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Company releases top meeting trends for 2012
Luxury travel is back, and meeting demand is the strongest it’s been since 2008, says Benchmark Hospitality International after polling its 35 hotels, resorts and conference centers in the US.
They were among the “Top Ten Meeting Trends for 2012,” the company says.
“The trend is up for all industry segments from telecommunications, education and insurance to healthcare, energy and beyond,” the company says. Bookings remain short-term but sales are becoming far more limited.
Other top trends:
—Meeting size is trending up. Properties are “electing to fill their properties with larger meetings at a higher rate,” the report said. No vacancy signs are again being posted.
—Meeting space is also getting more creative with properties offering outdoor venues and meetings around bonfires and other creative alternatives.
—Technology has created a growing use of smart phones, iPads and mobile sites that start immediately with the registration process.
—Meeting packages are coming back strongly and planners are expecting price increases this year. “They are still looking for the best value, but pricing push-back is on the wane,” the report says
—“Increasingly, the meeting destination is as important as the meeting venue,” the report says.
—Socially responsible meetings are more popular than ever, ranging from support for Habitat for Humanity to help with a local soup kitchen.
By David Wilkening
David
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