2022 NACE Experience Conference

The LGBT Meeting Professionals Association (LGBT MPA), a 501(c)3, is the first and only organization solely committed to connecting, advancing, and empowering the LGBT+ meeting professional. While the LGBT community is well known for its inclusive and diverse culture, LGBT MPA provides the opportunity for our unique voices to be uplifted, representing and educating the industry on a broad range of topics pertaining to inclusion and diversity. Our research-driven data provides a more meaningful understanding of our community while sharing best practices for industry leadership.

The key principle of improv is that participants must be open to any plot line and expand on it. This “yes, and…” mentality is the opposite of the “we’ve always done it this way” thinking that is so common in foodservice operations. The copy/paste approach to BEO, menu, and service planning prevents achieving food waste reduction goals, introducing healthy and sustainable options, and capitalizing on other promising trends. In this session, audience participation will be encouraged and eye-opening. After learning about some common objections to sustainability and innovation, attendees will be invited to role play menu and service planning with some typical scenarios. In this process, they will uncover opportunities to improve social and environmental outcomes and reduce costs.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Identify key excuses and objections that prevent sustainability initiatives such as food waste reduction
*Apply leadership and improv principles to advance sustainability and innovation in an organization
*Redesign menu and service planning processes to prompt greater social, environmental, and economic returns

Excitement abounds in the catering world! Join Stavros for a deep dive into the latest food, beverage, presentation, and service trends. From global inspirations to regional interpretations, we will explore all the new things, cleverly reinvented classics, and WOW-factor surprises that will keep your clients and their guests excited and delighted.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Offer F+B concepts, presentations, and expressions of trends
*Identify suggested resources including inspirations, purveyors, and trendsetting professionals
*Anticipate and understand where our industry is heading

In this fireside chat, we'll discuss basic fundamentals and rituals of commonly executed South Asian wedding events. Did you know that each ceremony and custom have a purpose during the wedding week? By understanding the importance and elements of each event from pre-planning to post event execution, this discussion will include information on the tools needed to consult, guide, and propose a successful South Asian production.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Identify and differentiate backgrounds of culture and rituals
*Plan for a successful event execution as a professional, not as a coordinator
*Lead and direct clients with confidence

Event design has changed dramatically over the last ten years due to increased availability of a variety of rental options for events. In this session, we will review a Rentals First approach to design that will assist event planners, caterers, and florists in how to upsell rental products. Attendees will learn methods for upselling rentals and how they can increase brand perception, revenue, and client satisfaction with this process.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Upsell rentals and linen
*Communicate the value of using rentals in event design work
*Elevate their events to increase brand perception, revenue, and client satisfaction

Sponsored by BBJ La Tavola Specialty Linen

A question as old as time - what is the different between a venue manager and an event planner? While many professionals in the industry think they know, the lines are blurred more and more lately, and clients are usually left confused or disappointed. Explore the similarities and important distinctions that distinguish the roles in order to build positive vendor relationships and appropriately educate clients.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Identify the important similarities and major differences between both professionals and how to clearly define roles in advance and communicate effectively to clients
*Collaborate effectively to avoid issues during the planning and execution of an event
*Discover and take away top tips on how to separate duties, collaborate and create a well-oiled machine

As an entrepreneur, you are the hero in your business’ narrative even though it may not always feel like it. When your energy is low and you’re approaching burnout, it’s hard to feel like the triumphant CEO that has it all together. But, here’s a secret: Even the greatest heroes of all time need help! In this session, Aleya steps into the role of your guide to walk through the stages of the hero’s journey and the common pitfalls that present at each stage. She’ll reveal her tried-and-true strategies for overcoming the “villains” in one’s journey and keep positive energy flowing, so that you can rise out of burnout and discover freedom and abundance.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Identify the three stages of the hero's journey and how they apply to business principles
*Utilize key techniques for getting unstuck in your business
*Map out a successful hero’s journey for your business and personal life

Wedding Industry Speakers

The catering and events industry has been on the biggest roller coaster ride of the industry’s history. Customer demand has risen back to pre-pandemic levels, but now the staff to support it is nowhere to be found. How did this thriving and critical industry end up here? And what are the short and long-term solutions to the labor shortage? By focusing on future success in a post-pandemic catering and events industry, we’ll identify how we avoid these pitfalls for any staffing challenges to come.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Identify why the hospitality industry was hit so hard and what’s keeping workers from returning
*Apply actionable learnings to attract and retain workers
*Ensure they have the staff needed for busy event calendars

Sponsored by Qwick

The conversation surrounding money is typically one that we avoid, but why? Yes, it can bring about some discomfort and anxiety, but it’s an inherently empowering and important discussion that every business owner needs to have. In this session, Renée will reveal how you can shift your money talk into one that’s authentically positive to blast old biases and ultimately charge what you’re worth.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Utilize simple exercises for changing your perception of finances, as well as creating new mantras and mindsets
*Identify how different generations discuss and use money, and how you can make that language work for your sales process
*Explore verbiage that conveys luxury without using the word “luxury,” why this matters for your business, and why “what the market will bear” shouldn’t really matter

Wedding Industry Speakers

Join Nadia to discover the people, products, and processes that ensure the health and viability of your business. This session will include practical examples and troubleshooting challenges with all of the 3 P's. In addition, Nadia offers a unique perspective to managing an events business due to her participation in operations from all angles - as a financial professional inspecting the books, as a start-up, and as an industry peer.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Identify the people to engage in financial management for the business
*Discover the processes that cultivate healthy financial management
*Utilize the financial products to have in place to capture data and make better business decisions

Rod will take you on a journey beginning with the first Africans being recorded as landing on US soil, their enslavement, the conditions under which they lived, and what skills and food they brought. He will tell the stories of ten individuals based in prominent US cities who stood out as significant contributors in pre- and post-emancipation America. For the most part, Rod will refer to those forcibly removed from the African continent as Enslaved Africans. However, when the word ‘slave’ is used, it is a reflection on the circumstances that surround its use. Finally, he will end telling you about African Americans who continue to contribute to this rewarding profession.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Appreciate African American history and its connection to today’s catering industry
*Relate to the journey of African American catering and event professionals and their ancestors
*Formulate an understanding of the roots of African American catering traditions

As live events regain momentum, the bar has been set higher than ever for designing attendee experiences. The environment in which you deliver your content plays a huge role in attendee engagement and can directly impact your ability to meet your event's goals and objectives. Join CORT Events' Kelly Dalisa, CPCE in this session as she shares 2022 design trends, strategies for designing around your event’s core purpose, and marrying functionality and aesthetics. Walk away with real world examples and inspiration you can use to elevate your next event.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Implement clients' goals and objectives through design
*Create a memorable event experience
*Design for purpose and functionality

Sponsored by CORT

Events are celebrations of personal milestones and important facets of life. Naturally, this festivity is an emotional experience for clients and their loved ones, with a big factor in their success being the team hired to bring their vision to life. In this session, Renee will show how intentionally incorporating emotion to create a powerful marketing campaign that will focus on human connection, shared interests, and mutual respect will land you the luxury clientele perfect for you.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Understand why emotional marketing is a stronger approach than traditional marketing strategies in the special events industry
*Understand the expectations of luxury clients and how to highlight their needs in your marketing messages
*Build small but powerful details into the client experience to go above and beyond and how to capture this in your marketing strategy

Attendees of this educational breakout session will be guided through the process of how to dive into the emotional intelligence of their potential clients by focusing on selling the experience and not the service. At the end of the day, clients buy what they want and not what they need!

During this session, attendees will learn to:

*Change the narrative from product/service to solution to experience and overcome top customer objections with role-play scenarios
*Create a value proposition to be the anchor in the conversation; the conversation then becomes about the experience and not about the price
*Measure your level of assertiveness because confidence sells the experience and truly know what you are offering your clients to answer Who, What, Why

Have you ever found yourself with a client that you cannot for the life of you figure out how you missed the red flags at the beginning of the journey? That's because you aren't asking all the right vetting questions. I'll teach you to avoid the pitfalls, not to ask the right questions but to ask the BETTER questions, and give you a roadmap to follow so that you can feel confident that the client is your ideal client.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Ask better vetting questions
*Spot the wrong client by their answers before it's too late
*Understand the benefit of vetting a client effectively

With the rise of a new industry standard, caterers and event professionals have reshaped how they run their businesses to adapt to smaller teams, more demand, and increasing customer expectations. For this educational breakout session, we’ve invited a panel of seasoned events experts to deep dive into how they’ve leveraged flexible staff and other technology to streamline operations while maintaining a high standard of service.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Seamlessly onboard flexible staff onto their full-time team
*Identify opportunities to minimize operational overhead
*Maximize revenue in a busy events season

Let’s Make a Deal: Negotiate Like a Pro Without Losing Your Profit or Your Sanity

Each industry has its ebbs and flows of being a seller or a buyer’s market— the wedding industry is no different. How you effectively communicate your value determines if you walk away with profit or pressure. In this interactive experience, you’ll learn how to negotiate your way to success by learning objections and their triggers, tips from master negotiators, how to add value without lowering price, and what to do when you’re pitted against your colleagues.

These days, we're all busy. But is your busy by design? Overburdened schedules, others' agendas, and poor planning all result in less success and more burnout. Most people let their schedule run them, instead of taking charge of their time. Or maybe they have a plan, but constantly let others distract them. It all results in working too much, for too little. We’re going to change that with this session. In this powerful presentation, Troy will share 10 steps to take control of your time and deter distractions. Based on proven research and time-tested practices, attendees will walk away with methods they can implement immediately to increase efficiency and generate gains, both personally and professionally.

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Increase efficiency and productivity through proper scheduling techniques
*Improve personal and professional performance through science and self-assessment
*Generate improved focus and direction through two key prioritizing methods

"You Do You, Just Be Yourself, Be Authentic"...BLAH BLAH BLAH. We hear stuff like this all the time on TV, in movies, and even from stages just like this one. It's supposed to be inspirational, and it is, but inspiration will only get you so far and it will only last so long. I mean, it sounds great as a soundbite or marketing tagline, but what does that even mean and how the heck do we discover who we truly are and how to live life as our truest selves? In this session, we are going to break out the big shovels and dig really deep into ourselves so we can unearth our true identities and unleash our potential, and impact our lives and the world around us. So, get ready to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work necessary to find unparalleled clarity, comfort, and confidence in everything you do!

During this session, attendees will learn to:
*Comprehend how and where their identity started to take shape and the impact that has on their personal and professional lives
*Identify when a misalignment in their identity exists, and understand how that creates limitations in their life, and how to recalibrate it
*Start loving themselves unconditionally and live unapologetically as they design the life and business they truly want to create