A survey of 60 economists with the Wall Street Journal recently forecasted that the U.S. economy is poised for rebound this year. The survey also offered an optimistic outlook for 2007.

"This bodes well for the conference and meetings industry," says Jeff Weggeman, vice president of sales and marketing for ARAMARK Harrison Lodging (AHL), a leading provider of professional services at conference centers within the U.S.

"Bookings are stretching out from two to four months in advance instead of one or two months out; that is always a sign that the economy and meetings market is getting better."

According to Weggeman, meeting planners today are choosing venues that offer one point of contact that caters to their individual needs, he said.

They want conferences that have modern facilities, scrumptious dining, excellent customer service, and nearby attractions to make their experience more enjoyable and productive.

Weggeman also said the hotel sector is still strong and with occupancy rates still on the rise, conference centers are going to have to take a holistic approach to keeping clients; and satisfying individual customer needs.

Dedicated conference planners at facilities are going to be essential to exceeding customer expectations.

Weggeman suggests other interesting trends for 2007:

·         While the hotel business is strong, it's going to cool down from 2006 and hotels are going to look to the meeting business to keep profits on the rise; that means pure conference centers need to get creative to stay competitive.

·         Training is in demand, especially with Asian companies hiring more and more individuals from the U.S.; and a larger number of baby boomers who are set to retire. Conference centers have the opportunity to further tap into the training and succession planning business to help grow revenue.

·         Online third-party entities are trying to become a one-stop shopping center for meeting planners; conference centers will need to incorporate these outside businesses into their sales repertoire to stay on top of the market. AHL takes a "hybrid approach" in working with these third-party entities.

• Technology is going to continue to be an important factor in the meetings industry, and conference centers need to continue to offer state-of-the-art meeting technologies. The Babson Executive Conference Center, for example, is one such center that offers advanced technology including simultaneous translation services.