Frank E. Gainer, MHS, OTR/L, FAOTA
Director of conferences
AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association)
Bethesda, Md.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
Staying the same.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
Expanding. Have increased the variety of educational offerings.
Did you have a smaller budget to work with last year? If so, how much do you estimate it was decreased?
Larger budget.
Do you expect your budget to increase in 2011?
Increase.
Do you expect your attendance to increase in 2011?
Increase.
Are perception problems (meeting and luxurious properties, resort destinations, etc.?) a great concern for your organization? Have they become less of a concern in the past few months, and do you expect them to be a problem in 2011?
AOTA does not book at resort destinations or luxurious properties. Cost is always a concern.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are now considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
We consider all options.
Have you planned, or do you expect to plan, virtual/videoconference meetings? Do you expect to see more virtual meetings in the future?
We are doing audio taping of certain sessions and marketing as CE.
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.
Are you scheduling more educational components for your meetings? If so, why?
Yes. We have experienced a significant increase in number of submissions so we are trying to accommodate these.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
No.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so which ones and why?
Facebook, Twitter, OT Connections.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago? Why?
More optimistic. Our meetings have not been impacted by the recession. Our attendees still need their continuing education.
How do you think 2011 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?
We expect our attendance to increase. We have begun a third conference each year called a Specialty Conference.
