Meeting News - September 21, 2009 - Cover1

PRICING FORECAST CWT’s 2010 outlook p.2 MEETINGS SPOTLIGHT Wyeth adapts to code p.10 EVENT PROFILE Planner pitches Audi tent p.13 NEWSMAKER StarCite CEO Gregory Dukat looks to make the most from the greater visibility of meetings in the downturn. See page 6. MeetingNews w w w. M e e t i n g N e w s . c o m MeetingNews Vantage Point September 21, 2009 Gaylord Exec Sees New Level Of Partnership Mike Mason, senior vice president of sales for meetings-focused upscale resort collection Gaylord Hotels, spoke this month with MeetingNews associate editor Michael B. Baker about current trends in group negotiating and the company’s sales strategy. MeetingNews: Which negotiating points stand out today? Mike Mason: We’ve all been battered and bruised on both sides of the fence regarding attrition and cancellation. For both sides, there are some great conversations that surround not necessarily those clauses, but more importantly, the level of commitment asked of the hotels in terms of holding space and rooms and how flexible we Carrier Adopts Northwest Program Delta Mtg. Network Again Takes Flight By David Meyer & Jay Boehmer Gaylord’s Mike Mason can be with the customer to help them adjust and manage through an unknown. We’re taking a position that 2010 and 2009 will be very similar in terms of economy, but they’ll be very different in how much smarter we will be when we walk into 2010 than when we walked into 2009. The conversations we’re having with customers continued on page 62 D elta Air Lines last month returned to an area it abandoned more than four years ago—negotiating meeting fares—when it relaunched the Delta Meeting Network, a revamped offering that borrows heavily from its merger partner, Northwest Airlines. With Delta returning to the corporate, association and incentive meetings market, the eight largest domestic car- riers, with the exception of Southwest Airlines, now offer group discount programs. Delta unveiled the program last month at the American Society of Association Executives annual meeting in Toronto, and the basic product offer is fairly standard for the industry: one free ticket for every 40 flown, plus discounts off published fares, for meetings of at least 10 attendees traveling from at least two U.S. cities to any of the 376 destinations Delta serves. The continued on page 61 MEETING LEAD TIMES HOLDING STEADY Expected 2009 meeting lead time vs. 2008 Longer Insiders See Slow Recovery Ahead By Seth Harris Industry insiders expect meetings spending to be a mixed bag heading into next year, as organizations remain cautious about the amount and public perception of their spending while hotel and meeting venues offer deep discounts and concessions. Some meetings management company executives, planners and recent industry research reports said that as budgets are being set for 2010, meetings bookings are starting to increase slightly. Yet, they said spending on those meetings will be flat or less than this year’s as organizations plan for fewer attendees and, in some cases, shorter events. While there are no clear signs that meetings will return to pre-recession levels in 2010, early indications have created optimism that the latter half of 2010 and 2011 could see an improvement over 2009 numbers. “Instead of a V with a shot going down and then a sharp shot up, it’s more like a U that is starting to turn up,” said Carlson Marketing president of engagement and events Fay Beauchine.“We are still at the bottom continued on page 63 Research 8% Shorter 19% MN About the same 73% Source: A MeetingNews survey of 201 meeting planners See story, page 14 Volume 33/Number 12/$10.00

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - September 21, 2009

Meeting News - September 21, 2009

Contents
Pricing Forecast
Newsmaker
Meetings Spotlight
Event Profile

Meeting News - September 21, 2009

Meeting News - September 21, 2009 -

Meeting News - September 21, 2009

(Page Cover1)
Meeting News - September 21, 2009 -

Meeting News - September 21, 2009