Lexy Olisko, CEM, CMP, Director of Conferences, Speciality Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), Fairfax, Va.
Do you find that your booking window (the time between starting the process of researching and booking a meeting and the actual event) is increasing or shrinking? Are you finding it harder to book rooms/meeting space in a short timeframe at hotels and other meeting facilities?
Our booking window is increasing as the needs of our show are expanding so the pool of applicable venues is smaller.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
The core dates of our show are staying the same but we are expanding our ancillary events. This is in response to the needs and requests of our attendees and exhibitors.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
The attendance at our show is growing (or remaining stable) depending upon the year.
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?
Our budget increases depending upon the location and needs of the Expo, but on average the budget remains consistent for the same things year to year.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2017?
The budget for 2017 will remain about the same or slightly less in 2017 due to the change of location for the event.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2017?
We would expect the attendance for the 2017 event to remain constant
Are perception problems (meeting at luxurious properties, resort destinations, etc.) a great concern for your organization? Do you expect any perception problems in 2017?
We anticipate some slight perception problems for the location for 2017 as our 2016 location was our most popular for our audience.
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 not currently taking part in a hybrid event for our Expo. It is something we may choose to explore 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?
We are scheduling more sessions per day but they are during the day so that evenings are open for events that are more social in nature.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
We are not currently changing the activities offered during our event.
Have you offered, or do you think you will offer, a CSR (corporate social responsibility) component to your meetings?
We currently offer sustainability education with our Expo but nothing geared specifically to corporate social responsibility
What are your thoughts on the use of drones at meetings? Have you considered this?
We have utilized drones in the past for capturing video footage of our event. We do not use them to a great extent currently.
Are sustainable (green) meetings something your organization has moved toward? If not, do you expect to implement more-sustainable meetings in the future?
Since we educate and promote sustainable practices to our membership. We strive to take sustainable actions in relation to our own events and look at expanding those actions in the future.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced more or less strictly recently? Can you share any comments/observations about this?
Due to the nature of our event we are fortunate in that we do not experience a great deal of attrition clauses, but it does seem like attrition clauses overall in the industry are being enforced more strictly than in the past.
How important is Internet bandwidth to your programs (i.e., Wi-Fi), and do you think hotels are being more or less flexible with their Internet bandwidth pricing? Any tips to share with your fellow planners to get free or discounted Wi-Fi for your meetings?
Internet is a commodity that has seemed very overpriced for quite a while. It does not seem like venues are being flexible with Internet pricing and it has become a point of tension between clients and venues. It seems quite silly that full-service hotels charge quite a bit for Internet and yet limited-service properties quite often give you Internet for free. Just seems backwards that you pay $100 or more for a room at a full-service hotel and yet you have to pay for everything a limited-service property gives you for free at a room rate that is much less.
Do you feel this is a buyer’s or seller’s market? Any observations on this to share?
There appears to be an increase in corporate travel and whenever this occurs it becomes a seller’s market. Associations have to have meetings every year according to their bylaws but companies do not. When the economy is bad everyone is clamoring to get association business, but when the economy turns around you are quite often told, “Well, sucks to be you. The rates and everything are going up and you just have to deal with it.” There quite often does not appear to be an environment of collaboration or loyalty to clients that were there for vendors during lean times.
Do you find that you had less leverage on room rates during the last year? What are hotels and facilities telling you when you negotiate?
Less leverage. I have walked away from properties I have dealt with in the past because their rate increases were unrealistic in my opinion. I don’t think one property being greedy should be rewarded. You can’t reward bad behavior. If the other properties in the city are working with you why should you give business to one that is bidding way above everyone else? It isn’t loyal to properties that are trying to work with you and you are setting up the one property to fail because they won’t pick up.
The feedback we are receiving from hotels is that business is back so they are increasing their rates exponentially due to demand.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
We use them (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) for promoting our event but we do not use them operationally for the logistics of putting on the event.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago? Why?
I would say my optimism has increased. People seem to be going to meetings more now than in previous years. I think people realize there is only so much you can accomplish online and having that face to face interaction is irreplaceable.
How do you think 2017 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? Why?
I think due to the increase in demand for meetings and events that costs will continue to rise along with attendance. I know our attendance will increase or remain the same for this year.
What other trends are you seeing in the meetings world, such as changing attendee demographics (i.e., Millennials), or any other trends that are impacting your programs?
I think there is a definite increase in Millennials in the industry, but that is to be expected. As you have more people entering the work force and more retiring out you are going to see a shift in the demographics of your audience. As such you have to stay abreast as to what your base is looking for from your event, how they communicate, how they learn, how they network, etc.
