Smart Start Radio is Smart Meetings’ award-winning podcast for meeting planners, event professionals and hospitality leaders looking for practical ideas, fresh perspectives and the latest industry trends. Hosted by Eming Piansay, the series explores attendee engagement, event technology, artificial intelligence, wellness, accessibility, entrepreneurship, empathy and the evolving expectations of today’s workforce. Through expert interviews and candid conversations, Smart Start Radio helps event professionals create more intentional, inclusive and engaging meeting experiences. From Gen Z digital dreamers and millennial masters to boomer bosses, every generation has something to learn and something to teach. Join the conversation and discover more meeting industry news, ideas and resources at SmartMeetings.com.
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58 recent
November 5, 2026Episode 5721 min
What Is AI Actually Delivering?
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? With AI evolving so quickly, how can meetings and events organizations tell whether it’s making a meaningful difference? Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay sits down with Ted Stone, senior vice president of global technology and products at BCD Meetings & Events, to explore AI’s practical value across the industry. From reducing repetitive work to measuring results, Stone shares how organizations can approach adoption with clear goals, training and human oversight. The conversation also explores data privacy, changing roles and how technology can help teams devote more attention to the human connections at the heart of meetings and events.
October 23, 2026Episode 5613 min
Coffee Chat — Inside the Club: Finding Belonging at IMEX America
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? What a difference a year makes! In this week's Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay reflects on her second experience at IMEX America and the unexpected realization that somewhere along the way, she went from feeling like an outsider to finding her place in the meetings industry. From reconnecting with familiar faces and dancing late into the night at MPI Rendezvous to navigating packed schedules and occasionally forgetting to eat lunch, Eming shares the highs, challenges and lessons of another whirlwind week in Las Vegas. She also explores what it means to feel seen in an industry built on connection, the importance of making newcomers feel they belong and the ongoing challenge of taking care of yourself while making the most of every opportunity. Grab your coffee and join Eming for a personal reflection on finding community, embracing growth and remembering to eat more than two cookies for lunch.
October 20, 2026Episode 551 hr 5 min
Live From IMEX America 2026: What Attendees Really Want
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? What makes an event stay with you long after you leave? Reporting from IMEX America 2026 in Las Vegas, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay explores that question through conversations about culture, connection, intentional design and attendee well-being. The episode opens with a floating sound bath hosted by Caesars Meetings & Events, where sound meditation practitioner Svetlana Esposito discusses the importance of giving busy meeting professionals time to pause and reconnect with themselves. Amy Pfeiffer, director of Disney Meetings & Events at Walt Disney World Resort, shares how storytelling, playful learning and downtime shape attendee experiences. Travis Watanabe, chief brand and narrative officer at Hawaiʻi Visitors & Convention Bureau, and Catherine “Cat” Cambra, island director at Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau, discuss the people and culture behind the aloha spirit. Valeria A. Ayala Vallejo, media relations coordinator at Discover Puerto Rico, highlights the island’s hospitality and growing entertainment offerings. Melissa Moten, vice president of experience, event solutions and venue search at BCD Meetings & Events, examines how event experiences can support business goals while making attendees feel seen. Jessie States, CMP, CMM, vice president of MPI Consulting, explores discovery, access and transformation, including designing more intentionally for introverts. Event energy facilitator Megan Nolan offers practical ways to support attention and connection through movement, breathwork and power pauses. From rooftop reflection to candid conversations on the bustling show floor, this episode explores how meetings can help people leave feeling connected, energized and changed.
October 1, 2026Episode 5430 min
Connection Before Content: How Drumming Brings People Together
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? What happens when every attendee walks into a meeting and finds a drum on their chair? For Natalie Spiro of Drum Cafe North America, it’s an invitation to connect. In this episode, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay explores how interactive drumming can shift the energy in a room, break down barriers and turn attendees into active participants. Spiro shares her unexpected journey into corporate events, explains how she weaves organizational messages into shared rhythms and recalls a reluctant participant who found her voice through the experience. They also discuss how planners can make space for play, welcome different voices and build connection before the first presentation begins.
September 3, 2026Episode 5341 min
Responsible AI Is the New Competitive Edge
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? AI is already changing how events are planned, marketed and experienced, but using more tools does not automatically lead to greater productivity. In this episode of Smart Start Radio, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay speaks with Tracy Judge, founder and CEO of Soundings, and Allyson Keenan, senior manager of event technology and operations at Cvent, about how planners can move beyond experimentation and apply AI strategically. They discuss responsible data use, event-specific applications including attendee matchmaking and room assignments, why AI is not always the right solution and the skills emerging professionals will need to guide change. The conversation also explores how organizations can protect proprietary information, build useful workflows and keep people at the center of AI adoption.
August 27, 2026Episode 5210 min
Coffee Chat — The Predictability Problem
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? Keynote. Breakout. Lunch. Another session. Reception. If attendees can already predict the rhythm of an event before it begins, is it time to change the formula? Inspired by Sharon Reus’ Smart Meetings article , The Modern Audience Has Moved On. Your Corporate Events Haven’t. , Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay looks at how familiar event structures can slip from comfortable into predictable and what planners can do to bring attendees back into the room. From rethinking forced networking to creating small moments of surprise, Eming explores why engaging a modern audience doesn’t necessarily mean adding more technology, activations or spectacle. Sometimes, changing the rhythm is enough.
August 6, 2026Episode 5124 min
From Sound Baths to Puppy Breaks: Designing Wellness Into Meetings
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? Wellness at meetings is moving beyond the fitness center and becoming part of the attendee experience. In this episode of Smart Start Radio, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay speaks with Dan Shaughnessy, director of sales and marketing at Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, about how planners can support the whole attendee. They explore floating sound baths, sleep kits, resilience rooms, puppy play breaks, coloring stations, outdoor activities and zero-proof cocktails. Shaughnessy also discusses how quiet spaces, thoughtful communication, sustainable practices and neuroinclusive programming can help attendees rest, recharge and return ready to participate. Plus, he shares how the hotel’s 60,000 rooftop honeybees could become part of a future guest experience.
July 30, 2026Episode 5013 min
Coffee Chat — You Can’t Mandate Wellness
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? A 7 a.m. yoga class may look restorative on an agenda, but what happens when attendees feel pressured to participate? In this Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay examines the line between offering wellness and requiring it. Inspired by Avery Matteo’s reporting on the Wellness Tourism Association’s Six Principles for Responsible Retreats , the episode explores attendee choice, workplace boundaries and facilitator qualifications. Eming also considers why true well-being should be built into the entire event rather than added as one more activity.
July 24, 2026Episode 4912 min
Coffee Chat — When the Venue Becomes Part of the Strategy
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? Small meetings are not simply large events with fewer chairs. In this Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay explores how intimate venues shape participation, comfort and connection. Inspired by Kate Zaliznock’s “Small by Design,” the conversation examines why seating arrangements, residential-style spaces, natural surroundings and emotional safety can influence how attendees interact. Eming also reflects on moments when thoughtful environments helped people feel seen, speak openly and build meaningful connections. The venue may help set the tone, but a beautiful space cannot create intimacy on its own. Planners must begin with the purpose of the gathering and intentionally use the room, setting and agenda to bring that strategy to life.
July 16, 2026Episode 4811 min
Coffee Chat — Booking the Big Name Is Only the Beginning
Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? Booking a celebrity speaker can generate excitement, registrations and plenty of social media attention. But securing the big name is only the beginning. In this Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings multimedia editor Eming Piansay explores the contractual and production considerations behind celebrity appearances, from recording and promotional rights to cancellation clauses and backup plans. Based on JT Long’s Smart Meetings story, “Contracting Celebrity Talent for the Win,” the episode examines why planners should never build an entire event around one person’s availability and what to do if the golden egg suddenly goes poof.
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