The International Association of Conference Centers conducted a series of customer roundtables designed to gather direct feedback from customers and potential customers of IACC conference centers.
According to Tom Cappucci, President, IACC Americas, “The primary purpose of the project was to expand and strengthen the conference center concept which continues to differentiate IACC members from traditional hotels and meeting venues. The focus was on what was important to IACC customers in providing an exceptional meeting environment.”
The market research program took place earlier in the year throughout the US and Canada. The customer roundtables took place at nine IACC-member properties in the US and Canada.
The valuable information gathered at the roundtables provided IACC with important data that will allow us to continue to make sure our Universal Criteria continue to evolve and serve our members in their effort to provide an exceptional meeting experience.
According to Leslie Vanderzwet (General Manager of Conferences at The Banff Centre) and Eric Whiston (Director of Sales & Marketing, The National Conference Center), Chairs of the IACC Marketing Committee, the key objectives of the roundtables were to:
- Expand / strengthen awareness of the conference center concept
- Get direct feedback from customers to ensure that the IACC Universal Criteria are current, relevant and on target.
- Generate usable market intelligence to share with member properties
- Generate quantifiable data
A total of 105 customers participated in the roundtables.
Customer participants were provided a deck of 57 cards, each of which had one component of an “ideal meeting,” in eight general areas: Business Services; F&B; Financial; Guest Room; Meeting Room; Meeting Amenities; Technology; and Other.
Groups evaluated and ranked all the 57 components in terms of their importance to the ideal meeting. The facilitator then displayed a spreadsheet with the collective ranking of all components which fueled a discussion the ideal meeting environment.
Results of the roundtables revealed what customers thought were the most important items in the Complete Meeting Package.
Highest ranked items:
9.8 Food & Beverage Customize menus for special dietary requirements
9.7 Meeting Room Unobstructed views in meeting rooms – no pillars
9.7 Technology At least one complimentary high-speed Internet connection
9.6 Technology Skilled on-site AV/IT technicians
9.6 Guestroom Wireless high-speed Internet access
9.6 Meeting Room Acoustically rated walls to eliminate sound distraction
9.5 Technology At least one LCD projector
9.5 Business Services A single point of contact/one-stop-shop Conference Manager
9.5 Financial East-to-read, one-page invoice
9.3 Meeting Room Individually controlled meeting room climate control
According to Eric Whitson, Director of Sales & Marketing at The National Conference Center, “we are absorbing this important information and will be using it as a baseline as we host subsequent customer roundtables in 2010 and beyond."
"This will allow IACC to keep a pulse on trends and shifting priorities among our customers and help ensure IACC and its members stay ahead of the curve as it relates to anticipating and exceeding the needs of the conference market.”
