All entries tagged with “event”
[Event Recap]: Education & Healthcare Security Forum | Dallas, TX | April 2016
The Education & Healthcare Security Forum hosted approximately 315 one-on-one meetings at the Sheraton Dallas on April 25th and 26th,2016. Executives from companies including Colorado State University Police Department, Children's Specialized Hospital, Dallas County Hospital District Police, Henderson State University, Mission Regional Medical Center and South San Antonio ISD connected for informative meetings with solution providers, seminars and networking opportunities. Face-to-face meetings kicked off promptly on Monday morning and ran throughout the next day and a half, separated by meals and seminars. "The one-on-one meetings with vendors allowed me to ask questions that pertained to my particular facility without interrupting or listening to others who had different needs than my own. The time allowed for these meetings was just right, enough to demonstrate the need for the product without it really being a sales pitch," explained an attendee from Hendriz College. Speakers including Tim Grosse, George Belich and Dominick Armato led discussions on energy management, capital forecasting and operational efficiency. Prime networking continued into the evening with a gala dinner and casino games overlooking the stunning Dallas skyline. After a fun evening, attendees reconnected on Tuesday morning for more face-to-face meetings and additional seminars, ending with a closing lunch. For more information, or to attend future events, contact VP of Operations Rob Muise here. 
Event Recap: Contact Center Summit | Chicago, IL
With pre-arranged one-on-one meetings taking place in the main ballroom from 9 A.M. on Monday morning to mid-day on Tuesday, delegates were able to connect with vendors while seated at their own tables – allowing for more in-depth and personal conversations. “I found that I greatly prefer vendors finding me and having high-level information on our projects,” explained the Compliance Officer of Call Center Operations from Ameridial. For many attendees, the one-on-one interactions that take place during the meeting portion of the summit are important for building future business relationships and communicating needs effectively. Seminars throughout the event covered topics in the contact center industry including strategic plans for customer care, methods to utilize customer feedback, and even human resources. Speakers from companies included HireIQ Solutions, Inc., StubHub, Corvisa and InfoCision Management Corp. The open format of each seminar allowed executives to share their own experiences out loud and gain knowledge from their industry peers. A waterfront pavilion was the perfect setting for more intimate networking events at the summit including a gala dinner and casino evening. This was the best time for reconnecting with new acquaintances in a less formal manner. Prefaced with a cocktail hour and gala dinner, guests participated in casino games before retiring to their own private rooms.
At a closing luncheon on Tuesday, attendees bid farewell with new connections, plans for completing future projects and enough time to make it back to the office before the day was over! The next Contact Center & Customer Service Summit will take place on April 25 & 26, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. For more information on the Summit or to register for the event as a Delegate attendee, click here. For sponsor information, contact shane.doherty@forumevents.com.
Summit Recap: Training & Development Summit - New Orleans
Starting with the pre-event cocktail reception taking place on Sunday evening, attendees did not hesitate to make new connections while watching a lively corner of the French Quarter from balconies. Early Monday morning, following a brief registration and after chatting over breakfast with other attendees, vendors and delegate attendees begin to meet for the first round of meetings. "If I was looking for the opportunity to have a serious conversation with vendors and truly understand their products and services, this was the place," recalls the District Director of Talent Development at Dallas County Community College District. "I've already scheduled meetings for next week to review the activities that I participated in and to look at vendors." For new attendees at the Summit, the set up is oddly unfamiliar in comparison to a trade show. The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans grand ballroom played a decadent back drop as the room took off with enthusiastic introductions. "I made some really great connections because of you! (An) excellent way to expose those with needs to companies that offer solutions - the format that features 'appointments' is much better than the traditional 'expo," says the Division Director at Mississippi State Department of Health. Monday continued with a busy schedule of seminars led by industry experts including Laura Putnam, a celebrated author specializing in workplace wellness, and hiring experts Teresa Faoro Sertic and Johnny Keone Simmons - who are in search of the purple squirrel - familiar lingo for the 'perfect' candidate. Also leading a seminar, Lisa Reuth - a prized speaker who shared her insight into training, development and retaining staff. By five o'clock Monday evening, new acquaintances were already preparing for the night's festivities - a cocktail reception, gala dinner followed by casino night. The aroma of garlic filled an entire elegant room set with black table cloths and red roses - Creole style shrimp simmered in a cajun sauce at a food station as guests mingled over cocktails. Following a dinner of short ribs, beautifully tender fish and sweet deserts, the true gamblers struck out for a test of their luck at casino night.
Attendees gathered around black jack and roulette tables, laughing and shaking hands as they celebrated big wins. The grand prize? A free year's worth of movie tickets from Fandango. By 10:30 that evening, guests were cashing in their chips for a chance to win and retiring for the evening for an early start again the next morning. On day two of the Training & Development Summit, meetings picked up bright and early as attendees continued with their itineraries of meetings and seminars. An equally busy day continued throughout Tuesday, ending with a closing luncheon and prize giveaway. The Forum Team drew door prizes from Trainer's Warehouse, the Ritz-Carlton, Seiko and Laura Putnam.
Seminar Program to Take Place at Education Facilities Management Forum
The Education Facilities Management Forum taking place on October 19 & 20 in Dallas, Texas has slated a seminar program that explores the many facets of school construction and facility management. The seminar program consists of 45-minute seminars by industry experts, some of which are offering CEUs. All speakers are qualified based upon their industry expertise and host editorial seminars followed by an open-discussion with attending C-level executives. The open format of these discussions allows for shared knowledge and brainstorming within the industry. While the Forum is built on the needs of registering delegates, our current seminar program consists of the following sessions: Repair and Renovation Construction Projects – A Better Way: Job Order Contracting by Mike Coberley, the senior manager at KBR On-Call Construction. Leveraging Analytics for Energy and Operations Performance in Facilities by Patty Anderson, CEO of Performance Building Solutions “What We Need is a Plan” School [and Corporate] Security Gets Smarter; New Trends Emerge by Steve Surfaro, Security Industry Liaison for Axis Communications Sustainable Materials in Restrooms, Locker Rooms and Other Applications by Rob Donlon, the director of sales at Scranton Products (1 AIA HSW/SD CE Hour & 1 GBCI CE Hour) Crisis Management and Planning for the Mobile Age by Brad Hunter, private/independent and higher education sales manager at SchoolDude Tips for Achieving Capital Forecasting Success by Brad Hunter, private/independent and higher education sales manager at SchoolDude How Dashboard Style Interfaces and System Analytics are Increasing Operational Efficiency and Reducing Energy Costs in Commercial Buildings by John Mitro, business development manager at US East Delta Controls To suggest an additional seminar topic or speaker, please contact media@forumevents.com. To receive your complimentary space at the Education Facilities Management Forum, including access to the seminar program, visit www.forumevents.com.
795 Meetings Conducted at Facilities Management Summit - Houston, TX
Delegate attendees, including facility directors from ACE Cash Express, Biscuitville, City of Houston, Cracker Barrel, Enanta Pharmaceuticals, General Electric, HHS, Panda Restaurant Group, Inc., Penske Automotive Group, Race Trac, Speedy Cash Holding and The Apparel Group, met with providers for a total of 795 combined meetings over the day-and-a-half with solution providers including Architectural Graphics, Inc., Axis Communications, Detex, Egan Sign, MySmartPlans, Lightstat, Inc., Veritiv and Service Channel. “This was extremely well done. Enjoyed the format, the pace, the flow. List of delegates was excellent. Avigilon has absolutely added revenue to the pipeline, established new relationships and even bolstered old ones. Will definitely be at the next event,” says Avigilon, who attends numerous summits, including the most recent in Houston, Texas.
Delegate attendees made new connections while also learning about new solutions as part of the seminar program at the summit. Biscuitville returned to this summit, saying “As this has been my third show in which I continue to meet people in the industry, it’s a smaller summit which gives you a better insight of meeting vendors and industry peers.” Following the event, the Forum Team has received feedback from delegate attendees and all have reported they intend to do business with at least one connection they made at the summit.
Kicking Off 2015 With A Successful Summit!
The first Training & Development Summit of 2015 is marked as another great success. Testimonials continue to pour in following the summit which took place in Los Angeles, California last month with more than 70 registered delegates including Activision Blizzard, Inc., ArcelorMittal, Kimpton Hotels, MGM Resorts International, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Panda Restaurant Group, Technicolor, The Walt Disney Company and Wells Fargo in attendance. Extracurricular networking activities were also a fun, productive way for attendees to network and connect! During the evening gala dinner and casino night, both sponsors and delegates met over meals and again at roulette tables for a more laidback experience.Following registration on day one, the main ballroom where one-on-one meetings were held was thriving, with Child Development, Inc. saying “[It’s] nice to have one-on-one conversations about the products/services and our needs.” While each attendee was given a personalized itinerary, their meetings were separated by industry seminars and networking break outs. During the time between meetings, attendees also browsed a sponsor lounge which is designed for sponsors to showcase their services, “Having exposure and having the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what is not there [in my current practices] is very helpful,” said one director of The Walt Disney Company. “I found the event staff to be fabulous and accommodating. The location was also a great choice and the event structure, simply genius!” said Kimpton Hotels. The Summit took place at the Pacific Palms Resort, a recognized two-championship golf resort which was the perfect blend of luxury and outdoors aesthetics! Attendees left the Summit enlightened, refreshed and prepared to tackle upcoming goals! “This event was amazing and I am grateful we had the opportunity to participate!” - National CORE.
Recap: Contact Center Summit
In late November, Forum Events kicked off the first Contact Center Summit with great success! Directors and Vice Presidents of Contact Centers across the country gathered at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota for a productive day-and-a-half of networking. Following an informal cocktail reception on the lawn of the Ritz-Carlton, overlooking a harbor of boats on the bay as sun set, attendees mingled with peers and solution providers before calling it an early night with high expectations for an even earlier morning! At registration, Contact Center Summit attendees are warmly welcomed by the Forum Events team who showed them to their personal tables in the grand ballroom. Here, a series of back-to-back informal meetings take place. Throughout the day, attendees enjoy the smooth transition between the 30-minute meetings, allowing them to make strong connections with one another rather than just short, forgettable introductions.
As consecutive meetings took place, executives also participated in round table discussions and seminars led by industry experts. Topics revolved around customer service impacting the bottom line, building a healthy employee base and cloud-based storage. The seminars, while informative, are equally casual, allowing peers to brainstorm and share their knowledge based on experience. After a long day of networking, it was time for the fun to start. Come dinner time, everyone had taken some time to relax before heading to the foyer of the main ballroom for pre-dinner cocktails and a packed networking hour. For many, this was a great time to reconnect with people that they had met with briefly, allowing them to move on to a gourmet dinner where everyone can sit and mingle. An event filled from beginning to end with positive interactions lead to casino evening. Here, guests hopped into a photobooth to catch the moment, while also participating in casino games including roulette and blackjack. By day two, everyone was familiar as meetings re-joined early Tuesday morning following an equally productive breakfast. Here is some feedback from the event.
7 Tips for Appointment-Based Networking
Appointment-based events challenge a traditional trade show in the sense that your presence matters. While sitting across from a potential client or solution provider, your interactions are vital to build a working relationship that will benefit you both. Event organizers work diligently to make meaningful introductions with the potential to build future business relations – we make the connection, the rest is up to you. Here are just a few tips to make your networking at these events a success: 1. Attend Your Meetings! You wouldn't sign up for speed dating, and then stand up your date, so attend your business meetings as though your love life depends on it. Standing up a potential client or solution provider is not only rude, but it’s also a bad representation of your company. At an appointment-based event, you are meeting face-to-face with elite business professionals – a quality meeting like this is rare and deserves attention. 2. Ditch the Sales Pitch Appointment-based events are a ‘no-hard sell’ zone. Networking at these events is primarily about building relationships rather than immediate sales. People do business with people they like – get to know the person you could potentially work with and their company, then pursue a working relationship. 3. Ask Questions Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is key when meeting new people, especially in a business setting where you are learning about their company. The more you ask, the clearer vision you will have, and even more importantly – the better conversation you will have! The more you learn, the better advice and solutions you can give and as Joshua Krane, the CEO at Ciplex says, “If someone likes them [your ideas], chances are they will hire you to execute them.” 4. Listen! “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” Listening on both sides of the table is effective in identifying needs and finding solutions. As Megan Duckett of Sew What, Inc.? said, “Not every communication is an opportunity to blow your own business trumpet. Sometimes you may find yourself sharing information about another company or service that you have heard of.” Listen, learn and find solutions. 5. Relax & Enjoy the Experience An appointment-based event is a less stressful environment. You are not overwhelmed by booths and numerous representatives, it is an intimate and luxurious experience designed so that business executives can have productive and quality meetings. These events are also jam-packed with other networking activities, all of which take place in a beautiful venue. Enjoy it – because a month down the line, when you reconnect with your new contacts, you will have a shared experience to build the foundation of a fruitful business relationship. 6. Smile! The energy at these events is electric – a positive attitude and approachable demeanor is vital! Again, people do business with people they like – so be likable, polite and have meaningful meetings – whether you think there’s a business relationship to be had or not, a positive representation goes a long way! 7. Follow Up If You Say You Will If you tell someone you’re going to email them, email them. If you say you’ll reach out to them via phone, call them. From beginning to end, leave a lasting impression – make your attendance work for you and follow up with your new business connections promptly.
Pasadena, CA: What Your Colleagues Have to Say...
Here's just a brief look at what our attendees have to say... "As a first time participant in this Forum - I sincerely appreciate the pace, schedule and enthusiasm of the team! The event was a tremendous help to my company."
- NFL "It was a wonderfully organized event and very relevant to our business needs…and yes we also enjoyed ourselves. Thanks!" "This has been the most informative and efficient conference I have ever attended. The format was nothing less than outstanding."
- Valley View Casino & Hotel "Maximum use of time that is tailored to your specific needs." - Aqua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa "Much more informative than tradeshows. Better use of the investment of time, opportunity to form relationships that are more meaningful and lead to partnerships." - Beckman Coulter "The one-on-one meetings with vendors I chose significantly contributed to vendors understanding of my needs, while allowing me to get intimate with the capabilities of all aspects of the vendors products/services."
- Iridium Satellite "Excellent networking opportunity with industry professionals/partners. Great way to engage with vendors in a one-on-one, non-rushed setting."
- Notre Dame De Namur University
"I have only high reviews for every aspect of the conference. I made some outstanding contacts and will likely be partnering with one or more of the attending vendors. The event was nothing less than outstanding. You guys did a great job!!" To join the Forum Experience and meet solution providers at one of our events, register here.
|
Categories
Archives
Tags |
CHICAGO, IL – A patch of sunshine and mild weather made way for the Contact Center Summit taking place at the beginning of November at the Westin Chicago Northwest. Senior-level guests, also known as Delegates, from the contact center and customer service fields participated in a day-and-a-half of targeted business meetings, seminars and after-hour networking.
Bright and early on day two, attendees continued with their personalized schedules of meetings and seminars. During coffee breaks, the Forum Team was delighted to hear attendees raving about the accommodation and event format. “Facilities, hotels, meals, events – were all very well planned and executed. Networking with attendees was excellent,” shared P&K Research. Event Manager Shane Doherty was equally happy with the event saying, "o
NEW ORLEANS, LA - A vibrant city set the scene for an energetic group of C-level, VPs and Directors at the Training & Development Summit at the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans on September 14th and 15th. With targeted appointments, attendees benefited from the perfect balance of productivity and entertainment including networking, book signings, seminars, gala evenings and lively giveaways.
The Facilities Management Summit dodged flash floods in the Houston Galleria area in the first week of June. As facility directors from the area gathered at the JW Marriott, the skies cleared, setting the scene for the second Facilities Management Summit of 2015.
