Who knows the Monterey group and meeting space best? Long-time meeting planners do! Our insider series features meeting planners who source Monterey for their meetings. We'll be sharing some of their favorite things about hosting a meeting in Monterey including their favorite things to do and see as a visitor while here.
We had the opportunity to meet with Bill Lynch, Founder and CEO of NHS Global Events, which is a full-service meeting management, incentive travel and hotel sourcing company. The company has 100+ clients and sources over 600 meetings a year. Here's more about Bill and his perspective on why meeting planners should consider booking their meetings in Monterey County.
MEET BILL LYNCH
Bill Lynch grew up in the travel industry and got into the travel business at the age of 22. He has a background in incentive travel and the hotel industry. In the 80s, Bill was part of a company called Landmark based in Carmel Valley. At the time, he was based in Florida, but he still had the opportunity to come and experience Carmel Valley Ranch for himself, which, fun fact, is where he scored a hole-in-one on hole 16! Bill currently resides in Chicago.
WHY WAS NHS GLOBAL EVENTS STARTED?
In 2000, Bill started NHS Global Events to create a go-to "meeting service" that the industry would notice. His brother, Sean, joined the team after a few years and is now President of NHS Global Events.
NHS Global Events helps to create extraordinary meetings, incentives, conferences and events! Their clients range from virtual events, venue sourcing, meeting services and so much more. Bill emphasizes his company's commitment to "high touch, high service," and he believes that the strength and consistency of the company are what ensure the longevity of their client relationships. When asked how many meetings are sourced to Monterey through NHS Global Events, Bill says there are about 30-40 a year being sourced to Monterey and around 5-8 meetings booked.
Today, NHS Global Events has seven office locations, including their home base in Chicago, Illinois. They will be coming up on their 25th anniversary next year.
WHY IS MONTEREY A GREAT PLACE TO HOST A MEETING?
"California is called the Golden State for a reason," Bill says. With the natural beauty and diversity between the ocean, 17-Mile Drive, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Big Sur, as well as the great weather, there is a lot that Monterey County has to offer. Bill even highlighted events like the various food and wine festivals and car week in Monterey.
There is not only diversity in places around the county but also accommodations. He states that for those who aren't looking to spend five-star rates, there are plenty of other options like the hotels in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea or Monterey. Bill says, "When people go to California, especially Monterey, they're happy."
WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES THAT HELP BOOK MEETINGS IN MONTEREY COUNTY?
Bill gave a shoutout to See Monterey's Business Development Executive, Rick Hud. Rick is based in Chicago, so he has known and worked with Bill and his team often. There are six employees in the sourcing department at NHS who work directly with Rick to help bring meetings to Monterey. Bill explained how important it is to work with partners who understand the destination and who can tell them what the situation is, for example, if there is a special event going on, it makes the meeting planning process go more smoothly.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIDDEN GEMS IN MONTEREY COUNTY?
Monterey County has plenty of hidden gems, including its captivating bleisure activities. While planning your meeting in Monterey County, it's easy to solely focus on what happens inside the meeting walls, but, there are abundant opportunities for leisure activities that'll make you want to stay an extra day or two. Here are some of Bill's top picks for unwinding and exploring while in Monterey.
Carmel-by-the-Sea was on Bill's must-see list, specifically the back end of 17-Mile Drive. He and his wife, Julie, love to visit the art galleries, explore the architecture and visit the Carmel Mission. Of course, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a favorite for him and his family. And if you're a literature fan like him, you'll love visiting the Steinbeck Center. Alila Ventana in Big Sur also made the list and when Bill and Julie first got married, they had the opportunity to visit and he said, "It's one of those memories you just don't forget. It's stunning."
The last time Bill was in Monterey County was October 2023 and he stayed in Pebble Beach. He had the opportunity to eat at Peppoli Restaurant at the Inn at Spanish Bay, which is one of his favorites.
WHAT IS A TIP YOU WOULD GIVE TO MEETING PLANNERS LOOKING TO BOOK THEIR NEXT MEETING IN MONTEREY?
NHS Global Events has a system in their company called "Wild Card" where meeting planners are looking to book at bigger cities, but at times they throw in Monterey County as the "wild card." It can give planners the ability to have an open mind to try places that may be off the beaten path, but worth the journey. Plus, a lot of people don't realize that Monterey is easy to get to with flights into MRY and bigger airports nearby like SFO and San Jose.
A final valuable tip Bill provided for booking a meeting in Monterey County is to use your resources wisely. Whether it's See Monterey or NHS Global Events or anything else, there's only one opportunity to get a meeting right, so make the most of what you have available to you!