Motivation Strategies Meetings Update Edition - September 2005
- On-Site: Post-Gulf Coast-Hurricane Resource List
- Customer Event: Kicking Sponsorships Into Overdrive
- International: Planners Find Singapore Accessible, Affordable
- Association Spotlight: New Monthly Debuts In October
- Great Gift For Road Warriors: Portable GPS
- Career Strategist: Why Annual Reports Matter
- Personal Planner: Photo-Snesitive Travelers
On-Site: Post-Gulf Coast-Hurricane Resource List
Many meetings and events—not to mention many lives—were impacted by Hurricane Katrina when it struck New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast areas in late August. The meetings and events industry is at a standstill in the region; the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that all conventions through March 31, 2006, have been canceled. Industry organizations are offering a variety of resources for planners seeking updates and detailed information.
- The Convention Industry Council has created a section on its Web site that includes links to local CVBs and contact info for staff in satellite offices, a listing of resources offered by industry organizations and a spreadsheet of contact information for regional and national sales offices of hotel chains that had properties in the affected areas. Go to http://www.conventionindustry.org/aboutcic/pr/katrina_information.htm.
- Meeting Professionals International has also added an online resource for planners seeking information. It includes a regularly updated status report of area hotels at http://www.mpiweb.org/aboutmpi/katrina/hotels.asp. The main Katrina information page, which also includes a jobs listing page for Gulf Coast industry professionals seeking employment as well as links to local CVBs and news organizations, is http://www.mpiweb.org/aboutmpi/katrina/.
- The International Association for Exhibition Management is working to help groups relocate their conventions and exhibitions to unaffected centers. If your group needs to relocate from one of the impacted facilities, contact IAEM at relocation@iaem.org.
- The Hotel Monteleone, in New Orleans' French Quarter, sustained only minor damage from the hurricane and is expected to reopen on Oct. 15, or as soon as utilities are restored. Monteleone sales staff has been working from a remote office to contact planners with meetings scheduled in the near future. Meeting planners and tour-group organizers who have not yet heard from a member of the Hotel Monteleone sales staff can e-mail them at sales@hotelmonteleone.com or call 225-292-2289.
Customer Event: Kicking Sponsorships Into Overdrive
To reach the 25- to 39-year-old target market for its new compact car model, the Fusion, Ford Motor Co. is partnering with Sony to sponsor a series of pop and hip-hop concerts. While concert sponsorships are nothing new, Ford is using innovative, sometimes counterintuitive tactics to generate consumer interest before, during and after the shows. A Ford spokesperson says signage is deliberately kept low-key at the concerts; in fact, the iconic Ford oval doesn't appear on any on-site promotional materials.
Instead, a dedicated Web site, www.fusionflashconcerts.com, is publicized. The site includes streaming video of the events, blogs and downloadable content. Consumers can register online or via a text message to receive details about the concerts, which also arrive via text message to give recipients the feeling of "insider" status. The Fusion concert Web site has the added bonus of giving Ford's event specialists a tool by which to measure the impact of the shows: Not only can they count the attendees but they can track which ones are active on the site's blog and download sections.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of downloads and blogs extends the impact of the series—dear to every event sponsor's heart.
International: Planners Find Singapore Accessible, Affordable
Singapore is raising its profile among U.S. groups, who are finding that the Asian city-state offers top-notch infrastructure, English-speaking citizens and a "melting pot" culture that blends English, Chinese and Malaysian elements. The year-old nonstop flight from the New York City metro area, which takes 18 hours, and competitive hotel rates are also getting planners' attention.
In addition, long-term plans are in the works to add all-inclusive and incentive-caliber resort offerings. Local hoteliers and DMCs report a strong rise in interest from planners that now exceeds the height of the pre-9/11 period. The Singapore Tourism Board is responding by extending its "Make It Singapore" program, which offers special rates and promotional assistance for planners who book events in Singapore.
To take advantage of this program, planners need to book an event by the end of the year that has 150 or more room nights and will take place before the end of 2007. For more information, go to stb.gov.sg. To read more about Singapore's MICE offerings, go to http://www.i-mi.com/.
Association Spotlight: New Monthly Debuts In October
In October, the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership will launch a monthly magazine, Associations Now. The new magazine will be aimed at association executives but will include a major focus on meetings. "Obviously, a big revenue stream is meetings, so that's a big area of coverage for us," says a magazine spokesperson. "We have several supplements planned with editorial geared directly at the meeting planner from a high-level, strategic position." This new publication will replace ASAE's and the Center's former publications, Association Management and Executive Update, respectively. For more information, go to http://www.asaenet.org/.
Great Gift For Road Warriors: Portable GPS
In the process of getting to and staying at the top, winners usually spend a lot of time on the road. Help them get to client meetings on time with this handy navigation tool: the Magellan RoadMate 360 from Thales Navigation Inc. This brand-new user-friendly GPS system is preloaded with maps of North America, including the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. Touch-screen technology and easy-to-use menus allow users to enter addresses and select routes, and voice prompts and turn-by-turn directions keep the driver on track. The RoadMate 360 system is portable, so road warriors can use it in rental cars as well as their own vehicles. For more information or to order, go to http://www.magellangps.com/.
Career Strategist: Why Annual Reports Matter
Planners might not think their organization's annual report has a lot to interest them, but they should think again. "It's an invaluable tool for planners to make themselves familiar with what the results of their organization are, as well as the vision and direction," says Christine Duffy, president and CEO of Maritz Travel Inc. and chairwoman of the board of Meeting Professionals International. Duffy says an annual report holds strong clues as to what lies ahead for planners in their day-to-day work life, such as the financial health of the organization (are budget cuts coming?) and long-term vision (does a global strategy mean international meetings are on the horizon?). Being able to spot significant details in an annual report gives planners a view of how meetings fit in with the big picture and what they need to accomplish, in areas ranging from site selection to agenda development. Not sure how to read an annual report? Call your organization's investor relations or financial department, Duffy suggests. "There's nothing wrong with going to the office that publishes that data and having them walk through it with you," she says. "It shows that you're proactive and interested."
Personal Planner: Photo-Sensitive Travelers
Planners know firsthand how tough it is to spend long stretches of time away from home and the familiar faces of their loved ones. Many on-the-go planners say the time and distance seems shorter if they bring along photos of the people who are waiting for them to return home.
Denise McGinn, CAE, president of Association Guidance, travels with pictures of her three children. "It reminds me of why I work so hard," she says. "It also reminds me that I'm setting an example for them that the opportunities in the world are endless."
Some say photos help them bond with others in the same boat. "When I get to share pictures with associates and fellow travelers, I feel more connected to the people I'm spending my time with away from home," points out Stephanie Aden, director of Internet communications for Nebraska Plastics Inc.
Most planners carry their photos in their wallets, but some keep them stored in their digital cameras or laptops or even have them in constant view. Annette S. DeLorenzo, CMP director, meetings and expositions for the Painting & Decorating Contractors of America, proudly puts hers on display. "I bring along a picture of my husband and I and put it on my desk in the staff office," she says. "The picture is in a frame shaped like a pink flamingo. It helps put my mind at ease while I'm running from meeting to meeting!"
