Archive for July, 2010
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Another casualty of the economy: traditional incentive meetings. Industry insiders agree that a new model is morphing for these multi-day junkets. Now it’s a smaller party with a bigger purpose. And that’s good news for experts.
Three ways we can take advantage of the new trends:
- Instead of pure entertainment, a business portion is being added to the agenda. Most popular here: getting feedback from top performers. Facilitators, this is a perfect fit for you.
- I predicted this for years, and this trend is going strong: training is now an important part of the meeting agenda. More opportunities to interact with Corporate America is a good thing. Yes, speakers and trainers are a natural fit for skill-building. Consultants can get in on this act, too.
- And, finally, charitable activities are on the rise. This is a great area for CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) experts — especially those with relationships in Sales and Marketing.
Tags: education, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Want to know what’s going on with corporate meeting spending? Ask the financial execs at the top. That’s exactly what AmEx did with CFO Research Services. Their recent survey of nearly 500 senior financial executives of global companies doesn’t look good for us experts. The stats: 26 percent project an increase in travel spending; 31 percent expect “no change”; while 44 percent plan further cuts. Maybe I’m just a half-empty sorta girl, but that last number isn’t good for corporate meetings.
The silver lining: the trend line for outside meetings is more positive. In 2009, 79 percent of respondents to the survey said their companies were likely to restrict travel to conferences and events; only 35 percent plan to do so this year. That sounds great until we remember that many associations are going the free speaker route to save money.
Bottom line: the paid speaking gigs are not in the usual places. They are in the nooks and crannies. Get out your flashlight and go find them.
Tags: budgets, economy, Marketing, meetings, positioning, speakers, Speaking, strategy, trends, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Back in the saddle after a whirlwind trip to the NSA Convention. Had a blast catching up with friends and clients. The saddest thing though: watching how many people trade fame for fortune.
Even prominent people do this. Their new book is published and it’s time to promote the dang thing. Or they have a compelling story that just got translated into the latest leadership lessons. A publicist gets hired and — what a concept! — they do a great job. A bunch of interviews are given, the articles run and… not much happens. Sure there are some inquiries but for free stuff “for exposure” or low-fee projects from clients who will never implement.
What really happened? Cute and clever got in the way of strategic and scalable. Smart folks were distracted by the attention they got instead of remembering that buzz has to be directed before money changes hands.
Now is not a good time to give up return on investment for your media efforts. Instead, let’s focus on campaigns that not only get attention, but also inspire action. I’ve got some unique strategies that will rock your world coming up next Tuesday at the Extreme Mini Makeover call on killer media campaigns. Click here to join the fun!
Tags: Extreme Mini Makeovers, promotion, publishing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Greetings from the NSA Convention in Orlando, Florida. First thing I learned here: humidity matters. I have come to appreciate the “dry heat” of Arizona.
I’m hearing one question over and over again: How do I “get out there?” Folks assume that if they “just get in front of the right people,” they are golden. The good news: there are so many opportunities to distribute your brilliance. The interesting news: these opportunities have created a lot of white noise. Getting in front of people is not the challenge; getting them to pay attention to you is the real first step. The more crowded the market, the harder it is to get that attention.
Throwing spaghetti at the wall no longer works. We have to go an inch wide and a mile deep, not a mile wide and an inch deep. We have to get strategic about what we know, not just tell it. How to create that kind of publicity? Check out the next Extreme Mini Makeovers call next Tuesday, July 27th and leave with a blueprint on what to do next.
Tags: education, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, promotion, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
Gearing up for the NSA Convention in Orlando this week. Know that I’m going to be asked a lot of questions about the market. Two words: cautious optimism. Yes, things are rebounding but look beneath the surface and some cracks are still there. Example: yes, association meetings are back and some groups are posting record-breaking attendance. However, industry insiders point to meetings consolidating and pent-up demand from our year-long dry spell in the association market. And this doesn’t help: the sugar daddy of the meetings industry — the corporate market — remains flat. Until that spending increases, be prepared for a roller coaster ride.
Tags: economy, Marketing, meetings, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Knew it had to happen sometime. And that time is now. Virtual meetings are back and in a big way. On the association front, they are used as an additional revenue stream and to leverage the experience. A great way to subsidize events with lower attendance. Creates a platform to connect and is perfectly understandable.
The corporate market could go one step further to cut costs: replace virtual meetings for digital events. Big companies have the bandwidth to invest in the start ups. Exhibit A: Cisco, who ditched their big traditional face-to-face meeting and went all virtual. Reaction among attendees: best meeting ever.
Moral of the story: if they can get away with it, big companies will switch to virtual in a heartbeat. Experts need to be prepared to participate with fee strategies and with ideas to create a seamless experience for those watching from a computer screen. Might be a good time to hire some kid with high-tech skills…
Tags: events, Marketing, meetings, positioning, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Yes they are, according to a recent survey by PCMA (Professional Conference Management Association), their foundation and AmEx. Over 500 meeting planners were asked about plans for 2010 and 2011 this Spring and here’s what they said:
- A net increase in off-site meetings of 23 percent in 2010 and 38 percent in 2011 when compared to 2009 numbers.
- Cancellations have subsided: 89 percent stated they were not planning to postpone, cancel or rebook any meetings they had already booked in 2010 and 2011.
Industry insiders are reporting an uptick in attendance, some more than 12 percent in the association market. That’s good news for experts speaking at these events. More attendees mean more sponsorship deals, more prospects for those free experts and hopefully, less stress about paying speakers. Not breaking out the Champagne just yet, but hey, this news is better than what we’ve heard before. Let’s do a happy dance and get back to work.
Tags: associations, events, experts, Marketing, meetings, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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