ab- absolutely.
17:54
So I'm curious on, on your take about was there...
17:59
Oh, oh, I wanted to say something else about, um, suppliers because I think everybody was pretty much new to me in person, but they were people that I communicated over email. So it was r- really- Yeah. Yeah...
18:09
great to see an email to a face. I, I really appreciate some of the conversations of cities that I've been to-So it was great to see CVBs in areas that I didn't know. Yeah, yeah. Um, the conversations were...
18:22
I feel like they were very intentional. Absolutely. We weren't just talking about the weather. We were talking, we were talking business, right? [laughs] Yeah. We were very intentional. Does any, um...
18:34
I'm, I'm curious on what your take, did anything stand out or did anything, anyone say anything that you didn't know, that you're like, "Wow, that really stood out to me?" I, so I...
18:44
There's one thing that did stand out that, uh, I keep thinking about a lot. Yeah.
18:49
And it's Switzerland because Lucerne, was it Lucerne or someplace that is not necessarily close to an airport, but they have trains that you can host a meeting.
19:02
It may take an hour and a half or two hours to get from one place to another by train, but during that train ride, you can have a pre-meeting, you could have a reception. They have room for that to happen.
19:16
They have these amazing trains that you can have board meetings on. You can, it, it... That stood out to me 'cause I did not know that.
19:25
[laughs] I didn't know that, that that was a thing, and they, they have trains going everywhere that allow you to really be, um, intentional in transit so you don't have to That is impressive... you know, Yeah.
19:39
You don't have to I, like, that's news to me too because I did not hear that. That's- Yeah... that's interesting. What I, what I do like is there was a lot of creativity.
19:47
So it was kind of there, there were a lot of painting pictures and, you know, one thing about working with international destination is sometimes you have to debunk myths.
19:59
I, I talked to- [laughs] I talked to Air New Zealand and they said, you know, I, I, I had concerns on travel time. You know, people don't wanna have to spend two weeks.
20:09
You know, say we're doing an incentive trip and- Right... you know, no one has two weeks to give up. And he says, "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. It does not take two weeks."
20:18
He's like, "Matter of fact, we can go build a whole itinerary. This is where you'll leave." And he just gave me the information. Yeah.
20:24
And I said, "Oh, wow, now that I know that, you know, you can compete with other locations." Um, so I, I, I found a lot of that. I found a lot of education. Yeah. That is one of the things that's very interesting.
20:36
Even with places that I've been to before that I didn't- Mm-hmm... I didn't know about. So I'm from England, right?
20:43
And, um, I met with someone from Devon and Manchester, and both of these places, because I left there a long time ago, over 20 years ago, and they were kind of introducing me really to these places even though that's where I, I grew up.
20:59
I was born and raised. So that, for me, was also, uh, really important. There was one specific place I remember in high school, I worked at a supermarket in that area. And when they showed me- Hmm...
21:15
the [laughs] that particular area, I didn't recognize a single thing. So- Yeah. [laughs]... it was like learning about some place that, um, I'd never been, although I grew up there. So that was kind of cool too. That is.
21:27
It's like bringing things back and it's different. Another thing that I, uh, appreciated as far as educating is, um...
21:35
So this conference I feel like did really great job with weaving in the themes and, you know, whoever was sponsoring our lunches and our breaks, right? Yeah.
21:45
Um, fantastic job because, uh, now I'm thinking like, "Okay, other conference need to take heed to this," right? I mean, we had
21:56
a, a, they, they basically had a captive audience every time we sat down to eat and we were able to- Yeah... hear their presentation whe- whether it was, you know, 20 minutes.
22:05
Um, I think Hong Kong was impressive to me, right? Yes. Yeah. Didn't know that much about Hong Kong. No. [laughs] Really great. Hong Kong was one of the sponsors.
22:14
Oh, and by the way, this was, uh, this SMU is organized and hosted by North Star Meetings Group. So they do a ton of conferences, um, as well as others. We love our meetings. We love North Star Meetings.
22:26
They do Shout out to North Star Meetings for keeping, for- They do an amazing job... [laughs] for, for still, um, inviting me to their, uh, events, and I get approved. So yes. Yeah.
22:36
They did an amazing job, so shout out to North Star. Marriott Marquis in New York City. Marriott Marquis as far as- Their banquet... the hosted hotel, yes. Their banquet department really showed up and showed out.
22:49
They did an amazing job with the food and beverage. Okay. Well, let's see. Let's, let's talk about that real quick because- [laughs]... not only was it, you know, the food for the event, but it was thematic, right? Yes.
23:01
'Cause I'm still thinking about the empanadas from Colombia. Yes. [laughs] And I just thought that that was, um, that was great. I missed out... You know, I had to leave early.
23:11
I had a, the early shuttle, but I missed out on the Korean bar- barbecue, so I was kinda- It was good. [laughs] Very good. I was upset about that. Very good. They... The dessert was a little... The dessert was...
23:24
You saw... Oh, did you taste it- Oh, I ate it... before you left? Yeah. I ate it. It was like a pudding. It was like a coffee pudding. I, so I don't know what it's called. Yeah.
23:32
I'm not a fan of coffee, so I, I was like, "Oh, you know." Yeah. So I, yeah. Too much That makes... cream. Delicious. I took the coffee And I ha- I ma- oh, shout out to Colombia. I had some coffee today. It's delicious.
23:44
I know you did. I did. I did. I dug it right in. It was, um... So I met with, um, Medellin which, yes, I, I was so glad to see them. I had no idea they had a CVB.
23:56
And, see, that's another reason why you go to these things- Yeah... so now you know. But I was in Colombia last year, and I was in, I, I, I inquired. I went downtown, and I didn't see the presence.
24:07
So now that I know, I'm like, "Well, you're gonna be hearing from me." Right. Um, so they had Me- Medellin there. Um, so I had coffee from, they had the coffee on the tables. And then also ProColombia.
24:18
So their presentation to me, and this is my personal outtake, was very beneficial because, you know, Colombia is still a country that is, you know, they've had so much change and growth and development. Yeah.
24:30
But theirThey're growing well, so it, it's great for them to connect with us as planners to share that this is an ideal location. Yes. And- Very different from the Colombia that you used to be in...
24:42
it absolutely, and that's their whole point. So it's nice for them and other suppliers that know to s- stay participating in events like this- Mm-hmm... and staying, you know, ears to the ground to hear from planners.
24:57
You know, because there's a lot of suppliers out there that don't show up for these events, and I feel like that's a missed opportunity. Absolutely, yeah.
25:04
But really great, um, sponsorship, you know, as far as weaved into the event. It didn't feel like they were, you know, hard selling us. Right. They were just sharing their passion, and we, you know, [laughs] Yeah.
25:17
It was wonderful. We, we had our, our guest speakers. I think the, I think the content- Michael Green... was- Oh, and [laughs] The conversations were great. Michael Green was- Yes. Yeah.
25:29
I, now I'm gonna start looking for him on CNBC. Is it CNBC? Same. Right? He's on CNBC. Well, it's a radio show. Yeah, I'll have to look that up, too. Yeah. Yeah. He, he was- It kept us entertained.
25:40
It kept our, our attention. Um, it was some great talking points around, you know, just travel. Um, and that's another thing, too.
25:48
A lot of these events, especially in this climate, you know, you have to be knowledgeable about, you know- Mm-hmm... what's going on, economics, politics.
25:58
Because, you know, having conversations with people that aren't doing government events and how that's affecting things and, you know, just different, uh, political decisions.
26:06
So that's another reason why these conferences are a place to have those topics of discussion. Yeah. Yeah. And understand how it's impacting the meetings and events industry. Right. Yeah, exactly.
26:20
And even, even if it's not directly for you, it's, that impact is coming, you know- Mm-hmm... from somewhere.
26:27
So it's like, okay, maybe I don't know impact of, you know, what's happening here in Europe, but it's going to trickle down. So it- Right... the, the knowledge has to be there.
26:35
We have to understand where it's coming from. You know, the cost of goods are going up, the cost of travel, um, the type of travel.
26:43
Oh, and so funny, too, the, um, our, our guest speaker talking about those destination fees. [laughs] The resort fees, yeah. Well, okay, I call them destination fees- That's all-...
26:53
because, because hello, you're not a resort. Why are you calling it a resort fee? So- Like, unless you're in a resort location. [laughs] That is a whole other topic that could last an hour or more. I, that is, anyway.
27:10
[laughs] But what I do, I, I, I do feel that he, you know, had a good point and to understand, again, working with planners because something like that needs to be negotiated.
27:22
So, you know, the difference between you going out and getting, securing your own contract and working with a planner, knowing that we can negotiate those destination fees or resort fees- Right...
27:32
whatever you wanna call them- Right... um, if they want the business. So that's another thing to just be, you know, cognizant on- Right... the, the, the knowledge that planners bring to your event. And- Yeah...
27:43
the, the cost saving that happens, too, is a benefit. You're, you're saving a lot of money. People think they're, you know, it's an added expense to hire. Yeah. But- It's gonna cost to not get it right. Thank you.
27:58
That part, yeah. I mean, but that's, that's definitely, we can have a definitely, a conversation about that. But anything else that stood out with the conference? We were there for, was it two days? Two days.
28:09
Two and a half. Well, two, maybe two and a half days. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I don't know, I just enjoyed the entire experience.
28:15
Meeting all these suppliers, getting the opportunity to sample a destination's cuisine, 'cause I think that...
28:25
And, you know, obviously I, it's not some place I've gone, but the empanadas, like you talked about, the, the Korean food, the, from Hong Kong, they had, because they were sponsor, I forgot what their, their meal was.
28:40
But I have to say that all of the meals at the Marriott, they knocked it out of the park. It was really good. And, um, shout out to the Marriott for having, um, lots of blueberries in the morning. [laughs] Blueberries.
28:56
[laughs] Yeah. I wasn't gonna say anything. I'm like, "Who eats, like, just a whole bowl of blueberries?" [laughs] Oh, I eat a lot of blueberries. You know, blueberries are nutrient dense.
29:05
They are highly, highly, highly nutritious. Oh, no, no doubt. I agree. As anyone who has, I, yeah, I could eat, I could eat [laughs] I just thought it was- Yeah... it was just odd because it was all blueberries.
29:18
I'm used to seeing them mixed with other fruit. But no, you had a whole bowl of blueberries. [laughs] I could eat bowls and bowls. [laughs] I do appreciate they had a variety of fruits, um, and- They did, and it's great.
29:32
All day, even during the breaks. Oh, they had very great snacks. You know how some conferences, they'll have, like, chips or cookies. They, these were fulfilling. Like- Yeah, they were intentionally healthy. They were.
29:46
I love it. So yeah, back to the Marriott Marquis, which for me, I appreciated it being right in the center of the action. I, I've never stayed in Times Square, and I thought it was just such a cool experience. Yeah.
29:59
Um, that hotel does a ton of business, ton of conferences. But yeah, so how did you feel about, you know, the Marriott Marquis? Uh, it, I will say I've been to the Marriott Marquis several times, lots of times.
30:17
But I have to say, I think this is the first time I've ever actually stayed at the Marriott Marquis. Okay. And it was actually quite pleasant. I mean, I- Yeah... I don't have any complaints at all. It was good.
30:31
I, I feel like if that's the location you wanna be, um, if you're gonna see a Broadway show, I mean, because the place was packed.
30:37
People are going to shows-One thing I will say is I stumbled upon the, uh, rotating bar just- Oh... in conversation. And we, we went up there. I would have, I would have appreciate them just...
30:52
And I think they said some people knew about it and some people didn't, but I would have loved to have maybe a formal tour or f- a, a mention of their meeting- Yeah... spaces there. Mm-hmm.
31:03
Because, um, I think I grabbed you. I said, "Hey, you." [laughs] And I- Yeah, let's go... I'm so glad we did. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So, you know, just, just to let people know, there is some great spaces for entertaining.
31:15
Um, and because I do a lot of client events and receptions, it was on my mind to see what spaces made sense for any type of pre or post-conference reception. They have a ton of space. We met with a, a...
31:28
One of the sales managers was one of my appointments, and he says, "Go up to the 48th floor. There's a lounge and there's a restaurant."
31:36
So we went to the lounge, and I thought it was the coolest thing that it rotates slowly, right? Yeah. [laughs] The whole, um, the whole floor rotates. And to, to give perspective, so, um, as you're sitting the room is,
31:53
it's not spinning, it's revolving. Yeah. 'Cause spinning makes you think it's really going fast. Takes about 45 minutes for each rotation. So you are able to see different views of the city because you're moving,
32:12
um, and that's pretty, it's pretty cool. Most people are... I, I totally forgot about that actually. I, I remember- I-... attending an event for, um, shout out to Preston Bailey.
32:24
When he launched his first book he actually did his, uh, book launch- Okay... in that space. And, um, what's her name? The woman who sings, um, ooh, I forgot her name. She was performing. I, Who Have Nothing.
32:39
Who is that? I don't know. Okay. S- so someone was performing there. Someone. Okay. She's quite famous in her own right actually. But anyway, yes.
32:51
So it was nice to go up there and for us to sit and, um, kind of enjoy that space for the time that we did. I loved it. Uh, for someone like me, it just, it, you know, it, it, it held my attention.
33:04
I was like walk, you know, watching it and watching the scenery change. I thought it was cool. One thing I will say about that is that would've been such a great opportunity for a supplier to sponsor- Mm-hmm...
33:16
or host that, and really hone in at... Because we had, and you know, it was just us, we had some really great conversations. So imagine- Mm-hmm...
33:24
if we would've been able to continue our conversation with someone, you know, as a- Yeah... a client event. Um, so just keeping that in mind, if you are at the Marriott Marquis.
33:33
And mind you, they had some really great large group spacing where you don't feel any, you have to, you know, reserve something. But just maybe you're hosting a few, you know, a few people for some cocktails, but- Yeah.
33:45
It's hard to do that and stay within the confines of the program itself, because- Mm-hmm... we were at City Winery. So and that was supposed to go from 7:00 to 9:00, right? Yes. Uh. The- Yes.
34:02
So it wouldn't be right for a supplier to then have a separate event? Yeah. Well, okay, let's not talk about separate event. But you know how things are when you're like, "Hey, let's have some after leisure." Yeah.
34:18
And I think it would be more of a, "These are my clients." Oh. Mm-hmm. Or even people that I already know. I, I, I definitely don't think you should poach people into a- Right... another, 'cause you can't.
34:30
I mean- Right... you know, there's, they're gonna ask, "What, what's this event for?" And if it's for the conference- Yeah... it's gonna be iffy. But a lot of times, you know, I will...
34:40
And it's so funny too, last year some of my really great, um, connection with suppliers is when we went downstairs to the hotel bar. Like, it was just so simple, and they were like, "Drinks on me." Mm-hmm.
34:50
So I just think that that space right there would've just been such a kind of a ah moment- Yeah... to be like, "Hey- Good. Yeah... let's continue. Let's just chat." But yeah. The 48th floor. Let's go. Yeah.
35:00
That would have been cool. It was su- super cool. And so, you know, New York itself I think lend a great backdrop to this conference. And from my understanding that it is always there. I know it- Yeah...
35:11
will be there next year. Mm-hmm. And, um, I just think it, that, that made the vibe even better just because, you know- Yeah... New York, the, the heart of it. And then we, it was good weather. You know?
35:23
I just, I- So nice. Oh my gosh. [laughs] It was nice. Those three days were nice days. Yes. And, um, it was nice to be able to drive in to one of these conferences. Right. Yeah. Because you're, you're semi-local. Yes.
35:36
Tell us where you're from again. I'm, I'm in New Jersey, so- Yeah... it's really easy. Um, it was a- about an hour for me to get into the city. Coming home- Mm-hmm...
35:45
however, took a lot longer because I guess people were trying to leave around the same time. Mm-hmm. It took me a little longer to get out of the city. But I was home within an hour and a half. Oh.
35:57
Oh, well, you lucky, lucky you. [laughs] I know. You on- Me, not so much... a bigger plane. [laughs] Right. Yeah. That's, that's good. That's good. And I think that's the gist.
36:07
Is there anything w- that we're missing specifically around the conference? No. I just think, I think these are beneficial. I love that North Star does this. Um, I like that they do IPEC, which is another- Yes...
36:23
conference that we, um, I think we both like very much. And that's- Yes... IPEC, by the way. The acronym is for International, no, Independent Planners Education Conference. Yes.
36:37
So, um, they're all, they do a, they do a fine job. I love what they do.So is that safe to say that... So do you think you'll be back to SMU? I think so. Okay. Uh- As long as I'm doing this, yes.
36:55
[laughs] Okay. And so I imagine you would recommend this to other planners who are considering it? I would recommend, uh- Okay... attending SMU. In actual fact, I think this was the, um, this was a banner year for them.
37:09
Oh, yeah? Yeah, this is, um, the most... So there were 487, 480-something people, and they haven't had this kind of attendance in a long while. But it was great.
37:24
Uh, I would love to hear what their, um, feedback, the survey was, because I thought it was great. And I think having as many, um, as many suppliers was also wonderful.
37:39
Because even if you didn't get to sit down for 10 or 15 minutes with them, you got to meet them at the networking, um, events. Although it did seem like an awful lot of people. It was a lot of people.
37:52
But you were able to meet people that you might not have otherwise. And, um, it reminded me a little like IMEX, actually. I was gonna, I was thinking that too.
38:03
It was very remi- reminiscent of IMEX with, you know, a lot of international locations. Um- Right... very similar. I just, I feel like we got a little bit more personalized attention in, in Energy. You know what I mean?
38:21
Because I think, you know, IMEX is great as a trade show, but, you know, bumping into someone, you know, from Switzerland, and they just ta- I mean, the passion there. Mm.
38:32
Everybody was just so excited to be there, and- Yeah... I feel like they were excited to get to know me. They were asking me where am I from, and- Mm-hmm... you know, have you been to our, you know, our country before?
38:43
Please come. So I... [laughs] Well, yeah, you must come. So there were, I mean, I was just smiling from ear to ear because I felt like I felt great energy. Mm-hmm.
38:52
Like, that people wanted to be there, that they weren't feeling like, "Oh, my gosh, not another conference." Yeah. I feel like they were, they, this was, this was it.
39:00
So, um- For them, it wasn't their first time, so- Right. Right... obviously, um, see it as quite valuable, and they- Sure... benefit from it for them to keep coming back year after year. Sure. Yeah. I agree.
39:15
Well, I'm glad we're on the same page. I definitely thought, uh, you know, I had my personal, you know, uh, thoughts on it. And I, I'm glad we both agree that it was a, a good use of time. [laughs] Yeah.
39:30
And a great tailor event. Yep. Worth my time. Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, uh, you know, I, I hate to keep you. I just wanna know if you have any, any parting thoughts, or any, um- No, I think- Words of wisdom?
39:45
[laughs] Nope, that was it. Sounds good. Okay. Just stay in touch. Absolutely. Make- Yeah, and you gave a great- With your, with your suppliers, 'cause they're there really to help you.
39:56
They're there to get your business, but they're also there to make you, um, give you the tools, arm you with the expertise so that your client benefits from that. No, that's good. I like that.
40:11
Well, Corrine, I'm gonna make sure to have your info listed. But I'd like to s- ask you, you know, how would, how would people work with you? I mean, who, who, who are your target audience right now?
40:22
Because I know you have two arms of business. Okay. So who are you trying to work with, that we can, uh- So-... connect you with? So it's really, I like to say that midsize companies,
40:37
that don't have a meeting planning department, they may have some in-house planners, but they have more meetings than... Well, they have a lot of meetings.
40:50
And that planner is responsible for not just planning and producing those meetings and events, but they also have to find a venue. It, it's a lot. It can be quite overwhelming. Right.
41:03
So those people, I can just be their partner in finding and negotiating with their, and finding their ideal venue.
41:13
Because quite honestly, what I think happens with people looking for venues, if they're overwhelmed, they're just gonna kind of grab the first thing that they find that has their date.
41:26
May not be completely ideal for their program or for their attendees, but it works just because it works. Mm-hmm. But if you wanna have something that's ideal, that really, um,
41:38
adds to the attendee experience and your own client experience, it really behooves you to get somebody who can help you find that ideal venue, and who can do it far quicker than that planner who's trying to do it all.
41:57
I'm actually looking to interview CVP for the- Well, you know a lot, so you should have a... [laughs] I know. You should have your pick. I know. You, yeah. Yeah. But, uh, outside of that, um, small business owners who
42:13
are feeling, maybe feeling a little stuck, and, um, wanna, wanna grow their revenue, I have some frameworks and some strategies to help them do that. That's great. That sounds good. [laughs] Well, again, thank you.
42:30
Thank you, Corrine, for agreeing to chat it up, um, and talk about- Thank you... our experience. And I appreciate you. And until next time. Bye. [laughs] Thank you so much for inviting me. See- Absolutely...
42:44
y'all on YouTube, y'all. Live. [laughs] Absolutely. Live. I'll tag, I'll tag your little YouTube channel as well, because you're gonna have some more video content coming soon. I will. I will. [laughs] Perhaps I'll...
42:57
You, you've inspired me. Maybe I'll do something live, just like this. Woo. Mine as well. Why not? Yep. Why not? [laughs] All right, y'all. Bye. Well, until next
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