Characteristics of a Meeting Planner

ABSTRACT

This is an exploratory research project about meeting planning professionals. Survey responses were collected from 288 meeting professionals in an Internet based survey. The results found a significant difference in perception of minority representation in the industry. The study also found that career counselors are not making students in high school or college aware of meeting planning as a profession, so therefore, they are not studying it in college. People instead are finding out about it in nontraditional ways, such as learning on the job, friends and co-workers. As a result, top skills listed that are needed to succeed included personality or character traits rather than skills that could be learned.     

Measuring Meeting Planner Satisfaction with Hotel Employee Interactions

Abstract

This paper presents a follow-up study to the research conducted by Rutherford and Umbreit (1993). Their seminal work focused on identifying various dimensions of hotel employee and meeting planner interactions. The objective of this pilot study was two-fold: first, to operationalize those dimensions and, second, to survey a select group of meeting planners to gain insight on their level of satisfaction for each. The seven dimensions included communication, organization, execution, developing relationships, initiative, crisis management, and mitigation. Results indicated that meeting planners surveyed were generally satisfied.     

Meeting Planners' Perceptions of Site Selection Characteristics

Abstract

This study aims to examine meeting planner assessments of convention site selection characteristics for international meetings/conventions and to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of six selected major convention hotels in Seoul, Korea. The principle components procedure indicated that four factors accounted for 78 percent of the cumulative variance of the eleven site selection variables listed in the study.     

Conference Participants' Acceptance of the Internet as An Information and Registration Tool

Abstract

Using the 1999 Annual Civil Affairs Conference as a medium, this study ascertained the acceptance and utility of using the Internet for registration and informational purposes for this group of civil affairs officers. The results indicate that computer usage and Internet access consumer patterns are distinctly different than other reported consumer usage profiles. With this in mind, certain challenges exist for the conference meeting planner in matching the usage patterns of this respondent group.     

Association Planners' Satisfaction

Abstract

The meeting industry has not attracted researchers' attention as much as industry growth and suppliers' interest. Research within the industry has examined attribute importance and attribute performance separately from the association meeting planner's perspective. This study's purpose was to evaluate state association meeting planners' satisfaction with their recent convention destination through the simultaneous consideration of attribute importance and performance. A total of 252 questionnaires from 673 faxed were completed, resulting in a 37.4% response rate. Importance-performance analysis revealed that management should concentrate their resources on providing quality meeting services, better prices, and quality meeting facilities.     

The Relationships of Meeting Planners' Profiles with Usage and Attitudes Toward the Use of Technology

Abstract

This study had four objectives: to obtain a personal and professional profile of meeting planners and their computer/Internet usage; to determine meeting planners' attitudes toward computer/Internet technologies; to analyze the relationships of meeting planner personal and professional profiles and the computer/Internet usage on attitudes toward computer/Internet technologies; and to determine if there was a relationship between professional certifications and meeting planners' attitudes. A mailed survey was sent to a sample of members of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and 616 completed questionnaires were received. In the data analysis, the independent variables were divided into the three sets of profiles: socio-demographic, professional, and computer/Internet usage. It was found that meeting planners in the U.S. are mostly young (30 to 44 years old) females in corporate planning who earn between $45,000 and $49,999. They have been working in their positions from 3 to 5 years, plan more than 20 meetings in a year and dedicate 90 to 119 minutes a day to e-mail correspondence. The results revealed that meeting planners are not comfortable with scheduling virtual meetings, even though they are young and were born within the computer age. Although technology is a vital part of their daily lives, this study has found that meeting planners have considerable room to improve their technological knowledge.     

Technology

Abstract

The presence of technology in the hospitality industry is increasing at a rapid rate. Technology has had an effect on the efficiency of many facets of the hospitality industry. Despite the growing number of meetings, conventions, and conferences, there has not been a published needs assessment study of training needs-especially technology needs-of hospitality sales managers. This paper presents the results of the first part of a study that examined technology training needs for hospitality sales managers and meeting planners. The top three technology skills training needs that surfaced in the 1996 study included advertising/marketing on the Internet, developing request for proposals, and meeting planning/sales management systems.     

Taking the Classroom into the Real World

Abstract

The increase in number of international tourist arrivals, the holding of the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, and a solid domestic tourism industry has had an effect on the meetings, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE) industry in Australia, worth A$7 billion in 1996/1997. To meet this increasing demand from the industry to train professionals for the tourism and hospitality industry, some institutions are offering specialized subjects to prepare students for employment in the MICE industry. One of the inherent problems in teaching such a subject is to introduce a practical and experiential element. This has been addressed successfully over the past two years by offering students an opportunity to take part as delegates attending a specifically designed conference while spending a night at one of the many 5-star international hotel properties with convention facilities on the Gold Coast. In 1999, 135 students stayed at an international 5-star hotel, with the hotel cooperating with the university to provide a full-day conference on conference management, including hotel inspections and workshops. Students were assessed on their experiences at the hotel with the completion of a semester report and a questionnaire on the perceptions of their stay. Almost three-fourths of the students surveyed responded that they had benefited from the visit by being able to apply theoretical concepts to real life scenarios and that this enhanced their individual understanding of the subject.     

Introduction

ABSTRACT

The U.K. meetings industry has grown dramatically over the last 10 years. Interest in the industry and competition is increasing, and the move toward using venues other than hotels for meetings is growing. The pattern of expansion experienced by the industry brings with it the question of the quality of provision, which is becoming increasingly important to customers when differentiating between venues. Therefore, the aim of the research is to determine whether gaps exist, first, between the attributes employed to assess the quality and desirability of a U.K. conference venue by conference organizers and conference delegates and, second, between their perceptions and the characteristics of the product provided. This paper presents a qualitative approach to the development of the research instrument. This paper was originally presented at the Ninth Annual CHME Hospitality Research Conference.     

The U.K. Conference and Meetings Industry

Abstract

During the last ten years, the U.K. meetings industry has developed rapidly. Regard for the industry and competition amongst venues is growing. The industry is attracting increasing levels of attention, while an intensified incidence of venues other than hotels are competing within this sector. This progressive expansion of demand experienced by the industry heightens the importance of the quality provision for customers when differentiating between venues. The ultimate aim of the research is to determine whether gaps exist between the attributes employed to assess the quality and desirability of a U.K. conference venue-firstly by conference organizers and conference delegates and secondly between their perceptions and the characteristics of the product provided. This paper presents an approach to the development of a research instrument to measure and compare an inventory of service quality attributes as perceived by meetings organizers and delegates.     

Industry professionals’ perceptions of sustainability in meeting and event education

ABSTRACT

The size of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) industry, and its popularity as a career choice are growing, along with the number of MICE college programs. Although the industry has begun to recognize its impact on sustainability, and is increasing efforts to improve sustainability-related practices, there is a lack of research on MICE education about sustainability. This study examines MICE professionals’ perceptions about sustainability in meeting and event education in order to help MICE educators equip students with the knowledge that is pertinent to their future. In-depth interviews with 10 MICE professionals show that they think students should learn about sustainability not only as a general concept but also as a business case for meeting and events. Measuring and tracking impacts were also important. The interviewees had mixed views about the industry’s current sustainability practices. Several practical recommendations for MICE educators, and future research topics are discussed.     

Exploring Content and Design Factors Associated with Convention and Visitors Bureau Web Site Development

Abstract

Convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) have become important organizations within the tourism industry. The International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) reported that it represents approximately 500 destination management organizations in 30 countries (IACVB, 2003). As one of the most important components of the tourism industry in the United States, the Convention and Visitors Bureau performs various activities to facilitate destination marketing and development, with the aim of enticing leisure and convention customers to their particular city or region. Meanwhile, meeting planners are using technology to enhance their ability to produce and execute meetings that demonstrate a high return on investment. Consequently, CVBs' websites have enormous potential in selling a destination and facilitating the meeting/convention planning process. This paper explores the content and design factors associated with convention and visitors bureau web site development. It also demonstrates how planners utilize the Internet and CVB websites.     

Contemporary factors influencing association conference attendance

Abstract

Competition amongst conference tourism destinations has intensified. Understanding the factors influencing delegate attendance thus becomes increasingly important. This paper aims to extend the current body of academic knowledge by examining motivators and inhibitors deriving from not only previous academic research but also contemporary industry reports. Delegate expectations relating to new and established factors influencing conference attendance are explored, while motivating and inhibiting factors are ranked in order of importance. Proactive management and organization responses to these factors are proposed. The research findings are important to destination managers in prioritizing the investment of their limited resources aiming to address the higher-importance factors. This allows such destinations to improve in their competitiveness in attracting conference tourism and conference delegates.     

Introducing Environmental Management in the Hotel Industry

Summary

The hotel industry in Jamaica, like so many other tropical destinations, markets itself on the “3-Ss”-sea, sun, and sand. Hotels ring the north coast of the island in four main resort areas (i.e., Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio). Located in sensitive coastal ecosystems, most of Jamaica's hotels face the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of their operations while meeting the increasing demand of a growing tourism industry.

This article presents a case study of the introduction of environmental management practices and systems in the hotel industry in Jamaica over the past 3 years to provide an answer to the environmentally sustainable tourism challenge. It describes the programmatic approach, the results at both the property and industry level, and the lessons learned in replicating the approach to other tropical tourism destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America.     

Casinos and Conventions

ABSTRACT

The casino industry has always relied on the leisure traveler whose primary motivation is to gamble. Thus, one would expect the casino and convention industries to operate in totally different arenas. This was the case until the mid-1990s. Today, the casino industry is embracing the convention industry and constructing facilities to meet the needs of the convention and meeting attendee. This article starts by setting up the framework for this dichotomy between the two industries by tracing the history of casino gaming in the U.S. Discussion leads to a review of how and why there was a lack of conventions/meetings business in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The article then goes on to review specific development of the conventions/meetings business in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other jurisdictions. It concludes with a prognosis about the future along with opportunities for future research.     

What do conferences do? What is academics’ intangible return on investment (ROI) from attending an academic tourism conference?

ABSTRACT

Conferences are funny events. They are self-evident elements of our lives as academics: meetings that occur, often annually; take place in various locations; and involve (hopefully) like-minded people, aiming to share their latest research findings. Conferences are actually so self-evident that very little research exists analysing what takes place at conferences, why people attend them in the first place, and essentially what the conference does to delegates as participants. This article is, on one hand, a reflective report from an academic conference: TEFI 9—Celebrating the Disruptive Power of Caring in Tourism Education. But it is also simultaneously an analysis of the implicit and explicit rationale and return on investment for attending academic conferences, in the words of three, at that time, PhD candidate rapporteurs and one professor rapporteur, who acts as this article’s narrator.     

The integration of nutrition components into culinary programs: perspectives of experts and educators

ABSTRACT

Consumers are increasingly eager for healthier food selections, but not at the expense of taste. As the foodservice industry continues to respond to these trends, graduates from culinary and hospitality programs are expected to be trained to meet these changing needs. The aim of the study was to compare industry experts’ and educators’ perceived importance of nutritional competencies in culinary curriculum, as well as the perceived barriers to integrate nutritional competency in accredited culinary programs. The study analyzed data provided by two U.S.-based groups of participants: (1) culinary and industry experts, and (2) educators in culinary and hospitality management programs. Results indicate that experts view nutritional competency as important to a student’s program of study and that success depends on educators meeting these competencies. However, the analysis reveals that educators significantly undervalue the importance of nutritional competency placement in curriculum and overrate how well they are preparing culinary graduates.     

Perceptions of Convention Destinations

Abstract

This paper discusses the perceptions of North American convention destinations as held by association meeting planners. Based on a primary survey of meeting planners, it reveals distinct differences between the destinations. The comparative analysis of large-half and small-half meeting planners discloses a few significant differences with respect to which decision attributes are important in choosing a convention destination. However, hardly any differences exist in the perceptions of the destinations themselves between the two groups of meeting planners.     

An Analysis of Cruise Ship Meetings

Abstract

Cruise ships have become one of the many options for corporate meeting planners when faced with a decision regarding a destination for meetings and incentives (employee rewards). In the past five years, all major cruise lines have unveiled mega cruise ships to attract a piece of the more than $20 billion corporate meeting and incentives market (Buia, 2001). But how much interest really exists among the meeting planners in holding their meetings aboard cruise ships? Are cruise ship meetings really comparable to meetings planned in land based meeting facilities? This paper explores the meeting planners' perceptions and interests in cruise ship meetings.     

The Competitiveness of International Meeting Destinations in Asia

Abstract

This study was designed to discuss marketing strategies for meeting destinations in Asia, especially for Seoul. To achieve this purpose, an e-mail survey was conducted with meeting planners and buying centers to investigate their perspectives on the site selection attributes and the performance of the five meeting cities in Asia-Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo. As the result of this study, there was a little difference of perspectives on the site selection attributes and destinations' performance between meeting planners and buying centers. These results could be used to develop competitive marketing strategies for each destination.