Putting Participants’ Health, Safety, and Satisfaction First

ELE kicked off 2022 with a trip to Las Vegas! ELE Founder + CEO Erin Leonard, along with Bekah Wachenfeld, Director of Events & Production, attended the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) annual conference at the brand new Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.

As members of PCMA, we had a blast being back in-person and seeing Ronan Farrow’s keynote, networking with our peers and partners, and building relationships with a variety of vendors (we even test drove several new virtual event platforms!).

Most importantly, we had the experience of attending the event as participants! As we put the participant experience first in all of our work, we believe it’s critical to attend events & remember what it’s like to be a conference attendee so we in turn build even better experiences for our clients. Here are some big takeaways:

  • COVID testing is crucial right now. We recommend not only requiring proof of vaccination for all events, but also testing all participants before they arrive, for additional protection & participant comfort. No one wants to catch something over cocktails or lunch! We also recommend providing high-quality, disposable masks for all participants.

  • Conferences are exhausting - down time and wellness breaks are necessary. Building in down time and providing wellness opportunities like yoga and meditation are key.

  • Event FOMO (fear of missing out) is real! We were reminded that too many simultaneous options for sessions and activities make choice stressful for attendees - streamline, streamline, streamline.

  • Conference food matters! We had amazing, filling, high-quality food (after all, it was Vegas) and that made a huge difference in our experience. Strategically planning catering and meals will enhance any event experience and participant satisfaction.

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Creating an event menu that caters to different dietary restrictions

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Erin’s Edible Decoration Tip: Candy Canes on the Tree