Survey: Economy Motivates Rise in Virtual Meetings, Strategic Meetings Management
July 02, 2009
Corporate meeting planners are cautiously optimistic about the market for small meetings in 2010 and are being motivated increasingly by a desire for virtual meetings and a need for strategic meetings management. That's according to a new survey of 213 travel managers, directors and meeting planners from Worktopia Inc., an online search and booking provider of meeting space in hotels, conference centers, business centers and airport lounges.
The survey, conducted in May 2009, found that more than half of companies (54 percent) expect the number of small, off-site meetings to remain the same in 2010, and that 17 percent expect the number of such meetings to increase.
Meanwhile, 79 percent of survey respondents said the ability to host a hybrid meeting—incorporating virtual, remote attendees into face-to-face events—is "somewhat" or "very" important.
Other key findings:
• Twenty percent of companies reported a need for a meetings management program to govern their small, off-site meetings.
• Eighty-nine percent of companies said they'd benefit from having an online search tool with which to browse available meeting space.
• Eighty-nine percent of companies said they'd benefit from getting instant online quotes for meeting space.
• Eighty-seven percent of companies said they'd benefit from being able to specify room configurations when booking meeting space online.
• Eighty-six percent of companies said they'd benefit from having attendee management capabilities online.
• Eighty-six percent of companies said they'd benefit from having meeting reporting and analysis tools online.
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