Irene Yam

Thank you, Emily, for bringing this conversation forward — it’s one our industry truly needs. I'm going to respond to your LinkedIn post, and my favorite conversation starter is.. “CABs can be a huge value add, especially in growing relationships with strategic accounts. But they aren't a panacea, and it's better to not do a CAB at all than do one poorly.”

That's a great question—and a tough one. If the customer is on your CAB, I’d recommend the CAB lead or an executive sponsor request a quick 15-minute call. A short conversation goes a long way in gathering context and showing that their voice truly matters. I do send post-CAB surveys, but those are mostly for tracking trends and numbers. The real insights come from 1:1 conversations—that’s where you can go deeper. Those moments are not just about feedback—they’re about building trust. Be transparent. Ask your board member what they want to discuss or see more of in the CAB. And if you do that, always bring in something they mentioned previously—it shows you’re listening and genuinely value their input. (And they also have a word in shaping the next agenda.)

Jennifer Lyons Many European-based companies cannot take airfare and lodging, because they have anti-bribery laws, whereas in the United States, we don't. Many companies operate CABs and require customers to pay for their flights. I am requesting that customers pay for their flights. It's not really the cost of the flight, I want them to 1. not linger in RSVP-ing... 2. be serious about the board 3. Prepare for the board.

Tier 1 city: 50-60K and have spent upwards of 200K for a total of 30 people (executives and customers) I'm running one at the five-star hotel for around 130-150K (includes Golf or Spa)

I yam 🍠 what I am... had to use the punt. 🤣

Hi! Re: CAB Strategy Planning Meeting I'm launching my CAB book tomorrow, so I can't join you. However, if you post questions and tag me, I'll definitely help out. Tomorrow, for the book launch, I will share a free Virtual CAB case study excerpt in my LinkedIn Newsletter or just connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ireneyam/

Sharp, I agree.

JW Marriot Essex House New York is right next to Central Park!