You've already got next year's budget in hand. There's a good chance that it's smaller than last year's, and that "extravagant" is not a word that describes your planning documents. But while you're looking for budget-conscious ways to deliver quality meetings and incentive trips to your organization, event planners at some of the world's great resorts and hotels are looking at calendars — and multimillion-dollar facilities, many of them brand new or recently upgraded — that need filling. So what can you expect to see from those luxury properties that hope to attract your business? What can you expect to hear from your company as it justifies a major expense in a shaky economy? And what will you hear from potential attendees when the invitations go out? Here are four trends to look for in 2009 — and beyond.
Customer Service
Venues will be killing you with kindness — and amenities, and other pleasantries. It's not that properties weren't grateful for meeting business before, but as fewer events grace the ballrooms, they'll have more time to tend to attendees' every need. Rates may not go down much, but it will be easier to negotiate little things, like a free bottomless pot of coffee and a tray of cookies in the convention office to go with the attendee break station you're already paying for. When a host staff can wow you with a random act of kindness — especially one that positively affects your budget — they'll get your attention, and perhaps your repeat business.
Carbon Footprint
Waste is waste, in money or materials. It's no longer enough to recycle the name tags, or give everyone a zip drive of the proceedings instead of printed materials. Potential attendees are paying attention to the environmental impact of everything from fl ights to ground services to on-site recycling. Many hotels have already gone green, and meeting planners need to market these efforts to help conscientious objectors justify business travel. You'd be surprised how important something as simple as a break-station recycling bin can be.
Quality Rules
Gone are the days of "Where's the next company-paid-vacation — I mean meeting — I can escape to?" Instead, it's "How much overtime will it take to make up for this?" Staffs are slim and trim now, and there's no one back at the office to take over the jobs of your attendees. To promote maximum attendance, planners need to make sure that meeting content is new and creative enough to justify the time away, and then aggressively market the event's purpose and value to potential attendees.
Travel Costs
Are you putting your people on jumbo jets? Small commuters? Trains, buses, taxis? How many nights do you expect them to be away from home? Does this event run into a weekend or holiday that will affect their families? As careers become more demanding, people are more protective of their personal time, and as airline travel becomes an ever greater hassle, the excitement of far-flung travel becomes just another commute. Choose your destinations wisely, keeping in mind that the where and what of the event must be worth the time and effort it takes to get there.
Although no one is sure exactly where the meetings industry is headed, there is a clear and sustainable path for the coming years. You'll be creating events that are shorter in duration and held closer to home, that cut to the chase in content and demonstrate more value and a social conscience. In short, you'll be doing exactly what you've always done: creating a perfect event for the times, even when the times are changing.
Terry Matthews-Lombardo, CMP, has been active in the hospitality industry as both planner and supplier for more than 30 years. She was a founder and president of her local MPI chapter and is a frequent speaker at industry gatherings.
