Jo C. Dermid
Vice President of Graceful Tables, CPCE
Graceful Tables
Nashville, Tenn.
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?
The booking window regarding decor has shrunk dramatically, which I feel is reflective of client commitment to the planner.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding?
My perception of the duration of meetings is that most are lasting three, five days max., with some meetings being trimmed to two days.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding?
From decor perspective they seem to be shrinking
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?
Smaller: 25%.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2012?
I expect it to remain flat in 2012
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2012?
We have seen some indications that attendance may increase slightly.
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?
They continue to be a concern with decor. In the Nashville area, entertainment seems to be a priority, with food and decor coming in second and third, respectively.
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 that is happening with the meetings that we are supplying decor for.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
It seems to be less activities.
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 being asked as suppliers if we are “green” more often….and we are!
Do you feel the pendulum is swinging back to being a “seller’s” market?
I think that it is in that services are being requested rather than being cut.
Do you find that you had much more leverage on room rates during the last year?
Not my area.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Yes. Facebook, Twitter and LInkedin.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago?
More optimistic. I think that businesses are finally getting the message that meetings give high ROI. The corporate world needs to gather, motivate, share ideas and reward their employees, and that is best done through meetings!
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?
Better than 2011 with costs increasing just a little. Both budgets and attendance should increase if only 5-10%.
