eNewsletter 4th Quarter 2009 2009 Education Day By Anastasia (Stacey) Courtney Convention Manager, Modern Language Association What are some ways in which social media and other new technologies can improve your work and your life? How can you balance a fulfilling life with a successful career? Where is our industry heading, and how are hotels, airlines, and planners coping with the economic changes of the past year? These are some questions that were explored at the 2009 NYPCMA Education Day that was held on September 15 at the Park Central Hotel in New York City.   Hot Technologies in the Meeting Industry   James Spellos (jspellos@meeting-u.com; www.meeting-u.com), a self-described player of toys, demonstrated some cool new tools, functions, and Web sites in his talk, "Hot Technologies in the Meeting Industry." Where is technology going? "It's going to mobility, interactivity, and social networking," explained Spellos. How will this affect the convention industry? "All this technology is not going to replace the need for face-to-face meetings; it's going to enhance and support what you're already doing." In an effort to familiarize attendees with terminology for this new technology, Spellos provided some terms to know, including: Web 2.0 - Web applications that facilitate interactivity, collaboration, information sharing, and user-centered design Open Source - allows people to collaborate, customize, and share applications Cloud Computing - access to information through a server (not a computer) RSS - Really Simple Syndication (e.g., blogs, podcasts, newsfeeds, etc.)   And, in typical Spellos fashion, he shared information on some cool tools for the meetings industry: Poll Everywhere - live audience polling Virtual Visit - integrates floor plans, photographs, and different meeting room setups to provide a comprehensive virtual walk-through Spotme - a professional communication system for conventions that combines social networking, lead-retrieval, audience response, personalized agenda, and other functions in a single device   Spellos talked about the value of social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, and the beneficial ways they reach across the social-business divide. With input from some of the session attendees, Spellos gave examples of how these free and rather simple tools can be used to (re)establish connections, share information, and provide real time customer service, depending on how much you are willing to participate.     Your Work. Your Life. Taking the Struggle Out of this Balancing Act   As important as it is to incorporate these new technologies to enhance your business, it is equally important to plan for personal time that allows for rest and rejuvenation. This idea of personal planning was the focus of the second speaker, Clay Nelson (clay@claynelsonlifebalance.com) in his talk, "Your Work. Your Life. Taking the Struggle Out of this Balancing Act."   How can you have energy left for yourself at the end of the work day? How can you take care of yourself first and not feel guilty? The answer, says Nelson, is to work smarter and delegate. Teach what you know so you free yourself to learn what you don't know. Share your knowledge, encourage others to learn and grow, and commit to a schedule of personal time.   Nelson asked session attendees to take his life balance quiz (e.g., Do you do everything yourself? Do you go on vacation then get sick?) as the first step toward creating a personal plan that makes a person, rather than a person's job, the focus of their own life. Once you see where your energy is being spent and where it is lacking, you can create a personal plan to refocus your energy in a more balanced way. When you devise your personal plan, make it fun (if it's enjoyable you're more likely to do it), put it in writing with a deadline (schedule it in your datebook like other important assignments), and make it something you can accomplish every day (e.g., 10:00-10:05 a.m., take 5 minutes at my desk to meditate).   Creating balance between your work and your life can help give you the energy to succeed at both. Industry Panel   Gregg Talley, CAE (President & CEO, Talley Management Group) led the final segment of Education Day as the moderator of a panel of industry leaders representing major hotel chains, airlines, corporate meetings, and nonprofit association conventions. The panelists included Craig Caron (Managing Director of Sales, Northeast, Hilton Hotels Corp.), Mary Casey (VP, Strategic Account Management, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide), Chris Clarke (Regional Sales Manager, Specialty Sales Programs, Continental Airlines), Phyllis Klasky (Director of Events Management, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Int'l.), Anita O'Boyle (Director, Event Operations, Institute for International Research), and Steve Richard (Vice President Association, Marriott International).   General View of the Industry The general consensus of the panelists was a cautious optimism about where the convention, hotel, and travel industries will be in the coming year. Business will improve, but not as quickly as in the past. There is also a bigger focus on matching the product to the customer's needs and focusing on "business appropriate" venues. With attendees shopping around for less-expensive rooms, hotels and planners have had to find more creative ways to encourage attendees to book inside the block. Several of the hotel representatives said they were looking at business differently, with an emphasis on a "full hotel" strategy and working with planners to communicate with attendees about the benefits of staying within the block. Planners are reaching out to attendees who have registered but don't appear in the room block. Planners are worried about attrition clauses and rates booked when the economy was stronger, and may be looking for flexibility from the hotels. Hotel representatives responded with a request that planners share potential problems as soon as possible so both could work as a team to fill rooms and not charge attrition. Audience members provided some feedback on their experiences, including: Booking fewer rooms to compensate for attrition; Hotels working with planners to help fund promotion for events; CVBs facilitating arrangements between area restaurants and hotels so  attendees who book in the block get discounts to area restaurants; Associations working closely with CVBs to promote city-wide conventions.   Advocacy of the Industry We are now starting to lobby our industry as a valuable part of the economy. Gregg Talley and the panelists spoke about some steps that industry advocates are taking, including: Investing in major research to show the value and impact of the industry; Effectively articulating the human value of any large face-to-face meeting; Supporting the U. S. Travel Association's efforts to provide accurate data; Representation by meeting professionals in addition to hotel and travel representatives; A study on the benefit of face-to-face meetings on Forbes.com.   Switch from Terror to Pandemics The airline and hotel representatives discussed changes that have occurred in operations and perceptions following recent health crises. Airlines cut the number of flights in half in one week following the H1N1 outbreak, and expect they will continue to adjust with demand. Hotels and planners have added pandemics into contract clauses. Most are trying to assume a sensible but safe approach to keeping staff and guests healthy, and view this as an industry opportunity to improve guest relations. Communication and proactive responses are essential.     Audience members were happy with all three sessions, and felt they were leaving with new insights. "I really enjoyed listening to Jim [Spellos]," said Mary Jane Eimer, Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences. "He's always pushing the envelope." Amy Miebach, NY & Co., said she was "so inspired and moved" by Clay Nelson's talk. Mary Casey, Starwood Hotels, a panelist, said she liked hearing the different perspectives. Shane Jackson, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, enjoyed the interaction between the planners and hotel representatives on the roundtable panel, and thought Gregg Talley did a great job as a facilitator for that discussion.