Experienced road warriors offer their best travel advice—and it all boils down to being prepared and taking care of yourself.

PRO: Travel desire is up (way up), which bodes well for meetings and events.

CON: Travel satisfaction is down, and costs, time and today’s challenges are taking a toll.

Here’s what the MPI community has to say about a crucial aspect of events—getting to and from them.

Prepare for the Hassles

My dad often reminisces about traveling overseas in the 1970s. He would put on a suit, board a 747 and go "upstairs" for dinner before returning to his seat to settle down for a good night’s sleep. In his recollection, he arrived at his destination refreshed and ready to go. It sounds so glamorous.

Fast forward to 2024—travel is not glamorous! It’s rife with delays, cancellations and, if you get to board, crowded flights with short-tempered passengers carrying oversized luggage.

My tip is to expect all of the above and come prepared with the right provisions to sustain you through a long, exhausting travel day. Always have snacks, a water bottle (to fill post-security), fully charged earbuds, phone and tablet to help you pass the time and escape your surroundings. Personally, I can just as easily tune out for hours with a good, long book (no batteries required).

Trish Rafferty, CMP, HMCC
Travel Account Manager, Maritz
President-elect, MPI New Jersey Chapter

Control What You Can

My best travel tip is to control what’s in your control to alleviate additional stress. Here are the things I do to get ahead of travel chaos.

Although it’s never pleasant to wake up early for a flight, I try to take the first flight out any chance I get to avoid travel delays like mechanical issues, weather delays, etc. I have rarely had issues when traveling early!

Try to avoid checking your bag by packing a small, versatile carry-on instead.

Check in early and keep your boarding pass in your Apple Wallet/on your phone to save time (and paper).

If you don’t have TSA Precheck and CLEAR…why not?

If you’re traveling for business, avoid standing in lines behind families with kids. They will always move slower than you’d like them to for obvious reasons. This is especially true in security lines…go the opposite direction.

Don’t book super-tight connections if your travel requires a layover. I always give myself at least 90 minutes to account for delays and avoid missed connections.

Pack a sweater!

Sarah Soliman
President & CEO, Soliman Productions Inc.
MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees

Embrace the Diversity

Always travel with an open mind and an open heart and embrace the diversity of each destination. This mentality has helped me even before I became a meeting professional—having lived in very diverse cities such as Prague, Melbourne, Sydney, Zurich, Rio de Janeiro, Merano, Genoa, Milan and Rome—but even more as a meeting professional having worked in and organized events on five continents.

Luca Vernengo
General Manager, GVST Event Experts
MPI Italia Chapter

Stay Digitally Organized

My best tip for traveling eventprofs is to leverage technology and stay digitally connected and organized. I keep everything in the cloud so that it is at my fingertips wherever I go. I also have my "go bag" with dedicated chargers, backup battery block and plug converter so that I can pick up and go at a moment’s notice with everything on hand. Everything else is replaceable.

Marie-France Watson
Education Curator & Co-Founder, MPI’s the EVENT

Healthy Routines

My best travel practice has been to find ways to implement some daily routines while on the road to help make constant travel feel less exhausting, more comfortable and a complement to the week versus a disruption. I like to find easy-to-travelwith snacks that keep me energized and healthy but don’t take up too much space in my carry-on—options like jerky bites or real fruit bars. Traveling with Hilton, I’m lucky that so many of our hotels have grab-and-go markets where I can pick up last-minute snacks when I do forget, and I always make sure to check out the hotel F&B options ahead of time. Hilton’s 2024 Trend Report actually found that 78% of global travelers appreciate healthy grab-and-go markets when they are traveling, so it sounds like I’m not alone.

Sarah Wexler, CMP
Director, Managed Americas Hotels & Resorts, Catering & Events, Hilton
MPI Gulf States Chapter

Own Yourself

As someone who travels 30% to 40% of the year for both business and pleasure, I believe it’s important to OWN ourselves on the road and that we should try to maintain the same type of regimen and focus whether at home or on the road. My tips are focused on organization, wellness and nutrition.

Organization. Upon arrival to any destination, I unpack, set out and hang/put away all my clothes in the closet from left to right in complete outfits, ensuring I know what to wear each day and evening. This simple trick avoids last-minute stress when one might be in a hurry, as we meeting pros are often. Once an outfit is worn, it gets packed back into the suitcase immediately, alleviating endof-trip packing stress.

Wellness. Explore your destination on foot and learn a new place. Walking not only helps you discover new places but also keeps you active and boosts your well-being. I often take very early morning walks, which promotes not only wellness but also insights into the destination. While it’s not always possible to take longer walks, there is always time to take 15 minutes for oneself for fresh air. I also wake up and set myself to that destination’s time, if possible, to avoid next day fatigue.

Nutrition. Don’t leave your healthy eating habits at home. Even when busy, it’s essential to maintain a good diet regimen. Prioritize balanced meals and avoid the temptation to eat whatever is convenient. During travels, it’s often easier to snack too much or eat fast food or fast casual, but it’s possible to find healthier options and to resist the temptation for the fastest option.

Gary Murakami, GTP, GLP, CMP, CMM, DES
Vice President, Global Sales & Industry Relations, Teneo Hospitality Group
MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees

Have Info at the Ready

As a planner who has seen the evolution of technology in business, my best travel tip for meeting professionals is to always have well-organized and accessible information in digital format. On some occasions, even a print back-up may come in handy.

For site visits or planning meetings, collect your itinerary, information for all contacts and confirmation numbers in one location. Attaching a Word document to your calendar or outlining this information in the body of the calendar invite keeps it handy and in one place on your phone.

Another travel tip for planners is to pack a portable power bank and all necessary chargers, adapters and batteries. And don’t forget to pack your favorite snacks! There’s nothing like a delayed flight to remind you that a well-timed granola bar can save the day—and your sanity.

Tamra Gaines, CMM, CPC
Coach, Speaker, Author and Meetings Strategist
MPI Tampa Bay Area Chapter

App Everything

When traveling, technology reigns supreme. If you are not using apps, you’re missing out. I don’t know what I would do without TripIt to consolidate my travel details and easily share them with others. You simply forward your confirmations to TripIt and, voila, it magically creates a detailed itinerary for you. The free version is very robust, and for a small fee the PRO version provides real-time updates such as gate changes or flight delays and offers a pointer tracker feature.

Before booking a seat on long flights, I always check out SeatGuru to give me the scoop on seats to avoid and other info such as if the seats have power outlets.

One thing to remember is that many carriers now have entertainment systems that work on your own device, but on some you must load the player BEFORE you board.

Finally, if you end up checking your bag, the best way to keep an eye on it is with a tracker, such as Apple AirTag, Tile or Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to slap one on anything you would sorely miss if you left it behind.

Laura Kesselman, CMM
Gargoyle Consulting LLC
MPI New Mexico Chapter

Take Care of Yourself

Plan time for self-care whenever possible, especially when taking a long-haul flight for international business. It’s important to plan for our body’s transition to a new time zone, both on the front and back ends of the adventure.

On the final leg to any international destination, I occupy myself with work, audiobooks, movies, etc., to remain awake. I aim to exhaust myself on the plane so that when I land my body is ready for a long, deep rest overnight at my hotel. I usually go to sleep earlier than I normally would on that first evening. I typically wake up refreshed and partially acclimated to the alternate day/nighttime. Whenever possible, I’ll get out of my hotel that next morning for a good stretch, to explore a little bit of the surrounding area to familiarize myself, to find the good coffee shop nearby and maybe take some fun photos before the workday begins.

Be kind to yourself by setting clear expectations with colleagues in advance so there are not mistaken assumptions that you are ready to roll as soon as your plane lands. Also, those back at home might need to be briefed on how your communications are likely to be on a different cadence during your time away.

Cory Fransway
Strategic Account Director, Maritz
MPI Chicago Area Chapter