Viviana Matasaru
Conference Coordinator, Learning and Leadership Development
United States Tennis Association
White Plains, N.Y.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
We are about the same from previous years. We are being more mindful of taking certain annual events to hotels that are not usual for us. For instance, since this is an in between year for our board, our annual meeting is at a regular hotel, not a resort hotel as has been done previously.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
We are about the same from previous years. A few of our events have had more than expected but it had more to do with focused programming rather than location.
Did you have a smaller budget to work with last year? If so, how much do you estimate it was decreased?
We are about the same from previous years.
How are possible perception problems affecting your meetings and your planning of meetings?
We are being more mindful of budgets and pricing. Especially on things like audiovisual rentals. Whenever possible we are negotiating rates or half a day deals if we can get them.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are now considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
Not really.
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?
I think we are being more careful to give people value in our sessions that have better focus around our company mission/goals. It is not at the expense of social networking because we feel that it is a great tool and adds value to our programs. We have, however, changed certain policies of entertainment/social outings to adhere to our legal department’s concerns.
Are you scheduling more educational components for your meetings? If so, why?
Yes. Our company is dedicated to giving our participants more bang for their buck. The more substance that is put in to our program, the more we can provide to our coaches, staff, section people to help them grow our game.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
We are about the same from previous years.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced less strictly? Can you share any comments/observations about this?
We have not really had a big problem with attrition. Most of our contracts allow us a 10 percent reduction by certain dates, which we really try to keep on top of.
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.
Not really. For us it has depended on the location. For some of our major tournaments we have tried very hard to leverage the business as a whole to get a more competitive rate, however in some places that is not possible.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Yes. This year we started on Facebook and Twitter. I believe that is it.
Are you taking less (or no) FAM trips? If so, why?
FAMs are always difficult because of our travel schedule. I personally try to go to locations that we will be using right away, if it is some place that we may use later I try to find a necessary reason to attend. For instance, I am in the process of getting my CMP so I love it if there is an educational piece to the FAM.
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?
2010 is going to be a slow year in my opinion. I think that many companies are not sure where they fall in the financial scheme for the next two years, so they may scale back on programs or sponsorships. The upside is that many hotels are being mindful of that and are willing to negotiate more to obtain the business. In N.Y., especially, I have seen more hotels reach out to smaller businesses or smaller groups to get their rooms filled up. That is always wonderful, but especially if you are a nonprofit company, it allows you more negotiating power. My budgets are staying pretty much the same for the next year. We try to calculate inflation when planning but know that it is not always a possibility to get all the money we plan for.