Meeting About Meetings

Meet with Success
Experient

July 24, 2007
Washington, DC Convention Center


* Marketing Zing:

Todd Charlebois, president, Attendance Marketing, Inc. and Marian Calvin, Experient’s VP of communications, teamed up for a terrific presentation on marketing. Though meeting industry-focused, the lessons can be applied in other fields. Samples of enlightenment:

Aim marketing efforts at the heart more than the head.

Get your board on board.

Promote your brand image consistently and constantly across media.

With info just a Google search away these days, you’ll attract more prospects by offering “what you NEED to know,” not “what you CAN know.”

Holding a conference? Make sure your program is fluid enough to accommodate timely issues and opportunities to be relevant. Remember: ignoring an issue will not make it go away.

Broadcast fax’ing is making a comeback: “what can be faster than sending a bulleted sheet of real paper?”

Market outside the box: Example: one humane society raised awareness by setting up petting stations near post offices, since petting an animal has been proven to reduce stress.

Market your organization post-event, not just pre-event. That’s the time to lock attendees in, at lower rates, for your next event.

Cancellations? Instead of refunding money, apply the fee towards your next event.

* Food and Beverage: Appeal to not only taste, but the other senses, as shown by the savvy staff of Centerplate, the food service contractors for the Washington Convention Center. Attractive presentation examples included serving sushi condiments in hollowed-out lemons and creative vegetarian alternatives to meet the growing demand for meat/dairy-free choices.

* Etiquette like clockwork: Signal you’re done with a meal by placing knife and fork tips to 10 o’clock and the handles to 4 o’clock.

* Cell phones – can you hear me now? Etiquette experts advise that at functions, keep your cell phone on vibrate and excuse yourself – and leave the room – to answer or make a call.

* Handy handshake tips:

Shake a woman’s hand her and abroad just as firmly as a man’s.
Hold your drink in your left hand to avoid giving a cold, wet handshake.
Never allow a meeting or other event to begin or end without a handshake.
Never shake hands with one hand in your pocket.

Etiquette tips from Pamela Eyring, The Protocol School of Washington, www.psow.com

* Money Bags: One attendee noted having several meeting attendees from Asia paying for their contingents with cash, including one hauling a valise containing $147,000.

* Meetings as Economic Engines. Speaking about international meetings: Terence Donnelly, Experient’s trade show markets VP, noted that over the last 13 years, US share of international travel has dropped by 35%. Since 9/11, travel worldwide has increased 20% while trips to the US declined by 17%.

A 1% increase in tourism in the US would translate to 8.1 million more visitors, $13.3 billion in spending, 153,000 new jobs, and a $3.5 billion increase in payroll.

Rx: Expand the visa waiver program (28 countries participate today). New technology and processes to simplify visa processing at borders. Reduce taxes on travel services such as airlines, hotels and rental cars. Change perception of the international community – 75% of tourists from abroad indicate feeling positive towards the US after a visit.
FYI: Those entering the US under the visa waiver program cannot work or study or stay longer than 90 days.

* Resources:

Experient integrated meeting and event services:

www.experient-inc.com

Visa info:

www.export.gov

businessvisa@state.gov