Conference Management

Be among the few to stand in front of the secret bookcase and say the magic words: "Open Sesame." And poof! The Magic Castle, an elusive LA attraction, will reveal itself as one of the most coveted venues in Los Angeles.

It's not an illusion! World-class entertainment in Los Angeles unfolds right in front of your eyes as you enter this four-story Victorian castle smack-dab in the middle of Hollywood. It holds up to 360 people for meetings and special events.

Combined with the most exciting group dining Los Angeles has to offer and the convenience of a hip hotel right on the property, the Magic Castle is a triple threat. Successful Los Angeles corporate event planning includes a creative conference site or diverse banquet hall, and the Magic Castle holds the cards.

Cvent Planner Insider Tip: Put an ace in your pocket! Befriend a magical member to harness your full Los Angeles event planning potential.

To find more unique Los Angeles venues, visit the Cvent Supplier Network.

With the dark clouds of a gloomy economic climate still hovering over our heads, many professionals are being forced to move into the virtual meeting space. But no need to be discouraged; Many of our clients have been faced with this reality, and we provide a way for them to hold various events over the Internet without losing an ounce of professionalism.

We've responded to this online trend by integrating with Cisco's Webex - the leading online meeting and presentation tool. Users are leveraging our sophisticated event management application to bring their meetings, seminars, training classes and more to a higher level of success.

The Webex integration opens a world of possibilities:

• Send registrants confirmation and reminder emails with updated session links and access codes
• Save time that would otherwise be spent importing and exporting files
• Control the activation and modification integration settings for each event you host

Customers can seamlessly share data between the two systems, ultimately allowing  registrants easy access to Webex meetings. The benefit to users is that they can side-step the technical mishaps that usually deter meeting attendance and get in the way of their organization's attempt to deliver value.

Nestled in the canyon of the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu is the rustic yet decadent oasis of Saddle Peak Lodge, the gold medal winner of romantic wedding venues in Los Angeles.

A breathtaking countryside landscape frames this picturesque lodge, making it the perfect setting for a fairytale Los Angeles wedding reception. From a cascading waterfall and lush patio to the intimate library and den, this LA venue is a Los Angeles wedding planner's dream.

Deemed the only 6-star restaurant in LA, this hidden gem is a best kept secret of Hollywood's elite. However, the cat's out of the bag the moment you pull into the parking lot next to the Rolls Royce and Maybach. But don't be intimidated—the service is impeccable and the staff is as familiar as your local neighborhood haunt.

Everything's game on this eclectic menu, literally, as venison, bison, elk, beef, quail and lamb all find a place on the menu. Exercise your palate by including an out-of-this world wine flight guided by your personal sommelier.

Cvent Planner Insider Tip: LA can be a fickle town and Los Angeles event planning can be tricky. However, having a unique wedding in Los Angeles is do-able with a dreamy Los Angeles special event facility like Saddle Peak Lodge, coupled with the fact that it is considered one of the best caterers in Los Angeles.

View more information about Saddle Peak Lodge on the Cvent Supplier Network

Home to popular art and cultural events, a well respected branch of the University of Texas school system, and several large IT and Telecom firms, Richardson is a quaint, yet urban, North Dallas community. Located about 20 minutes north of downtown and perfectly situated in the center of it all is the Hyatt Regency North Dallas, a massive red brick structure with a distinctly pointed roof.

This large, luxury Dallas hotel has recently undergone a multimillion dollar renovation and now boasts 15,000 square feet of sophisticated Dallas meeting space. So whether you're looking for full-scale Dallas conference facilities or have large meetings requiring several breakouts, the Hyatt Regency North Dallas offers a multitude of options to suit your needs.

The hotel itself is gorgeous. Upon entering, guests are greeted by an elegant foyer lined with four-story windows and adorned with rich drapery. There are 342 remodeled guest rooms complete with high-speed wireless Internet, flat panel televisions with digital video-on-demand and cable services, huge work desks with comfortable chairs, and an iHome alarm clock perfect for iPods. As with any full-service luxury hotel, guests are met with all the amenities one would expect, such as in-room dining, laundry and dry cleaning services, turndown, and a multilingual staff.

Moving on to the meetings side, Dallas event planners won't be disappointed. There is an incredible 7,800-square-foot ballroom that can be broken into seven different sections, as well as a 2,700-square-foot junior ballroom that is divisible into four areas. In addition, there are six extra breakout rooms, 4,000 square feet of prefunction space, and two "lounge" areas to consider as well. The icing on the cake: The Hyatt Regency offers complimentary parking and shuttle service within a five-mile radius of the hotel.

With delicious catering options from their in-house, full-service restaurant, experienced sales and event managers, and on-site audio-visual techs ready to handle any request, there's no excuse not to consider the Hyatt Regency North Dallas as an excellent, and economical, option for hard-to-please clients while in Dallas.

View more information about Hyatt Regency North Dallas on the Cvent Supplier Network

Leave manual payment transactions and logistical headaches in the dust while collecting online payments quickly and securely, all with the added benefits of real-time tracking and automated refunds that Cvent offers.

This September, the Payment Card Industry welcomed our company to a very exclusive list of only 1,000 PCI Level 1 compliant service providers in the world for both Visa and Mastercard. We officially only needed to self-assess, but we went above and beyond the requirements to show a commitment to our customers that we take the security of their payment card data seriously. 

To achieve PCI Level 1 status, our systems underwent an extensive third-party audit process, which validated over 200 security practices and technologies. We're proud to offer our clients peace of mind with the highest level of data security.

If you're not currently using Cvent for your event management needs, perhaps you should reevaluate your processes: does your current vendor have as deep an understanding that a key to business success is always protecting client data to the greatest possible degree?

Holding ourselves accountable to keep a stringent set of regulations in place is a great company achievement - and just another reason why we're the market leader in the industry!

Perhaps you're worried about the cost of investing in online event management software because your organization charges little or no money for its events. No matter the price (or lack thereof) associated with your events, you shouldn't let it hold you back from reaping the benefits of a great online system - so let's look at a new way to work around some seemingly unavoidable expenses.

Among the numerous industries Cvent works with: corporations, associations, universities, non-profits, government and independent planners, many rely on sponsors for support - whether it be financial help or through the provision of products and services.

Many of our clients have taken advantage of this situation by tapping into their sponsors to further cover event costs. How? They charge them more money in exchange for more exposure!

Think of it as selling "electronic real estate." As a planner, you can use Cvent's capabilities with email invites and event websites to generate this additional revenue. For example, you can require sponsors pay a higher price to have their logos displayed on every event-related email or placed prominently at the top of the "Sponsors" page you create on your event website.

Or you can "sell a survey question" in a pre- or post-event survey (think about selling multiple questions if you have multiple sponsors).

Just check out this sample event Cvent did for a real client to see how SCW Fitness Education leveraged its sponsors!

Slowly but surely, your sponsors are realizing that there exists a two-way street and that they benefit from getting their name advertised throughout the entire registration process as well as on the day of the actual event.

So don't be afraid to leverage those who are already willing to help your organization - just approach it in a smart way and be prepared to defend your request with reasons why it's smart for them to get as much time in the spotlight as possible.

Slow and steady is the motto for business travel next year, according to a recent survey by the National Business Travel Association. According to its 2010 Business Travel Buyers' Cost Forecast of 180 direct corporate travel buyers, 69 percent of respondents expect to see business travel volume "grow slowly" throughout 2010.

For meetings, 58 percent of respondents said that reducing the number of meetings is one of their measures to cut costs in 2010. However, on the bright side, this percentage is much lower than last year, when 85 percent said they would be cutting meetings.

To save money, travel buyers also cited auditing travel and entertainment expenses (84 percent), enforcing travel policies (77 percent), mandating online booking (76 percent), and reducing nonessential travel (71 percent) as their cost-cutting measures. Just over half of respondents—more than twice as many as last year—also said they would start implementing Strategic Meetings Management programs for their meeting in 2010.

Not that there aren't enough bridal shows and wedding extravaganzas in Texas, let alone Dallas, but the Great Bridal Expo held at the historic and beautiful Fairmont Dallas Hotel is an excellent opportunity to not only get out and see a slew of Dallas vendors, but a chance to check out the hotel's event space. The Expo is set to begin November 8 at noon and generally lasts anywhere from five to seven hours depending on crowds.

Here is a short list of featured exhibitors: 

Favorite Dallas florist Your Perfect Wedding Day by di Fiori will be on-site to demonstrate and discuss floral arrangements for any Dallas event. This mother/daughter team has event design experience ranging from full-service social affairs to large corporate luncheons.

The Creative Touch: Events by Lauren is a Dallas event planner specializing in not only weddings, but also lavish corporate affairs and business gatherings. Full-service event planning and day-of coordination are available.

Voted Dallas' Best Winery in 2009, Swirll Winery & Wine Bar will be presenting some fabulous options for off-site wine selections, as well as those for smaller, on-site cocktail events. This swank little wine dive is located in the heart of downtown and has fast become a Dallas restaurant hotspot for both the amateur wine lover and connoisseur alike.

Keith Evans Photography will also be at the Expo exhibiting some of his famous shots. Voted Ft. Worth's Photographer of the Year in 2008, Keith has a knack for capturing the perfect lighting for both formal or informal shots. He also knows some of the best Dallas venues and outdoor locales for amazing shoots.

MBEG, LLCis a multi-service company specializing in ground Dallas transportation. Whether you're in need of bus service to and from an event or a corporate car pick-up service, they are known to have some of the best rates for Dallas limo companies.

All these and more will be on-site to promote networking amongst Dallas area vendors. It's a great opportunity for Dallas meeting planners to seek out some lesser known, well-respected names in the Dallas event industry. And don't forget to visit the Cvent Supplier Network to search and find Dallas suppliers for your next event!

Lead times remain short for meeting and event planners looking to secure the best deals from hotels and event venues. According to a recent MeetingNews survey, 41 percent of planners said their lead times for meetings of less than 100 attendees are 30 to 90 days before the event date. These abbreviated time periods are holding steady, as 73 percent of planners said lead times are about the same in 2009 as they were last year, while 15 percent said they are even shorter this year.

Paul Salvatore, HRG North America president of events and meetings management, told MeetingNews of one client who booked a Pittsburgh meeting for 160 people on September 24 just three weeks prior. Meanwhile, another client is waiting to announce its Boston meeting for 300 guests until a week before, in case a better deal comes along or it needs to cancel.

"Even though we made them aware of the penalties—both on air, using nonrefundable tickets, and on the deposit at the hotel—they factored all that into their budgeting and are willing to forgo their deposit and take the penalties," Salvatore said.

Meeting planners are obviously looking for a deal, and hotels are certainly willing to provide them.

"In the past, we would have to bring up additional features and benefits, concessions on F&B, meeting room rental and other things, and they seem to be thrown on up front," Salvatore said.

It's all just another example of how this is one of the best meeting buyer's markets in years.

"Businesses know it's a soft marketplace. They don't need to negotiate rates this far out, so we can go inside of 90 days and still get good pricing," Jim Fausel, Jr., Global Conference Associates president, told MeetingNews. "Most of inventory is still there within 90 days, at least for 2009."

Say "good-bye" to the headaches triggered by unresponsive invitees and say "hello" to hassle-free email marketing! Cvent offers an unrivaled email communication suite that equips planners with unique tools to secure higher response rates and event attendance.

It's important for planners to keep all event-related tasks moving forward despite the fact that many invitees won't respond until the last possible moment. With Cvent's "save-the-date" reminders, automated invitations and confirmations, planners can easily stay on top of their game. Our clients have embraced the functionality of email reminders and love the flexibility of being able to personally schedule the dates and times when they want them sent.

Planners can set these reminders to repeat as often as they desire to elicit a response from undecided invitees. They choose whether the reminder goes out once, or every 10 days, or every 30 days...it's completely up to them. And the best part is that this process doesn't require additional manual tasks that would otherwise take time away from other, more important event-planning activities.

We're confident that there's no better way to get the results you're looking for. That's why we use our own tools to drive a faster response rate for our events. For example, about 40% of the invitees that attend our product seminars sign up after they receive an invitation reminder - proof that it does work!

At the end of the day, Cvent's powerful email tool set is the one planners turn to for this same level of success, with many clients reaching up to a 45% average increase in event attendance!  

For event industry professionals, Cvent can't be beat as the best one-stop-shop: our web-based software offers online event registration, event management, event web site creation, robust reporting, online surveys, and a sourcing tool. In addition, we've rolled out a Destination Guide so planners can focus their site selection and event sourcing efforts by comparing meeting-specific details among international cities.

At Cvent, we understand that you are burdened by the daunting task of coordinating countless aspects of the meeting and event planning process. We want to lift that burden by offering you an abundance of comprehensive resources, along with as much technical support as you need to keep things running smoothly and successfully.

And once you have all the event-related details in place or complete the meeting, you can easily distribute a variety of internal and customer pre- and post-event surveys to capture the valuable feedback that will help your organization in future planning.

The tasks involved with meetings and events can't get any easier or more customizable in look and feel with Cvent, and the seamless integration of all our online tools is extremely helpful because it allows you to have everything housed and connected in one central location.

Intimidated by the thought of taking on a system with multiple components? Just start with one of our offerings. Let us take the bulk of your manual processes and handle them with our impressive products. We're confident you'll want more after getting a little taste of Cvent!

And we're sure you'll find that choosing Cvent to manage all aspects of your organization's event needs is more affordable in the long run than trying to keep up a decentralized system. Once you get comfortable with Cvent's high-quality software, you'll wonder why you haven't stuck with just one "shop" until now.

One of our clients had a consultant training convention this year, which was also their first year using Cvent for event management. The event registration went great, and during a review they mentioned how they definitely wanted to take advantage of the post-event survey to get feedback from their attendees after the event. We brainstormed different ways they could utilize this feature for the event, such as emailing the registrants the survey or making computers accessible on-site so that guests could fill the survey out online before they left.

The client ultimately decided that, because it was an Apple-related event, attendees would fill out the survey on iPods that were located all over the convention. This was a huge success! Every attendee was able to access an iPod and fill out the post-event feedback survey before they even left the event. There was no need to rent computers or purchase any additional hardware, and they were able to ensure the completion of the survey in a way that was easy for all parties involved.

This was not only a huge timesaver for them, but also a great use of their resources to take advantage of the survey. It just goes to show that Cvent's post-event feedback feature, with a little creativity, is flexible and even fun!

Dallas is known for many things: the Dallas Cowboys, Southfork Ranch, American Airlines, and the Grassy Knoll, to name a few. But one little known fact this city is known for is having the most restaurants per capita in the nation. Dallasites love their food and are exposed to worldly fare on a daily basis such as Creole, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and good ol' fashion BBQ. However, with such developed tasted buds, Dallas residents tend to be some of the harshest critics when it comes to catered affairs.

Keeping this in mind (along with the fact that the holidays are right around the corner), many Dallas caterers are in high demand and, though many have the ability to pull off large-scale events at the last minute, request a minimum of four to six weeks notice. After scouring the internet, reading reviews, interviewing caterers, and listening to experiences of past clients, I've come up with a list of 10 favorite Dallas caterers for your next Dallas event. Here they are, in no particular order:

• GEORGE Catering  

• Guess Who's Coming To Dinner Caterers  

• Wendy Krispin Catering

• Food Glorious Food

• La Duni

• Two Sisters Catering

• Gil's Elegant Catering

• Wynnwood

• Culinary Art Catering

• E Claire Catering & Events

So whether you're planning a small office shindig or are a corporate Dallas event planner for a Fortune 500, consider these as some of the best options in town. Many, if not all, offer full-service Dallas catering and event planning and are preferred vendors at several Dallas venues.

Have you ever found yourself searching multiple metropolitan areas trying to decide where your next meeting will be held? Those searches can be time-consuming and inefficient. Sometimes you end up right back where you started, unsure of exactly where you’re going to hold your next event. Cvent has the solution for this problem: the Cvent Destination Guide.

The Cvent Destination Guide is an informative resource designed especially for meeting and event planners. It's a one-stop guide where planners can focus site selection and event sourcing efforts by comparing meeting-specific details across cities worldwide.

The Destination Guide has so many great features to explore. Browse cities by U.S. region or state, or view one of the more than 20 cities profiled internationally. City profiles offer a comprehensive overview of things to do, convention center information, transportation options and more. Also included is a key statistics page, where event planners can find useful data such as population, hotel room inventory, mileage to nearby cities and weather-related statistics. Plus, we know that budgets are tight, so there’s even a promotions page in each city for planners in need of a deal!

Beyond the city profiles themselves, the Cvent Destination Guide also offers a wealth of additional resources such as the Event Planning Comparison Chart, where you can quickly find and compare meeting details such as average taxi fare and the number of restaurants for cities across the globe. Or, browse the Convention Center Directory, Conference Center Directory, and CVB directory, or view venues that fall into Beach Destinations, Golf Destinations, and Mountain Destinations.

Here at Cvent we try to make your meeting planning process as smooth as possible. The Destination Guide is just one of the many things we have to offer to help make your meeting planning easier and more efficient.

One year ago, Cvent Meetings & Events blog was born! We've certainly grown—we're now over 1,000 posts strong!

To celebrate, I decided to take a look back at some of the year's highlights with a recap of our 10 most popular posts. Enjoy!

• How to Add Attendees—Not Expenses—to Your Event You can roll out an expensive marketing campaign or turn to discounted event prices to encourage registration, but you don't always have to do so.

• 3 Benefits of Banquetology Usually you'd think that bigger is better when it comes to catering at meetings and events. But in fact banquetology's "less is more" concept can be quite beneficial to planners in a number of ways.

• What to Include in Your Invitation Reminder Emails What can you do to increase your invitation response rate? Reminder emails are the answer.

• 3 Centerpiece Ideas to Save the Environment and Your Budget One area of meeting spend that can definitely get out of hand quickly is that of decor. It's also one that can be very wasteful, especially when it comes to centerpieces. Can you really save on centerpieces and be eco-friendly?

• How to Create a Custom Meeting Request Form In your already busy world, handling multiple meeting requests can get overwhelming. That's why meeting forms can be an invaluable tool in your Strategic Meetings Management program.

• 3 Caterers Offering Gluten-Free Menu Options One growing dietary concern among event guests is the need for a gluten-free option. Luckily, event caterers are hearing the call from planners to offer gluten-free meals.

• Creating Name Badges Doesn't Have to Be a Pain The task of creating name badges can be a time-consuming one. Event registration software such as Cvent makes it so much easier.

• 3 Ways Team Building Events Benefit Your Organization and Staff While professional networking, training and education are all key facets to your events, the benefits of team building to your employees and the organization as a whole should not be overlooked.

• 2009 Top 10 Meeting Trends Benchmark Hospitality International has released its Top 10 Meeting Trends for 2009, as observed at 30 award-winning properties.

• 3 Reasons Why Michael Scott Needs Cvent for The Office It's great that Michael can use Evite to quickly create an invitation and get some data on who is attending and who is not. But a 0.2 percent response rate? He could do better than that.

In light of the H1N1 flu, everyone—meeting planners included—is paying more attention to health and safety issues. So when I saw the report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) on the top 10 riskiest foods regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, I thought about food at catered events.

CSPI looked at public health records dating from 1990 to 2006 and found that these 10 foods accounted for 40 percent of all foodbourne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods. Over 1,500 separate, definable outbreaks were linked to these foods, with almost 50,000 illnesses of varying severity being reported. Here they are:

1. Leafy greens
2. Eggs
3. Tuna
4. Oysters
5. Potatoes
6. Cheese
7. Ice Cream
8. Tomatoes
9. Sprouts
10. Berries

This list is certainly not to scare anyone off of eating these foods (please don't!). Rather, CSPI wanted highlight the need for better food regulation, and I think they can also serve as a reminder to meeting planners to not let food safety fall by the wayside at your events. Understandably, planners have a lot of small details to manage throughout the event planning process, but it's really not hard to stay on top of your catering.

First, be aware of food recalls and alerts from the FDA. Don't just rely on the media, which may over-exaggerate or fail to provide all the information. Read all the details about food alerts and the danger involved in order to make an informed decision.

Of course, you want to make sure any event caterer you work with has a license. Ask if the catering staff is up-to-date and trained in food preparation and safe handling procedures.

In the end, the best advice is to just talk to your caterer about any issues or concerns. Together you'll be able to work out a great menu that is delicious, healthy and safe for all your attendees!

On the heels of Tuesday's news that more meetings are being booked already this year, a study from American Express Business Travel found that we will likely see an increased demand for meetings in 2010. As such, rates are likely to increase slightly in most travel categories.

"Considering airfare, hotel, and ground transportation, we expect the average domestic business trip to increase 1.2 percent, or $13, to a total of approximately $1,080," said Herve Sedky, vice president and general manager, American Express Business Travel. "An increase of 2.4 percent, or approximately $67, is expected for international business trips to bring the average cost to $2,818."

At the same time, the Global Business Travel Forecast predicts that companies will have more formal oversight of their meetings next year. Companies are expected to loosen purse-strings on events and conferences, with potential in-roads made by travel category managers adopting strategic meetings management programs.

What do you think? Is your organization preparing to host or attend more meetings next year?

The Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center near Washington DC is the largest hotel and convention center on the Eastern Seaboard. It has over 470,000 square feet of flexible meeting room space including a 180,000 square foot exhibition hall. Located on the National Harbor, this DC luxury hotel has stunning views of the Potomac River and an incredible 18-story glass atrium.

One of the many luxuries that the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center offers is a “Hotel within a Hotel” program. The program is perfect for all your events in Washington DC because it provides exclusive meeting environments for executive meetings. Guests of executive meetings can stay in the National Bay, which is a collection of 300 upgraded guest rooms with direct elevator access from guestrooms to dedicated meeting space. There is also a dedicated Meeting Manager assigned to each executive meeting to cover all aspects of the planning process. 65,000 square feet of outdoor event space, including a full-service pier and marina.

View more information about the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center on the Cvent Supplier Network.

Coming in at number 8 on ICCA's top congress cities worldwide, Stockholm is an ideal meeting destination. It has also recently garnered praise such as the European Green Capital Award 2010  for being a front runner in its commitment to solving environmental problems. Plus, in the space of a year it dropped eight places in the list of world's most expensive cities to number 31—meaning its a more affordable option over destinations such as Moscow, Tokyo and London.

For more information on hosting events in this great Nordic city, from Stockholm hotels to conference venues to attractions, make sure to visit the Stockhom meeting planning profile on the Cvent Destination Guide.

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is home of some of the most famous exhibits in the country including the Henry Crown Space Center, the U-505 Submarine, Navy: Technology at Sea, and the Genetics and Baby Chick Hatchery. This premier destination offers exceptional Chicago event spaces around its exhibits that are sure to be a dramatic backdrop for any event.

This popular Chicago attraction can host groups of 30 to 5,000 people among eight distinct event areas. Whether you dine under a submarine or on the beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the front entrance, you are guaranteed a unique experience for all of your guests.

The museum's amenities serve as a perk to event and meeting coordinators. Access to coat check, event security, guides & exhibit staff, underground direct-access parking and valet, audio-visual equipment, china, linens, floral and simple decor are among the extras. This full-service Chicago venue is run by a team of experienced event staff who can help you coordinate every step of the way.

There well-known Chicago catering partner, Sodexo USA, works with the event planning team to create a menu that will suit you and your guests taste buds. The company has been known to create unique dining themes while maintaining high standards of quality service within a workable budget.

This holiday season, the Museum of Science and Industry is offering a "stimulus package" meeting promotion. If you host an event before President's Day, you will receive 10 percent off of the facility rental plus a $500 credit towards your food and beverage. Whether you are enjoying a reception inside a 727 jet plane or mingling in the Smart Home garden, this venue is sure to capture your guests' attention!

View more information about the Museum of Science and Industry on the Cvent Supplier Network