uringthepastyear,therehasbeen no shortage of surveys attempting to evaluate the recession’s effect on
business, and on the business of meetings. Count theConveneAnnualMeetingsMar- ket Survey (p. 32) among them.But it’s hardly a newcomer. For the past 19 years, we’ve been able to tell
how well meetings and conventions are faring by surveyingPCMAmembers (and, more recently, Convene readers) and reporting the results in our March issue. The respondents—meeting profes- sionals who work for a variety of associations, corporations, or independently—have provided nearly two decades’ worth of benchmarking data, and the survey has become a standard in assessing the state of the meetings industry. Over the years, the survey results have reflect-
ed boom periods and downswings in our indus- try, the health of which has always been directly tied to the economy. Then there have been times when other factors were added to the mix: fears of traveling after Sept. 11, for example—and, most recently, fears of perception, a.k.a. the AIG Effect. The survey has also helped bring new trends to light and allowed us to see how those trends play out over the years. So, just how badwas 2009?Well, nearly half
Get on Track
Are you worried about your meetings’ bottom line?Want some ideas for resetting in the new reality? Connect with your peers through PCMA’s social-media opportunities via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Access cutting-edge education through our Online Learning Center. For face-to-face inter- actions, get involved with a chapter. There’s no shortage of ways that PCMA can help get you back on track. Visitwww.pcma.org for ideas.
6 pcmaconvene March 2010
Convene’s Meetings Market Survey shows us where we are—and where we’d like to be
of thosewho participated in this survey reported that attendance at their largest meeting declined compared to 2008 (though 25percent reported no change and 16 percent actually reported an increase). Only 34 percent of respondents said that 90 percent ormore of their roomblock was picked up at thatmeeting (compared to 54 percentwho said the same in 2008). About one-third (38 percent) canceled meetings, compared to 27 percent in 2008. Yet, the results show signs that meetings are
stabilizing this year: 51 percent expect their 2010 attendance to remain the same as in 2009—and 23 expect an increase. Half of respondents expect their budget to remain steady in 2010, and only 17 percent expect to cancel a meeting in 2010. I was also pleased to see that respondents this
year reported their meetings created greater eco- nomic benefit to host destinations: 15percent said the economic value of their largest meeting was $10 million or more to the host destination (up from 9 percent in that category last year).We want to see that number continue to rise—and we’ll take every opportunity to promote our value to government leaders and decision-makers. There’s no denying that 2009was a tough year.
Butwe’ll get things turned around again.There have been, andwill continue to be, adjustments for us tomake along the way. Andwe nowknow we need to bemore vocal about—and have the critical data to back up—the value ofmeetings. We’ve got a solid foundation onwhich to build. I look forward to working with you in the
coming year to advance your meetings, your organizations, and your career.Working together, there’s no limit to what we can do to strengthen the meetings industry for the future.
ON BETTER FOOTING: The majority of this year’s Meetings Market Survey respondents expect the meetings indus- try to improve this year. But no one said they were looking for things to return to normal. “The industry has been changed forever, and we will not go back to ‘busi- ness as usual,’” said one survey-taker. “We are creating a new business as usual. Those who understand this and reinvent their approachwill do well; those that remain with what was, will not.”