MPI's Latest Research Reveals Meetings Industry Trends For 2011

MPI’s Latest Research Reveals Industry Trends

Meeting and event professionals recognize the top industry trends in FutureWatch 2011, an annual research study conducted by Meeting Professionals International (MPI). Many top trends affect the hotel industry, including relevance of personal relationships versus technology and increased collaboration between planners and suppliers.

During the past two years, the global financial crisis has led to meeting planners and suppliers to work together to address budgets, cancellations, attrition and staffing. Meeting professionals seek to continue and increase this collaboration between hoteliers and planners, according to FutureWatch 2011.

“Bonuses for hotels that meet set service levels in post-event surveys can help venues get the business and the bonus and planners get the events they need,” said a FutureWatch meeting planner respondent.

In addition to collaboration, professionals rated personal relationships equivalent to solving issues together. Twenty six percent of meeting professionals say that improved planner and supplier relationships are more important than ever before in order for both parties to achieve budget and performance goals.

“People aren’t willing to talk face-to-face, they just send me to websites,” said a FutureWatch respondent. “I need to find a venue, I make contact with the sales people and they send me to the RFP site. Suppliers who want to get ahead need to focus on personal relationships instead of technology.”

Click here to download an executive summary of the report.