Comfy with the Rut

Close-up of a muddy tire stuck in wet ground, surrounded by grass.

I was recently at an event for meeting planners and suppliers. One of the industry’s thought leaders made a comment I’m not sure he even was aware of, but it made me think about some of the events my clients are requesting. Some organizations get comfortable with the rut. They are so used to doing an event the same way for so long that it’s on autopilot: a certain number of general sessions, breakout sessions, meal breaks, and networking socials. Then, rinse and repeat. Every year the same. Nobody wants to rock the boat.

Anyone who even tries to move the event out of the rut faces opposition. “We’ve always done it this way.” is one of my favorite sayings. Not. An organization that is so stagnant that it’s comfortable in the rut is one that has an expiration date. If new people aren’t getting involved because the content is no longer relevant, registration is still done on paper, and the youngest attendee is on Medicare, there’s no way it has any longevity.

Eventually, attendees get tired of the rut. Planners get tired of the rut. And, if there is anyone with half a brain at the helm, the organization’s leadership gets tired of the rut. One day, someone has to find a step ladder, climb out of the rut, and realize there’s a different way of doing things.

Planners, this one’s for you. Often, we are in the best position to make suggestions to a host organization as to how their event can be improved. Listen to their goals and objectives and evaluate if what they’re asking you to plan still hits the target. For a planner to do this well, you have to stay connected to the industry; a source of news and innovations for your planning repertoire. Become a member of a meeting professional’s association or attend industry events. Talk with other meeting professionals who are planning events similar to yours, or whose events are where you think yours should be (for more, see my blog Community over Competition).

If, as the meeting professional, you start to feel your client is in a rut, then guaranteed, the next ones to fall in will be the attendees. Being able to recognize what a rut looks or feels like will help you advise your client smartly. Be confident making recommendations that are fresh and innovative, fit within their budget, and meet their goals and objectives. You may face opposition at the beginning, but since when have we meeting professionals ever retreated at the first sign of that?

Timing is everything, however. You can only be successful in suggesting changes when done at the appropriate time in the planning process. If you recognize a rut the week before the event, you’ve already passed the point of no return. Danger! Do not approach!

So if you are working with a client and things seem to be going “too easy,” it might be because you’ve done the same thing so often before you’ve worn a rut. Be sure to stay alert and question the status quo. Your clients will thank you in the long run when their events continue to meet the needs of their attendees and their organizations continue to flourish.

Do you have a way to recognize a rut? Share it here or send me an email!

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Murder, Merlot, and Mayhem

Silhouette of a detective holding a magnifying glass, standing in a doorway with contrasting light and shadow.

There are very few dinner theater venues functioning anymore. It’s not like years gone by where people would dress up, hire a babysitter, and head out for a night of live entertainment and a meal. Now it’s dinner THEN the theater, or an orchestra concert, or a walk around IKEA. My husband and I went to a dinner party with some friends where we anticipated food and games as that was the MO for this group, however, one evening we found ourselves solving a murder mystery.

One of my favorite books for years during my college days was Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” also known as “Ten Little Indians.” I read it over and over, and these days, I can occasionally find a black-and-white movie version with the same title and formerly famous actors on different streaming services. Alfred Hitchcock movies and Jeffery Deaver novels also capture my attention for hours. I love the who-done-it. I love trying to figure out which character commits the crime, and how, before anyone else. Even though I read the books and see the movies multiple times, I still enjoy a good fake murder mystery.

When we arrived at our friend’s home this evening, we were surprised to find that we had been assigned a character, persona, and back story that all integrated into the theme for the evening. There were specific foods selected, particular music playing, and clues hidden for us to find. For certain, one of us was going to commit a murder in the next couple of hours. Not even the murderer knew this when they woke up this morning. Sadly, one or more of us were going to find ourselves victims of fanciful crimes.

There are boxed games, online websites with digital downloads, and organizations all devoted to helping a host create the ideal murder mystery experience to entertain their guests. There are even recommended costumes if you really want to go all-in. After reviewing several websites and relying on my event planning expertise, I came up with a few tips for planning a successful in-home murder.

Know your audience. This is key for any successful event. If you are hosting a group of introverts, this type of event will be the worst evening of their lives. Asking a group of people who generally like to be wallflowers to now be the center of attention, intentionally mingle with and speak to (potentially) strangers, and perhaps don a hat or feather boa, could scar them for the foreseeable future. And, it will guarantee they will never return for dinner again.

Keep the game moving. As the host, understand the game and be prepared to keep the action going. Games provide clues for guests to find throughout the evening. If you’ve made one too hard to find, perhaps you might accidentally “trip” over and expose it. If the play gets stagnant, people may start to drift from the game and talk about work, or their upcoming vacation, or how lame the game is, and you’ll quickly see the first couple say goodnight.

Serve portable foods. If the game requires your guests to get up from the table to mingle with each other or move about your home, be sure that the food can move with them. Heavy appetizers or meals cut into carrying portions will be appreciated by your guests more so than than a spaghetti dinner. I’ve even seen plates with a cut-out to hold a drink so someone can carry both their meal and their beverage in one hand while freeing up their other one to eat or talk with, or in this case, play the game.

Have fun. Don’t take the game so seriously that nobody is enjoying themselves. It is a game after all. Things may go awry, people may try to cheat, or someone may make the wrong accusation before the night is up. Laugh it off, call them out, and keep going. Be sure that the murder mystery fits the timeframe you told your guests they’d be at your house so they’re not wondering if they’re going to end up paying the babysitter time-and-a-half for staying over. Nothing ruins the fun like paying the sitter your salary for the week.

The next time it’s your turn to host the regular Friday night gathering of friends, consider a murder mystery event. My guess is nobody will see it coming, including the murderer themselves.

Have you hosted a murder mystery event? What is one thing you recommend? Share it here or send me an email!

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Need event ideas? Visit tracybaer.com to schedule a consultation.

The Sky Showdown

A vibrant drone light display forming the shape of a butterfly, with colorful LED lights illuminating the dark sky above an urban skyline.

I think fireworks are cool. I love the sparkle and pizzazz of the bright shimmery showers of light against the dark sky. I especially love the ones that look like glitter sprinkling down on the celebration as if a life-sized Tinkerbell waved her wand and showered us with pixie dust. However, these days there’s a new sheriff in town. The drone show. Have you seen these? They’ve opened for the Olympics, been part of the Superbowl half-time show, celebrated historical moments in time, highlighted holidays, and even participated in celebrity gender reveals.

The mere thought of these entertainment marvels just a few years ago was the dream of sci-fi movies. Tiny radio-controlled bots in the sky which moved in sync with each other to music to create images and icons across the sky was absurd. Yet, here we are in 2025 with drone shows making an appearance at even Milwaukee Wisconsin’s Summerfest. Who woulda thunk?

According to Grizzly Drones, innovations in drone design, battery life, and flight control systems, coupled with advances in drone flight software, are what has made more sophisticated drone shows possible. There are even statistics in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of drones used in a single show. Grizzly Drones did their first ever drone light show in downtown Los Angeles in 2023 for 4th of July.1

So, are drone light shows edging out fireworks shows? If you ask Verge Aero, the answer is no. They’re like peanut butter and jelly. The precision of drones allows the designers to choreograph stunning visuals and tell stories that evoke emotions, while being eco-friendly and quieter than fireworks. Fireworks use explosive chemistry to produce vibrant colors and dramatic effects. They also produce the satisfying “boom” that audiences crave. However, they can fall victim to wind and humidity, and generate smoke which can disturb wildlife and pets. Fireworks and drones can work well together to create a fantastic show, and to confuse matters even more, there are now pyro drones – drones that carry fireworks.2

There are several benefits to using drones for a show over fireworks. Drones can be used in areas with a high fire risk or who have burn bans, like California. They can also be used in places with noise ordinances that a permit can’t overcome. If the event you are planning is doing their best to be eco-friendly and has a Sustainability Plan, drones are the way to go. They are electric-powered, produce fewer emissions, and have no physical waste product.2

If you are looking for a way to monetize a drone light show to add to your event, package it in a sponsorship. These zippy little things can be programmed to create just about any 2D or 3D shape desired like an organization’s logo or product. Talk about a great way to get your drone show paid for!

I haven’t had the opportunity to plan an event that incorporated a drone show, but the more I see them, the more I really want to. Seeing the look on the faces of attendees when they spy certain logos, products, figures, or even themselves in the lighted wonders would be priceless.

Have you had the opportunity to plan a drone show yet? Share a tidbit here with the rest of us or send me an email about your experience.

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1.Grizzly Entertainment. Drone Light Shows – History and Evolution. April 15, 2024. https://grizzlyglobal.net/drone-light-shows/drone-light-shows-history-and-evolution/
2.Verge Aero. Drones replacing fireworks? The future of aerial entertainment. 2025. https://www.verge.aero/news/drones-replacing-fireworks

Point Of No Return

A weathered wooden sign reading 'USE EXTREME CAUTION PAST THIS POINT' on a rocky mountain landscape.

Seasoned event planners can identify this pivotal moment in time. We can because we’ve bumped into it enough to know how painful and unnecessary it is when we’ve done our due diligence to ask the questions and schedule the conversations, implement timelines, processes, and procedures, and check, double-check, and triple-check the checklists we’ve developed over years and years of professional event planning. It’s the point of no return. There is actually a point in time where you absolutely must stop planning and move into the execution phase of a project. Without adhering to this date, you are simply setting up the event, and the planner, for failure.

There are so many implications to the event, the planner, and the host organization when changes are instituted after the point of no return. The goals and objectives of the event get overlooked. Budgets get blown. Schedules fly out the window. Communication gets messy. Undue stress is placed on the planner and vendors to hit a moving target. Crystal balls and mind-reading become a planner’s most reliable tools. And the ability for a planner and their team to successfully meet the expectations of stakeholders dwindles with every passing new thought.

Planners want every event to be a wild success. It’s our passion. We have captured the client’s vision and laid out a detailed plan to keep everyone on track on their behalf. We have spent hundreds of hours sitting in meetings, sending and answering emails, combing through details, reviewing contracts, procuring resources, and engaging volunteers. We’ve sent updates to stakeholders, performed risk assessments, made purchases, and stored event supplies in every nook and cranny we can find. The client’s “just one more thing…” has a ripple effect that can unravel months of work and change the trajectory of the plan entirely, in one single sentence.

When the planner says they can’t make a change this late in the process, they’re acting as the professional you hired them to be. They are protecting you from yourself. Also, changes past the point of no return deteriorate their credibility and trustworthiness with others. Vendors, venues, and volunteers won’t want to work with this planner if they feel there will constantly be last-minute changes on the horizon, especially ones that alter the program completely.

Hopefully, you’ve hired a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). There are only 12,000 in the world. This person has studied and tested and proven themselves in the industry. If you’ve reviewed their resume, trust their experience, and are confident in their skills, why push them over the line? Stop moving the target.

Do you have a story of going past the point of no return? Email me,
I’d be interested to hear how you handled it!

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Escaping Traditional Board Meetings

A close-up image of vintage keys placed alongside a decorative tag that reads 'Can you escape?', set against a textured dark background.

I was asked to plan an activity for a group of people as a break from their grueling two-day corporate meeting. They were in a conference center and had access to a couple other rooms, however we couldn’t leave the facility because of time constraints. My contact provided me with a list of activities the group had done previously; including which ones they liked and which ones they didn’t. We talked a bit about the type of attendees that would be present, what the goal of the break was, how much the organization had in it’s budget, and what else should be included in the experience besides the activity like F&B and decor.

I researched some options and came up with tabletop escape rooms. I found a particular brand of boxed rooms that seemed to be challenging, included some props, and had different themed rooms so not everyone would have the exact same experience. I purchased the games and tried to “escape” from the rooms myself. I consider myself to be pretty good at problem-solving, puzzles, and trouble-shooting, so I thought if I could get through these rooms and be entertained myself, they might be suitable for this corporate group.

I was surprised to find that these rooms were hard! They had cards and maps and hidden clues printed on things. I had to use the box, poke holes in things to view other things, line up doo-dahs just right, and more. Each room was unique and entertaining and engaging. I couldn’t wait to pass the current test to see what was next. I honestly didn’t mind that these were boxed games. They were challenging and I had a blast.

So, I planned an escape room event for a team of corporate executives. They were hesitant at first as I anticipated, but as they broke up into groups, delved into their rooms, and saw the fun in the challenges, it was game on. People can be very competitive, especially with coworkers. It was amusing to watch the lightbulbs go on as the attendees realized they needed to tear the corner off of a card here, find a clue on the box there, and stack things just right to find their next clue.

To encourage engagement, the organization offered prizes for participation such as: “First Team to Escape their Room,” “Team that Worked Best Together,” and “Person Who Had the Most Right Answers on their Team,” to name a few. We coordinated food and beverages that were different than they had during their regular meetings and rearranged the spaces we had available to us. This helped the group feel like they were truly having a different experience within their corporate meeting, therefore allowing their minds and focus to drift from work to play.

The benefits of this type of extended break with different stimulation, environment, F&B, music, attendee groupings, and more is multi-faceted. One is that you can mix up the attendees so they’re paired with people they may not normally interact with; those from other departments, with different personalities, or from varied generations. A game like this is safe for introverts and extroverts alike. Just about everyone can participate in some way.

Another benefit is a change in how they are using their brain. This type of shift shakes attendees from their “meeting stupor” and allows creative juices to take over. Ideally these will carry into the following meeting sessions allowing for diverse conversations and more effective outcomes. Plus, as the manager of the group, you can watch how people interact with each other; who takes charge, who is a follower, and who is disinterested. These can be indicators of the future of someone’s longevity with your organization.

After everyone was recovered from their escape room and it was determined that no person was left behind, it was back to the white board and the meeting carried on. If I was asked to do another team-building-type of event, I would definitely consider these boxed escape rooms again.

Have you tried a tabletop game for a group and liked it? Leave it here in the comments or shoot me an email!

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Thames & Kosmos. EXIT: The Game