Joel Whitten, Sr., Meeting & Event Planner, SUBWAY Franchise World HQ, Milford, Conn.
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?
Shrinking /yes.
Is the duration of your meetings either shrinking or expanding? Why?
Staying the same.
Is the attendance at your meetings shrinking or expanding? Why?
Same.
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?
Larger: 3 percent to 5 percent.
Do you expect your budget to increase or decrease in 2017?
Increase.
Do you expect your attendance to increase or decrease in 2017?
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?
No.
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?
Yes and no.
Are you incorporating more, or less, activities into your agenda? If so, what types of activities are being added or cut?
More; no cuts.
Have you offered, or do you think you will offer, a CSR (corporate social responsibility) component to your meetings?
Somewhat.
What are your thoughts on the use of drones at meetings? Have you considered this?
No.
Are sustainable (green) meetings something your organization has moved toward? If not, do you expect to implement more-sustainable meetings in the future?
Yes.
Are you finding that attrition clauses are being enforced more or less strictly recently? Can you share any comments/observations about this?
Same as past few years.
Do you feel this is a buyer’s or seller’s market? Any observations on this to share?
Seller’s for sure; it has been for a few years.
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?
Yes, less rooms come with more spending required in other areas.
Are you using social networking websites for business purposes? If so, which ones and why?
Yes, Twitter.
Are you more optimistic, or less, about the meetings industry and the economy than a year ago? Why?
Same.
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?
Hotels are driving expenses to a point that its make it more difficult due to higher F&B costs, ridiculous service charges, resort fees.
