5 Questions ..Neil Cramer AllThingsMeeting

Okay, It was 2002 and I was trying to figure out what to do ...as an Administrative Assistant there wasn't just a career path but a calling and that was to manage meetings, cater for meetings, set up meetings. I found out about an event called All Things Meetings from there I learned about hotels and the next big thing in meetings.

Neil Cramer has been a leader and an amazing resource for travel, event planning and who's who.

So, here are my 5 (five) Questions with Neil Cramer ( last time as All Things Meeting ;).

1. What in the past twenty years of doing events and managing meeting space has surprised you (pandemic included ) 

A. By now nothing human beings do surprises me, but of I had to pick one thing related to my business it would be the high percentage of self-identified meeting/event planners that register for an event and then no-show without even the courtesy of cancelling ahead of time. Over the years I have learned to factor in a 40% no-show rate… these events have expensive high-end F&B… that’s crazy.


2. Your photography is very expansive. What is the next phase for this part of your life?
A. So many people have expressed congratulations at my retirement as if all of us old people are going to spend decades enjoying ourselves. I am sure there are a lot of people who enjoy it… play golf, drive around in an RV, travel the world… but the vast majority of people are just experiencing the inexorable descent into decrepitude ending in death and everyone else is happy we are exiting the stage so they do not have to witness it. I am incredibly lucky that I have a loving family to take care of me. Many do not.
The cultural Denial of Death is a mystery to me because… well… it is a certainty. The answer to your question… my photography is my art… my means of self-expression… I cannot not do it. Somewhere in the background of my mind it I am conscious it is a way for my children to remember who I was because my pics are not just about what I saw, but what I felt. Maybe once or twice they will look at them and think, "oh yeah, he was that guy” and have a good feeling about it. I will keep taking pictures until I no longer can. That will happen sooner or later. Already I have to set my camera on a fast shutter speed to compensate for my hands shaking and I certainly can’t hike very far from the car to get that picture I used to take. Oh well. :)

3. Where are you going to travel to?
A. I am not rich and I do not want to spend what little I have because my wife will need it when I am gone. So… I don’t know. Besides, it is getting hard to walk and I have a lot of other things happening since the complex system I have recognized as me begins to dissolve. Don’t feel sorry for me… everything that has ever lived has gone through the same process. It’s annoying, but “what ya gonna do?”

4. Will you have a movie recap of AllThingsMeeting events? That would be fun.
A. No movies are planned but if one is made I assume I will be played by Liam Neeson.

5. Would you have a AllThingsMeeting event in the Metaverse? (web3 virtual world)
A. Until they invent The Holodeck (as in Star Trek), a virtual event is enormously inferior to a “live” event. It’s all about personal relationships… at least it has been… and no matter what anyone says, it’s not the same. The next generation may think it is because they have grown up with it… but it’s not. You have to look someone in the eye. Their real eye. I suppose there are some incredible technologies coming our way (assuming humans don’t destroy themselves), but there is a trade-off for everything… and unintended consequences. As much as I enjoyed having a young healthy body, in a way I am glad I will not have to go through what they will.
In closing, for years I would drop my daughters off at school and say “Remember, school is stupid, don’t let anyone push you around, and laugh as much as possible”. They turned out really well. :)

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Throwback to 2017


5 Questions for Neil Kramer of All Things Meeting

1.What was your first start in Meetings? I started in the mail room for an incentive travel company in 1977. Things happened. :)

2. How much fun do you have in finding meeting locations/venues ? Depends on the group I am helping. I feel good when I can share something with them that I know I really enjoyed myself and I also enjoy researching new destinations or some crazy activity and educating myself as I go… kind of live vicariously through my clients (and sometimes wish they would take me long).
3. Where do you see the future of meetings destination vs activity? There are so many different kinds of clients and each one has a different demographic and need. But if I had to see a trend, I think the next generation of attendees wants an interactive experience, not just being in a passive audience. That goes for both meetings AND activities.

 
4. Any advice for a new Admin in charge of meetings ? This is a cliche, but it’s all about relationships. Don’t believe web sites or marketing speak or Yelp or TripAdvisor. Get to know and trust individual salespeople (not necessarily an oxymoron), press them for details and their honest opinions, get references from experienced colleagues, and make sure you do a site inspection (if possible) before you book. If a salesperson lets you down, hold them accountable. Tell them, their bosses, and your colleagues if they ask.

5. Your photography is great, where to next on your photography journal? Thanks, appreciate the kind words. It’s my passion and if I could, I would just take photographs and nothing else. The general idea is to integrate my travel/meetings blogs with my photos… do my familiarization trips, write about them for the planners that read my blogs, and use my own photos to give a “feel” to the destination. I’ll never be able to substitute for the iconic images provided by the suppliers and will use them too, but it’s my personal pics that make the experience mine. If any of your readers have the time, I suggest going to neilcramerphotography.com and watch a slide show. It’s how I see the world (it’s an art thing :)