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Planning a Marijuana Conference in Washington and Colorado? Don’t Exhale Just Yet.

November 16, 2012 By Comments
planning a marijuana conference in Colorado or Washington

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So you may have heard that there was an election recently. We all now know that President Obama has a mandate for another four years and Gov. Romney is now leaving the national spotlight. Whatever will we do without those never-ending political ads? But, did you also know that Colorado and Washington State also voted to decriminalize marijuana (or rather small quantities of marijuana).

So, does that mean that the meetings and events industry will be rushing to host conferences in those states? And will they have new gift ideas that they can offer to their delegates – i.e. pipes?

Well, not so fast according to government and tourism officials in those states.

Will Promoting Marijuana Tourism Help the Meetings and Events Industry?

Many are wondering whether Washington and Colorado will become North America’s Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, citizens and visitors can easily and freely enjoy marijuana (albeit in controlled environments). All indications are that this will probably not be the case in Washington and Colorado.

Visit Denver’s president and CEO, Richard Scharf, recently stated that he’s concerned that by relaxing marijuana laws in his state, Colorado’s brand would become damaged. Mr. Scharf fears that this new law may attract fewer conventions in addition to a decline in leisure travel.

Washington and Colorado are already part of a group of 18 states that have legalized medical marijuana. This new law now includes anyone 21 or older. Those that are eligible can legally possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana. In Colorado they can also grow up to six plants. In Washington their books states that you can grow your own.

Washington State has had an annual hemp festival for over 20 years. Currently in Washington State you are not able to be in public with alcohol. Under the new marijuana law, this will not be any different.

Promoting Marijuana Tourism Can Be Risky

Both Washington and Colorado fear that tourism to their states will now be focused on individuals seeking marijuana. Naturally for anyone planning a conference, a location is usually selected because of what it has to offer. Now there’s no doubt that both states have a lot to offer for meetings and conventions. But, will meeting planners now think twice? After all, planners are very careful to maintain a middle-of-the-road position on many social issues. They do not want to be viewed as promoting an event that can create controversy. Unlike politics, it’s just not wise to stake a position on hot button topics like marijuana.

Of course it’s too early to tell what the impact will be as a result of Colorado’s and Washington’s new marijuana laws. Conference planners are always careful to select locations that do not cause controversies. In the Netherlands, where marijuana consumption is tolerated, tourism officials claim that meetings and conventions have not been affected. Whether or not that is the case for Colorado and Washington is yet to be seen.

 

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Planning a Conference Checklist Items

March 25, 2012 By Comments

For anyone planning a conference, a checklist is important for a number of reasons. Of course the most obvious reason why you would use a checklist when planning a conference is to keep track of all of the small details that are required as part of your planning. After all, it is all about the details.

Which begs the question – when planning a conference what checklist items should be covered? Well of course it does depend on which type of event you’re organizing (i.e. corporate conference, an incentive trip or a wedding). But, generally speaking the graph below outlines the major checklist items that are often covered when planning a conference.

 

As you can see, there are many areas that need to be covered when planning a conference. Planning a conference checklist items are based on the type of conference that you’re planning. But the one thing that is certain is that a checklist is an important part of the planning process.

 

 

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Four Ways That Corporate Meeting Planners Can Trim Budgets

March 9, 2012 By Comments

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Corporate meeting planners are always looking for creative ways that they can trim their meetings budget without losing too much of the overall program. To say that that’s a bit of a juggling act might be an understatement. Today, corporate meeting planners have a tough job. Of course for many corporations and associations meetings are a vital part of their operation. But the question for many corporate meeting planners is “how do I still put on a top-notch program with a reduced budget?”.

Corporate Meeting Planners Take a Fresh Approach to Orchestrating Their Meeting

Many corporate meeting planners that I speak with tell me that, for their organization, meetings are still proceeding at full speed. However what they do concede is that these meetings must be executed with a much lower budget than they are used to in the past. So we thought that, after getting some feedback from these corporate meeting planners, we would share a few tips on how you can still execute a successful meeting and save a bit of money at the same time.

Four of the Top Areas That Corporate Meeting Planners Review Are:

The Times That Your Meeting Will Occur- a lot of corporate meeting planners have been able to save money on the hotel portion of their meeting by negotiating room rates and whether or not they can be lowered by moving their meeting two different days of the week. Additionally there can be even further savings, at times, by moving the meeting to a different time of the year are altogether.

Transportation – we’ve talked a lot about transportation here in the past. For corporate meeting planners especially, transportation is an essential part of their program. Their delegates have come to expect that they will be transferred from the airport to the hotel where the meeting is occurring. What a lot of corporate meeting planners are now doing is narrowing the timeframe of which they are offering complimentary transportation. Also they are looking at the type of vehicles they are booking. For example they may group arrivals within a timeframe of 30 to 45 min. into the same vehicle. Additionally if corporate meeting planners are hosting evening functions then transportation also plays into that budget as well.

Evening Events/Food and Beverage Functions- many times corporate meeting planners have to include special events outside of the actual meeting itself. This is a chance for the delegates to relax and network with each other (especially if they come from different parts of the country). We touched above on how transportation also plays a part in evening events, especially if the event is away from the hotel. Some corporate meeting planners have told us that they still have evening functions but instead of busing their delegates to a venue away from the hotel they either host the function inside the hotel or select a venue that is within walking distance from the hotel. The benefits for having a function in the hotel is that you will save not only on transportation costs but, quite often, there are also savings from room rental and service and equipment charges that are associated with off-site venues.

Entertainment – a lot of times corporate meeting planners view entertainment as a fringe element to the program. In other words something that they can easily cut out to save money. But many corporate meeting planners also say that there are ways to still offer entertainment yet save considerable budget dollars at the same time. Often times entertainment is during the evening function or perhaps as part of the last day of the meeting. And many times corporate meeting planners have spent a small fortune booking a very popular band or special presentation for their group. Today many are still offering entertainment. It may however be reduced somewhat in style and format. For example a trio would still be a nice complement for an evening function. Or, on the last day, there’s nothing wrong with hiring a comedian to entertain the troops for the last 30 to 45 min. of the program.

Today corporate meeting planners are becoming very creative at putting together their programs. Many still want to offer the more traditional elements to their events but need to shave budget dollars at the same time. It may take a little more planning time, but there are definitely ways that corporate meeting planners can achieve their desired results without blowing the budget.

 

 

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Can the EU Learn from the Berlin Conference Lesson Plan

March 8, 2012 By Comments

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First things first. What is the Berlin conference lesson plan? The Berlin conference was a meeting in Berlin, Germany from November 1884 to February 1885. Attending the conference were representatives from many European nations such as Britain, France and Germany in addition to representatives from the United States. The conference’s plan was to discuss free trade on the Congo and the Niger rivers. In the 1880s 80% of Africa remained under traditional and local control. The Berlin conference lesson plan’s purpose today allows educators to re-create this historic conference with purpose of dividing Africa according to the interest of each assigned country.

What wonderful arrogance.

The Berlin Conference Lesson Plan Outline

Using the Berlin conference lesson plan is a great way for educators to teach about this important subject. Rather than read from textbooks, the teacher basically breaks the students into groups, with each group representing a country that was at the table in the 1880s. As part of the conference planning, it’s each group’s responsibility to propose how they would colonize this region. As part of the lesson plan, each group would propose which colonies their countries should control (and why) with a solid argument as to why the other representatives should allow them to colonize the region they’re requesting.

In addition to debating territorial borders, the Berlin conference lesson plan also encourages participants to consider:

  • any rules that their country is willing and able to follow
  • location
  • natural resources
  • their countries needs
  • regions that were already controlled by the groups assigned country

The Berlin Conference Lesson Plan As It Relates to the Current EU Crisis

It’s almost ironic as to what is occurring today within the current European Union boundaries. All of the current member countries of the EU are working diligently to try to establish (and some say salvage) how the member countries can move forward with a new economic platform. The current situation in Greece has certainly raised eyebrows. Some of the questions being asked are “how did we allow this to happen?”.

As for the continent of Africa, I guess the jury is still out as to the success of the original Berlin conference. For additional information on the Berlin conference lesson plan, please visit – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramble_for_Africa

 

 

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Have Meeting and Convention Planners Soured on Alabama?

March 1, 2012 By Comments

Meeting and convention planners are always looking for new and exciting destinations to take their groups. Talk to any planner about how they select destinations and almost all of them will tell you that they will avoid controversy. Last year the Alabama Legislature enacted, what many say, is a controversial immigration law. Many are comparing it to Arizona and Georgia’s own tough stand on immigration. However with regards to Alabama, many are wondering if the law has gone too far.

According to Wikipedia, the law, known on the books as HB 56, states:

  • that if police have “reasonable suspicion” that a person is an immigrant unlawfully present in the United States, to make a similarly reasonable attempt to determine that person’s legal status.
  • that the law prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving any public benefits at either the state or local level.
  • that the law prohibits the transporting or harboring of illegal immigrants
  • that it prohibits landlords from renting property to illegal immigrants.
  • that it forbids employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants for any job within Alabama.

Meeting and Convention Planners Avoid Controversial Destinations

There are currently many provisions of the law that are under review by the state legislature. Unfortunately a lot of the provisions that are currently blocked are the ones that might make the most sense. For example, the provision of the law that requires large and small businesses to validate the immigration status of employees is currently being blocked.

A study by Dr. Samuel Addy from the University of Alabama shows that the legislation will be costly for the State. The Addy report as outlined in an Univision news report, found that Alabama could lose about 70,000 to 140,000 jobs, $2.3 billion to $10.8 billion in GDP and $56.7 million to $264.5 million in state income and sales taxes.

Many of the jobs lost will be in the accommodation and food services sector. These jobs will be hard to replace during the current economic crisis. This makes many meeting and convention planners concerned about service levels for their meetings and events.

What also worries many meeting and convention planners about Alabama’s controversial immigration law is what protection do their attendees have in the state. News reports highlighting that a German Mercedes-Benz executive was arrested for not having proper documentation while on business to Alabama do not sit well with meeting and convention planners. Shortly after the story regarding the Mercedes-Benz executive, we also found out that a Japanese Honda executive was stopped for a routine traffic check and was issued a ticket. This in spite of the fact that the Honda executive had a valid passport, an international driving permit and a US work permit to boot.

When you hear horrific experiences such as the ones above, you really have to wonder if Alabama is serious about convention planning. I realize that much of this law is rooted in political pandering. But, at what point do these lawmakers sit back and realize just how silly they are looking to the average person? Seriously, it’s almost as if some of these southern states are more interested in their friends, the corporate lobbyist, then they are at protecting their citizens and encouraging tourism and hence conventions to their state. Unfortunately, it appears, you really don’t need much between your ears to be a politician these days. The sad thing is that they are seriously having an impact on our economic recovery. My advice -vote these bozos out the next election.

The news about business executives being hassled because of the immigration law is in itself enough for most meeting and convention planners to reconsider Alabama as a destination. It should be noted that we did reach out to Tourism Alabama for their feedback regarding any impact (favorably or not) that the immigration law has had on tourism. I did receive a reply from a tourism official that basically said that they had no information to provide me for my article on a state level. Which is a shame considering the beauty that Alabama does have to offer. Normally, Alabama would be an ideal destination to bring your group especially in the cooler winter months that the North experiences. It’s also a shame that politics can have this type of an impact on such a beautiful state. Given the fact that we expect the politicians to actually attract and promote businesses and help grow the economies of the areas that they govern.

 

 

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What Keeps a Convention Planner up at Night?

February 8, 2012 By Comments

There’s a trend that I see among my colleagues for whom I consider to be well-organized individuals. They all seem to worry about things, or job tasks, that rely on other people. It’s no secret that a successful convention planner needs to be an organized individual. Their job tasks involve making sure that meetings or events are executed successfully. And, usually for a meeting or event to be successful, conference planners have to rely on third-party individuals. As the title suggests, many conference planners get nervous in the planning stages of their conference or event. This is usually when deadlines play a vital role in executing the meeting or event.

A Convention Planner Usually Worries about Things Involving Third Parties

There are many areas and components to a program that requires a convention planner to work with a third-party company or individual. For example, quite often the convention planner will hire a local destination management company to help execute on-site components. After all a destination management company, or DMC, is considered to be a local expert. However, this is also when a convention planner starts to get nervous. The following are a few components to a convention that a convention planner will tell you they often worry about:

Convention Registration- of course the key to any successful convention is the ability for the convention planner to draw attendees. For many associations, conventions and meetings are one of the main ways that they receive revenues. So, obviously if attendance is low, then so is the revenue. You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to understand that without revenues it’s very hard to function as a resource for the Association in question. That’s why it’s crucial for a convention planner to develop an exciting itinerary for their convention. And it’s also why it’s extremely important to promote the convention as often as possible.

Transportation- transportation is used many times over during most conventions. Whether it be airport transportation, shuttles to and from the convention center, sightseeing tours, or dinner transfers, transportation comes into play often. You see, the number one factor with transportation is that you literally have to rely on a series of events in order for the transportation component to be delivered successfully. There are many things regarding transportation that are outside of anyone’s control. Traffic jams, equipment breakdowns are just a couple of factors that can throw transportation into chaos. And the first person that would get blamed (of course after the transportation company itself) is the convention planner. That’s the person that all of the delegates will go to if they have any issues regarding transportation.

Keynote Speakers- I was once working a convention that had one of the top newscasters of the day as their keynote speaker. I remember asking my convention planner (my client) what would happen if a major event took that newscaster back to New York. Their answer was that they always booked a backup keynote speaker in case of such event. I remember that struck me as a brilliant way to be sure that in some way shape or form the convention would have a keynote speaker as promised. The backup was always somebody, almost equally popular, as the initial keynote speaker.

It’s pretty safe to say that there will always be something that will keep a convention planner up at night. It almost seems as if part of being an organized person involves being a worrier. What that does to one’s health is another matter. But for a convention planner, a successful convention is usually a result of having backup plans. And hoping never to use them.

 

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How to Plan a Conference Meeting Room Set up

January 28, 2012 By Comments

Have you ever gone to a conference meeting where the room set up didn’t really match the format of the meeting? It can be uncomfortable and can really take your mind off of the meeting at hand. How to plan a conference meeting room set up basically depends on what’s going to happen during the conference meeting itself. Most of my beefs with the meeting room set up are centered around theater style settings. Those are the meetings where there are only chairs (like a theater) that faced the stage where the presenter is. This set up is perfectly fine for a keynote or presentation style of conference meeting. But all too often the audience is expected to take notes or participate in some way shape or form. This is when it becomes a little difficult to balance a notepad and whatever else you brought into the meeting.

How to Plan a Conference Meeting Room Set up for the Type of Meeting

A good conference facility, or more particularly a good conference manager, is able to suggest room setups based on your conference meeting format. I have been in the position where I’ve suggested formats to meeting planners in the past. Of course my suggestions were just that, suggestions. The ultimate decision is up to the person paying the bills – usually the conference planner. And often I see where they wouldn’t take the setup advice because they wanted to increase capacity or for whatever reason didn’t think the suggested set up was for them. And all too often I have listened to the attendees or conference delegates while they complain that there was no place to put their coffee, to write on, etc.

Following Is a Guidelines on Meeting Room Set ups:

Theater Style

As mentioned above this is a very common set up as it involves only chairs set up in rows facing the stage or front of the room. This is an ideal set up for a keynote speaker or for conference meeting were the format is more presentation style. This is also the typical format for press conferences.

Classroom

Is very similar to a theater style set up except that each row of chairs has a small narrow rectangular table in front of it. As the name suggest this is an ideal set up when you require your conference attendees to write down information that they will receive during the meeting. Of course as you deviate from the theater style set up you do start to lose room space as you are adding additional equipment.

Rounds

A round set up is very typical for a meal function. However, rounds are also used for some conference meeting setups. Usually rounds are used during a meeting if there will be food and beverage offered either before, during or after. When Rounds are used for a conference meeting, the setups is usually referred to as a half round. Unlike a meal function, you will lose about 40% use of the round as you position the chairs to face the front of the room (where the speaker or action is occurring).

U-shaped

As the name suggest this set up involves a series of tables joined in position in the shape like the U. The conference meeting presenter is usually positioned at the opening and have a table all to themselves. In-house company meetings use this popular format. You’ve probably seen this set up for many political meetings or hearings with the leader at the head table.

Hollow Square

Think of a U-shaped but completely closed. Basically the set up completes a square. There can still be a conference speaker or lead, but they are positioned at a seat like everybody else. Negotiating meeting rooms are commonly set up this way. It enables all sides to have equal workspace. And, especially for negotiations, the set up is ideal as you can easily see the people or persons that you need to speak to.

Tips:

Budget – if your budget is tight, consider having a theater style setup. The benefit is that it takes the venue far less time to set up and you can use a smaller room than you would by using a different configuration.

Food and beverage – when determining your configuration, and if you are also requiring food and beverage consider a set up where your attendees have a table in front of them. This can save you both on time and from having to rent another room to host a meal function.

 

These are just a few of the more common conference meeting room setups. When you are selecting a venue for your conference, ask your venue contact for their recommendations. They know their meeting rooms, and after a few questions about what you’re looking for, they will be able to match a conference meeting room set up that will work for your group.

 

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What Did Event Planning Conferences in 2011 Tell Us to Expect in 2012

January 13, 2012 By Comments

We keep seeing small signs that the current economic downturn is turning the corner. Reviewing the results and trends of event planning conferences in 2011 we are seeing that there is a degree of optimism for the year ahead. What the meetings and events industry is now realizing is that it is becoming part of the solution rather than simply just a cost to businesses. With the European Union still in economic turmoil, I do want to caution that we are by no means out of the woods. Yet it is refreshing to see this optimism.

What Can You Take Away from Event Planning Conferences in 2011

According to a 2011 industry trends and market share report from EIBTM (Exhibition for the Incentive Business Travel and Meetings) there is a greater degree of optimism within the meetings and events industry than the economy as a whole. According to the report, conference event planning will continue to grow and should approach 2008 levels by the end of 2012. The report also states that demand for meetings venues will rise faster in 2012 than it was in 2011.

A trend that we saw in 2011 and is expected to continue in 2012 is that the price differential between second and third tier cities will continue to widen. This means that there will be more opportunities for second and third tier cities. This will certainly come as good news to anyone planning an event or conference and is flexible on the location.

Associations revenues (which are achieved largely from their conferences and exhibitions) are expected to remain stable. However levels of sponsorship are expected to

Association management

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increase over 2011. Definitely a welcome sign for many association management companies.

We’re also starting to hear the term BRIC. BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China. On a global level BRIC’s economies will be in the spotlight as they’re expected to be the economic workhorses of 2012. So don’t be surprised if you start seeing some of your conference locations ending up in one of these countries. And for meeting planners that have clients in any one of these countries they should see strong business growth.

So we’re definitely still very much in recovery mode in most parts of the world. However, the take away good news from event planning conferences in 2011 is that we are also very much in a growth period. There will be challenges ahead for meeting planners and their clients in 2012 as we keep hearing that budgets will remain front and center. But at the same time that we’re hearing about budgets we’re also hearing that many meetings, whether they be corporate, incentive or association management, are going ahead as planned. It’s also nice to see that the meetings and events industry is a major player in the economic recovery.

 

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How to Plan a Conference on a Shoestring Budget

January 11, 2012 By Comments

The word cutbacks seems to be front and center again this year. Do cutbacks have you wondering how to plan a conference without making it appear dull and uninteresting? Well, lucky for you I’m here to tell you that there are ways to plan a conference without eliminating all of your extracurricular components. Seasoned meeting and conference planners know all too well that when you start removing, what some consider to be, fringe elements of a program you also start to lose attendee interest. And let’s face it, if you can’t attract the attendees your conference or event might not even make it into reality.

How to Plan a Conference While Saving at the Same Time

Of course there are elements to every conference that, under budget pressures, could be eliminated without affecting the overall appeal of the conference itself. However, we also know there are certain elements that are attendees have become accustomed to. This is especially true with association conferences as the association gets a great deal of its operating revenue from their conferences. Therefore it’s crucial that these programs continue. And herein lies the challenge – how do you keep the attractive elements and yet reduce your overall costs for the conference.

For this article we’ll look at four of the larger components of a conference; the conference or meeting facility (often the hotel itself), off-site venues, attractions and tours, and transportation.

The conference facility – it’s always a tight balance to schedule your conference dates so that they do not interfere with your attendees busy work schedule. If days of the week or month is flexible for your conference you may want to check with your hotel or meeting facility to see if there are any savings by moving your event to alternate dates. Additionally many times meeting room rental charges in hotels are reduced if you are offering food and beverage. So if you are planning to provide your conference delegates with breakfast or lunch during the meeting times make sure that you work with your hotel salesperson as often times there will be a reduction in meeting room rental if you’re utilizing the facilities food and beverage facilities.

Off-site venues – taking your group off-site (meaning outside of the hotel they’re staying in) is a great way for your group to get a sampling of the local flavor. It’s also a nice break and is often viewed as a social component to the conference. As a savings tip, consider off-site venues that have their own in-house food and beverage facilities. As I stated here many times in the past, venues with their own kitchen facilities will save you a great deal. Quite often you are not charged for service and equipment at these venues. Another option would be to go to an established restaurant. Many restaurants have private rooms for exclusivity. And you can work with different menus to ensure your offsite events is within your budgeted amount.

Attractions and tours – another fun aspect to a conference. I worked with many clients that have wanted to offer attraction and tours to their delegates. Many have asked me to set up a sign-up page where any interested parties can sign up and pay directly for any tours and attractions they are interested in. And before I could start charging individuals for tours, the pricing had to be approved by the client thereby assuring that their guests were getting the best possible deal. If it’s imperative that your organization covers the cost of one tour I always suggest the city orientation tour. City tours are a great way for delegates to get to know the city and it’s also one of the least expensive tours to offer.

Transportation – this is usually one of the first areas that gets cut when budgets are in play. However if you really would like to keep this component to your conference you may want to consider providing a shuttle service from the airport on an hourly or periodic basis. Your cost will be greatly reduced with the shuttle as compared to individual transportation service. And your group will still be happy to see that transportation is still included in the program. Definitely an attraction for registration.

How to plan a conference on a tight budget can be a daunting task. But before you think that all you have to do is get out the chopping ax and eliminate many of your conferences components you may want to think again. There are ways that you can still offer additional conference services to your delegates without blowing your budget. You just need to spend a little time at the onset identifying what makes your conference a draw and then look at creative ways that you can still offer these components.

 

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Planning a Conference? The Challenge for 2012.

January 5, 2012 By Comments

With the new year upon us many of you are busy getting back into your business routine. If you are planning a conference for 2012 than you probably have a good idea of what the challenge will be this year. The one thing that I keep hearing from many meeting planners that I talk to is that the “B” word will be front and center. While there are many indications that conferences will increase in 2012, budgets will play a vital part in many meeting planners decisions.

Planning a Conference on a Budget Requires Creativity

It seems every time we have an economic downturn or an all-out depression, as the last few years are proving, we get used to trimming budgets while still executing full programs. Of course our knee-jerk reaction is to just cut components of our meeting’s program out altogether and thus lower the budget. However, the downturn is that there’s a real chance that you may not draw the number of attendees that you anticipate.

Meeting and event suppliers know all too well that overall meeting budgets are front and center. Fortunately this can translate into rate negotiations that usually will end well for the meeting planner. Other reports have shown us that luxury hotels may not be utilized as much as they have in the past. At least that’s the indication for the North American meetings market. In Asia the luxury hotel market doesn’t seem to be affected at the moment.

What this means for many meeting planners is that they have to take a creative approach to their meetings. Many will still hire local suppliers, such as Destination Management Companies (DMC), to assist with putting their program together. But you can bet that one of the first things the meeting planner will discuss with their local suppliers is budgets. This is where the age old question of whether or not to disclose your budget comes into play again. I’m of the school that there’s nothing wrong with telling a potential supplier what your budget is. After all how can you expect a supplier to provide you with ideas for your meeting if they’re not equipped with all of the tools that they require to put a proper proposal together for you.

Ideas for Planning a Conference on a Budget

Along with hotel service levels that a meeting planner will choose for their meeting there are also a few other areas that can help keep your meeting on budget while providing unique components at the same time. For example, if taking your group off-site for an evening during your conference has always been part of your program there are ways that you may still be able to do this without blowing your budget. For venues, look for places that have an in-house caterer or a full-service kitchen. This can cut your per person budget by about the same amount as your food menu alone. For transportation, if you’re meeting is large enough, consider talking to your local suppliers regarding sponsor programs. Depending on your industry there can be a magnitude of potential suppliers available that will sponsor some components of your transportation. The time of year can also have a great impact on your budget. That’s not to say that you have to hold your annual meeting in Chicago in January when you normally hold it in July. Rather it just means that you could evaluate the benefit of moving your meeting by several weeks. That alone can trim attractions and venues cost by about 15 to 25%.

If you are planning a conference for 2012 rest assured that you have an abundance of suppliers ready and willing to provide top notch service without blowing your budget. The message for 2012 seems to be that conferences will increase but budgets will stay front and center on many clients agendas. To win those pieces of business you have to stay one step ahead of your competition. And one of the best ways to do that is to offer your potential clients unique and interesting ideas yet keeping the budget in line. If you can do that you should see your company win a lot of those proposals.

 

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