Lead Dog Meeting & Event Management

A great retreat awakens a sense of wonder and awe.

For us, traveling to Ireland in May meant discovering wildflowers in many unexpected places.

These tiny, delicate flowers showed grit and determination, thriving in even seemingly inhospitable environments.

*Retreat Post 8 of 10*

Tea-time provided space for reflection as well as refreshment. As big tea fans, our leadersip took full advantage of this!

Muckross Park Hotel we reflected on:

*the joy of the current moment
*the challenges and successes of the post-pandemic years
*finally making this retreat happen
*the feeling of rejuvenation

Taking time to consider and appreciate both the past and the present moment left us feeling ready for the exciting new opportunities on the horizon for Lead Dog.

*Retreat Post 7 of 10*

*Retreat Post 5 of 10*

Our excursion to the wilds and winds of Connemara National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Chonamara brought joy – and ruddy cheeks!

Unexpected moments came in many forms:
• exhilaration and joy derived from hiking in the windy mountains
• learning more about boglands and the environmental concern about their significant diminishment
• a delicious break for tea and scones! Check out these single-use bamboo boats for the jam and clotted cream – a great sustainability item. No plastic in sight.
• exploring Kylemore Abbey

*Retreat Post 4 of 10*

After a few days in Dublin learning about the history of Irish Emigration at the well-designed and informative EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and exploring the wonders of the Book of Kells at The Book of Kells Experience Trinity College Dublin , we explored the lovely Cabra Castle , a quintessentially Irish castle hotel. The castle provides lovely grounds for a walking in the woods, two parlors for gathering or simply reading, and several beautiful spaces for celebratory events.

Because we are ultimately in the business of providing unforgettable experiences for our clients, even while on retreat we often viewed our own experiences through that lens. All of the above locations and excursions would be great as part of a curated incentive trip to Ireland.

After an incredibly busy and fulfilling two years spent rebuilding and growing our business after the near shut-down during the pandemic, our leadership took some time to refresh, rejuvenate, and get ready for our next phase.

Making this happen required a lot of advance planning. We carefully scheduled meetings and workflow to ensure our clients would be well-served while we stepped away and disconnected as much as possible.

Then we boarded a plane to Ireland for nearly two weeks!

*Retreat Post 2 of 10*

Recently, Lead Dog Meeting & Event Management decided to practice what we preach.

We often speak about the business (and personal) benefits of stepping out of the day-to-day to refresh and restore via a retreat.

So, in a move that is unusual for us (as we typically spend our time working to exceed the expectations of our clients), we headed out for a two-week retreat!

Here’s a blog we wrote about retreat elements towards the end of the pandemic – this advice still rings true today and guided us in planning our own retreat!

*Retreat Post 1 of 10*
https://zurl.co/liqp

Retreats – How to Energize Your Team — Lead Dog Meeting & Event Management “It feels like we have lived a century in the past year,” writes historian Heather Cox Richardson in a recent Facebook post. This spot-on analysis rings true for us! We are planning a company retreat to rest, reconnect and re-imagine the future, and hope you will, too! A retreat can be the magic...

We are proud to support Living Beyond Breast Cancer ’s Thriving Together: 2024 Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer!

Join us this April in Philadelphia for a weekend of inspiration, information, and connection. Learn more and register: https://zurl.co/zfBp

Spring brings to mind deep cleaning.

This does not always mean getting rid of things.

Spring is a great time to reconsider, reinvent, refresh, and rejuvenate.

Meetings and events are no exception.

Do you have events that are getting the same-old, same-old treatment, when they really need a refresh?

Please join me in supporting the amazing work of Synapse TBI Retreats. Despite her own TBI, my hero and dear friend, Becky, works to provide powerful retreats for other adult TBI Survivors. The retreats create opportunities for respite, empowerment, making social connections, and personal growth. These retreats truly make a difference - at a very low-cost to the attendees.

Double Good popcorn is a fun and delicious way to show your support. Here's the link to support: https://s.dgpopup.com/g155ejc8

To learn more about Synapse TBI Retreats: https://synapsetbiretreats.org/

Please feel free to share!

Why Support Women-Owned Businesses - Reason #3

Consumers value companies who demonstrate a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility and supplier diversity. Companies who actively work to increase diversity of suppliers, ideas, talent and customers are more likely to thrive in today's marketplace.

Curious about other reasons? https://lnkd.in/ebva9Xr

It's National Scrabble Day! We love to figure out how to make the pieces fit and provide the highest points (value).

Learn more at https://zcu.io/LzaQ.

Tell us what word best describes you!

Is your staff struggling to plan your next meeting?

While some aspects of preparing for a meeting may be best done by your internal team - think content development, invitation list development, and corporate communications - a meeting management company can take many other responsibilities off your hands.

Items such as contracting, event design, venue liaison, developing detailed program specifications, coordination and negotiation with vendors, registration and data management and AV needs are all time consuming and require expert knowledge to do well.

Having Lead Dog managing these items allows your internal staff to save time, money and to focus on their core competencies.

Contact us to learn more - 610 690-5184 or [email protected]

https://zcu.io/4gcE

Consider including a volunteer opportunity or component in your next meeting, conference or special event.

Giving of yourself, your knowledge or your resources in a way that works for you now will have a cumulative effect, making an impact larger than you can know.

It's here - the day we celebrate the meetings industry.

This industry has been through the wringer in the last few years, but has shown great resilience and emerged strong.

Given the statistic below, meetings continue to be important for business.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you curioius about how it is celebrated in Ireland and around the globe?

https://zurl.co/fW3S

St Patrick’s Day as it happened: Catch up on all the events from at home and abroad Taoiseach holds talks with Biden, promising to ‘roll out the red carpet’ for next month’s presidential visit

For today's Women-Owned Wednesday, we are celebrating Truly Good Foods whose delicious and nutritioius snack packs were featured on our group's breaks last week at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando.

Spotting the Women Owned logo on products makes supporting women-owned businesses easy.

If you look when shopping, you'll find it on all sorts of products!

What is the meetings connection to Pi Day, you ask? There is none! 😊

We just could not pass up celebrating such a sweet and nerdy holiday!

Are you a sweet or savory fan?

More than three quarters of small business owners (77%) say in-person meetings yield a healthy return on investment (ROI). Among those who specialize in technology, that number is noticeably higher, at 95 percent.

Let's talk about your next meeting. To schedule your 30-minute free consultation, email [email protected] or call 610 690-5184.

If you are thinking of hosting a meeting in the summer or fall, now is the time to get started planning! Unsure how to begin? Wonder what is different in planning in person events now vs. a year ago?

To find out how we can help you, visit us at
www.LeadDogOnline.com or call 610 690-5184.

In honor of International Women's Day, for this week's Women Owned Wednesday, we want to hear from you! Tell us about a woman business owner who inspires you.

We are always interested in trying new products and services. Let's work together to Unleash the Potential of women-owned businesses.

Here's a view of our early morning Portofino Bay Resort . Our team is heading to the meeting space to ace all of the details for our client and their attendees. Enjoying the anticipation of the great day ahead!

Coming Soon... Global Meetings Industry Day.

Meetings are good for the economy - on many levels.

When planning an event, don't fall into the trap of focusing on the details first! The WHY and WHAT must be determined first and must be taken into consideration throughout planning. Only after a meeting or event's goals are clearly defined should you move on to the logistical details.

To learn more about applying this philosophy to virtual events, read https://zcu.io/ypod

Sometimes the best thing about being on-site with a meeting or event is the new friends you make! This guy is one in a million!

Who knows where he lives?

New staff member, maybe?

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

Audiovisual equipment and labor costs can add up quickly. Pro tip: Dive as deeply as you can into the proposed agenda. Identifying specific needs such as the number of microphones needed for a speaker panel, roving Q&A mics, lighting and sound requirements will help increase accuracy at the outset. www.leaddogonline.com/blog/nine-pitfalls-to-avoid-in-meeting-and-event-budgeting