Successful Meetings - September 2008 - (Page 54)

Convention Centers PHOTO: CORBIS STEPPING UP IN CLASS Should your event move from a hotel to a mid-sized convention center? By Corrie Dosh corrie.dosh@nielsen.com A little more than a decade ago, the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASN) in Oak Brook, IL, found that only a few hotels could accommodate its annual trade show and physician research program. While some first-tier city convention hotels could handle the number of attendees, the society also needed great amounts of breakout and session room space and exhibit space, says Director of Scientific Meetings Lora Di Padova-Tannehill. The time had come, Di Padova-Tannehill says, to move on up to a convention center. It was clearly the right move, even though switching venues brought a host of new challenges. But there were other considerations besides space: convention centers brought greater security, more flexible space, the chance of double booking would be reduced, and details for a large event could be settled 12 months to 18 months ahead of time, versus the average six months at a hotel, she says. “I don’t think I realized how nervous my boss was at the time. That transition year was a tough one,” Di PadovaTannehill says. “You jump from lesser fees to a huge chunk of sometimes $200,000 in license fees and tying your food service to a rental rate, and all of that. There are a lot of different parameters going into it.” Every group that has made the move to a convention center has had its own reasons for moving their event, but the opportunities and challenges the tranSEPTEMBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 54 successfulmeetings.com http://successfulmeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - September 2008

Successful Meetings - September 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
Industry Trends
Supplier News
Technology
Calendar
Incentives
Association News
Corporate Meetings
Independent Planners
Management Matters
Meetings Law
Mouth for Sale
Planner Spotlight
Pre-Event
On Site
On Site
Tools of the Trade
Where All That Glitters May Bring Gold
Stepping Up in Class
Going for the Green
10 Great Drive-To Destinations
Charter Members
Night at the Museum
Places & Spaces
Charleston and Savannah
Los Angeles
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Rocky Mountain Resorts
Caribbean
Monaco
Malaysia
Gurus

Successful Meetings - September 2008