etouches Presents "Managing Your Conference Effectively & Efficiently"

Managing Your Conference Efficiently and Effectively

GlobalStar Travel Management LLCAnnual Conference

Miami, FL

Presented ByJim Alkon

VP, Corporate Travel & Meetings Practice

May 17, 2011

“The Meeting Planner”

Self Portraitcirca 2011

A few words about the meetings business

Fact: Your clients are planning meetings

Corporate meetings

User groups

Trade shows

Incentive trips

Board meetings

Product launches

Client receptions

Fundraisers

Fact: The corporate meetings market is enormous

• Corporations spend $54.3 billion on meetings• 45% outsource some of them• 18% outsource at least half of them• 10% outsource most or all of them

Corporations are using third parties to manage about $5-8 billion in meetings business

Source: PhoCusWright study

The future looks bright: meeting spending likely to go up

Less than 100

100-499

500-4,999

5k+ employees

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Increase SpendingNo ChangeDecrease Spending

64%

51%

43%

34%

Source: PhoCusWright

Who manages meetings?

Administrative assistant

Corporate meeting and

event planner

Marketing exec

Procure-ment

official

Travel manager

THIRD PARTIES

The larger the company,greater chance to use a third party

less than 100 100-499 500-4,999 5k+ employees0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Use IntermediariesDirect with Suppliers

34% 37%

58%

70%

Source: PhoCusWright

Why some companies prefer to outsource

• More services becoming available from more sophisticated TMCs

• Economic factors• Trust in web-based tools like never before• TMCs with greater purchasing efficiencies• TMCs have established confidence already

handling corporate travel relationship

Another factor in the mix: merging responsibilities…..

More travel managers are picking up responsibility for managing the meetings

function within their organizations

…which brings in new challenges for these travel managers

• Time commitment• Meeting planners seeking “ownership” for their events• Internal politics -- lack of cooperation between departments – tension with marketing• Capturing and coordinating info• Issues with mandating policy• Lack of a champion within top management• Who needs the headaches?

When it comes to process and efficiency, meetings departments are asking…

• Is our team ‘maxed out’ with too many tasks and not enough time to do them?

• Do we have the proper tools to manage the team, manage our inventory and track budgets?

• Are we using multiple technology solutions and finding it hard to collect meaningful data?

• Are we optimizing your marketing efforts and driving registrations at the highest rate?

• Are we creating the best attendee experience?

What you need to get the job done

• A robust registration site that tracks activity in real time

• A focused marketing campaign that cuts conversion costs

• One, flexible, integrated event management platform that captures all data and allows for easy analysis and action

• A solution that engages attendees and extends their ROI

• Peace of mind

A golden opportunity for agencies

• Establish new niche in marketplace • Create new revenue streams• Improve relationship with existing contacts at

client companies• Expand contacts at client companies• Establish new service areas• Set infrastructure for attracting new accounts• Can you be creative?

Intelligent event management as a value-add to your clients

What you should know.What you can do.

How you can capitalize.

A basic template for events: Is this how your clients operate?

Event Creation

Event Marketing

Attendee Experience

Project Management / Data Analysis

What agencies need to know to help their clients with meetings

Project Management• Budget• Timelines• Task Assignment• Venue Selection• Inventory Mgmt.

Event Creation• Event Website• Registration• Marketing• Seating• Booth Mgmt.

Attendee Experience• Connection Tools• Marketing• Social Media• Mobile Apps• Survey

can help you help your clients

• 13 integrated modules manage every key step along the event planning lifecycle

• Created by meeting planners for meeting planners• Dedicated to ease of use, productivity and ROI for event staff and

maximizing experience/relevance for registrants• Track record of success ranging from top brands to small and mid-

sized organizations• Cited for event technology innovation• Constant development stream to meet changing needs of the

marketplace• Exceptional touch!

A solution that is effective and efficient

• All-inclusive: 13 modules keep all activity under one source• Integrated: Seamless information flow across online travel

booking, webinar registration, marketing automation, CRM and financial software

• Efficient: Better processes cut set-up time and free up staff• Fluid: Easy path for delegates, optimizes attendee count• Comprehensive: Pinpoint reporting provides leverage in vendor

negotiations and better planning for future events• Global in a flash: Simply converts into one of 27 languages• SaaS: No renewals, licenses, updates to bog you down• Priced right: No startup fees, free training, great value

Registration Marketing

Survey

Budgeting

ROI

Time, Cost Savings

Project Management

Event Website

Seating, Booth Management

Agencies as Experts

Spend Analysis

Attendee Value

Meetings Efficiencies

eReg eConnect eScan

eWiki

eRFP

eMobile

eMarketing

eBooth

eHome

eSurvey

eBudget

eScheduler eSeating eProject

Event Lifecycle

Questions to consider• Am I serious about growing the meetings biz?• Can I help educate my clients about meetings?• Can I expand my services for meetings?• Can I create a full-fledged MICE department?• Will I refer a reliable, top-notch web-based event services

company to my clients as a value-add?• Will I be the hands-on, go-to source to perform meetings

services for my clients knowing I have a reliable, efficient event mgmt. tool working for me?

Learn more about etouches

* Web Demo* Free Trial* Chat with us www.etouches.com

Jim Alkon 203-403-9008 jalkon @ etouches.com

Thank You

http://www.etouches.com/

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Registration

• Robust, easy to use• Fully customizable• Attendee categories• Conditional logic• Global/Multilingual• Security compliance• Detailed reporting• Integrations• Payment collection

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Marketing• Email tool to create demand• Set campaign in advance• Use pre- and post-event• html, text or both• No design experience needed• Create and upload mailing lists• View recipient behavior• Detailed click-through reports• Scrubs list, manages unsubscribers

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Survey

• Track trends pre-event• Quality checks• Take attendee temperature• Post-event surveys• Create custom questions• Graphical stats output

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Attendee Value• Seamless registration experience• Connect with other attendees pre and post• Constant marketing communication• Manage exhibit, session time• Personalize agenda• Mobile app• Matchmaking

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Travel, Hotel Booking

• Online corporate air travel booking integration• Tracks compliance• Hotel booking capability• Capture details, arrival info

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Time, Cost Savings

• Streamline procedures• Vendor negotiating leverage• Automated processes• Less manual logistics management• Raise efficiency and free up staff to focus on other responsibilities• Do it once, then clone it• Create library of resources• Go global by hitting one key

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Return on Investment: wasthe event worth it to the sponsor?• Attendee benefits• Attendee surveys• Post-event attendee actions• Feedback mechanisms• Set evaluation metrics• Measure by volume (# participants)• Measure by revenue (how much $ taken in)• Measure by goals and objectives (what did you accomplish – will you repeat)

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Spend Analysis• Cross-event reporting• Spend by vendor• Cost per attendee• Hotel block management• Marketing efficiencies• Real-time updating

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Strategic Meetings Management• Centralize processes• Manage events at account level• Analyze all spending metrics• Track policy compliance• Increase efficiency• Maximize cost savings• Measure progress

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Agencies as Experts

• Tool to manage all key event functions for clients• You are in control from start to finish• Seamless for your customers• Existing expertise in travel, destinations, venues• Expand existing corporate relationships• Forge new corporate relationships• Manage internal events

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Budgeting• Gain control, insight into expenses and revenue• Create budget for approval• Track flow-through real-time performance• Links to eReg• Track per-vendor spend• Generate variance reports

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Project Management• Develop event timelines• Assign tasks and ownership• Monitor progress• Send alerts, reminders• Manage room, equipment inventory

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Seating, Booth Management

• Seating for banquets, galas, golf• Auto-seat functionality• Manage multiple seating for same event• Visual exhibit floor plan• Online booth purchase

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Event Website

• Custom tabbed website• All events home page• All event content, info• Easy creation (non-tech)• Multilingual

Business

etouches Presents "Managing Your Conference Effectively & Efficiently"