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FutureWatch analyzes shift in meetings, events industry

Technology enhancements, CSR, greater flexibility set tone for 2010

January 11, 2010 – Dallas, TX – In the eighth edition of its annual research, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and American Express have released FutureWatch 2010 to highlight trends and competitive factors shaping the future of the meeting and events industry.

“As our businesses shift from the mindset of survive to thrive, it’s imperative that we have the ability to analyze relevant data and translate it into business success,” says MPI Chief Executive Officer Bruce MacMillan, “The 2010 edition of FutureWatch empowers industry professionals with timely data they can utilize to make critical business decisions.”

FutureWatch highlights that the world‐wide meeting and events industry is transitioning into an era of creativity, flexibility and strategic relationship building. Evaluating the global perspective of both planners and suppliers alike, some of the key trends identified include:

• Meetings located closer to home, fewer participants will travel long distances to get onsite.
• Performance that organizations receive from the meetings they host will continue to be a major focus for planners.
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) will be a continuing interest for meetings and events professionals’ organizations, and a potential differentiator for companies and associations that can demonstrate a strong, sustainable commitment to effective CSR programs.

The in‐depth report features insights into the overall outlook for 2010 as well as how planners and suppliers will do more with less. FutureWatch indicates that United States based planners are expected to plan 21 percent more meetings while spending 3.5 percent less per meeting.

Because of MPI’s international breadth, the report also profiles the variations in needs and expectations across Europe, Asia and the Americas. From the selection criteria of meeting locations to the importance of CSR in business decisions, FutureWatch is able to profile the expected needs of planners and suppliers in these various regions. One shift the 2010 research indicates is U.S. planners expect to locate 80 percent of their meetings within the U.S. in 2010, compared to 61 percent in 2009.

FutureWatch also indicates that meeting planners and suppliers alike have a strong appetite for technology solutions, which is consistent with previous editions of the report. While evaluating 16 different areas of technology, planners rank the highest priority to improve the audiovisual experience for their participants, while suppliers’ highest priority is to improve their customer relationship management or CRM software.

A copy of the FutureWatch 2010 Executive Summary is available at no cost at mpiweb.org. MPI members can access the full report at no cost and the non‐member price is US $299.

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About MPI: Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the meeting and event industry’s largest and most vibrant global community, helps our members thrive by providing human connections to knowledge and ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of more than 24,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. For additional information, visit mpiweb.org.