Authentically Authentic

The latest buzz word in the travel and meeting industry seems to be authentic. I for one, get it.  As I look back on my travels and life experiences, the ones that always stand out are the ones where a connection was made – a connection with a person or a place or even just land or nature.  Those are my truly authentic experiences.

There was that one time my husband and I rented a car in Mexico and traveled the Yucatán Peninsula only to end up in the tiny town of Xcalak which was full of expatriates living somewhat sustainably in paradise.  With no plan and no where to stay, we stumbled upon Jane and Greg (I never forget names) who made a phone call to their neighbor who was out of the country and sure enough, his basement apartment was available and just like that, we had beachfront accommodations for a week.  Jane and Greg invited us to dinner and we learned they were from Minnesota, but had a soft spot for Montana because both their sons had attended Montana State University. Small world! It was a week I’ll never forget because the best word to describe Jane and Greg and Xcalak is authentic.

Furthermore, I wonder if our new obsession with vacation rentals as opposed to hotels has led to a new expectation of authenticity.  Staying in a house in an awesome location with a binder full of all the best information makes me feel like a local.  I don’t know about you, but when I stay at an amazing VRBO, I always leave a review because I genuinely want others to have a great experience.  Maybe I’m just nice, but I think all of us crave to be the insider with all the information.  Isn’t it fun to recommend your favorite restaurant to a wandering tourist in your hometown?

How does all this translate into meetings and events?  We tune into our client’s goals and our own mission.  For the past 15 years or longer, we’ve been working toward more sustainable, less wasteful, and more green events.  We have a client who made it a priority to eliminate paper from their meetings, and through a three year plan and with the help of a conference app we are now “90% paper free” (see my blogs on our sistersite meetingsnorthwest.com). From reducing or eliminating paper to donating excess food to recycled materials and creative alternative solutions – we are constantly upping our game.  And honestly, it feels great to not only our clients, but us as well!  It is a way to make a difference in an often wasteful environment.  As we continue making these big, green improvements to our meetings, we are also striving to make meetings/events more authentic and meaningful to our clients.

I think one way to make your meeting or event more authentic and meaningful is to utilize unique venues that really capture the spirit of your location.  Art museums, dude ranches, ski lodges, college campuses, or a historical downtown location make amazing meeting places especially if the group you are planning for is willing to think outside the box (or the hotel).  Maybe you don’t need traditional PowerPoint presentations.  Maybe a focus group sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows would work.  Okay.…I took that a little too far, but you get my drift.  One of the ways on-location meetings are going to survive the onslaught of virtual meetings is to authentically connect.  A connection you can only achieve by physically being there.  Let’s be honest, a hotel ballroom does not exactly entice conversation and connection.  However, a chairlift ride to a presentation at a summit lodge on top of a mountain just might.

Another way to increase the authenticity of your event is to tell the story of the location.  Currently, I’m planning a short tour for a group of chefs visiting Missoula, MT for the first time.  They are staying at a luxury dude ranch outside of the city and taking a bus ride in with a naturalist.  I can’t wait for them to hear the story of the new amphitheater on the banks of the Blackfoot River.  Or the story of how a group of citizens proposed removing a dam to let sediment properly flow down river and how they got the EPA to do it.  I can’t wait to for them to see the kayakers on the Clark Fork River in mid-April when the air temperature may hit 55 degrees, but the water temperature is nothing short of frigid.  All of this provides a connection and an authenticity to Missoula.  I sincerely hope they come back when they have more leisure time.

As destination professionals as well as meeting planners, we all have such opportunity to really showcase a location in so many different ways.  It is my favorite part of the job.  We even created a “We Heart” video on Valentine’s Day to show our love for our preferred location – Montana.  Let’s help each other.  How do you make your events more authentic?  Share your successes with us.

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