Smart Start Radio: Fuel for the Purpose Generation of Meeting Planners

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Smart Meetings' award winning podcast tackles issues from Gen Z Digital Dreamers to Millennial Masters and Boomer Bosses, we all have something to learn and teach each other. Smart Start Radio host Eming Piansay leads critical conversations to facilitate elevating experiences. From engagement to entrepreneurship and empathy, this series is dedicated to the continuing education of event professionals looking to get a leg up on the latest trends, along with two hospitality writers on the journey themselves. Join us in the conversation and check out more from Smart Meetings at www.smartmeetings.com

Listen to episodes

44 recent

June 11, 2026Episode 4311 min

Coffee Chat — When the Line Becomes the Event

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?After an Ariana Grande concert merch line became its own side quest, Eming Piansay looks at what planners can learn from a funny-chaotic crowd flow moment. This Smart Start Radio Coffee Chat explores how unclear lines, limited signage and overlapping attendee pathways can create friction, even when the experience itself is worth the wait. The takeaway: organization is not just logistics. It is attendee care.

June 4, 2026Episode 4232 min

How Event Data Is Changing Attendee Engagement

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?What does event data actually tell planners, and how can they use it to create better attendee experiences?In this episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay talks with Shawn Pierce, President, Strategic Events, Meetings & Incentives of MCI USA, about why data should be more than something planners collect after an event. Pierce explains how attendee information can help organizers identify the right audience, personalize content, improve engagement and prove event value to sponsors, exhibitors and stakeholders.The conversation also explores how AI is changing the way planners understand their audiences, from building more targeted invitations to helping attendees connect with the right people onsite. Pierce shares why events are not just about filling rooms, but about bringing the right people together at the right time, with the right content and opportunities for connection.

May 28, 2026Episode 4120 min

Coffee Chat — Invisible Tech, Better Events

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?Event tech is everywhere, from AI-powered personalization and immersive activations to digital check-ins, matchmaking tools and engagement dashboards. But more technology does not always mean a better event.In this Smart Start Radio Coffee Chat, Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay explores Kate Zaliznock’s Smart Meetings story, “The Best Tech You Don’t See,” and why the most effective event technology is often the kind attendees barely notice. When tech works well, it reduces friction, supports connection and helps attendees feel like the experience was designed with them in mind.From smoother registration to personalization that feels helpful instead of creepy, this episode looks at how planners can use technology to make events feel easier, more intentional and more human. Because the best tech does not steal the spotlight. It helps the moment work. Read the full story here: https://www.smartmeetings.com/magazine_article/the-best-tech-you-dont-see

May 21, 2026Episode 4014 min

Coffee Chat — The Activation Afterlife: Designing Event Moments That Last

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?In this Smart Start Radio Coffee Chat, host Eming Piansay explores the “activation afterlife,” or the moments attendees keep talking about long after the event is over. Inspired by Kate Zaliznock’s Smart Meetings story, “Marriott International’s Luxury Group: Activations That Stick,” this episode looks at how planners can design experiences that move beyond agenda-fillers and become lasting memories.From wine blending in Santa Barbara and Broadway-style performances in New York to Eming’s recent experiences in Puerto Rico and Central Oregon, this Coffee Chat breaks down the difference between an activity attendees do and an activation they feel. Eming shares how food, culture, landscape and local storytelling can turn a destination into more than a backdrop. They can make it part of the meeting’s emotional impact.Planner takeaways include how to design for what attendees carry home, how to let the destination do more of the work and why every activation should be aligned with the event’s larger objective.Read the full story, “Marriott International’s Luxury Group: Activations That Stick,” on SmartMeetings.com.

May 7, 2026Episode 3929 min

The Power of Showing Up for Each Other

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?Connection is at the core of the events industry. But what happens when that connection is needed beyond the ballroom?In this episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay sits down with Kate Patay, vice president of global engagement at Terramar DMC and chair of the SEARCH Foundation, to explore what it really means to support the people behind the events.From crisis response to more intentional CSR strategies, Patay shares how the industry is evolving from performative giving to meaningful impact. She also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Search Foundation operates, why financial support often matters more than physical donations and how even small contributions can create lasting change.This conversation is a reminder that the true strength of the meetings industry is not just in the experiences it creates, but in how it shows up for its community when it matters most.

April 23, 2026Episode 389 min

Coffee Chat: AI Is Already in the Room

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?AI is not coming. It is already here.In this Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay breaks down what AI actually looks like in the day-to-day reality of event planning. From registration platforms to spreadsheets, AI is already embedded in the tools planners use. The real question is not whether to adopt it, but how to use it intentionally.Fresh off a Gold Regional Azbee Award win for Smart Start Radio, this episode leans into what matters most right now: using AI to enhance your workflow while protecting the human connection that defines great events.Start small by testing AI on one task, improving attendee data and creating more personalized follow-up content. Then step back and focus on what only you can do.

April 16, 2026Episode 378 min

Coffee Chat: Trust Happens in the Room

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?What are you really building when you plan an event?In this episode of Smart Start Radio: Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay unpacks a simple but powerful idea inspired by a Smart Meetings article Trust Happens in the Room: in industries like finance and insurance, events are not just part of the marketing mix. They are the moment where trust is built, tested and either earned or lost.As automation and AI accelerate how we communicate, the human element becomes more valuable, not less. Attendees are no longer just looking for information. They are looking for proof. And events are one of the few places where brands can show, in real time, who they actually are.From the way your team interacts with attendees to the flow of your agenda, every detail communicates something. The question is: does it build confidence or create doubt?This episode explores why smaller, more intentional moments often outperform large-scale experiences, how events can shorten long sales cycles, and why consistency matters long after the room clears.If you are planning in a high-stakes industry, this is your reminder: you are not just creating an experience. You are creating evidence.

April 9, 2026Episode 367 min

Coffee Chat: Before You Move On: Why Reflection Matters More Than You Think

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?When the event ends, most planners move straight into what’s next. Fix what broke. Prep the next timeline. Keep it moving.But what if the real opportunity is in what worked?In this Coffee Chat, Eming Piansay explores the idea of “me-o’clock,” inspired by a Smart Meetings story, and why intentional reflection is one of the most overlooked tools in event planning. Not a rushed debrief. Not a report you check off. A real pause to ask: what actually landed?Through relatable examples and simple, practical steps, this episode reframes reflection as operational wellness, a way to build smarter, stronger events over time.

April 2, 2026Episode 3530 min

Behind the Banquet: What Really Happens in Event Catering

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?Food can make an event memorable, but it can also make it memorable for the wrong reasons.In this episode of Smart Start Radio, Eming Piansay talks with Executive Chef Kaitlyn Weber of Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa about the reality of feeding hundreds of guests at meetings, conferences and weddings.They discuss menu design for large groups, handling dietary restrictions, managing last-minute changes and why planners and culinary teams need to work closely together to create the best experience for attendees.This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the timing, logistics and teamwork that go into every successful banquet. Leave us a message on our Smart Start Radio Listener Line: https://www.speakpipe.com/SmartStartRadio

March 26, 2026Episode 3421 min

How Global Attention Can Turn Into Meetings Business

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about?When a destination suddenly finds itself in the global spotlight, meeting planners start paying attention. But how does that visibility turn into real opportunities for conventions and events?In this episode of Smart Start Radio, host Eming Piansay talks with Peter Gamez, president and CEO of Visit Oakland, about how recent cultural moments, including Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, filmmaker Ryan Coogler and Grammy-winning artist Kehlani, are bringing new attention to Oakland, California, and why that matters for the meetings industry.They discuss how positive storytelling shapes perception, how curiosity from planners turns into bookings, and why destinations that lean into their culture, food scene and local experiences are creating stronger meetings and events.Leave us a message on our Smart Start Radio Listener Line: https://www.speakpipe.com/SmartStartRadio