Successful Meetings - June 2008 - (Page 26)

Planner’s Workshop erty. Instead, “They will click on 12 properties and see who gets back to them fastest,” says Brown. In some corporations, buyers are required by their procurement policy to solicit a minimum number of bids for SOX compliance. To accommodate this shift, Brown implemented fastresponse sales tactics using BlackBerrys for the sales team and a Webbased channel management solution. A sales lead is automatically routed to the right salesperson, by region or account. If that person does not respond within 30 minutes, the inquiry is routed to the director of sales, and, if there’s still no response, the call goes directly to the chief operating officer. Brown also conducted a beta test of a three-way interface that connected the hotel’s property management, sales and catering, and online reservations systems, so Town and Country can quickly respond to meeting planners with accurate availability. Embracing new technological advancements and procurement practices will make meeting planners increasingly essential to the success of their companies and more visible to upper management. Tech-friendly planners will also add value to suppliers who are riding the same trends toward cost containment and policy controls for SOX compliance, and who are also using online technology to help deliver the best possible return on meetings investment to the planner’s executive team. > Pre-Event Barter Your Way to Better Meetings By Don Mardak Meeting and incentive businesses can utilize barter to boost sales production. It’s easy, it’s smart, and it works like a charm. Savvy meeting and incentive professionals are discovering that bartering is a great vehicle for moving excess space, attracting new customers, and generating barter dollars that can be used for advertising and other business expenses. exchange. 2. In return, the business receives a trade credit based on the dollar value of the item or service offered. 3. It can then use those trade credits to “purchase” goods or services offered by other members. As a result, that business is paired with a rich, varied network of actively bartering businesses. HOW IT WORKS In its simplest form, bartering involves an equal trade. One business swaps an item or service for another. And through professional barter exchanges—where members pay a commission fee for goods or services traded—more complex trades are possible. Here’s how a barter transaction is completed: 1. A business lists an item or service for trade through the barter mimegasite.com WHAT TRADING CAN DO FOR YOU Bartering enables meeting and incentive businesses to trade for the goods and services they need. Trading downtime or excess inventory is a particularly good way to accumulate barter credits. If you happen to have excess inventory, you can liquidate the merchandise for a reduced profit. Or, as an alternative, you can trade that merchandise through a barter exchange— and often receive trade credit for its JUNE 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS Marty Denning is the director of business development at Newmarket International, a sales, group catering, and event software solutions company for the global hospitality and entertainment industries, based in Portsmouth, NH. He is an industry expert and frequent speaker on groups and meetings, travel technology, travel distribution, and online travel. Marty may be reached at (603) 430-6718, or via e-mail at mdenning@newmarketinc.com. 26 http://mimegasite.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - June 2008

Successful Meetings - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Industry Trends Events Suppliers Associations Planner Spotlight: Kelly Broz Technology Talk Food & Beverage Websites of the Month Pre-Event: Tech Pre-Event: Bartering Tools of the Trade Dialing for Dollars The All-in-One Resort Bottom-Line Speakers Places & Spaces Florida’s West Coast Mississippi Atlanta Wisconsin Chicago Gurus Enjoy California Hawaii Handbook Las Vegas Night & Day

Successful Meetings - June 2008

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