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Category: Planner Tips

3 TED Talks on Goal Setting and Achievement

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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

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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.

Insightful TED Talks on Decision Making

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We make decisions every day. From the clothes we put on in the morning to the side of the bed we crawl into at night, our days are fraught with decisions. Sometimes, making a choice can be simple, for example, choosing which shoes to wear, or whether to stop for gas on the way to work. Other decisions can be much more complex and daunting. The three TED Talks below offer some unique and refreshing ideas to help put your decision-making process into perspective!

Why We Ignore Obvious Problems – And How To Act On Them

Michele Wucker, an author and policy analyst is an expert on economic policy and crisis anticipation. In her TED Talk, she offers an eye-opening analysis that explores decision making and avoidance through the lens of the 2008 economic crisis. With her explanation of “Black Swan” versus “Gray Rhino” approaches to complex problems, Wucker offers incisive analysis of our very human fear of seemingly overwhelming problems, and suggests solutions through vulnerability, safety nets, and information sharing.

Three Ways To Make Better Decisions – By Thinking Like A Computer

Tom Griffiths is a computational cognitive scientist, so it is no surprise that he suggests we approach decision making by using the same process as a computer. In his TED Talk, Griffiths provides a breakdown of the “computer science of human decisions” for anything from choosing a restaurant for dinner to buying a house. The process, he says, still boils down to numbers. Using the computer science approach, Griffiths doesn’t guarantee that all decisions will be correct, but it does encourage us to take the chance of making the decision regardless, and to forgive ourselves for the inevitable wrong decision.

How Can Groups Make Good Decisions

In their TED Talk, Mariano Sigman and Dan Ariely, experts in psychology, cognitive science, and behavior, explore the process of consensus and decision-making in large groups of people. Through a series of experiments, Sigman and Ariely discovered that group decisions concerning information and even moral decisions were more accurate and reflected a greater consensus when large groups of people were broken down into smaller discussion groups. They conclude that good group decisions require two things: deliberation and differing opinions.

Productive decision making is desirable in all professions. These TED talks will encourage the event professional or meeting specialist to seek greater heights and bigger accomplishments. They will inspire you to learn, reflect and grow in your profession.

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, click here to contact us.

Meeting Planning Tips To Lower Your Stress Level In 2020

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Meeting planning is so much more difficult than many people think, and if you don’t keep on top of every detail, you can easily become overwhelmed and wind up in a time crunch. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this going into a new year of meetings to be planned. Follow the simple guidelines below and never dread your deadlines in 2020!

Start Early

This can’t be emphasized enough: you need to begin planning as soon as possible, ideally NOW for a year or more of meetings and events to come. Everything – finding a meeting center, hiring staff, hiring speakers – everything will be more expensive, more difficult, and more time-consuming the longer you wait. Give yourself and your clients a break and give yourself plenty of time to set up a checklist of things to do and put that checklist in the form of a timeline that you share. That way, everybody is on the same page and knows what needs to be taken care of and when.

Use Technology

Let technology do the heavy lifting for you. Nowadays there are numerous ways in which the herculean task of event planning can be made easier by utilizing the proper software, project management apps, and marketing automation tools. On average, companies that use event planning software save themselves a whopping 223 hours per year! Technology and software in these three areas are key: registration, communication and collaboration of content and surveys and reporting. There are many applications on the market or each of these vital planning areas.

Focus

You may think you’re great at multi-tasking and that in fact, you’re being more efficient by doing so. However, recent research conducted by Stanford University refutes that notion. According to the study, high multi-taskers were more prone to distraction and had less retention than low multi-taskers. Distraction is one of the primary time-wasters, so it’s clear that an ability to focus rather than to spread yourself too thin trying to do many things at once will be far more efficient. If necessary, delegate tasks so you can keep laser-focused.

If you take these tips onboard, you’ll find the days transitioning into a new decade will go more smoothly and deadlines won’t loom over you. To ease your burden even more, connect with AMA Executive Conference Centers and we will help with planning your next executive meeting, team training or conference event!

Surviving The Busy Holiday Season By Being Organized

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As the holidays approach, so too do those end-of-the-year meetings and holiday events. But as much as it’s a celebratory period, it’s also a season where your time as a planner is limited.

We ask, what better time to get organized than in the Fall?! October offers a great time to focus on getting yourself organized before the hectic holiday season hits. The kids are back in school and Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. Take some time now to get yourself organized before those invites start coming in for parties or before you find yourself the one in need of extra rentals for your event. Position yourself to leap into action from a much more prepared place, all because of a little organization.

Here are our top three helpful tips for getting better organized and ready for the busy holiday season:

Start With A List

In order to find a starting place, take some time and write out a list of the top five spots in your home and office that are most important to you to be organized. (Don’t forget that your car can be one of these!) From there, write out five actions you’ll take to make each spot more organized and efficient. This will not only provide you with a starting place but will also help you navigate your goals – making the mountain before you seem much more manageable.

Label, Label, Label

Some say there’s no better step to getting organized than having a labeling system. If you don’t know what something is, then what good is organizing it, right? There are many methods for doing this. Whichever method you choose make sure that your labels are easy to read and right to the point. For example, if you have a box of ornaments, don’t just slap the label “Christmas” on it. Take the extra time to label it “Christmas Tree Ornaments” so that you know not to open that box when you’re looking for the holiday lights.

Purge ‘Stuff’ For Peace Of Mind

Most people can stand to throw away a lot more of their ‘stuff’ than they typically do. Often, our houses and offices become downright smothered by stuff. The adage about a cluttered space causing a cluttered mind just might have some validity to it. When your home and work areas are in a recognizable order, your life becomes easier to navigate. This peace of mind allows you to focus on the important people and moments in your life. Simply set aside a day just to purge items. Buy a box of garbage bags and go room to room collecting all the things you do not need. You just might be surprised at how much you collect for donation and the dumpster – not to mention how freeing it is to purge and make space in your home, office, life and mind.

At the end of the day, becoming organized is sure to make you feel better. Take some time this week, as you may not have it later, and set yourself up for success and lots of celebrating this holiday event season.

At AMA Executive Conference Centers, we are passionate about helping event and meeting planners maximize their time and improve their work-life harmony. For more information about our executive meeting services and conference centers in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC, contact us here.

Build A Better Team With These Interview Tips Shared By TED Talks

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Compelling interviews are the best in exposing the strengths, weaknesses, and potential red flags of an interviewee. They are key before a company decides whether the interviewee is the best fit for them. No company or organization wants to stand behind hiring a person who is not competent, doesn’t understand what drives the company and is not in line with the competitive nature of the marketplace. Conducting a thorough interview will help you verify the skills of the interviewee which you have only seen on paper. These TED Talks will give you a clue on how to handle an interview, which is essential in the hiring process.

Expect the Unexpected: Itzia De Ros

Itzia, a Director of Admissions at IESE’s MBA program, she shares that you don’t know a candidate far beyond their application and their qualifications. She suggests by asking a candidate ‘Who are you?’ will give you a glimpse in who the candidate is beyond the papers. She goes ahead to claim that despite the job you are offering, you should get to know the person better because you are opening them up into your life. She also claims that if you take the interview from that point of view, you will be in a position to know whether that person is a fit to offer a place. Watch the full talk and get to understand that offering somebody an interview is opening them a door into your life.

 

Marc Pachter: The Art of the Interview

Marc Pachter, who has conducted interviews with some of the most significant people in American history, shares the secrets of a great interview. He explains how to effectively deduce whether candidates are likely to deliver or not. In his talk, he claims that a successful candidate needs to understand and clearly explain how the story turned out. He also adds that you need to host an empathetic interview and feel what the interviewee shares. He suggests that if we can only decide to put ourselves in the shoes of the interviewee, empathize with them and be ready to understand their story; then we will derive much more from them and get to know whether they are a great fit. Watch this talk in full and learn about the art of the interview and how to go about it.

At AMA Executive Conference Centers, we are passionate about helping event and meeting planners maximize their time and improve their careers and work-life harmony. For more information about our executive meeting services and conference centers in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC, click here to connect with us.

From Buzzword to Priority Goal: We’re Tackling Productivity

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While productivity is currently a popular buzzword, it’s also a goal many of us strive towards. Unfortunately, we don’t often know exactly how to achieve it. It’s a challenging concept to grasp because productivity is different for every role in every industry. It’s also hard to measure: some people work at a frantic pace but aren’t actually very productive, while others appear slow on the surface but make the most of their time.

If you’re as fascinated with this topic as we are then you’ll enjoy a few of our favorite TED Talks that will get you thinking about productivity and how to improve your own!

Too Many Rules Hamper Productivity

In this engaging talk, researcher Yves Morieux discusses how having too many rules and structures in the workplace can hold people back from being productive, and how important collaboration is to productivity.

Get More Sleep

Media mogul Arianna Huffington shares an obvious-sounding but often-ignored secret to productivity: get more sleep. This simple step toward better health and mental alertness can increase your productivity, yet people often brag about how little sleep they get.

Happiness

In this entertaining lecture, psychologist Shawn Anchor emphasizes the importance of happiness on productivity. Rather than working hard and waiting for that to make you happy, he suggests finding happiness first to make it easier to work hard.

Respect Your Coworkers

Productivity doesn’t just come from within yourself. In most roles, you depend on coworkers and partners to make things happen. Leadership researcher Christine Porath discusses the importance of treating coworkers with respect so that both you and your company can succeed.

As a meeting or events professional, productivity is extremely important, but you can sometimes feel bogged down by the complex challenges of your work. Keep these inspiration talks in mind as you search for ways to unlock your own productivity, and you may just find yourself feeling smarter, happier, and more successful in your role!

Tricks & Treats: 5 Tips for Taking Your Meeting From Spooky To Spectacular

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Just because meetings are a part of today’s business world doesn’t mean they have to be spooky. With a little pre-planning, you can take your next meeting from spooky to spectacular by following these 5 helpful tips:

Beware of the Clock

Meetings take a lot of time out of a person’s day. In fact, middle managers spend 35% of their time in meetings and upper management spend as much as 50% of their time in meetings. Conquer this meeting monster by having a clearly set agenda and by starting—and ending—on time.

Bring Participants Out of the Shadows

Statistics show that 1 in 5 people are prone to dozing in meetings. As more and more of us push ourselves while sleep-deprived, sitting through a meeting with a speaker is a recipe for a nap. Engage participants by adding humor and activities. Be sure to have water, coffee, and tea along with healthy snacks. Participants will feel energized and they stand a better chance of remembering what they learned by actively participating rather than just showing up.

Be Alert to Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble

In order for meetings to be productive, it is important to stick to the agenda items. Participants who choose to try to use the time to complain or go off-topic not only prolong the meeting but frustrate other participants. Consider designating a “parking lot” for ideas and concerns to come back to in order to keep the meeting on task.

Sweet Success

Meetings don’t have to be monstrous—they are a great time to collect important team members and to discuss and plan for success. Celebrating recent victories and sharing good news is a sweet way to start—or end—a meeting.

Frightfully Good Follow-Up

You’ve invested time and effort to conduct a meeting with positive results. Following-up with participants regarding key action items and a short meeting synopsis keeps the momentum rolling and communication flowing.

If you’re planning your next meeting for Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, or Washington, D.C., consider the professional setting of AMA Executive Conference Centers. Make your next meeting spectacular! Contact us today for details on how our Centers are uniquely tailored for meetings and conference events. 

Big Ideas: Fascinating TED Talks About New York City

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New York City is the most densely populated city in the United States, with approximately 20 million people squeezed into the 305 square miles of the New York Metro. The City is widely renowned for its diversity, its traffic congestion, and its fascinating history. The convergence of cultures and unique experience of living in close quarters with so many neighbors gives New York a unique feel that can’t be duplicated. We’re proud to have an AMA Executive Conference Center located in the heart of Times Square in New York City. Enjoy learning some fascinating insights into the Big Apple through a few of our favorite TED Talks:

“New York – Before The City”

Eric Sanderson, a landscape ecologist, provides a fascinating look at New York City through a map drawn during the American Revolution. With his keen understanding of the network of habitat relationships between species, Sanderson has digitized the map to create a block-by-block rendering of NYC as it was 400 years ago, complete with estimated Lenape tribe locations, lakes and streams, hills and gullies, and animal and plant species that flourished in the area. In his TED Talk, Sanderson elaborates on his “Mannahatta Project,” and creates a fascinating parallel between the density and interconnectedness of today’s Manhattan and the habitat as it existed prior to the arrival of European settlers.

“How We Found The Worst Place To Park In New York City – Using Big Data”

In this TED Talk, quantitative analyst and big data cruncher Ben Wellington uses numbers compiled from the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a fascinating overview of what it is like to live in New York City. Through his data analysis of waterway sanitation, taxi speeds, and even fire hydrant locations, Wellington draws a picture of day-to-day life in the City while making a case for the availability and use of big data for the good of the City.

“A Park Underneath The Hustle and Bustle of New York City”

Dan Barasch is the co-founder and executive director of the Lowline, a green space garden that he has conceptualized underneath the Lower East Side of New York City. A descendant of Italian immigrants, Barasch has always been fascinated with the early growth of New York City. The discovery of a former trolley terminal that operated from 1908 – 1948 under the Lower East Side was the catalyst for this project that has gleaned interest from thousands of NYC residents and scientists worldwide.

Fall Foodie Favorites In Atlanta

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It’s the coziest time of the year again! The leaves are changing colors and summer fare is shifting into hearty autumn meals. Pull on a sweater, grab a scarf, and get ready for these Top 5 Fall Foodie Favorites in Atlanta:

Porch Light Latin Kitchen
Gathering around the porch light is a time honored tradition on chilly autumn nights. Chef Andre Gomez brings the feeling of a firefly evening to hungry diners with an array of Puerto Rican inspired cuisine. A scratch kitchen, Porch Light uses freshly made local ingredients. The Cumin Spiced Saint Louis Ribs are a must try, best paired with Rum Glazed Sweet Plantains. Family friendly atmosphere, foodie worthy eats.

Kimball House
Kimball House offers an array of ‘food and drinks that reflect the seasons, farms, and personalities of the people preparing them.’ The welcoming ambiance is reminiscent of an Old English Pub. Fresh vegetables decorate the many salad options available, highlighting festive fall produce. For the 21 and over crowd, seasonal cocktails and absinthe are available. The Kimball House features a Raw Bar Happy Hour every Monday through Friday from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.

O4WP Pizza
Home of the famous Grandma Pie, O4WP is the coziest, neighborhood pizzeria in Atlanta. New Jersey native, Anthony Spina, boasts a philosophy of cheesy, satisfying simplicity. Local ingredients and handcrafted, rectangular pizza pies are sure to please the entire family. For an added treat, try a round of Fried Meatballs.

Bread & Butterfly
This cute cafe boasts a Parisian inspired decor. Serving bistro style fare from breakfast to dinner, Bread & Butterfly perfects the art of culinary simplicity. Stop in for an autumn brunch, with fresh brewed espresso, avocado on toast, and a stack of pancakes.

Wrecking Bar Brewpub
Celebrate harvest time with freshly farmed ingredients from the nearby Wrecking Bar and sip on one of 15 beers on tap. The Wrecking Bar Brewpub utilizes a seven barrel brewing system in crafting a rotating selection of lagers, stouts, and porters. Did we mention the bar sits in the cellar of a Victorian mansion? A haunting treat for your palette awaits, just in time for fall!

AMA Executive Conference Centers is here for your business meetings and corporate conferences in Atlanta. Our AMA Atlanta Center is just minutes from the Midtown arts and cultural district, as well as Piedmont Park. Host planning meetings, board retreats, focus groups, or corporate events at our center, conveniently located in midtown Atlanta’s Proscenium Office Building. With rooms perfect for meetings for up to 120 people, rental of our Atlanta area Center includes equipment and staff to help your meeting go off without a hitch. To find out more about how AMA can help make your next meeting in Washington DC, Atlanta, San Francisco or New York City a success, contact us today.