1  

   

Meeting  Minutes  Baltimore  April  27-­‐29,  2014  

Baltimore  Marriott  Inner  Harbor  at  Camden  Yards    

Members  in  Attendance  Randy  Cross         SPIE  -­‐  International  Society  of  Optical  Engineering  Beatriz  Garcia       Society  of  Hispanic  Professional  Engineers  Peter  Green         ConferenceDirect  Maureen  Goodson       National  Postal  Forum  Earla  Jones   National  Association  of  College  and  University  Business  

Officers  Susan  Lennon         Society  for  Research  in  Child  Development  Anna  Lopez  Buck       National  Association  of  Hispanic  Journalists  Tom  Michalisko       Experient  Penny  Pina         American  Mathematical  Society  Ed  Potillo           National  Alliance  of  Black  School  Educators  Stephanie  Rennie-­‐Sanchez     American  Society  of  Safety  Engineers  Pam  Schrock         Transamerica  Deborah  Young       National  Association  of  Elementary  School  Principles    Baltimore  Hosts  Tom  Noonan         Visit  Baltimore  Peggy  Daidakis       Baltimore  Convention  Center    Amy  Calvert         Visit  Baltimore    Meeting  Facilitator  David  Kliman         The  Kliman  Group    Tom  Noonan  –  Baltimore  Updates  

• Onahlea  Shimunek,  General  Manager  of  the  Baltimore  Marriott  Inner  Harbor  at  Camden  Yard  was  thanked  for  her  team’s  warm  welcome  and  hospitality.  

• Star  Spangled  200  scheduled  for  September  10  –  16,  2014  will  be  the  largest  tourism  event  in  Baltimore  history  http://www.starspangled200.com/  

• Patterson  Park  Cannons  http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/04/28/classic-­‐cannons-­‐in-­‐patterson-­‐park-­‐to-­‐get-­‐a-­‐spectacular-­‐makeover/  

 

  2  

• Caesars  Horseshoe  Casino  scheduled  to  open  August  2014  http://www.caesars.com/Baltimore/  

• Potential  new  concert  venue  near  Casino  is  possible  • Visit  Baltimore  has  a  new  logo;  details  at:  http://baltimore.org/  • New  visitor  experience  offers  “deep  emersion”  at  Visitors  Center;  CAB  will  

experience  during  this  meeting  • Visit  Baltimore  Educational  Foundation  is  being  developed  to  provide  scholarships  

for  kids  seeking  hospitably  careers  • New  arena  developer  died  recently  at  age  95;  this  has  halted  development  of  new  

arena  as  his  will  is  in  probate.  We  will  keep  the  CAB  advised  when  more  information  is  available.  The  Mayor  and  City  leaders  are  dedicated  to  getting  a  new  arena  built.  

 Baltimore  Convention  Center  -­‐  Peggy  Daidakis  –  http://www.bccenter.org/  

• The  Center  was  opened  in  1979  and  expanded  1986  • Concrete  repairs  continue;  two  exterior  staircases  in  front  of  Pratt  Street  entrance    • Quick  fixes  underway  including  tree  trimming    • Completed  new  floor  boxes  on  the  west  side  of  the  Convention  Center  • Replaced  audio  system  in  the  Ballroom;  RFP  out  to  replace  entire  system  • Fire  and  Life  safety  has  been  upgraded  • New  larger  Starbucks  will  open,  located  on  other  side  of  the  existing  Starbucks  

location  • Numerous  upgrades  in  technology  and  Wi-­‐Fi  service  • Digital  signage  (interior  and  exterior)  RFP  will  be  sent  before  December  2014    • Energy  conservation  has  created  savings  of  $1.2  million  savings,  cost  avoidance  is  

used  to  pay  for  energy  upgrades    Visit  Baltimore  Sales  &  Service  Report  –  Amy  Calvert  

• Total  Room  Nights  Booked,  Q3  TYD:    o  242  groups  booked  for  a  total  of  253,026  room  nights;  worth  $144.9  million  

in  Economic  Impact  • Total  City-­‐Wide  Groups  Booked  

o 14  city-­‐wide  groups  booked  for  a  total  of  128,885  room  nights;  worth  $54.5  million  in  Economic  Impact  

• Total  In-­‐House  Groups  Booked  o 228  in-­‐house  groups  booked  for  a  total  of  124,141  room  nights;  worth  $90.4  

million  in  Economic  Impact  • Annual  goal  is  500,000  rooms  • June  marks  end  of  fiscal  year  and  typically  a  significant  amount  of  business  closes  in  

Q4May  and  June  • 50%  of  business  is  booked  short  term.  New  executive  meetings  manager  has  been  

hired  to  focus  on  self-­‐contained  business  • TAP  Peer  set  is  defined  as  other  comp  destinations,  Charlotte,  Philadelphia,  

Pittsburgh,  Washington  D.C.  in  addition  to  Boston,  Orlando  and  Chicago,  however  Boston  does  not  participate  with  TAP  reporting  service.  

     

  3  

 Customer  Engagement  –  Amy  Calvert  and  Sam  Rogers  Baltimore’s  “unique  value  proposition”  (UVP)  has  focused  on  the  “Two  Feet”  campaign  for  past  7  +  years,  but  other  cities  share  similar  messaging.  Research  indicates  that  Baltimore’s  value  core  attributes  are:  Financial,  Convenience,  Ease,  Service,  Professionalism,  and  Competitive.      Baltimore  ranks  1st  or  2nd  in  cities  of  like  attributes:  DC,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Indianapolis,  Nashville,  and  Orlando    Advisory  Board  Feedback:  

• There  is  lots  of  buzz  about  Nashville  being  “new  and  hot”;  Nashville  offers  excellent  personalized  marketing  

• Seeing  is  believing,  continue  to  bring  decision  makers  here  to  experience  the  City  first  hand  

• Keep  up  the  good  work;  Baltimore  has  a  great  sales  and  service  team  in  place  • Ensure  hotel  community  stays  united  in  serving  customers’  needs  • Flexibility  needed  from  the  hotels;  they  need  to  be  more  flexible  regarding  late  pick  

up  and  cut  off  dates  • New  hotels  in  Baltimore  create  good  buzz  but  need  to  ensure  marketing  is  

customized  as  casinos  don’t  appeal  to  all  groups  • Cultural  history  in  Baltimore  is  a  major  asset  

 The  Advisory  Board  was  asked  where  group/convention  messaging  should  focus;  the  following  summarizes  their  comments:  

• Targeted  emails  from  know  contacts  works  for  some  but  not  for  all  • M&C  Digital  newsletters  http://www.meetings-­‐conventions.com/  • Twitter  • IMeet  on  LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-­‐meet-­‐llc  • Put  metrics  behind  Baltimore’s  message  regarding  convenience;  “be  precise  about  

how  long  it  takes  to  get  from  A  to  B”  • http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/  cited  as  a  good  learning  tool;  helps  planners  

stay  on  top  of  social  media  • Host  tech  learning  stations  at  trade  shows    

 Three  City  Partnership    

• Comprised  of  Baltimore,  San  Antonio,  Anaheim  • Customized  programs  offering  a  wide  variety  of  products  and  offers  • Launching  around  ASAE  August  2014  • First  teaser  will  go  out  in  June  2014  Association  Forum’s  “Forum  Forward  2014”  

http://www.associationforum.org/EdEvents/forumfwd.cfm?ItemNumber=6820&navItemNumber=1883  

• Transfer  of  customer  knowledge  between  the  three  cities  was  discussed;  some  concern  expressed  that  planners  may  loss  negotiation  if  too  much  information  is  shared;  concern  also  expressed  that  over  time  some  people  will  leave  their  jobs  and  knowledge  will  be  lost  

  4  

• Desirable  to  have  vendor  partnerships  between  cities  such  as  Passkey,  catering,  AV  etc.  

• Valid  for  both  citywide  and  self-­‐contained  meetings  • Success  for  the  program  would  be  booking  3-­‐4  new  annual  conventions  per  city  

   Advisory  Board  Feedback:  

• Some  planner  need  more  pragmatic  details;  such  as  airlift  details?  • Some  commented  the  CEO  ad  seemed  cold  and  didn't  reflect  the  synergies  of  the  

three  CEOs;  it  was  noted  that  the  CEO  ad  will  be  run  one  time  only  • Having  major  Brand  Hotels  in  all  three  cities  is  an  advantage    • Some  groups  are  totally  bottom  line  focused  and  will  only  focus  on  “the  best  deal”  • Ensure  the  Synchronicities  logo  is  highlighted  in  all  three  ads  

   Baltimore  Convention  Center  Wi-­‐Fi  –  Midori  Connolly  &  Vern  Hall  Midori  Connolly  http://avgirlproductions.com/provided  in-­‐depth  background  regarding  Wi-­‐Fi  capabilities  and  usage;  her  presentation  is  published  on  the  CAB  microsite  and  highlights  are  noted  here.    A  Wi-­‐Fi  site  inspection  checklist  is  also  provided  in  this  report  and  is  also  published  on  the  CAB  microsite    Vern  Hall,  Chief  Technology  Officer  from  MC  Dean  which  is  the  technology  provider  at  the  Baltimore  Convention  Center  http://www.mcdean.com  2014  enhancements  

• Installing  hundreds  of  new  802.11  radios  with  Gigabit  trunks    • Will  support  more  users  on  300  and  400  levels  than  fire  code  allows  • Adding  ~70  new  arrays  to  300  level    • Upgrading  Wi-­‐Fi  trunks  to  Gigabit  • Migrating  Internet  connection  to  Metro  Gigabit  • 65,000  available  IP  addresses  for  wireless  users  

  5  

 2014  Array  Locations

       Cabling  Infrastructure  to  Support  Arrays  

 

   2015+  Enhancements    

• Continue  increasing  Wi-­‐Fi  density  on  100  and  400  levels  • More  automated  interfaces  for  show  management  to  self  administer  splash  pages  • Permanently  cross  connect  all  hardwire  ports  

 

  6  

Interim  300  Level  Heat  Map      

   Market  Trends  Breakouts  The  Advisory  Board  broke  into  three  groups  to  discuss  key  issues  impacting  their  meetings  and  events;  the  following  summarizes  each  group‘s  issues:  Group  One  

• Facing  on-­‐going  challenges  and  increased  costs  with  AV  companies  • Seek  to  work  with  AV  companies  with  deep  understanding  of  groups’  specific  issues  

and  culture  • Labor  costs  increasing  • Housing  pirates  remain  active;  requiring  on-­‐going  education  and  communications  

with  attendees  and  exhibitors  • Forced  to  hire  exclusive  security  vendors  in  some  locations  including  some  cities  

demand  that  local  police  act  as  security.  Some  cities  require  payment  of  parking  costs  for  security;  this  causes  frustration  and  animosity  

• Increase  in  use  of  Apps  for  program  guides  • Increase  in  TED  Talk  style  meetings  http://www.ted.com    • Long  Beach  is  offering  the  original  Ted  Talk  meeting  space  to  planners  free  of  charge  

Group  Two  • Housing  pirates  remain  active.  Planners  using  cease  and  desist  orders  and  official  

emblems  to  designate  official  housing  vendors      • Some  are  linking  meeting  registration  and  housing  (charging  more  to  register  when  

booking  outside  the  official  room  block)  • Strong  need  for  combined  spending  reports  when  managing  multiple  internal  

meetings  to  help  demonstrate  total  economic  value  to  suppliers    

  7  

Group  Three  • DMOs  need  to  help  streamline  vendor  communications;  planners  seeking  methods  

to  make  doing  business  easier  and  more  seamless;  this  generates  return  business.  Indy  and  Tampa  were  cited  as  doing  this  well.  Their  primary  event  contact  is  involved  in  all  aspects  of  the  planning  process.  “Don’t  pass  me  off  to  someone  else”  

• Strong  focus  on  union  labor  costs    • Housing  pirates  also  cited  as  problematic  • Seeing  more  “suit  casing”  exhibitors  trying  to  work  the  aisles  of  trade  show  floors  

without  paying  for  booth  space  • Lack  of  transparency  regarding  food  &  beverage  gratuities    • Frustration  cited  regarding  ancillary  fees  including  Wi-­‐Fi  and  electrical  costs  for  

meeting  rooms  • Cited  lack  of  control,  lack  of  knowledge  and  lack  of  worldwide  standards  regarding  

Wi-­‐Fi    • Ensure  Baltimore’s  brand  is  kept  unique  and  that  clear  advantages  of  Three  City  

Partnership  are  highlighted  in  all  communications      

Understanding  Future  Group  Room  Block  Demand    Jeff  Eastman,  CEO  at  TAP  Report,  Toni  Fletcher,  Director  of  Revenue  Manager  at  Hilton,  Julie  Carper,  Director  of  Group  Strategy  at  Marriott,  Khristy  Reich,  Director  of  Revenue  Manager  at  Sheraton,  Mike  Rosa,  Director  of  Sales  at  Days  Inn  and  John  Hawley,  Director  of  Sales  &  Marketing  at  Hilton  joined  the  meeting  and  discussed  group  room  blocks;  the  following  highlights  the  conversation:  

• Buyers  want  total  ancillary  spending  data  from  hotels  • Some  buyers  feel  they  are  penalized  for  their  own  compression  –  How?  • Some  planners  want  to  eliminate  price  uncertainty  (no  escalation  clauses)    • Many  hotels  allow  OTAs  and  intermediaries  to  undercut  group  rates;  best  rate  

guarantees  are  not  always  honored  • Buyers  want  more  conversations  with  Revenues  Directors  throughout  the  booking  

process  regarding  cut  off  dates,  group  blocks  etc.  • Late  pick  up  is  the  new  normal  for  attendees  • Higher  level  of  collaboration  is  required  based  on  unique  needs  of  attendees  and  

hoteliers;  no  cookie  cutter  solutions  • Availability  after  cut-­‐off  of  dates  

 Watkins  Research  Group  -­‐  Curt  Watkins  Curt  provided  survey  results  and  research  regarding  the  perceptions  of  837  meeting  professionals;  all  data  is  proprietary  and  is  not  shared  in  this  report  

• 40  cities  were  evaluated  • Planners  were  asked  a  variety  of  questions  regarding  which  cities  do  the  best  job  

delivering  what  meeting  professional  most  value    

Action  Items  and  Recommendations  –  Baltimore  CAB  April  2014  • Consider  developing  a  program  to  connect  customers  to  the  kids  in  Visit  Baltimore  

Foundation  Scholarship  program  as  an  optional  CSR  Component  to  program.  • Ask  several  CAB  members  to  review  digital  signage  RFP  • For  BCC,  create  sub  task  force  

  8  

• Include  Three  City  messages  in  all  planner  communications  such  as  Convention  Center  billing  statements;  use  all  touch  points  to  get  the  message  out  

• Consider  targeting  corporate  road  shows  which  travel  regionally;  could  be  good  potential  for  Three  City  Partnership,  such  as  TransAmerica  

• Share,  rollout,  and  train  sales  team  regarding  Three  Cities  value  proposition  • Share  Baltimore  Convention  Center’s  No  Tipping  policy  with  Planners  at  Pre-­‐Con  

meetings  • Use  the  CAB  when  appropriate  to  advocate  peer  to  peer  with  fellow  planners  and  

executive  directors  to  help  change  perceptions  of  Baltimore    • Share  groups’  bandwidth  usage  information  during  post  con  meetings  and  in  post  

con  reports  • Put  metrics  behind  Baltimore’s  message  regarding  convenience;  “be  precise  about  

how  long  it  takes  to  get  from  A  to  B”  • Ask  CAB  members  to  follow  Visit  Baltimore  on  Twitter  and  Like  on  Facebook  • Create  more  attendee  and  key  stakeholder  testimonial  videos  and  use  them  to  

market  Baltimore  to  planners  and  attendees    • Ensure  the  Synchronicities  logo  is  highlighted  in  all  three  ads