Beyond the Ballroom: How to Plan Authentic Corporate Events
August 26, 2025
Tired of business trips that feel like a copy-paste of the same sterile ballroom and conference room? How do you transform a mandatory work trip into a memorable, culturally-rich experience? In this episode, we tackle the secret to planning truly authentic corporate events that leave a lasting impact on attendees. We sit down with a master of the craft, Renee Jacobs, the Chief Operating Officer of MGME (McVeigh Global Meetings and Events), to uncover how professionals can escape the corporate bubble and genuinely connect with a destination.
Join us as Renee Jacobs pulls back the curtain on the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry. She shares a wealth of corporate event planning ideas that go far beyond the typical agenda. We explore the powerful shift in MICE industry trends toward creating genuine "sense of place" activities, from sourcing local food for a surprise culinary competition to organizing city-wide "dine-arounds" for groups of up to a thousand people. Renee reveals how selecting unique corporate event venues—like historic castles in Ireland, the iconic Raffles Hotel in Singapore, or the Alvear Palace in Buenos Aires—is the critical first step in setting the stage for an immersive experience.
The conversation also delves into the growing importance of integrating corporate social responsibility activities into the itinerary. Renee explains how CSR initiatives, such as local beach cleanups, tree planting, or bringing supplies to a local school, can be powerfully grounding experiences that connect attendees to the community in a meaningful way, even on a tight schedule. From fishing for piranhas in the Amazon to multi-million dollar gala dinners at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, Renee shares unforgettable stories and practical strategies that prove business travel doesn't have to be boring. This episode is packed with inspiration for creating your own authentic corporate events.
Podcast Preview: Global Events and Philanthropy
Mike Putman: So what's the most lavish event that you've done? You don't necessarily have to disclose who the company was that you're doing it for, although you can if you like.
Renee Jacobs: WorldTek was very association-driven events, again in the commercial realm where we were doing large trade shows and exhibitions for clients all over the globe.
Mike Putman: Taking it in a different direction, what about the charitable component or voluntourism? Do you get those requests from your corporate clients?
Welcome to No Tourists Allowed
Mike Putman: Hello everyone. I'm Mike Putman.
James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, in the middle of a beautiful summer. How are you, Mike?
Mike Putman: I'm great, but it is a hot summer. I think everyone in the world, at least in the US and Europe can agree, it is toasty.
James Ferrara: Yes, sir. Well, we had a cold rainy spring here in the Northeast of the United States, so I'm welcoming it. I like a little heat.
The Princess Cruises Alaska Giveaway
James Ferrara: Speaking of heat, we have a hot guest idea, something new and different coming up in just a minutes. But before we get to that, I think we should touch base on our big luxury cruise for two giveaway.
Mike Putman: Absolutely. If you have not registered yet, please go to our website, notouristsallowed.com. You'll find a way to register for this fantastic holiday that we're giving away.
Mike Putman: It's for two people in a luxurious balcony cabin for a cruise to Alaska, which is one of the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring trips that I've ever been on. I think our lucky winners will certainly agree with that.
James Ferrara: This is on Princess Cruises, who really is one of the cruise lines that founded the whole Alaska cruise market. It will be a top-notch experience in one of the great locations in the world—the Great Land, they call it.
James Ferrara: It is just an absolutely stunning week through the Inside Passage, visiting Ketchikan and Juneau, the great ports in Alaska. It is a lifetime experience. We want you to win it, and you should be telling your friends and family about it too.
Mike Putman: Please let them come get a chance to win. Go to notouristsallowed.com and click on the offer on the cruise giveaway. You'll have several different ways you can get your name entered, just by signing up for our newsletter or doing a number of other things.
Mike Putman: You can get your name entered multiple times. The more times you enter, the better your chances are of winning.
James Ferrara: Exactly. We'd love to be able to give that away to you. That giveaway will conclude at the end of our season. Speaking of season, this is the time of travel.
Summer Vacation and Podcast Hiatus
Mike Putman: I am getting ready to depart for a bit to go to cooler climates. I'm going to be spending some time in Scotland over the coming weeks. We will be without a podcast, so please listen to some old ones that you might not have heard while we're away on holiday.
Mike Putman: It is time for a brief respite and for me to get out of the heat. You like the heat, James, but in the South, the heat becomes a burden after sixty days. I want everyone to be safe.
James Ferrara: Of course, you don't have to suffer through the winter like up in New York. It's the memory of winter that keeps me going through the summer. We'll miss you for a couple of weeks, but we'll be back soon with more great guests and discussions about everything to do with travel.
Introducing Guest Renee Jacobs
James Ferrara: We are focused on traveling better, more memorably, and in a more authentic way. All the things we endeavor to help you with. Speaking of which, we do have a special guest coming up in just a minute, Renee Jacobs.
Mike Putman: She is the Chief Operating Officer of MGME, which is a company that handles meetings and incentives. She is a wonderful person James and I have known for a while and an expert in the industry.
Mike Putman: She is at the top of her game with one of the leading companies that does this type of work in the world. We are really privileged to have her today for a special discussion about what that has to do with the kind of travel we talk about here at No Tourists Allowed.
James Ferrara: Well, Mike, now we have a very special guest, a good friend, Renee Jacobs, who is the Chief Operating Officer of MGME. We're going to find out more about that company, more about Renee, and more about these initials that come after her name: HMCC. I'm going to find out what that means too.
Mike Putman: Exactly. And we're just so pleased to have you with us, Renee. Thanks for joining No Tourists Allowed.
Renee Jacobs: Thank you, James. Thank you, Mike.
The MICE Industry and Renee's Career Path
Renee Jacobs: Correct.
James Ferrara: Oh my goodness, MICE. We're going to talk about the cheese in a second, but first, we want to talk about you because you're a big cheese in the MICE space. You're a recognized leader in this space and a professional.
James Ferrara: We want to get to know you a little bit. Mike is an expert at getting to know our guests. Renee, tell us a little bit about your background, what got you to MGME, and what you currently do.
Renee Jacobs: Sure thing. I've been very passionate about travel and tourism since a very young age. I actually got introduced through a high school work program to be the assistant to the president of an event planning company.
Renee Jacobs: I thought, how cool! This is a company that just plans events and parties and gets to travel around the world. I loved it and never looked back.
Renee Jacobs: I started working at a company called the Compass Group, which was a small independent agency in New Jersey that focused a lot on life science events. I got to learn the nuts and bolts of the industry there for seven years while going to school and getting my degree in Commercial Recreation and Tourism at Montclair State University.
Renee Jacobs: Once I got my degree, I decided to move on and focus internally with a company called the Journal of Commerce. I planned their large commercial events—meaning events that are sponsorship, exhibition, and registration revenue-driven.
Renee Jacobs: I was responsible for helping them grow their international market, which was exciting. I was there for nine years and brought events to places like Shenzhen, China and Antwerp, Belgium. These were new, exciting destinations for me in my twenties. I helped grow those events and expand them into regions like Asia and Europe.
Renee Jacobs: Then I went to WorldTek. WorldTek was very association-driven events, again in the commercial realm where we were doing large trade shows and exhibitions for clients all over the globe. I also worked on some smaller incentives and corporate events.
Renee Jacobs: WorldTek was merged and then acquired with MGME, McVeigh Global Meetings and Events, in 2018, which I've called home since. I have worked my way up from Executive Vice President.
The Scale and Sectors of MGME Operations
Mike Putman: You've had a great journey. What a fun and challenging industry to work in. To give people a sense of the scale, MGME has very big, well-known clients and does everything from small advisory board meetings to huge events with thousands of attendees.
Renee Jacobs: That's exactly right. We break it out into three sectors essentially. Our life science events are made up of internal and external medical and pharmaceutical events for our clients.
Renee Jacobs: As you said, James, there are a lot of advisory boards and speaker programs, but also incentive events where they're rewarding their top salespeople at pharmaceutical companies.
Renee Jacobs: Then we've got our corporate clients, our Fortune 500 clients, where we're doing large national sales meetings and user groups. Then we've got our commercial division, which is where we have our association, nonprofit, and other clients that are really driven by commerce.
Mike Putman: Are these events always done where the attendees travel, or are some of these near a corporate headquarter where people live in close proximity?
Renee Jacobs: The majority of our events involve people traveling. I'd say ninety-five percent of them are destination events that move around. A lot of times, they might be annual or biannual events going to different destinations.
Renee Jacobs: It's our job to source and find the right venue for those groups. For the most part, these are events people are traveling to. There might be some local attendees, but most people are getting on planes or trains.
Memorable International Events and Experiences
James Ferrara: Our loyal listeners are probably asking themselves why we are talking to a meeting and events professional at No Tourists Allowed. There's actually an important point here to be made.
James Ferrara: But before we do that, I want to ask the question everyone's thinking. What's the biggest event you've ever done? What's the most elaborate part of an event you've ever done? People are thinking about what these big parties and challenges are like.
Renee Jacobs: I've had such an array of experience in many destinations that this is always a tough question. I don't even know where to start, so I try to break it down regionally.
Renee Jacobs: We've done amazing events in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands rooftop pool. It was fabulous for about a thousand attendees. They closed down the whole pool deck for us to throw a reception during Formula One.
Renee Jacobs: It was exciting for people to look down and see the track. It was a super cool experience, so that one definitely stands out.
Renee Jacobs: We've done a ton of events in Europe at special venues, like castles in Budapest or wineries in Spain. Those always stuck with me because you're taking the groups outside of the venues where they are sometimes stuck for days. You let them really experience what that destination is about, making it more of a bleisure trip.
Renee Jacobs: Then we've done some really cool things that are on my bucket list with groups, like fishing for piranha in the Amazon.
James Ferrara: It's good it wasn't the other way around.
Renee Jacobs: No, but talk about exciting! And then getting to eat it afterward—you don't forget that. We brought a group diving in South Korea off Jeju Island, catching fish and being able to eat it as sashimi on the boat.
Renee Jacobs: It's not necessarily the size of the group that stands out; it's those special moments that make you feel more like a traveler versus being on a business trip. We always try to combine that with our groups, no matter the size. We do fireworks and drone shows and all that fun stuff.
Achieving Authenticity in Business Travel
James Ferrara: The sixty-four thousand dollar question here—since we're on No Tourists Allowed and our ethos is about people traveling in a more authentic and memorable way—is how can attendees travel to these conferences and meetings and get an authentic sense of place?
James Ferrara: Nobody wants to travel to someplace incredibly beautiful like Spain and spend the trip in a conference room or a ballroom. How do you, as a creative meeting planner, help them really feel where they are and have a more authentic travel experience even when they're doing business?
Renee Jacobs: Many ways, but I'll start with what I think is the most obvious, and that is choosing the venue. We get to source these programs for our clients, so we get to guide them.
Renee Jacobs: When so many of your attendees and delegates are spending the majority of time at the venue, you really want to bring them somewhere that lets them know where they are.
Renee Jacobs: Consider the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, or the Fairmont hotels in Canada that make you feel like you're in that destination, like Banff or Quebec City. There are the Tivoli Hotels in Europe, or the Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires—it's a palace.
Renee Jacobs: You've got castles in Ireland or places like St. Andrews Old Course Hotel. Even here in the US, you can pick destinations that really make you feel like you are in San Diego. The Hotel del Coronado is one I always push for because you just feel like you're in San Diego.
Renee Jacobs: Starting with the venue is important because not everyone gets a lot of free time on business trips. Being able to experience something when they wake up in a space that is tied to the location is important.
Renee Jacobs: To take that a step further, you can find amazing ballrooms that have been renovated in old venues. Hiltons are really good at this in Europe. The Hilton in Antwerp used to be an old bazaar shopping mall, and the ballroom is spectacular.
Renee Jacobs: The Hilton Budapest in Hungary is in the Castle District and is magnificent. There are a lot of hotels that have been able to incorporate the local flair and history in the meeting space.
James Ferrara: Some history. Yeah.
Regional Cuisine and Unique Dining Concepts
Renee Jacobs: Finding that venue is obvious, but if you're not going to get out a lot, it's just nice to start with that. The other one is cuisine. It is critical for us as event planners to feed our attendees cuisine they want to eat because of where they are.
Renee Jacobs: Regional food makes them feel like they can't get that at home. There are so many foodie experiences that you can have at meetings and events, not just in the hotel, but offsite.
Renee Jacobs: We've done amazing things like creating food markets in Bangkok, or using the pool at a hotel to make a floating market. We've visited a local fish market in Peru to make ceviche, did sushi making in Tokyo, or a truffle class in Tuscany.
Renee Jacobs: Even if you're at the hotel, you can try to do that. You're also sourcing local food, which is really important to a lot of our clients.
Mike Putman: When we were in Santa Fe, not only did we stay at a really cool property, but we did a salsa-making competition with a chef from the hotel and Southwest ingredients from their kitchen garden.
Mike Putman: We even did a dine-around, which you can do with even mid-size events. You can use a bunch of restaurants in the local area and break your group up into tables of eight or ten at ten different restaurants. In Santa Fe, that worked out beautifully because it's known for great restaurants.
Renee Jacobs: We do a lot of dine-arounds for groups as large as a thousand. Depending on the city or destination, you're able to find a lot of great options. Everyone feels like they've been chosen for a great restaurant. I don't think people realize that you can do things like that, even with a large group, and really visit that location.
Mike Putman: Absolutely. That's one of the reasons it's important when you're doing these types of events to bring on a professional. Someone that has the experience of the destination knows what to do, how much to put on the attendees' plates, and how much free time they need. Individuals are not going to know that.
Renee Jacobs: Absolutely. This is definitely a science and an art.
Local Vendors and Cultural Entertainment
James Ferrara: Renee, how else? What about entertainment?
Renee Jacobs: I was just going to say, collaborating with local vendors is a huge piece of our business. We try to incorporate local companies for florists, decor, and definitely for entertainment.
Renee Jacobs: You want to engage your participants in the local activities that make you feel like you're there. Maybe it's basket weaving or glass making. We did an event on an island off of Venice where we had people work with the glass.
Renee Jacobs: We've done fun things where you bring in pop-up markets to the venue so local artisans are able to sell their goods to your attendees. It ticks off a few boxes; maybe your attendees aren't going to have time to shop, so you're providing that opportunity for local artisans.
James Ferrara: We just talked to a cruise line who's taking a page from your book there. Celebrity is using a big event space for bringing on a local marketplace before you come into a destination. Similar idea, right?
Renee Jacobs: We've done that in the Dominican Republic and in Doha. We did a pop-up souk in the Middle East. It's a great way to allow people to experience that which they might not have time or feel comfortable doing on their own. Bringing it to them is a great way for them to feel like they're experiencing it authentically.
A Lavish Multi-Million Dollar Event
Mike Putman: So what's the most lavish event that you've done? You don't necessarily have to disclose who the company was, although you can if you like. What was that experience like?
Renee Jacobs: The first thing that comes to mind is for an association client. We had a spectacular dinner for about 1,500 at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. It is now a Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Renee Jacobs: It is just "wow" factor because the venue is amazing and the outdoor space where we had the dinner is overlooking the sea. We had a multitude of entertainment, like classic cars set up with beautiful women posing for photos.
Renee Jacobs: We had walking dresses with champagne skirts, aerobatics, fireworks, and you name it. It was a multi-million dollar event that was only two hours long, but it took months of planning. That was pretty special.
Integrating CSR and Voluntourism
Mike Putman: Taking it in a different direction, what about the charitable component or voluntourism? Do you get those requests from your corporate clients?
Renee Jacobs: We definitely do, more and more so. In the last five years, CSR—Corporate Social Responsibility—has become much more important to our clients.
Renee Jacobs: We are integrating these into a lot of events, especially if they've got off-site activities. We try to offer one or two that are focused around community projects or sustainability initiatives.
Renee Jacobs: That could be anything from tree planting to beach cleanups or bringing school supplies to a school. The nice thing is you can do these in an hour. We've done beach cleanups before the meeting starts, or you can set up a ballroom where you plant trees.
Renee Jacobs: Your attendees walk away feeling really good and you make an impact on the local community. There are also really cool things you can do that are half-day or full-day activities working with local charities.
James Ferrara: And a lovely way to connect a little deeper with a place, right? To get to know a place, visit schools, meet kids, and meet real people and families that live in the place. I think that's a wonderful way to create a more authentic travel experience while doing something good.
Mike Putman: And sightseeing—catamaran cruises, waterfall treks, or wildlife conservation. All of that can be part of a business trip too.
Renee Jacobs: Absolutely. We try to get people out to experience those depending on the type of event. We call them destination immersion activities or "sense of place" activities. People feel like they're ticking things off their bucket list even though they might only be there for a few days.
James Ferrara: There's really no end to it. It's a matter of having professionals on your side who have this knowledge, contacts, and resources. There is quite a bit of creativity that goes into all of this.
James Ferrara: We did a dinner together, Renee, where we were in Arizona and we had wines from Arizona. Who knew that Arizona made wines? And if you judge by how much Mike drank, they were really good wines.
Mike Putman: Very tasty, I will agree. Surprisingly.
Renee Jacobs: Those are the nice little surprises you try to put in at events for sure.
Inquiry and Services at MGME
Mike Putman: Renee, if someone wanted to get in touch with your organization, what would be the right path to go?
Renee Jacobs: MGMEConnect.com. Our website has a contact page where you can let us know what you need, and we'll immediately contact you to figure out how we can assist.
Renee Jacobs: You can also find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. But really, going to our website is going to show all the services that we offer and a lot of case studies so you can see the types of events that we do.
James Ferrara: You guys do soup to nuts. Everything from sourcing and planning all the way through to stage production. But you also can support things surgically. If the company already has the meeting planning part taken care of, they can pick and choose creative services.
Renee Jacobs: That's correct. We're full service. We have a lot of clients where we do A to Z and others that are just a la carte. We do just sourcing for a lot of clients, or air ticketing, creative, and production. It really just depends on the needs and the budget.
James Ferrara: I know it's a little taboo to talk about active clients specifically, but I've seen in your publicity names like The Estée Lauder Companies and HBO.
James Ferrara: You mentioned life sciences, and being in New Jersey, that makes a lot of sense. It's kind of the capital of life sciences with all the big pharmaceutical companies. You recently did something for Bandai Namco, the big media and gaming company. You guys did a really cool fan activation in Times Square.
Renee Jacobs: The gaming industry is huge and growing. We're doing pop-up activations like the one in Times Square. It's a lot of work for just one afternoon in New York City, but it's super cool and rewarding.
James Ferrara: Well, it's a fascinating job. I think we all have job envy a little bit, Renee.
Renee Jacobs: You've got to have logistics and be passionate about details. It's not the right fit for everybody, but it's definitely a fun industry. You've got to be really passionate about it. When you're passionate about it, you're good at it.
Mike Putman: Thanks for spending time with us, Renee. It's been really insightful, and I know our listeners have enjoyed learning from you and hearing your stories.
Renee Jacobs: You're welcome. Thank you so much.
James Ferrara: Absolutely. Thank you, Renee. All right. Bye-bye.
Final Thoughts and Podcast Wrap-Up
Mike Putman: Well, that was some great info from Renee. What a seasoned veteran. I really enjoyed hearing about her expertise and the marvelous events she's been involved with all over the world. She creates unique authentic experiences for the people who attend the events that she puts together.
James Ferrara: I loved hearing her ideas and her experience. It sort of makes your mouth water a little bit to get out there and travel, which is what Mike and I are going to be doing.
Mike Putman: That's right. It's been a busy year, so we look forward to a little bit of downtime. We appreciate you guys listening and sharing the podcast with your friends and families.
Mike Putman: Don't forget to go to notouristsallowed.com and register for that fantastic giveaway. We'll look forward to seeing you in three or four weeks' time with our next podcast. Until then, I'm signing off.
Travel Reflections: Pebble Beach
James Ferrara: Oh Mike, before you go, I didn't get a chance to tell you about my trip to Pebble Beach in California. It is one of the great golf courses and resorts in this country. Even as the stellar golfer that I am—I don't golf at all, so it's a terrible waste.
James Ferrara: But Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay, where I stayed, are right on the coast. The golf course is on the rocks over the ocean. It's one of the great coastlines in the United States, right next to Carmel and Monterey. I flew into San Francisco and did the two-hour drive down to Pebble Beach in a convertible along the coast. It was a spectacular day and a great trip. I wish you would have been with me, Mike.
Mike Putman: I should have been there in your place! It would have been more appropriate for me to be there in Pebble Beach than you. But I'm glad you had a good time.
James Ferrara: All right, guys. Great to talk with you again. As Mike said, we're signing off for a couple of weeks. Don't forget about us! Go back and listen to old episodes that you might have missed, and be here with us when we come back live in just a few weeks. Thank you so much for listening to No Tourists Allowed.
