fbpx

We Are Open For Your Next In-Person Meeting   |   917-559-7032

Author: Editor

Menus for Meetings: Four Trends to Watch in 2020

Posted on by Editor

Food trends are undoubtedly a focal part of our culture, and they are key to meeting the needs of customers across every industry. As we enter a new decade in 2020, we can expect to see many such trends that will cause shifts for meeting planners as they strive to support their clients’ needs. These are excellent opportunities to add flair to any meeting and express some creativity. Here are four food trends that we can plan to see more of in 2020.

Plant-Based Foods

With an increasing call to action by environmentalists, medical professionals, and healthy eaters alike, plant-based diets are truly catching on. Thanks to the variety of benefits and pure curiosity, many are choosing to eschew meat in favor of this trend. For businesses, this is an opportunity to appeal to a widening demographic, while also offering healthy choices with a touch of ingenuity. Many companies are offering creative and delicious plant-based alternatives to traditional catered food, so expect to see more of this in the coming year.

Responsible Food Sourcing

In alignment with plant-based foods, many people now expect their food to be responsibly sourced – this is one trend we can expect to continue to grow in 2020. While many in the food industry are already working alongside local suppliers and tracing their foods, consumers are now additionally beginning to demand this (and many are willing to pay a premium to know where their food came from). Sustainability consciousness continues to increase across the population, expect an increased focus on knowing where foods came from and how they were prepared.

Allergen-Free Options

As the years have passed, food allergens have become a problem for an increasing portion of the population. Gone are the days of sandwiches or pizza for everyone, thanks to the unfortunate rise of a variety of food allergies and sensitivities. With this, expect to see more transparent labeling of foods, as well as options for those who cannot consume certain things such as gluten or dairy. Luckily, certain chefs and caterers are working hard to increase their ingredient transparency in dishes and providing simple allergen-free options. Many customers will expect this, while others will appreciate the additional options.

Craft Mocktails

While many meetings and events are known for their open bars, expect less of this next year. In conjunction with an increased focus on wellness, many people and companies are moving towards creative drinks without the alcohol. Especially for non-drinkers or those who just aren’t in the mood, inspired mocktails offer an outstanding alternative that decrease the liabilities of alcohol while still adding a touch of fun.

These are just a few of the exciting trends we can expect to see in food as we enter the new decade. As always, our teams at AMA Executive Centers are here to help you better prepare for your next meeting or conference by delivering an outstanding experience to your guests. For more information about our services, click here to contact us.

Ahhh…The Benefits of Relaxation!

Posted on by Editor

Stress is a fact of life in the modern-day workplace. Although some stress may encourage growth and development and may challenge employees to perform to the best of their abilities, constant stress can have a very negative effect on a person’s health. There are quite a few conditions that have a strong link to stress, such as heart disease, asthma, obesity, diabetes, depression, and headaches. It’s important to build rest and relaxation into our lives and patterns – not just on National Relaxation Day, but every day.

Enjoy three excellent TED Talks which provide some suggestions and practical methods to increase relaxation and lower stress:

How To Relax

In his talk, Bryan Russell recommends that his listeners consider how to increase relaxation rather than struggle to decrease stress. He provides a foundation for his point of view by explaining how the sympathetic and parasympathetic body systems work and contending that the sympathetic system, which is the resting state, can be stimulated. Russell provides some suggestions about how to relax and be at rest.

How To Stay Calm

When You Know You’ll be Stressed Daniel Levitin shares in this talk about some very practical tips about how to live in a way that helps to decrease stress in daily life. His talk focuses in on some steps can be taken in advance in order to mitigate stressful situations that may arise.

All It Takes Is Ten Mindful Minutes

In this discussion, Andy Puddicombe shares about the benefits of meditation and how it helps us be present, center our minds, and decrease stress.

Contact us today to see how AMA Executive Conference Centers can take the stress out of your planning your next meeting in Atlanta, Washington DC, New York City and San Francisco.

How to Incorporate Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year Into Your Meeting

Posted on by Editor

Recently, Pantone announced Classic Blue as its 2020 Color of the Year. The company called the hue reminiscent of “the sky at dusk.” Traditionally, Pantone’s Color of the Year makes a big impact on the design, decor and fashion around the world. It won’t be surprising to see the color show up at weddings, on invitations, conference branding, social media platforms and more!

Yet fashion designers, wedding planners, graphic designers, interior decorators, and social media influencers aren’t the only ones who can employ this color. Here are ways meeting and conference planners can incorporate Classic Blue into meetings and events:

Branding

The branding for your meeting or conference is often tied into the brand of your company (or client’s company). However, no matter how big or small the business is, how you interact with customers, what you’re selling or where you are, one truth is consistent across the board: you need consistent and engaging branding. This year consider bringing the ‘Color of the Year’ into that color mix!

Signage

Wayfinding is an important component of conferences and other multi-room events. Classic Blue would be an excellent alternative to black for arrows and the font on the signage. Another option is to use eye-catching white text and arrows while Classic Blue serves as the background color on the signage.

Digital Presentations

Create a beautiful presentation with Classic Blue as your digital backdrop or the color of your text. It’s subtle. However, for meetings that largely have the same attendees year after year, introducing an unexpected color element can be a refreshing change.

Conference Badges, Bags and Swag

Classic Blue can work as the color of branded conference bags or the swag that goes in the bag. The shade is a gender-neutral choice if you’re handing out t-shirts or polos as swag. Classic Blue is complimentary to lots of other colors that you can pull from your event’s branding.

Collateral

A calming color that doesn’t bring undue attention to itself like Classic Blue is an option for printed collateral and meeting paper products. Unlike more vibrant colors, Classic Blue won’t be distracting during the meeting.

At AMA Executive Conference Centers, we organize thousands of meetings every year. We have centers in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, and the Washington DC area. Organizations appreciate amenities in our facilities such as complimentary beverage service, free PC use, and executive chairs. Contact us to schedule your next meeting or event.

Planning Steps To Move Your 2020 Meeting Forward

Posted on by Editor

Planning a meeting can be a complex process, but with the right direction and planning tips the tasks can be paired down into some pretty simple and manageable steps.

‘Big picture’ is the most important thing to consider first – that includes details such as agenda, venue, speakers, food, setup and time of day. We’ve seen that a meeting that is ill-planned will not only impact the planner, but it also negatively influences the goal and purpose of the meeting. Agendas must have a purpose and flow, speakers must impress the attendees, and food must be plentiful and items that the guests enjoy. When essential elements go wrong your meeting can take a fast lane to unproductive-town. Below are a few suggestions from our team on how you can plan for your meeting’s essential elements to go right!

Brainstorm and decide on the purpose and goal of your meeting. Work with others on your team to determine what is being addressed and what should be accomplished. Take notes, get feedback, make checklists. Brainstorm with colleagues to insure the best ideas are taking root.

Have a budget. Find out, or decide what your budget is early on. Without being conscious of financials, meetings can meander or get bogged down in their own procedure. With a budget, your meeting planning will have more focus and will force you to make the best choices. Sometimes when doing research for your overall items the budget will take shape on its own. All in all, it will be your job to make choices that will shape the best meeting from what you’re working with– and then to keep it all under control.

Narrow dates and secure a venue. Much of picking a meeting date and location for your meeting depends on the focus, audience size and availability of the people attending. However, we suggest never scheduling something where people will have to juggle their schedules too much to attend or worse, not be able to attend during the busiest time of the day or during a week that’s in their ‘peak’ work season.

Get your speakers lined up. Not all meetings have speakers, but when they do you’ll need to start organizing this aspect earlier than later. Seek references on speakers in the areas that you want to address from colleagues. Or, work with a professional booking agent if you need to find someone outside your own expertise. Be sure to communicate in advance of the meeting with your speakers regarding their preferred room setup and any technical requirements for their presentation.

Secure the necessary equipment and services. This means food, beverages and technical needs. Meeting facilities like AMA Executive Conference Centers are there to help with many of these details. AMA Center planning staff are available to make suggestions and then help you plan the right choices of catering and technical support for what’s needed for your meeting. We’ve found that having the right snacks and delicious meals during breaks helps to keep attendees focused and their energy up. When it comes to food, beverage and technical planning be sure to take notes and make a checklist. Most venues will have what you need, you just have to articulate those needs in advance of arrival.

Rely on expertise. Aside from help from the venue, don’t forget to ask colleagues who have planned meetings before for their ideas. It’s also helpful to connect with others in a similar role at your local industry association or even another planner that might offer a consulting call to help answer any questions you might have. If your meeting is large enough or has the right budget, you might even consider hiring another planner that can help support you while working through all the details of planning.

Get the word out. Once the planning is out of the way, and all logistical decisions have been made, don’t forget that you still must have people attend. All meetings, whether internal or external to the company, should be publicized in some way. Even if a meeting function is mandatory it’s still a good idea to get people excited with some publicity whether through a special company email or a printed announcement. For functions that have no mandatory attendance, publicity is a must. Without getting the word out no one will be there. So make sure you’ve tackled this important piece of the puzzle early so that news of the meeting has time to travel to your potential attendees and they have time to make arrangements or ask you questions, get answers or register if necessary.

Because conference planning is complex, it needs to be handled with an overall plan in place and specific steps to execution. We’re looking forward to a 2020 filled with productive and successful meetings. Click HERE and let the AMA Executive Conference Centers team know how we can help you plan yours!

12 Top Rinks To Visit in 4 AMA Center Cities This December

Posted on by Editor

All work and no play…well, you know how that works. With the holiday month upon us, we would like to shift our attention away from business and focus on having fun and relaxing. After all, knowing how to relax is an integral part of any route to success.

We’ve chosen top ice-skating rinks in each of our AMA Executive Conference Center cities to help you take full advantage of the next visit. You can always find an hour or two to do some ice-skating, can’t you?

Conquering the Rinks in Atlanta:

  • Skate The Station – largest open-air ice skating rink in Atlanta. The mind-boggling 10,000 square foot area is already decorated for the exciting holiday season
  • Ice Rink at Sugar Hill – experience an old tradition of skating on natural ice. It’s a small rink with a family atmosphere.
  • Avalon on Ice – another nice outdoor ice-skating rink to help you relax after a tough day. You can even take private lessons.
  • Olde Town On Ice – the oldest outdoor rink in Georgia creates a perfect holiday ambiance as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Breaking the Ice in San Francisco:

  • Union Square Rink – located in downtown, it’s a perfect place to enjoy the city and ice skate at the same time.
  • Holiday Ice Rink – the largest outdoor ice rink in San Francisco is an excellent place for fulfilling holiday fun.
  • Walnut Creek on Ice – it’s a nice small ice-skating rink where you can show off your skills or take skating lessons.
  • San Mateo on Ice – a sizeable outdoor skating rink located in the Central Park of San Mateo (a short drive from Frisco).

Sliding and Pirouetting in Washington DC:

  • National Gallery of Art Ice Rink – skate with an excellent view of the Sculpture Garden!
  • Canal Park Ice Rink – a great place to skate with family, friends, and coworkers. The design is fantastic.
  • Wharf Ice Rink – it’s a wonderful opportunity to skate, shop, and have a hot cup of coffee. Skate while enjoying an amazing view of the water.
  • Rockville Outdoor Rink– located in nearby Maryland, the rink is beautifully decorated for the holidays and open every day regardless of the weather.

Making Memories in New York City:

  • Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park – surrounded by a holiday bazaar, this ice-skating rink is a double relaxation experience.
  • Rockefeller Center Rink – this rink doesn’t need an introduction. If you have an opportunity, you should definitely visit it. Consider coming in the morning or you may be struggling through a crowd.
  • Wollman Skating Rink – if you want to skate in the very heart of Manhattan while enjoying an amazing view, this is the right rink to choose.
  • Brookfield Place Rink – a huge outdoor rink with a great view is what you need after a tough day at work.

Make your next visit to each one of our AMA Executive Conference Centers memorable. For information about AMA’s centers, please contact us today.

Three Ways to Manage Your Stress During the Holidays

Posted on by Editor

Holidays are made fun with lively music and decor, opportunities to visit friends and families, and, of course, time off from work. But let’s face it, winter holidays can also be extremely stressful, more than any other time of year.

So how can you take charge of your workday and ease the pressure of this time of year? Here are a few strategies to help you enjoy the year right up to the end, frazzle-free.

Stay Organized By Bookending Your Days:

If you want to reduce your stress load during the holidays, you need to plan ahead. One of the best ways to do that is to take 5-10 minutes at the beginning and end of the day to write down what you plan to achieve for the day, and assess whether or not you achieved it.

When you first wake up, don’t check your phone, social media, or the news. Instead spend a few minutes clarifying your top 3-5 tasks for the day, and writing them down. At night, before you go to sleep, review how things went and think ahead for the next day. Stay ahead of the ever-growing task list in November and December.

Say No and Focus On What You REALLY Want:

With the holidays around the corner, your ‘to do’ list is bound to get longer, and often others are bound to try to lighten their load by putting their tasks on your list. Saying “no” is a must during this time of year, but you might feel uncomfortable doing so. You don’t want to appear rude or burn any bridges. How can you create healthy boundaries?

First, focus on what really matters to you. Write down your priorities so that you have them in tangible form. When people ask you to take on responsibilities that do not align with your number one goals, respectfully decline them without beating around the bush, delaying, or otherwise indicating that you are “considering it.”

Be firm, be respectful, don’t be afraid to say no twice if you must, without getting irritated. People will eventually get the message.

Reduce Interruptions:

Except for when it is necessary for work purposes, get into the habit of keeping your phone off and out of reach. Give yourself permission to work in new environments if you need to put some physical space between yourself and potential interrupters, and let your colleagues, friends, and family know what times you are available to them, and when you need time to focus on your tasks.

The holidays can be stressful, but they needn’t be, not if you stay conscientious of the way you manage your time, energy, and interactions with others. And when you reduce your stress level you will better be able to better enjoy celebrating with the people you care about.

AMA Executive Conference Centers offer some of the industry’s best executive meeting and conference venues. We work to help companies and corporate planners across the U.S. facilitate meetings with the best possible outcomes. Contact us today to see how we can help in planning your next meeting in Atlanta, New York, the Washington DC area or San Francisco. No matter what the season, we’re here to help.

Getting Your Team Back On Track After The Holidays

Posted on by Editor

It’s not easy to come back to work motivated after a fun season of holiday cheer, short weeks, and festive distractions. Suddenly workdays seem longer and Friday is so far away. Your team is probably in a slump now that the holiday parties and Secret Santas are gone until next year, so you’ll want to do your part to fight away those post-holiday blues. Consider these 5 tips to get your staff motivated in the new year:

  • Offer healthy snacks in the break room. Encourage healthy New Year’s Resolutions by treating your team to delicious and nutritious goodies. By now, everyone is ready for a break from the endless homemade baked goods and sweets, and any special reward to interrupt the 9-to-5 workday will raise morale in the office.
  • Encourage walk breaks. Studies show that walks during the workday can boost mood and help combat stress. Show your staff that you care about their mental and physical health by prioritizing breaks for getting fresh air and a little healthy activity.
  • Set goals for the new year. Start the new year strong by making sure the whole team is on the same page with goals and expectations. Morale is improved when staff are part of a joint effort and working toward the same purposes. As a plus, include incentives to get everyone on board.
  • Make time for short pow-wows. Bring the whole team together for energizing meetings to update staff on any upcoming changes in the new year or exciting plans ahead in the company. Use these meetings to inspire and empower staff to bring their very best.
  • Schedule an office retreat. If it’s feasible, plan a weekend retreat for team building and relaxation. If only a couple hours can be spared, cater a lunch or plan an in-office activity to show your staff they are appreciated.

AMA Executive Conference Centers are located in four beautiful areas of the United States: Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., perfect for that office retreat or team meeting. To learn more about our state of the art, convenient meeting spaces, contact us today.

Making The Task of Decision-Making Easier

Posted on by Editor

As soon as we’re old enough to understand what options are, we’re faced with the tasks of making decisions. Whether the decision is what flavor ice cream to pick or what major to choose in college, at any age decisions can seem like the most daunting exercise. Here are three education areas that can help you to make the task of decision-making easier:

#1: Make Hard Choices

Making decisions can be very difficult because we always want to make the “better” decision. Ruth Chang, a philosopher, shares in her TED Talk why there is no “better” option when making a decision. She goes on to explain why both choices are on a level playing fields and how this can help you choose what you truly want inside.

#2: Three Lessons on Decision-Making

Have you ever daydreamed about being the best poker player in the world? Turns out, decisions made by the best involve a lot more work than people-reading and bluffing. World Champion poker player Liv Boeree explains that there are 3 things she’s learned about decision-making. She states that the lessons include luck, quantification, and intuition – and these three factors can be used to make decisions in our daily life. Luck and intuition can play a major role in what outcome each decision brings, and quantification is crucial to estimating the odds of something good or bad happening.

#3: Think Like a Computer

Computers always know what to do and they have no understanding of how hard it can be to make a decision. That’s because computers were made to generate the best decision based on numbers and formulas. Humans don’t do that. Tom Griffiths, a psychologist and cognitive scientist, share in his TED Talk that the ways to make better decisions are by thinking like a computer.

 

3 TED Talks on Goal Setting and Achievement

Posted on by Editor

It seems we’ve been doing things all wrong. When setting goals, we’ve been molded into focusing on the goal, gaining rewards for good behavior. No matter what the goal is we’re trying to attain, it seems to be a universal model we’ve adapted; focus, carrots, sticks. While this approach may work in a couple different scenarios, in the overall scheme of things, they don’t work at all. The whole point of setting a goal is to achieve results. The following TED Talks give insight to unique perspectives on just how to do so.

Denver Broncos running back, Reggie Rivers, gives unusual advice in his Ted Talk: If You Want To Achieve Your Goals, Don’t Focus On Them. Since childhood, it’s been engraved in our minds to set your goals and focus on them. According to Rivers, it wasn’t until he chose to focus on his behavior, instead of his goals, that he started to see results. This 18-minute talk is both charming and hilarious. Rivers will have you rethinking how you approach your goals.

Behavior is the key element in achieving our goals. If we want to see change, we must become the change we want to see. Author, motivational speaker and marketing consultant Simon Sinek, gives us insight on a very simple switch we can make that can achieve tremendous results. In his Ted Talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Sinek shows us that by considering our “why” more importantly than the “what,” we will tap directly into the part of our brain that controls our behavior.

The focus now turns to achieving supreme performance in behavior. We’ve all seen the “carrot on a stick” approach. Sure, offering rewards for improved performance can seem like it would be optimal. Dan Pink, career analyst, illustrates perfectly why this method doesn’t work in his Ted Talk: The Puzzle of Motivation. In his talk, Pink tells about a study of people from MIT showing that the higher the incentive, the worse they performed. Pink says, “Reward narrows focus and restrict possibility.”

AMA Executive Conference Centers are focused on creating environments that will help your meeting and conference goals to be achieved. To learn more about our Centers in Atlanta, New York, Washington DC and San Francisco, contact us.

Top Travel Tips For Work Travel During Holiday Months

Posted on by Editor

Traveling during the holiday months is stressful no matter what your destination. When traveling for work, you may feel extra pressure to meet project deadlines in addition to attending countless meetings and conferences. While work travel doesn’t stop for the holidays, there are ways to make it more bearable with careful planning and by taking steps to remain healthy. Here are 3 top travel tips for work travel during the holiday months:

1. Choose Travel Days Carefully—Thinking ahead when it comes to departure and return tickets is a key step to successful work travel during the holidays. For example, you may want to leave on a Monday, even though your conference is Wednesday, to allow extra time visiting the host city. Travel experts caution against traveling for work on a Monday as it is an especially busy day during the holidays.

2. Delegate and Notify—The holidays are a busy time for everyone—including you—so delegate as much as you can while traveling for work. Let colleagues who remain in the office help with projects involving pressing deadlines. Be sure to also notify clients and other important contacts that you’ll be away from the office. Setting an out-of-office message on your email or voicemail is fine, just don’t forget to turn the message off when you return.

3. Beware of Germs—As the holiday travel season begins, so does the coughing and sneezing. Extra passengers mean additional chances of catching a cold so be sure to wash your hands frequently. Use sanitizing wipes for such things as armrests and tray tables – and be sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated (before, after and during your flight).

About AMA Executive Conference Centers

AMA Executive Conference Centers offer some of the industry’s best executive meeting and conference venues. We work to help companies and corporate planners across the U.S. facilitate meetings with the best possible outcomes. Contact us today to see how we can help in planning your next meeting in Atlanta, New York, Washington DC or San Francisco. No matter what the season, we’re here to help.