Smart phones are changing the meeting and event experience, from how we interact with a destination to the way we register on site to travel policy compliance. Here are five new applications at the forefront of the trend.

Creating and executing a social-media strategy has become a must in the meeting and event planning process. For those learning the ropes, two new resources were announced this week: a free white paper, produced by TBA Global, and an online certificate course developed by Patti Shock, CPCE, through The International School of Hospitality. Click here for details.

One of my clients is the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Part of its mission is to provide educational opportunities for members. Traditionally this has been done with local seminars and classroom training. But now, under the guidance of Susan Smith Nash, director of education and professional development, AAPG is offering webinars and asynchronous e-learning to extend its training to a global audience.

If you are looking for justification and a business case for webinars, make this exhibit A.

It’s all about the leads. That’s the word from a new survey of 500 technology industry marketing professionals, who were asked about their marketing priorities and what tactics they used to reach their goals. Here’s how eight lead-gen strategies stacked up, including Web sites, face-to-face meetings, e-mail, and virtual meetings.

The study, conducted by virtual event provider Unisfair, also drilled down on marketers’ use of various kinds of virtual events and the promise they see for those platforms in the future.