Thinking Differently About Meetings and Events

Recently, I connected with one of my favorite colleagues of all time, Julie Christiansen. Julie and I previously worked closely together on strategic meeting solutions at a global travel management company. Julie shared that she was launching a business and going on her own to consult and help clients to better manage their meetings and events. Having started my own consultancy a couple of years before, we quickly identified an opportunity to collaborate.

Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege to work on the client and managed meetings (demand) side as well as the hospitality and venue (supply) side. When Julie and I first compared notes, one thing stood out immediately: no matter the company size, geography, or industry, the same challenges kept surfacing.

Leaders knew meetings and events were important. Some invested heavily. But too often, programs stayed stuck in logistics, missing the opportunity to become real strategic drivers of business transformation.

Additionally, businesses are often unaware of what they are spending on meetings and events or how to leverage that spend with suppliers - or both.

Julie and I have spent decades advising, designing, and implementing M&E programs around the world. We’ve seen what works, what stalls, and what truly scales. And we both came to the same conclusion: organizations don’t just need solutions, they need a strategic blueprint that balances vision, culture, and practicality.

That’s why we’ve decided to co-author a series that digs into the building blocks of impactful M&E programs. Over the coming weeks, we’ll share perspectives on:

• Setting a strategic blueprint for lasting impact

• Why policy is more powerful than most people think

• Choosing the right operating model for your company

• The real secret to success: change management

• How technology and data visibility drive efficient decision-making

• How to identify and leverage relationships with the right supplier partners

Our goal isn’t to prescribe a one-size-fits-all model. It’s to spark conversation, share lessons learned, and help leaders see how M&E can evolve from a cost center into a true engine for business transformation.

The first article launches September 9. We hope you’ll follow along — and we’d love to hear your perspectives along the way.