Green & Social Responsibility: The Year that Was in Meetings November 07, 2008 There's buzz in the industry about incorporating social responsibility and green initiatives--as well as co-locating (holding similar meetings simultaneously in one venue)--into events. But are these trends driving meetings, or are we paying lip service (and printing ink) to fads that aren't significantly impacting business? MeetingNews heard from 502 corporate, association, and independent meeting planners, who weighed in on these subjects. The result?
Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun, In Team-Building or Parties October 20, 2008 Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve--or if you're a neo-pagan, Samhain--has become increasingly popular among meeting and corporate event planners at companies that now view the once-traditional Christmas party as too controversial. With office holiday parties moved up to the 31st of October, candy corn replaces candy canes, and everybody should be happy.
2009 Industry Outlook October 14, 2008 Just as MeetingNews' latest meeting planners survey showing a surprisingly resilient outlook for 2009 came in, the financial market crisis seemed to catch many by surprise and raised fears of a deepened and prolonged meetings slump.
State of International Meetings: It's All About the Market September 30, 2008 Are meeting planners really keeping events closer to home and eschewing non-U.S. events in the face of a bad economy, chaotic airline travel, and dismal exchange rates? In MeetingNews' latest survey of 601 subscribers, 46 percent of respondents are planning international events for their companies and organizations. Among those planning international events, the average number of non-U.S. meetings per year is 3.7, with most respondents saying they plan two such events a year.
Thy Neighbor's Planner September 30, 2008 If you ask meeting planners (as we did) if they have ever scheduled meetings over a religious or significant secular holiday, the majority would say "never." But does that really mean never? Or does it mean "never--if I can help it"?
Are There Enough Planners In The Pipeline? August 18, 2008 "Where do you see yourself in five years?" It's the quintessential interview question, and in MeetingNews' most recent survey, we asked that question, and others, and found that most meeting planners--corporate, association, and independent--are in it for the long haul. Nearly all planners saw themselves in their jobs in a year's time; and 81 percent saw themselves remaining as planners in five years' time. And nearly half (49 percent) saw themselves in their planning role in 10 years' time.
Finding the Time for Time Off Is a Challenge for Planners July 21, 2008 Planners' jobs not only involve a great deal of business travel, they also entitle them to generous vacation benefits. In MeetingNews' recent survey of 310 meeting professionals, respondents reported an average of 23 annual vacation days, far greater than the national average of 14 days. But their heavy work travel schedules prevent them from taking a lot of vacation time, and they usually check in with the office while away on break.
Meeting planners say that no two days on their jobs are alike July 14, 2008 There might be no such thing as an "average day" in the life of a meeting planner, but the latest MeetingNews survey of 335 planners confirmed that the average planner is performing a wide range of tasks in any given day.
State of the Industry 2008: It's All About You June 16, 2008 Who are today's meeting planners, and what's important to them? That's what MeetingNews set out to find in its latest survey of more than 300 professionals. We guarantee plenty of surprises. Turn to page 36 for in-depth reports on industry trends planners face.
Slowing economy takes its toll on meeting programs May 19, 2008 With the softening economy making the news every day, it's no surprise that the latest MeetingNews survey of 344 corporate and association meeting planners showed that a majority of planners are now having their budgets slashed. Corporate planners are feeling the sting slightly more than association planners: 66 percent of the corporate planners polled said their budgets have already been reduced, versus 52.5 percent among association planners.
Food and beverage events getting costlier & more complex May 05, 2008 With a weakening economy, the pressure on planners to stretch their budgets in all areas of meeting planning has intensified, and with food and beverage playing such a large role in events, the impact is undeniable. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the almost 400 planners who took part in a recent MeetingNews survey on the topic said that creating successful F&B events has become more of a challenge in the past year.
Planners are loud and clear on internal speaker sourcing April 21, 2008 The latest MeetingNews survey shows that many meeting planners are sourcing speakers from within their organizations and industries in lieu of outside professionals and those represented by speaker bureaus. The two biggest reasons cited in the 315-planner study are a desire to find experts who can educate on industry-specific issues and cost savings.
Call for strategic vision by planners at a critical time April 07, 2008 Given the state of the economy, it's no surprise that so many planners responding to the latest MeetingNews survey cited managing budgets and controlling costs as the most complex issue they're facing. Unfortunately, the increased complexity of planners' jobs goes well beyond that. Organizing programs on shorter lead times, improving the quality of meeting content, and managing executives' expectations were the other most cited issues that planners find harder to handle these days.
Resourceful planners find ways to deal with oil price hikes March 25, 2008 Meeting planners are feeling the pressure as oil prices recently crossed the $100-per-barrel threshold. In a survey of 387 meeting professionals conducted by MeetingNews, more than two-thirds reported adverse impact on their programs. More than half of these planners have taken specific steps to reduce their meetings' oil and fuel consumption.
Convention centers in smaller cities give planners choices March 11, 2008 From coast to coast, a wave of new convention centers have opened in mid-tier cities across the United States in the last five years, giving planners more options and more bargaining power in their meeting negotiations. In the latest MeetingNews survey of over 300 corporate and association meeting planners, 48 percent of respondents who use convention centers said they are considering many more cities now than in the past.
Complete meeting packages still get lukewarm attention February 26, 2008 According to the latest MeetingNews survey of roughly 330 meeting planners, the complete meeting package (CMP) is still a pricing plan few of them tap. Non-supporters cited high costs, extra charges, hidden fees, and limited services and options as the reasons why they do not use bundled packages.
Planners prep their counterstrikes on rising room prices February 11, 2008 As many industry forecasts have predicted, meeting planners are experiencing rising hotel room costs this year, according to the latest MeetingNews survey of 250-plus respondents.
Not Everyone Is Going Green February 04, 2008 The shift to green practices in the meetings industry has undoubtedly been occurring over the past year. But a recent straw poll on meetingnews.com shows the trend is still finding its running legs.
Border rules rewrite international planning perspectives January 08, 2008 Word from the front lines indicates that a shift is happening in how destinations are chosen and what is demanded of the meeting planner when trying to balance an increasingly global meetings environment with new regulations.
Marketing events growing in prominence for planners December 17, 2007 Marketing and customer events are now a big part of the regular duties of planners, according to a MeetingNews survey. More than 77 percent of 333 responding planners said they have at least some responsibility in coordinating these functions, although for some it's a new task: 16 percent said this responsibility has been conferred upon them only recently.
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