One night after dinner in Las Vegas this past week at the RFDC conference, I found myself walking through one of the “older” casinos stuck behind a large group of tourists who were completely lost. They were traveling in a herd, stopping suddenly, changing directions, and somehow managing to take up the entire walkway at once.
A friend I was with said, “What we need is one of those ‘follow me’ sticks that tour guides hold up.”
The joke then quickly turned into us feeling like we were on a cruise ship. Cheesy? Check. Smoky? Check. Pre-batched drinks? Check. Large groups wandering around together with absolutely no idea where they were going? Check, check, check. Once we saw it, we couldn’t unsee it.
The casino had become one giant cruise ship that just happened to be permanently docked in the middle of the desert. We were passengers attempting to find our cabin after one too many stops at the unlimited beverage package. (Kidding, we were totally responsible adults, but we were definitely lost and couldn’t find which way the Ride Pickup door was).
Thankfully, unlike on a cruise ship where the edge is quite literally the ocean, we eventually found a door and we made our way back to the Wynn, which is definitely less like a cruise ship, although it still has its moments of glitter, smoke, and cheese.
Now, I realize I am throwing a lot of shade here (as the kids say) toward cruises. But truth be told, I actually enjoy a good cruise.
I’ve been privileged to see so much of the world from a cruise ship (Cruises are not just for the Caribbean). Definitely don’t sleep on the European cruises. You can visit someplace like Estonia for eight hours, a country you might never plan an entire vacation around, but one you’ll be happy you experienced. Or, at the very least, happy to be able to casually mention in an article years later.
Okay, Julie. You found Vegas to be like a cruise ship, which you’re kind of making fun of, but you also like cruises. What’s your point here?
Want to know what cruises excel at? Structure. Hospitality. Organization. Three things that become very important when you put thousands of people in one place and tell them to have a good time.
On a cruise, someone has already figured out where you’re eating, what time the show starts, how you’re getting off the ship, and, more importantly, how you’re getting back on. There’s a schedule. There are signs. There are people whose entire job is to answer questions that have probably already been answered on the schedule and the signs. And thank goodness for those people.
Because being an adult who makes decisions all day doesn’t mean I want to make them on vacation. Sometimes (by that I wish all times) I want someone to tell me where dinner is, what time I need to be there, and where I can get a drink along the way.
Which…wait for it… doesn’t that sound a lot like a conference. (Ding, ding, ding, and she finally makes her point – took a while today, huh).
Think about it….We’re all staying in the same place. There are planned activities, scheduled meals, entertainment, and a fairly steady flow of beverages. Thank you, sponsors.
We have our designated groups, our familiar faces, and the people we keep running into who. Instead of a shore excursion, we have a networking dinner. Instead of a cabin key hanging around our necks, we have a conference badge. And instead of asking, “What port are we in today?” we’re asking, “What ballroom is the panel in?” And yes, someone is always asking what time we need to be downstairs.
Conferences, like cruises, are contained experiences. For a few days, we eat, drink, meet, learn, and entertain ourselves within the same few walls. Sometimes we leave the property, but even then, we tend to travel together. There are agendas to follow, people to meet, and places we’re supposed to be. While we joked around, that the “follow me” stick seems like a good idea now.
I spend a lot of my professional life helping create these experiences. Getting the right people into the room. Giving them a reason to be there. Thinking through what happens when they arrive, whom they’ll meet, what they’ll eat, what they’ll drink, and what will make them want to stay.
And when it’s done well, the guests don’t notice most of it.
Let’s have a moment for the planning that happens behind the scenes.
That casual dinner where everyone seemed to click? Someone thought about that seating chart. (And yes, I’ve shared before that of ALL the prep that goes into conference, seating charts at dinners is the MOST stressful thing I do).
The party you walked into and immediately felt welcome? Someone made sure there was a person at the door. (And this week, it was me. I told myself I’d never work the door again, but sometimes things happen and you work the door. A job this week that made me some new friends, and perhaps lost me some old friends.)
The drink that appeared before you had time to wonder where the bar was? Someone planned for that too. Again, thank you, sponsors.
When those details are handled, people can relax. They stop checking their phones for instructions and start talking to the person next to them. It’s time to linger, laugh and dance. And then, hopefully make plans to see one another again. That’s what I love about entertaining and being entertained.
That’s also why I can make fun of a cruise and still happily book one. I can appreciate the hospitality while questioning the carpeting. Both things can be true. (IYKYK).
So back to the beginning, we eventually found our way out of that casino and back to the Wynn. And while Vegas had plenty of cruise ship similarities, there is ONE thing missing that would have really improved the experience. The 24-hour soft serve machine.
All those slot machines, and not one that dispenses a twist cone?!?! Now THAT would have been worth following someone with a stick for 😊
