Reporter's Notebook: New Tech Conference Notes Growth Of Internet For Mtgs.
The Internet as a business tool "has passed the point of no return" for the hospitality industry, George Conrades, chairman and CEO of Cambridge, Mass.-based BBN Corp., told more than 460 participants at the first Meeting & Exhibitions Technology Conference (METCON) in Rosemont, Ill., earlier this month.
Noting that Internet growth is occurring at an exponential rate, Conrades said much of it is spurred by the hospitality segment. "Meetings and events have 10,000 sites on the Internet; hotel companies increased their presence 100 percent in the past six months," he said. "Forrester Research predicts that by the year 2000, 20 percent of Internet commerce will have something to do with travel."
Smart companies are integrating their Internet sites into their exhibits or shows by promoting on the Websites before, during and after a meeting, Conrades said. Others are lowering their registration and printing costs by encouraging delegates to register online. Some are even going so far as to hold "virtual trade shows" alongside real ones.
But the high cost of events that can be visited on the Web has limited use, Conrades said, noting that they require a lot of bandwidth to send video, sound and graphics. "I do not believe such cyber-events will ever replace real ones, any more than electronic checking has replaced banking," Conrades pointed out.
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Expanding use of its Website (http:///www.hilton.com) beyond consumers and the corporate market, Hilton Hotels Corp. now allows meeting delegates to book negotiated rates electronically. Hilton is building Web pages for groups with which it holds meeting contracts, said Bruce Rosenberg, vice president of marketing distribution. Delegates can hot link from the meeting site to the Hilton site to book their hotel rooms. Travel agents also can use the site to book electronically, Rosenberg said.
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Metcon's organizers, the American Society of Association Executives and the Professional Convention Management Association, were so pleased by the attendance of more than 460 people (evenly divided between supplier and planner) that they've scheduled the second annual event for April 1 through 3 at the Sheraton Gateway in Atlanta. "My guess is it will be 100 percent larger than this," said Phil Mogel, program committee chair for both meetings and regional director for Marriott Hotels.
The show used a new seminar evaluation system, made by Foresight Association Systems International, Wood Dale, Ill., that immediately tabulated ranking using a laser gun-like device pointed at a special board given to each participant. The only problem with the system, noted PCMA's Roy Evans, was the form didn't allow participants to evaluate each speaker separately. Changes will be made to allow that next year.