I’ve had a bunch of our members ask if I think the meetings industry will see a recovery soon. I answer with a confident “yes.”

Here are a few of my leading indicators (some are more scientific than others:)

-Ford announced a $2.7 billion profit for 2009 vs. a loss of $14.7 billion last year. Sure GM and Chrysler are in the dumps but when Ford increases their meeting and incentive programs their competitors are sure to follow.

-NBC has sold $650 million of national advertising (and still counting) for the Winter Olympics, and expects to reach the level of previous Winter Olympics ($740-$930 million.) If companies are advertising to attract customers, business travel will soon follow.

-Super Bowl hospitality is on the mend…it was more than just Miami!

-I’ve received a ton of “out of office” replies to my emails, many include notes about the meeting they’re attending.

-The bellmen at one of my favorite hotels tell me they’re working more hours and expect to have a good spring.

-Six tournaments into the PGA Tour and the only question is “when do you think Tiger will return?” It’s not about why companies are sponsoring tournaments, entertaining customers and rewarding their top achievers with tickets and hospitality (let’s face it we know you get a great ROI on these events.)

I like to mix a few facts with a bunch of “gut feel indicators.” If you have any gut feel indicators of your own please share them with us.

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