Let’s face it: business travel isn’t fun. That’s why accurate, actionable information is critical, and that’s what you’ll find in my business travel articles, newsletters and blogs. I tap global contacts and resources for news that travelers need about changes, upheavals, cancellations, security alerts; airline mergers, strikes and shut-downs; skyrocketing flight fees and shrinking coach class cabins; airport renovations and amenities; supplier boondoggles, travel health issues and much more. On behalf of companies putting travelers in the air and on the road, I delve into best-practices for purchasing travel, address how to keep travelers safe on the road, highlight rules and tools for reining in budgets, suggest how to manage supplier relationships and focus on most everything about travel that impacts the bottom line. I write about the corporate meeting industry too—how to gain control of meeting expenses; popular and ready-to-be-discovered destinations; new and reflagged hotels; familiar and unique venues; how to make meetings meaningful and post-meeting events memorable; and how to develop an effective meetings management program.
Shiny and New
In a nod to Wisconsin’s considerable attributes, major hospitality groups have launched new properties this year that take cutting edge to a new level. The results are exhilarating, offering meeting planners and guests space concepts that are fresh and innovative, décor that dazzles, and dramatic venues with plenty of wow! AC Hotel Madison Perched at […]
5 Attention-Grabbing Trade Show Booths
Connect Association Magazine – March 2017 By Betty W. Stark Showing up to your trade show booths with company collateral and a stack of business cards isn’t going to earn you any ROI. Attendees want innovative, eye-popping concepts with wow factors they’ll talk about long after the show—like these five attention-getters, for example. Sure, they […]
Roll the Dice at Wisconsin’s Premier Casino Venues
Betty W.Stark – Wisconsin Meetings Magazine – Summer 2017 Call them integrated resorts, one-stop destinations or amenity-rich settings, casino properties have solidly moved to the forefront as appealing environments for meetings of all shapes and most sizes. From a meeting planner’s perspective the pluses of a casino-based program are considerable: a dedicated planning staff; state-of-the-art […]
What’s on the Mind of a Kroger Meeting Planner?
Twelve years ago, Angela Buller, CMP, made a spur-of-the-moment decision. On a whim, she applied for (and landed) a meetings internship position with the Cincinnati-based Kroger Company, a 133-year-old Fortune 100 publicly traded corporation with thousands of stores, a couple dozen brands in 35 states and hundreds of thousands of employees. Today as a senior […]
TAKING AIM: WISCONSIN HUNT CLUBS OFFER A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR SMALL GROUPS
Looking for a unique outing for your group? Or perhaps your company’s executive team is looking to impress a potential client? Game hunting may not be for everyone but for hunting enthusiasts, it can be an exciting activity that satisfies a competitive spirit and provides a unique, shared experience. In Wisconsin where so many traditions […]
