Successful Meetings - June 2008 - (Page 12)

News & Analysis > Industry Trends ation that’s part of the privately ing budgets in check is by workowned nationwide Farm Credit ing less with DMCs. “With shortSUPPLIERS STAND FIRM System. Planner Lynn Cacella, er meetings, there’s less of a How have your dealings with suppliers changed? the group’s vice president of need for special events,” she There has been 31.5% marketing, has seen both fewer says. Or, she’ll go directly to a no change 30.3% meetings this year and cutbacks transportation provider, rather on the remaining meetings. than a DMC, when possible. 28.4% It is harder to negotiate rates In the past, she says, Farm What she hasn’t noticed yet 32.0% Credit hosted about three netis any change in her interactions They have become 19.1% working meetings a year; this with hotels and other suppliers. less flexible and need 18.5% more commitment year there will likely be only one. That’s in line with the experiThey have become 13.6% Similarly, Farm Credit cut the ences of 31 percent of planners more flexible to garner more business 13.5% budget significantly for its annual who say there has been no meeting. “Traditionally, we’ve change in their dealings. Nearly It is easier to 3.7% negotiate rates held our meeting at upscale venhalf (49 percent) say that it’s 5.1% Corporate Planners ues, such as a hotel or country either harder to negotiate rates Association 3.7% Other Planners club, with door prizes and some now or that suppliers have 0.6% other extravagances,” she says. become less flexible and need “But this year, we took over a more commitment. Only 13.5 Carrabba’s restaurant. It worked percent say suppliers have SOURCE: MEETINGNEWS SURVEY OF 340 MEETING PLANNERS out very well, but from a cost become more flexible, but Crum stringent industry-specific guidelines. standpoint, it’s the least we’ve spent in says that with the softening market, For 2009, her company is projecting at least a decade.” she expects to have more negotiating fewer meetings. But she has noticed that attenpower toward the end of 2008 and Another way her company is holddance is actually up. “We’re trying to through 2009. —Irene Korn figure it out,” says Cacella. “Maybe it’s because people are slower in their own businesses, so they have more time. Maybe the networking aspect is more critical for them right now.” In the pharmaceutical and medical fields, Dawn Crum, account executive at third-party meeting planning company VMS, based in Indianapolis, says that this year the volume of meetings has remained steady, but many have been shortened and have had shorter planning lead times. She attributes this partly to the economy and partly to other constraints, such as increasingly Calendar June 11-12 HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International) Affordable Meetings West, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA (914) 421-3206 www.affordablemeetings.com June 11-14 SGMP (Society of Government Meeting Professionals) 2008 Annual Education Conference, Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, TX (703) 549-0892 www.sgmp.org June 21-24 HCEA (Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association) 2008 Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT (404) 252-3663 www.hcea.org June 25 DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International) Destinations Showcase, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL (202) 296-7888 www.destinationmarketing.org Preview the entirely new Williamsburg Lodge at ColonialWilliamsburgMeetings.com 323 Guest Rooms • 45,000-square-foot Conference Center 20,000-square-foot New Spa • 45 Holes of Golf Williamsburg, Virginia • 1-800-822-9127 • (757) 220-7600 The Mid-Atlantic’s Premier Destination is on Your Desktop © 2008 The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation http://www.affordablemeetings.com http://www.sgmp.org http://www.hcea.org http://www.destinationmarketing.org http://ColonialWilliamsburgMeetings.com http://ColonialWilliamsburgMeetings.com

Table of Contents 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

Successful Meetings - June 2008