Planners Are Redefining Sales Meetings With Vendors
HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West Pre-Show Survey Respondents Make it Known That Scheduled Vendor Meetings Are Important if Solution-Focused
Noted in the survey, which was conducted by J. Spargo & Associates and analyzed by 20|20 Assessment™, was that meeting planners prefer to use these scheduled vendor appointments for discussion regarding issues they need to address rather than to hear a heavy sales pitch.
“The survey results suggest that meeting planners are leading the charge to revamp vendor meetings,” said Dr. Jim Houran, president of 20|20 Assessment™. “Clients don’t want pitches, they want an experience of expertise and value that comes from a special trial. But the trial is not the product or service per se, clients are really trialing the expected partnership.”
HSMAI’s “One-to-One Meeting Concierge” Program, new to the Affordable Meetings® West Conference & Exposition, is already helping meeting planners and exhibitors meet this need. To date, the personalized appointment matching program is responsible for setting up nearly 200 appointments for the event.
Survey respondents also highlighted several other important themes within the industry. Included in these findings were 61% of the meeting planners feel an increased pressure to show metrics and statistics to attest to the success of events and 83.5% of the respondents rely on modern technology to run their business. Interestingly, given the current economic climate, price was not found to be the strongest driver in the site selection process. The top five reasons stated for selecting a site (in descending order of average rating) were size of the meeting space, location of the venue, guest room cleanliness, customer service and, lastly, price.
More than 1,000 attendees, including experienced meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors, and industry professionals, are expected to be on hand at HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West 2010 show. Attendance at HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings West is free-of-charge for qualified meeting planners.
HSMAI’s last show for 2010 will beHSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® National and Event Technology Expo™, Sept. 8-9, 2010, Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, D.C.
Attendee information for HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West is available by calling 800-564-4220. For additional information and a complete program schedule, visit www.affordablemeetings.com.
About HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West
HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 150 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events. Year-after-year, the highly-acclaimed trade exposition is a main attraction for attendees looking to meet and network with knowledgeable suppliers who are determined to help produce valuable meetings and assist with purchasing decisions. Exhibitors represent 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. HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® is owned and presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Americas region and managed by J. Spargo & Associates. Visit http://www.affordablemeetings.comfor more information.
About HSMAI
HSMAI is the hospitality industry source for knowledge, community, and recognition for leaders committed to professional development, sales growth, revenue optimization, marketing, and branding. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings®. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit the website at http://www.hsmai.org.
