Brenda Tomlinson
Director of Public Relations
McDaniels Marketing Communications
Pekin, Ill.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
I think the duration of meetings is lasting about the same, but I think the number of meetings is decreasing due to client budgets. In addition, many clients are choosing to use online/digital methods of meeting so that they don’t incur travel expenses. Webinars are also popular.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
Again, I think the actual attendance of client meetings is staying about the same, but the number of actual meetings is decreasing, as already indicated in the previous question.
Did you have a smaller budget to work with last year? If so, how much do you estimate it was decreased?
I think our overall meeting budget did decrease simply because we held fewer meetings in traditional settings. Since our budgets are always based on the client’s budget parameters, I think the decreased budget was a reflection of the overall economy.
How are possible perception problems affecting your meetings and your planning of meetings?
I think the perception of the economic well-being (or lack thereof) in the United States has made a different for every responsible organization–and individual–because there have been cuts all over. Layoffs, too, have made it more difficult to accomplish all the tasks that might have been necessary in the past.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are now considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
No. These are always based on the client budgets and no client has ever specifically told me that anything is off-limits--as long as it’s within budget. Of course, a stipulated budget carries certain inherent limitations, so I have found that I have to be creative in choosing more economical methods for different activities. For example, I may choose a client location, rather than an off-site one, for a corporate function and seek more economical solutions than I might have in the past. The client’s budget is stipulated, and where it might have been more negotiable in the past (within reason), I’ve found that those negotiations are rarely a possibility in these tight economic times.
Have government regulations or actions affected your programs? If so, how?
I think the desire for more “green” environments and materials have made a slight difference, but this has not affected the majority of my clients to date.
Are you finding that you are scheduling more meeting sessions per day, and if so, is it at the expense of entertainment or events that are more social in nature?
I am not scheduling more meetings per day, but I do find that some of the meetings do have to sacrifice entertainment or events to stay within the parameters our clients provide.
Are you scheduling more educational components for your meetings? If so, why?
In the past year, we have not had clients requiring our services to schedule educational sessions.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
Since the majority of events I personally work with are on behalf of the client, I typically coordinate open houses and special meetings which dictate the types of activities involved. So… for now, this has not been an issue for our clients, except--as already indicated--the number of overall meetings we are coordinating has declined.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced less strictly? Can you share any comments/observations about this?
I have not had experience with this.
Do you find that you had much more leverage on room rates during the last year? If so, please give an idea how much discounting you are seeing.
I think that resorts/hotels/convention centers, etc., have been more agreeable in terms of negotiation. It appears that they are not getting the business they once did and so they are willing to negotiate a bit more to get the business.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
We have begun to use social networking more because they are very popular today and growing even more popular. We typically use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
Are you taking less (or no) FAM trips? If so, why?
I have never had to take that many FAM trips simply because most of the places where we’ve booked have been familiar to me. HOWEVER, I have had NO FAM trips in the past year due to budget constraints and the necessity to book events on-site or via webinars, rather than at a different location.
How do you think 2010 will shape up for the meetings industry? Where do you see costs (hotel, restaurant, venue prices, etc.) going? Do you think your budget and/or attendance will increase or decrease? Why?
I think the trend is to cut costs for meetings off-site. Our clients, at least, have indicated a tendency to be involved with fewer outside meetings and choosing to partake in online educational webinars/digital means instead.