Education 

 

  Although subject to change, below is the APM education agenda for Breakouts, Round Tables and General Sessions. Please check the mobile app for final information and room assignments. 

Joint Associate/Partner General Session

Tuesday, March 28: 4:15pm-5:45pm

General Session topics will include a celebration of ConferenceDirect’s 25th Anniversary and Partner & Associate Award Recognition. We will also explore the next 25 years for our business and discuss industry trends.

Keynote:  Reggie Aggarwal, CEO & Founder, CVENT

Breakout Sessions

Topics will focus on best practices for partnering with ConferenceDirect and exploring industry trends.

Tuesday, March 28

Partner Only Sessions: 

  • 9:00am-9:35am – First Time APM Attendee Orientation
  • 9:45am-10:30am:
    • The Future of Corporate SMMP
    • Managing the ConferenceDirect Account
    • Doing More With Less – Tips & Tricks on Attracting, Managing and Converting Business on the Cvent Platform

​​​​​​​Joint Associate/Partner Sessions: 

  • 10:40am-11:10am
    • ​​​​​​​Contract Negotiations Panel
    • RFP Best Practices Panel
    • Diversity Panel
  • 11:20am-11:50am
    • ​​​​​​​Managing Citywide Room Blocks
    • Site Visit Best Practices
    • Booking Sustainable Meetings

Round Tables

Round table sessions will be a small group discussion format (10 people per table). They will focus on Industry Hot Topics with Discussion Leaders to help facilitate the conversation, peer-to-peer collaboration and sharing of best practices. Come prepared ready to actively participate in the conversation and listen to feedback from other attendees.

Tuesday, March 28: Round 1 -10:45am-11:10am, Round 2 - 11:20am-11:45am 

  1. DMC/Vendor Sourcing
  2. Wellness and Work/Life Balance
  3. Social Media Best Practices
  4. Negotiating Attrition
  5. Negotiating Rooms Outside the Block and Room Block Audits
  6. Networking at Events
  7. Building Win-Win Relationships
  8. Effective Time Management/Goal Setting
  9. Managing Customer Expectations
  10. Developing Effective RFP Criteria
  11. Sourcing Trends
  12. CVB Support in the Sales and Event Phases
  13. Diversity
  14. Supporting the Fight Against Human Trafficking
  15. Sustainable Meetings
  16. Pricing & Service Alignment: Ensuring Services Match the Price
  17. Negotiating AV and Internet in the Hotel Contract Phase
  18. Industry Organization Involvement
  19. Problem Resolution Best Practices