Meeting News - July 7, 2008 - (Page 20)

MN Exclusive Research Meeting planners say that no two days on their jobs are alike By Irene Korn here might be no such thing as an “average day” in the life of a meeting planner, but the latest MeetingNews survey of 335 planners confirmed that the average planner is performing a wide range of tasks in any given day. Logistics management topped the list, coming in at 84 percent for both corporate and association planners. That was closely followed by negotiating, named a major responsibility by 80 percent of corporate planners and 66 percent of association planners. Those are two of the primary responsibilities for Melanie Walton, director of meeting services at Killingworth, CT-based Simpson Healthcare Executives, a medical communications company. In her role as a third-party planner for major pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, Walton handles all logistics and contract negotiations, from hotels and convention centers to travel arrangements, ground transportation, food and beverage, AV, and more. Like 71 percent of the corporate planners surveyed, she is responsible for tracking expenses, too; only 53 percent of the association planners have that task. In Walton’s company, programming comes out of a different department, which is the case for most corporate planners: Only 11 percent of those sur- T Best Part of the Job What beneﬁts do you most associate with meeting planning? Putting together successful programs/events Interacting with broad range of people Travel and seeing the country/world Becoming sophisticated about food and hospitality Being recognized in the ﬁeld 27.8% 88.6% 57.1% 13.9% 8.6% Other 0% 3.4% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: MeetingNews survey of 324 meeting planners veyed said they handle educational planning. On the other hand, nearly one-third (30 percent) of the What are your principal meeting planning association planners surveyed counted educational responsibilities? planning among their tasks. Association planners were also more likely to be responsible for marketLogistics 77.6% management ing a meeting: 39 percent of association planners claimed responsibility for that function as opposed 65.4% Negotiation to only 27 percent of corporate planners. Limiting legal liability is only an issue for 13 perTracking expenses 57.0% cent of the planners overall, but it can be a challenge Strategizing 37.0% for those who count it as a responsibility, especially those in the medical ﬁeld. “Within the pharmaceuMarketing for the 30.4% meeting tical industry, we are bound by industry guidelines Educational which mandate the kinds of venues we can use, so I 24.2% planning need to select a venue that is a great draw for attenLimiting dees that’s within those guidelines,” said Walton. 12.8% legal liability When it comes to other challenges, cost contain8.1% Other ment was a concern for 59 percent of the planners surveyed. “And with the price of fuel going up, we 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% expect it will become even more of a challenge,” said Source: MeetingNews survey of 335 meeting planners Cindy Cordray, an Oregon-based executive assistant for Hewlett Packard, who spends at least 50 percent grams/events,” which was listed by a full 89 percent of the planners. Interacting with a broad range of of her time on meeting planning functions. Other common challenges were keeping up with people also came in strong, with 57 percent of planall the latest meeting options, cited by 34 percent of ners citing it as a beneﬁt of meeting planning.“The the respondents, and being blamed for meeting customer interaction is new for me,” said Cordray, related disasters, named by 24 percent of the plan- who recently moved from a planning position with ners.“Even if it’s just a weather challenge—and you research and development to one in sales. “I now rise to the occasion—it still seems to reﬂect poorinteract with customers and end-users at our ly on the planner,” said Walton. “Our job is to meetings, and that has become a huge beneﬁt.” MN prepare for the unexpected, but I don’t have a Exclusive “I enjoy putting together a meeting where Research crystal ball and I can’t predict freak weather.” people can come together and learn new things and interact with their peers,” said Laura Baukol, Several planners also wrote in about challenges related to timing and being subject to the whims of meetings and event manager for Gray Line Worldclients and supervisors, in addition to the 38 per- wide, based in Denver. “They don’t have to worry cent of planners who cited “not being recognized about anything because I take care of it all.” Like 28 percent of the planners surveyed, she for contributions to the organization” as a challenge. A sampling of comments included: “Clients enjoys the travel associated with her position, but changing their minds over and over and, well, you “always being on the road” was named as a chalget my point”;“executive misunderstandings about lenge for 9 percent of the respondents. Although Baukol doesn’t have direct responsibilthe planning process”; “having authority undermined at the last minute”;“having my direct super- ity for meeting content, she said she enjoys “workvisor alter plans at the last minute, causing me to ing with the decision makers and understanding scramble to change an aspect of the meeting”; and the strategy. I feel like I’m making a contribution to “late notification of meetings or last-minute the company and a real difference in the company.” changes when already moved onto the next.” Walton ﬁnds it exciting to get on site after all the Despite the challenges, the planners surveyed planning. “I love to see a client’s reaction to the found satisfaction and beneﬁts in numerous areas, extras I provided that they didn’t think of,” she said. most notably in “putting together successful pro- “It’s exhilarating to see a meeting come together.” r www.meetingnews.com So, What Is It You Do? 20 MeetingNews July 7, 2008 http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/research/meeting_news_research.jsp http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - July 7, 2008
What's Up @ MeetingNews.com
Inside the Meetings Industry
People Making News
Chef Talk
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MN Exclusive Research
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Meeting News - July 7, 2008