​On today's podcast we talk with Carol Norfleet, MBA, CMP, DMCP of Destination Nashville about her pre-conferece session at the upcoming CMP Conclave in Baltimore.  Carol's session is a workshop that will bring together planner and supplier CMP's to begin the process of revising the legacy documents of APEX that need to be refreshed and updated.

APEX is an initiative of the CIC that promotes the development and implementation of industry-wide accepted practices to create and enhance efficiency throughout the meetings and events industry.  It's vital that the APEX be updated to maintain it's relevancy and usefulness.  Amongst the topics to be considered in the session are: Event Specification Guide, Housing & Registration Guide, Site Profiles Guide and Post Event Reporting Guide.

​There's still time to join us in Baltimore for the annual CMP Conclave on September 16-18!

As event planners and suppliers we are all aware of evolving threats that can impact our venues and attendees.  The industry has never established a uniform set of international standards for safety and security.  To address that need, the international Secure Venue Standard is being developed in collaboration with a number of industry organizations.

Paul Bridle and Vicki Hawarden will lead a session at the upcoming CMP Conclave in Baltimore to review the importance of standards in this critical area, then break into smaller groups to provide feedback on how the proposed standards can bets meet the needs of the industry.

​They join me on the podcast today to preview their session and talk about the vital role that providing a safe and secure environment for our attendees and guests plays in planning any event.  If you're attending the CMP Conclave you should plan to attend this session and assure that your concerns and needs are met by the proposed standards.

Internet access at venues is a topic that causes significant challenges for planners.  In this smart device connected age, attendees carry multiple devices and expect constant access and high speeds wherever they go.  Internet access is not longer an option and free is not always the best answer.

We spent some time talking with Michael Owen of Eventgenuity and he gave us a preview of his upcoming session scheduled for the CMP Conclave in Baltimore.  We cover not just the nuts and bolts of internet access, but some specific areas for planners to begin to improve their results from HSIA (high speed internet access).

We also spent some time talking about APEX and the many free tools and information available to planners to help them begin to speak a common language with their vendors about bandwidth and much, much more.  Here's a direct link to the APEX Bandwidth page: APEX Bandwidth & Connectivity 

You can register for the CMP Conclave here: CMP Conclave
And you can learn more about APEX and the information provided there via this link: APEX