Training Meeting Trends 2019

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Challenge- Meeting Room Consolidation

As per the 2019 American Express Global Meeting and Events Forecast, meeting room consolidation has created shifts in choice and puts increased pressure on meeting owners and planners.

ContactPointe has observed:

  • Non-technology alternatives- Over the past 5 years, meeting room consolidation and technology advancements have led to the closing of some corporate computer training centers. As an alternative, meeting planners have moved to non-technology meeting centers and ordered the technology components ala carte. New challenges with non-technology centers include the availability of quality Internet, adequate Internet bandwidth and more complex contractual terms. Many require a deposit when booking and less flexible cancellation clauses.
  • Technology restrictions- For example, many hotels provide Internet access with a password or through their own “splash” page. This can cause problems for some web-based applications or when VPN routers are used by clients. The use of meeting rooms and computer classrooms at colleges and universities has increased, but can come with many more restrictions on availability and scheduling. They may also not allow loading of proprietary software programs.
  • Renting high-technology classrooms- Because ContactPointe is experienced in dealing with the above issues, it is absolutely possible to rent a high-tech classroom or meeting room through us, complete with computers, AV, and Internet bandwidth. ContactPointe will coordinate all of the details for your technology needs to insure a successful event.
  • No solution for live inventory- There is no true live nationwide inventory for high-tech or simple meeting rooms. ContactPointe maintains its internal database which has grown to over 1,000 meeting facilities. We know how to match meeting room requirements, provide the technology and simplify the contractual issues.

Challenge- Short Planning Time

Planners expect hotel space availability to be flat going into 2019, making events with short lead-times problematic for planners.

ContactPointe focuses on events for 10-100 attendees. Near 75% of our client events start within 1-2 months of initial request/consultation. For ContactPointe, there is no shortage of both traditional and non-traditional meeting spaces. Our database of properties is deep and we can find properties to meet all your needs. If a short lead time is the problem, we have the solution.

Challenge- Rising AV and Wi-Fi Costs

Hotel respondents say they are becoming less willing to negotiate on audio/visual and Wi-Fi than in years past.

ContactPointe eliminates this issue by including all AV and Wi-Fi requirements in our “all-inclusive price”. More importantly, there are no extra charges for premium Wi-Fi bandwidth. We insure the availability of quality Internet, adequate Internet bandwidth and superior AV equipment.

Challenge- Changing Commission Structure

At least 50% of meeting planners surveyed in AMEX study are concerned about the changing commission structure in the industry.

One concern in the meeting industry is the changing commission structure. We do not select properties and meeting spaces based on commission. ContactPointe is “vendor neutral”. We take no commission. Our goal is to find the best meeting location to fit your needs.

Finding the right location is the hardest thing you do, and ContactPointe makes it easy.