Microsoft's Rodney Clark on CEMA's stage
Photo: BizBash
FROM LAS VEGAS The Corporate Event Marketing Association’s annual conference kicked off at Red Rock resort here on Sunday and runs through today. On Monday, the first full day of sessions included a seminar on integrating technology into event strategy from Microsoft’s Rodney Clark, plus keynote speeches by author Robert Sutton and Joie de Vivre founder and C.E.O. Chip Conley. We asked attendees about their most pressing issues right now. (Spoiler alert: Budgets and the economy loom large.)
“Event measurement and making sure we get what we need out of events. It’s not really a company mandate [yet] as much as it’s what we think will be required at some point.”
—Anne Stubington, senior manager of corporate events, Research in Motion“The economy is affecting all of us. It affects everything we do because the fewer sponsorships you have, the less money you have to put on a great event."
—Tracy Guerra, director of game management, Fiesta Bowl
“Our issue is having enough people resources. Our meeting [Automation World] has grown from about 500 attendees to 5,000, so to have enough people to execute that is a challenge. It’s about having enough man power.”
—Brian Hudson, marketing manager, ABB Inc.
“It’s the same issue that’s been around since the inception of our business: how to stand out in a crowd. You have to really look at things a little differently [in terms of strategy]. [Because of] the Internet, we had to come up with new ways of doing things. For us it’s about integrating the various touch points, telling one continuous [brand] story. What keeps our clients up is how to do more with less.”
—Greg Moyer, director of client strategies and innovation, the Brand Experience
“The biggest thing is measurement and tracking. My thing is that, as an industry, we’ve got to rally around a common set of metrics at some point. [To standardize metrics would] help companies [big and small] so we can talk about results that are consistent in the industry. Just having a benchmark is important.”
—Rodney Clark, general manager of U.S. partner services and evangelism, Microsoft
“I worry that now we have less information because the time cycle has been so condensed. It’s all about limited time and information.”
—Bill Smith, senior creative director, Impact Unlimited
“It’s being able to do the same thing with less money and less staff. We went from a team of five to two. None of the events got cut, but the budgets got cut.”
—Deanna MacNally, senior events manager, Cadence Design Systems Inc.
“Some of the hot issues for us are short deadlines, short turnaround on proposals, which makes it hard to do our best work. Lead time seems to be shrinking.”
—Kim Davis, account executive, Encore Productions
“For the longest time, the issue was of course the state of our city. Now it’s economics. Now it’s about making things more affordable. My responsibility is to sell meetings, and cost [is the biggest issue facing meeting planners] right now.”
—Jan Lohman, sales manager, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
“What is driving people crazy these days is when information changes and it’s not updated in all places [where all event organizers and attendees can view it]. It’s about controlling information flow, for both exhibit companies and exhibitors.”
—Howard Ferrier, sales manager, GES
“Budget. Because we see the increase in costs of doing business—food and beverage, and labor. And then in addition to that, we’re trying to develop ideas to be more green, to change our practices.”
—Mrinal Warburton, senior account manager, Opus Solutions
“We just launched a mobile demo—a semi truck. So our biggest issue generally is logistics.”
—Miriam Erisman, global events marketing coordinator, Ciena Communications
“Event measurement and making sure we get what we need out of events. It’s not really a company mandate [yet] as much as it’s what we think will be required at some point.”
—Anne Stubington, senior manager of corporate events, Research in Motion“The economy is affecting all of us. It affects everything we do because the fewer sponsorships you have, the less money you have to put on a great event."
—Tracy Guerra, director of game management, Fiesta Bowl
“Our issue is having enough people resources. Our meeting [Automation World] has grown from about 500 attendees to 5,000, so to have enough people to execute that is a challenge. It’s about having enough man power.”
—Brian Hudson, marketing manager, ABB Inc.
“It’s the same issue that’s been around since the inception of our business: how to stand out in a crowd. You have to really look at things a little differently [in terms of strategy]. [Because of] the Internet, we had to come up with new ways of doing things. For us it’s about integrating the various touch points, telling one continuous [brand] story. What keeps our clients up is how to do more with less.”
—Greg Moyer, director of client strategies and innovation, the Brand Experience
“The biggest thing is measurement and tracking. My thing is that, as an industry, we’ve got to rally around a common set of metrics at some point. [To standardize metrics would] help companies [big and small] so we can talk about results that are consistent in the industry. Just having a benchmark is important.”
—Rodney Clark, general manager of U.S. partner services and evangelism, Microsoft
“I worry that now we have less information because the time cycle has been so condensed. It’s all about limited time and information.”
—Bill Smith, senior creative director, Impact Unlimited
“It’s being able to do the same thing with less money and less staff. We went from a team of five to two. None of the events got cut, but the budgets got cut.”
—Deanna MacNally, senior events manager, Cadence Design Systems Inc.
“Some of the hot issues for us are short deadlines, short turnaround on proposals, which makes it hard to do our best work. Lead time seems to be shrinking.”
—Kim Davis, account executive, Encore Productions
“For the longest time, the issue was of course the state of our city. Now it’s economics. Now it’s about making things more affordable. My responsibility is to sell meetings, and cost [is the biggest issue facing meeting planners] right now.”
—Jan Lohman, sales manager, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
“What is driving people crazy these days is when information changes and it’s not updated in all places [where all event organizers and attendees can view it]. It’s about controlling information flow, for both exhibit companies and exhibitors.”
—Howard Ferrier, sales manager, GES
“Budget. Because we see the increase in costs of doing business—food and beverage, and labor. And then in addition to that, we’re trying to develop ideas to be more green, to change our practices.”
—Mrinal Warburton, senior account manager, Opus Solutions
“We just launched a mobile demo—a semi truck. So our biggest issue generally is logistics.”
—Miriam Erisman, global events marketing coordinator, Ciena Communications
