We have all learned a lot in the last 12-15 months – about our industry and about ourselves. In challenging times, it is natural to take stock, and we are no exception. Although we’ve fared relatively well these last months, we decide to take a long look at the way we do business. We found that much of what we needed to do to weather external pressures, we already knew as part of our core approach to business. Here are just a few of the things we discovered. Ready? Here we go…
Another new normal?
We’ve been in business long enough to have experienced several “new normals” - millennium hysteria, 9/11, Sarbanes-Oxley, the increased role of procurement, economic downturns - just in the last 10 years. What if instead of another “new normal”, there is no more normal? That would be just fine with us. We’ve never been accused of being normal, anyway.
The power of partnership
From the beginning, we structured our business to be a lean, mean meeting/event/entertainment machine. Instead of maintaining a large staff (and having to lay them off when things get dicey), we have always leveraged the experience and knowledge of a sizeable network of skilled independent project partners. This philosophy has always served us well, clearly never more so than now. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, calls it “having the right people on the bus”. We call it the power of partnership.
It takes time and effort, but it’s more fun to have “skin in the game”.
Not long ago, we were the last man standing on a sizable piece of business over worthy competition. When we asked the client why we had gotten the nod, she responded, “It was obvious from your proposal that you had skin in the game. Competing proposals were cut-and-pasted, boiler-plated, and focused much more on the presenting company than our needs.” Apparently, these companies relied heavily on off-the- shelf, cookie cutter responses to this client’s RFP. To us, that is the ultimate square peg/round hole scenario – and this is not the first time we’ve seen it.
Of course we use what we’ve learned from a lifetime in event management, meeting support and entertainment, but we recognize first and foremost that each event has a unique footprint, from client culture and brand identity to specific event outcomes and budgets. We apply our expertise to addressing the challenge as opposed to trying to change the challenge to fit what we might have in stock today. That way, instead of being a commodity, we become a strategic asset. So - when it comes to proposals, we’ll keep doing them the hard way. It works better for our customers, and although it’s a lot more work, it’s a lot more fun for us.
These are some of the many things we have learned. One constant is this: we still know where our bread is buttered. We are profoundly grateful for the loyalty of our existing clients and for continued interest from prospective customers. Together, if we can make it through the last months dealing with short lead times, dramatically reduced budgets, cancelled or downsized events, and barking mad executive suites, and still have a smile on our faces and pep in our step, we should be just fine as the economy continues to slowly recover.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, January 8, 2010
OKAY, IT”S TIME TO CALL BULLSHIT!
I’ve been active for some time in the Music City Center debate. I support the center. I respect others’ right to disagree and I’ve tried to remain civil; to make at least my part of the debate about facts and to refrain from demonizing individuals who may disagree with my point of view. I will try to do the same here here, but it’s hard to hold back after reading a post at Nashville’s Priorities entitled, “The Convention Business Is Dying – Why Bother?” The information provided here is blatantly untrue. Is the author lying, or just sadly misinformed? You be the judge: http://nashvilles-priorities.blogspot.com/2010/01/convention-business-is-dying-why-bother.html
In the NP blog, data and the supporting graphic are from the Tradeshow Week 200 report on the 200 largest trade shows in the North America. Repeatedly, I’ve debunked this fairy tale with facts and figures that appear elsewhere in my blog. I thought it might be helpful to compile this information in one place.
Even if you accept the source,the very organization that is used to support the author’s argument - Tradeshow Week - contradicts the author's conclusions. Quoting from Tradeshow Week 200 Report for 2009 - “Despite the challenging economic times, 46% of TSW 200 shows experienced growth in net square feet, 40% had an increase in exhibiting companies and 36% boosted their attendance."
A report by the International Association for Exhibition Management explains that -
• Conclusions drawn based upon this data are notoriously imprecise. Tradeshow Week data is self-reported by event organizers, is not independently audited, and reflects the results of only 200 of the 11,094 events that took place in the U.S. in the year the survey was taken.
• Forecasts which are based upon the reported results of the Tradeshow Week 200 do not reflect the experiences of thousands of other and much smaller events. The dynamics of the TSW 200 events are atypical when compared to the experiences of the 10,894 exhibitions that are not among the nation’s 200 largest.
• Apart from the inaccurate data presented about exhibitions, no data purporting to represent activity of association, government and corporate-sponsored meetings and events is cited even though both represent very significant sources of event attendance
We know where NP is getting their information. Heywood Sanders is a professor who has an ideological opposition to city-supported convention center projects of any kind, which is certainly his prerogative. He has provided NP with numbers to refute the viability of MCC. However, I am bothered by a number of conclusions that he trumpets as fact - and that MCC opponents parrot - that simply don’t hold up under a closer look.
In an article Sanders wrote last year in the Tennessean, he cites four examples of convention center expansions to support his theory. Below is a comparison of existing space in those centers prior to proposed or actual construction:
Center Existing sq’ BEFORE expansion:
Washington State Center 307,000 Sq'
San Diego 2.6 million square feet
Pennsylvania Center 624,000 sq'
Brown Center, Houston 1,150,000 sq’
Comparisons to these cities defy logic. In every instance cited, there were existing centers with substantial space. One could generally agree that these cities and others like them overbuilt to compete with major market venues. The difference here is that our existing center, at 180,000 Sq’ was undersized the day it was opened. We are woefully under built.
Not only do we know of conferences that have passed on our city because of insufficient space and the unsuitability of Gaylord Opryland for a particular program, we have a number of city wide events that historically met here which have left our city because our facility was inadequate. It seems to me that using the above examples in comparison to the situation in Nashville does less to demonstrate an objective reporting of fact than it does to prop up a biased point of view.
Strangely, data figures on association meetings, corporate meetings and events, event marketing programs, and incentive travel are conspicuously absent from NP’s flawed conclusion on the state of the industry. Why? When all areas comprising the global meetings and events industry are included, the information does not support NP’s claims. So they choose to cherry pick instead of having an intellectually honest debate.
In addition, a closer look exposes the blog’s bullet points as nothing more than blanks:
• Sustainability – The meetings industry has taken a global lead in issues surrounding sustainability, supporting the U.N. Global Compact, constructing LEED-certified facilities and implementing sustainability strategies, such as BS 8901certification. Corporate social responsibility will be a continuing interest for meeting and event professionals’ organizations, and a potential differentiator for companies and associations that can demonstrate a strong commitment to effective CSR programs.
• Technology – The idea that technology will replace face-to-face meetings is absurd. Technology is certainly a valuable tool that is incorporated more and more in the meeting planner’s tool box, but will it replace face-to face? Come on, Dude. There’s no such thing as a virtual beer. You can’t shake someone’s hand, pat them on the back, hug their neck or kick them in the pants via a webcast. We will always need human connections – not 2-d or even 3-d – but real live experiential human interaction.
• Corporate Spending – Yeah, budgets are tight. Did you notice that the economy is also in the midst of the worst environment since the great depression? Even so, as the just-released 2010 American Express EventView report reveals,"For the year ahead, a broad range of respondents agreed that industry conditions will begin to improve in the second half of 2010, or in 2011, with 41% of suppliers and 28% of planners predicting gradual industry growth in 2010. Meeting and event planners anticipate a 2.8% increase in meetings held and a 4.5% increase in attendance over the next year. Spend per meeting and overall budgets will be the slowest of the five indicators to rebound." One other thing – not every event you are calling a “convention” is corporate. What about association conferences, event marketing programs, sales conferences, product rollouts, and incentive groups?
Look, I realize that passions are high on both sides. We can debate projections, timing, financing and more. However, repeating the bogus assertion that the meeting industry is dying and similar falsehoods does not make them true. This hints of desperation by those who can’t make a credible business case against the MCC project with facts. So they resort to "straw men". It’s petty, not pretty and a disservice to our city.
In the NP blog, data and the supporting graphic are from the Tradeshow Week 200 report on the 200 largest trade shows in the North America. Repeatedly, I’ve debunked this fairy tale with facts and figures that appear elsewhere in my blog. I thought it might be helpful to compile this information in one place.
Even if you accept the source,the very organization that is used to support the author’s argument - Tradeshow Week - contradicts the author's conclusions. Quoting from Tradeshow Week 200 Report for 2009 - “Despite the challenging economic times, 46% of TSW 200 shows experienced growth in net square feet, 40% had an increase in exhibiting companies and 36% boosted their attendance."
A report by the International Association for Exhibition Management explains that -
• Conclusions drawn based upon this data are notoriously imprecise. Tradeshow Week data is self-reported by event organizers, is not independently audited, and reflects the results of only 200 of the 11,094 events that took place in the U.S. in the year the survey was taken.
• Forecasts which are based upon the reported results of the Tradeshow Week 200 do not reflect the experiences of thousands of other and much smaller events. The dynamics of the TSW 200 events are atypical when compared to the experiences of the 10,894 exhibitions that are not among the nation’s 200 largest.
• Apart from the inaccurate data presented about exhibitions, no data purporting to represent activity of association, government and corporate-sponsored meetings and events is cited even though both represent very significant sources of event attendance
We know where NP is getting their information. Heywood Sanders is a professor who has an ideological opposition to city-supported convention center projects of any kind, which is certainly his prerogative. He has provided NP with numbers to refute the viability of MCC. However, I am bothered by a number of conclusions that he trumpets as fact - and that MCC opponents parrot - that simply don’t hold up under a closer look.
In an article Sanders wrote last year in the Tennessean, he cites four examples of convention center expansions to support his theory. Below is a comparison of existing space in those centers prior to proposed or actual construction:
Center Existing sq’ BEFORE expansion:
Washington State Center 307,000 Sq'
San Diego 2.6 million square feet
Pennsylvania Center 624,000 sq'
Brown Center, Houston 1,150,000 sq’
Comparisons to these cities defy logic. In every instance cited, there were existing centers with substantial space. One could generally agree that these cities and others like them overbuilt to compete with major market venues. The difference here is that our existing center, at 180,000 Sq’ was undersized the day it was opened. We are woefully under built.
Not only do we know of conferences that have passed on our city because of insufficient space and the unsuitability of Gaylord Opryland for a particular program, we have a number of city wide events that historically met here which have left our city because our facility was inadequate. It seems to me that using the above examples in comparison to the situation in Nashville does less to demonstrate an objective reporting of fact than it does to prop up a biased point of view.
Strangely, data figures on association meetings, corporate meetings and events, event marketing programs, and incentive travel are conspicuously absent from NP’s flawed conclusion on the state of the industry. Why? When all areas comprising the global meetings and events industry are included, the information does not support NP’s claims. So they choose to cherry pick instead of having an intellectually honest debate.
In addition, a closer look exposes the blog’s bullet points as nothing more than blanks:
• Sustainability – The meetings industry has taken a global lead in issues surrounding sustainability, supporting the U.N. Global Compact, constructing LEED-certified facilities and implementing sustainability strategies, such as BS 8901certification. Corporate social responsibility will be a continuing interest for meeting and event professionals’ organizations, and a potential differentiator for companies and associations that can demonstrate a strong commitment to effective CSR programs.
• Technology – The idea that technology will replace face-to-face meetings is absurd. Technology is certainly a valuable tool that is incorporated more and more in the meeting planner’s tool box, but will it replace face-to face? Come on, Dude. There’s no such thing as a virtual beer. You can’t shake someone’s hand, pat them on the back, hug their neck or kick them in the pants via a webcast. We will always need human connections – not 2-d or even 3-d – but real live experiential human interaction.
• Corporate Spending – Yeah, budgets are tight. Did you notice that the economy is also in the midst of the worst environment since the great depression? Even so, as the just-released 2010 American Express EventView report reveals,"For the year ahead, a broad range of respondents agreed that industry conditions will begin to improve in the second half of 2010, or in 2011, with 41% of suppliers and 28% of planners predicting gradual industry growth in 2010. Meeting and event planners anticipate a 2.8% increase in meetings held and a 4.5% increase in attendance over the next year. Spend per meeting and overall budgets will be the slowest of the five indicators to rebound." One other thing – not every event you are calling a “convention” is corporate. What about association conferences, event marketing programs, sales conferences, product rollouts, and incentive groups?
Look, I realize that passions are high on both sides. We can debate projections, timing, financing and more. However, repeating the bogus assertion that the meeting industry is dying and similar falsehoods does not make them true. This hints of desperation by those who can’t make a credible business case against the MCC project with facts. So they resort to "straw men". It’s petty, not pretty and a disservice to our city.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
More on Music City Center
I am a supporter of the proposed Music City Center. I am also hugely supportive of Gaylord, and as a citizen I remain grateful for their continued contributions to our city. This discussion is not about one against the other. I have no doubt that both properties can not only coexist, but both can thrive. I want to share a few thoughts:
Gaylord chose to build properties in Orlando, DFW, and DC within a stone’s throw of existing convention centers, where each facility were substantially larger than the proposed MCC. Why is it, then, that there is so much worry about competition only in Nashville?
I am frustrated when I hear opponents repeat talking points that are supported by one-sided or incomplete data in a clear case of rhetoric versus facts. A case in point is the constant quoting of the Tradeshow Week.
A report by the International Association for Exhibition Management explains that -
• Conclusions drawn based upon this data are notoriously imprecise. Tradeshow Week data is self-reported by event organizers, is not independently audited, and reflects the results of only 200 of the 11,094 events that took place in the U.S. in the year the survey was taken.
• Forecasts which are based upon the reported results of the Tradeshow Week 200 do not reflect the experiences of thousands of other and much smaller events. The dynamics of the TSW 200 events are atypical when compared to the experiences of the 10,894 exhibitions that are not among the nation’s 200 largest.
• Apart from the inaccurate data presented about exhibitions, no data purporting to represent activity of association, government and corporate-sponsored meetings and events is cited even though both represent very significant sources of event attendance
Speaking of meetings, with respect to Mark Twain, reports of the death of the meetings industry are greatly exaggerated. Baloney. The only voices trumpeting the end of the meetings industry as we know it are those that know little about it. I’ve been around long enough to have experienced a number of these “deaths”, most recently, the “dot com” bubble bursting, 9/11, and of course the recent economic downturn. The industry bounced back in each previous instance and will do so again.
Here’s a question for our esteemed Metro Council – just how much business do you think would get done if you could only meet via conference call or webinar? Human connections are a vital need. Face-to-face interaction is the foundation of every important historic decision ever made. The meetings industry will come back. We are already seeing signs of modest yet real recovery.
Even if you accept the notion (which I don't) that we have a center that is adequate, I would argue that adequate is not good enough. We are an exceptional city that deserves better than to remain at a competitive disadvantage when we have had a decade of studies that clearly demonstrate the need to move forward.
Finally, let me remind you that I am a taxpayer that, like most, doesn’t want an increase in my taxes. I am convinced that this project will not – just as the existing center has not – be a burden on taxpayers. If we don’t move forward, who is going to explain why we didn’t make a courageous decision when we had the chance to these taxpayers - the thousands of workers that depend on business travel; retirees who work events and manage transportation, production crews, entertainers, caterers, labor staff, staging and A/V companies, bus and limo companies, destination management and décor companies, florists, parking companies, bartenders, bell hops, housekeeping staff, restaurant servers, banquet staff and more?
Opponents, what you are going to do to support our industry, the second largest business segment in the city? Please explain: if we don’t build MCC, what is your plan B?
Gaylord chose to build properties in Orlando, DFW, and DC within a stone’s throw of existing convention centers, where each facility were substantially larger than the proposed MCC. Why is it, then, that there is so much worry about competition only in Nashville?
I am frustrated when I hear opponents repeat talking points that are supported by one-sided or incomplete data in a clear case of rhetoric versus facts. A case in point is the constant quoting of the Tradeshow Week.
A report by the International Association for Exhibition Management explains that -
• Conclusions drawn based upon this data are notoriously imprecise. Tradeshow Week data is self-reported by event organizers, is not independently audited, and reflects the results of only 200 of the 11,094 events that took place in the U.S. in the year the survey was taken.
• Forecasts which are based upon the reported results of the Tradeshow Week 200 do not reflect the experiences of thousands of other and much smaller events. The dynamics of the TSW 200 events are atypical when compared to the experiences of the 10,894 exhibitions that are not among the nation’s 200 largest.
• Apart from the inaccurate data presented about exhibitions, no data purporting to represent activity of association, government and corporate-sponsored meetings and events is cited even though both represent very significant sources of event attendance
Speaking of meetings, with respect to Mark Twain, reports of the death of the meetings industry are greatly exaggerated. Baloney. The only voices trumpeting the end of the meetings industry as we know it are those that know little about it. I’ve been around long enough to have experienced a number of these “deaths”, most recently, the “dot com” bubble bursting, 9/11, and of course the recent economic downturn. The industry bounced back in each previous instance and will do so again.
Here’s a question for our esteemed Metro Council – just how much business do you think would get done if you could only meet via conference call or webinar? Human connections are a vital need. Face-to-face interaction is the foundation of every important historic decision ever made. The meetings industry will come back. We are already seeing signs of modest yet real recovery.
Even if you accept the notion (which I don't) that we have a center that is adequate, I would argue that adequate is not good enough. We are an exceptional city that deserves better than to remain at a competitive disadvantage when we have had a decade of studies that clearly demonstrate the need to move forward.
Finally, let me remind you that I am a taxpayer that, like most, doesn’t want an increase in my taxes. I am convinced that this project will not – just as the existing center has not – be a burden on taxpayers. If we don’t move forward, who is going to explain why we didn’t make a courageous decision when we had the chance to these taxpayers - the thousands of workers that depend on business travel; retirees who work events and manage transportation, production crews, entertainers, caterers, labor staff, staging and A/V companies, bus and limo companies, destination management and décor companies, florists, parking companies, bartenders, bell hops, housekeeping staff, restaurant servers, banquet staff and more?
Opponents, what you are going to do to support our industry, the second largest business segment in the city? Please explain: if we don’t build MCC, what is your plan B?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Everything I know About Business Was Learned While Playing in a Rock and Roll Band.
“It’s OK, I’m with the band…”
I spent the seventies touring throughout the eastern U.S. in a rock & roll band. I was fortunate to have the full support of my parents, but my Aunt Emmie saw it as a frivolous fling of wasted youth. Aunt Emmie notwithstanding, I am constantly reminded of how relevant many of the lessons learned while sowing these wild oats remain meaningful some 3 decades later. Here are a few in no particular order:
Quality over quantity.
It’s not the number of notes you play; it’s where you place the notes. Technical virtuosity alone is useless without an appreciation of the nuance needed to express the essence of the piece.
Keep adding to your repertoire.
When I was making a living playing music, we performed night after night in clubs six, sometimes seven nights a week. With that schedule, even the best tunes in the repertoire get stale. We discovered that if we took the time to learn a few new songs here and there, the entire playlist remained fresh.
Never give up.
When attempting to learn a new technique or riff (a short repeated melodic phrase), you sometimes hit a wall. Even with the best instruction or ear for music, you’ll try & try and just can’t seem to get it. Keep going – when you do finally break through to grasp this musical segment, it will open up a whole new plateau of understanding that will prepare you to learn the next new piece. Perseverance will make you a better player.
Keep focus on the Big Picture.
It takes more than great lyrics & melody; the true meaning of the piece will be lost if attention is not paid to rhythm, tempo, volume, and arrangement, as well as the interaction between the players.
Learn to improvise.
Whether it is Jazz, Rock & Roll, R&B, or Hip Hop, the most respected musicians are those who can make up music on the spur of the moment according to instinct; in other words, the musician does not follow notes on a printed page, but rather relies on his or her own imagination to create music that bears a spiritual relation to the original source.
Listen intently.
A great monitor system is crucial. With all the volume in an R&R band, you still have to hear yourself to make sure you are on key and in tempo. It is equally important that you clearly hear the other players in the group to make sure the band is balanced.
Know your audience.
For a successful band or musician, the most valuable skill of them all may be the ability to “read” an audience. A clear understanding where they want to go will help you take them there. And you should always be prepared to take requests.
Know how to handle a solo.
When you are ready, there will come a time for you to be featured. Learn how to perform in the spotlight – gracefully. Just as important is the ability to skillfully back up another player when it is their time to shine.
Assemble a great team.
No matter what backgrounds, skills & temperament individuals bring to the band, if each player rehearses faithfully and commits to the skillful expression of the piece, you will succeed.
Catch a groove.
There are times - even though you may have played a piece thousands of times and begun to run on automatic – that an unexplained joy happens and the material takes on a life of its own. When the mundane becomes magical, that’s called “catching a groove.”
Focus on outcomes.
Great band leaders are those that can define a musical outcome, identify the often varied resources & personnel to achieve it and then guide these pieces toward the desired result. In his book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink, calls this “Symphony”. Paraphrasing, a good band leader requires “a signature ability of composers and conductors, whose jobs involve corralling a diverse group of notes, instruments, and performers and producing a unified and pleasing sound”.
Have fun.
Enjoy what you are doing. Believe me, when you don’t, your audience knows it.
I have successfully applied this hard-earned knowledge throughout my business career – and continue to do so every day. Not bad for a not yet recovered Rock & Roller.
Take that, Aunt Emmie.
I spent the seventies touring throughout the eastern U.S. in a rock & roll band. I was fortunate to have the full support of my parents, but my Aunt Emmie saw it as a frivolous fling of wasted youth. Aunt Emmie notwithstanding, I am constantly reminded of how relevant many of the lessons learned while sowing these wild oats remain meaningful some 3 decades later. Here are a few in no particular order:
Quality over quantity.
It’s not the number of notes you play; it’s where you place the notes. Technical virtuosity alone is useless without an appreciation of the nuance needed to express the essence of the piece.
Keep adding to your repertoire.
When I was making a living playing music, we performed night after night in clubs six, sometimes seven nights a week. With that schedule, even the best tunes in the repertoire get stale. We discovered that if we took the time to learn a few new songs here and there, the entire playlist remained fresh.
Never give up.
When attempting to learn a new technique or riff (a short repeated melodic phrase), you sometimes hit a wall. Even with the best instruction or ear for music, you’ll try & try and just can’t seem to get it. Keep going – when you do finally break through to grasp this musical segment, it will open up a whole new plateau of understanding that will prepare you to learn the next new piece. Perseverance will make you a better player.
Keep focus on the Big Picture.
It takes more than great lyrics & melody; the true meaning of the piece will be lost if attention is not paid to rhythm, tempo, volume, and arrangement, as well as the interaction between the players.
Learn to improvise.
Whether it is Jazz, Rock & Roll, R&B, or Hip Hop, the most respected musicians are those who can make up music on the spur of the moment according to instinct; in other words, the musician does not follow notes on a printed page, but rather relies on his or her own imagination to create music that bears a spiritual relation to the original source.
Listen intently.
A great monitor system is crucial. With all the volume in an R&R band, you still have to hear yourself to make sure you are on key and in tempo. It is equally important that you clearly hear the other players in the group to make sure the band is balanced.
Know your audience.
For a successful band or musician, the most valuable skill of them all may be the ability to “read” an audience. A clear understanding where they want to go will help you take them there. And you should always be prepared to take requests.
Know how to handle a solo.
When you are ready, there will come a time for you to be featured. Learn how to perform in the spotlight – gracefully. Just as important is the ability to skillfully back up another player when it is their time to shine.
Assemble a great team.
No matter what backgrounds, skills & temperament individuals bring to the band, if each player rehearses faithfully and commits to the skillful expression of the piece, you will succeed.
Catch a groove.
There are times - even though you may have played a piece thousands of times and begun to run on automatic – that an unexplained joy happens and the material takes on a life of its own. When the mundane becomes magical, that’s called “catching a groove.”
Focus on outcomes.
Great band leaders are those that can define a musical outcome, identify the often varied resources & personnel to achieve it and then guide these pieces toward the desired result. In his book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink, calls this “Symphony”. Paraphrasing, a good band leader requires “a signature ability of composers and conductors, whose jobs involve corralling a diverse group of notes, instruments, and performers and producing a unified and pleasing sound”.
Have fun.
Enjoy what you are doing. Believe me, when you don’t, your audience knows it.
I have successfully applied this hard-earned knowledge throughout my business career – and continue to do so every day. Not bad for a not yet recovered Rock & Roller.
Take that, Aunt Emmie.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
MPI is evil (and scary) and they must be stopped!
I can prove it. MPI is offering something called virtual access pass for content from World Education Conference - and they have the nerve to ask me to pay for it. How dare they adopt a business model with which I don’t agree? They must be evil, as only I am the keeper of the correct approach do doing business. There’s no way this could be a simple difference of opinion. It must be a plot to take away my right to everything for free. And since they haven’t engaged with me at exactly a time and place of my choosing, I have decided that they do not listen at all. Sad. You would think they are in the process of moving an army of staff to Salt Lake City for their largest conference of the year or something.
And they are scary. I write this from an undisclosed location (aka my Mother’s basement) so that they won’t find me. Even so, I would not be surprised if their member repercussion squad is not outside my door at this very moment, paper bag of dog poo in hand, ready to set it afire, ring our doorbell and run! I heard once of an MPI member on a site visit on Lover’s Lane on the same day a deranged one-armed person escaped a mental institution. They heard a noise and took off. When they got out of the car, they discovered a hook hanging from the door – along with the remnants of an MPI name tag.
How could they have possibly grown to 24,000 members with such a poor value proposition if they aren’t evil? I envision that Bruce guy in a gray Nehru jacket, stroking a cat, pinky to lip, exclaiming, we will soon have one MILLION members! MU HU HU HA HAH HAH HAH! MU HU HU HA HAH HAH HAH!
And they are scary. I write this from an undisclosed location (aka my Mother’s basement) so that they won’t find me. Even so, I would not be surprised if their member repercussion squad is not outside my door at this very moment, paper bag of dog poo in hand, ready to set it afire, ring our doorbell and run! I heard once of an MPI member on a site visit on Lover’s Lane on the same day a deranged one-armed person escaped a mental institution. They heard a noise and took off. When they got out of the car, they discovered a hook hanging from the door – along with the remnants of an MPI name tag.
How could they have possibly grown to 24,000 members with such a poor value proposition if they aren’t evil? I envision that Bruce guy in a gray Nehru jacket, stroking a cat, pinky to lip, exclaiming, we will soon have one MILLION members! MU HU HU HA HAH HAH HAH! MU HU HU HA HAH HAH HAH!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
MCC and the Meetings Industry: More of the Real Story
Still fired up after the Heywood Sanders sideshow, I thought I would do a bit more research. Here’s just some of what I found thanks to Tradeshow Week and author Stephanie Corbin:
Indianapolis: Wooing Business Back
For many venues that cater to the tradeshow business, the choices are simple: grow or lose shows.
That was the case for the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome. During the past few years, the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Assn. has declined the opportunity to bid on 150 events because it didn't have enough convention space or hotel rooms to accommodate them, according to Chris Gahl, the ICVA's spokesman. Because of the lack of space, the Performance Racing Industry Tradeshow, staged in Indianapolis for seven years, left for Orlando in 2005.
Healthcare shows:
Health care tradeshows and meetings have become such plums for convention and visitors bureaus to land that some cities – Cleveland, for one – are using them as part of their pitch when they go to the public to sell voters on paying for convention center construction or expansion.
But even with so many cities calling, “Here, please!” health care show managers face the same challenges their peers in other sectors do: finding the right dates, securing enough space and marketing the show – and then some. Health care shows typically require more meeting room space to go along with showfloors that grow every year, and they often need a wider range of price points when they put together their room blocks (as they seek to accommodate everybody from physicians and executives at major health care institutions to nurses and technicians). What's more, most are association shows and often require a rotation pattern in order to please their members, so it's hard to get comfortable with a single venue.
Sue Sears Hamilton, senior director of the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session, says, “Unless a convention center has a major expansion (there's not enough space),” she added. “For us, it isn't just the convention center, it's the housing block. A recent show, held at Morial in New Orleans, attracted 15,018 professional attendees to a 247,000 net sq. ft. showfloor with 401 exhibiting companies. Add exhibitors and conference attendees to that list of professional attendees, and the required housing block is usually for 28,000 to 30,000 people.”
Gretchen Bliss, director of meetings and conventions with the Assn. of periOperative Registered Nurses, said she wouldn't book the AORN Annual Congress into anywhere new unless she was sure of the details. A recent show, held in March in Orlando, had a 187,200 net sq. ft. showfloor, 588 exhibiting companies and 12,955 attendees, including exhibitors.
Bliss said the additional space convention centers want to sell her often isn't as important as the attitude that comes with it. “The cities that are doing expansions are making show directors (feel wanted),” she added. “For me, that's a big driving factor on why I would consider their city over someone else.”
Look, supporters of the Music City Center are not blind or stupid. We understand getting the building completed will not be all roses and lollipops. There are considerable challenges around financing, hotel HQ, etc. that need to be answered. However, despite the ideological bias by and cherry-picked data of one man (who, by the way, has nothing at stake in the success or failure of projects in our city), there is ample evidence to counter his claims that the sky is falling in the meetings industry, or in Music City - unless of course he is still under the delusion that Music City is Branson.
Pardon the platitude - If we are bold, we may fail. If we are not bold we will fail.
Indianapolis: Wooing Business Back
For many venues that cater to the tradeshow business, the choices are simple: grow or lose shows.
That was the case for the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome. During the past few years, the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Assn. has declined the opportunity to bid on 150 events because it didn't have enough convention space or hotel rooms to accommodate them, according to Chris Gahl, the ICVA's spokesman. Because of the lack of space, the Performance Racing Industry Tradeshow, staged in Indianapolis for seven years, left for Orlando in 2005.
Healthcare shows:
Health care tradeshows and meetings have become such plums for convention and visitors bureaus to land that some cities – Cleveland, for one – are using them as part of their pitch when they go to the public to sell voters on paying for convention center construction or expansion.
But even with so many cities calling, “Here, please!” health care show managers face the same challenges their peers in other sectors do: finding the right dates, securing enough space and marketing the show – and then some. Health care shows typically require more meeting room space to go along with showfloors that grow every year, and they often need a wider range of price points when they put together their room blocks (as they seek to accommodate everybody from physicians and executives at major health care institutions to nurses and technicians). What's more, most are association shows and often require a rotation pattern in order to please their members, so it's hard to get comfortable with a single venue.
Sue Sears Hamilton, senior director of the American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Session, says, “Unless a convention center has a major expansion (there's not enough space),” she added. “For us, it isn't just the convention center, it's the housing block. A recent show, held at Morial in New Orleans, attracted 15,018 professional attendees to a 247,000 net sq. ft. showfloor with 401 exhibiting companies. Add exhibitors and conference attendees to that list of professional attendees, and the required housing block is usually for 28,000 to 30,000 people.”
Gretchen Bliss, director of meetings and conventions with the Assn. of periOperative Registered Nurses, said she wouldn't book the AORN Annual Congress into anywhere new unless she was sure of the details. A recent show, held in March in Orlando, had a 187,200 net sq. ft. showfloor, 588 exhibiting companies and 12,955 attendees, including exhibitors.
Bliss said the additional space convention centers want to sell her often isn't as important as the attitude that comes with it. “The cities that are doing expansions are making show directors (feel wanted),” she added. “For me, that's a big driving factor on why I would consider their city over someone else.”
Look, supporters of the Music City Center are not blind or stupid. We understand getting the building completed will not be all roses and lollipops. There are considerable challenges around financing, hotel HQ, etc. that need to be answered. However, despite the ideological bias by and cherry-picked data of one man (who, by the way, has nothing at stake in the success or failure of projects in our city), there is ample evidence to counter his claims that the sky is falling in the meetings industry, or in Music City - unless of course he is still under the delusion that Music City is Branson.
Pardon the platitude - If we are bold, we may fail. If we are not bold we will fail.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Lies, damn lies and statistics.
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – Benjamin Disraeli
I read with interest Heywood Sanders opinion piece in The Sunday Tennessean. I also attended the debate between Mr. Sanders & Butch Spyridon at Blair yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Sanders has an ideological opposition to convention center construction of any kind, which is certainly his prerogative. However, I am bothered by a number of conclusions that he states as fact that simply don’t hold up under a closer look. I was also struck that when citing data sources, if data supplied supports his point of view, the source is unimpeachable, yet when the same source supplies data that supports the opposing view, he claims the research is flawed. It seems to me that this alone should call into question many of his key points.
Let’s address some of his assertions from the article and meeting yesterday specifically:
In the Tennessean article, Sanders cites 4 examples of convention center expansions to support his theory. Below is a comparison of existing space in those centers prior to proposed or actual construction:
Center Existing sq’ pre-expansion:
Washington State Center 307,000 Sq'
San Diego 2.6 million square feet
Pennsylvania Center 624,000 sq'
Brown Center, Houston 1,150,000 sq’
Nashville 180,000 sq’
Comparisons to these cities defy logic. In every instance cited, there were existing centers with adequate space. I agree that these cities overbuilt to compete with major market venues. The difference here is that our existing center was undersized the day it was opened. Not only do we know of conferences that have passed on our city because of insufficient space and the unsuitability of Gaylord Opryland for a particular program, we have a number of city wide events that historically met here which have left our city because our facility was inadequate. It seems to me that using these particular examples in comparison to the situation in Nashville does less to demonstrate an objective reporting of fact than it does to prop up a biased point of view.
Certainly, due diligence must be performed in this economic environment. Yet, I am troubled by the fact that data sources used to support Mr. Sanders’ point of view seem to be cherry-picked, and based primarily on one survey, the Tradeshow Week 200.This source ranks the 200 largest trade shows in the U.S. and the 50 largest tradeshows in Canada based on net square feet of paid exhibit space. Even if you support the conclusions drawn by Mr. Sanders, let’s look at the latest data from the Tradeshow 200 report released April 30, 2009:
“Despite the challenging economic times, 46% of TSW 200 shows experienced growth in net square feet, 40% had an increase in exhibiting companies and 36% boosted their attendance.
Nevertheless, after several years of overall growth, the top 200 shows of 2008 did experience some declines. The smallest drop of the three indexes was in net square footage, which saw a 1.6% decrease in 2008. The number of exhibiting companies fell 2% and attendance in 2008 suffered a 3% drop.
‘Tradeshows are not immune to tough economic times, and resourceful show managers are using this as an opportunity to find new, creative ways to add value to their events,’ says Dana Myers, Tradeshow Week’s Managing Editor, Directories. ‘Those who are successful will be the record-breakers of the future.’ ”
There you have it. That is the real story regarding the Top 200 trade shows. Not so bad when you look at the real figures in relation to the current economic climate.
Strangely, data figures on association meetings, corporate meetings and events, event marketing programs, and incentive travel are conspicuously absent from Sanders’ position as articulated yesterday. His assertion that the global meetings industry never recovered following 9/11 is demonstrably untrue, and, really, do the comments he made comparing Nashville to Branson give you confidence in his understanding of competitive cites in general, and the meetings and events industry in particular beyond reading numbers on a page?
Look, I love this city and I obviously support the MCC. I also support every right to disagree. I just have a hard time accepting that after more than ten years of study, debate and due diligence that Mr. Sanders’ biased and flawed logic adds to the conversation anything more than a sideshow distraction.
I read with interest Heywood Sanders opinion piece in The Sunday Tennessean. I also attended the debate between Mr. Sanders & Butch Spyridon at Blair yesterday afternoon.
Mr. Sanders has an ideological opposition to convention center construction of any kind, which is certainly his prerogative. However, I am bothered by a number of conclusions that he states as fact that simply don’t hold up under a closer look. I was also struck that when citing data sources, if data supplied supports his point of view, the source is unimpeachable, yet when the same source supplies data that supports the opposing view, he claims the research is flawed. It seems to me that this alone should call into question many of his key points.
Let’s address some of his assertions from the article and meeting yesterday specifically:
In the Tennessean article, Sanders cites 4 examples of convention center expansions to support his theory. Below is a comparison of existing space in those centers prior to proposed or actual construction:
Center Existing sq’ pre-expansion:
Washington State Center 307,000 Sq'
San Diego 2.6 million square feet
Pennsylvania Center 624,000 sq'
Brown Center, Houston 1,150,000 sq’
Nashville 180,000 sq’
Comparisons to these cities defy logic. In every instance cited, there were existing centers with adequate space. I agree that these cities overbuilt to compete with major market venues. The difference here is that our existing center was undersized the day it was opened. Not only do we know of conferences that have passed on our city because of insufficient space and the unsuitability of Gaylord Opryland for a particular program, we have a number of city wide events that historically met here which have left our city because our facility was inadequate. It seems to me that using these particular examples in comparison to the situation in Nashville does less to demonstrate an objective reporting of fact than it does to prop up a biased point of view.
Certainly, due diligence must be performed in this economic environment. Yet, I am troubled by the fact that data sources used to support Mr. Sanders’ point of view seem to be cherry-picked, and based primarily on one survey, the Tradeshow Week 200.This source ranks the 200 largest trade shows in the U.S. and the 50 largest tradeshows in Canada based on net square feet of paid exhibit space. Even if you support the conclusions drawn by Mr. Sanders, let’s look at the latest data from the Tradeshow 200 report released April 30, 2009:
“Despite the challenging economic times, 46% of TSW 200 shows experienced growth in net square feet, 40% had an increase in exhibiting companies and 36% boosted their attendance.
Nevertheless, after several years of overall growth, the top 200 shows of 2008 did experience some declines. The smallest drop of the three indexes was in net square footage, which saw a 1.6% decrease in 2008. The number of exhibiting companies fell 2% and attendance in 2008 suffered a 3% drop.
‘Tradeshows are not immune to tough economic times, and resourceful show managers are using this as an opportunity to find new, creative ways to add value to their events,’ says Dana Myers, Tradeshow Week’s Managing Editor, Directories. ‘Those who are successful will be the record-breakers of the future.’ ”
There you have it. That is the real story regarding the Top 200 trade shows. Not so bad when you look at the real figures in relation to the current economic climate.
Strangely, data figures on association meetings, corporate meetings and events, event marketing programs, and incentive travel are conspicuously absent from Sanders’ position as articulated yesterday. His assertion that the global meetings industry never recovered following 9/11 is demonstrably untrue, and, really, do the comments he made comparing Nashville to Branson give you confidence in his understanding of competitive cites in general, and the meetings and events industry in particular beyond reading numbers on a page?
Look, I love this city and I obviously support the MCC. I also support every right to disagree. I just have a hard time accepting that after more than ten years of study, debate and due diligence that Mr. Sanders’ biased and flawed logic adds to the conversation anything more than a sideshow distraction.
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