et’s get right to it, because it is good news. The majority of this year’s Meetings Market Survey respondents told us that 2012 was a better year for meetings than 2011 — from corporate training sessions for 50 employees to exhibitions
with tens of thousands of attendees. Moreover, they expect a continued uptick throughout this year.
Stack the 2012 survey results against the 2011
survey results, and you’ll see only plus signs down the line, however slight some of the increases may be. Here’s a look at some of the average gains earned and anticipated:
• Size of 2012 convention/meeting budget vs. 2011 convention/meeting budget +2.1 percent
• Size of 2013 convention/meeting budget vs. 2012 convention/meeting budget (projected) +1.5 percent
• 2012 attendance vs. 2011 attendance +3.7 percent
• 2013 attendance vs. 2012 attendance (projected) +2 percent
• Number of 2012 exhibitors vs. 2011 exhibitors +2.5 percent Number of 2013 exhibitors vs. 2012 exhibitors (projected) +2.2 percent
These positive indicators have convinced most
planners that the meetings industry has stabilized. Many expressed concerns, however. Among them:
• Rising costs — “We want our suppliers to be successful,” one respondent wrote, “but are anxious about pricing — not to mention the increase in flight and airline charges.”
• A lingering negative perception — Overcoming the “bad publicity of events that spend much more than they should” was what a corporate planner said topped a list of challenges.
• “The cost-to-value ratio” — That’s what a respondent termed it. “Being out of the office is a cost just like registration expenses, and a lot of organizations simply can’t have people out of the office for three days at a time.”
• Restrictions for government-employee attendees — This was often cited as a major hurdle. The government sector is “hyper- sensitive to cost issues,” wrote one planner, “because of various scandals.”
The rough patch that planners went through
over the last few years has forced them to trim the fat; many said they continue to cut back on F&B and AV costs and remain vigilant about avoid- ing waste. For others, economic pressures have opened the door to different opportunities. “We are experimenting with virtual content capture and streaming,” one respondent wrote. “We antici- pate that not everyone can travel to meetings as much in the future, and are also reaching out to those that are likely never to attend — in develop- ing countries.” What’s the overall sentiment about the state
of the meetings industry today and in the near future? Mostly positive, although planners’ com- ments reveal mixed feelings. “I foresee 2013 into 2014 being the best years for the meeting and travel industry since the early-’90s!” wrote one respondent with a decidedly glass-half-full perspective. “People are craving the face-to-face connection. All the technology has now created something of a disconnect. Meeting in person cre- ates more of a fun and interactive event instead of a boring educational event. Meeting planners are asked to raise the bar at every turn so that they will increase attendance each year.” The planners who participated in this year’s
survey seem up to that challenge. — Michelle Russell, editor in chief, Convene