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Part of your job as an organizational superhero is to be ready for anything and deal with the unexpected: hotel strikes that disrupt meetings; volcanic ash that scrambles travel plans; year-end reports that go to the wire; or high-profile events under public scrutiny.
Being able to keep your cool in the pressure cooker so you can get the job done is about acknowledging and managing stress, not dismissing it. |
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How to tackle stress like the pros.
We found some useful lessons in the way people are trained to deal with stress during true emergency situations, such as disaster-relief efforts, with these pointers adapted from organizational experts and Canada’s Emergency Preparedness and Occupational Health Directorate:
- As leader, be aware of your own stress through any crunch situation, so you can maintain a responsive healthy team effort.
- Establish and monitor a work-rest schedule to give yourself time to step away, even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time.
- Have a rest area away from your command centre, out of the eye of the storm.
- Trust someone on your team to give direct feedback about the level of your fatigue, and how effectively you’re working.
- Get some sleep: being awake does not equal being alert. Realize how fatigue may affect your attention to detail.
- Be a role model for your team by not forgetting to eat, and maintaining a healthy diet instead of junk food.
- As events unfold or situations change, recognize and correct mistakes without assigning blame.
- Recognize and validate the efforts of other people in your efforts.
- Remember the 10 words that can successfully carry you through to the end of every stressful situation : "Thank you"; "How can I help?"; "Good work"; and "I'm sorry".
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The big picture.
What feels like a thrill to one person can simply stress-out another, and your tolerance can rise or fall over time. If you feel overwhelmed by the stress in your job, don’t be shy to seek help.
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You might not surf away your stress, but it might feel good to talk to peers about it. Connect with others on facebook or at ignitemeetingsconnect.com. Find more corporate travel and event planning ideas and resources at ignitemag.ca.
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Financial & Insurance Conference Planners Annual Conference
When: November 17-20, 2010
Where: Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Why go: If you’ve thrived as a planner through the market crisis, this event will help you stay at the top of your game in the financial industry.
What’s in it for you: From money-saving ideas to career-boosting strategies, 96% of last year’s attendees indicated that the benefits of going either met or exceeded the cost. Check out the Top Reasons to Go video and the full schedule of events.
More industry events at Ignitemag.ca
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INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
Canadian meeting pros may be holding back optimism
A survey of meetings industry buyers and suppliers across North America, released in October, suggests rising tides of confidence in business expectations, although Canadians in the study were measurably less optimistic by 5% or 10% across all areas. Over 250 senior travel executives (90% based in US; 10% in Canada) contributed to the inaugural 'Index of Optimism' undertaken in September by trade show producer IMEX America. While most respondents believed that demand currently is growing, nearly half (47%) acknowledge that their clients' events are not growing in size or lasting longer and there is little or no increase in spending per delegate. |
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CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Watch for Jackalopes, with travel execs in Calgary
The fifth annual ACTE Canada Education Conference gets underway this weekend in Calgary, drawing together about 300 senior corporate travel executives and industry suppliers from across the country November 7-9, 2010. Education sessions will cover issues such as the impact of social networking on corporate travel, airline alliances and joint ventures, fulfilling duty of care in a crisis, and how to benchmark travel programs. We’ll also be watching results of ACTE’s “Jackalope Crossing”: A Dragon’s Den type contest for entrepreneurs to submit new business travel-related ideas, products and services. See event details here. |
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CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
We’re loyal on loyalty programs
“Canada is actually one of the highest-penetrated markets in the world for loyalty programs, with the average Canadian active in 9.2 programs, almost 50 per cent higher than the average U.S. household at 6.2 programs,” says Neil Everett, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer of the Air Miles Reward Program, the country's largest rewards program with 10 million active collector accounts. This year the company will give away about $500-million in rewards. |
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| Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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A job that comes with its own insurance
If you lust after a spot to shine as an Events and Promotions Manager, AEGON Canada/Transamerica Life Canada is looking for exactly that, someone who can take on, top to bottom, sales and marketing events in the insurance and investment industry, including regional conferences, special Channel events, annual incentive programs, and road-shows. You can read the full job description here, and FICP members get a special nod (see our Save the Date item, above). |
Is this menswear gig the right fit for you?
If words like Armani, Brioni, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ermenegildo Zegna inspire you, and you’ve got a thread on the retail scene, the Toronto central office of menswear purveyor Harry Rosen may have just the assignment for you. The company is seeking an experienced planner to step into a one-year contract as Manager, Public Relations and Special Events, starting in December 2010. See the positon posting here. |
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