Katie Voorhest
Marketing & Education Coordinator
Raybourn Group International (Client: Indiana Society of Association Executives)
Indianapolis
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
In 2009 the client I represent, ISAE, actually slightly expanded a few programs. CrossConnect, a half-day program that we partner with IMPI for, we expanded to include exhibitors. We also expanded two seminars from half- to full-day programs and have offered our first webinar to the membership. All of our other meetings remained the same. The programs that we expanded simply met a member need by doing so, and since we are in the business of serving our members it naturally made sense. By adding the exhibitors we were able to offer exposure to our vendor partners, and by adding the extended education we were able to offer professional development that our association professionals needed.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
In 2009 we were fortunate to see attendance grow for a few programs and stay the same for others. Very few events were down, and for those that were it was not a significant drop. As a staff we entered 2009 with a conscious effort to focus on our members and what they were asking for. By providing what they wanted and needed I believe the membership realized the value in continuing to attend our programs and events.
Did you have a smaller budget to work with last year? If so, how much do you estimate it was decreased?
We worked with a very similar budget in 2009 and were only slightly off what we projected.
How are possible perception problems affecting your meetings and your planning of meetings?
The focus of the majority of our events and meetings is proving attendees with necessary information to continue in the association profession, so I believe that this has helped us to maintain attendees. We also do not travel very far for our programming so we did not see the pushback that some organizations [did] that travel to places that might be looked at as vacations instead of work trips.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are now considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
No. We are actually holding our annual meeting in 2010 at a brand-new casino, hotel and spa.
Have government regulations or actions affected your programs? If so, how?
No.
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?
No. Our programming has stayed pretty consistent. We added education and social events in 2009.
Are you scheduling more educational components for your meetings? If so, why?
No. We already pack each event day with as much as it can hold. The next step for us would be to expand the number days at the annual meeting.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
No. We are still doing the same types and amounts of activities as in past years.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced less strictly? Can you share any comments/observations about this?
I have not had to deal with this issue. The hotel that we partnered with last was great. They allowed us to estimate low on the room block and were happy when I had to add rooms two times!
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.
Yes, I have. I would say at an average I was able to negotiate up to $30 less a night than the year previous at the same types of properties.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Yes. Facebook for member interaction and event promotion and Twitter in order to post relevant information for members and potential members.
Are you taking less (or no) FAM trips? If so, why?
About the same.
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 believe that people feel as though they can see the light at the end of tunnel at this point and that will have a positive impact on meetings. I think that the most important thing is to make sure that we are meeting for the right reasons, with the right people, and at the right time and place. As a coordinator of our education offerings, social events, dates and locations, this can be a challenge at times, but it is what we have to do to show that the business of meetings is valuable and important. Over the next year I am working off a very similar budget, and while I will take advantage of any cost savings I can, I believe that prices will begin to increase slowly across the board. I am looking forward to a great new year with my association and the new opportunities that we are bringing to the table for our members. My outlook is positive yet realistic. I am going to aim to increase attendance and sponsorships across all of my programming in order to continue to offer the outstanding professional development and networking that we have a history of providing.