Jackie Cassarly, CMP
President
Planning Connection, Inc.
Gainesville, Fla.
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?
My niche is annual association meetings. Most of them plan two or more years out.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding?
The duration of the meetings is constant as they book well in advance.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding?
Attendance lowered a few years ago but has remained constant since then. Attendees are university based or federal based. As budgets shrink, attendees have to choose which annual meetings are a must attend.
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 fluctuates depending on exhibits and sponsorship. Over the last two years, there have been less sponsors. However, there has been an increase in the amount of sponsorship from companies.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2012?
The budget will stay the same. Membership should remain the same or higher. Efforts will be made to use social media to attract new members.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2012?
Social media will be used to increase attendance at the 2012 meeting.
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?
Luxury properties and resort destinations are not in the budget
Have you planned, or do you expect to plan, virtual/videoconference meetings? Do you expect to see more virtual meetings in the future?
Virtual/video conference meetings have not been used and I don't expect to use them in the future.
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?
Annual meetings have remained constant. Social time is reviewed every year to optimize the attendees’ time and benefit.
Are sustainable (green) meetings something your organization has moved toward? If not, do you expect to implement more-sustainable meetings in the future?
Steps are taken every year to make the meeting more sustainable. Bottled water is not offered; instead water stations are available. Recycle receptacles are placed around the meeting area. With tablets being so prominent in technology, the proceedings book and program are being offered online.
Do you feel the pendulum is swinging back to being a seller’s market?
No, I do not think it has swung to a seller's market just yet. Low rates are still available even for a meeting four years out.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Planning Connection uses Facebook and Twitter, mostly. Plans to assist associations with these media are in progress.
Have you planned more meetings closer to your organization’s headquarters (“drive-to” meetings) recently?
No.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago?
I believe meetings are important and necessary for information, networking and socializing. Face-to-face meetings will always be strong.
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?
What I find concerning is service charges raising higher and higher. It is becoming unaffordable to provide food at meetings. Food costs are already high, then add service charge and high taxes, the cost becomes prohibitive. Also, less hotel staff affects the overall meeting
