Live Meetings are coming back but what has changed? Hotels and service may look a little different than we are used to. Here is what we noticed. Hotels Rates Are Not Competitive Surprisingly, hotel space is more limited. Many cancelled events from 2020 have been re-booked for 4th quarter 2021 and 2022. As a result, hotel space is selling at a premium. Many travelers assume that hotels are reducing rates to attract guests but, they don’t need to.

Many are anxious to meet again but are we ready for live meetings? Whether it is a live or hybrid event, meeting professionals can create a safe environment for attendees and staff with proper planning and preparation. When sourcing meeting locations, ask for the current safety policies and emergency plan. How are they preventing infection?

COVID-19 has forced many event and hospitality professionals to think about new ways to generate income, and long-time corporate employees are opting to take advantage of freelance/contract opportunities. Whether it is project management or virtual event planning, freelancing has become popular for both the company needing help and the professional seeking project-based work.

Do you love the idea of freelancing, but also love the perks of corporate world benefits?

In addition to salary, employer sponsored health insurance, a retirement account, and paid vacation are standard benefits of full-time employment. These benefits are the main reason professionals choose the employee model vs freelancer.

You don’t have to give up all benefits to become a freelancer! As a best practice, add 15-30% to your rate to offset costs like payroll taxes, 401k match, insurance and workman’s compensation. As a freelancer, your rate should include the cost of providing those items yourself.

SMART MEETINGS // In honor of International Women’s Day, Smart Meetings announced their 2021 Smart Women Awards. Soundings is excited to announce Tracy Judge, Founder & CEO, as a 2021 Hall of Fame Awardee!

EXHIBIT CITY NEWS // Soundings and Virtual Events Institute are joining forces to offer affordable and readily accessible learning opportunities for freelance meeting and event professionals racing to meet the demand for versatile skill sets and virtual event experience.

SMART MEETINGS // In honor of International Women’s Day, Smart Meetings announced their 2021 Smart Women Awards. Soundings is excited to announce Heather Black Cosgrave, Director of Operations & Customer Engagement, has received the Rising Star Award!

At Soundings, we believe product and service solutions have the highest impact when everyone wins. The Soundings Thrive Platform Playground was created to be a “triple win” for organizations, freelancers, and our platform partners.

Learn more today.

CORPORATE EVENT NEWS // In an effort to connect the many dots—that draw a picture of 2021—VEI has forged a partnership with talent platform Soundings that will benefit all affected groups. Under their new brand, Soundings Thrive, a vibrant members-only freelance community, the company is collaborating with VEI to offer offering additional education and networking opportunities for freelance event professionals to help them become workforce-ready for assisting virtual and hybrid events.

Soundings and the Virtual Events Institute announce exclusive North American partnership to offer freelance meeting and event professionals a launch pad into the world of digital experiences

EVENT CADENCE // Collaborative partnerships that create win-win situations for both parties are becomingly increasingly important. Partnerships help find and recruit adept talent for multi-channel market growth, and they harness creativity and innovative thinking for new avenues of inspiration.

We are excited to announce our partnership with Event Cadence for the next Platform Playground Mock Events program!

SMART MEETINGS // COVID-19, social distancing and furloughs, oh no. It has been a troubling year for those working in the meetings and hospitality industry, with pandemic precautions resulting in huge economic loss—and unfortunately, many unforeseen career changes. Throughout the year, Smart Meetings has been posting resources for the business owners, employees and independent planners navigating their way through this new reality. Whether you are job searching, adding new skills or trying to keep your business afloat, take a look at the best Smart Meetings career articles of 2020 can offer you some guidance.

CORPORATE EVENT NEWS // Take a behind the scenes look at how Soundings Founder and CEO, Tracy Judge, live-streamed her presentation for the 2020 Intrado Digital Media Summit.

Live-streamed from Rev Studio in La Jolla, CA.

SMART MEETINGS // Earlier this year we launched Soundings Thrive, a platform providing tools for freelancers to stay relevant in the marketplace and accelerate their business. Since the launch, our primary focus has been to help freelancers embrace their potential in the virtual event world.

Read about the top 5 things we have learned from launching the Platform Playground mock events program for freelancers.

Webcast Producers are known for their ability to combine a high level of customer service with tech-savvy to help configure, test and execute webcasts for live and virtual events. In support of clients, Webcast Producers set up and perform all necessary A/V tests by troubleshooting webcams, microphones and telephones to ensure optimum webcast delivery. 

THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL // Soundings Connect Founder + CEO, Tracy Judge, breaks down the questions and concerns meeting professionals should consider before they take their next steps in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the November 2020 edition of The Meeting Professional magazine.

Soundings Connect is searching for a Digital Marketing & Brand Management specialist to support the expansion of our business. We are looking for a passionate “swiss army” knife marketer who is excited to work with a growing start-up! Our team is 100% remote (even before COVID) and we are accustomed to working with employees and freelancers from all time zones.

MEETINGS MAGS // Freelancing has become a new ball game since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as many companies cannot afford to keep full-time positions, but still need those tasks completed. Although many more professionals have had to join the freelancing community since March, Tracy Judge had the passion for the freelancing community two years ago–long before the pandemic hit–and founded her company Soundings Connect in order to directly connect meetings and events industry freelancers with customers.

FORBES // Since March, the world has wondered when we can return to normal, including the tradeshows and exhibitions we’ve attended in the past—the way we’ve attended them in the past. It may be a while. While social distancing and proper health hygiene—which includes wearing a mask—can allow some people in the door, the days of crowded trade show floors are so 2019. It may be a year or two—hopefully not longer—before we see those crowded aisles again.

MEETINGSNET // Meetings and events have been devastated by the pandemic. Here are some agencies offering gig work for laid off professionals, and some advice from industry bigs.