Tips On Savings, Contracts Top The Meetings West Talk

<B> Tips On Savings, Contracts Top The Meetings West Talk</B>

By David McCann and Elaine Cipriano

Whether a planner is lining up meeting sites, exhibit contractors or audiovisual vendors, it's important to go through a bid process at least once every two or three years--no matter how comfortable the planner may be with the status quo, said Jim Daggett, president of JRDaggett & Associates in Chicago.

Speaking at Meetings West '98, sponsored by Meeting News last month at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Daggett suggested that "even if you feel you have a very strong relationship with your service providers, they will be more competitive and more focused on service levels if they know they have to win the business." Even a long-term relationship may not be enough to compensate for tangibles offered by a different vendor anxious to get its foot in your door.

Daggett also suggested scheduling formal site inspections in advance to be assured of meeting the appropriate people--including the convention services manager, the person who is most familiar with the property's space and limitations, and, being a planner at heart, can provide fairly realistic assessments about it.

But he noted that many planners like to conduct site inspections on the sly, to see the property more realistically. He acknowledged that it's easier to have dialogue about hotel operations with key front-line staffers--like housekeepers, desk clerk and bellmen--if hotel officials don't know you are there. "This is an especially valuable strategy if there has been a recent change of management or ownership, or a recent renovation," Daggett said. "You get a better feel for how the changes are impacting operations by asking the front-line people."

Daggett also noted that, taking a hint from the transient travel textbook, many companies are trying to add objective service standards to their meeting contracts, tracking whether the property answers service phones in a certain number of rings, delivers room service on time or checks in attendees in a given time frame. While tracking whether a property meets the standards is difficult to do, "what planners can do is specify staffing levels in the contract," Daggett said.

He also reiterated an old standard of meeting planners: Never, ever sign a contract on behalf of the group. Rather, make the meeting sponsor responsible. That "limits the planner's liability in the event of a lawsuit, which otherwise would be more likely to name the planner as a defendant," Daggett said. Signing a contract also prods sponsors into better understanding what they are committing to in terms of cancellation, attrition and other contract details.

"Sit down and go over what has been negotiated so that the sponsor can be informed when he signs the contract," Daggett suggested. "That gives planners an opportunity to take credit for what they've done."

In another breakout session moderated by Arlene Sheff, president of Meetings Etc. of Irvine, Calif., planners shared creative ideas for producing high-quality events on a smaller budget. Bob Roman, travel, meeting and logistics coordinator for the Pine Mountain Group in Groveland, Calif., for example, said he has negotiated hotel discounts by paying his bill within 30 days. CJ Hancock, travel manager at Jacklin Seed Company in Post Falls, Idaho, said she seeks out properties that her group will fill almost to capacity, and sometimes gets the remaining rooms at no cost.

Recommendations for ways to reduce staffing costs included seeking out volunteers and using interns interested in learning more about meetings management. "We've found that many spouses of attendees are willing to help with setup and other tasks in exchange for the opportunity to participate in a meal," said Shawna Schnurr, travel and meetings coordinator for SOS Computer Systems in Orem, Utah.

As a way to save on printing and mailing costs, Roman uses Kinkos' nationwide network. He brings materials to his local Kinkos office, where they are electronically sent to a branch near the meeting and printed there. "We eliminated shipping costs for brochures and program packets entirely," he said.