Duty of Care

Stock epinephrine laws can help keep attendees safe at meetings

Historic Law Makes Georgia Events Safer for Attendees

Last week, the governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, signed a bill into law which makes Georgia events safer for attendees with food allergies. Georgia SB126 allows places of public accommodation such as restaurants, hotels and convention centers to stock epinephrine — the first-line medication to treat anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. In light of the fact that nearly 50 percent of fatal food allergic reactions are triggered by food consumed outside the home and to foods that were thought to be safe,* allowing event venues to obtain epinephrine auto-injectors provides a huge sense of relief for food allergy sufferers who attend events in Georgia. According to the Convention…

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Food Allergy Awareness laws are being enacted in U.S. states to help save the lives of restaurant patrons

Dietary Needs Unlock New Level of Duty of Care

When I was an in-house corporate meeting planner, one of the executive assistants used to call me “everybody’s mamma.”  Whether it was purchasing new jeans for the CEO because he forgot his, ordering a low-salt meal for the executive vice president with a heart condition, finding hotel rooms for 30 sales staff stranded in Dallas due to bad weather, or getting the vice president of marketing to the hospital when she was sick at an event, I responded to everyone’s needs and wants. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, all of these incidents (except the CEO’s jeans) fall under my responsibilities as an event planner in what is termed…

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Meetings Industry Month

April is National Meetings Industry Month

There’s a lot to celebrate in April, according to this list of offbeat holidays—Humor, Guitars, Poetry, Honesty, Pecans, Scrabble, Tweed, my birthday, Passover—but I would be remiss if I didn’t add National Meetings Industry Month to the list. My friend Shawna Suckow, founder of SPIN and The Hive Network—taking cue from our meeting planning colleagues in Canada who have been celebrating the industry in April for the last 20 years— declared the first U.S. celebration in April 2013. Branches of SPIN held lighthearted “Cupcake Wars” across the country, bringing together planners to celebrate the hard work we do as meeting…

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Influencing Eating Habits

Being the guinea pig is not necessarily the best thing when trying new foods. They (my nieces and nephew) are the first to tell me it’s gross. But, it’s fantastic when I make something they love and repeatedly ask for. Guacamole and roasted Brussels sprouts are two those things that come to mind. What’s even better is when I realize I’ve influenced them without really trying. A few days last month, I was pleasantly surprised three times.

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hands holding a globe sustainable great responsibility

Remember, with Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

The health of your event, your attendees and our nation is a great responsibility that meeting professionals must embrace   I never thought I would be quoting from Spider-Man (although my nephew would be proud), but the meaning behind Uncle Ben’s statement — “Remember, with Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” — to Peter is truly why I started my company and now this blog. When I found out eight years ago I had an allergy to yeast, you would have thought I’d be traumatized – I had to stop eating anything that contained yeast, sugar, vinegar, dairy, white flour and…

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