More than 85 percent of meeting planners attending the Ninth Annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International's (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings Mid-America Conference & Exposition at Chicago's Navy Pier, April 1-2, 2009, stated that customer service is the deciding factor in the current economy when selecting an event location.
Planners are working with smaller budgets this year but are not willing to sacrifice good customer service to save money when selecting a venue, according to the conference's pre-show survey, conducted by J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. and independently analyzed by 20|20 Assessment - a service of HVS.
"The economic downturn, in part, is motivating meeting planners to focus on best practices that promote efficiency in their own operations and to seek out venues that offer tremendous value to their clients and, most importantly, deliver guest experiences with 'staying power' -- that is, venues that spotlight customer service," said Dr. James Houran, President of 20|20 Assessment.
Planners said that hotels and resorts (70.4 percent) are one of the top five vendors they will be seeking at Affordable Meetings Mid-America. Others are in need of alternate venues (60.3 percent), promotional items (53.4 percent), CVB's (42.9 percent) and event planning software (42.3 percent).
"Planners are trying to get more for the money spent," said one respondent. "We have to make a bigger impact on a meeting with a smaller budget compared to past years. Everyone is much more cost-conscious."
The majority of respondents cite the economy as the culprit for smaller budgets and anticipate moderate event sizes between 100 and 1,000 for 2009. Technology will continue to be a top priority in 2009 with 70 percent of planners reporting an increase in technology use in meetings management and marketing.
The Ninth Annual Affordable Meetings Mid-America features an "Event Technology Expo" Preview in the exhibit hall and incorporates ETE educational sessions into the conference program. The conference program is also expanded this year with topics relevant to today's meeting planner. A new session, called "Meetings Mean Business: How Meetings Can Help Your Organization Thrive in a Recession," will provide planners with the resources to promote and defend the value of face-to-face meetings.
More than 1,000 attendees, representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors and the balance from government, non-profit, education, religious and medical/health care organizations, trade show management and the military, are expected to visit HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Mid-America 2009 show. Attendance at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Mid-America is free-of-charge for qualified meeting planners.
For more information, visit HSMAI
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