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Food for thought: Benchmark names top ten meeting trends
Benchmark Hospitality International released its “Top Ten Meeting Trends," which included that demand for corporate meetings is up this year over last year and is steadily increasing.
“A highly positive signal is that the overall pace is up significantly for advance bookings in 2011,” the site says.
Trend No. 2 was that while the booking window for corporate meetings remains very short term — from 30 to 45 days — “meeting cancellations, experienced by so many providers throughout 2009, is a thing of the past.”
Other trends:
• The recession and the AIG effect led to “extreme price sensitivity” this year. “Those conference center providers that stayed steady, maintained service levels and nurtured strong customer relationships in spite of wrenching times are emerging stronger,” the report says.
• Meeting groups are smaller this year and generally carving a day off their stay.
• Being green is now generally assumed but for certain segments — such as federal and state government and education business — it’s a necessity.
• “There is no room for bells and whistles in the 2010 meetings climate of tight and highly scrutinized budgets,” the report found. Generally, spas and golf course are in the back burner.
• Planners are not interested in the most advanced and cutting edge meeting technology. “Conversely, they’re coming to negotiations with the expectation that a hotel, resort or conference center will have current meeting technology installed,” Benchmark says.
• Planners today are fierce negotiators and feel empowered to expect concessions.
• Health-conscious food and beverage options are preferred. “And for the first time, because of their high perceived value, healthy buffets are seen as perfectly acceptable for all executives — even those from Fortune 500 companies.”
• “Social meeting is all the rage in 2010 but not in the meetings business,” Benchmark says. Properties are increasingly turning to them, but the corporate meetings segment is still reliant on old-fashioned, face-to-face contact.
By David Wilkening
David
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