1

An ebook by Lanyon

SMM CHAMPIONS: BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING SMM

2

ForewordAct II. Curtain rises.

In this book, you’ll read about a wide variety of SMM-related topics

– everything from the beginnings of SMM and how some said

it would never catch on, to the latest trends affecting meetings

management, such as engaging attendees and improving

meetings ROI with games.

As second acts go, this is the best kind.

Several years ago, Lanyon published its first SMM book, “Strategic

Meetings Management Handbook: From Theory to Practice.” In

this edition, we continue advancing in our role as industry thought

leader…to help raise the bar of excellence for all. At Lanyon,

our priority is to work closely with our customers to continually

develop new insight and event technology tools. Our goal is to

help event professionals achieve both their meetings program and

professional goals. In essence, to be smarter at what you do.

It’s my hope that you use “SMM Champions: Best Practices for

Developing SMM” to increase your SMM skill set and move your

programs forward – whether you’re just thinking about creating

centralized management of meetings or you have a global

program in place that’s already delivering benefits. Think of this

book as a very smart tool to help you achieve Smart Events™

– meetings that help you save time and money…engage your

attendees on a new level…and, most importantly, grow your

business.

Happy reading,

Welcome. I’m very proud to present our book, “SMM Champions: Best Practices for Developing SMM.” This book is truly an eclectic collection of meetings industry brains and talent. Nine authors have come together in one place to share their stories about the theory, practice and the mastery of strategic meetingsmanagement, or simply, SMM.JR Sherman

President & Chief Strategy Officer - Lanyon

3

Table of Contents

SMM: A History of Collaboration ...............................................................5By Kevin Iwamoto, GLP, GTP, VP Industry Strategy, Lanyon

Maturing Your SMMP: Getting to Where You Want to Be ............8 By Linda J. McNairy, Former Chair, GBTA Foundation SMM Maturity Model Task Force. Head of Business Development - Meetings North America at American Express Meetings & Events.

Power Management: Combining Meetings & Business Travel Management ...................................................................13 By Carol Ann Salcito, President, Management Alternatives, Inc.

Maximizing Supplier Relations with eRFPs: How to Create a Win-Win When Sourcing ..........................................17By Kari Wendel, SMMC, Senior Director, SMM Strategy + Solutions, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Meetings & Events

Integrating a Meeting Card Into Your SMMP .................................. 20By Betsy Bondurant, Founder, President of Bondurant Consulting

Chapter One

Creating and Fine Tuning

Your SMM

Chapter Three

Managing Risk in Regulated

Industries

Chapter Four

Audience Engagement

in SMM

Chapter Five

Global SMM

AboutSMM Champions

Learn about our SMM Champions and Lanyon ............................40

Chapter Two

Maximizing Your Meetings Spend

Financial Risk Mitigation in Meetings Management .............25 By Debi Scholar, Global Cross-Divisional Category Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category Congress & Events, Novartis

Strategies to Engage Attendees: The Science of Gamification ..............................................................30 By Tyler Altrup, Gamification Guru

Managing Social Media Compliance within Financial Services Industries ............................................................. 33 By Joanna Belbey, Social Media and ComplianceSpecialist, Actiance

SMM in Asia: New Opportunities & Challenges .......................37 By Herve Joseph-Antoine, Global Managing Director, Pacific World

Look for the “Light bulb” Authors highlight their top best practices for SMM

4

Chapter One

Creating and FineTuning Your SMM

5

Getting SMM Recognized – The ChallengesThe decision to establish SMM disciplines and committees within some of the major business travel organizations was not without its roadblocks and the kind of resistance one often encounters when trying to get a new project launched.

SMM: A History of Collaboration

Strategic meetings management and me?Way back, more than 10 years ago, I never thought I’d have anything to do with SMM or any doctrine

or new process around how meetings should be managed.

There I was in 2003, winding down my two-year stint as president and CEO of GBTA (then the

National Business Travel Association) and its foundation arm. It was an extremely rewarding post but

also very challenging. Many of its members were still struggling during an economic slowdown that

began after the tragedy of September 11.

by Kevin Iwamoto, VP Industry Strategy, Lanyon

But during my leadership at GBTA, I noticed

that I was having more and more conversations

with travel and procurement managers who,

due to budget cuts at their organizations, had

been given the responsibility to centralize

management of travel spend categories. Their

goals were to gain the greatest possible savings

and efficiencies.

For most, that meant they suddenly had to

get some kind of idea of the organizationwide

extent of their meetings and incentive spending.

And so, travel managers were reaching out,

asking, “How can GBTA help me learn about

this new category of spend that I’m managing?

And where do I go to get access to information,

resources and training?” They needed guidance

on issues such as:

+ Providing a single view of all meetings held

across the organization

+ Planning and managing meetings

+ Leveraging buying power with suppliers,

cutting costs, eliminating inefficiencies

+ Reducing risk and assuring compliance

There were few readily available answers. I

was no expert on meetings management. I

was, however, very experienced in overseeing

development, policy creation, strategy, and

supplier management for various global travel

spend categories at Hewlett-Packard – where

I was senior global commodity manager.

But at that time, I didn’t oversee meetings

management.

Because I don’t believe in reinventing the

wheel, I met with various industry groups

that offered meetings resources; I described

the changing needs of corporate buyers,

including procurement professionals who were

increasingly being asked to help apply their

expertise toward meetings purchasing and to

assist with contract management.

I heard things like this: “Meetings and events

are very personal areas to manage;” and “You

can’t tell planners they have to standardize

sourcing and contracts because it’s too

decentralized.” I remember thinking that many

of these same things were once said about

corporate travel. It also became obvious that

many meetings industry leaders considered

contracts nothing but a necessary evil, although

meetings contracts are probably one of the

biggest risks for companies, given the millions

some companies spend yearly in cancellation

and attrition fees.1

What came from these realizations was a

resolve to create—from scratch—a group of

corporate travel/meeting experts who could

put together educational materials to guide

travel and procurement managers in this new,

unchartered territory.

Establishing SMM at GBTAI distinctly remember my meeting with the

GBTA board, presenting my case findings and

decision to create the Groups and Meetings

Committee. I thought long and hard about

qualified candidates to head up this new group,

and I sought recommendations from

1 Says a May 2013 American Express survey of planners and meeting executives: 37% of planners fail to forward ancillary contracts —

for items such as ground transportation, A/V and entertainment — to a manager for review or approval. Further, just 6% of meeting

leaders say planners are allowed to sign contracts, although 23% of planners say they do.

1. Stakeholder Management Connect with and recruit others in your company with responsibility for travel and meetings to champion, strategize and support centrally capturing spend data. Become the go-to person for data reporting and analytics.

2. Select Scalable Technology Choose meetings management technology that is scalable and ready to support your SMMP growth strategies. For example, if one of your goals is to cut hotel penalties, pick software that automatically attaches your company’s terms and conditions to hotel contracts – to protect you from onerous cancellation and attrition fees.

3. Use others’ best practices to your advantage Ask your meetings management company or SMM technology partner to provide client case studies that show how real companies are saving money and reporting ROI to their stakeholders. You can jump start your program by using lessons learned from other companies.

Kevin Iwamoto’s

Top 3 Best PracticesThinking of transforming your meetings and events by managing them strategically?

Refer to these 3 top SMM best practices:

6

2 Meetings and Events: Where Savings Meet Success, CWT Travel Management Institute, 2010 3 Active Network BSG (Starcite was purchased by Active in January 2012) was merged with Lanyon in February 2014..

Kevin Iwamoto guides the strategy for the industry

marketplace within Lanyon. As one of the pioneer

thought leaders around the creation of strategic

meetings management, he also works with key

influencers across industries to raise awareness of the

benefits of SMM.

Iwamoto is a former President & CEO of the Board of

Directors for the Global Business Travel Association

(GBTA), the leading source for education, advocacy,

networking, news and information for thousands of

corporate and government travel professionals and

suppliers.

Iwamoto has been honored with numerous business

travel industry accolades, including most recently, the

GBTA’s Industry Icon Award, the association’s highest

honor, which recognizes contributions to managed

travel that are so important as to elevate an individual

to the status of an industry icon.

In 2004, Iwamoto was awarded the prestigious

GBTA President’s Award for his numerous industry

contributions and leadership. In 2003, Business

Travel Executive named Iwamoto as one of 13

Top Visionaries in business travel. Meeting News,

Business Travel News and Successful Meetings

have all named Iwamoto one of the top 25 most

influential executives in business travel and meetings.

In 2002, BTN also named him Travel Manager of the

Year for his leadership and industry contributions.

Kevin IwamotoGLP, GTP, VP Industry

Strategy, Lanyon

industry colleagues. After a long and serious

deliberation, I asked Tracy Wilt, then manager

of Global Travel and Meetings Management at

Xerox, and Madlyn Caliri, who at the time was

managing meetings for AT&T, to co-chair.

Under their leadership, the group quickly

expanded to include many talented individuals.

In 2004, the committee coined the term (SMM)

and unveiled the first-ever SMM white paper,

“Building a Strategic Meetings Management

Program.” Since then, a bounty of other papers

and resources has followed. My initial plan also

included creating a session on SMM for the

GBTA annual convention, where I was to step

down and hand over the responsibility of the

association to my successor.

Never did I ever think the group would go on

to create a strategic meetings management

program road map that would serve as the

guiding foundation for organizations to learn

about and develop their own SMMPs. The

overriding success of the Groups and Meetings

Committee spawned several task forces to

create specific industry tools; these included

the SMM Maturity Model and the creation of a

long-dreamed-of program of strategic meetings

management certification (SMMC), a course

of study designed for travel and procurement

professionals.

The results of these efforts to establish SMM

guidelines and resources are staggering. In

today’s $357 billion global meetings market,

it is estimated that 10%–25%2 savings can

be achieved through the implementation

of a robust SMMP, aided by state-of-the-art

technology. Many programs boast even bigger

returns. Success stories abound, and all the

evidence points to the compelling value

proposition of SMM.

Fast forward: Now… and the FutureEver since joining Lanyon in 2009,3 I’ve been

traveling the world evangelizing about the

merits of SMM.

And thanks to the internet and velocity of

technology development, instead of taking

years to change, SMM has quickly gone from a

concept to a globally recognized “must-have”

strategy.

From its birth, the SMM journey has been

incredible to witness.

What will the “new normal” be for SMM down

the road? I already see SMM disciplines

encroach into event and convention

management and the focus on persistent

engagement of attendees is starting to become

the new norm in this dynamic marketplace.

The next generation of SMM will include

expanded focus on event engagement and

will compartmentalize cost savings as one of

many other tangible benefits of SMM. It will be

fascinating watching the future development of

SMM play out.

7

8

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

Maturing Your SMMP: Getting to Where You Want to Be

I love this quote because it so appropriately describes the strategic objective of the SMM Maturity

Model, created by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation in partnership with Lanyon.

Companies worldwide have adopted strategic meetings management programs (SMMPs) to better

manage a range of processes involved in planning their meetings and events, including:

by Linda J. McNairy, Former Chair, GBTA Foundation SMM Maturity Model Task Force. Head of Business Development - Meetings North America, American Express Meetings & Events

+ Budgeting

+ Planning

+ Sourcing

Some companies have only a few of the individual elements; some have a robust and overarching

program.¹ But regardless of the depth and reach of the individual elements, the incorporation of

SMM provides value and opportunity and improves the organizations’ meetings and events activities.

But the question remains: “How do I determine what is the right mix for my organization?” The

SMM Maturity Model and its online Maturity Model Index enable companies to apply established

measurements to evaluate their own SMM journey. (For more information, visit gbta.org.)

+ Attendee management

+ Attendee engagement

+ Payment

+ Analysis of business

intelligence

¹ The 2012 Business Travel News Strategic Meetings Management Survey, a poll of 295 corporate travel and meeting professionals, found 36%

have SMMPs in place in the U.S., while 88% have some policies in place that govern aspects of the meetings management process.

The model helps them determine where there

is room to grow and gain further savings and

efficiencies. It is the responsibility of the SMM

champion within an organization, whether they

reside in travel, meetings, procurement, or

elsewhere, to decide whether to adopt a single

element of SMM, embrace the entire system

on a holistic basis, or improve upon what their

organization already has in place. After all, SMM

champions know best their companies’ own

indirect expense management programs, as

well as their readiness to advance their program.

Why Do We Need a Model?As thought leadership and practical application

of the concepts of SMM developed, the talk

track around SMM also grew. Unfortunately, so

did inconsistencies of definition, application,

and measurement of success.

In 2008, GBTA and Meeting Professionals

International (MPI) came together to agree

upon an industry accepted definition of SMM:

a disciplined approach to managing enterprise

wide meeting and event activities, processes,

suppliers and data in order to achieve

measurable business objectives that align with

the organization’s strategic goals/vision, and

which delivers value in the form of quantitative

savings, risk mitigation, and service quality.

In 2011, the GBTA Groups & Meetings

Committee updated the representation of best-

in-class components of an SMMP.

While this new definition helped clarify SMM,

many practitioners still faced challenges in

understanding how to assess their internal

needs, determine where to start, and how to

grow an SMMP within their own organization.

A fully mature SMMP does not happen with

the flip of a switch, so many well-intended

organizations found themselves stymied by the

magnitude of the endeavor, and as such, lacked

an ability to determine both a starting point as

well as a path for growth and improvement.

Thus, the need for a Maturity Model was

developed – inspired by a framework for

process improvement created at Carnegie

Mellon University.

3 Task Force members included co-chairs Kari Wendel, Sr. Director, Program Management & Solutions, CWT Meetings & Events; Debi

Scholar, Global Cross-Divisional Category Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category Congress & Events, Novartis; Linda J.

McNairy, Head of Business Development - Meetings North America, American Express Meetings & Events; Carolyn Pund, Senior

Manager, Global Strategic Meetings Management, Cisco; Linda Bennitt, Sr. Director, FreemanXP. Event ; Linda Bennitt, Sr. Event Director,

FreemanXP.

² Information source: GBTA

The Model and its online Maturity Model

Index tool, which enables companies to

apply established measurements to assess

their journey along their own SMM path, is

equally suited to organizations that are just

embarking on their SMMP journey – as it is

for those with more developed SMMPs. The

beauty of the model is that it helps meeting

managers – regardless of what stage of SMM

they’ve developed – determine if and where

there is room to grow in order to gain further

savings and efficiencies.

The Task Force3 that created the Maturity

Model felt strongly that SMMPs should work

for all sizes and types of companies, not

just global giants that have implemented

many or all of the core elements of an SMMP

enterprise–wide. And each SMMP should

not be an exact duplication of all other SMMP

implementations. What works within one

organization may not be the best model for

another.

SMM Index Maturity Levels

LEVEL TWO LEVEL THREE LEVEL FOUR LEVEL FIVELEVEL ONE LEVEL SIX

SMM Support processes are either non-existent or happening in an ad-hoc fashion.

The need for SMM Support processes are recognized and design of these processes may be starting.

Most SMM program basics are in place.

The SMM program is working and delivering value; compliance is beginning to gain traction.

The SMM program is working well, and is delivering value that illustrates the tie between the SMM program and overarching business objectives.

RANDOM

DISCOVERY

EMERGENT

OPERATIVE

EXCELLING

MASTERING

The Beauty of the Maturity Index

9

1. Know your organization! Take the temperature of your organization to determine what kind of SMMP will fit your culture. Are mandates the norm at your company, such as the requirement to use a corporate travel agency or designated meeting card? If so, it’s more likely that meeting planners will accept required usage of event management technology and other SMMP elements.

2. Get Executive support for your efforts. And don’t forget to communicate that backing to everyone with responsibility for and involvement in meetings – including travel and meeting managers and procurement executives. Educate, educate, educate...and don’t forget to listen along the way and tweak your messaging based on your stakeholder audience.

3. Resist the urge to do it all at once. The beauty of the SMM Maturity model is that it helps you, regardless of what stage of SMM you have developed (even if it’s a single component), determine whether the time is right to expand to gain further savings and efficiencies. Maybe your best bet for now is to stick to your small, but effective, program.

Linda J. McNairy’s

Top 3 Best Practices You should create an SMMP that is right for you – unique to your company’s culture, employees and business goals. Here, Linda McNairy sums up some best practices for using the SMM Maturity Model and Index to help you get to where you want to be with your SMMP:

If a small or midsize company has adopted one

or two elements, say, sourcing with eRFPs and

automated attendee management, but not a

unified system that includes a payment and

reconciliation tool or data analysis and reporting,

it doesn’t mean they don’t have a so-called

“true” SMMP. And, more important, it doesn’t

mean they still can’t track their progress and, if

they wish, incorporate more SMMP elements

over time and, as needed, for a fuller, more

comprehensive program as timing becomes

appropriate.

The Maturity Model Index, an online tool

residing on the GBTA Foundation website,

enables managers to assess where their

companies stand in the SMMP process and

where they can move forward to strengthen

their programs. The index lists and rates various

components that are part of SMM, including:

+ Strategy

+ Policy

+ Registration of events

+ Approval

+ Sourcing and procurement

+ Supplier relationship management

+ Payment and expense reconciliation

+ Data analysis and reporting

+ Meetings technology

+ Stakeholder management (including

training and development)

+ Communication and leadership

+ Measuring the three R’s (return on objective,

return on investment, and return on equity)

+ Resource modeling and management

Rating Your SMMP The tool enables SMMP champions to look

at various stages of best practices for the

processes mentioned above and determine

where they are on a rating scale of 1 to 6. For

example, under the Maturity Model component

“sourcing and procurement,” in measuring

the use and adoption of a preferred supplier

program, an organization would score 1

(Random Meetings Management) if preferred

suppliers are not in place for meetings and

events. The score would be 2 if the company

recognized the value of a preferred supplier

program and put the basics in place, and a 3

would be earned if less than half of meetings

and events adhere to preferred supplier

programs in the business units where the SMMP

was implemented.

Meanwhile, a score of 4 would mean that

50%–75% of meetings and events adhere to

preferred supplier programs in implemented

business units, while 5 would necessitate that

76%–90% of meetings and events adhere to

preferred supplier programs for all meeting

types and virtual meetings in business units

implemented. At the top, mastery level 6, an

organization has more than 91% of meetings

and events adhering to preferred supplier

programs enterprise–wide, according to the

index.

Another important area of an SMMP is creating

and communicating a meetings policy—

governing everything from planning procedures

to using preferred suppliers. In the area of

communicating policy, on one end of the

spectrum the index rates as 6 any organization

that has set the SMM policy as the standard for

how meetings and events

10

11

Prior to this position, Linda was VP, Global Account

Management at ACTIVE Network | StarCite, heading

up a total team of 25 people who interface directly

with and drive success with ACTIVE Network |

StarCite’s largest customers, ensuring successful

technology deployments and widespread planner

adoption levels.

Linda has over 20 years of experience in the

meetings industry, including direct corporate planning

experience as well as many different roles as a

supplier to the industry. She has a passion for the

meeting industry and is driven to constantly elevate

its professionalism and make meeting strategies an

integral part of the overall organizational success. She

is Chair of the GBTA Global Meetings Task Force and

a past Vice-Chair of the GBTA Meetings Committee.

She has also served on the GBTA Strategic Meetings

Management Certification Task Force and the GBTA

Foundation SMM Maturity Model Task Force. She

is also a past President of the Indiana Chapter of

Meeting Professionals International.

Currently, Linda is Head of Business Development

- Meetings North America at American Express

Meetings & Events

Linda J. McNairyFormer Chair GBTA Foundation

SMM Maturity Model Task Force; Head of Business Development -

Meetings North America, American Express Meetings & Events

are implemented. And all categories of

the policy can be readily referenced—for

example, via the corporate intranet—by any

staff. Conversely, organizations that have not

created a policy, and therefore have no need to

communicate it, score a 1.

Easy Does ItWhile the SMM Maturity Model and Index

enable companies to benchmark their

progress against the mastery level of an SMMP,

practitioners should also see the tools as a way

to reassure themselves that where they are

right now in their own program may be just the

place they need to be. Rather than interpreting

the tools as a point of reference showing

where they “should” be on the SMMP scale (the

tendency to immediately focus on the mastery

level), it should provide SMM champions with

the information they need to decide at what

level they “want” to be, and how to get there.

There’s no rush to creating the “perfect” SMMP.

Indeed, it may be premature to push through a

program just for the sake of having one, since

your organization may not be properly prepared

for the changes a system-wide SMMP would

bring. However, the model enables you to get

started as your organization prepares itself to

manage a more mature program.

Use the Maturity Model Index as a checklist to

determine your pace so far and what needs to

be done to advance. For example, in the area

of “communication and leadership,” are you at

the point where SMM communications strategy

and deployment is nonexistent? Or perhaps

your communications strategy has been

deployed across multiple stakeholder groups

and the message content is customized for the

audience.

But to advance to the mastery level, you’d need

to implement a multifaceted communications

strategy—across multiple stakeholders and

business groups, and one that is woven into

your firm’s overall business strategy—and

ongoing messaging across your entire

enterprise, including and involving preferred

suppliers. You’d also need to measure if

those communications were pushing up

levels of policy compliance. On the other

hand, there may be other components of your

SMMP program that need to be developed

before you will want to be at mastery level in

communications. The last thing you want to do

is communicate and set expectations if your

systems are not ready to support the usage.

The bottom line in working with the Maturity

Model and its prescriptive report is to use

them like an online road map. You can select

the route that is right for you, or even use a

combination of several options. Use the new

model’s resources and information to support

your program and plot desired advancement,

rather than make it a measuring stick that will

force you into creating something that doesn’t

fit your organization.

12

Chapter Two

Maximizing Your Meetings Spend

13

Did you ever have those dreams where you show up at high school, enter into a classroom you’ve never been in before and … surprise, there’s a test!

Power Management: Combining Meetings and Business Travel Management

That kind of feeling – where you’re not as prepared as you should be – is how you’re likely to feel

when you sit down with hotels to negotiate discounts and all you’ve got to work with is intelligence

on half your company’s lodging expenditures. Many companies know how much their organization

spends on day-to-day, or transient, business travel – but not meetings travel spend.

by Carol Ann Salcito, President, Management Alternatives, Inc.

14

Where to Get the Insight You NeedThere are such great opportunities available

to corporations that want to maximize their

business travel and meetings spend for greater

savings and control.

But where should you start looking for the

data you’ll need to combine to improve your

negotiations and increase your overall savings?

Capturing transient business travel information

has long been a challenge. Even when travel

management companies or online tools are

suggested or mandated, people still book

outside the system. Corporate cards may

be issued, but people use personal cards or

cash instead. It is inherently difficult to capture

supplier data from expense reports.

Still, these reports represent excellent sources

of business travel information. Promoting

compliance and utilization of the tools

you’ve deployed improves the quality of the

information.

However, as most people realize, meetings

information goes beyond traditional business

travel sources and may be found in purchase

orders, check requests, and other sources

because services are often purchased via

alternate methods. If you have implemented

a strategic meetings management program,

then you are likely using a system like Lanyon

Smart Events Cloud™ to get visibility of the

meetings occurring and using the technology to

manage budgets and capture meeting expense

information for vendors. You can also then

leverage corporate charge card and meeting

card sources to pull in actual cost information.

The reconciliation process – made easy with

some SMM technology via online reconciliation

of budgeted versus actual expenses – helps

to ensure full accounting. Moreover, using

attendee management tools aids in getting

compliance for use of your online booking tools.

Using electronic tools is vastly superior to using

manual systems; electronic tools cut down and

eliminate potential data entry errors, making

your data even more accurate. It’s critical,

too, to set up electronic systems to break

down expense data into various categories,

reflecting spend on such things as room nights,

restaurants, meeting space, and audio-visual.

Tying it All Together: What to Do With Your New DataNow that you’ve collected both meetings and

transient business travel data and can see the

overall picture of information, the next step is

about finding synergies with suppliers you use.

Clients should dissect spend information to

determine how they’re doing business with

key suppliers. Then meet with sales reps from

airlines, hotels, and other vendors to find ways

you can capitalize on your relationships. For

example, you could discover that you’re only

doing one meeting per year with XYZ property,

but you’re also giving them a thousand room

nights in regular business travel spend. That’s

synergy you can then build upon, and you

should be able to leverage some improved

buying power.

Implementing centralized processes for managing both business and meetings travel not only gives you and your organization greater leverage to negotiate with travel suppliers, but also empowers you to make smarter budgeting and forecasting decisions. You get a true picture of total spend so you can tackle areas of costs you haven’t yet begun to control.

Once you can see all your information in one

place, you may want to consider going out

to bid to find new suppliers. Or, if your data

reveals you’re using multiple suppliers in one

particular location, consider paring that number

in order to gain more, concentrated buying

leverage. A caveat, though: make sure you’re

not eliminating vendors that are in any way

unique in providing services you require (and at

the right price), such as a certain type of audio-

visual technology.

The Voice of Authority: Senior Management SupportOnce you’ve analyzed your data and created

set program goals, the next step involves

change management and encouraging

employees to utilize the new preferred supplier

agreements. Enlist the backing of a senior

executive when you’re embarking on a new

course to consolidate travel and meetings

management. It’s a wise idea.

A signed directive by the senior executive

saying that cooperation among all parties

is expected – especially to adopt and use

new meetings management software – is

an effective way to override fears by travel

managers or meeting planners that essential

elements of their jobs will disappear. Often, this

fear stems from the fact that travel managers

and meeting planners don’t fully understand the

benefits of new technology.

If you can get the signature of a CEO, COO,

or CFO on something that says “Here’s why

we’re doing this—and we will do it,” then

you’re convincing people that this is the right

thing to do for your company. If it fits your

culture, you can even go as far as having

senior management pronounce that after three,

two, or even one time ignoring new policies

or technologies, individual travelers won’t

be reimbursed or meeting planners will face

repercussions.

Communicate Well, And Do it Often When it comes to centralizing transient and

meetings travel, it’s always best to tell your

travelers or meeting planners why something

is happening as well as the details about

what is happening. If the economic climate is

challenging, emphasize that it’s being done to

benefit the company’s bottom line. Individuals

will understand, too, because they will learn that

changes are happening to prevent layoffs.

Use every method of communication you would

use to announce something, say, as important

as a change in your healthcare plan. Blast it in

every possible way; for example, through emails,

promotional messages on corporate social

media channels, webinars and messages on

travel portals.

When centralizing transient and meetings

travel, don’t forget to enlist the aid of your travel

partners; for example, travel management

companies, technology partners and your

company’s preferred hotels. Make sure they

understand they’re accountable. Say, “Here’s

the objective of our corporation. If someone

other than the following individuals contact you

to set up a meeting, I need to know about it. If

you don’t let me know, you run the risk of losing

us as a client overall.” Show them samples of

standard contracts and spell out who can sign.

1. Consult multiple sources to find combined meetings/travel data. Corporate, personal and dedicated meeting cards are good sources of actual spend information for both transient and meetings travel. Enlist help from purchasing and accounting to check out data from purchase orders and check requests. Also, rely on reporting tools from your travel and meeting management companies, as well as your meetings management technology provider.

2. Leverage some of that new information on combined spend with suppliers. Even if you discover that you’re only doing one meeting per year with XYZ property, you can still negotiate if you’re also giving them a thousand room nights in regular business travel spend. Consider paring multiple suppliers in order to gain more, concentrated buying leverage.

3. Get backing from your senior management In order to support your new buying power, senior management backing for directives and mandates to use designated suppliers is critical. Spell out repercussions if employees don’t follow rules.

Carol Ann Salcito’s

Top 3 Best Practices It’s a great idea to combine day-to-day business travel spending with meetings spend in order to win better discounts with suppliers. Here are 3 handy best practice tips offered by Management Alternatives’ Carol Ann Salcito!

15

16

1 “The GBTA BTI™ Outlook – United States report, July 2014

Carol began her career in travel management with

United Technologies Corporation, culminating her 18

years with UTC as Director, Corporate Travel. In this

role Carol provided direction and assistance to the

subsidiary companies’ Travel Council. She supervised

the consolidation of UTC’s worldwide travel budget.

Carol joined MAI in 1992 and has served a multitude

of clients in her 18 years with MAI. She transformed

MAI into a multinational consultancy through a legally

registered Trademark and became President and

owner of the company in 2000. Since 2000, MAI

has been a Nationally Certified Women’s Business

Enterprise.

She is an energetic member of the Global Business

Travel Association and completed a four year stint

on the Association’s Board of Governors. Carol has

been the Chairperson of the Education Committee

in the U.S., Shanghai and Brazil and is a past

President of the Connecticut/Westchester Chapter

of the organization. She is the recipient of the

GBTA Professional Service Award from the Chapter

Presidents Council of GBTA.

Carol Ann SalcitoPresident, Management

Alternatives, Inc.

Integration: A Job Never CompletedRunning a consolidated business travel and

meetings operation is quite a challenge since,

for many companies, meetings management

is still the last frontier of overall travel

management.

Strategic meetings management rewards are:

+ Improved savings (SMM best practices can

bring 10-25% savings annually on meetings

spend1) via process efficiencies (e.g.

automation of attendee registration)

and greater supplier buying power

+ New levels of cost control

+ Deeper engagement with attendees

+ Bottom line growth in your business

But travel, meetings, and procurement

managers need to continually communicate

program benefits, track their efforts, and share

program successes with senior management.

Never take it for granted that once you put

something into place, it is the end of the project.

Meeting spend is often neglected in supplier negotiations…even though it is such a huge part of overall business travel. In 2014, U.S. businesses were projected to spend $292 billion1 -- about half of which is meeting spend.

According to a 2012 Business Travel News survey3, 24 percent of all respondents indicated their companies have centrally consolidated all meetings purchasing functions. Of those, more than 50% said they have gained the benefit of leveraging meetings and business travel volume for negotiation purposes.

Fifty-five percent of the travel directors responding to GBTA’s 2012 Travel Management Compensation and Benefits Survey said they are responsible for developing strategic meetings management programs in their companies. The study also revealed a significant increase in travel managers charged with SMMP—42 percent of respondents in 2012 versus 33 percent in the 2011 survey. Meeting planning has also been added to the job responsibilities of a larger pool of respondents: 43 percent of overall respondents said they were responsible for meeting planning in 2012 and 2011, up from 39 percent in 2010.

2 “The Role of Business Travel in the U.S. Economic Recovery,” 2013, conducted by Oxford Economics and funded by the U.S. Travel Association 3 2012 Strategic Meetings Management Survey of 295 corporate travel & meeting professionals

17

E-RFPs are simply an electronic version of a traditional request for proposal that enables “apples-to-apples” comparisons of multiple bids. They can also bind responding suppliers to prices and terms, and require responding suppliers to identify issues they may have with your contracts or addendums. They’ve also dramatically changed the meetings industry in a very short period of time.

Maximizing Supplier Relations with eRFPs: How to Create a Win-Win When Sourcing

Hotel selection was historically a very manual process. Planners were limited to the hotels they

knew and could find in print collateral. Sourcing multiple hotel options across multiple cities could

take months. Then Starcite1 and others built online marketplaces where we could enter key meeting

parameters and receive previously unimaginable amounts of information in a short time frame.

Today, it is common to expect a 24-hour turnaround time for most bids.

by Kari Wendel, SMMC, Senior Director, SMM Strategy + Solutions, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Meetings & Events

1 In January 2012, Starcite was acquired and is now part of Lanyon.

18

This dramatic increase in volume and decrease

in turnaround time caused a necessary shift in

the hotel industry’s RFP response and sales

practices. Prior to the proliferation of eRFPs,

the effort required to introduce properties to

meeting planners throughout the U.S. was

monumental, and limited to the scope and skill

of phone-based sales efforts. And though they

still have to work to build relationships and trust,

the meeting leads are pushed to the hoteliers

and many resources are diverted now to

responding to opportunities online.

The upsides to these changes are many –

efficiency, accuracy of information, volume of

information, qualitative information (such as

reviews from peers) time savings in negotiating

and much more.

But there are downsides, as well. Anyone can

find a hotel that meets their needs, but many

would argue it takes a depth of knowledge

that can’t be replicated by a computer to get

the “right” hotel. And, just because you can put

your eRFP out to 50 hotels, it doesn’t mean

you should. The resources and energy the

hotels expend to turn those 50 bids around in

24 hours are measurable – and don’t result in

business for 49 of them. Those costs are being

passed on to all of us.

Future Opportunities: Information First Many have proposed the industry adopt

an eRFI process – an electronic request for

information. If you’re not ready to offer the

business yet because your meeting sponsor is

still choosing between four locations, you could

issue an RFI to ask for information, rather than

making ten hotels in four locations bid for your

business. You’d get information back which

the meeting host could use to make a more

consolidated decision. And your reputation for

issuing real offers of business as a competent

hotel sourcing expert will be protected.

Expanding the use of eRFPs outside the hotel

universe is another “next” practice. Today,

many companies tweak the system built for

hotel RFPs to work for production services,

ground transportation, audio visual services,

etc. It would be a huge improvement to have

purpose-built functionality for these other

areas. Just as it did with hotel booking, an eRFP

system for other commodity services would

improve efficiency, accuracy, negotiating,

speed, etc.

1. Manage your reputation. With hotels getting more bids than they can possibly manage, and expectations

of turnaround at 24 hours, they often have to prioritize which bids they respond to

quickest. If you want to be at the top of their list, check your close ratio and your

average number of bids per meeting. Hotels know who is serious about offering

real business opportunities.

2. Training, training, training. It’s essential that stakeholders understand not just how to use the eRFP system,

but why. What benefits do they, and the organization, derive from it? How can it

make their lives easier? Use your outputs to continually manage the process. Note,

for instance, that someone booked a hotel in Minneapolis that isn’t one of your two

preferred hotels – and find out why. Explain how this can damage your reputation

with preferred suppliers. This can be another opportunity for education.

3. Keep your supplier relationships strong. eRFPs don’t take away the importance of a personal relationship with your

preferred hotels. Facilitate your bids electronically, but pick up the phone and build

those relationships. You want your hotel to feel comfortable calling you to say, “We

don’t have the exact dates on your eRFP, but if you could shift by one week, we

could offer a great rate.”

Kari Wendel’s

Top 3 Best Practices Optimizing the use of your SMM system at the planner level is critical if you want to reap the benefits at an enterprise level, says Kari Wendel, SMMC, Senior Director, SMM Strategy + Solutions at Carlson Wagonlit Travel Meetings & Events. Here are her recommendations:

19

Kari (Kesler) Wendel has over 20 years in strategic

meetings, travel and sourcing, and in her role as

the Senior Director of SMM Strategy and Solutions,

she is responsible for leading the team of strategic

and operational leaders who identify and implement

strategies for ongoing improvement of clients’ M&E

programs. In conjunction with the CWT Solutions

Group, she also leads CWT M&E’s consulting practice,

which focuses on implementing and managing

strategic meetings management (SMM) programs on

behalf of clients.

Prior to rejoining CWT, Kari created and led her

own consultancy in 2009/2010, KK Strategic

Solutions, where she supported creative strategies

for companies who endeavor to drive innovative

solutions in the meetings, travel, and sourcing

space. In prior years, Kari developed and managed

strategic meetings and travel programs for Honeywell

International, ING, and Xerox. In 2010, Kari was

named the MVP of SMM, and in 2009, Kari was

named a top “Changemaker” in the industry. In

2006, she was elected to the Board of the Global

Business Travel Association, and in 2004 she was

named Best Meetings Practitioner by Business Travel

News. She spearheaded successful development

of the industry’s first professional certification in

Strategic Meetings Management and co-chaired

the development of another industry first: the SMM

Maturity Model.

Kari WendelSMMC, Senior Director,

SMM Strategy + Solutions, Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Meetings & Events

Key Elements in an eRFPThe elements in your eRFP are there not only to elicit prices from vendors, but to make them aware of your internal policies by which they must abide. In addition to your meeting essentials (dates, room blocks, F&B, etc.), your RFP should include (or have attachments for):

+ Your meeting goals

+ Your desired list of concessions

+ Prohibited expenses

+ Company travel rules

+ A conflict of interest disclosure form

+ Prohibited venues

+ A commission disclosure policy

+ A confidentiality statement

+ The selection criteria that will be used to award the bid

+ Any conditions of bidding

+ Legal compliance requirements

+ Competitive and/or privacy requirements

+ Insurance requirements

+ Payment timing requirements

+ Contract templates or language (essential clauses such as attrition, force majeure, hotel quality, price adjustments, etc.)

+ Any special security requirements

+ Alcohol policies

+ Sustainability policies

+ Food donation policies

+ Your social media and/or brand usage guidelines

Training is CriticalStakeholder management is critical to the

success of SMM programs, and training to

drive compliance to eRFPs is central to that

cause. Engage and train your stake holders

purposefully so that they see value in the

process both to the company and to their

own work. Many companies purchase Lanyon

meeting technologies, send a link internally, and

wait for the magic to happen. But if stakeholders

aren’t adequately trained in their use, or don’t

understand how the systems benefit them, the

magic never happens. The lack of stakeholder

management is the #1 reason SMM efforts stall

or fail.

Using the reporting tools to produce metrics on

supplier-specific results will also help manage

your supplier relationships. These systems

will finally put the power of your hotel data in

your hands, as opposed to counting on your

suppliers for quality data. When hotel reps say

they want more of your business, for instance,

you can respond with facts on the number of

times they were offered an opportunity to bid,

the percentage of non-responses, the times

the hotel’s rates weren’t competitive, etc. With

a high level of adoption to the eRFP processes,

you can have the right level of discussion with

suppliers and use the outputs to better support

the enterprise-level goals and objectives linked

to your SMMP.

20

Card Benefits in Action: Meeting cards are beneficial to the management of a strategic meetings management program (SMMP) because they are used exclusively to pay for meeting- and event-related expenditures. In order to keep the data on the meeting expenses “clean,” these meeting cards are not to be used for personal travel and entertainment (T&E) expenses, nor are they to be used for purchases that would go onto a Purchasing Card (P-card), such as office supplies.

Integrating a Meeting Card into Your SMMP

by Betsy Bondurant, Founder, President of Bondurant Consulting

21

Here are some of the key benefits of using a meeting card:

+ Increased visibility into total meeting spend,

since all meeting spend is aggregated on

the meeting card, versus having to pull

information from Purchase Orders, T&E

card information, and General Ledger

line items.

+ Greater insight into the total meeting

and event spend for suppliers allows

for increased leverage with hotels,

destination management companies

(DMCs), audio/visual and ground

transportation companies.

+ Improved process efficiencies because

employees have fewer touch points when

paying for services, as the invoice payment

and reconciliation process is simplified

with fewer steps required. Plus staff is not

“chasing invoices” with an accounts payable

department to check status if the suppliers

have been paid or not

+ Speedier payment and reconciliation

of meeting invoices, because once the

invoice is approved, payment is authorized

immediately on the meeting card.

Today, there is still a huge opportunity for

companies to adopt and benefit from

meeting cards.1

Case Study: Card Brings $168,000 in SavingsWhen I think back on all the times I have helped

companies implement meeting cards as part of

their SMMPs, one really interesting case stands

out – because the client raised productivity and

reduced processing time.

At that firm, the finance department helped to

determine that the company spent an average

$112 to process each supplier purchase order

(PO) and issue a check for payment. When

using a meeting card, there is no need to

initiate a PO or issue individual checks, as

you pay all suppliers each month via a

single billing statement.

Once the company started using the card,

they totaled up how many transactions were

on each card per month. Some planners

only had 15 transactions, while others had

30 or more (the entire planning team had

on average 110 transactions). When the total

number of transactions was multiplied by that

$112 benchmark cost to process POs and

checks, the savings came out to $14,000 cost

avoidance per month, or $168,000 annually.

This was a significant savings metric to add to

the dashboard that went to senior leadership.

Additionally, the centralized meeting planning

team had been tracking time spent on various

aspects of the planning process. One of

“Chasing” unpaid supplier invoices adds hours monthly and days annually to a meeting planner’s time.

Typically, planners get calls from hotels, destination management companies, or other suppliers seeking information on the payment status of an invoice sent or they have to make calls to vendors in the days or weeks following an event to get final bills.

Planners must then track down the information with their A/P department or investigate internally within the financial system.

But with a meeting card, once you reconcile the invoice, you can tell the supplier it is approved and it is immediately processed and paid.

There is no second-guessing when they’ll receive payment.

the process categories was “reconciliation

and payment,” and it found that with the

implementation of the meeting card, the time

spent to reconcile and pay dropped by about

20%. That essentially freed up the total of one

full-time employee for a year.

Yes, the planners still had to reconcile the

supplier invoice, but it was a much simpler

process with the card: once the charges were

authorized by the planner, the supplier applied

the charges to the card.

Everyone knew that the supplier had been

paid, and in record time! Thus there was no

need for time-consuming, follow-up calls from

the supplier to the planner looking for payment

(and subsequently from the planner to Accounts

Payable to check on the status of payment).

Get Leadership, Stakeholders on BoardIf you already have some of the elements of

an SMMP in place, the benefits outlined above

are typically enough to get the endorsement

from senior leadership to move forward with a

meeting card. It’s likely that you will work with

someone in your finance department, the

T&E card administrator and procurement to

help determine if your card should be issued

by the same company as the existing T&E or

P-card issuer.

1 Fewer than 50% of nearly 300 corporate travel and meeting professionals surveyed in Business Travel News’ 2012 Strategic Meetings

Management Survey noted their companies use meeting cards for payment.

1. Implementation Recordkeeping. Work with existing card administrators within your company

to identify the best meeting card solution for your program. Develop written

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in collaboration with audit, finance, legal

and the card issuer. Conduct a beta test with a small group of users for a few

months to work out any bugs in the system before it is rolled out company-wide.

2. Communication Provide live training and develop a training manual for everyone who will be

using the cards – include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in the manual,

for example, “How do I input the account codes for expenses during the

reconciliation process?” Communicate to your suppliers that you will begin using

a meeting card to pay for meeting and event purchases.

3. Monitoring Track and report on statistics:

+ Volume of transactions (overall and by each card holder)

+ Cost avoidance of processing # of transactions via the card,

versus through traditional methods

+ Total dollar volume monthly, quarterly, and annually

+ Expenses by category – hotel, DMC, etc.

+ Identify trends and maverick spending (in order to monitor compliance)

Betsy Bondurant’s

Top 3 Best Practices Implementing a meeting card offers superior visibility into total meeting spend, elevated leverage with suppliers such as hotels and greater administrative efficiencies and savings, such as around payment. Below, Bondurant offers three best practices for adopting and using a dedicated meeting charge card:

There may be a compelling argument to keep

it with the existing provider.

For example, the card company may be

willing to pay a higher rebate, as it also issues

a P-card and T&E card to your company. Or

there could be just as compelling an argument

to go to another issuing company. Perhaps

another issuer has more global acceptance

levels among merchants. Also, the meeting

manager should realize that when it comes

to making the decision on which card to

use, there will likely have to be much more

input from other areas outside of the meeting

organization, such as finance.

Additionally, there very likely could be a role

for the meeting card with the technology you

use to support your SMMP. Some end-to-end

solutions help enhance the reconciliation

process and increase data visibility, so it would

be wise to keep this in mind as one of your

potential business requirements.

The bottom line is that you need to select a

meeting card that will meet all the business

requirements you have identified in order

to make your card program successful. In

recent years, there has been a need to

provide a globally accepted card as a key

business requirement, as more and more

companies are broadening the reach of their

programs outside North America. As more

card providers expand their acceptance levels

globally, the ability to work with one card has

become more of a reality.

That being said, some companies use more

than one card to cover different regions of the

globe. As long as you are doing a good job of

aggregating the data, this solution, although not

ideal, can be very workable.

A meeting card can be appropriate for just

about any SMMP. It can be especially helpful

for a centralized program where the majority of

spend is managed by a few people. In this case,

you could easily assign a card to each individual

meeting planner in the group, who would then

have the responsibility for using the card and

handling the reconciliation according to your

standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Likely there may be other power users in your

organization who would be issued a meeting

card, in addition to those in the meeting

department. There are other examples of

card deployment where a card is issued for

each meeting. This sounds as if it could be

cumbersome but, in fact, is usually a pretty

automated process, depending on the provider.

Once the meeting and related budget is

approved, the card administrator can go online

to the program management section of the

issuer and automatically request a card for the

meeting planner. The planner usually has a card

within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

22

23

Betsy offers a unique 360° perspective with over 30

years industry expertise in hotel sales, meeting &

trade show management, including 12 years of direct

involvement in the discipline of Strategic Meetings

Management.

Betsy began her career in restaurants in 1977,

transitioned into hotel sales and ultimately found her

passion in meeting and trade show management.

During her 15 year tenure at the world’s largest

biotech company, Betsy developed and implemented

a pioneering corporate-wide strategic meeting

management program. This experience also provided

her deep insight into the regulations affecting the

Life Sciences industry. In 2007, she moved from

the corporate meeting world to consulting, much of

which has been within procurement organizations.

In addition to her current work with Fortune 500

companies, Betsy is considered a Subject Matter

Expert in the area of Strategic Meetings Management

Programs and as such, has authored many articles,

developed educational content, and presented to

audiences in North America, Europe and Asia.

Betsy holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel

Administration from the University of Nevada, Las

Vegas. She has been an active member of Meeting

Professionals International (MPI) since 1994; having

served on many international committees, as a

member of the International Board of Directors and is

currently the chair of the Knowledge Advisory Council.

Betsy believes in giving back, and as a result has

participated in a number of industry advisory boards,

panels, and forums. In 2009, Betsy was one of the

first to achieve MPI’s Accredited Trainer designation.

Betsy has been recognized as one of Business Travel

News “Best Practitioners” and has been honored as

one of Meeting News “25 Most Influential People in

the Meetings Industry” and was awarded the 2010

MPI “Chairwoman’s Award”.

Some factors to consider when developing meeting card SOPs+ Clearly identify what suppliers and types

of charges are appropriate for the meeting card, and specify those that are not.

+ Assign monthly spend limits to planners based on the scope of meetings they typically plan.

+ Develop a reconciliation review process to be administered by supervisors.

+ Identify cut-off dates for online reconciliation and approval in alignment with the corporate payment timeline.

Betsy BondurantFounder, President of Bondurant Consulting

The amount of funds available on the card

is equal to the meeting budget, which really

helps with controlling spending. If more money

is required because of a change in scope of

the meeting, the card limit can be increased

through preexisting approval procedure. If

you have an outsourced program where your

planners are third-party professionals, you

can still implement a card program and have

it managed by the third party. Most suppliers

embrace the meeting card because it gives

them speedy payment for services, even

though they are paying a nominal service fee

to the card issuer. Many suppliers make the

strategic decision to accept the meeting card

because it is a requirement of becoming a

preferred supplier for a specific organization.

But once they integrate meeting card

acceptance into their method of operation, they

see how it improves their client relationships.

Preventing fraudSOPs were mentioned earlier. This is one

major aspect of implementing a meeting card

that cannot be overlooked. Internal auditing

departments, in addition to the card provider

and corporate program administrator, can

develop well-thought-out SOPs that protect their

companies from fraudulent use of cards.

It is important to remember that card data is

a tremendous enhancement to the overall

understanding of your SMMP spend. The card

data reflects actual spend (versus bookings

only) and supplies another layer of business

intelligence that helps to maximize your buying

power, provides clarity to spending patterns

of those utilizing the card, and helps to control

expenditures by placing spend limits by planner,

meeting, or supplier type.

Data is power. Meeting cards, and the business

intelligence they provide, are truly powerful.

24

Chapter Three

Managing Risk in Regulated Industries

25

Financial Risk Mitigation in Meetings Management

Many stakeholders play a key role in financial risk mitigation in meetings management, each with varying responsibilities. A meeting planner, for instance, is responsible for becoming educated on the risk exposure

circumstances that could occur during an event, as well as developing appropriate mitigation plans.

A meetings leader has the responsibility for providing overarching risk mitigation plans for meetings

and events. The Travel department owns the responsibility for providing group air risk mitigation

plans, while Procurement must provide the contractual support and vendor selection risk mitigation

plans. Finally, Finance owns the responsibility for providing payment solutions for meetings and

events with the most transparency and itemization of expenses.

by Debi Scholar, Global Cross-Divisional Category Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category Congress & Events, Novartis

26

There are several key financial risks inherent without a Strategic Meetings Management Program.

RISK RESULTFailure to maintain financial controls

Financial risk exists where proper visibility and transparency of costs

and supplier selection criteria is missing. Organizations are required to

maintain financial controls, and without a managed meetings program, most

organizations cannot report the total meeting/event spend, savings or size

of program. This unmanaged spend can be uncovered by a spend analysis

of accounts payable data, expense data and all card products (e.g. meeting

cards, purchasing cards, ghost cards).

Return on investment

Without a strategic meetings management program, it is challenging for

an organization to calculate the total value and return on investment of its

meetings. For example, a meetings program produces efficiency, savings

and risk mitigation – all of which can be measured at both the individual

meeting level, as well as the overarching program level. A managed program

provides the right data to calculate gains and costs for reporting the return on

investment.

Disputes, payments and expense reconciliation

Organizations may not be able to identify the percentage of errors and

disputes that occur on invoices generated from meetings and events

without an SMMP. In addition, when multiple payment methods are used, it is

challenging to even identify meeting and event spend.

Meeting and event spend is found in over 40 SIC (Standard Industrial

Classification) codes. When check requests are used instead of a card product

(e.g. meeting cards, P-cards, ghost cards), level 31 data is lost, and meeting

spend is more challenging to capture and analyze.

It is an industry best practice to use meeting cards or P-cards so all meeting

spend can be consolidated for enhanced transparency. A card product will

also allow for quicker payment to suppliers, which can result in discounts.

When the Professional Association for the Commercial Card and Payment

Industry analyzed the cost of a traditional purchase order process to that

of the purchasing card process, the estimated savings was $63.04 per

transaction, and 25 steps were eliminated in the process, thereby improving

efficiency and speeding supplier payments.

RISK RESULTAttrition and cancellation penalties

Without a strategic meetings management program, staff that plans meetings

may incur attrition and/or cancellation penalties. And, if the right contract

language is not included, significant money could be lost. Even when

contracts have the proper language, credits can expire because a planner

may not communicate the credit availability throughout the organization when

others are planning meetings.

Fragmented spend

There is a financial risk of fragmented spend with numerous suppliers

without an SMMP – which decreases negotiation influence. For instance, if

an organization does not strategically source hotels, ground transportation or

destination management company services, the organization may be paying

too much without leveraged buying power.

Lead Times Without a strategic meetings management program, there is often a lack

of proper forecasting for meetings and events. Rather than a consultative

approach to working with business units to understand their future meeting

needs, a meeting planner will frequently be in a reactive position of planning

meetings without the needed lead times – often resulting in cost overruns.

Unclaimed Value Added Taxes (VAT)

Without a global SMMP there can be a financial risk exposure of unclaimed

Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds. A VAT is charged on many meetings held

outside of the U.S. in countries where VAT is collected. It is important to put a

process in place to reclaim VAT so as not to lose that money.

¹ Level 3 card data offers more detailed expenses. In addition to common expense data such as name, merchant, amount of transaction and

transaction authorization date, it also provides a more thorough description of the services or products purchased if the merchant uses those

fields of data.

27

A financial risk assessment – often a component

of a total meetings risk exposure assessment –

should be performed quarterly, to include:

+ Total meeting spend directed through the

SMMP, and “rogue” or “maverick” spend

from outside the program, which may be at

risk. During this task, the method of payment

should also be analyzed.

+ A review of meeting spend reports that have

identified ROI, savings, cost avoidance and

VAT reclaimed.

+ A review of penalty credits that have been

used and are still outstanding, in addition to a

review of the meeting requesters who turned

away or refused the use of available credits.

+ Strategic sourcing missed opportunities by

a review of the suppliers used and savings

accumulated.

+ A review of the meeting program reports to

identify the lead times on meeting planning.

Do not accept the often repeated belief that

it is impossible to calculate your total meeting

spend. A spend analysis is one of the first tasks

you should complete to better understand your

financial opportunities. And if you are a planner,

do not think you cannot make a difference.

Many meetings management programs start at

the planner level.

In a 2013 American Express Meetings & Events Risk Exposure Research study, of the seven identified risk mitigation categories (see Page 28), meetings leaders and planners rated “financial” and “legal/regulatory” as the most important risk mitigation areas for meetings management. Other results include:

• 75% of leaders expect that ROI is being calculated for their meetings, whereas 37% of planners do not calculate ROI.

• 52% of planners do not receive a budget when the meeting planning begins.

• 50% of planners and leaders said their policy does not require the use of available credits.

• 36% of planners said they are “neutral” or “unlikely” to use available credits, while 36% of leaders said they either do not know about the use of credits or there is no process in place to use credits at their organization that result from penalties incurred.

• 27% of leaders said their organization cannot track meeting expenses.

• 32% of leaders are unable to report all meeting expenses.

• 50% of planners and leaders pay for meetings using accounts payable and check requests rather than using a meetings card that provides transparency and is less costly.

1. Be sure to include savings and cost avoidance ...from all the suppliers, including available credits. It is best if meetings management technology is used and mandated to capture all meetings data.

2. Conduct a spend analysis ...using data from Accounts Payable, expenses and card products to get a view of your total meeting spend.

3. Take a consultative, pro-active approach ...and meet with meeting requesters on a regular basis to obtain their upcoming meetings calendar six to 12 months in advance.

4. Use meeting management technology ...that offers budget calculators to help your meeting requesters develop their meeting budgets in advance.

5. Update the meeting policy ...to include language that strongly encourages the use of available credits when sourcing properties.

Debi Scholar’s

Best PracticesTo begin better mitigating your meeting and event financial risks, Debi Scholar, Global Cross-Divisional Category Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category Congress & Events, Novartis, recommends you start with these five steps:

28

StrategyThe risk of not meeting the strategic objectives

of the organization arising from adverse

business decisions or improper implementation

of those decisions in the SMMP.

ReputationThe risk of not meeting the strategic objectives

of the organization which may arise from

negative public opinion.

Business OperationsThe risk that the organization’s structure,

processes, procedures and controls are not

designed or functioning as designed to support

the organization’s SMM objectives.

There are seven major risk exposure categories in meetings and events without a Strategic

Meetings Management Program in place. In addition to financial risk exposure, the other six risk

exposure categories include:

Legal/Regulatory RiskThe risk of not meeting the strategic

objectives of the organization arising from

the company’s failure to comply with external

laws and regulations.

Information TechnologyThe risk of not meeting the strategic

objectives of the organization arising from

the inability to implement efficient and

effective information systems.

Market RiskThe risk of not meeting the strategic

objectives of the organization arising from

the inability to adapt to changing external

factors and service customers.

Debi Scholar is Global Cross-Divisional Category

Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category

Congress & Events, at Novartis. Prior to that, she was

Director, Managed Meetings Strategies at American

Express. From 2010-2013, she was President of

Scholar Consulting Group, where she consulted

with clients on strategic meetings management

and effectiveness, travel and entertainment (T&E)

expenses and card products. Before owning her

own consulting firm, she held various Director-level

positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a T&E /

Meetings Advisory Lead Consultant, Meetings and

Group Travel Director, and Training and Development

Director. Debi also led her own Training and

Development firm.

Debi has authored four books on meetings and

events, co-authored two additional books on

meetings, was named one of The 25 Most Influential

People in the Meetings Industry in 2013 by Successful

Meetings Magazine, was the co-chair of the GBTA

Groups & Meetings Committee, a GBTA Foundation

Board Member, named a “Mover and Shaker” of the

industry by Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine,

and was named a Top 20 Changemaker by Corporate

Meetings & Incentives Magazine.

With a strong commitment to continuous learning and

improvement, Debi holds the following certifications

and designations: Certificate in Meetings

Management, Certified Meeting Professional, Global

Leadership Professional, Global Travel Professional,

Corporate Travel Expert, Six Sigma Green Belt,

Certified Technical Trainer, and a Certified B.A.N.K.

Sales Trainer.

Debi is based in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

Debi ScholarGlobal Cross-Divisional Category Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category Congress & Events,

at Novartis.

Other Meetings & Events Risk Categories

© Debi Scholar 2011. Design by Lanyon.

Most important risk mitigation areas for meetings management

Strategy+ Align SMMP to organizational goals+ Efforts in policy development

Financial+ Maintain financial controls+ Manage penalities+ Report savings / cost avoidance

Reputation+ Reduce exposure to negative public opinion+ Strive for win/win negotiations

Information Technology+ Enable end-to-end business process and integration with other systems+ Secure data (e.g. PII)

Legal / Regulatory+ Manage regulatory (e.g. SOX, HCP)+ Manage contractual+ Document retention+ Insurance riders

Business Operations+ Efficient business processes and comtinuity+ Right resourcing+ Crisis Management

Market Risk+ Customer Satisfaction + Branding and marketing + Competitive analysis

29

Chapter Four

Audience Engagementin SMM

30

Gamification has evolved beyond its buzzword roots and has now become a proven and widespread engagement strategy. People want to gamify their websites, their communities and their internal applications. They want game-like experiences on the show floor, during education sessions and on all their social channels. In fact, according to Gartner Research, 70 percent of Global 2000 companies will use gamification solutions by 2015.¹

1 Gartner press release, 2011

Strategies to Engage Attendees: The Science of Gamification

by Tyler Altrup, Gamification Guru

31

So what is gamification? Quite simply, it’s the

process of using game, social and reputation

mechanics to drive desired behaviors. Members

not posting enough in your community? Offer

points for each post that can recognize them

as “key influencers.” Buyers not visiting enough

booths? Create a scavenger hunt on the show

floor that drives them to specific booths for

relevant information. Virtual event attendees

not participating during sessions? Create a

leaderboard online that designates various titles

for various levels of involvement.

Events are unique in that they have many

technology touch points – mobile apps, the

show website, maybe a community, multiple

social media fronts, check-ins and other digital

activities. Gamification can help to:

+ Unify: Tie all pieces of the event experience,

including online and offline behaviors,

together into a single program

+ Motivate and Recognize: Engage attendees

more fully in the event – and recognize them

for that

+ Optimize: Analyze behavior data to constantly

improve programs

Case StudyStarting in 2012, a Fortune 100 technology

company which hosts an annual user

conference, attended by as many as 15,000

customers, wanted to increase the engagement

level of its online user community. It had more

than 250,000 community members, but faced a

challenge in motivating them to post messages,

complete profiles, answer questions, etc. The

firm needed to encourage members to do more

to stay actively engaged within the community

and to increase the community’s utility and

value to all members.

To do so this company worked with a vendor to

create a system that awarded points for various

activities – 180 points for posting a blog, 160

points for starting a discussion, 200 points for

answering a question, and so on. The annual

user conference was tied into the program as

well, with activities such as checking in with

your badge at a designated location earning

community points.

1. Design first for simplicity. Identify the four or five key event behaviors you want to influence.

2. Define a specific mission ...that captures all your event technology touch points for those attending. (And use social technology so those who couldn’t attend can follow along.)

3. Focus on your rewards. What will motivate your attendees? Status? Recognition? Access? Privilege?

Tyler Altrup’s

Top 3 Best Practices Engaging attendees through gamified experiences has many benefits, including improved booth traffic and lead gen; connecting all the technology touch points of your event into a single recognition program; and motivating the behaviors you want while delivering a more meaningful experience for attendees. If you want to get started with your own gamification program, here are three tips from Tyler Altrup.

Tyler Altrup is a Gamification Guru & Former Solutions

Architect at Badgeville, The Behavior Platform. He

has a background in solution architecture, marketing

program development, sales, and brand management.

Currently, Tyler is a Senior Sales Consultant at

Oracle Marketing Cloud. He is a frequent blogger on

TylerAltrup.com.

Twitter: @TylerAltrup

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tyleraltrup

Tyler Altrup Gamification Guru

Next, a series of “missions” were created.

Online it might be 50 comments to unlock a

“Master Commentator” badge, or 100 visits to the

community to earn the “Frequent Visitor” badge.

At the show, groups of relevant booths were

tied together into ‘tracks’.

As a member’s point total rises, they earn

rewards. Rewards provide virtual recognition on

a community profile, but also leveraged various

social media platforms to give social recognition.

Beyond that, however, the company wanted to

offer access and privilege. Anyone unlocking

a certain badge, for instance, might be entered

into a raffle for a personal meeting with the

company’s senior executives or subject matter

experts. You can certainly give away iPads or

other prizes, but we see that virtual rewards,

social recognition and special privileges can be

even more impactful.

It’s also crucial that the “badges” are framed as

a component of their expertise. We didn’t call it

the “booth adventure” badge. We called it the

“Product Expert” reward. The system of rewards

and missions must be relevant and meaningful

for all participants.

On the show floor, several relevant parts of the

experience were tied together. Exhibitors saw

more booth traffic and contacts, and the firm

was able to understand more about those in

their community and their interactions with the

company.

The experience can also work to extend the

event’s life cycle to motivate behaviors before,

during and after.

You can even look at rewarding cross-event

behaviors at partner or affiliate events. This

company awarded activities at its own show as

well as partner and affiliate events.

Delivering Business Outcomes Gamification platforms and design strategies

can drive substantial value for event programs.

First, they provide event managers with a

toolkit to connect the many attendee behaviors

into a single system. They also motivate

and recognize attendees to drive increased

engagement, including scanning and lead

generation. Most importantly, technologies like

Badgeville – working with event management

technology – enable event managers with the

data to understand their audiences and the

tools to influence them.

32

33

Could tagging photos on Facebook of clients at a company event be considered a “testimonial” by the Securities & Exchange Commission? Are the 2011 annual meeting LinkedIn posts from an ex-employee e-discoverable?

Managing SocialMedia Compliancewithin FinancialServices Industries

Will your event live-tweeting policy prevent a Gene Morphis-type incident? (You’ll recall,

Morphis is the ex-CFO of clothing retailer Francesca’s, who was fired for “improperly

communicating company information through social media” after he tweeted “Board Meeting.

Good Numbers=Happy Board” six days before earnings information from the first quarter was

scheduled to be released.)

The fact is, social media compliance is still new, and many regulations have yet to be tested.

Frankly, there’s still question as to whether the rules applied to “registered persons” even have

to be followed by those in other departments. It all really depends on your corporate culture.

Every compliance department has its own way of interpreting the rules into daily operations. The

guidelines issued by regulators are not prescriptive. They’re meant to be interpreted.

In January, 2010, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued its first guidance on

social media. Regulatory Notice 10-06: Guidance on Blogs and Social Networking Websites,

breaks down the regulations into four main categories. And while each type of financial services

firm (institutional, insurance, retail banking, securities) has its own set of rules, and its own

regulators, most follow these same general concepts.

by Joanna Belbey, Social Media and Compliance Specialist, Actiance

It should be noted, as well, that most of these regulations were put in place to protect investors and the general public. Whether they apply to company meetings where only employees are present is open to some debate. Social networks, however, by their very nature, can often blur the line between in-house and outside communication. And again, the corporate culture at individual firms will vary, and whether regulated or not, some firms tend to use these guidelines as best practices to be applied company-wide.

1. Recordkeeping. All written communications for “business

as such” must be captured, archived and

made e-discoverable. If litigation arises,

regulators want to see who said what, to

whom and when. So you can imagine how

this might affect a live-tweeting policy at

an event. You’re either going to need a

software program to capture the tweets,

or you’re going to have to print out each

tweet, have it initialed and filed. It’s been

easier for some firms to simply ban the

use of Twitter at events.

2. Suitability. Financial advisors must make

recommendations suitable for each

individual customer. Since you can’t

possibly make the same recommendation

to all who are “following” you, most

companies prohibit recommendations on

social media – as well as recommendation

engines such as on LinkedIn.

+ Data Leakage. Inadvertent or malicious leaks of intellectual property, trade secrets, client information, etc.

+ Incoming Threats. Employees know not to click on suspicious links, but within social media we relax and share, inviting malware, spyware, inappropriate content and more.

+ Rules and Regulations. There are over 10,000 rules to wade through from various regulatory bodies that impact social media – and it’s growing daily.

+ Employee Behavior. Everyone employee is now the face of the business – good or bad.

Social Media: Blurring Event Lines

3. Advertising. Ensuring that ads are truthful, and not

misleading, “static ads” (think print and

web banners) must be pre-approved by

a principal of the firm, while “interactive

communications” (LinkedIn or Facebook

posts, for instance) can be supervised “after

the fact.” What percentage the compliance

department wants to see is set by each

company.

Testimonials fall under the advertising

category, as well. They’re prohibited by the

SEC, and the bar is set so high by FINRA that

most firms simply don’t use them.

4. Supervision. This is probably the most important one. You

are required to have a plan and a process in

place to look at all written communications.

But it’s not enough to have the plan – there

must be evidence you’ve followed it. I know

firms that literally take screen shots of their

Facebook page daily and have it signed off

on and filed.

Joanna Belbey’s

Top 3 Social Media Compliance Best Practices Using social media at financial services events requires great care. Strict guidelines need to be followed.

The Risks of Using Social Media

1. Recordkeeping. Once you decide which social media platforms you’re going to use, devise a plan for capturing, archiving and making your posts e-discoverable.

2. Supervision. Have a plan and a process in place to look at all social media communications – and make sure there’s evidence you’ve followed the plan.

3. Compliance. Work with your compliance department. Explain the positive effects social media could have on your events. Will it drive more attendees? Enhance learning? Be specific.

34

35

Joanna is a Social Media and Compliance Specialist

for Actiance. She helps regulated firms (such as

securities and insurance firms) use social media

effectively, while complying with rules and regulations.

Joanna is an enthusiastic user of social media (follow

her on Twitter @belbey) and provides strategic

counsel and support on best practices for digital

marketing and content strategies.

At the intersection of social media and compliance,

Joanna speaks and live tweets at events such as:

LinkedIn’s FinanceConnect 2013, CEFLI, LIMRA /

LOMA, Social Media Week, SIFMA Social Media

Seminar, SIFMA Tech Leaders Forum 2012, Net.

Finance, OpenText, Social Media World Forum, Utilities

+ Energy Compliance, JD Power Financial Services

Social Media Roundtable, Annual Digital Marketing

Services Summit and several Business Development

Institute webinars and in-person events.

Joanna joined Actiance after running a financial

services compliance training firm for several years.

Prior to that, she led content development, marketing

strategy (digital and traditional) and delivery for as

many as 350 financial services compliance education

programs per year at FINRA (Financial Industry

Regulatory Authority) for six years.

Joanna came to FINRA with 15 years of experience

consulting with C-Level executives to develop

marketing and digital strategies for products

designed for the financial services industry. She is a

member of the Financial Women’s Association (FWA)

Communications and Digital Media Committee, is

pursuing a Film and Video Production Certificate at

New York University, and graduated from the School

of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

What to include in a social media use policy for events

+ Which networks you’ll use and how.

+ Which social networks will not be used.

+ Who will be allowed to post on the approved networks and how often.

+ The rules and guidelines the posters must abide by.

+ The types of content that will be allowed – educational, motivational, marketing, etc.

+ What percentage of communications you’ll have pre-approved, by whom and when.

+ The training you’ll set up for posters.

+ The use (or non-use) of photos in social media.

+ The use (or non-use) of clients in social media.

+ The specific guidelines on the use of social media live, on-site.

+ What guidelines will employees at company events be held to? No photos? No tweets? Will Facebook check-ins be allowed?

+ What is the plan for capturing text-polling or other written communications designed to increase engagement on-site?

+ Prepare a risk-based approach for the frequency of event social media monitoring and review.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet at The EventAs social media grows in importance as a

tool for event planners to excite and engage

attendees before, during and after an event,

outright bans on the use of it can limit the

experiential value of the event, and soften the

effectiveness the planner can have on event

outcomes.

Two to three years ago, use policies tended to

prohibit all social media. But the majority now

allows at least business card-type information

on LinkedIn. But still no posting. The next step

is usually a controlled corporate presence, with

maybe a dozen people allowed to post.

If you’re feeling restricted by social media

prohibitions in your organization, the first step is

the compliance department. Explain the positive

effects social media could have on your events

– with specific examples of how it will improve

the effectiveness of your events. Will it drive

more attendees? Enhance learning? Be specific.

If, like a surprising number of firms, you still have

no social media use policy, offer to draft one for

at least the event department.

In addition to helping prepare the event use

policy, plan to work further ahead than normal.

Think through as many of your Facebook and

LinkedIn posts and tweets in advance and have

them pre-approved.

The important thing to remember is that pretty

much everything is possible if you have a

compliance policy for it.

Joanna Belbey Social Media and Compliance

Specialist, Actiance

Chapter Five

Global SMM

36

37

Though the implementation of strategic meetings management programs is just underway in Asia, my prediction is that we’ll see adoption move more quickly than it did through the EMEA countries [Europe, Middle East, Africa]. We can take advantage of the lessons learned, and, in general, the Asian business community moves quickly.

SMM in Asia: New Opportunities and Challenges

There are challenges, certainly, but I believe that in 12 months, the Asia Pacific region will be fully

market ready for SMMPs. Interest is high and meetings for multinational corporations are growing

significantly – much more than in North America and Europe. There are probably five to 10 SMMPs

currently launching in the Asia Pacific region. At Pacific World, we’ve just been awarded an SMMP

role with a global organization, and have begun implementation of processes, technology and

planning our first meetings under that umbrella.

by Herve Joseph-Antoine, Global Managing Director, Pacific World

38

Challenge #1: A Multi-Country Setting The first challenge will be familiar to anyone

who’s worked in the EMEA countries. Asia,

too, is a multi-country setting. There are about

15 countries considered in the Asia Pacific

region, with huge differences in languages,

work habits, supplier bases, booking cultures,

etc. Managing any kind of program in the Asia

Pacific region requires a strong knowledge

of, and perspective on, each and every one of

those countries.

Challenge #2: Agency FragmentationThe landscape of meeting and events

companies is far different than in North America

or EMEA countries. The agencies are more

fragmented here. There are very few regional

players. So you end up with individual agencies

in each country. Procurement involvement in

meetings is limited, and very few companies

have referenced agencies, even at a country

level. In general, corporations probably work

with 200 agencies across Asia. That’s a lot of

entities that will need to adopt SMM procedures.

If I’m a multinational corporation working in the

Asian countries, and I want to efficiently manage

my spend across the region, that’s too many

agencies to work with.

Challenge #3: Hotel Chain Penetration Fragmentation on the supplier side is another

challenge. The penetration of hotel chains, for

instance, is lower in Asia than in North America

or EMEA. So the coverage and standardization

from a product perspective, and from a

procurement perspective, has been lacking.

Challenge #4: Rapid GrowthGrowth in meeting spend in Asia is currently

10 to 20 percent annually, with the number

and size of meetings up dramtiacally, as well.

Regional conferences are on the rise, as are

incentive meetings. Implementing SMMPs amid

such changes is difficult since we’re dealing

with moving targets.

Challenge #5: Lack of TechnologyWe’re also still waiting on the SMM technology

providers to make greater inroads into Asia.

Probably 80 percent of their presence is in

North America, with the rest of their business in

EMEA – and quite a limited presence in Asia. 1. Get buy-in from senior management in the region. They will be the ones who must communicate the plan through roadshows, training programs, etc.

2. Involve each country. Laws and regulations related to travel and meetings vary greatly from country to country. Input from each country will be critical to the success of a regional SMMP.

3. Get started immediately. Things are going to move quickly in the next 12 months, and if you’re not working on the implementation of an SMMP, you may get left behind.

Herve Joseph-Antoine’s

Top 3 Best Practices There are both great challenges and great opportunities for SMMPs in Asia. Herve Joseph-Antoine, Global Managing Director at Singapore-based Pacific World, recommends the following steps to get started.

Challenges

Having said all that, however, we in Asia are

used to these challenges. This is the nature of

our region. And in terms of market readiness,

things are changing quickly. On the hotel side,

the proportion of chain properties is booming.

On the technology side, Lanyon and other

companies are moving into Asia, recruiting

teams and building a presence in the region.

39

Opportunity #1: Control of Growth and Meeting SpendFor multinational corporations headquartered

here – or in North America or Europe – adding

SMMPs to their Asia meetings is high on the

agenda because these companies need to

design a strategy for the region. Should they

be holding more national or more regional

meetings? Where is the wisest investment? Also,

in many cases, the growth in meeting spend

is outpacing the growth of the company. An

SMMP will give companies the visibility needed

across a multi-country environment to manage

this growth phase. And, when companies are

deciding on meetings locations in Asia it also

gives them an opportunity to understand the

business culture of new countries for future

sales strategies.

Opportunity #2: Improved Regulatory ComplianceCompliance and corporate governance is

becoming a key topic, as well. We need

to work with our customers according to

their compliance regulations in terms of

anti-corruption policies, supplier interaction

policies, social responsibility issues and

safety and security measures. This, in turn,

enables us to incorporate good practices and

processes across the region. Practices vary

widely between China, Thailand, Malaysia and

Indonesia, for instance. We need practices that

are more visible and regionally aligned.

Opportunity #3: Strategic Sourcing There is also great opportunity in terms of

procurement. Hotels in Asia are booming.

Implementing SMMPs will enable increased

levels of standards in terms of booking

processes, meeting space and costs. Being

able to bring strategic sourcing into the picture,

with A/V companies and ground transportation,

is another bonus.

Implementation of SMMPs in the Asia Pacific

region will give multinational organizations

a fully holistic view of their entire meeting

program – including areas where meeting

spend is growing significantly. There is great

global strategic value in driving the Asia Pacific

region to SMM programs.

The first step is related to senior management

in the region. They must buy in to the program

and communicate the plan. But I can’t stress

enough the importance of country-level

involvement for SMM programs in the Asia

Pacific region. Successful programs cannot be

driven centrally. It requires strong involvement

from each country in the region. Environments

here are even more diverse than in Europe.

In Europe, you have language differences

and divergent national practices in meetings

management. But in Asia, there are more laws

and regulations related to travel and meetings.

And they vary from country to country. The input

from each country will be crucial.

Herve Joseph-Antoine is the Global Managing

Director of Pacific World, a 30-year-old meetings

and events services company, DMC and PCO,

headquartered in Asia, with 31 offices in Asia, Europe,

the Middle East and Africa. He is based in Singapore.

Prior to joining Pacific World, Herve managed CWT

Meetings & Events Europe, Middle East and Africa, a

division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, based in Paris.

Herve has a background in consulting, sales, account

management and marketing. He began his career in

the airline industry. A French and Indian citizen, Herve

holds engineering and finance degrees.

Herve Joseph-Antoine

Global Managing Director, Pacific World

Opportunities

About LanyonLanyon believes that when people come together amazing things happen, relation-ships are built and business gets done. This is why we have created the industry’s leading cloud-based software for managing corporate meetings, events and travel programs. From a one-to-one sales meeting, employee training or a large flagship customer conference, Lanyon’s unmatched software and the data it provides helps thousands of organizations and hotels around the world to better engage their customers, reduce costs and grow revenue. The proof of the results that we deliver is demonstrated by the customers that choose us, including over 80 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 10,000 small and medium businesses and over 100,000 hotels.

Herve Joseph-AntoineGlobal Managing Director, Pacific World

Betsy BondurantFounder, President of Bondurant Consulting

SMM ChampionsAuthors

Kevin IwamotoVP Industry Strategy, Lanyon

Carol Ann SalcitoPresident, Management Alternatives, Inc.

Kari WendelSMMC, Senior Director, SMM Strategy + Solutions, Carlson Wagonlit Travel Meetings & Events

Linda McNairyFormer Chair GBTA Foundation Maturity Model Task Force; Head of Business Development - Meetings North America at American Express Meetings & Events

Debi ScholarGlobal Cross-Divisional Category Leader/Director Virtual Meetings, Div Category Congress & Events, Novartis

Tyler AltrupGamification Guru

Joanna BelbeySocial Media and Compliance Specialist, Actiance

40

“Nine authors have come together in one place to share their stories about the theory, practice and the mastery of strategic meetings management, or simply, SMM.”

JR ShermanPresident and Chief Strategy Officer, Lanyon

www.lanyon.com US: +1 800 473 6748 info@Lanyon.com / @Lanyon

For more information, please visit:

Copyright 2013, 2014, 2015 - 3rd Edition