Daily Doses

Hosted Buyer Program Meeting with Success

With more than 1,100 delegates (official numbers will be released after the conference closes) experiencing MeetDifferent, this year’s event was truly a success. And one of the best examples of that success was the Hosted Buyer Program, which had generated more than 1,500 face-to-face business meetings.

During the program, planners rotated among scheduled appointments with suppliers stationed at designated tables. Each appointment lasted 15 minutes, with a total of five appointments per day.

“The room setup made it easy for navigation, and we were excited about and impressed by how well people stayed on schedule,” said Kristen Przano, exhibits manager for MPI. “The FaceTime Appointment Scheduler provided by EliteMeetings.com powered the entire appointment-setting process. The technology enabled planners and suppliers to schedule appointments with each other, and was critical to the program’s success.”

Julee Schultz, CMP, says the program was a wonderful opportunity to meet future partners and gain knowledge about current technology solutions and potential venues.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity it provided for me to attend MeetDifferent and hope even more suppliers and planners participate in the future,” said Schultz, a strategic events manager for Impact Associates.

“It is the greatest thing MPI has implemented for the benefit of both planners and suppliers’ time and ROI,” said Eduardo Chaillo, CMM, CMP, director of the Mexico Tourism Board’s strategic business unit.
Supplier One Smooth Stone created a 15-minute experience that was memorable.

“We focus on four areas that are key for our company,” said Bethany Johnson, associate producer for One Smooth Stone. “As planners came by, we put aprons on them and had them select a paint that corresponds to those four focus areas, and then they created spin art. Their pieces were delivered to their rooms after they dried.”
Being able to vet and research beforehand helped make the program successful, Johnson says.

“Overall, it was great value for our money. We’ve been meeting with the right people.”

Posted on: 02/23/10

Welcome to Your Future

A new era dawns as the MPI Foundation joins with Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) trade show AIBTM to demonstrate the business value of meetings and events and provide industry professionals with the performance tools they need to design, implement and measure event portfolios. The Value of Meetings initiative was introduced at MeetDifferent.

This initiative is a culmination of a broad scope of initiatives that will focus on studying and understanding the appreciable business value of meetings, so that community members can go to their stakeholders, their clients and their senior execs and demonstrate the value of face-to-face meetings for business success.

“Through this alliance, meeting and event professionals will gain access to critical data and resources to more effectively design, implement and measure the business value of their meetings. We see our relationship with RTE as a prime driver in highlighting our commitment to content and thought leadership around the world,” said Bruce MacMillan, MPI President and CEO.

With recent studies from the U.S. Travel Association, Forbes and MPI, the data exists to back up an industry that has long tried to prove its ROI. The Meetings Deliver white paper makes it easy for meeting industry professionals to prove their worth and the worth of the entire business event sector. Take these numbers to your boss, your clients and your CEO, and make the case for events—not just for you and your career, but as a strategic imperative that has now proven a source of business success.

But that’s not all. MeetDifferent welcomed another product of this pioneering alliance with AIBTM-sponsored research that focuses on the appreciable business value of meetings through key findings. The research findings will culminate at AIBTM, June 2011 in Baltimore. The trade show—together with the signature America Meetings Week—will raise the profile of the meeting and event industry to the wider business market and political community across North America, focusing on the economic contribution which meetings and events make to the economy, the number of jobs supported and the positive benefits that effective meetings and events bring to business development and communication.

“One of the areas that will set us apart from other events for the meetings industry in North America is our reputation in providing best professional education,” said Vanessa Cotton, chairwoman of Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings and Incentives Events, which produces the IBTM events series. “Whether from the corporate, association or agency sector, this major piece of research is designed to provide the industry with information on key trends and developments that will have a significant impact on its business.”

Posted on: 02/23/10

Investing in CSR

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has agreed to a new five-year, US$500,000 investment in the MPI Foundation for thought leadership research and the development of CSR content and standards.

The investment will allow MPI to develop a sustainable meeting and event-training program and a recognized CSR meeting and event measurement platform. It supports the development of a Global Reporting Initiative and a CSR research agenda that will source and develop sustainable techniques and educational content.

“The MPI Foundation is proud of the support from IHG to drive CSR thought leadership,” said Margaret Moynihan, chairwoman of the MPI Foundation. “This investment will allow industry professionals to change their old practices by providing them with the latest CSR principles demonstrating the positive difference on their businesses.”

IHG has supported the MPI Foundation for years, and company leaders have long been impressed by the organization’s products and research, according to Stephen Powell, senior vice president of worldwide sales for IHG.

“CSR is a big part of our corporate strategy and this program fits in perfectly,” Powell said. “David Jerome, senior vice president of corporate responsibility for IHG, and I look forward to being an active part of the MPI Foundation team to develop the meeting industry’s CSR platform.”

Posted on: 02/23/10

Mexico Tourism Board: Relationship Cultivation Delivers Meeting Success

MeetDifferent 2010 in Cancun was the result of a successful partnership between MPI and the Mexico Tourism Board that has been developing for more than eight years, according to Eduardo Chaillo, CMP, CMM, director of the board’s strategic business unit.

“It was a great opportunity for our country to show what we’re able to do—to accomplish,” Chaillo said. “MeetDifferent also allowed us to connect all MPI members not only to Mexican suppliers but to show the reality of Mexico. We had to take advantage of that opportunity and put our country in the global arena of the meeting and event industry.”

Increasing awareness of the value proposition of holding international meetings and events in Mexico was the goal, he says. This includes educating delegates on Mexico’s expanding and significant meeting and event infrastructure. For instance, convention centers are now found throughout the country, including small cities that have traditionally been perceived as strictly leisure and cultural locales. He says this year will see new convention centers from coast to coast—specifically, new centers will be available in Mazatlan, Tampico and Zacatecas, in addition to other destinations.

“And the marketing has to follow the infrastructure, so MeetDifferent was a great opportunity to show meeting professionals that we are very well equipped and that we’re evolving, not just in Puerto Vallarta, Cabo and Cancun,” he said.

Posted on: 02/23/10

Don’t Forget Your MeetDifferent Survey!

If you attended MeetDifferent in Cancun, you should have received an evaluation survey via e-mail. Please take the time to fill out the survey, as it will help ensure MPI continues to enhance and improve the quality of our educational offerings.

Posted on: 02/23/10

Tweet for Fun and Profit

Without a doubt, Twitter and other social networking sites can be valuable for meeting and event professionals. But are these functions now monopolizing your time?

In his Web 2.0 Journal blog entry “The Art of Unfollowing: Twitter Time Management,” (http://web2.sys-con.com/node/1247236) Mike Sweeney details processes for removing clutter and saving time on Twitter—this includes (shock!) un-following people on a daily basis.

While Sweeney provides some great points to start clearing up your personal Twitterverse, James Spellos wants to expand your ROI with the microblogging platform. During his MeetDifferent session, “Tweet Different: Making Twitter Work for You,” Spellos will guide attendees through Twitter and provide tips and advice on enhancing and simplifying their experience.

Posted on: 01/22/10

ROI Outside the Box

Measuring the impact of the meetings you have organized in the past will not only give you data to present when you’re making your case for a bigger budget or for a more innovative design, it will also help you better analyze your own work so you can continue to grow and deliver consistently higher returns.

If you do decide to measure ROI internally—and you should, because that’s where your competitors are headed—it’s good to get some myths out of the way.

Conducting your own studies is not as expensive or time-consuming as it sounds. Jack Phillips, inventor of the Phillips ROI Methodology (which helps companies across industries measure ROI), points out that once the measurement process becomes integrated in the event planning strategy, it’s almost second nature.

Join Patti Phillips, of the ROI Institute, for “ROI for People Who Hate ROI” to, among other things, identify what’s creating more interest in ROI and learn about the different types of ROI methodology.

Posted on: 01/22/10

Meeting Professional Makes List of Top Jobs

Meeting planner is one of 50 best careers for 2010, according to U.S. News and World Report. The magazine recently released its annual list, which lauded the industry, and said "the number of jobs planners hold is forecast to jump 16 percent, thanks to the growing importance of meetings to increasingly global companies."

Click here to read more

Posted on: 01/22/10

5 Stories that Rocked Our Industry

Meeting professionals faced a lot of challenges in 2009: sagging economic indicators, hotel foreclosures, travel scares, attrition. But the year also saw the emergence of new social media possibilities, groundbreaking research and green technologies. One+ assessed reader feedback and its own research to create a list of the top five stories that rocked the industry in 2009, including the unification of the meetings sector, changes and challenges for the airline industry, Twitter and social media, H1N1 and green eventing.

Click here

Posted on: 01/22/10

FREE Upcoming Pre-Conference Webinars!

January 14 @ 11 CST: Jeremy Gutsche – Open Conversation with Keynote Speaker Jeremy Gutsche – REGISTER NOW!

January 21 @ 11 CST: Linda Swindling – Goal Setting for Decision Makers – REGISTER NOW!

These FREE webinars will give you a little taste of what to expect at MeetDifferent 2010 and also help you understand that this conference is an important value-add to your professional livelihood through the unique opportunities in education, networking and various business marketplaces.

For more information on these webinars or to view the complete list of FREE MeetDifferent Pre-Conference webinars, click here.

Posted on: 01/5/10

Warming Up a Seat at the Table

It's no secret that most industry professionals want a seat at the table. I mean, who doesn't want to feel valuable and positively contribute to a company's bottom line? Outside of our own industry, HR professionals may just be the largest group striving for a strategic seat.

And now it appears they're making headway, according to Joann S. Lublin with the Wall Street Journal.

“Once considered denizens of a corporate backwater, more human-resources executives are being tapped to serve as outside directors because many have become strategic players with bottom-line impact,” Lublin wrote. “U.S. companies wooing them seek their insight on hot-button issues such as executive pay, management succession and integrating acquisitions.”

Lublin reported that at least 65 current and former HR managers serve as outside directors on 101 boards.

“Search firm Spencer Stuart says 7 percent of its U.S. board placements in the first 11 months of this year were present or prior heads of HR, up from 3.8% in 2004,” Lublin wrote. “Recruiters say demand is likely to grow amid increased government and investor scrutiny of boards, pay practices and chief-executive succession.”

Could this be a sign of things to come for meeting professionals? In order to stay ahead of the game, be sure and attend several strategic meeting management sessions offered this year at MeetDifferent.

Posted on: 12/29/09

What place do social media have in the business world?

On Harvard Business' "Conversation Starter," Morten Hansen is asking some important questions about social media and their place in business.

“...All the hype around social networks, wikis, and blogs for business neglects the potential risks and time wasted...All managers and employees need to ask: What's the business value of using social media?”

For instance, take a look at the way in which many individuals and businesses are utilizing social media.

“Some people ... think of adoption success in a company as the number of wikis, blogs, tweets, and Facebook pages that people have created and used. In other words, they measure success as the activity level,” Hansen wrote. “But that's the same as saying, ‘in our company, we have lots of meetings so we must be doing something right.’ As enterprise 2.0 expert < a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/collaboration/">Oliver Marks told me, ‘random Twitter and online dialog can be an even more disastrous use of time than endless unfocused meetings.’ More is not necessarily better.”

Futhermore, Hansen explains how social media is only helpful for some problems. What are some problems with which this new communications venue can and cannot assist? Find out during the “Advanced Social Media for Meeting Professionals” session on Monday, Feb. 22, at 3:30 p.m./15.30.

Posted on: 12/29/09

Meetings Monopoly? Online Reg Software Could be Legal Liability

By Rowland Stiteler

Software Management Inc. (SMI) has been granted a broad-reaching U.S. patent for its multi-layered meeting and convention marketing, management and online registration software, in a victory for the company that may shake up the meeting and event industry.

According to legal experts familiar with the situation, the patent likely puts SMI in position to charge licensing fees for potentially dozens of other companies that have produced similar software, or to file patent infringement suits against those companies if they decline to pay.

The potential for liability goes beyond that of companies that produce similar software, however—it extends to destination marketing entities, hotels and convention centers and even meeting and event planners who merely use meeting management and online registration software that is in violation of the new patent.

“It’s not an overstatement to say this is a hugely significant development in the industry,” said Jonathan T. Howe, Esq., founding partner and president of Chicago-based Howe & Hutton Ltd. “It has potentially far-reaching consequences, and an important point is that not all of those consequences are known yet.”

Critics claim that SMI is not just seeking to reap the rewards for some unique process that it created, but using the legal system to gain a monopoly over a process that others have developed independently and have been using in their businesses for years.

“There are dozens of other software applications out there that were not created by SMI and pre-date SMI’s patent by years,” said Corbin W. Ball, CMP, CSP, president of Corbin Ball Associates and 20-year meeting management tech veteran. “What bothers me about this is that it appears to be an attempt to use the legal process to gain a monopoly. There is a difference between gaining a legal right to do something and having a moral right to do something.”

SMI has yet to spell out its specific intents.

“It is possible that some of the existing technology in the meeting industry today may be in violation of SMI’s recently issued patent,” said Jennifer Reichenbach, president of SMI. “We are working closely with our patent attorneys to review a variety of strategic options and will be proceeding very carefully to determine our best direction.”

Attorney Howe has a wait-and-see outlook about what will happen next.

“I am reminded of the old adage about the dog chasing the car,” Howe said. “What does the dog do with the car if he catches it? Based on public statements, SMI does not know for sure where it will go with this, and with the slow pace at which legal matters go forward, it could indeed be a long, long time before the true impact of all of this is known.”

An important factor, Howe says, is a case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Bilski v. Doll, which deals with whether a patent can grant exclusive rights to single party for commonly used processes. The court ruling, which is expected this spring, could negate SMI’s ability to claim patent infringement against a broad group of software providers and users.

Legal Issues Affecting Emerging Technology - @ MeetDifferent
Attend MeetDifferent, Feb. 20-23 in Cancun, to learn more about managing liability and related topics during “Web 2.0: Legal Issues Affecting Emerging Technology,” led by Barbara Dunn of Howe and Hutton Ltd. This session is so essential, it is being offered every day during MeetDifferent.

Posted on: 12/29/09

La Vida Rica: Latin American Meetings Market Ripens

U.S. tourism companies could take in at least $1.1 billion a year on trips to Cuba if most of its citizens weren’t legally prohibited from visiting the island, island officials said during a recent videoconference with U.S. tour operators.

That should give you a quick idea of the value of meetings in Latin America. Learn about the business and cultural components associated with holding an event in the region during Eli Gorin’s session “Meeting Management in Latin America” at MeetDifferent.

Posted on: 12/29/09

Job References: Fire Up Your Cheering Squad

A job applicant can spend hours working on resumes and cover letters, prepare exhaustively and nail the interview, but if you fail to submit a strong reference list or neglect to inform job references about specific openings and potential interviews, game over, says Dawn Rasmussen, CMP. The job interview process has many layers, and your professional and personal references have a huge impact as the final say about your viability as a candidate. Many of us have a list of references that we’ve developed for just that purpose, but ask yourself if you are really firing up what should be your ultimate cheering squad by answering the following questions. To read Rasmussen’s full column, visit www.mpioneplus.org, and attend knowledge session “Advance Your Career Through Life-Long Learning with MPI Global Training”from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at MeetDifferent.

Posted on: 12/18/09

Meeting Industry Announces U.S. Impact Study

A group of the industry's top associations has announced the onset of a long-awaited U.S. economic impact study. PricewaterhouseCoopers will conduct the study with a projected completion of October 2010. The U.S. Travel Association will act as project manager, while the Convention Industry Council—which represents a number of industry groups including MPI—will be contract administrator. The study will take a similar approach to the ground-breaking economic contribution study, Meetings Activity in 2006: A Portrait of the Canadian Sector, which was sponsored by the MPI Foundation Canada and based on the U.N. World Tourism Organization's tourism satellite account methodology. For more information, visit the PlusPoint blog.

Posted on: 12/18/09

Visit the Streets of Cancun RIGHT NOW!

Web-savvy travelers can now drive/walk through Cancun virtually thanks to the latest update to Google Map’s popular and sometimes-controversial Street View feature.

This update adds Cancun and other Mexican destinations to the database as well as the app’s first view from the Hawaiian Islands, the final U.S. state to be added.

Click here to jump to the Street View for Moon Palace, the all-inclusive host property for MeetDifferent 2010, and stroll around the streets!

Posted on: 11/24/09

CANCUN CVB RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST INTERNATIONAL CVB

Press Contact:
Media Contact:
Newlink Communications
Marielise Garcia
786-709-2489
Marielise.garcia@newlink-group.com

CANCUN CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU IS RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST INTERNATIONAL CVB

Cancun, Quintana Roo, October 2009 - The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau has been named the winner of Incentive Magazine' s prestigious Platinum Partner Award for 2009, as the best international tourism office.

Readers of the magazine recognized the Cancun CVB for their excellence as an incentive industry supplier through an online voting process that took place from February to June 2009.

More than 65,000 of the industry's most qualified corporate decision-makers selected their choices for the best domestic and international travel suppliers within their respective field; such as the people, products and services that were the best resource in motivating employees and customers over the past year.

Winners were selected based on the following criteria:  destination, property or travel service, quality and degree of professionalism, and degree of credibility and promotional support.

A complete list of winners will be featured in Incentive's October issue and will appear on Incentive's website – incentivemag.com .  A special award ceremony and reception was held on September 30, 2009, during The Motivation Show in Chicago.

Posted on: 11/12/09

You, too, can learn to deal with difficult people

By Jessie States

Have a difficult boss or a hard to manage employee? Need to confront somebody, but you're not sure how? Believe it or not, there is a Web site—but then again, these days there's a Web site for everything.

DealingwithDifficultPeople.org offers a wealth of resources on how to deal with difficult people, gain confrontation skills and manage anger and stress. Browse through this extensive collection of tips and solutions for free, attend one of the site's webinars or purchase a book or two that could help you learn how to handle that difficult colleague.

Or you could just attend “Dealing with Difficult People” with presenter Sue Hershkowitz-Coore of High Impact Presentations at 7:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22, during MeetDifferent in Cancun.

Posted on: 11/12/09

How Psychology Can Help Your Meetings

By Jon Bradshaw

Curiosity about behavioral science could make your next event extra special. Try this food for thought.

• The psychological effects of color (chromology) are fascinating. Deciding what emotional state you want visitors to access may lead you to look at using different colors in different rooms, adapting slides and even changing the color of chairs.
• Use appropriate music at different parts of the day. A recent training course I went on used the same energetic music before the start of every session and even now, months after the training, when I hear it my emotional state changes, my pulse increases and I’m ready to learn.
• If you plan annual events, understand the impact of smells and create a unique one to help access different ideas and behavior.
• Don’t forget the sense of taste. A recent study found that tea, wine and chocolate were the best foods for cognitive stimulation.
• Finally, the sense of touch: for cheap plastic chairs, read cheap plastic conference.

To learn more, attend Lawana Gladney’s “Creating Meetings that Excite the Brain for Optimal Learning” session at 1:30 p.m./13.30 on Sunday, Feb. 21.

Posted on: 10/30/09

Chapter Reception

Networking? Cancun Has Got You Covered!
By Michael Pinchera

Chapter Connection Receptions are another great opportunity and perk available during MeetDifferent in Cancun, according to said Keri Dool, MPI’s meeting manager.

“These are chapter receptions hosted by Cancun and hotels in the hotel zone, that will provide everyone the opportunity to network with chapter leaders, members and fellow MeetDifferent attendees,” Dool said. “An added benefit is that you do not even have to plan the reception—Cancun has taken care of that for you.”

That’s right, free chapter networking events from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, hosted by industry partners and friends in Cancun.

Posted on: 10/30/09

Cancun Airport Expands

The Cancun Airport unveiled its US$67 million dollar second runway infrastructure project on Oct. 10, including the construction of an additional runway, new control tower and taxiway bridge. The airport can now serve 28 million passengers a year. The addition is most needed. In 2009, five airlines added Cancun to their flight schedules while other airlines offered exceptionally low fares.

Posted on: 10/21/09

Be a Shark in a Sea of Applicants

1. Appoint a job search buddy. It’s going to be a lot more compelling for you to get off the sofa when you know you need to call this person on Friday and report back on your weekly activities. This person will hold you accountable and be your cheerleader at the same time.
2. Read a set number of industry articles every week. It makes sense to keep yourself informed and abreast of current events—not just so you can interject a useful bit of information in an interview, but also so you can have something to talk about when networking.
3. Attend a set number of networking events every week. Shy? Get over it. The ocean is full of sharks, and you need to be one of them. Think of yourself as an explorer…you never know what you might uncover!
4. Keep up your education monthly. You fear you have fallen off the merry-go-round and have lost ground to competitors. Continuing education can be a great path to a new career, enhanced professional credentials or honed skills.

Posted on: 10/20/09

Cancun says a flat winter sounds 'pretty good'

Hoteliers and tour operators are reporting that advance bookings for the upcoming winter peak season look strong for Cancun. The Mexican resort city should expect arrival numbers at about the same level as last year's winter season, said Jesus Almaguer, director general of the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau. Almaguer said, "We are very confident right now" that the arrival numbers for December through March will be "about the same" as the same period last year, which would be "pretty good," since the winter of 2008-09 saw visitor arrivals jump by 9.5% from the previous year.

Click here to read more about it.

Posted on: 10/7/09

CMP Exam Offered at MeetDifferent 2010

DALLAS (September 24, 2009) –Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Convention Industry Council (CIC) today announced a plan to upgrade the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation as an important and consistent global certification for the meetings industry. MPI will make an investment in the CMP program to ensure its ongoing relevance amidst increasing performance expectations on meeting and event professionals and also to make the CMP more globally available.

“Enhancing the relevance and global availability of the CMP program is a critical next step in the ongoing development of the meeting and events industry,” said Bruce MacMillan, president and CEO of MPI. “As meeting and event professionals face increasing challenges to deliver elevated performance results, MPI believes it is imperative to invest in the future of our professionals and the contribution they make to global business with the CMP positioned as a major element in our Knowledge Plan.”

In the current economic environment, expectations on the core skills of meeting and event professionals are elevating, with more emphasis placed on meeting effectiveness and return on objectives and investments. MPI’s investment will support CIC’s efforts to enhance the existing CMP curriculum to reflect the heightened business expectations now thrust on business and meeting professionals.

To view the complete release, click here.

Find out more information about the CMP Exam being offered at MeetDifferent 2010.

Posted on: 09/28/09

All-Inclusive an All-Around Good Deal

The room rate for Moon Palace is $238 per night and is all-inclusive. If you stayed at non-inclusive hotel, your traditional costs per day would be:

Taxes: At 15%, $35.
Tips : $10.
Roundtrip Transportation To and From Airport: $50. Divided by 4 days = $12 a day.
Mini Bar for Bottled Water and Diet Coke : $6
Breakfast (MPI doesn’t offer free breakfast at WEC or MD): $20
Happy Hour Drinks: $15
Dinner: $60
Wifi: $10
Long Distance Calls from Room : $10

If you were to add up these additional costs and subtract them from your all-inclusive rate of $238, your actual room rate would only be $64. That’s a good deal just about anywhere.

Find out more about Moon Palace All –Inclusive Package.

Posted on: 09/28/09

A Resume is Not an Obituary…

With the meeting industry reeling from the current recession, companies across the globe are hastily trimming staff to cut costs. Many meeting professionals have either been handed pink slips or are worrying about them. It’s a sickening feeling, and you may feel powerless to outside forces beyond your control. But now is actually an ideal time to take stock of your career assets and your resumé. Don’t feel overwhelmed; use these essential tips to make your CV effective.

1. A resumé is not an obituary. It’s a living document. The biggest problem most people face when trying to write their resumé is that they haven’t done a good job of updating it, which should be done every six months. Have you ever gone through the exercise of trying to remember what you did five years ago? You know you’ve done a lot of major projects, but as time goes by, the details get fuzzier. By updating your resumé regularly, it becomes an accurate, vibrant and current record of your accomplishments.
2. Your resumé is your marketing collateral. Your resumé performs the same function as corporate marketing materials or branded events, but on an individual level. Select a title that is a fair and create an accurate summary of your background. Use that as your personal brand, instead of passive and weak objective statements. By using “meeting planner” or “hotel sales manager” as a job title headline on your resumé, you immediately call attention to your background, which relates directly to the positions for which you are applying.

The view the complete article, click here.

Learn more resumé and other helpful tips at the Idea Exchange.

Posted on: 09/28/09