MEETING EVOLUTION (M.E.)...Using business intelligence to manage meetings strategically

The following article was produced by Meeting Sites Resource for PCMA Convene Magazine January 2011 edition.

Cathy Demyanovich knew there was a better way to manage her organization’s global meetings and events.  The Director of Corporate Communications for California based Microvention, Inc., had a good handle on meeting activity in the corporate office but was also focused on seeking ways to insure that other offices / divisions were delivering meetings and events that were efficient, cost effective, with strategic outcomes.

She took matters into her own hands and conducted an analysis on who in the organization planned meeting and events, identified internal meeting sponsors, determined why meetings were conducted and how meetings were planned and reviewed past hotel contract components and clauses.  “Armed and dangerous,” Cathy made a presentation to senior management on why a SMMP program should be implemented and detailed the many benefits to the organization (by the way, she got immediate approval).

Cathy’s situation is not uncommon.  Many meeting planning, procurement and travel managers are using the SMMP initiative to change the way business is done within their organizations.  But what exactly is SMMP and how do meeting professionals tailor a plan that meets their organization’s specific needs with predictable outcomes?

By industry standards, the Strategic Meeting Management (SMMP) definition is: “Strategic Meetings Management is a disciplined approach to managing enterprise-wide meeting and event activities, processes, suppliers and data in order to achieve measurable business objectives that align with an organizations’ strategic goals/vision, and delivers value in the form of quantitative savings, risk mitigation, and service quality.”

Whether meeting and event responsibilities are enterprise wide or focus on headquarters, a specific department or division, it is important to embrace this “accountability and value” business model.  SMMP is a huge paradigm shift and the following industry statistics validate the need for planning teams to understand the key components and principals for implementation.

• Over 50% of CEO’s feel their organization is not getting maximum ROI from their meetings and events
• Over 40% of CFO’s are not satisfied with their company’s travel / meetings spend management

• 49% of planners feel pressure to enhance meeting results, measurable metrics and ROI
• 43% of planners implementing SMMP do not feel they are getting maximum results / leveraging spend.

There are plenty of articles, workshops, webinars and white papers on this topic, however, there is no “one size fits all” solution.  Every organization must conduct its own needs assessment, create a SMMP action plan and get senior management’s buy-in.

Let me connect the dots and provide a framework on the steps needed to get a successful SMMP program defined, approved and launched.  The key components to build your action plan (and ultimately, business plan) include:

• Reassess senior management meeting and event vision, goals and objectives
• Identify enterprise wide meeting and event planners, administrators and stakeholders (and their meeting activity / processes / goals / skill sets)
• Meeting needs assessment / meeting approval process / master meeting and event calendar
• Hotel site search / evaluation / value based negotiations process
• Custom hotel contract process (addresses all hotel contract components, value added concessions, hotel fees and surcharges, performance clauses and legal department liability language)
• Meeting and event planning processes, procedures, attendee communications / learning, on-site meeting management
• Preferred Supplier Program (services, pricing, evaluation, agreements, SMMP outcomes)
• Hotel / supplier deposit and payment process / reconciliation
• Meeting budgets / variance (by meeting)
• Transparent metrics to define and measure success (standard and custom financial reports, including cost savings / risk reduction report, by meeting and enterprise wide spend breakdown).

• SMMP implementation / compliance / training / collaboration / stakeholder feedback
• Post meeting evaluation / learner outcomes / meeting value (ROI / ROE)
• Robust technology that drives SMMP (24/7 access to current / past meeting activity / management and financial reports)

Meetings are big investments and the benefits of designing and implementing an SMMP plan will have a big impact on the organization and key stakeholders.  This includes:

• Achieving management and stakeholder meeting goals and objectives
• Focus on core competencies
• Improved planning processes / team productivity
• Transparency of metrics / demonstrate real cost savings
• Risk mitigation (financial / legal / compliance)
• Meeting consolidation / leveraged spend
• Improved meeting quality / learner outcomes / attendee experience
• Integrate other meeting functions, including registration and housing
• Robust technology  / data management
• 24/7 access to management / financial reports

It is critical to understand the internal organizational structure and identify the key drivers of meetings and events, enterprise wide.  Is there a procurement manager or department?  Perhaps a travel manager has already consolidated airline, hotel and car rentals for business travelers and has a hand in meetings?  What key departments are responsible for meetings and events?  Does the legal department have specific liability language for hotel contracts?

Read the full article here

Jennifer W. Brown, CMP, is president of Meeting Sites Resource, a global specialist in meeting-site research and hotel-contract negotiations. The company also offers professional meeting-support services, SMMP consulting, and advanced technology solutions. For a complimentary copy of her SMMP Blueprint for Success Action Plan Checklist, contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .