2010 Meetig Trends

The meeting industry is forging ahead with signs of growth and new methods of conducting successful events. Here are some top trends:

• Meeting providers are cautiously optimistic for the year and are experiencing a booking pace that is ahead of 2009.
• The booking window for corporate meetings remains very short term -- from 30 to 45 days.
• The severe business climate of 2009 helped re-educate hotels on the merits of aggressive meeting package pricing.
• Meetings today tend to be more regional vs. national in nature.
• No frills meetings are ROI driven.
• Today's meeting planners generally expect hotels to be green and some, like government planners, may even require it.
• Planners have honed their negotiation skills over the last 12-18 months.
• Health-conscious food and beverage options that keep attendees focused are more desired.
• Websites like TripAdvisor.com are growing in importance to planners as they seek feedback on properties.

Source: Benchmark Hospitality International