Like acid wash jeans and mullets, there comes a time when a trend simply needs to be retired. (Often that time comes before the thing in question actually becomes a trend, but that’s another story.) We asked industry professionals which meeting and event trends they’d like to see become past tense. Here’s what they had to say:
“Mini sliders and cupcakes.”
– BIRGITTE SIMMONS, tourism and meeting sales manager, Washington County Visitors Association, wcva.org
“Flash mobs and banners in ballrooms. Banners are great for fairs and festivals, not for galas.”
– NIKI MCKAY, principal, Blue Danube Productions, bluedanubeproductions.com
“I think I speak for my whole team when I say it is always our goal to make sure everyone walks away from an event feeling catered to. However, we’ve definitely seen an upswing in clients requesting no-attrition or no-cancellation clauses. We do our best to accommodate all requests, but this one puts our team at too much of a risk.”
– TODD GILLESPIE, director of sales & marketing, Skamania Lodge, skamania.com
“Chocolate fountains and continental breakfasts that offer zero nutrition and don’t allow people to focus.”
– TAHIRA ENDEAN, CMP, manager, event marketing, QuickMobile, quickmobile.com