Meeting Planners Sound Off on Their Biggest Challenges
Photo Credit: Meeting planners today are finding challenges in grappling with how to handle attendee data, dealing with suppliers such as hotels and conference venues, and communicating exactly what they do and why it's so valuable for organizations and clients alike. American Express Global Business Travel / American Express Meetings & Events
Skift Take
The challenges being faced by meeting planners are as wildly divergent as the events they plan. To succeed, they need to be informed, nimble, and tough.
Meeting planning has come a long way since the days of booking a room at the Hilton and putting out some coffee. Today's professionals have to navigate the sometimes-tricky waters between their clients or bosses, and their vendors.
Issues ranging from industry standards and multigenerational demands to market forces and even government regulation can all stand between a planner and a successful event. Skift asked a few industry leaders about their biggest challenges, and what they are doing to combat them.
Clients Who Don't Know What They Want or How to Get It
Aaron Kaufman is president and founder of Fifth Element Group, a Canadian-based events design firm, and what's he's finding to be the biggest challenge today is locating clients who know the difference between a professional meeting planner and a casual one.
"The challenge is not on the job side, it's on the industry side," he said. "It's more an issue that we have industry-wise in terms of educating clients. The client i
