( St. Louis, 4 April 2007 ) - At a recent focus group
sponsored by the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC)
at the Summit Executive Centre in Chicago, ten meeting professionals confirmed
that planners face busier and more demanding schedules with rising prices
and little increase in budgets. This necessitates an extreme focus on delivering
value for the money spent on meetings. As facilitator Mike Fahner pointed
out, "they are looking for relationships with a property that will help
them deliver better value to them as well as an exceptional level of service
to their attendees."
More Demands and a Focus on Delivering Value
According to the ten professionals, they rely upon conference centers
for reliable technology and production. There was universal agreement that
the right technology is increasingly important at a facility, but, at a
conference center, they not only have the technology, but there is knowledgeable
staff who know what they are doing.
Objectives are Key
The professionals revealed that they seek an environment of continuous
learning and they demand that meetings have maximum impact and allow participants
to connect with other people. "There needs to be a memorable and compelling
experience associated with any meeting," stated one of the Chicago-based
participants. According to Fahner, "When asked about their decision-making
process and how they choose a venue, they agreed that the old adage of
location, location, location is no more. Location now comes in third after
the objectives and content of the meeting."
Seal of Approval
This panel represents the fourth in an ongoing series of focus groups
designed to solicit the impressions of meeting professionals about their
roles and responsibilities; industry trends; technology; and the capabilities
of properties where they hold their meetings. Consistent among planners
was the feeling that they want to know if a property is IACC approved.
"Conference centers are particularly great for inexperienced, part-time
planners", commented one planner who elaborated that "knowing that a property
is a part of IACC will help seal the deal in her decision-making process."
Uniformly at all four focus groups, participants indicated that IACC affiliation
is an important factor in their selection of a conference center.
Partnerships
In both New York and Chicago, professionals indicated that at IACC-approved
properties, they maintain stronger relationships with the Conference Planning
Department. They have also come to expect IACC properties to provide a
comfort level significantly better than at other meeting facilities. Professional
planners want to establish a solid partnership and a higher trust level
with staff at a facility, which frees them up to concentrate on the content
of their meeting. Conference centers have figure that out.
According to IACC North America's President, Neil Pompan, (CFO of EMCVenues)
this series of focus groups will continue: in an effort to better understand
the demands of today's professional Meeting Planner, IACC will continue
to conduct similar focus groups in major cities throughout the United States
in order to better serve their needs and to continue to provide the IACC
member properties with the tools they need to provide an exceptional meeting
experience.
Celebrating its Silver Anniversary, the International Association of
Conference Centers, founded in 1981, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated
to promoting understanding and awareness of the conference center industry.
Active members meet a set of stringent Universal Criteria and agree to
a Code of Ethics. Currently, the association includes approximately 400
members from the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, France,
England, The Netherlands, Germany and Japan. For more information, visit
the website at www.iacconline.org. |
