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by Cortney C. Carroll
After months of internal meetings, site visits, late nights and planning, the first day of the annual convention is finally here! At the registration desk, everything is calm and organized as attendees from all over the country eagerly line up to receive their conference packet full of important information regarding general sessions, breakouts and events to be held during the convention. Behind the scenes, however, there is a different scene full of last-minute changes to scripts, finishing touches on the stage, audio-visual setup, VIP arrivals, room gifts, airport transfers, lost luggage and unimaginable organized chaos. All of these details are carefully arranged and facilitated by the meeting planner.by Kimberly Medaglia
One need only look at the growing number of brand marketers using virtual events to see the industry’s rapid growth. In 2009, The Event Marketing Institute cited 300 percent growth in this sector. In addition, a 2009 report by American Business Media and Forrester Research found that 75 percent of business decision makers said they attended three or more Web-based events during the past 12 months.