"Karen Shackman, founder and president of Shackman Associates New York, says today's meeting planners are increasingly focused on providing intense learning and engagement opportunities among colleagues versus simply organizing speaking presentations."

“...We are seeing huge growth in augmented reality scavenger hunts. This is a huge step forward in location based reality games for corporate teambuilding."

"Marriott pulled out all the stops...with destination management company Shackman Associates NY ensuring the party went smoothly...including a nightclub, jazz club and an avant-garde quarter replete with  a full Cirque de Soleil sensibility... " 

"While New York has regularly been a leader in creating exciting new meeting experiences, 2019 will be the year when great events will become truly experiential ones in very unexpected ways....Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates.. shares five meeting trends she’s witnessing that will give attendees more control in the coming year."

"Let's Face it... Whether planning an employee party or a client event, corporate event planners are tasked with creating holiday events that draw people in during this time....Karen Shackman of Shackman Associates New York says the creative opportunities to create unique experiences are limitless..." 

"Representing corporate events, associations, trade shows, social events, and more, these people represent the best of the meeting and event industry across North America.....Karen Shackman, Shackman Associates New York, President, New York." 

"'There is renewed energy in Atlantic City,' says Karen Shackman, president of New York City-based DMC Shackman Associates. 'With the opening of the two new casino hotels and legalized sports betting in New Jersey, there is an overall feeling that...."

"The overarching trend that is redefining how meetings are conceived and planned is a growing focus on “experiential” meetings, says Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York, a meeting/event planning and destination management company in New York City."

“... According to Karen Shackman, president, Shackman Associates, a New York City DMC specializing in domestic and international corporate meetings and incentives, “Because the Atlantic City region is an outlier..."

“... Chaulet congratulated their DMC award winners and said, “Realize Colorado, Shackman Associates, and Tropical Incentives are the ideal representation of what it means to be a Global DMC Partner. We are thrilled to honor these..."

“... What you're seeing is planners looking at just how far they can push the envelope to create experiences that attendees will really remember."

“If AR is already being used in enterprises, according to Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates New York, which manages corporate meetings and events, the key to the future use of AR in the enterprise is making sure that it is not a one-time experience."

“One of Karen Shackman’s favorite examples of unique venue offerings include meetings she and her staff at Shackman Associates New York have held in historic bank vaults and renovated, old-school speakeasies. 'New York has multiple meeting, dining and event venues that were old banks,' Shackman says. 'These buildings often feature majestic architecture both inside and outside....'"

“As the special event world evolves further into experiential marketing, Shackman Associates New York is uniquely positioned to translate branding messages into creative one-of-a-kind memorable events which will ultimately serve to increase the ROI of our clients.” - Karen M. Shackman

"'The technology behind it is really phenomenal. It really is an extremely high-tech space,' says Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York, the venue’s preferred event planning company. Her favorite parts of the space include..."

"'Optimizing attendee engagement between events at a destination meeting has never been more important for meeting planners,' said Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York. 'If you create engaging content, you avoid attendees going off into their own corners with...'"

"Karen Shackman of Shackman Associates New York recommends taking the time to find a venue that fits your attendees' style and culture. 'In a city like New York, there are so many options for event venues, decor, menus, entertainment and vibe, it is important to understand what will resonate...'"

"Similarly, Karen Shackman of Shackman Associates in New York likes to use evocative venues that are private and “hidden,” but have high-level design elements that inspire collaboration among attendees. “I am seeing more of them open in downtown Manhattan,” she says. “They provide a townhouse vibe while providing an opportunity to incorporate celebrity chefs for meeting ..."

"Corporate Event News spoke to expert planners to see what trends they predict will impact the industry in the coming year. Karen Shackman of Shackman Associates New York predicts last minute events will demand more luxury. “This will require more choices: whether it is choices of venues, choices within the venue, choices at multiple ..."

"New York, NY -  Shackman Associates New York, a 25-year corporate meeting, event and destination management company, is proud to announce a preferred event partnership with National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, opening on October 6 in the heart of Times Square. A groundbreaking state-of-the-art ..."

“'National Geographic Encounter is transforming event décor while incorporating entertainment and attendee interaction in one unique location,' says Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York, a corporate meeting, event and destination management company. 'With interactive gaming challenges to encourage attendees....”

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-Successful Meetings, October 5th, 2017

“Work with a local Destination Management Company or DMC that has close relationships with local officials and law enforcement. Without a local expert, it makes it much harder to acquire permitting for vehicles connected to the event or meeting, and the DMC can make valuable suggestions on how to minimize delays for your event attendees.”

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-Event Interface, October 3rd, 2017

“For corporate retreats, we are seeing explosive growth in relaxed venues with evocative decor and amenities. The theme: Contemplate, Innovate, Create.”

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-DoubleDutch, August 3rd, 2017

“.... in New York, holding a corporate dinner at a venue near a hot neighborhood like the Lower East Side will further enhance attendees’ evenings and enhance networking. —Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates New York”.

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-Prevue Meetings, May 17, 2017

"Ask if a U.S.-based destination management company you may have used has global partners," Karen Shackman, president of New York City-based DMC Shackman Associates, tells Doyle. "This will prevent you from flying blind and these kinds of relationships will help a DMC partner outside of the U.S. better understand your group, especially if there are language considerations. We have these kinds of relationships in Europe, Australia, and South America."

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-M&C, May 9, 2017

“...One of the most important things a meeting planner should do is understand all of the nuances of the travel ban," says Karen Shackman, president of New York City-based Shackman Associates, a destination management company. "The confusion might be a bigger business problem than the current reality or likely legal outcome...."

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-Successful Meetings, May 04, 2017

“....Planners and attendees can connect with interest groups, conduct private chats, connect via LinkedIn, and view profiles of attendees they don’t know before the meeting,” Shackman says. “Apps are becoming geo-enabled, which helps attendees enhance their experience based on their location at a given moment. Have downtime between work sessions? Apps can now let you know that an attendee you were hoping to find for networking is down the street at Starbucks.”

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-Corporate & Incentive Travel, May 1, 2017

“Age demographics is a big issue to consider here,” adds Karen Shackman, President of Shackman Associates New York. “If your attendees are primarily Millennials, they are going to want technology throughout the event with features like social media walls and charging stations.”...

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-Planning Pod, April 17, 2017

Ad campaign launches as foreigners cancel trips. It was not what Karen Shackman wanted to hear. Her destination-management firm, Shackman Associates New York, had arranged corporate incentive trips to the Big Apple for 160 employees of a beauty company and an insurance group from Mexico...

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-Crain's New York Business, April 10, 2017

Karen Shackman, President, Shackman Associates New York, "Understand how a brand fits into a venue and how that venue impacts the goals of the event..."

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-Meetings Today, April 2017

Karen, the founder of Shackman Associates, states that "We are seeing new ways customized geo- and private technologies are improving speaker-driven corporate meetings:

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1. Interactive private technology: less tweeting and more networking.

2. Turn-key apps manage registration, help attendees network prior to arriving, optimize speaker sessions, geofence off-site after-hours opportunities, and create a platform for continued engagement after the meeting ends...

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-Speaker Sponsor, March 27, 2017

“We work well with the New York City Police Department and try to determine from them what is going on and wherever possible try to have them as a component to any meeting we do,” Shackman says. “That way, we have not only boots on the ground but also ears to the ground.” 

-MPI Blog, February 16, 2017 

"Augmented reality has proven to be a huge step forward in location-based mixed-reality games for corporate team building," Karen Shackman says. "You can walk around in the real world as you look at your screen.” With this technology, participants are not limited to being the audience. Instead, they are an important part of the presentation.

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-Check In Easy, February 8, 2017

“...Karen Shackman agrees. As the founder of Shackman Associates, a leading destination management company based in New York City, she has coordinated many meetings and events in Atlantic City. “I completely believe that the future of Atlantic City is meetings, which explains why Harrah’s spent $134 million in building a spectacular conference...."

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-Corporate & Incentive Travel, February 1, 2017

Karen Shackman has found that Millennials in particular are fond of non-traditional venues. “They are seeking event venues away from legacy hotels that provide them a true New York City neighborhood vibe. This is leading meetings to book venues in hot areas like the Lower East Side. Using services like Uber and Lyft are ideal for reaching these neighborhoods with smaller streets that could delay groups of buses that are more expensive.”

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-Planning Pod, January 17, 2017

Karen Shackman is the founder of Shackman Associates New York, a New York destination management and event services company. In this Shakedown, Shackman discusses why mindful meetings are on the rise and how meeting planners can easily incorporate this trend to create a zen-filled meeting experience for attendees.

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-Prevue Meetings, December 2, 2016

"New York City isn't simply providing an opportunity for attendees to experience non-traditional gaming venues, it is making them into major event venues too," says Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York, a New York City-based destination management company. She cites Resorts World as an example.

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-Successful Meetings, August 2, 2016

“For example, many of the new hotels in New York City are focused on providing healthy farm-to-table options and unique craft cocktail menus that millennial destination meeting attendees are seeking,” Shackman says. “Millennial attendees don’t want traditional touristy activities after hours, and many of New York City’s new hotels are opening in hot neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, Tribeca and Brooklyn. Attendees are closer to more after-hours venues that provide them the opportunity to experience the city like a local.”

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-The Meeting Magazines, July 1, 2016

Event planners Shackman and Associates New York organizes events for meeting attendees that challenge them to tap into their own creativity at local art studios.

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-The Partnership Movement, March 23, 2016

Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates New York (a destination management and event-planning company), recently released her annual list of top five meeting trends for 2016. Here is a brief look at these exciting new trends and examples of where to find them throughout the Big Apple:

1. Millennials are redefining event venues and decor. In New York City, the hot venues are in neighborhoods versus traditional ballrooms. For example, Willamsburg Hotel opening in Brooklyn this spring will feature an event space set in a water tower replica...

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-Prevue Meetings, March 11, 2016

"Attendees get an opportunity to show their own sense of creativity within general guidelines, which for many companies helps to season their leaders," says Karen Shackman, president of event planner Shackman and Associates New York. Shackman has helped to incorporate art into corporate events in a number of ways. She took one destination meeting group on a private tour of the city's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), followed by a trip to a nearby art studio where blank easels awaited, so attendees could attempt to copy favorite works they just saw. 

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-Successful Meetings, February 1, 2016

“There are several vessels in New York which we have used as creative alternatives for standard meetings, where there is also a higher networking requirement — so that the focus is not only on the meeting at hand, but an opportunity for guests to enjoy some highlights of the destination,” Shackman says. “In New York City, we generally propose a dinner or lunch cruise to every client. We believe it is important for clients to appreciate our city from all perspectives — and a perspective from the water is an important one for an appreciation of the scope and majesty of the city.”

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-The Meeting Magazine, September 1, 2015

Karen Shackman, president of New York City destination management firm Shackman Associates, has fielded a number of recent requests for quick-turnaround meetings from corporate clients. She got a call in July from an Asian company based in the U.K. about planning 12 days of meetings for 150 attendees in New York City in late August or early September.

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-MPI, September 17, 2015

“From the meeting planner’s perspective, the city offers a great variety of hotel product, with an ever-expanding inventory,” Shackman says. She notes that while the city is perceived by many to be on the expensive side, if there is flexibility on the part of the planner and the end-user, there are definite off-peak seasons where it is possible to obtain good value for money.  In addition, the abundance of corporate entities located in or around New York may be an added value to some planners.

-The Meeting Magazines, September 1, 2015

“Themed meetings are becoming a hot idea, especially when groups select a reoccurring destination,” says Karen Shackman, founder of Shackman Associates New York, a destination management and special events planning firm. “Using themed meetings is a great way to keep regular meeting fresh and exciting. Millennial attendees love face-to-face interaction at meetings, so any theme that encourages networking could be a home run among that group.”

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-The Meeting Magazines, August 1, 2015

Karen Shackman, founder of Manhattan-based DMC Shackman Associates in New York, likes QnA, an app that lets participants text questions, poll responses and feedback in real time. Session moderators approve, prioritize or close questions on their own screens. Approved questions post to a public screen during presentations or Q&A sessions—no more roaming mics, garbled questions or rambling diatribes from the audience.

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-Meetings Today, August 2015

More than ever, millennials are changing the way destination corporate meetings are held, according to Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates, a special events management company. “They want highly social events that are out of the boardroom and, instead, under the boards in a location like a barn,” Shackman says. 

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-New Jersey Meetings+Events, Winter 2015 issue

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More and more planners are looking to incorporate augmented reality and event activities. According to Karen Shackman “While GPS and geocaching are still popular for scavenger hunts, augmented reality has proven to be a huge step forward in location-based mixed-reality games for corporate team building”.

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-AR Hotels & Resorts/Mashable, November 21, 2014