Association Events

Asia's Exhibition Industry Saw Growth in 2008

Thursday, July 2, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

The exhibition industry is alive and well in Asia. According to a new report by UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, Asia's exhibition industry grew by 8.7 percent in 2008 as compared to 2007.

China led the way with 14 percent growth. More than half of the exhibition space sold in Asia last year was in fact purchased in China. Smaller destinations also showed impressive growth, such as Macau with a 69 percent increase in square feet sold, Taiwan with a 26 percent increase, and Vietnam with a 24 percent increase.

Revenue from tradeshows jumped up six percent from 2007, reaching $3.45 billion.

As I've blogged before, it's been a completely different story in the United States, where the exhibition industry saw market declines in 2008. Plus, tradeshow industry performance already saw a nearly 12 percent dropped in Q1 2009.

Although I haven't seen any similar early 2009 data for Asian markets, I have blogged about how experts believe that emerging markets, such as China, will likely be the first to see growth after the down economy. So it's very possible that Asia will continue to hold strong. Either way, it should be interesting to see what the future holds.

PCMA and ACTE Announce Strategic Alliance

Friday, June 26, 2009 by Cvent Staff

The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) have announced plans to develop a "strategic alliance." Both associations will remain independent entities, but will coordinate on joint member benefits, education and research in order to benefit their respective members and expand their brands.

"This Strategic Alliance offers our organizations the opportunity to increase the size of the pie because of the synergies that exist between us," said Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO, said in a statement. "The more we investigated this opportunity, the more we uncovered benefits for both memberships and our industry at large. The time has never been more opportune for the innovation that I think our industry needs."

This announcement follows the failed merger between ACTE and the National Business Travel Association (NBTA). The merger did not gain the approval of the required two-thirds of ACTE's board of directors.

The PCMA-ACTE alliance is not a merger, however. Rather it will "expand the education exchange that has been underway for nearly a year and offer the opportunity to co-locate
select events for the benefit of all members."

"There is a continuing convergence of travel professionals becoming responsible for meeting planning and meetings professionals being asked to manage travel," said 2009 PCMA Chairman of the Board John Folks. "In an increasingly complex and intertwined world, I only see upside to this unique alliance for everyone. It will absolutely add member value."

Members of these associations can expect to see value-added member access and pricing to each organization's benefits at regular member rates. Strategic Partners will see extended market research into new target markets.

A strong supporter of PCMA and ACTE, Cvent congratulates the two groups on the partnership!

Read more information about the PCMA-ACTE alliance.

Inside the Event: White House Annual Picnic

Friday, June 26, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

The White House South Lawn transformed into a Hawaiian luau last night at the annual congressional picnic event. Attendees, including the president, first lady and daughters Malia and Sasha as well as Vice President Joe Biden, donned leis as they gathered among tiki torches, thatched huts, potted palm trees and inflatable sharks.

Guests enjoyed a traditional luau meal, which included kalua pig, barbecue baby back ribs, and lomi lomi salmon prepared by famed chef Alan Wong, according to The Associated Press. He said that the catered meal included other picnic favorites with a twist, for example, the wasabi potato salad. Desserts included strawberry tiramisu and chocolate bars.

In addition to the first-class spread, the luau featured island entertainment provided by dance group Tihati, who preformed a blend of Polynesian and hula dancing. Also part of the fun was the dunk booth, where both White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel went under.

With the attendee list including members of the press corp and both Republicans and Democrats, you'd think it would be a rather tense crowd. However, Debbie Dingell, who attended with husband Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), felt the opposite.

"I haven't seen people just have a good time like that in a long time," she said according to The Sleuth. "And Republicans were having just as good a time as the Democrats were."

Nothing like a luau party to bring everyone together!

Nashville Selects Developers for New Convention Hotel

Friday, June 26, 2009 by Cvent Staff

Nashville Music City Center Convention Hotel

The city of Nashville and its Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency is wasting no time on getting started the new downtown Music City Center. The agency recently selected Colorado-based Phelps Development and Atlanta-based Portman Holdings as the development team for the center's 1,000-room convention hotel, according to the Nashville Business Journal.

Located adjacent to the Music City Center convention center, the 40-story hotel will be downtown's largest. The $300 million property will boast a curved design and feature glass ceilings in the entryway. It will also have 100,000 square feet of meeting space, ballrooms, restaurants and retail.

The hotel is expected to open by 2013. The convention center already has two large associations booked beginning in 2013: the American Choral Directors Association and the American Trucking Association.

Do You Use Celebrity Spokespeople to Promote Events?

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

I recently read that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is going to represent the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association. As part of this partnership, he'll be used on the CVA's website and in targeted messages to convention and meeting planners, including email campaigns sent directly to planners and print ads placed in trade publications.

This isn't the first time I've seen a famous/celebrity spokesperson working on behalf of a meeting destination. Another incidence that comes to mind is the Atlanta CVB, whose website features a celebrity video of Ludacris, Alton Brown, Shawn Mullins, Ted Turner and John Smoltz elaborating on the great things about Atlanta.

Have you ever used a celebrity spokesperson, whether it be a local news personality or famous actor, to promote your meetings and events? I think it would definitely make for great event promotion. However, in today's tough times, I'm not sure that a celebrity's approval alone would be enough to make me pay for registration. Do you think the use of a well-known name can boost event attendance?

Smoking or Non: Are Your Events Kicking the Habit?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

U.S. President Barack Obama signed a historic anti-smoking bill yesterday in the hopes that it will help the millions of Americans finally kick the habit. The new law gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco just like it regulates all the other products consumed by the public.

Among the powers provided by the bill are the ability to regulate what goes into tobacco products, make public the ingredients, ban the marketing of "light cigarettes," and prohibit marketing campaigns geared toward children.

In the hospitality world, it seems like smoking has been falling out of favor for quite a while. Marriott's U.S. and Canadian hotel properties went smoke free a few years back. Westin Hotels & Resorts implemented a brand-wide smoke free policy in 2006.

Additionally, smoking bans in restaurants and public gathering places are becoming more and more commonplace, with such bans in effect in over 20 states including New York, California, and just recently, Virginia.

It seems like they're just meeting demands. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, nearly nine out of 10 guests (89 percent) say they prefer a smoke free hotel environment. Meanwhile, health organizations such as the National Cancer Institute and American Heart Association have policies in place regarding smoke free site selection when it comes to meeting destinations.

Though it's clear that meeting venues and planners are going for smoke free events, the very high number of Americans who smoke may prefer otherwise. So I want to know your thoughts. Do your meeting attendees expect non-smoking events? Or, do you actually have to make efforts to ensure that smoking is permitted at your venues?

Looking for Great Meeting Deals and Promotions? Better Act Now, Experts Say

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Yesterday I blogged about how hotel CEOs are confident that group business, though down right now, will make a strong comeback. In the meantime, they said that today's buyer's market is the prime time for aggressive planners to secure great meeting deals.

The fact that this is the best meetings buying opportunity in years may not come as news, seeing as how just about every expert agrees that the deals to be had nowadays are unprecedented. However, what isn't stressed enough is the importance of acting now to get these deals.

"You have more flexibility if you’re talking about a meeting held between now and the end of the year," James Goldberg, association attorney for Goldberg & Associates, told MeetingsNet. "After 9/11, hotels were essentially giving away the store. If you showed up in early 2002 and said you wanted to book a meeting in 2006, hotels gave you low rates, all kinds of concessions.

"But when the market started turning around in 2004, 2005, and 2006, they were stuck with these deals they had cut three and four years earlier. This time around they are not doing that.”

If you have canceled your meetings due to budget constraints, it might be time to reevaluate. Today's deals and promotions might help you plan a meeting at a much lower cost than you'd normally expect.

And for those who have postponed meetings to a later date, perhaps in end of 2010 or beyond, it's time to seriously reconsider—these deals won't last that long. Either way don't forget that booking now can build goodwill with suppliers that will come back to benefit you in the future, even after the market has turned around.

USTA Announces the New Face of Travel

Monday, June 22, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

The U.S. Travel Association has announced the winner of its Faces of Travel Contest. Congratulations to Paco Saldaña, director of guest services at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida. He was chosen among over 16,000 participants who applied to be the spokesperson that "embodies the vitality of travel and the importance of increasing travel to and within the United States."

Born in Mexico City, Saldaña started working at the Ritz-Carlton in 1996 as a bus boy. He worked in various positions as he moved up the ranks, including banquets associate, club-level manager and housekeeping manager.

"I came to this country in search of the American dream," Saldaña said. "As an employee of Ritz-Carlton, I’ve been given the opportunity to achieve it. But, like the millions of other ladies and gentlemen working in the travel industry, these aspirations will be cut short if we continue to suffer from a downturn in the meetings business."

You can learn more about Saldaña and the Faces of Travel contest at Meetings Mean Business, or watch his video below:

Meeting Destinations: Vienna, Austria, on the Cvent Destination Guide

Friday, June 19, 2009 by Cvent Staff

Austrian capital city Vienna has a long history in hosting meetings and events. It famously hosted the Congress of Vienna peace talks in 1815, and in more recent decades has welcomed prestigious organizations such as OPEC and the United Nations. Not surprisingly, Vienna has consistently ranked at the top of the world's most popular cities for meetings list, compiled by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA).

With three world-class convention facilities, nearly 400 hotels, and a host of historic, inspiring, and memorable unique venues, Vienna deserves its meetings-friendly reputation. Explore Vienna from a meeting planner's point of view—the top meeting venues to popular area attractions for attendees to transportation details and more—at the Cvent Destination Guide.

Meetings/Travel Industry Expresses Support for New Treasury Rules on Events

Thursday, June 18, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

It looks like the industry is welcoming the U.S. Department of Treasury's new rules regarding meeting, event, incentive and travel expenses for TARP companies.

"We are pleased that after months of discussion with the Obama Administration and our industry's full-court press on the value of meetings, events and incentives, these regulations do not do any further harm to the meetings and events marketplace," U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said in response to the new guidelines, which were released last week. Even for companies not receiving TARP funds, the guidelines act as "reminder to companies everywhere that transparent and responsible board policies governing business meetings and events are more important now than ever."

The guidelines, among other things, requires that TARP companies adopt an "excessive or luxury expenditures policy" that includes "standards to ensure appropriate review and approval of potentially excessive and luxury expenditures." These expenditures could include "entertainment or events, office and facility renovations, aviation or other transportation services, and other similar items, activities or events."

The Treasury's proposed rule, which is subject to a public 60-day comment period, requires TARP beneficiaries to identify categories of expenditures that are prohibited; identify categories of expenditures that need approval; set up approval procedures; require reporting of violations to a designated person; and "mandate accountability for adherence" to the policy.

NBTA President Kevin Maguire expressed a similar sentiment as Dow in regards to the policy.

"NBTA is pleased that Treasury has pointed to travel management as a tool to contain costs and ensure efficient and effective corporate travel and practices," he said in a statement.

Hotel Venues, Especially Airport Properties, See More Meetings in a Down Economy

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

"The Meetings Market: Outlook 2009/2010," a survey conducted by the Professional Convention Management Association, American Express and the Y Partnership, has revealed some interesting information, from the cost of meetings to planners' intentions for booking events in 2009 and 2010. It also provided some pertinent data specific to meeting venues.

According to the survey, about one in 10 planners (11 percent) said they expect to increase the number of off-site meetings booked at hotels in 2009 and 2010. Airport hotel proprieties may especially benefit. One in six planners (16 percent) said they expect to use these venues more in the months ahead.

Not surprisingly, "upper upscale, "luxury" and resort venues are expected to take the biggest hit from the decline in booked meetings. About half of professional planners expect to use "upper upscale" and "luxury" properties less in 2009 and 2010. Nearly one half of planners (47 percent) expect to decrease the number of off-site meetings booked at resorts in 2009 and 2010.

If you're a planner in need of a change of venue for your upcoming meetings, make sure to check out the Cvent Supplier Network. You can search a range of venue properties, from hotels and conference centers to restaurants and museums. Plus, you can filter your search based on criteria such as distance from airport, number of sleeping rooms, and total meeting square feet.

To Book or Not to Book? Planners Are Roughly Split on Hosting Meetings in 2009/2010

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Meeting Planners Intentions Survey - PCMA

How many off-site meetings are you booking this year and next? According to a new survey of professional meeting planners conducted by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), American Express and the Y Partnership, over half of planners say they expect the total number of meetings booked/hosted in 2009 and 2010 will increase (9 percent) or stay the same (47 percent). About 44 percent they expected the number to decrease.

What's behind the decrease? Nine in 10 planners said their meeting budgets were being cut due to "general economic conditions." One-third of planners said "image/publicity/public-policy considerations" were a reason they expect to book fewer meetings in 2009 and 2010.

"The insights revealed in this survey confirm what most in the industry have assumed to be true in recent months: The economy is the primary culprit for the challenges now facing the industry," PCMA President and CEO Deborah Sexton said in a statement. "But professional planners are clearly concerned about the image issues and negative rhetoric associated with hosting meetings as well."

Read more about the survey and its findings at the PCMA website.

Cancelled Meetings Result in Billions of Lost Revenue

Friday, June 12, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Eliminating meetings, canceling conferences—how much does it all cost? Billions of dollars, according to the report "The Meetings Market: Outlook 2009/2010," conducted by the Professional Convention Management Association, American Express and the Y Partnership.

The average meeting planner expects to cancel or postpone meetings worth $560,000 in revenue in 2009 and 2010. These canceled or rebooked meetings account for an average of $81,000 per planner in penalty fees.

When considering all PCMA members and AMEX clients in addition to the survey's mix of association and corporate/incentive meeting professionals, the report projects $781 million in lost hotel room revenue and $2.5 billion in total revenue lost for destinations, hotels and meeting suppliers. That's a pretty hefty amount, considering it only represents a fraction of meeting planners.

Read more about the report's findings at MeetingsNet.

Majority of Execs Expect Declining Association Revenues

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Nearly two out of three association executives expect declining revenues in the coming months, according to the ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership's Associations and the Economy survey. About 64 percent said they expect revenue declines in the coming fiscal year, while only 11 percent expect a revenue increase.

Execs had an equally gloomy outlook on meeting revenues. Roughly 63 percent of executives at individual membership associations expect revenues from conventions, tradeshows and meetings to drop. At trade associations, 70 percent expect a decline in revenue. Over 60 percent of executives from both association areas expect to also see a decline in event sponsorships.

This is obviously an unfortunate picture for association events, especially seeing as how over the past 12 months, a greater number of executives (42 percent) said they generated more revenue from meetings than they had the previous year than those who said they generated less revenue (24 percent).

How will associations make up for a decline in revenue? Reducing staff travel was the top cost-cutting strategy, according to the survey, followed by reducing the use of outside vendors and consultants and renegotiate meeting contracts.

If you're an association planner looking to cut costs, whether in the face of lower revenues or not, make sure to check out some of my past tips for keeping your meeting attendance up, efficiently managing contact with your members, encouraging membership renewal, and making it easy to accept donations. We also list the 5 powerful tools for your next association event.

Meeting Planners Prefer Face-to-Face Networking

Monday, June 8, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Social networking sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are all the rage these days in the world of meetings and events. But when it comes to your own professional life, face-to-face is your preferred way to network.

According to recent MeetingsNews research, 85 percent of meeting planners prefer face-to-face networking, more than half through personal contacts and one-third through professional associations. Meanwhile, six percent of planners said they used social media and online communities for networking. About eight percent of the 311 planners surveyed said they do not do professional networking.

It does seem that social networking can serve to enhance in-person networking efforts.

"Once I connect with someone online, my next step is to obtain a face-to-face meeting, whenever feasible," Carrie Moore, director of business development at Northern Kentucky's METS Center, told MeetingsNews.

"Networking online has led to face-to-face networking," said planner Lisa Spegman. "Integrating all styles has allowed me to piggyback off another contact's contacts that I may have not otherwise had the opportunity to meet in person. I am very impressed with the number of contacts that I have met virtually that have led to personal and business relationships in real life."

Need a Green Conference Center? Check Out IACC's Eco-Friendly Venues

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

You already know that the International Association of Conference Centers is a trusted source for top-notch conference facilities across the nation. Now, it's also a leader in environmental awareness, thanks to its rigorous Code of Sustainability.

The code, which all IACC members are encouraged to follow, includes 59 tenets that cover the following areas:

• Education, Awareness and Public Declaration
• Waste Management
• Recycling
• Reuse
• Water Conservation
• Purchasing
• Energy Management
• Air Quality
• Food & Beverage

By signing the code, IACC members certify that their organization has agreed to sustain and support IACC's Environmental Policy; has adopted and currently adheres to at least 75 percent of the code; and willingly joins other member organizations that have signed the code in an association-wide effort to continually strive for greater sustainability.

So far, the Johnson Foundation's Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, Wisconsin, has qualified for the Platinum Tier of the code, meaning it has 100 percent of the code's practices in place. Over 20 properties have reached the Gold Tier (85 percent of practices in place) and 15 have achieved Silver Tier (75 percent of practices in place).

You can read about these properties and the IACC Code of Sustainability at the IACC website. And remember, you can browse conference centers across the United States, including all IACC-approved facilities, at Cvent's Conference Center Directory.

Does Obama Now Support Travel to Las Vegas?

Thursday, May 28, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

President Obama made headlines in February when he said, "You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime." But as I blogged earlier, just yesterday he made a trip to Sin City and stayed in a 22,000-square-foot suite at Caesars Palace. Does this mean he's changing his tune? Sort of.

The Associated Press reports that, during a speech at Nellis Air Force base, Obama said, "Washington's OK, but it's nice taking some time to talk to Americans of every walk of life outside of the nation's capital. And there's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week."

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman asked the president to endorse the city during his trip, the AP reported, and was satisfied with this comment.

"He didn't go as far as we wanted," Goodman said. "But no sense kicking a sleeping dog. After today, it's certainly over as far as I'm concerned."

Should Obama made more of an apology for his previous remark, which at the time Goodman said could "have ramifications which affect the industry as well as all of the citizens who live in Southern Nevada"? Maybe. But at this point, I'd agree with Goodman that essentially what's done is done.

Whether or not Obama's original comment impacted Las Vegas events, any retraction or apology at this point wouldn't do much. I'd rather look at it as a positive move that Obama visited Vegas and stayed in Caesars. His actions alone could be sufficient endorsement of a new attitude toward the city.

Low-Cost Airline Offers Flights to "Underserved" Destinations

Thursday, May 28, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Planning a meeting in a mid-sized U.S. city but having trouble getting your attendees in and out? JetAmerica may be able to help.

More and more meeting planners are turning to tier II meeting destinations as a means of lowering costs. However, smaller cities also present new challenges. For one, they often lack the large hub airports of larger metropolitan, and thus they are accessible by fewer flights and airlines. This is where JetAmerica may come in for your event

The Clearwater, Florida-based, low-cost airline plans to offer 34 non-stop flights a week starting July 13 at Lansing, Michigan; Melbourne-Vero Beach, Florida; South Bend, Indiana; and Toledo, Ohio to New York-Newark, New Jersey. Starting August 1, it will fly round-trip from Toledo to Minneapolis-St. Paul. Future cities under consideration for 2009 include Charleston, West Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; and St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida.

"Our goal is to fly wherever JetAmerica can offer air fares of at least 40 percent less than competitors," JetAmerica CEO John Weikle said in a statement. "The JetAmerica business model is based on flying routes to mostly secondary, underserved cities with populations of three to six million people living within 75 miles of uncongested airports that do not currently provide big jet, direct, non-stop service to key destinations."

In addition to connecting people to "underserved cities," the airline offers the benefit of
low fares, which start at $9 for the first 19 seats and cap off at $199. According to the Associated Press, the South Bend, Toledo, and Melbourne airports are subsidizing the airline with $1.4 million in grants in its first year.

Visit JetAmerica to learn more.

More Ways to Search the Cvent Supplier Network!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Encompassing publications for corporate, association, insurance/financial services, medical, and religious meeting markets, MeetingsNet is a great place to find all the latest in meeting news. Now, it's also a great place to search the Cvent Supplier Network!

MeetingsNet has just launched the Cvent Supplier Network search on its website. The next time you read about a great meeting venue or destination on MeetingsNet, you can easily search for it and other nearby proprieties via Cvent.

And as always, don't forget you can search for venues right here on the blog in the upper right-hand corner search box. Or, visit the Cvent Supplier Network directly to take advantage of advanced search functionality.

U.S. Senate Passes Travel Promotion Act

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 by Sarah Larkins

Great news for the U.S. travel and tourism industry and meeting planners nationwide: the Senate passed the "Travel Promotion Act of 2009" last week. As I blogged previously, this legislation will create a public-private partnership with a budget of up to $200 million annually to attract international travelers to the United States.

"This much-needed legislation will help the United States to create thousands of new jobs and welcome billions in new spending by international visitors," said President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association Roger Dow, who has voiced his support of the legislation frequently in the past. "Our nation's economy is struggling and international travel promotion is part of the solution."

Rather than relying on taxpayer money, travel promotion will be supported by private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers coming from countries who do not pay for visas for U.S. entry. According to Oxford Economics, the program could drive $4 billion annually in new spending by international travelers.