Mtg. Planners Turn To Tech

<B> Mtg. Planners Turn To Tech</B>
<I>Unified Software Programs Head Planners' Wish List</I>

By Chris Davis

While a majority of meeting planners still aren't using any type of planning software to help them stage their events, a significant minority are using such products for everything from printing name badges to site selection.

In a Meetings Today survey of 213 planners, 38 percent said they use meeting planning software for at least one component of the event-planning process. Considering the wide range of technological capabilities individual corporations have today, that's probably a rather heartening number for the planning-software industry.

But while the developers would undoubtedly like to see the software become an essential component of the planning process, the disparity of implemented technology and computer skills throughout the industry is still rather wide.

"We use planning software to track our history--all of the meetings we've held, their revenues, how much we spent," said Arminda Menke, travel counselor with American Express Corporate Services in Chicago.

Menke said more planners would expand their use of planning software when individual buyer companies upgrade their technological capabilities to the point where there's more of a measure of consistency from corporation to corporation. Some companies don't yet have e-mail capabilities, she noted.

"I'd like to do more of the negotiating process using software, but a lot of people are still getting up on technology. You need to be able to connect with other people. I think something will develop that will encompass all of that and utilize everybody involved," she said.

Planners who regularly use software likely have found they've been able to shorten the time and decrease the effort it takes to plan a meeting. But there are several possible reasons why more buyers haven't tested the software waters.

First, some companies don't have the necessary computer hardware. And even for those who do, while the cost of many pieces of meeting planning software isn't prohibitive, especially for large companies, it's still a fairly new offering to the industry. Some companies likely are waiting for more ironclad proof that making the investment in planning software will lead to a less expensive planning process and time savings for the planner. There also are many planners who have done their jobs well for years without the help of software, and who likely don't see any need for integrating new technology into the process and learning its applications.

Still, those who have made the investment seem happy with the return on their investment. "We use software primarily for organizational functions, like keeping track of registrants and where they're staying," said Charlene Sims, a meeting planner with International Marketing Services of Western Springs, Ill. "It definitely makes the process easier when there'smore than one person planning a meeting. You can better keep track of what other planners have done. It's getting more and more important in the industry, and it's definitely the future."

As far as which applications planners use the software for, the greatest number--about 67 percent--use it to log registrants' arrival and departure data. More than half also use software for attendee registrations, to help create badges and signs and to keep track of budgeting and finances. About 45 percent use software products for site selection, and about 42 percent for room setup.

The fact that there is no single feature of planning software used by an overwhelming majority of planners likely means that several different products, each with its own functionalities, are being used. And that's something many planners would like to see change.

"I'd love to have a good, solid database that would allow me to research our meeting history and put prior specifications in the plan for an upcoming meeting," said Haydee Pampel, group administrator for the National Association of Credit Managers/Chicago-Midwest, who plans 55 to 60 meetings annually and does not currently use any planning software. "I'd also like to be able to conduct a search through different categories. It's hard without a product that can do that."

The trend, though, seems pretty clear: while planning software products have made solid inroads in the meetings industry, there's still room for growth. Some will come as a byproduct of the industry's gradual integration of technology into day-to-day planning, but the real impetus likely will be the development of broader-based products that are more comprehensive, offering more applications and functionalities.