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Approximately 1,800 Meeting Planners Expected at
HSMAI�s 15th Annual Affordable
Meetings® National Show
Washington Convention Center Sept. 8-9, 2004

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MCLEAN, VA (July 29, 2004) � With a growing number of companies recognizing the value of targeting a qualified group of meeting planners in a single venue, the trade expo at the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International�s (HSMAI) 15th annual Affordable Meetings® National show is welcoming several new companies into the fold, (resulting in expanded sections in the floor layout) and high praise from fellow exhibitors about the amount of business they produce.  HSMAI�s 15th annual Affordable Meetings® National show is set for Sept. 8 � 9, 2004 at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C., and booth space is still available.

�Participating in the trade expo at HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® National is a win-win situation for both meeting planners and exhibitors,� said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.  �Exhibitors have an excellent opportunity to showcase their products, and meeting planners can collect information about a wide variety of venues and services,� Gilbert added.

New companies joining the HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® National trade show in 2004 include Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Circle Line Cruises, Spirit Cruises, Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex in Cape Canaveral, FL, and DMI Hotels and Resorts, which represent 50 hotels and destination management companies across the U.S.  After experiencing tremendous success as a first-time exhibitor at HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® Mid-America earlier in the year, Albors & Associates Language Services signed-up for a booth at the National show.

In terms of the trade show floor layout, the New England section grew with the addition of the Cape Codder Resort and Marriotts of Greater Boston.  The New York section increased with Broadway.com, the Hard Rock Café and the Inn at Fox Hollow.  The Canadian section welcomed Niagara Falls Tourism, and the international section grew with Turismo Del Caribe from Mexico and Tropicana Tours & Travel in Tanzania.

Participating in the HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® series is one of the best business and networking decisions companies can make.  Here are words of praise from various exhibitors:

�We�ve been exhibiting at HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® for the past five years, and this is by far one of our most profitable shows.  The follow-up list of attendees that�s supplied at no charge after the show is a welcome bonus, and as a result, we�ve been able to build our client base and referrals year and year,� stated Marcia Finkelstein, CAS, president, Creative Impressions USA, Inc. 

�HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® provides a very comfortable and relaxed networking atmosphere.  This event allows our CVB members to co-op at an affordable price plus provides them with an opportunity to target a wide audience.  In addition, the event offers our CVB members invaluable education at a reasonable price,� said Fred Wise, director of sales & marketing, Ocean City, MD Convention & Visitors Bureau.

According to Susan Henrique of CT�s Coastal Fairfield CVB, �Our members find the HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® show to be an excellent source of business, and they consistently sign contracts and gather leads for the future.�

This year�s trade expo will feature 60,000 square feet of exhibit space at the Washington Convention Center for 550 exhibitors and 600 booths representing hotels and resorts, university conference centers, unique meeting sites, convention and visitor bureaus, transportation companies, trade publications, software and audio/visual businesses, and other meeting and convention suppliers.  Prepared to provide the best services and products, exhibitors will assist planners by offering cost-effective meeting packages and enticing incentives. 

Meeting planners can shop the show and collect information on a huge variety of venues and services, peruse the HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® Bookstore for material specific to meeting planning (printed materials and audio/visual resources as well as a complete line of CMP study materials), talk with experts in all areas of meeting planning at the Speaker�s Corner, and win cash prizes and exciting trips.  The expo will be open each day of the show from noon � 3:30 pm.

When not walking the aisles of the trade show, planners can take advantage of a dynamic program of 35 educational seminars that will focus on key subjects of importance to planners at all levels of experience.  The comprehensive educational series will offer attendees the opportunity to acquire expert insights, new ideas, and inspirational advice, helping them to produce more effective meetings.

Planners may choose from a variety of programs depending on their experience and interest.  Topics include: meeting contracts, on-site management, the ins and outs of online registration, enhancing partner relationships, cost-saving strategies with audio-visual and other technologies, negotiating tactics, budgeting and other subjects reflective of the ever-changing meetings business.  Select sessions will be repeated so that participants have the opportunity to attend sessions that run concurrently.  Also, as an added benefit, attendees will receive a complimentary bound book containing handouts from all of the seminars.

Providing an excellent opportunity for liaising with fellow planners and other industry professionals, a reception at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 8 will feature great food and drink plus fun-filled entertainment.

Approximately 1,800 planners are expected to visit this premier exposition and educational conference, which is free-of-charge to all qualified meeting planners and an excellent training ground so planners can hone their skills.  This coveted group represents meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority from association, corporate and independent sectors and the balance from government, non-profit, education, religious, medical/health care organizations, travel agents, trade show management and the military.  Seventy-two percent of the 2003 National attendees surveyed have been involved in the industry for more than four years.

HSMAI�s Affordable Meetings® is owned and presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Americas division and managed by George Little Management, LLC (GLM). 

For exhibitor information, contact Beth Petersen, show manager, GLM, Ten Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10606-1954, or call (914) 421-3377; fax (914) 948-2918; e-mail: [email protected].  Attendee information is available by calling 1-800-272-SHOW.  Additional information and a complete program schedule can be obtained by visiting the show�s web site at www.affordablemeetings.com.

HSMAI is an international organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry.  With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales and marketing management disciplines.  Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising nearly 7,000 members worldwide, with 42 chapters in the Americas region.


 
Contact:

HSMAI
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 610-9024
www.hsmai.org
 

Also See: What Do Meeting Planners Want? Hotel Sales Managers Want to Know! / Carol Verret / May 2004
The Evolving Relationship Between Hotel Sales Managers and Meeting Planners / What's in the Minds of Meeting Planners Today? / Robert Mandelbaum / January 2004


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