Megan Higgins, CMP
Meeting Consultant/Planner
Site Solutions Worldwide
Albany, N.Y.
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?
Recently, I would say it’s staying about the same as it was in early 2011. The booking window is still shorter than in years past. It definitely makes our jobs harder to plan and market the events if we are booking annual events with less than 15 months to plan.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding?
The duration is shrinking again to accommodate people’s busy schedules and deteriorating airlift to the second-tier cities. Everyone is trying to do more with less time.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding?
The attendance at our meetings is expanding. More people are seeking education and professional development to help make changes in their careers they were unable to the last few years. I predict it will soon be back to pre-2009 attendance records.
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?
I have had a slightly smaller budget to work with most clients. Clients are still in the habit of trying to squeeze out every penny possible, all while cutting back on the unnecessary spending (which has hurt some of our suppliers/vendors).
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2012?
I expect the meeting budgets to increase in 2012 as long as attendance records continue to increase so that profit margins can be better.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2012?
I expect attendance to continue to slowly increase in 2012.
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?
No.
Are there any destinations or facility types that are considered “off-limits” due to perception problems or the current economic climate?
Destinations that require significant travel budgets like Hawaii or certain international destinations are still avoided due to the budget more than perception. Government meetings primarily avoid these due to perception.
Have you planned, or do you expect to plan, virtual/videoconference meetings? Do you expect to see more virtual meetings in the future?
Our clients are becoming increasingly aware of these solutions and would like to start by exploring hybrid before virtual can be adopted.
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?
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?
More educational sessions provide ROI for the participant to justify attendance to their employer. This has definitely cut into the networking time and entertainment budgets. This is a trend that will continue in the near future.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
Less activities, like networking and social/spouse programs. Participants are being expected to make their own arrangements or use the social media tools to engage with other participants.
Have you offered, or do you think you will offer, a CSR (corporate social responsibility) component to your meetings?
Corporate clients are becoming increasingly aware of and utilizing CSR, but association and government meetings have the furthest to go in proving why CSR should be a part of their meetings to stakeholders.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook--the industry thought-leaders are telling us this is the next market. Personalized communication is replacing cold calling.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago?
More optimistic due to more meetings being booked, budgets staying flat, and increasing attendance. Once the people come, the money always follows.
