WTTC: How would you define the meetings and events industry?

KC: Currently our industry is in a bit of turmoil and it’s hard to forecast what will happen. It appears that everyone from vendors to clients to planners continue to perform with less, for less, making less. For instance, the hoteliers are offering huge discounts in very creative ways but obviously their gross profits are taking a hit. A transportation vendor still needs the business as they have their vehicle inventory payments so they too are discounting. My team still makes the same amount of phone calls for a group that used to be 400 people but is now 180 people. Our gross profits are deteriorating all while the same work effort is being put forth. That being said, I do believe that these times truly make us stronger as a group, as a team, and as an industry. These financial hiccups provide us with an opportunity to retool, rework, and embrace new practices and procedures to position for future successes.

WTTC: What is the biggest change the meetings and events industry is going through today?

KC: A quote I heard recently at the MPI WEC in Salt Lake City (and what a great destination) was: “The new growth is flat line.” I don’t want to believe it but if one can hold on and not slip backwards, that should be considered good. It’s hard to put your arms around celebrating a flat lined type of success but we all have to lower our expectations from where they were in ‘07/’08.

WTTC: What’s your forecast for the industry?

KC: I believe face-to-face meetings are a critical function of humans and businesses; they are part of our make up. Think back to the Roman times where groups of people would travel for weeks on end to join together for various purposes. Our Congress and House meet face-to-face frequently. There will be a rapid return to hosting meetings as well as celebrations, be it an incentive trip or simply a holiday party.

WTTC: You’ve had a long career. Can you tell us about any particular lessons you’ve learned?

KC: There are many and I continue to learn daily. One lesson that stands out is about negotiating… what can be negotiated, having an understanding of the impact of what you are negotiating, and what is being achieve by the item(s) you select to negotiate. We had a resort cancel a meeting years ago. I hadn’t been through that situation before, although I had learned about protecting yourself (and your client) in the initial contract. Although we had a reasonable clause placed in the contract, there were items that would impact our client well beyond providing like accommodations at the contracted rate. Issues such as contacting all those registered and all those considering to attend, including payment for the collateral material, the notices, the postage, and the additional time that now had to be dedicated to this notification. Another negotiating point for example is about room specs, changes and expectations. Understanding that the hotel has to have a huge number of labor on standby to change your room sets frequently, they will be less likely to negotiate your request for comp or reduced meeting space. I think you have to be courteous and reasonable while understanding the impacts of your requests and if you do, then go for the salient points that are going to make life more palatable for your client, in some cases that may be a financial reduction or a service addition.

WTTC: How is your role changing?

KC: My role has evolved from being a passionate planner and event coordinator to a business manager. I don’t get to be involved in the day to day event planning as I used to as I’m on the peripheral with many other responsibilities. As I grow and develop in different directions, I have to move over and allow those I’ve entrusted with execution. As my role changes, I pass along my experience and allow my team to create the programs and systems that work best with the group and client dynamics. In other words, I hire great people and then get out of their way.

WTTC: What advice would you offer to other event planners?

KC: Stay the course if you can hold on financially; develop a marketing campaign that demonstrates your worth and abilities either internally for the corporate planners or externally if you are an independent. And lastly, stay current on the trends and issues of your chosen segment of our industry.

WTTC: Is there an easy way for people to stay informed especially during a recession?

KC: There are webcasts provided by associations and publications that are free or very affordable. Participating in blog discussions or in on-line forums is helpful and stimulating. And for up-to-the-minute information, idea sharing and opinions, blogs are very helpful. If its within your budget, I would recommend attending an association meeting to meet and connect with people as well as obtain education or information. There are always a variety of tracks and sessions to meet everyone’s needs. Extend your time by a day or two in that destination and learn more about the area.

WTTC: Has the current economic climate affected the number and/or type of events you’ll do this year?

KC: Yes most definitely. We have seen client cancellations and meetings that have to “fly under the radar.” Most events that we continue to work on have been reduced in the number of attendees participating — whether it’s an association meeting where its up to the members to attend or a corporate meeting where the corporation is being more selective on who attends. In either case a reduction in those attending…

WTTC: How do you calculate return on investment?

KC: This is a broad subject and the ROI has to be tied to an objective. Since objectives vary, it’s hard to calculate in a broad terms. The ROI could be meaningful to me to simply retain my existing team — providing the information flow, training or recognition to keep them employed through these turbulent times. An ROI for a meeting may simply be creating the plan and actions surrounding the goal. Reaching that goal is the ROI. In some cases the ROI is somewhat intangible. I think it is important to investigate, have a group thought discussion on what the outcomes are to look like so that there can be plans in place to facilitate the success.

WTTC: How is your company saving money?

KC: My staff was asked to reach into their daily operations and provide cost saving suggestions over a year ago. Many of the suggestions have been implemented. We have always operated frugally and here are a few of the suggestions we have implemented:

* Print on both sides of the paper.
* Invest in an electronic system of a print/scanner/copier. Saves you money on having to buy ink cartridges.
* Request a 10 day furlough of each team member (including senior management) to be taken at the individual’s leisure but with supervisor approval.
* Take a minor pay cut.
* Cross-utilization of team members.
* Re-visit agreements for long distance carriers, cell phones/blackberries, insurance (GL) and DSL carriers.

WTTC: How important is training and education to the industry?

BW: Training and education are the cornerstone of our industry. It is imperative that we strive for more education so that we can continue to escalate the quality of the entire industry. With the constant changes in our world and the fact that so many of the changes that take place directly impacts the meetings industry, it is crucial to constantly be learning.

WTTC: What makes a great planner, great?

BW: In my opinion, a great planner has an incredible balance of business acumen, common sense and instinct. The meeting planning profession is a very dynamic field and not for the “faint of heart”. Great planners have the ability to meet the ever changing needs of all stakeholders – internal customers, external customers and industry partners. Listening is a critical skill for a great planner as many times planners have to extract information that is not always readily available. A great planner makes the event look seamless and easy (regardless of what is going on behind the scenes!)

WTTC: How many and what kind of events does Courtesy typically produce in a year?

BW: We produce approximately 600 to 800 meetings of all size – 10 to thousands in attendance. Government, commercial and association.

WTTC: When deciding on a destination, what are the key things you look for?

BW: Will the destination meet the specific requirements of the end user client and provide value to members … draw factor for members, ease of transportation/affordability, whether the destination is logistically feasible and quality facilities and service.

WTTC: Our Website is all about making the information gathering side of program planning fast and easy. In the spirit of this, do you have a special tip you would like to share?

BW: Ask yourself the question: “If my organization was putting this event on for the first time, what would it look like?” So many times planners get stuck in the “we have the same program” syndrome. By and by asking yourself this important question you will challenge the norm.

WTTC: Are there any pitfalls planners can avoid when negotiating with hotels.

BW: Only focusing on rates. There are so many other factors to creating a win-win contract and so many times it boils down to rate and concessions. Pay close attention to all terms and make certain that some of the less tangible terms are acceptable.

WTTC: What are the current challenges and opportunities faced by event management companies?

BW: The current economy has created both challenges and opportunities as we are being asked to do so much more with less financial support. This presents a challenge as event companies are always trying to stay ahead of the technology and constantly introducing new content and concepts into events. The opportunities in this down economy are endless as event companies are in a position to re-create, re-visit and re-think the way we conventionally have done business in the past. This is the silver lining as it enhances our creativity and makes us more efficient.

WTTC: What role does service play in the current economy? Are clients making decisions based only on price? Are there other factors at play?

BW: While clients want to make certain that they are paying the best possible price, I find that prudent clients are definitely understanding that superior service, innovative thinking and ability to navigate to weather stormy economic times are more important than looking for the lowest price for valued services.

WTTC: The industry has seen a lot of changes in the past 10 years. Has the current economic climate changed how you’ll do business down the road?

BW: I believe that the focus of the future will be on the quality of the program and content vs. the glitz of events. The overarching goal should always be the value proposition to the attendee for their time. Competition for events will continue to be fierce and the goal of any planner will be to make their event stand out in the minds of the attendees so that there is no question which event to attend.

WTTC: Has the economy affected how you do business with vendors? What is one piece of advise you can give to suppliers when bidding for your business?

BW: I think the economy has actually helped relationships to grow even stronger. We all have to come together to take care of each other at all times, but especially these challenging times. A piece of advice that I would give is to please understand the needs of your clients and show that you have done your homework so that you can present the value to the needs.

WTTC: What is the one key element of an event program that you just can’t do without?

BW: Quality content.