Meeting News - August 11, 2008 - (Page 52)

chapter 3 2008 meeting planners handbook in-person experience. Placing a high value on in-person meetings is a challenge, given the hectic nature of our working lives. But carving a little time away from our desks can be infinitely more meaningful and maybe a lot more fun. If you often or always use CVBs, what do you like most about doing so? They suggest local venues and ideas I would not have known about otherwise 71.4% Other 3.2% Corporate Planners Collaborating with CVBs For Event Success At the conclusion of an event last year, I shared a cab to the airport with one of our meeting planner attendees. During the trip, the planner confessed a moment of enlightenment: She never thought to utilize the services of a CVB prior to meeting with one at our boutique trade show. I was certainly surprised to hear this, especially since I work closely with CVBs for every event I plan. Yet, many of my peers have limited awareness of these organizations’ wide-ranging capabilities and, instead, rely on individual hotels for services and information. A recent MeetingNews survey confirms this phenomenon. Of 433 meeting professionals surveyed, less than one-third often or always contact CVBs when planning their meetings. Of those planners who do utilize CVBs, all appreciate their assistance with meetings tasks. Below are just a few ways CVBs can help ease the planning process: q Suggest local venues, tours, and vendors the planner wouldn’t know about otherwise. q Assist with availability and rates at meetings hotels and event venues. q Provide helpful marketing and promotional services. q Send RFPs to suppliers that best match a group’s needs. q Act as a liaison between the group and potential facilities. Speaking from experience, CVBs are truly a planner’s partner. They can help me with availability and rates at hotels/event venues 20.6% They can provide helpful marketing and promotional services 4.8% Association Planners They suggest local venues and ideas I would not have known about otherwise 48.6% They can help me with availability and rates at hotels/event venues 21.4% They can provide helpful marketing and promotional services 14.3% Other 15.7% Source: MeetingNews survey of 433 meeting planners Which of these best describes your organization’s program for tracking total meeting/event spending? Corporate Planners Know What Your Meetings Are Worth If there’s one single topic that gets meeting planners buzzing, it’s how best to measure the effectiveness and value of meetings, conferences, and conventions. After all, organizing an event that is meaningful to attendees—and satisfies company objectives—is the crux of what we do and why we do it. I’m confronted daily with some aspect of meetings measurement. It weighs most heavily, however, a few days after our Successful Meetings University events—when my inbox fills with postevent surveys from attendees and exhibitors. While countless innovations are borne from these surveys (it’s integral to know what we did right and what we didn’t), I often wonder if calculating an accurate return on investment for our events—or any meeting, for that matter—is truly possible. And if it is, am I doing everything in my power to ensure that our meetings meet every objective every time? We all know that meetings play a significant role in business. Learning how to better calculate the merits of meetings can only lead to increased credibility. Isn’t that invaluable? Excellent 40.4% Good 33.6% Fair Poor 7.6% 18.4% Association Planners Excellent 54.8% Good 28.7% Poor Fair 5.2%11.3% Source: MeetingNews survey of 338 meeting planners 52 MeetingNews August 11, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - August 11, 2008

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