PIPA and SOPA. Yes or Nopa?

Yesterday morning many of us woke up to our favorite websites participating in the SOPA/PIPA blackout. In case you haven’t heard, the blackout was influenced by two bills proposed by the House and Senate, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act), in an attempt to cease copyright infringement committed by foreign websites.

Many groups, mainly the entertainment industry, support the bills. The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) backs SOPA and PIPA citing that it would put an end to piracy around the world. Many claim that they are blaming the internet for decreases in film revenues that may or may not occur when unauthorized downloading occurs. For example, a new film release is leaked out on the internet before it even comes out into theaters, thus allowing consumers to watch it for free in their own homes. Any website along with their companies who are suspected or accused of leaking or linking to that website will have their IP address blocked so that it cannot be accessed by the public. As a result that company would then be prosecuted for copyright infringement. Many companies, including Google and Wikipedia, took part in yesterday’s protest by blacking out all or a large part of their website. They maintain that the Acts will censor the websites, and in turn cause serious damage to the free and open internet that we have all relied on for quite some time.

How did the blackout affect your day? Did your company participate in it? Better yet, what are your thoughts on SOPA and PIPA?

‘Tis the Season

Spiced Eggnog, decorations, parties, presents and food…all things many of us think about during the holidays. But what about giving? Not gift giving, giving back. There are so many opportunities to get involved in the community, especially during the holidays. This season, we decided to give back in a big way. Recently, a colleague brought Senior Connections to our attention. Senior Connections is a Meals on Wheels agency that provides nutritious meals to seniors in the metro Atlanta area on a daily basis. What a GREAT cause! For many of the seniors in the program, the delivery of these meals may be the only opportunity they get to interact with another person that day. Also, unlike many of us, some of these seniors do not have a family to share a holiday meal with, so delivering these meals with a smile can really make their day. Monday through Saturday, the Senior Connections kitchen in Atlanta prepares, packages and delivers 3000+ meals to seniors around the area. Integress organized a company wide community outreach event over a 2-day period in which our fellow colleagues spent 3 hours helping out in the bustling Senior Connections kitchen. We got to take part in everything from food preparation and packaging, to the clean up afterwards. The amount of food that this place pumps out is incredible! On the menu our first day, country fried steak with confetti corn and mixed veggies. During all of the craziness, we were able to snap a few pictures…check them out!

I think a lot of people forget how good it feels to participate in something that has such a large impact in the community. How has your organization chosen to give back this year?

*For more information on Senior Connections please visit www.srconn.org/

Food for Thought

How important are food and beverage to your event?  When the budget is tight and you’re forced to look for ways to cut the budget, do you sacrifice quality for savings?

Many years ago, I attended a meeting where it was rumored that the sponsorship sales had not gone as well as expected.  Boxed lunches were served at lunchtime, and from the presentation and food selection, it left me wondering what exactly they were trying to achieve.  Instead of serving the lunches in plain white boxes, they had the boxes branded with the meeting logo on 2 sides and in 4 colors. Inside the box, I found a vegetarian sandwich, a sandwich with meat, a seafood salad, a fruit salad, a pudding cup and a candy bar. Canned soft drinks were served on the side.

Here are some interesting points about this “cost saving” measure”:

1. Boxed lunches are often no less expensive than a modified buffet lunch. They are labor intensive, so venues end up charging a bit more to make up for this.
2. Branding a box is expensive (Especially when printing in 4-color on glossy white paper).
3. Combining the vegetarian and meat selections in each box certainly does not seem to be cost effective. A better cost cutting method would be to separate the items and simply label the boxes, or place a label on the table in front of each selection, denoting what is in the boxes.
4. The items included in a box lunch need to be well thought out. Remember, boxed lunches are usually put out in advance of the meal time, and can be left sitting without refrigeration for the duration of the lunch hour. Foods that should be kept cold can become a health hazard when left at room temperature. Inevitably, some of the delegates complained of upset stomachs after lunch. Could it have been the “warm seafood salad”?

For the rest of the afternoon, most discussions ended with mention of the terrible luncheon that everyone had suffered through. Needless to say, there was so much food wasted and the beautiful logoed boxes lined clear plastic trash bags throughout the hall.

It should be fairly obvious that the food and beverage service at a meeting is important. Attendees are also demanding more special requests to satisfy special diets (i.e., vegetarian, low salt, vegan, kosher, halal, etc.).  Despite tight budgets, we must always try to accommodate our audience.  Cost-saving measures should still be carefully considered, but be creative.  Here are some tips to consider the next time that you find your food and beverage budget is lacking:

• Eliminate breakfast and ask the venue to ensure the food shops are open, or if you have an exhibition area allow them to sell coffee and breakfast foods there
• Negotiate room rates that provide a full or limited breakfast for the delegates in the restaurant
• Reduce the timing of cocktail receptions
• In lieu of a welcome reception, provide vouchers for a meal in the bar/lounge area, and encourage your delegates to attend a “meet and greet” in this area after check-in
• Always modify and negotiate banquet menus
• Solicit local restaurants to provide discounts for attendees, and provide ample time for delegates to get out and enjoy the local flavors

If a boxed lunch is the only solution, try these tips for happier meeting attendees:

• Remember to select foods that keep well, such as whole fruit instead of fruit salad, and please no seafood!
• You can reduce the “per box” cost by going with a plain box
• Separate dietary options and label the boxes, or place a sign on the table that denotes what is in each box

Thoughtful food and beverage selection at a meeting makes the delegates feel special. Your food and beverage set up should create an atmosphere that encourages networking opportunities for new connections or even reconnection with old friends, not provide a platform for them to discuss how terrible lunch was. As planners, we are always looking for creative ideas to keep food and beverage costs in line with the budget, while still maintaining quality.  Let’s hear some of your ideas.

 

**Special thanks to Lynne Pryor, Senior Conference Manager at Integress, for her significant contribution to this post.