Carla Thorpe
Program Development Specialist
NICET
Alexandria Va.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
The meetings are the same.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
The attendance is expanding because more people want to be a part of the process to know that all bases are covered.
How are possible perception problems affecting your meetings and your planning of meetings?
The only issue is not planning everything in advance. This makes it harder to get the attendance and support needed for a successful meeting.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are now considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
Not at this time.
Have government regulations or actions affected your programs? If so, how?
Not at this time.
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?
We are not planning meeting sessions per day. It is more like per quarter.
Are you scheduling more educational components for your meetings? If so, why?
We have scheduled more educational components because everyone is trying to become more valuable to the company. The more knowledge and skills, the better you can do in the workplace.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
Not at this time.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced less strictly? Can you share any comments/observations about this?
Not at this time.
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.
We have currently not negotiated our rates but they seem to currently be around $199 per night.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
We do not currently use social networking sites, but keep track of post about the company through Google alerts.
Are you taking less (or no) FAM trips? If so, why?
Too busy to take FAM trips.
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?
As the economy begins to stabilize, I think to increase the sales the meeting vendors will continue to offer specials and promotional things to planners so that it encourages travel in meetings. I am not sure about the budget increases, but the attendance could potentially increase due to the deals that are given all over the U.S.