Articles tagged “meetings”

The floodgates are now open for the larger hotel chains operating in North America to lower their commission rates for meetings alongside Marriott and Hilton. At a time when meeting space is limited and expensive, a wider shift will likely lead to a wave of consolidation for third-party meeting planners as they become less profitable.

Meeting and event planners know they need to do a better job tailoring events to their attendees and providing their sponsors with a stronger idea of how successful their partnership has been. New solutions will make it easier for them to make informed decisions moving forward.

Tools are finally emerging that empower event professionals with the insights they need to better understand how attendees operate at events and the value created for sponsors. It's about time, and these tools will only become more useful over time as event planners learn more about what makes their gatherings successful.

Technology can empower meeting planners, but it can also lead to daunting integration problems with other aspects of corporate travel. Riding the fine line between solving problems and creating new ones remains an issue that won't be solved soon.

Germany’s biggest exhibition will test the endurance of delegates as more than 200,000 visitors flock to Hanover. The event may be too big for the host city, and many delegates will have to commute for hours each day.

The disruption in event marketing and distribution is only getting started. As more robust tools emerge that are easier to use, meeting professionals will become empowered in interesting new ways.

Meetings booked online are small in stature and short in duration, which comes as no surprise. The consumerization of the booking process for meetings is well under way.

With event technology exploding in scope and complexity in recent years, it's no wonder that organizations aren't sure which sales and marketing tools have the most positive impact. It's the right time to start figuring it out, though.

The more creative a meeting or event, the more impactful and memorable it is. Why don't more organizations prioritize making the most of their events?

Accor has no plans to follow Marriott International's lead with commission cuts for meetings, but then again Accor's relatively weak presence in North America means it has to focus on drawing in clients instead of pushing them away.