Four Good Reasons to Attend a Conference

“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.” -Brian Herbert


Over the years, the modern world has vastly upgraded and revamped the way people learn. The Internet itself has made it possible for countless individuals all over the world to access various articles created with a specific subject and theme in mind. Cooking enthusiasts who would once have to pick up a recipe book in order to create a particular dish would now only have to look for a video with a step-by-step guiding visuals as to how to create said dish. People with a penchant for sharpening their skills can either attend a webinar or even list to a podcast. Nowadays, it seems like modern technology has perpetually dispensed with the need for actual face-to-face learning sessions. So, with all these recent advancements in learning at our disposal, why should one even bother to inconvenience themselves of getting out of the house and spending some time in an in-person conference or workshop? Well, contemporary means of acquiring information might have rendered physical conferences and workshops obsolete, but you would be surprised as to how much you are truly missing out by refusing these events. Workshops, seminars, MICE events, and conferences provide you with opportunities you cannot find elsewhere—from unique learning experiences, job offers and career building opportunities to expanding your business circle.

If you are still unconvinced, below are excellent reasons why you should consider attending conferences:

1.) Meet Experts and Influencers Face to Face

Watching countless of videos of esteemed experts and your business idols have nothing on meeting them and interacting with them in person. While not every conference would grant you this opportunity, your chances are significantly improved when you are attending one or sharing the same space—you will never know if the workshop or conference you are in has a “surprise guest” in attendance. Meeting someone who has made a great impact you or even someone who has influenced you is something not all of us can experience, and conferences are certainly one way of doing so. You might be unaware, but meeting these people might present the opportunity of finding your next mentor.

2.) Networking Opportunities

While different social media platforms may offer you various avenues for networking (both local and foreign), there is no substitution for interacting with potential business partners, clients or customers in real life. Additionally, it adds a personal touch and depth to the whole networking experience which the people you are dealing with would truly appreciate.

3.) Learning in a New Space

Though learning can virtually happen anywhere, absorption of what you learn happens more often in fresh new places where you have not established a routine yet. This is because your brain is associating what you learn to the memory of the new place thereby creating better absorption for what you learn. Additionally, it breaks you out of your comfort zone. So, if you are always learning new stuff from behind a computer screen and sitting on a desk, then change it up a bit. New environment would stimulate fresh and new ideas after all.

4.) Basking in the energy of like-minded individuals

There is quite like nothing as being in the same room with individuals who share your passion. The enthusiasm and energy are both so palpable that you cannot help but feel a rush of excitement. These are the very same people who you might make potential business partners, customers or clients and be around them talking about your shared interest and passion would only buoy your spirits and enthusiasm for learning. Lastly, you would never know, but you might just have a chance at making new friends at this event.

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Five Characteristics of A Successful Conference

Conferences are excellent mediums for companies who want to cement their presence in the business industry. It is an excellent avenue for putting the word out about a certain product, spreading a specific awareness or basically, an event to lure in potential clients and customers. Unfortunately, not all conferences are created equal. There are some that succeed swimmingly, and some would miserably fail—whichever outcome you have of the two, you can expect it to positively or negatively impact your business. For this reason, it is crucial to hold conferences that you know would significantly affect your company in a good light—one that would inevitably result in an increase not only in company sales, but morale as well. However, how does one determine whether the event thrown was a successful one or not? Are there certain parameters set to which you can gauge your success? Well, there is no exact standard of measure to know whether you have truly planned and held a successful event, but there are several characteristics and traits that you could aim for and hopefully achieve.

Apart from the goals and agenda you want to accomplish, your attendees should also leave your event feeling like that they got a good deal in exchange for their time or their money (if your conference was a paid event). In any case, whether your conference is about mice events or something altogether, here are some of the characteristics your event should aim for:

1.) Getting Positive PR

One way to gauge the level of success of your event is by how much positive exposure you receive after hosting it. Check local newspapers if they mentioned your event, and listen to what people have been saying about it. Additionally, try to see if people were talking about your event on social media as getting positive PR can help you in your future endeavors for a conference next time.

2.) Great feedback

Measuring your event's success is hinged on what the attendees have been saying about it. After wrapping up an event, ask your participants about their experience and encourage them to give you suggestions as to how you can improve next time. One way to make sure that you get an honest feedback is to provide anonymity to the people submitting it. Distribute leaflets after the event with a comment and reaction section—you might just be surprised at how excellent and fantastic some of these observations and suggestions are.

3.) Speakers have everything at their disposal

Planning ahead of time helps you throw a successful conference. On the day of the conference, make sure your speakers have everything they need to be able to deliver a good presentation and convey their ideas well. These would range from tools to various materials that would enable them to give a good performance. A few of these things would include a microphone and speakers that are in excellent working order. After all, you would not want to experience any technical difficulty on the day your speakers are due to give their talk.

4.) Everything is organized

An agenda is an excellent blueprint of what a successful conference looks like. It would aid you in knowing what to prepare and how to prepare them. Additionally, this would serve as the reference tool for delegated tasks and would also contain any contingency plans should anything go awry. Everything should be well organized to make sure the flow of your conference goes smoothly—from the registration down to the closing address. Lastly, having an organized event gives an excellent first impression on your attendees.

5.) Contingency plans are executed well (in the event that calls for one)

Regardless of how much preparation was done or how much brainstorming has gone into your planning stage, running into unexpected occurrence is inevitable. You cannot always prevent these unexpected situations, but you can prepare for them and how you execute them determines the success of your event. Always have a backup for anything that might happen such as power outages and shortages of seats or food. Should the unexpected happen, have a contingency plan at the ready.

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Four Questions to Ask When Selecting A Conference Venue

A lot of work goes into planning for a conference. You need to plan for a specific theme, look for available vendors and a particular date to hold your conference. More importantly, choosing the appropriate venue is paramount to the success of your conference event. However, it can be easy to get caught up in the minor details and complicated logistics when you are busy scouting for the ideal conference location that meets all of your criteria. When this occurs, you might overlook something that could be pivotal to your conference's success. This is all the truer if you are a novice in planning a conference for your company or are simply not too familiar with how venue sourcing works. Whichever it may be, selecting and booking a conference venue requires a concrete plan in place.

Prior to making arrangements, prepare a list of requirements that would guarantee that you would ask the important questions whenever you visit a venue. This will enable you to make comparisons easily and more effectively. Whether you are looking for an ideal MICE hotel or simply an appropriate conference venue, here are some of the questions you should take note of:

1.) Would the venue be available on your selected dates?

Ideally, the planning preparation of an event would take you somewhere from six months to a year. This is to ensure that all the aspects and elements you would require for your conference would all be available on the same date—most especially your venue. When it comes to selecting a date, remember that the date you have initially chosen would possibly not be available for an event which is why it would be foolish not to have backup dates in mind. Choose a variety of dates falling on different months of the year and ask if the venue is available. Additionally, find out whether the venue can provide you with AV equipment, rooms and everything else you would need during your event and on the same date.

2.) What's the venue's accessibility like? Is it within the proximity of highways, the airport or the public transit?

A venue's accessibility is an integral factor in deciding whether you should book a particular place or not. Consider who your attendees will be and how they will be arriving at your conference venue. If they are from out of town and would most likely need to fly-in and fly-out, having the venue near to the airport would be favorable to them. Additionally, if most of your attendees would be arriving from the airport, ask if the venue can provide a shuttle service. Lastly, scout the parking area and see if there is ample parking space for everyone who would be attending.

3.) Is the venue big enough for your event?

Prior to booking a venue, it is important to ascertain how many attendees you would wish to attend your event and look for a site suitable for the number of participants you will be having. Make sure there is enough legroom and that your attendees would not be cramped in a tight space with you trying to make the most out of a small room. Seats should be comfortable enough for all sessions—especially for events that would last for a whole day. Consequently, there should be sufficient space for attendees to relax in between sessions.

4.) Would you be able to afford the venue?

Ideally, you should have a rough draft of what your budget when you are still drawing up the plans for your conference event. If you plan on charging attendees for your event to defray some of the costs, then take your door or charging fee into account. In any case, your chosen venue should fall within your budget.

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Four Tips to Making An Excellent and Memorable Wedding Speech

“We do not read and write poetry because it is cute. We read write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering—these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” –John Keating (Dead Poets Society 1989) 

So, you were chosen to be your best friend’s maid of honor, and you could not contain your excitement. To you, this was an excellent honor, and in a sense, her designating you as her maid of honor was what you would describe as the pinnacle of your friendship. However, being the maid of honor does not only require you to be at the wedding venue, look beautiful, smile and attend to the bride’s needs. After all the requisite marriage rites have been done and dinner has been served, more often than not, you are required to deliver a speech for the couple.

This is where your palms start getting sweaty and you start fidgeting about what to say. You want to give an address that is unforgettable and something that would at least touch the newly wedded couple or at least leave them with wisdom. Witty, funny and entertaining is what you are hoping for, but with your wracking nerves, you are suddenly at a loss as to what to say. Well, fear not, if you have been tasked with delivering any speech on the wedding day, here are some of the things you should keep in mind:

1.) Start early 

If you have been designated the task of giving a speech on someone’s wedding day, you should start thinking about what to say as soon as you can. This is not the sort of spiel you come up with while waiting for the other guests to finish their dinner. No, this is the kind of task you start right away. Remember, the couple asked you to make a speech because they know that you know them well and that you would deliver. The least you could do is live up to that expectation and start your draft early.

2.) Begin with an introduction 

Unless the host of the wedding event already tells the wedding guests who you are, it would be excellent to start your speech with an introduction. Do not assume that everyone already knows who you are. Start your speech with an introduction, thank the bride and groom. Introducing yourself would give the wedding guests an idea of why you are given the honor of delivering a speech.

3.) Share an anecdote 

Do not let your speech fall flat by saying all the clichés you can name. Instead of saying things such as “You have always been my best friend” or “You two make such a lovely couple. I knew right off the bat you were going to get married someday”, explain why they are your best friend or why you think they are such a lovely couple. The wedding guests would not want to hear what they already know; they want to listen to what kind of life the couple had before their marriage which eventually led up to it. Share anecdotes and stories. It is one way to keep your speech entertaining and ascertaining the guests would not be bored.

4.) Keep it short and sweet 

While you want to make a lasting impression and leave a good witty closing remark, you do not want to do this by reading out a novel-length speech. Keep it short and sweet and do not out the wedding guests to sleep by droning on and on. Before delivering your speech, read your final draft and see how long it lasts. If it clocks any more than ten minutes, then cut some of it short.

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Different Types of Business Travels Included in MICE Package

With travels now becoming easier, it's no wonder why see lots of people visiting foreign places and entrepreneurs expanding their business reach to other countries.

Industries like the hotel services have come up with unique packages to cater this influx, thus, arriving at packages such as the MICEbusiness travel offers. This type of deal is targeted to business owners who want to send delegates or members of their company to some business-related trip. The purpose and inclusions of the trip can differ, but the following are the most popular types of travels usually availed by MICE clients.

Conference Travel

This is often attended by a huge number of participants and is not only exclusive to one company or organization. Events that seek to gather representatives from different sectors belong to this category. Government-facilitated events may also mandate companies to send representatives to attend a conference meant to introduce new policies for business owners.

Incentive Travel

This one is more like a reward type of travel given by the company to select employees who display exemplary performance at work. The coverage of the travel will vary depending on the package availed by the owner. Most, if not at all times, it covers the hotel accommodation of the guest and an itinerary of places that they can visit to relax and explore. Food for main meals is covered too.

Most luxury hotels offer free transportation or bus for the clients so companies who want to send a group to a vacation wouldn't have to find individual mode of transport themselves.

Global Events

This has something to do with huge events usually participated by big names in the industry. Company owners, investors, political personnel and even state leaders comprise these gatherings. It's commonly an exclusive event with specific guest list. The event can last for a couple of days depending on the objective.

Exhibition Travels

Last but not the least are exhibits. This include exhibitions on new product releases, inventions, academic proposals and anything that select individuals would like to present to the public. Normally, representatives from different sectors will be invited to present their product or research in a designated area. Sometimes, organizers may bring the participants to various locations to view the full display.

There are various types of business travels and they can be done individually or by groups. The objective can also vary depending on the type of travel the participants are sent to. Regardless of the purpose, MICE packages often have synonymous content focusing on accommodation, food and travel destinations.

There aren't any specific rules on when companies could send their workers to a paid trip. It can happen anytime and even a couple of times depending on the event. If you're assigned to organize a MICE tour for your staff, it's important to make the arrangements ahead of time. The following salient factors must be a part of your to-do list:

• date & duration of the planned travel
• target city
• budget
• number of people to send
• purpose of the event

Keep in mind that while there are many hotels that offer MICE packages, there are more people who need the service all-year round. If you want to make a reservation to the best companies, better call in advance to secure a slot. There is a good chance that other entities might have already reserved a slot on your desired date.

Also, take some time to look at few opportunities for discount. With the tough competition in the market, more hotels are offering discounts for select customers either on a first-come-first-served basis, subscriptions, draws and more. Get the details of the planned business travel and make a reservation in advance!

5 Tips in Scouting for Quality MICE Hotel

Big gatherings and conventions have now become rampant especially with more companies and organizations expanding their reach across different countries. The frequency of these get together activities along with their varied purposes is the very reason why hotel industries have expanded their service to providing quality venue where these events could be conducted.

At present we call them MICE Hotel as reference to any accommodation services that cater to big gatherings either by corporate personalities or the public. For those who are assigned to find the right location, getting the basic know-how on where to start will be an advantage. Below are five helpful tips.

Look into the facilities and exclusivity of the location.

MICE, unlike other types of gathering, almost always involve formal presentation of data, report, audio-video output and more. All of these things will need the aid of equipment capable of projecting the information to a large group of participants. When choosing for the right one, make sure to at least have an ocular inspection on the area and test the equipment in place.

Narrow your list to the most accessible ones.

We are putting emphasis on the accessibility as this can usually dictate the convenience experienced by the guests. It is always an advantage to choose a place that is easily recognizable, something which can be accessed through usual modes of transportation (public and private) and is popular among the locals. This will eliminate the hassles involved on guests who plan to go to the location using their own vehicle.

Read or ask for reviews and testimonials.

It wouldn’t hurt to once in a while check reviews and actual client testimonials online. There are already review sites meant to spur discussion about products and services and this should at least give you an idea of the reputation of the company. Testimonials are subjective and it can differ from one person to another. But there is some truth to what a group of clients say about a particular service. You should at least be cautious to those accommodation sites who receive a lot of negative comments.

Find a place that fits your budget.

It goes without saying that high-end luxury hotels are likely to have more expensive packages than the typical hotels. However, this could mean that they have better services too. When finalizing your list, be sure to have a look at your budget for the event. Remember that the area is just one of the factors you’ll need to pay. There are extra necessities like food and transportation especially if the hotel does not cover the service.

Get the list of package inclusions for each prospect location.

The package content can greatly affect the pricing, which is exactly why you must get a full list of it beforehand. One service may have a more affordable offer, but this could mean lesser package content. If you wish to have all areas covered, better go for those that already has everything you need. Of course, expect higher price range too.

You now have a lot of options in terms of where you want to hold a big event. Your role is to evaluate which of the potential ones could serve you best. Keep in mind that the best places are likely to be unavailable on most dates given the number of people who want to use them. To ensure that you get a slot for your event be sure to hit them up with a call and reserve a slot.

If you’re torn between more than two options, you may create a list of advantages each place has to offer. From there, you can easily evaluate which is the best choice.

Date Ideas: Where to Take Your Date This Valentine's Day 2017?

Let us all face it, Valentine's Day is that one day of the year that is marketed towards couples. While it is true that it is also that one day you can show different types of love from familial, friendly to amorous, it is also that day most boyfriends spend days or even weeks agonizing over. After all, most of them would like to regale their lovers to a unique and memorable date—one that might even top the date they planned for them in the year prior. Most dates consist of a visit to one of Manila's shopping malls, a dinner and then finishing up with a movie. But if those sound cliched, then maybe the date ideas below will be more to your liking:

1.) 21st Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Your actual date does not have to fall on the fourteenth. If you are running on a busy schedule, why not plan a weekend trip to Pampanga and see the myriad of hot air balloons taking flight on their Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival. This event is held the weekend prior to Valentine's day running from February 9-12, 2017. Apart from enjoying the colorful event, you and your date can enjoy aerobatic exhibitions, skydiving, paragliding and other aerial and aviation relevant activities. Take lots of photos to commemorate the event and fill your social media feed and enjoy a weekend date that is unique and memorable.

2.) Spiral Sofitel Manila

If you and your date share an enthusiasm for food, indulge on the fourteenth and fill your night with romance, spice, and everything nice. Spiral 21's dining options feature culinary delights from all over the world that would surely satiate you and your date's taste for a gastronomic adventure. Spiral 21 promises to kick your dining experience up a notch by adding new and enhanced flavors to your meal which features, vanilla, saffron, ras el hanout cinnamon, cayenne pepper, star anise, pink pepper, etc. Finish up your meal with an elegant and decadent selection of desserts from Spiral's Chocalterie and Creamery.

3.) Makati Shangri-la

Upgrade your dinner experience on Valentine's Day by dining in a restaurant with a Michelin star. Have an exclusive dinner in Makati's Shangri-La and enjoy and unique meal specially made by Michelin two-starred chef Michel Portos. On Valentine's Day, this esteemed chef is welcome to Shangri-la's Sage Bespoke Grill for a night of excellent dining and delights.

4.) Philippine Pyromusical Fireworks

If you and your lover have the kind of love that lights up the sky, then why not see fireworks? Literally.  Staged by the world's leading pyrotechnic experts, this event promises to paint the sky with a never-before-seen spectacle of lights and colors you and your date are sure to enjoy. The vibrant and colorful background will surely make a fetching backdrop for your photos of your date.

5.) Vask Tapas Room

Are you and your date looking for a dinner menu that is made in honor of the occasion? Then look no further than VASK Tapas Room as they will be featuring a special set menu comprised of nine dishes—many of which are new. Although the set menu may be a bit pricey (Php4900+ per head), it would all be worth it once you sink your teeth into an array of delectable delights that are made with classic Valentine's Day elements. Additionally, the main course is something to look forward to as particular attention is given to the braised prime ribs with mashed potato, basil and asparagus they will be serving. Guests will not only be coming home with an empty stomach, but they would each get to take home a surprise given by the restaurant. A souvenir to commemorate your Valentine's night spent at the restaurant.

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