If you’re adding virtual events to your meeting mix, take three minutes to watch a video with some must-hear reminders from the pros. We asked seven meeting company leaders for their one best piece of advice for clients planning virtual events and edited them down to the essentials.

Whether you’re new to virtual events or just want a review of some fundamentals, here’s the word from Maritz, Carlson, BCD Meetings & Incentives, and others. Watch the video.

2010? That can’t be right. It sounds so … so … futuristic. Mind you, 2009 had that same ring to it in about 1997, but 2010 just seems like an Arthur Clarke book title. (Actually, it is, but that’s another department.) Let’s take a look toward the 2010 horizon at the technologies that will affect the way meeting professionals manage and plan, and the way attendees interact with the world.

From iPhone apps to cloud computing to augmented reality, it’s going to be an interesting year.

A recent survey of incentive industry professionals shows a possible disconnect in the importance placed on technology: Most respondents say that technology is critical when choosing partner companies, but at the same time, remarkably few of those respondents are organized about planning their technology needs into the future.

This was among the key findings of a technology-focused Site Index survey, the second in a series of surveys planned by the Site International Foundation (the fundraising arm of Site, an incentive-travel industry association). MaXvantage’s Steve O’Malley reviews the other technology findings.

In large session webinars, most of the information flow is outbound from the presenters to the audience. It’s simply impractical to let audience members chime in during the session. So if we accept that there isn’t going to be much two-way voice interaction between the presenters and the audience, is phone conferencing something you need to focus on in your planning?

I maintain that it is. Here’s why.