By Corbin Ball, CMP, Corbin Ball Associates and
Rodman Marymor, CMP, Cardinal Communications

Planner survey results spreadsheet

Supplier survey results spreadsheet

How are meeting professionals using technology to help do their jobs better? Do meeting planners have different expectations than suppliers? What are some of the best ways to get through the sea of emails? The preliminary answers to these questions and more were the goals of this survey.

Method:

The survey was distributed in the March edition of Corbin's TechTalk Newsletter (3,600+ subscribers), to the Meetings Industry Mall mailing list, and to IACC (International Association of Conference Centers) members.

The Planners:

274 planners replied to the survey with roughly a third each from associations, corporations and independent planning houses. They were experienced (71% having worked in the industry 5 years or more) and nearly three-quarters ran less than 25 meetings per year with a median total yearly attendance ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 per year. They used all types of facilities, but downtown hotels garnered the most votes. 100% had Internet access and most (82%) were connecting with high-bandwidth Internet access.

In general, there were not significant differences in the technology use responses between corporate, association and independent planners.

The Suppliers:

153 suppliers responded with half representing hotels and conference centers. They were also experienced (79% have worked in the industry for 5 years or more). All had Internet access, but slightly less (74%) had high-bandwidth, always-on Internet access.

The Results:

Site Selection – Where Planners Look For Information

The planners surveyed indicated that CVB sites were used most in research facility information (70%) closely followed by general internet search engines/directories such Yahoo and Google
(66%). Facility (or facility chain) sites were next (62%) followed by magazine articles and advertising (60%). Trailing significantly behind these were Association web sites (44%), direct marketing (39%), and surprisingly, the site selection portals (i.e. mpoint.com, EventSource, StarCite) at 36%. Only 3% reported that they do not use the Web for site selection.

Less than one-quarter of the suppliers report receiving direct business from their Web site.

92% of the suppliers report that they used the web for finding information about planners and other clients with internet search engines topping the list of preferred web sites.

Email and E-marketing:

When asked about the amount of email they receive, only 32% of the planners and 22% of the suppliers replied that it was too much.

59% of the suppliers use direct email for promotions. When planners were asked if unsolicited email from a facility offends them, only 20% replied that it offends them and a full 58% replied that they usually check it out.

 Email links to web sites were reported as useful or highly useful to 87% of the planner respondents. The suppliers often provide these links (65% always, 27% sometimes and 8% never). 

A surprising 79% of the planners replied that they sometimes or always open email attachments that come with email (despite the recent dangers shown by the Melissa, LoveBug and other viruses). Suppliers report that 8% always, 60% sometimes and 33% never send attachments.

Editor's note: Sending attachments should not be considered as a major means of promotion and should never be sent in an unsolicited message. It is much better to send a link to a file at your web site. With the increasing general suspicion of email attachments due to virus threats, it is good common procedure to send an email to alert the recipient that you are sending a file. Also, never open a .vbs file (normal business correspondence would never require sending a .vbs file) or an .exe file without verifying from the sender.

If an email is addressed to planners personally, they are 3 times more likely to read (75% replying yes and 25% replying no to this question). 93% of suppliers state that sometimes or always they personalize their email.

Response time:

Planners do not have quite as high an expectation of expected response time compared to what the suppliers report that they deliver. With 32% of the planners expecting same day response, and 69% of the suppliers reporting a response time of one day or shorter. 

What Planners Want and a Facility Web Site:

When planners were asked whether a Website's content and services influence their buying decision, a full 72% (197) replied that, "yes it does" compared to 28% (76) saying "no it doesn't."   

Web design:

When asked about how important the Web Site content layout, design and navigation were, 89% replied that it was important or very important, and only 1 response stated that it was not important at all.

Privacy Issues :

71% of the planners felt that a posted privacy statement is important or very important.

Web Content:

When asked how important is it to have good facility and destination information on the web, 92% reported that it is important or very important with only 1% replying that it was not important at all. An estimated 87% of suppliers report providing this.

Planners like facility photos on a web site with 93% reporting that is important or very important. 87% of suppliers report providing this.

Floor plans and seating capacity charts are also important (17%) to very important (81%) with only 2% reporting they were not important. 77% of facility suppliers report providing this.

Food and beverage information was felt to be important (41%) or very important (30%), but a larger percentage than the previous felt that it was not very important (26%) or not important at all (2%). 45% of suppliers report providing this.

Others areas that are considered important or very important included:

Note the several gaps between what planners would like and what suppliers provide.

Maps and directions:

• Very Important                       104            39%

• Important                               122            45%

• Not Very Important                   43            16%

• Suppliers providing:                                  85%

Meeting Services Info.:            

• Very Important                       144            56%

• Important                                 98            38%

• Not Very Important                   15            6%

• Not Important At All                   1            0%

 Services and Amenities:

• Very Important                       101            39%

• Important                               131            50%

• Not Very Important                   27            10%

• Not Important At All                   2            1%

• Suppliers providing:                                  88%

Email Directory:

• Very Important                         94            35%

• Important                               119            44%

• Not Very Important                   53            19%

• Not Important At All                   6            2%

• Suppliers providing:                                  31%

General Information Request Form:

• Very Important                           92         34%

• Important                                   122       46%

• Not Very Important                     45         17%

• Not Important At All                    9          3%

• Suppliers providing:                                  64%

Online RFPs:   

• Very Important                           63         24%

• Important                                   103       39%

• Not Very Important                     85         32%

• Not Important At All                   16           6%

• Suppliers providing:                                  85%

RFP forms that allow the planner to attach their own RFP:

• Very Important                       166            62%

• Important                                 73            27%

• Not Very Important                   25            9%

• Not Important At All                   5            2%

• Suppliers providing:                                  29%

 A personal profile area where the planner tell the facility what they are interested in:        

• Very Important                       102            38%

• Important                               111            41%

• Not Very Important                   47            17%

• Not Important At All                  11            4%

• Suppliers providing:                                  14%

 Online, real-time availability and group rates:

• Very Important                       126            46%

• Important                               114            42%

• Not Very Important                   30            11%

• Not Important At All                   2            1%

•  Suppliers providing:                                  27%

My group to be able to make online reservations from my block:       

• Very Important                       108            40%

• Important                                 88            32%

• Not Very Important                   43            16%

• Not Important At All                  33            12%

• Suppliers providing:                                  21%

In the area of “nice to have” but less highly ranked:

Email Subscription (i.e. Hot Dates, newsletters subscriptions, etc):

• Very Important                      17                     6%

• Important                              72                     27%

• Not Very Important              140                     53%

• Not Important At All               36                     14%

• Suppliers providing:                                       13%

Personalized Homepage:       

• Very Important                           19                     7%

• Important                                   80                     31%

• Not Very Important                     108                   42%

• Not Important At All                    51                     20%

• Suppliers providing:                                             14%

Online reservations for facility services _i.e. restaurants, golf)

• Very Important                           57                     21%

• Important                                   120                   44%

• Not Very Important                     86                     32%

• Not Important At All                    9                      3%

• Suppliers providing:                                             18%

Online concierge service        

• Very Important                           38                     14%

• Important                                   109                   40%

• Not Very Important                     108                   40%

• Not Important At All                    18                     7%

• Suppliers providing:                                             24%

This survey will be the first of a series of annual studies. Your thoughts, opinions and suggestions are most welcome for the upcoming years.

If you find this article helpful, please let me know by signing the Guest Book in the Contact Corbin Section..

BACK TO ARTICLES LIST