The marketplace is saturated with 3rd party RFPs. To expertly sell to this market, it’s important to differentiate site selectors from independent meeting professionals. We went to the source.
Meet ConventionPlanit.com’s new partner, the Alliance of Independent Meeting Professionals (AIMP).
What is the Alliance of
Independent Meeting Professional’s Unique Mission?
AIMP’s start began four years
ago when the third-party commission structure changed. In an interview with
AIMP’s Founder, David Bruce, we uncovered a passionate quest to support
independent meeting professionals. As a 50-year industry professional, David’s
unique mission is to bring the independent planner and hotelier together by
understanding the needs of both. We want to give independent meeting
professionals a voice within the marketplace. Distinguishing our members is
the first step. As their advocate, we create enormous awareness for
destinations, hotels, and resorts. By raising awareness of their intrinsic
value, we can transform the marketplace.
With many third parties aiding
in the planning process, how do your planner members differ?
The independent planner has
adapted to the end user’s needs with numerous services. Independent meeting
professionals have existed for over three decades, and our members are meeting
professionals who generate over $450 million annually in group room revenue.As active consultants throughout the process, independent meeting
professionals manage multiple aspects of the meeting besides site selection.
Their services often include on-site management, coordination, budgeting, and
billing, as they are an active consultant during the decision process as a
client representative. In today’s marketplace, more companies focus solely on-site
selection, and they rely on salespeople to generate and process RFPs. Due to
competition for leads with national sales offices and destination management
organizations, site-selection companies often distribute an RFP to an excessive
number of properties to protect a commission. These RFPs are only sometimes
fully qualified and sent to facilities that may be unsuitable to meet the
client’s requirements.
How does AIMP support its
members?
The independent meeting
professional needs a centralized voice and standards. AIMP provides standard
operating procedures, contract clauses, and best practices for our members. Our
industry yearns to return to face-to-face negotiations that help establish
trust. David Bruce believes the independent planner-hotel relationship will
improve by understanding the needs of each entity through enhanced
collaboration; we can help carry out this by clarifying the enduring
relationship benefits with independent meeting professionals.
Interested in joining or learning more about AIMP? Click here.
Showcasing innovative approaches by destinations, venues, hotels and more.
The Ultimate Guide to Planning Sustainable Meetings is a brand new report from Skift Meetings. It explores the ways the business events industry is embracing sustainability and how organisations are addressing the world’s greatest social, environmental and economic challenges.
The guide features case studies and practical guidance that supports ending poverty, protecting people and planet, and ensuring peace and prosperity by 2030.
Download the guide and be inspired by the ways the business events community is responding to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. And feel free to share this with your colleagues!
The IMEX Team
PS:
Joining us at IMEX Frankfurt? You can catch Skift Meetings editor
Miguel Neves speaking as part of our education programme, in his session
Smart innovation powering sustainable meetings. Register now!
Communication breakdown It's always the same I'm having a nervous breakdown Drive me insane ...Led Zeppelin, 1969
Communication breakdown is an obvious reason for delayed RFP responses. RFPs by their very nature relay many details. Suppliers consider factors that go beyond matters of space, dates and rates.
Include Vital Information:
When information is missing, your RFP may be put aside until more data is available, i.e.:
Your decision date is important to suppliers who are juggling other groups that are interested in your meeting/event time-frame.
How is the decision made? Suppliers need to understand the next steps in the decision-making process, including who makes the decision.
What factors will the decision be based upon? A supplier needs to know if they have a real chance to book your meeting/event and may become more competitive.
Where can you be flexible? Tweaking a program to fit the meeting space or shifting the pattern of dates may move things along.
Include information that makes your group more appealing, such as recent room pick-up history, and accurate food and beverage spend.
Current Industry Factors:
Consider the Landscape – The recent volume of meetings and limited hotel staffing has had an impact on our industry. Additionally, the complexity of hotels and variety of destinations has changed the landscape. In an effort to adapt, suppliers have been steadily categorizing the RFP inquiry by room block size, market segment and region.
Lead Spam – When your RFP is duplicated and sent to many unqualified hotels, the RFP is not taken seriously, and response time suffers.
Online Portals – Meeting professionals are not necessarily employed by the organization they plan meetings/events for, and hotel salespeople are not always situated at the property. This is more prevalent in today’s post-pandemic world and not likely to change. To streamline the process, digital portals cut through these complications to connect the buyer with the seller.
ConventionPlanit.com can help streamline the process!
Meeting professionals who are frustrated with RFP response times can save time and get the job done with RFP Valet® – a complimentary sourcing tool with white glove service.
No RFP templates to fill
Effectively communicates your requirements
Facilitates RFP distribution
Collects and compiles quotes and concessions by your deadline
Quickly narrow down to a short list of viable options
WASHINGTON, DC, March 21, 2023 – ConventionPlanit.com, a popular online search directory and RFP portal for the meetings industry, has launched MY Meeting SPACE Calculator, powered by EVENT-IT. This latest amenity is accessible on all ConventionPlanit.com facility listings and under the Resources section.
MY Meeting SPACE Calculator helps meeting professionals quickly and accurately verify the meeting or event space needed for their attendees in any set-up style. The software also factors in variables, such as exhibits, head tables, dance floors and more, with both Imperial and Metric options.
ConventionPlanit.com creates awareness of EVENT-IT technologies developed by its strategic partner, BanquetConsulting.com through its distribution channels. By the same token, BanquetConsulting.com provides awareness of ConventionPlanit.com on its website and numerous social media outlets.
“We are pleased to serve the meetings industry through ConventionPlanit.com.” says BanquetConsulting.com and EVENT-IT Founder, Angelika Bazarnik, CPCE. “Our collaborative efforts offer ample time-saving advantages for busy meeting professionals who must juggle numerous tasks. The calculator is only the first feature of many coming to EVENT-IT.”
ConventionPlanit.com Co-Founder and Principal David Markham adds, “BanquetConsulting.com offers a treasure trove of banquet solutions. We’re delighted to offer their latest EVENT-IT technology as a free amenity to meeting professionals for greater accuracy and efficiency. We look forward to creating awareness of EVENT-IT’s evolving technologies.”
Designed by meeting professionals as an efficient registration-free online search directory and RFP portal, ConventionPlanit.com’s website quickly refines searches to identify appropriate destinations, facilities, and service providers. RFP Valet® combines personalized assistance with a user-friendly sourcing tool to quickly display comparative quotes and concessions. ConventionPlanit.com connects buyers with sellers and there are no commissions, markups, or hidden fees. For more information, visit conventionplanit.com.
EVENT-IT will be a simple event tool kit that brings onsite event management to the 21st century. With our easy-to-navigate mobile app, you’ll have all the tools to execute an amazing event and streamlines venue-client communication and accountability. This way, you’ll be able to focus on the actual event without worrying about all the details. So whether you’re a seasoned event pro or a first-time organizer, EVENT-IT will have a tool for you, no matter the size of the event. #EventToolKitApp. For more information contact Angelika@BanquestConsulting.com or phone 725-253-8368 (725-25- EVENT).
“At the heart of each IMEX show is a living, breathing
marketplace – the fundamental and effective way of doing business that powers
our industry,” explains Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.
“We’ve carefully curated all elements of this year’s
IMEX Frankfurt show – from the layout, the education and the experiential – to
complement and enhance these in person business conversations. We’re seeing
momentum building all the time and look forward to throwing open the doors to
our friends and colleagues this May.”
Trends-wise the show will reflect many of the big
shifts and changes in the meetings and events industry globally. As a buying force,
the Chinese market is back and Asia in general is flourishing, driving event
demand, locally and internationally. The big tech companies in Korea are one of
several factors behind this growth.
International hotel groups plus smaller boutique
hotels will be making their presence felt on the show floor, many of them
introducing new service offerings or properties. Frankfurt itself has added to
its hotel portfolio with several new openings including
the impressive Scandic Hafenpark and B’Mine, the first WorldHotels
Crafted Collection hotel in Germany, and NH hotels signature Nhow brand which
IMEX is showcasing as hosted buyer accommodation in the city. Many hosted buyer
hotels have also benefited from recent refurbishments including the
Steigenberger Frankfurterhof, the Marriott, Hilton and the Westin.
Destinations, venues and suppliers span the world and
include Croatia, Malaysia, Peru, Portugal, Ras Al Khaimah and Spain. Hotel
groups Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Radisson are among the exhibitors
expanding their presence onsite as well as Los Cabos and Morocco. Sarawak, the
largest of Malaysia’s 13 states, will have its own stand for the first time and
will also be joined by the region’s Tourism Minister during the show.
Experts from Google, Microsoft & Pinterest
An extensive programme of over 150 educational and
networking events begins with dedicated learning sessions the day before the
show, on Monday 22 May.
Monday’s programme is tailored to specific sections of
the event professional community:
The complexities of delivering events in a hybrid world will be explored in detail at Association Focus, delivered in association with ICCA, AC Forum, AMC Institute, ASAE, ESAE and Global Association Hubs.
A stella line-up of experts from world-renowned companies spearhead Exclusively Corporate, IMEX’s high-level, invite-only event for corporate event specialists. This includes Microsoft’s Bob Bejan and Salesforce’s Charlotte Pedersen who will go head to head in The tale of two titans – the evolution of event strategy and experience design. Moderator Nicola Kastner explains: “Very rarely do we have an opportunity to learn from two massive tech brands taking such radically different approaches.”
Year on year IMEX’s Agency Directors Forum is redesigned to meet the prevailing business needs of senior agency professionals. 2023’s facilitated discussion will focus on business management issues. Hot topics are set to include people and talent management; succession planning; business drivers, trends and technology and new business strategies, plus new revenue generation models.
New co-located events for 2023 include MICE Impact Academy, an exclusive invite-only education event for German planners, and ELX (Event Leaders Exchange), a meeting for this two-year old community of senior event corporate event leaders from 3,000+ headcount organisations with $3billion+ annual revenue.
Human Nature underpins learning programme
The IMEX 2023
Talking Point – Human Nature – provides a steer for education and interaction.
Carina explains: “Our industry is in the business of human gatherings, face to
face connections and building communities, so it felt natural to focus on what
it means to be human in the 21st century. When we meet in person something
special happens – from driving business growth to developing relationships that
span the world. This need to come together and meet is an innate to our human
nature.
“Our Talking Point also helps to deliver a positivity
boost – we’re focusing on what’s good, constructive and loving about human
nature; about our potential and ability to change, adapt and thrive in
supportive and co-operative ways,” she says.
The result is a set of education tracks reflecting the
way people live and work now. Event Marketing is a new addition, while
Technology and Innovation; Trends and Research and Experience Design are tried
and tested and always in demand. A new Business Practices track will include
the ever-popular Event Planner Toolkit while a People and Planet track will
specifically address Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Professional and
Personal Development, Leadership, Culture and Engagement, Wellbeing and
Sustainability.
Children as crisis management teachers
New headline sessions will feature contributions from
values and human behaviour expert David Allison. From deep inside the data,
David brings a clear and powerful truth to transform the way we work and the
world we live in. “Our values unite us,” he says. “They can light the way for
purpose-driven brands and lead us to a more values-driven world.”
International crisis leader Thomas Lahnthaler will
talk about building successful remote teams. He’ll also join Eszter
Mattiassich-Aszody, Head of Global Events at Siemens Healthineers to explore
leadership and life lessons from children. Thomas explains: “Observing my
children is looking at crisis managers in action. The skills that children
execute daily are what we as adults have somehow unlearned because of our experience. I want
to share these skills that we’ve forgotten how to use.”
The Listening
Lab returns with both education sessions and bookable one-to-one coaching.
Sessions will explore how people’s individual nature’s influence their
professional personas as Dawn Wray, coach and co-founder of The Listening
Collective, explains: “Everything’s connected. It’s impossible to disconnect
the person and the work issue from who they are and how they show up in the
world. We’re learning that people may say to us ‘I want to work on my
presentation skills’, for example. But once they start talking, they talk more
about how they feel when they’re presenting.”
New, single IMEX account
IMEX
has also redesigned the online registration process for its shows. With a focus
on improved marketing tools and business insights for exhibitors, to more and
better connection opportunities for all attendee types, the new process means
every participant has a single IMEX account for both shows. Pre-scheduled
appointment functionality has been enhanced while the IMEX app has also been
improved. The result is a faster customer journey intended to connect buyers
and exhibitors to each other in a way that boosts business and networking
return.
IMEX Frankfurt evolves every year and May’s 2023
edition will be no exception. This time around, however, attendees can expect a
few surprises – the IMEX Group is set to evolve even further, with more details
to be revealed onsite.
Submitted by Gary Hernbroth, Chief Motivating Officer, Training for Winners
Amid all of the post-pandemic commerce being done in this industry via new group bookings and the resurgence of industry gatherings and events, many people are still bemoaning the fact that it’s still very tough to build and maintain relationships.
I hear this every week from event professionals and hospitality colleagues alike. People seem insulated, hard to reach, hard to get responses from on a timely basis, and the difficulty of breaking through the wall with many e-leads is still a daunting task in certain cases.
In other words, communication is still clunky in many places.
Who or what
is to blame? No one thing, certainly, and maybe everything. I don’t like the
“blame game,” it’s not one you can win. Rather, let’s admit that we all could
do a better job and that the fix belongs to all of us. Truly, this axiom applies;
“If it is to be, it’s up to me.”
Here is my short
list for improving communication immediately:
Pick up the phone: Just today I got a
call out of the blue from someone who wanted to pick my brain on a business
idea stemming from a recent podcast that I did. We didn’t know each other and
he just took a shot and picked up the phone. We are now going to work on a
project together to help both of us with new business opportunities. The phone
is NOT dead!
Return phone messages, emails, texts,
etc. Don’t ghost people. The Golden Rule works best for great communication. It
takes nanoseconds to type a reply and hit the reply key. That way, the other
party doesn’t feel ignored.
Write and speak clearly: Say what you
mean clearly, both verbally and in writing. Don’t tap dance around a topic or
complicate the uncomplicated, thereby forcing others to figure out what you are
trying to convey.
The 11th edition of IMEX America
held in Las Vegas recently saw an overall participation of 12,000 attendees, of
whom over 4,000 were buyers and 2,500 were suppliers representing 150
countries. Between the easing of travel restrictions and 40% of returning
exhibitors taking more booth space, this year’s version was 45% larger than
last year’s. And, IMEX Chairman Ray Bloom was very proud of the fact
that “hundreds of students, our future leaders, have been here learning
and experiencing the industry first hand and in full color.”
Each year, ConventionPlanit.com
proudly hosts buyers at IMEX. This year we were fortunate to include
a number of student interns from the University of Las Vegas at
our ConventionPlanit.com stand. As future meeting and event planners, the
experience provided ULV students with an overview of the marketplace and
current meeting planning priorities.
The
traditional excitement, business and sheer energy that are hallmarks of IMEX
were combined with a program attuned to addressing today’s
realities. Along with the themes of sustainability, diversity and
service levels, those of wellbeing and mental health were factored in as
important considerations. Demonstrating these topics were several of the
innovative engagement strategies positioned throughout the exhibit hall.
One
sponsor brought in trained dogs for attendees to pet and scratch for stress
relief between educational sessions and show-booth interactions. Taiwan
used an inflatable room complete with a faux campfire and a video
screen providing over stimulated planners with a cozy presentation space.
And CoralTree Hospitality won friends and influenced buyers
with a foot massaging station complete with your choice of an essential oil to
take away for an aromatherapy jolt to be applied when energy was bound to flag!
IMEX
America offers an incomparable opportunity to make connections in the meetings,
events and incentive industry. Mark your calendar and see you next year for
IMEX America #12 – to be held October 16-19, 2023 at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center.
Along with the myriad of challenges today’s meeting participants
must overcome in deciding whether or not to attend an event, air travel (and
its repercussions) presents one of the more formidable issues to consider.
TSA screened 8.76 million air travelers over Labor Day
weekend beating out 2019’s pre-pandemic number by 2%!
Whereby statistics like this were normally used to describe a
holiday weekend, an ordinary mid-week, off peak time to fly now has passengers
experiencing a significantly increased number of fellow flyers. Along with this
higher traffic volume comes more delays and/or outright cancellations. Historically,
deciphering obscure rules as described in the Contract of Carriage relating to
restitution due passengers has been the norm when an airline failed to provide
the service paid for through no action or fault of the consumer.
However, help is on the way! In late August, the
Transportation Department introduced an Airline Customer Service
Dashboard which allows passengers to see what each carrier is
committed to doing for them in cases of “controllable” (meaning their fault)
cancellations or significant delays.
Re-accommodation can range from handing out food vouchers in
case of long delays, providing a hotel in case of an overnight cancellation/delay
to rebooking you on the same airline at no additional cost, or even on a competitor’s
flight. However, not all airlines will offer the same levels of
re-accommodation with the ultra-low-cost carriers less amenable to some of the
above mentioned entitlements.
Now passengers can consult this simple dashboard rather than
trying to read through the excruciatingly small print of the aforementioned Contract
of Carriage on an individual airline’s website to find out what they are
entitled to – or not. What the Transportation Department is saying now is that
more focus in dealing with the aftermath of delays and cancellations is long
overdue and they are laying down the law.
Hopefully this will help to eliminate the attendee’s
question of “should I or should I not rely on an airline to get me to my
meeting, event or convention on time and unstressed?”
After 40 years, the Association of Meeting Professionals (AMPs)
continues to stand strong. Founded in Alexandria Virginia, it sits alone as the
premier local organization of powerful DC, VA, and MD meeting professionals and
supplier partner members from around the country. Even through the height of the pandemic, AMPs
was solid in its footing and did what it does best…provide education and
networking opportunities to its members. I recently had the opportunity to
speak to Annette M. Suriani, CMP, CFMP, DES, Business Events Strategist, AMS
Meetings Solutions, and AMPs’ Executive Director what kept AMPs going.
As the Executive Director, what is your vision for AMPs?
My goal is to move forward the mission of the organization
and that of our current Chairman’s vision.
I believe the passion our leadership and volunteers have for this
organization is its driving force.
What is AMPs’ purpose and what makes it so unique?
It is a true community of industry meeting and events
professionals that gather for quality educational opportunities and networking
with peers and suppliers. We make it affordable so planners who join the
organization obtain complimentary registration for our quarterly education meetings.
Because we’re an independent organization, we do not have to get approval from
a “corporate office” on initiatives that make sense for our members. The Board
is strategically made up of planners and suppliers that have a deep
understanding of what our members face on a daily basis.
How did AMPs cope during
the pandemic?
It was hard, especially for smaller organizations like
AMPs. We held monthly virtual education programs to
stay connected. When we couldn’t meet in
person, we held 5K fun runs/walks. Everyone enjoyed the camaraderie and just
being outside even though we required them to wear masks! AMPs truly is a
community in unity.
Who can join AMPs and how do they sign up?
Anyone in the meetings and hospitality industry can
join. We are very affordable and don’t
charge extra for most of our programs.
Just visit www.ampsweb.org or email
us at info@ampsweb.org. We have a very active committee scene and
we’re always looking for members to join and provide new ideas and insight.
As PCMA’s Capitol Chapter President in 2015, Annette reinstated
the government relations committee because she saw a need to educate our
representatives and even those in our industry of the importance of the
meetings and events industry. Who knew
how much more important this committee would
be in 2020?
According to Annette…“The meetings and events industry
provides a major impact for local, national and global economies. Yet, we are
often overlooked when it comes to legislation that can help us. In the most
simplistic terms, It is incumbent upon all of us in this industry to stay on
top of our elected officials and educate them on the numbers of jobs that
employ their constituents, let alone solutions and discoveries that are made
when people collaborate when they meet face to face.
The IMEX Group is set to remodel the professional learning programmes delivered at both of its global trade shows with the appointment of Tahira Endean as Head of Programme.
Vancouver-based Tahira’s new role signals a new era for IMEX. A three-year education strategy will capitalise on IMEX’s free to attend programming to meet the industry’s thirst for knowledge and continuous development while embracing a growth mindset.
Tahira Endean, Head of Progamme, IMEX Group
The IMEX education programme was envisioned and developed in 2005 by Dale Hudson, Knowledge and Events Director. It has grown in size and quality over the last 15 years, adding substantial value to the visitor experience. Tahira’s addition to the team will build on that legacy. She’ll work with both the IMEX Marcomms and Knowledge and Education teams to design learning programmes that enrich the show’s value proposition and deliver measurable business benefits.
Tahira explains: “We’re focused on designing learning with buyer requirements in mind first and foremost as we want them to have meetings that are enhanced by education at the show. Our combined aim is for attendees to leave each session with tangible takeaways that also support their meetings onsite. IMEX’s legacy of tailored education that meets the particular needs of agencies, associations and corporate event professionals has always been strong; we’re looking to build on that too.”
“As a veteran of the MICE industry and self-confessed event nerd, I recognise IMEX as the professional home for our global industry. The opportunity to provide knowledge that helps us all develop and grow through turbulent times is important and to do it with a team as committed, passionate and talented as IMEX is really exciting.”
Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, adds: “We’re delighted to welcome Tahira to our team. Her extensive industry experience, large network of contacts and fresh approach supports our aim to keep on innovating and provide powerful, purposeful and multi-faceted experiences for all attendees.”
Changes to education programming are already in place for IMEX America which opens with Smart Monday, October 10 in Las Vegas. IMEX has announced an education theme for the 11th edition of the show – ‘Pathways to Clarity’. Its learning tracks have been consolidated and redesigned. Details will be announced in the next few weeks.
IMEX America 2022 takes place at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, and opens with Smart Monday, powered by MPI on Monday October 10, followed by the three-day trade show October 11-13. www.imexamerica.com
Tahira, former Head of Events at SITE, is currently studying for a MSc in Creativity and Change Leadership. She lives with her family in Vancouver, enjoys cooking and immersing herself in nature.
