The following is a guest blog from Dr. Eliza Hixson, a professor at the International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism and Hospitality at Leeds Metropolitan University (ICRETH) and one of the lead researchers on MPI’s Strategic Meetings Management project.

I often tell students that event management is like juggling, because there are so many elements to consider. You have to make sure you take into account all stakeholders in the process and be mindful of their perspectives and what they are aiming to achieve. At the same time, you need to make sure you provide a quality event experience to the participants. This can be very tricky, especially when trying to strategically manage events. 

The Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) resource center has been created as part of an MPI Foundation study and produced by the ICRETH team alongside Betsy Bondurant of Bondurant Consulting and Peggy Hemphill of Your Corporate Source. The center provides a succinct way of viewing meetings and explains how you can make the most out of your events whether you are a buyer, supplier, planner or intermediary. It illustrates that the key features of SMM are supply-chain management, procurement, centralization of processes, meeting quality/participant experience and executive sponsorship. This center highlights several key developments for SMM, including the need to be more focused on the delegate experience. As Lisa English of Cvent believes, “We need to get people engaged and get the most ROI from a meeting experience.”

The center, produced after a thorough review of more than 100 resources—including white papers, reports and case studies as well as interviews with practitioners—demonstrates how you can reduce costs and increase value by implementing best practice strategies. The MPI SMM resource center contains loads of resources that can help you to understand SMM and how you can implement it for your events. Whether you have an established SMM program, are just starting to embark upon the journey or have never heard of SMM before, the SMM resource center suggests several ways to gain the best strategic outcomes from your meetings. We hope you enjoy reading and get SMM-inspired.

You're smart. You're a business leader of today thinking about success tomorrow. That's just the way the world turns these days. It's fast-paced and unforgiving if you don't have a well-oiled strategic plan.

I was reading a great blog article by Joshua Ehrlich today on Harvard Business Review's site. I receive their "Management Tip of the Day" every day and on most days, honestly, I read it take what I can from it and move on. Today though, was different. As I read it, I realized that I really struggle with moving too fast. I don't stop and think long enough, and as I mentioned in today's "Pulse Video Update," I bet you do too.

When faced with a challenge, the article suggests two very simple, very easy to execute tasks—we just have to take the time, be patient and allow the magic to happen. I know what you're thinking though (because I thought the same thing). "I put my phone away and close my door for some 'me' time when I really need to plan." That's good, but it's not good enough.

Ehrlich suggests completely "clearing the deck." Not only ignore your electronic devices, but also clear your calendar of unnecessary meetings, don't take any calls, and don't be afraid to ask for help in getting some of the more administrative tasks done while you plan. 

I don't know about you, but I am definitely guilty of trying to think strategically and logistically simultaneously—not always the best plan.

Think coffee for the next suggestion. Ehrlich says to let your ideas percolate (I've always loved coffee, but for some reason I have always been "in love" with the word percolate. It's just one of those elegant words that makes the writer in me smile.) 

Anyway, where was I?  . . . 

Oh yeah. We all need to let our ideas percolate. It's surprising to even me that with as much as I love the word, when it comes to strategic thinking I often don't allow my thoughts to do just that. Ehrlich says to truly get everything out of our ideas, we need to let them stew for a few days. Let the true juices of the idea flow out and sometimes we may be lucky enough to end up with a winner on the first try—but it's doubtful. 

So maybe you're reading this over your morning coffee, but even if you aren't, remember most great ideas come from multiple percolations.

Percolate for perfection.

“It's time to get strategic with virtual events!,” according to Sam Smith of Interactive Meeting Technology as he shared early findings from an MPI Foundation Research Study on Virtual Meetings at IMEX America’s MPI MeetDifferent Day of Education & Innovation. 

For the past few years, Virtual Events have been treated as one-offs by many companies and professionals within the industry. He discussed what we’ve learned in the study that explored how leading edge organizations are integrating virtual events into their strategic meetings management programs.

The session attendees were polled about their technology IQ. Fifty-three percent of participants rated themselves as “middle of the road – I know a lot but am still learning” and 33 percent felt they’re trying to catch up. Smith’s suggestions were to keep asking questions.

He discussed different virtual platforms such as telemedicine, online university and high school courses and YouTube educational programs as examples of the different applications of virtual connections.

What does this mean for corporate meetings? The Virtual Meetings related to Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) study found that 75 percent of organizations have no formal definition of virtual meetings. Every person they talked to in the study had a different definition of what virtual meetings mean. 75 percent of study respondents admitted they do not have a formal virtual meeting policy, yet 45 percent did have a policy around sourcing virtual meetings. Also more than 90 percent of respondents consider video conferencing and online meetings using platforms such as WebEx to be part of their virtual meetings definition. Finally, 60 percent said they recommend having virtual meetings.

Smith discussed the pros and cons of going virtual – networking being the primary reason to not hold virtual meetings. But cost and time away from office were also compelling reasons to hold virtual meetings.

He had three case study examples of companies who have strategic policies in place regarding virtual meetings and their successes and challenges. These will be reported in the study findings being published later this year.

Finally, the audience responded to the question “where do you need the most help with virtual meetings?” Thirty-two percent said the development team capability was their biggest issue and 20 percent said they need help defining measurements.

Suggested takeways for attendees to use at IMEX and beyond are as follows:

For your IMEX America Experience:
Find partners who can help you develop newly expanded ideas on strategy for your organization. Network with planners and suppliers who successfully organize and manage virtual events.

For your Career:

Understand the repercussions of decisions about new technology implementation and whether to go virtual or partially virtual. Discuss how it will affect outcomes in organizational and departmental strategy.

What are your challenges with virtual meetings and where are you in incorporating them into your strategic portfolio?

The GBTA Foundation, the research and education arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership with the Strategic Meetings Management Taskforce and StarCite Inc., recently announced the launch of the Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) Maturity Index. The SMM Maturity Index allows companies to accurately identify the developmental progress of their SMM programs and provides a prescriptive report of recommendations for further improvement.

“The SMM Maturity Index will drive the meetings industry forward by bringing invaluable know-how to organizations at every step along the path toward a best in class program," said Daphne Bryant, executive director for the GBTA Foundation. "We’re excited to build on the success of the SMM Maturity Model to launch the next evolution of this essential industry framework.”

The SMM Maturity Index will help companies gauge the progress of their SMMP across 13 categories including strategy, data analysis and reporting, policy, approval, technology and sourcing/procurement. Recognizing that each SMMP is as unique as the organization which implements it, the SMM Maturity Index takes differing approaches into consideration and is based on best-in-class models.

“Having been there for the earliest beginnings of the strategic meetings management profession, it is inspiring to see how far we’ve come with the creation of a new tool that will further standardize best practices and help companies achieve great SMMP results,” said Kevin Iwamoto, vice president of enterprise strategy for StarCite. “Companies will benefit tremendously from the clear guidance and benchmarks the Index provides.”

At DigitalNow 2011, I have had the amazing opportunity to meet some very fascinating people from a myriad of backgrounds. One of these people is Dr. James Canton, president and chairman of The Institute for Global Futures, and a world-renowned futurist. 

I sat down with Dr. Canton earlier today to discuss the future of mobile and its affects on the meetings and events industry, the strategy behind mobile learning at your next event, and how to strategically select the best content for mobile devices at your next event. 

The following is a series of three videos covering these topics:

Part 1: The Future of Mobile for Meetings and Events

Part 2: Strategically Selecting the Best Content for Mobile Devices

Part 3: Rethinking the Strategy of Learning

Dr. Canton was just one of the many content experts I interviewed while at DigitalNow. Stay tuned right here on the PlusPoint blog and in our May issue for more coverage and exclusive video interviews.

A new survey of 350 business travel buyers reveals that 53 percent are now responsible for meetings spend, but only 55 percent still lack a strategic meetings management policy. The survey was conducted by the Business Travel and Meetings Show, as reported by Conworld.

This will surely change in 2011, as meeting professionals must embrace "smarter" meetings. In the first One+ article in our FutureWatch 2011 feature series, meeting pros discuss the importance of planning events that are well-targeted in terms of size, location, content and attendance, as well as the need to quantify meetings-derived ROI.

More than half (53 percent) of business travel buyers are now responsible for meetings spend, yet 55 percent still don’t have a strategic meetings management policies in place, according to a survey of 350 business travel buyers by the Business Travel & Meetings Show (Feb. 8-9 in London). 

The show offers three sessions focused specifically on the meetings market, including a case study that specifically address this low adoption of strategic meetings management programs (SMMP). Sam Welch, head of account management for BSI and Danielle Bartlett, group travel buying manager for Tesco will help buyers develop a framework for implementing an SMMP. 

A second case study will feature Gareth Crowder, head of procurement for Zibrant, who will discuss "Optimizing Savings and Controlling Costs in your Meetings and Event Program." He will be followed by Derick Shaw, business services manager for Aviva UK, with "Harness the Latest Tools and Technologies to Exact Maximum Cost Savings in your Meeting Spend." 

The buyer-only meetings masterclass – entitled Become a Meeting Planning Hero! – is being moderatedby Peter Haigh, a consultant with Hamilton Haigh Associates. He will show buyers how to use a meeting planning and evaluation tool to measure the impact and effectiveness of meetings and events and unveil his ROI methodology, which involves five levels of measurement.

There's an article, "The Alternative Entrepreneurs," in the latest issue of GOOD magazine that features Sonja Rasula, founder of UNIQUE LA, which is the largest U.S. independent design and gift show.

In Sonja's profile, she says she "thinks of herself as a 'community curator' rather than an event planner.

I like that term, community curator. Event planner, meeting planner, hotelier—those are such narrow defining job titles. What you're really doing as a meeting professional is bringing people together for the exchange of ideas and business.  

As I said in a previous blog post, meeting professionals are in the togetherness business. If you're not already doing it, you should start, right now, thinking of yourself as more than a logistic person or a bean counter. Consider yourself someone who brings great cultures together or fosters the formation of ideas. You're a driver of humanity (hyperbole intended). 

I know, I know, I like to get deep in the philosophical side of meetings and events. I'm surely not the only one, no? 

October is International Strategic Planning Month (although I can't quite find the agency or org that sponsors or promotes it). Josh Leibner and Gershon Mader are taking advantage. The authors are using the occasion to leverage their book: The Power of Strategic Commitment: Achieving Extraordinary Results Through TOTAL Alignment and Engagement. For those who don't have time to read the whole book, here's a cheat sheet of Leibner and Mader dos and don'ts. 

DO:

• Actively ask for input from all departments and levels
• Promote and incorporate others’ ideas
• Ask your staff what they would start, stop or continue in your position
• Routinely balance out your meetings by discussing both strategic and tactical issues

DON'T:

• Make strategic development an exclusive club limited to the higher-ups
• Stifle strategic thinking by not being open to and acting on others’ feedback
• Try to maintain control by micromanaging
• Solely focus on and encourage tactical thinking in meetings

I just had a lovely lunch at Fairmont Waterfront restaurant Herons with Kevin Olsen of events firm One Smooth Stone. He is also the 2010-2011 chairman-elect for the MPI Foundation. I think I have convinced Kevin to write a couple of articles for the magazine on advanced virtual events strategies, but really just speaking with him can be an inspiring experience. Here are a few nuggets he dropped at lunch.

     1. Virtual events are like the great U.S. land rush. Everyone—from training and IT to HR—wants to put their stakes in the ground and claim virtual events as theirs.

     2. Speaking the language of business is important, but speaking the language of YOUR business is imperative. In order to plan effective meetings, you must know the goals of your company as well as the challenges and opportunities of each department.

     3. Virtual meetings are another avenue of conversation. If your sales VP cancels all meetings for the year, find out why. You could be the hero for presenting the virtual event option.