Veteran Planner Sees Meetings Taking New Forms
by Dawn Barclay |
Contributions toward events from attendees, a resurgence of Las Vegas as a destination, and meetings included as part of incentive trips — all are trends that meetings veteran Ann Saunders is seeing in the industry.
After years of handling nationwide meetings and incentives of 300 or more persons for a large healthcare company where she was responsible for coordinating all aspects “from cooking classes for the spouses, to the golf tournament,” Saunders has gone on to consult on corporate meetings/incentives through VIP Travel Consultants, LLC in Fountain Hills, AZ.
Since 2007, she said she has worked with several independent companies in planning local onsite as well as offsite meetings and retreats. “I typically work as an independent consultant for companies that want the resource of ‘seeming’ in-house. Depending on the contract basis and the size of the meeting, my services will adjust based on the needs of the event/meeting,” she said.
Travel Market Report recently caught up with Saunders, who gave her thoughts on a number of industry topics.
On Meeting Size:
In the last year, the average number of attendees has fallen to roughly 150 people. Meetings have downsized. Companies are booking more small meetings versus large corporate retreats for employees. More emphasis is being given to privately held meetings rather than public events that could bring attention to a corporation.
On the Next Hot Destination for Meetings and Incentives:
Depending on the location of the company, Las Vegas has really been able to capture corporations’ attention. The newer properties can provide a lower overall cost and give people a chance to get away from the everyday. Considering its 24-hour clock, more can be squeezed in. Alternatively, a lot of meeting and trade shows have been Internet-based — and this is something that has been trending. With severe reductions in cost for corporations, they still need to find the best communication options for new ventures, objectives for their employees, and updates for their clientele.
On a Particularly Memorable Event:
During a TCP Golf Tournament in Arizona where Tiger Woods was playing, I set up a cooking class with a world-renowned chef for a small group of 25 investment bankers and their spouses. After the chef had taught them how to prepare some dishes, the group sat down and ate dinner with him. They all left with a cookbook signed by the chef, including a personal note about the dinner they had shared together. It’s still one of the best evenings I’ve executed and worth every minute of the planning!
On Industry Trends:
I see more Internet-based connections, whether it is a virtual meeting or through classes of online training/continued education towards a goal of a final group meeting. I have also seen a greater number of requests for more flexible contract terms, including “act of terrorism/God” reschedule options. We see more budgets for meetings/incentives being determined based on goals/quotas being met by a division. I have also noticed many more limitations, such as buffets over sit-down dinners, and contributions required towards evening or day event choices versus the entire tab being paid for by the corporation for each guest. With incentives, corporations are also requiring meetings to be held to ensure that the value is there for the organization.
On Her Greatest Challenge:
Recession! The world is a different place than it was two years ago. Change is good, and it is imperative to be able to adjust and show businesses the value in meetings and how they lead to growth. Helping management understand this endeavor is an opportunity to create knowledge about our changing economy. How can the meetings best meet the needs of their business? I am here to offer that advice and secure the perfect event that will achieve their specific needs.
On the Key to Being Successful:
Flexibility — change is inevitable, roll with it the best you can. Make sure you always have an onsite contact and never lose sight of the goals of the organization.
The Long-Range View of Savings:
Through negotiations and through my affiliations with Virtuoso, I have a lot of value-added incentives that I can offer. However, the savings for my customers may not be money on a spreadsheet; if I can show the value of the meeting/inceptive they plan to orchestrate for their company’s bottom-line earnings, then the savings will be realized potentially at a much greater level.
On Soliciting New Business:
I network, especially through Convention and Visitors Bureau mixers. I also use social media to show off my past events and, more traditionally, I use software programs like Client Ease and Constant Contacts to send out meeting and special promotion information to my ever-growing database. I also try to meet all of the local and national sales reps for the vendors that I work with so that I can always have some one person to contact directly when necessary.
On Profitability:
It all depends on the client. If I am acting as a consultant, then typically I am paid for my services to present the meeting proposal, and then my negotiations would be net for the client. If it is a new meeting, I build in a fee schedule based on amount of people involved; I charge per head. This protects me, and I have enough experience that I can risk the level of profitability. After costs are covered, my typical profit margin is usually around 15%. I never do something for nothing, and my motto has always been—they can probably always hire someone cheaper, but they can’t hire me and my experience/contacts/knowledge and the value I return.
