Site Study Looks at Tech’s Impact on Events
In support of its mission to improve the effectiveness of the incentive travel and motivation industry, the Site International Foundation recently released the findings of a study entitled Site Index: Focus on Technology. The report covers technology usage in the events industry as it relates to business operations, motivational programs and online resources. Among the surprising results, 28% of respondents want more technology but are restrained by lack of funds. In fact, only 8% of respondents indicated satisfaction with their current technology. “The report suggests that the greatest area for technology growth rests with cross-organizational collaboration using social media tools with interactive online groups,” says Site International Foundation President Fay Beauchine, President of Engagement & Events for Carlson Marketing. Another interesting stat: only 12.5% of respondents have an organized multi-year plan for their future technology needs. This is a clear indicator that organizations looking to the future must assess the state of current customer expectations as it compares to their employment of technology. The complete report is available at www.siteglobal.com
USTA Launches Council to Promote Incentives and Events
Following the recent passage of the Travel Promotion Act, the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) announced the creation of a new council that will build a proactive research, communications, government relations and promotion agenda. The Meetings, Incentives and Trade Show Council (MIT) held its first strategy session on March 2. “The industry needs a collective voice,” says Roger Dow, USTA President and CEO. “We will strive to ensure that the [negative media] attacks of 2009 never again take place and that the value of this industry is finally understood.”
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Campaign Advocates ‘Face Time’
A grassroots industry campaign called “FACE TIME. It Matters.” promotes the benefits of meeting face-to-face. Nine leading industry trade associations have adopted the campaign theme that was developed under the aegis of the Convention Industry Council (CIC). It is based on the findings of a recent national survey of corporate and association meeting planners, plus in-depth personal interviews with the industry’s leading executives, as well as focus groups consisting of corporate and association executives, business travelers and professional meeting planners. According to the research:
- Face-to-face meetings build trust and relationships
- Education and training are more effective in a live setting
- Live meetings actually save time and money
- Live meetings result in a more effective exchange of ideas
- Face-to-face meetings provide the human connection that powers business
- Face-to-face meetings create jobs and power the economy.
For more information, go to www.facetimematters.org/documents/FaceTimeMattersPressRelease_001.pdf
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Industry Insider Releases New Book
Andrea Michaels is literally one of the backbones of the special events industry. Launching her business when there was no formalized or defined marketplace, she was and still is a trailblazer, pioneering the way for others to follow. Always on the cutting edge, she has stacked up a pile of firsts (and 50 prestigious awards) in her legendary career – from initiating corporate branding and messaging into events and interactive themes that create experiences for the guests to entering the international market ahead of her colleagues and incorporating never-before-used technology into her events, just to name a few. Now she has written it all down in Reflections of a Successful Wallflower – Lessons in Business, Lessons in Life.
“Everyone has been prodding me to write this book for a decade,” says Michaels. “After a lifetime of producing events, I wanted to help others avoid the pitfalls I’ve stumbled across in both my business and my personal life.”
Michaels, the first inductee into the Special Event Industry Hall of Fame, openly shares both the public wunderkind and the inner woman, revealing how life’s challenges and tumultuous relationships shaped her into a driving business force. Travel along inside the mind of Andrea Michaels as she produces events around the world during the past 30+ years. To order Reflections of a Successful Wallflower - Lessons in Business, Lessons in Life, go to: www.amazon.com. For more information about Andrea Michaels and Extraordinary Events, visit: www.extraordinaryevents.net
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MPI Publishes FutureWatch 2010 Study
Meeting Professionals International (MPI), in partnership with American Express, recently released a summary of its annual FutureWatch survey, revealing trends that will affect the meeting and events industry in 2010. Respondents agreed that industry conditions will begin to improve in the second half of the year or in 2011, with 41% of suppliers and 28% of planners predicting gradual industry growth in 2010. Meeting and event planners anticipate a 2.8% increase in meetings held and a 4.5% increase in attendance over the next year. Spend per meeting and overall budgets will be the slowest to rebound. The full FutureWatch 2010 report is available at www.mpiweb.org/Education/Research/FutureWatch.aspx
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IMEX America Increases Hosted Buyers by 30%
IMEX America, the new show to be held at the Las Vegas Sands Expo Center October 11-13, 2011, has experienced strong demand from U.S. and international association, hotel groups and agencies. In fact, just five months after announcing the new show, IMEX organizers have decided to increase the number of qualified hosted buyers by 30% to 2,000 in order to accommodate this widespread interest. According to Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX Group, 80% of these buyers will come from North America, with the balance coming from around the world. “Our previous figures were confident, but conservative,” says Bloom. “Recent discussions with our partners and other new business alliances make it clear that there is pent-up demand. I'm confident we will see 2,000 hosted buyers at IMEX America.” The program will bring top quality association, corporate and agency buyers from the meetings and events industry onto the show floor to do business with exhibitors. In keeping with the established IMEX model, buyers will spend longer periods of time on the show floor meeting exhibitors as compared with non-hosted trade visitors. For more information, go to www.imex-america.com/
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