Dr. Charles Chambliss, JD
The Management and Policy Institute
Raleigh, N.C.
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?
Booking window is the same and we have not found it more difficult to book in the instances that rooms were needed in a relatively short timeframe.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding?
The durations of our primary meetings are actually expanding because of internal requirements which have not been impacted by the market.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding?
The attendance is expanding in at least two organizations because of the growth in membership and remaining the same in others because the membership remains stable.
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?
The budget increased in at least one instance because of a 100th-year celebtration. In others it has remained the same.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2012?
I expect the budget to return to normal levels.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2012?
Attendance will continue to increase.
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?
The referenced meetings are rarely if ever held at luxury hotels but there are no objections to the properties which we recommend.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
Typically we do not recommend luxury- or resort-type hotels.
Have you planned, or do you expect to plan, virtual/videoconference meetings? Do you expect to see more virtual meetings in the future?
We have recommended virtual/video conference formats and hybrid formats but so far neither has met with approval.
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?
In our primary events we follow essentially the same format.
Have you offered, or do you think you will offer, a CSR (corporate social responsibility) component to your meetings?
CSR has been an essential element of our clients for decades.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced more, or less, strictly recently?
Attrition clauses are more difficult to eliminate during negotiations and enforcement is more strict.
Do you find that you had much more leverage on room rates during the last year?
Unfortunately, a couple of clients delayed making the requests as early as they had in the past and experienced some difficulties with rates and attrition issues as well.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago?
Neutral--related to primary clients.
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?
I expect that costs will escalate but our budget will remain the same on most events. I expect attendance to remain stable.
