Roy Einreinhofer
Executive Director
National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification
Whitinsville, Mass.
Do you find that your booking window is increasing or shrinking recently? Are you finding it harder to book rooms/meeting space in a short timeframe at hotels and other meeting facilities?
We always book our major meetings 2 1/2 to 3 years out. Board meetings and committee meeting are on a much shorter timetable but that has neither increased nor decreased.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding?
We shortened our annual conference by a half-day as a response to our attendees' comments.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding?
Attendance at our largest meeting is shrinking as a result of state travel restrictions. Until state budgets begin to loosen again we will be faced with smaller numbers.
Did you have a smaller or larger budget to work with last year? If so, how much do you estimate it was decreased or increased?
Decreased about 5% from last year primarily due to anticipated lighter attendance.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2012?
It will probably remain about the same.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2012?
We are anticipating a slight decrease from 2011.
Are perception problems (meeting at luxurious properties, resort destinations, etc.) a great concern for your organization? Have they become less of a concern than they were in 2010, and do you expect them to present any perception problems in 2012?
We do not meet at resorts or "luxurious properties." State employees have to justify their expenses and we try to get them the best deals while still maintaining a high level of quality in the meeting sites. This often means visiting "second-tier " cities, where rates are more favorable.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
We stay away from resorts, gambling establishments, etc., and this is a result of our audience, having nothing to do with the economy.
Have you planned, or do you expect to plan, virtual/videoconference meetings? Do you expect to see more virtual meetings in the future?
We do not expect to go to total virtual conferencing but do plan to make video access available after the event.
Are you exploring the possibility, or have you already held, a “hybrid” meeting (meetings that combine live events with an Internet/digital component? If so, what are your observations?
We are exploring the possibility of hybrids, but as of now are not scheduled to go that route except for some committee meetings.
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?
Our conferences have always had full day programs with all social events in the evenings.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
Except for cutting a half-day from our June conference, everything else has remained the same.
Have you offered, or do you think you will offer, a CSR (corporate social responsibility) component to your meetings?
Since we do not deal with the corporate world, no.
Are sustainable (green) meetings something your organization has moved toward? If not, do you expect to implement more-sustainable meetings in the future?
We are moving in that direction a bit at a time. We insist upon recycling and other "green" ideas.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced more, or less, strictly recently?
Attrition had never been a problem until the last year. We are now building into the contracts the right to modify the room block up or down based on the previous two years' conference actual room pickup one year out from the contract dates.
Do you feel the pendulum is swinging back to being a seller’s market?
Not yet. We still find that hotels are anxious to get business booked in advance and are willing to negotiate to accomplish that.
Do you find that you had much more leverage on room rates during the last year?
Haven't noticed much of a change from previous years.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
We are just beginning to experiment. Our market is fairly closed so we haven't had to use "broadcast" methods.
Have you planned more meetings closer to your organization’s headquarters (“drive-to” meetings) recently?
No. Our audience is national (U.S. and Canada) in scope, so moving closer to the HQ has no positive effect.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago?
Until the economy begins to show some very positive signs, we will remain less optimistic.
How do you think 2012 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?
Since we are working on our 2014 sites, we don't expect any impact on our 2012 costs. Overall, however, we think that 2012 F&B prices will be higher, as will service charges, etc. I think the service charges, which are now approaching 25% in many areas, have just about reached the maximum that organizations will be willing to pay, since that effectively raises the cost of already high F&B prices substantially
