HSMAI Introduces 'Meeting Concierge' Service at Affordable Meetings(r) West

Planners attending HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West at the Long Beach Convention Center, June 16-17, may take advantage of a new “Affordable Meetings® One-to-One Meeting Concierge” service to arrange pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings with exhibitors. Unlike other appointment scheduling programs, HSMAI’s One-to-One Meeting Concierge will work individually with planners to schedule appointments with exhibitors they are most interested in meeting with during the show. This personal approach will help to maximize the time and return for both planners and exhibitors.

“We introduced a trial version of this service at Affordable Meetings® Mid-America, and received great feedback from planners and exhibitors at the show,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “Planners asked us to incorporate the new Meeting Concierge program into our Affordable Meetings® conference, further illustrating the importance of face-to-face meetings.”

The One-to-One Meeting Concierge will contact qualified planners who elect to take part in the program and will review possible matches developed through the show’s networkNow program, discuss planner needs, and set up requested appointments with personnel from exhibiting destinations, meeting facilities, and meeting services suppliers. The Concierge will then coordinate appointment times with exhibitors and will be on-hand at the show to answer questions and facilitate the appointments.

“The HSMAI and Affordable Meetings® team went out of their way to ensure that we had a strong ROI for exhibiting at Affordable Meetings® Mid-America,” said Ursula Hahn of Let’s Meet Mexico City. “In addition to providing us with information for qualified planners through the lead guarantee program, they personally arranged one-on-one meetings for us during the show, which turned into great leads for us.”

Attendees also have the opportunity to choose from concurrent educational seminar tracks, including Event Technology, Advanced, Intermediate and Basic meeting planning topics. These cutting edge seminars are presented by an outstanding faculty of educators who understand the rewards and challenges of the meetings and events industry.  Some highlighted sessions at Affordable Meetings® West include:

Basic Track:

Contracts Boot Camp: Attendees are sure to walk away from this seminar confidently prepared to recognize bad contract clauses and have garnered the skills to negotiate revisions. This preparation will enable attendees to manage their own contracts, saving time and keep costs down during the contract review process.

Controlling Your Event Budget: One of the greatest challenges planners face is executing their design on a small budget; this session will teach attendees how to manage an event budget of any size.

Intermediate Track:

Overcoming the Challenges of Planning Food & Beverage in a "Green" Environment: This session will teach attendees how to work with venues’ existing menus to deliver meals that are cost-effective and “green” at the same time. This session will show attendees how to plan menus that are not only varied in content, but also stretch the budget without compromising the quality or quantity of the food that is served.
 
You Don't Get What You Want, You Get What You Negotiate:  
How to Win at the Game of Negotiation and Build Relationships at the Same Time: Participants will learn how identify their individual negotiation strengths and weaknesses and apply the 7 Principles of Successful Negotiation to their own business.  

Advanced Track:

Strategic Meeting Management Program (SMMP):  Blueprint for Success: In this session, attendees will learn the key elements of a successful SMMP to help them get started or evaluate their existing plan.  Through critical research attendees will create an action plan that will help reduce risk, improve cost savings and increase productivity among other values that each attendee can cater to their organization’s goals.
 
Making Your Value Visible at Work: Surviving the "New Normal": Attendees will learn how to become an indispensable asset to their organization by enhancing their visibility and documenting accomplishments and achievements in ways that capture the employer’s attention.
 
Technology Track:

The Top Meetings Technology Trends for 2010 -- Making the Right Technology Choices: In the ever-changing world of technology it is easy to be behind the times, however, this course is intended to bring attendees up to speed on all of 2010’s top technology trends. This session will increase understanding of new technology and address how other professionals are handling their own technological issues.

It's More than Fun & Games - Social Media as a Marketing Tool to Increase Meeting Attendance: This session will take case studies of social media to demonstrate its success in marketing campaigns and inspire attendees to integrate social media in their own marketing plans. Tips and best practices will be shared to prepare attendees to utilize social media most effectively. 

The seminars will be lead by an experienced faculty of educators and may be used towards continuing educational (CE) contact hours for various courses, including Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).

More than 800 attendees, representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors and the balance from government, non-profit, education, religious and medical/health care organizations, trade show management and the military, are expected to visit HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West 2010 show.  Attendance at HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West is free-of-charge for qualified meeting planners.

Booth space is still available at the West show and can be obtained by contacting Craig Baker, account manager, J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. (703) 679-3942, e-mail: [email protected].

Additional 2010 Affordable Meetings® dates and locations are: HSMAI's Affordable Meetings® National and Event Technology Expo, September 8-9, 2010, Walter E. Washington, Convention Center, Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.affordablemeetings.com.

Attendee information for HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West is available by calling 800-564-4220. For additional information and a complete program schedule, visit www.affordablemeetings.com.
 
About HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West
HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 150 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events.  Year-after-year, the highly-acclaimed trade exposition is a main attraction for attendees looking to meet and network with knowledgeable suppliers who are determined to help produce valuable meetings and assist with purchasing decisions.  Exhibitors represent hotels and resorts, university conference centers, unique meeting sites, convention and visitor bureaus, transportation companies, trade publications, software and audio/visual businesses, and other meeting and convention suppliers. HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® is owned and presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Americas region and managed by J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. Visitwww.affordablemeetings.com for more information. Join our social networking communities on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About HSMAI

HSMAI is the hospitality industry source for knowledge, community, and recognition for leaders committed to professional development, sales growth, revenue optimization, marketing, and branding. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings®. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit the website at www.hsmai.org. Join our social networking communities on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.