StarCite Corporate

Our previous post covered the VIPs of SMM who have championed the advantages of implementing a strategic meetings management program and have been involved since the very conception of SMM.  While we’re on the topic, it would be pertinent to share some surprising research gathered by Meetings&Conventions magazine regarding SMM and organizations’ use (or lack thereof!) of such a program.
 
The article, ‘Wanted—A Policy for Meetings’ featured in the February 2010 issue of M&C, reported that only 29% of organizations have formal meeting management programs in place, and, of those, only 11% reported that those meetings comply with all their guidelines.  40% weren’t even familiar with the term “SMMP.”  When asked about their company’s SMM “Work in Progress,” 33% said that they did not have an SMMP in place and were not planning on adopting one, which doesn’t seem that significant until you compare it to the other responses under that category: 14% have an SMMP, 25% aren’t familiar with the term, 20% do not have one but have discussed it, and only 8% are currently working toward implementing one.  That means that organizations who do not have an SMMP and are not planning on implementing one are in the clear majority; however there are many of us in the industry who would like to see those numbers reversed.

SMM has taken hold within the meetings and events industry, and it’s now more important than ever to be educated on what the program is and what it can do for an organization, especially within an economically unstable environment.  If you’re one of the organizations that has yet to delve into SMM or is at least considering it within your company, you may be wondering where to even begin.

Because SMM requires a significant change in the way a meetings department operates, it’s essential to start off with firm footing or the program will be impossible to launch.  A poorly planned program will, at best, fail to gain enough support to get off the ground, and at worst will disrupt existing operations and leave the department in worse shape than it was before the program was adopted.  How do you avoid a disastrous implementation attempt at an SMMP? Build a solid business plan. 

StarCite can show you how with our “7 Step Guide to Initiating a Strategic Meetings Management Program” and “Garnering Executive Support: Building Your Business Plan for Strategic Meetings Management” whitepapers, which will provide you with the guidelines and practical steps you need to take in order to not only get started with your SMMP but also gain the support of your executive team to make it happen. 

As the previous post illustrates, strategic meetings management is now considered a necessity rather than a luxury for organizations, and the fact that SMM now has its own certification course speaks volumes of the impact it has had within the industry.  As SMM starts to gain more steam, now is a great on time to get on board and realize the benefits it can bring your organization. 

Strategic Meetings Management has finally come of age within the meetings and events industry, partly due to the economic pressures of the recession which encouraged companies to gain visibility and control of their meetings and meetings spend.  Luckily, SMM was right there to guide them and ensure that their meetings process was streamlined, efficient, and able to achieve maximum cost savings.  In addition to the economy, strategic meetings management has emerged thanks to several industry pioneers.  Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine has recognized the success of SMM and highlighted these four key players in its rise from luxury to necessity. 

The magazine touted Kari Kesler, Debi Scholar, Tracy Wilt, and StarCite’s own Kevin Iwamoto as SMM’s “Movers and Shakers” in the wake of the first ever Strategic Meetings Management Certification course, completed this November by 20 industry professionals.  A bit about each “VIP” of SMM:

• Kari Kesler was involved in the birth of SMM and saw the certification course come to fruition through the efforts of NBTA. She was honored to actually teach the course and encourages meeting professionals to get certified, as SMM is the future of the industry. 
• Debi Scholar is a sought-after industry expert on both SMM and virtual meetings and emphasizes the difference between strategic meetings management and meeting planning management, the main difference being that SMM takes an enterprise-wide approach to managing meetings. 
• Tracy Wilt, manager of global travel & meetings management for Xerox Corporation, is a leading force in the meetings industry and suggests building a strong business case for SMM to guarantee its success within your company. 
• Kevin Iwamoto, VP of Enterprise Strategy for StarCite, was a pioneer in the SMMP evolution and helped create the SMMC program alongside NTBA.  He strives to raise awareness about the benefits of SMM and help companies realize the disadvantage they’re putting themselves in if they don’t adopt and implement a strategic meetings management program.  Iwamoto is dedicated to evangelizing the concept of SMMP and to helping companies deploy the program globally. 

These four industry leaders have paved the way for SMM to take hold within the industry and really begin to make an impression on companies’ bottom lines. Between their dedication to the program as well as the economic constraints companies have been facing, the industry is now enjoying the maturity of strategic meetings management.  Congratulations to the VIPs of SMM; you have truly shaped and changed our industry for the better!

If you would like to know more about strategic meetings management, check out this webinar or this whitepaper on building a business case for SMMP, or click here for an overview of SMM.

It might be hard to see past the negative repercussions of the economic downturn.  Between budget cuts, layoffs, and businesses struggling to keep their numbers up, it certainly hasn’t been easy to cope.  However, now that the dark clouds have begun to part and a bit of sunlight is slowly but surely peeking through, several positive outcomes have emerged for meeting planners.

Renewed creativity.  Meeting planners now have to do more with less, which was one of the overall themes of MPI’s 2010 FutureWatch report.  With this being the case, planners have been even more resourceful and creative than ever before to carefully design and plan a meeting on a tighter budget. The result:

Simpler, more effective meetings.  Extravagant affairs are no longer a trend within the meetings and events industry, and therefore planners are focusing on creating events closer to home that zero in on productivity and simplicity.  Planners have ensured that meetings, although leaner, will be stronger and more effective.  This has led them to:

Enhanced performance.  Companies are expecting ROI if they are going to expend on meetings, and therefore planners must absolutely be able to measure and prove that in order to justify the purpose of having a meeting in the first place.  Between economic pressures and the need for measurable ROI, efficient and productive performance is essential for success. The ultimate result:

Emphasis on value.  The value of meetings is now a major trend within the industry, and planners recognize the need for resourceful meetings that will guarantee ROI, with valuable, indispensable meetings being the goal. The positive outcome here is that frivolous meetings can be weeded out and meetings that are absolutely essential can be focused on, saving both time and money for planners and companies. 

So what are we seeing as the overall positive outcome of an otherwise negative situation? Planners are tapping into their creativity and resourcefulness to generate more effective meetings while actually performing better to guarantee value.  And that is certainly not a bad thing.

The 2010 FutureWatch Report, an annual survey of meeting planners and suppliers conducted by Meeting Professionals International and American Express, was released on January 11 and provides insights and outlooks into the meetings industry for the coming year.

While the 2009 Survey was dominated by concerns over the worsening economy and the uncertainty and anxiety it produced among planners and suppliers alike, the uneasy tone has lightened somewhat according to this year’s results. The economy wasn’t even listed as a top concern for planners; instead, their top three concerns included budget cuts, doing more with less, and a shortage of staff.

These issues indicate that the industry is adopting a new attitude towards the economy. Instead of distressing over the repercussions the economic outlook previously had in store for the industry, planners and suppliers are now accepting the reality of the situation and adapting to the new trends and practices that have emerged. 

Planners reported that they expect a 2.8% increase in meetings this year and are now focusing more on working efficiently, measuring and guaranteeing ROI, and eliminating frills.  Planners are now paying more attention to reverting back to simpler meetings without all the glitz and garnish, and public perception of meetings is no longer a top concern but remains a challenge for planners in 2010.  When it comes down to choosing destinations for events, meeting planners are not as concerned with perception as they are with overall cost. To maintain lower costs, U.S. planners reported that they will hold 80% of their meetings within the United States, which is a significant increase from 61% in 2009. 

As far as technology and meetings goes, planners said that their number one priority is “improving the presentation or audiovisual experience at meetings,” and that providing good alternatives to live meetings is also important.  Regardless of whether they’re live or virtual, the value of meetings is also especially important to planners according to the 70% who say they use some sort of measurement to gauge value. 

So what do these current trends reflect about the state of the industry? First, it suggests that planners and suppliers are adapting and surviving in the new economic climate by reprioritizing their main concerns and addressing each accordingly.  Cost will remain key into 2010 and value will be more important than ever to ensure meetings spend is not wasted.  The trend of simple, back to basics meetings highlights this emphasis on value, and corporate social responsibility rounds out the way planners will approach meetings in 2010. 

The 2010 FutureWatch demonstrates the resiliency, optimism, adaptability of the meetings and events industry and gives us something to look forward to in the new year.

1. Project leader and core team. For a program to succeed, it needs a project leader who "owns" the initiative. Important qualifications are knowledge and influence. A cross functional team coordinates efforts.

2. Management buy-in. An executive champion lobbies other senior personnel and removes obstacles during program execution. When upper management is aware of the program and its goals, the team has more ready access to necessary resources.

3. Situation assessment. Determine project scope through a formal process that ensures all areas are covered and everyone is on the same page. Consider whether sourcing and planning are centralized, how meetings are sourced and planned, policies currently in place and best estimate of total meetings spend.

4. Goals and prioritization. Goals may be decided at the top through a mandate for reducing costs, result from a program like Six Sigma or may be part of the travel department's objectives. Common goals include cost reduction and efficiency improvement and are realized through strategic sourcing, closer coordination with travel or establishing standard processes.

5. Technology requirements. Technology enables organizations to gather data, collaborate with stakeholders and implement processes. So, the planning process includes determining functionality that technology will deliver in order to achieve set goals.

6. Writing a business case. To present a compelling argument to management, it's essential to conduct due diligence and demonstrate the team has thoroughly analyzed the spend. A business case consists of these components: current situation, opportunity/best practices, gap analysis and best practices flow—action plan.

7. Action plan and timeline. Once the team sets goals and determines priorities, members develop a timeline and action plan.