It’s the week after New Years, I’ve been hustling all week getting all kids of projects done. It’ll be at least 6 months before the best of this weeks work starts to pay off.

I also had some time to reflect on how wild and wacky the meetings business has been the last two years and am really excited to start a new decade. Who knows what we’ll be working on in 2019, but I have some thoughts on what 2010 has in store for us.

-Hotel Bankruptcies will continue at a pace not seen since the savings & loan crisis of the mid 1980’s. Hotels and resorts will change owners and reduce service and staffing levels just to survive. All have the potential to disrupt your plans to execute a flawless meeting.

-Hotel Sales Managers will begin to “job hop.” Most haven’t earned an incentive or a salary increase for two years and will be lured to their competitors by the prospect of greener pastures. Hotels will compete to keep and attract top talent.

-Planners will receive fewer responses to their RFP’s. Sure hotels need the business however they don’t need and won’t respond to the unrealistic requests and demands they’ve been receiving.

-Group room rates will increase. Lets face hotels have squeezed all the inefficiencies and costs from their expenses and raising are about the only way left to survive.

-If you cancel a contracted meeting expect to pay the full cancellation fee. Most hoteliers are over the negotiation of “rescheduling” a contracted meeting one to two years from the original dates just to keep the business. Business has changed; they need the money and the business now.

-Attrition fees will continue to be waived or negotiated during contract negotiations. If you don’t contract this concession don’t expect to renegotiate if you don’t deliver the numbers you promised.

-More Trade and Professional Associations will ask their members to invite and pay for “their” customers to attend the associations meetings.

-Offering exceptional educational content is more important than ever before. Explain how your business and your customers business is going to change over the next 5 years and watch how the “return on your meetings investment” skyrockets.

-Short term continues to be the norm. For better or worse the next 90 days may be the most important to your business.

-Business will realize it’s acceptable and necessary to travel, meet and entertain customers (but not until late 2010 or early 2011.)

Happy New Year, and here’s to you in your mission to advance in your own corner of the world during this crazy time.

Tim Ryan

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