Robert Wilson, Sales Director, Otsego Club and Resort, Gaylord, Mich.
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?
I am finding it harder to book a meeting and event lately.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
Kinda staying the same because we have three new event centers that have just opened in our area.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
Same answer as above
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?
Equal budget of last year.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2017?
Depends on bookings; may decrease.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2017?
Stay about the same.
Are perception problems (meeting at luxurious properties, resort destinations, etc.) a great concern for your organization? Do you expect any perception problems in 2017?
Yes.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
More, and trying to get more people involved in teambuilding.
What are your thoughts on the use of drones at meetings? Have you considered this?
No.
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?
I have great leverage on rates; we have our own hotels.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Yes. We have a department that is doing those and they use a lot of different ones.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago? Why?
Less for the meetings, and bookings have been very light.
