When Americans want commentary on the travel industry, they often tune in to ABC’s Good Morning America or NBC’s Today show, where Peter Greenberg has been a travel correspondent and editor for more than two decades. He was also just named CBS News Travel Editor.
CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg offers his insights on the meeting industry
He is also host of the nationally syndicated Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio show, heard live each week on more than 150 stations from a different remote location around the world. Greenberg is also Travel Editor at Large for AARP, Contributing Editor for Men’s Health magazine, a contributor to The New Yorker magazine, and a guest on the The Oprah Winfrey Show and The View.
We wanted to know what he thinks about the meetings industry, so ConventionPlanit.com interviewed Greenberg about his views and experiences in this area. Here’s what he had to say:
In all your travels you have no doubt attended many meetings, large and small. What is your main impression of how meetings are conducted today?
Nobody is thinking outside the box at most meetings. They have motivational speakers who are not very motivational. If people weren’t motivated they wouldn’t be at the meeting in the first place! Meetings are also full of PowerPoint presentations which are coma-inducing. I have told people that if I ever do a PowerPoint presentation I want to be euthanized. You don’t need a PowerPoint to make your point. It’s a ridiculous crutch.
What trends do you see in meetings?
What is changing is the location of meetings. I was with the folks in Mobile, Alabama recently and they said they were doing great. There’s no perception problem with meeting in Mobile. This economy is sending meetings to places like Wichita and Mobile and many parts of our wonderful country that many people have never seen.
What’s your biggest pet peeve about meetings?
People who shouldn’t be speaking feel like they have a platform to get up and talk. If someone is going to speak at a meeting make sure they have something interesting to say. Associations also have to hear from outsiders – too often they are talking to each other like a bad fraternity party. They have to make it an information-rich party that relates to your business.
Do you have a good war story about a meeting?
I was recently a keynote speaker at a meeting and I was asked to give my overview of the travel industry. When it came time for me to speak, I got about two minutes into it and the person who introduced me interrupted me and said, “I don’t want you to talk about that, I want you to talk about this.” He wanted me to talk about the sponsors. He asked for my opinion, and my opinion was to tell him to sit down. If you are going to invite someone to speak to your group, let them speak.
How can meeting planners make traveling to and from meetings easier for attendees?
We’re talking about airfare, hotel, and ground travel. Air travel is tough because of rising airfares and more limited options. Don’t depend on airlines. Think about other options to get there. On some routes, consider Amtrak. No one ever considers Amtrak. You can actually start the meeting on the train – you have people already on the car. And it might be less expensive. If you are flying, look at alternate airports. You don’t always have to fly through the major hubs. For hotels, realize that you can now negotiate a lot of things you couldn’t do before. Forget about negotiating room rates. Instead, negotiate for free parking, free Internet, a free breakfast, etc. People have to stop being so focused on negotiating room rates — those are discounted already — and instead focus on value.
Will Web-based meetings eventually usurp most in-person meetings because of the lower cost and time commitment?
The great thing about meetings is it gives you the opportunity to have face time. I am not a fan of teleconferencing. It might work for occasional internal company meetings, but for big-picture stuff and industry-wide meetings nothing beats face to face. And sooner or later, if you really want to get things done, you need to meet in person.
