The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!
Mike McAllen of Grass Shack Events & Media http://www.grassshackroad.com/
Tom Hillmer of Creative Group http://www.creativegroupinc.com
Jon Trask of Alliant Event Services http://www.alliantevents.com/
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1:48 5 Reasons to Meet –Great article from Successful Meetings Magazine.
3:36 Jon works with a CEO that reads Dr.Suss Oh the places you will go!
4:29 Tom brings a article from corporate meetings and incentives article- Keep meeting
5:26 Trend now large national meetings to regional meetings. Executives cannot go to all of these regional meetings. Plus shipping and logistics makes for lots of headaches.
7:38 Sales teams need to feel like they are in the right place.
8:47 Giving free stuff to projects may bite you in a few years.
10:06 Conference attendance is dropping. But the better conferences are staying consistent.
13:01 Continental Airlines is now allowing folks deplane after 3 hours on a stalled planes.
14:45 Airports are empty these days. Southwest has really dropped rates. other airlines are following suit.
17:33 Great time to innovate and add value.
18:00 Virtual Meeting World- Mike visits Virtual Meeting World and finds it very useful but cumbersome. Technical issues hindered mike but he enjoyed the experience. Also sent the audio and slides of a session he signed up for which was great.
20:50 Mike heads to Atlanta MeetDifferent for some interviews and a meetingspodcast meetup. Jon heads to Las Vegas for a large show with his Tripit T-shirt. Tom heads to Florida and Cancun
Transcripts:
Female: You are listening to the Meetings Podcast with Mike McAllen, John Trask and Tom Hillmer. The Meeting Planner podcast source for what’s new and exciting in the meetings and events industry. The information and opinions expressed in this podcast are of Mr. McAllen, Mr. Trask and Mr. Hillmer and are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of their past, present or future employers.
Please send in your question and comments to MeetingsPodcast@gmail.com and make sure to visit our website for pictures, video and show notes at www.MeetingsPodcast.com
Mike McAllen: Welcome back to Meetings Podcast. This is Mike McAllen with the Grass Shack Events and Media and on the phone I have Jon Trask of Alliant Events Services and hi, Jon.
Jon Trask: Hello, hello. Good to be here.
Mike McAllen: And we have Tom Hillmer from Creative Group Inc. back on the phone. Hi, Tom.
Tom Hillmer: Hi guys. How are you? Yes. I’m not on my eye this week, sorry. Sorry about that last week. Oh, man.
Mike McAllen: Oh, it’s okay, it’s okay. So how are you guys been? Oh, you know what I didn’t do? I didn’t thank our sponsors.
Jon Trask: Yes.
Mike McAllen: I want to thank Hilton e-Events and also Blue Sky Factory, our e-mail provider of choice. So I wanted to get that in there and why don’t we get started with Jon here something about – some positive things or actually not positive things, some positive things to do in a negative economy. How about that?
Jon Trask: There you go. That’s a good way to put it. Now it was a – Successful Meetings had an article on the five good reasons to meet in a down economy and since the economy seems to be what’s on everybody’s mind, seemed like a nice little thing to highlight. This just came out yesterday, the five reasons to meet. These are all for your bosses. Why should we still have this meeting?
To keep your sales force on task which is something I’ve talked about with people around here a lot because it’s like there’s – it’s still opportunity in a bad climate and so getting your sales guys together and motivating them and having them figure out what’s working and what isn’t and all of that is probably more important than any up market. So that’s a real good selling point for folks who are hosting sales rallies and those types of meetings.
Maximize the cost-benefit of attending conferences. So basically, it gets you to these places where you’ve got a large audience like the show that Tom goes to every year that we talked about on the podcast a few months ago in Chicago. You know, you get in front of a bunch of people in one place so it’s a very efficient thing to go do when you go to a meeting or a conference or you combine a large group of people. You get kind of an economy of scale there and it’s not like trying to book travel to go visit one or two clients here and there.
To reach out to your employees regionally. So you know, maybe considering having regional meetings instead of the big nationals but still bringing a key group of people together.
Maintain face time. You know, it’s all about relationships right now and the people you’ve got great relationships with or sticking with you and through the thick and thin and it actually helps strengthen things going forward because as we all know and I’ve talked about this stuff is cyclical and it’s not going to stay this way forever and at some point you know, the market will turn around again.
And the last one is change the scenery. And that’s just reminding people that when you’re in a stressful day to day environment, sometimes it’s really good for your staff and your people to get into a different environment. I know one CEO who was kind of a funny thing that’s popped into my mind because we’re talking about changing the scenery, he’s really kind of an outside the box guy and I did some of their meetings and one of the things that he would do is they would go to this resorts and he like called all the staff together. He took them outside and read Dr. Seuss to them.
So he had like his top managers and the other VPs of the company and everybody but he read Dr. Seuss all the places he’ll go. And it was just an exercise that he kind of came up with, with the idea of you know, imagining what you can do and just trying to look at things in a different way. So you know, instead of taking everybody out to the golf course, they went out, they sat around and they talked about possibilities. And it was kind of a cool idea.
Mike McAllen: Yes.
Jon Trask: He’s a real outside the box guy.
Mike McAllen: That’s great.
Tom Hillmer: That’s great.
Mike McAllen: Good idea. Well it’s interesting, corporate meetings and in some of his magazines also has an article that they put up almost identical thing about how it’s you know, now more than ever, downturn economy, you know, meetings are even more valuable than ever it used to be. Certainly now, because now is when you need to be in front of your people. Now is when people need to be kind of have in their hands held and hearing the message and getting answers to their questions and you know, all of that more so than when times are good and it’s just sort of a feel good you know, party. The meetings now have a very different but still very critical you know, need to them and find the same exact kind of sentiment, I guess in that article as well.
Jon Trask: Well I think you know, we’re all looking to justify our jobs and our continued business existence and all of that and in tough economic times, you’ve got to make a case for yourself. You got to be able to go to upper management and say, this is what we’re doing and this is why we’re here. So it would be who’s just to put a little thought into that.
Tom Hillmer: It’s interesting that they talked about how the other wave right now too is going from large national meetings to more regional meetings which we’re seeing a lot of that. I mean, it’s absolutely happening and yet here’s an interesting challenge that comes with that that we’re saying our clients dealing with is that you know, let’s say for instance, if you do a national sales meeting and of course you’ve got your corporate executives up on the stage delivering the message, delivering you know, the direction of the company.
When they break these things down in the smaller regional meetings, logistically they’re easier; they might be a little less expensive in terms of the cost of operating those programs. But at the regional level, they still want the corporate executives be part of those meetings to kind of hold people’s hands and you know, have a little one on one opportunity to be able to you know, talk to the leaders of the company and feel good about what the direction of the company’s going. And yet the challenges these corporate executives can’t go in a 10 to 15 regional meetings. It’s easier for them to attend one national meeting than it is for them to attend 15 regional meetings so you know, you kind of get that built in challenge with it so …
Jon Trask: Yes. I was talking to a client who I’ve done some work with on kind of a large national scope meeting and you know, they debated the concept of – well, we don’t know if we can have this large meeting with 3,000 people and they talked about doing them regionally. But then the shipping and the logistics of doing all that becomes so problematic. Sometimes it’s just easier to pay the airfare instead and bring everybody to one place.
Mike McAllen: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: Right.
Jon Trask: You know. I guess these are all the kind of questions we’ve got to analyze and look real closely at.
Mike McAllen: You know, it’s all evolving and everything. It’s interesting how this is all playing out. There are so many technological ways you can get you know, to bring in your speakers you know, the main people, you know, do a video. You know, bring them into the show at each place. You know, each regional meeting. There are so many different things but a yearly; these are great because there are so many things here like you know, keeping your sales force on tasks. That’s such a big thing right now too to keep those – you want to keep those good sales people, you know.
Tom Hillmer: You’d want them to be because they’re not [inaudible] too because now is the time when people are really on picking for good people.
Jon Trask: Right, right. And it’s discouraging too to – you know, when you’re a salesperson and it’s easy to make the calls because everybody is saying yes, you know, with stuff gets a little more challenging, a little more difficult, it can be discouraging days because it’s a very negative stuff you’re dealing with, you know.
Mike McAllen: Right.
Jon Trask: Huge discounts and shrinking margins and all of those things that we all face, it was in our industry as vendors, you know. I mean because everybody out there is just throwing out crazy insane deals and sometimes it’s just looking to grab a few of the business and not really paying attention to margin or it’s just keeping busy in some cases. I actually was talking to somebody else and my niche of the world who is telling me that he had actually seen a budget. Someone did where they had given a bunch of the gear way absolutely free. It was literally just to get the show, they were listing gear for free, you know, and I mean not old worn out gear either. It was hi-def cameras and things like that …
Mike McAllen: Wow.
Jon Trask: … that they were able to make those and I say [inaudible] because they have them sitting on the shelf and they’d rather get the overall project and give a little bit away than risk losing the project.
Mike McAllen: Right.
Tom Hillmer: Of course the challenge to that is 3 years from now, the customers are not going to understand why it’s so significantly more expensive so …
Jon Trask: Yes. No, that’s the discussion we’ve had a lot.
Tom Hillmer: Right. It is by now.
Mike McAllen: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: I mean that’s one of the things you know, and our roles as the middleman and my capacity is you know, we’re seeing some great values out there even if some of the ,you know, the luxury hotel brands and what not. We’re you know, my customers used to not be able to afford them and now we’re getting pricing back that you know, makes the destination or specifically the hotel more affordable than it ever was which is great and they jump at it.
You know, but we are having those conversations you know, keep in mind, now you’re going to be spoiling your people here for the next year or so and then a couple of 3 years down the road. You’re not going to be able to afford to go back to these hotels if your budgets don’t you know, change accordingly.
Jon Trask: Right.
Tom Hillmer: Now, we know the [inaudible] to great opportunity, we can’t pass this up, let’s do it you know. So …
Mike McAllen: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: Sounds like let’s not worry about it down the road but we don’t know what’s going to happen down the road let’s just you know, worry about it now. So …
Jon Trask: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: … okay.
Jon Trask: A familiar ground.
Mike McAllen: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: Yes. I know. We’re all dealing with it in different ways that’s for sure.
Mike McAllen: And it is interesting too the conferences and things that are not like [inaudible] conferences, these outside conferences are really you know, a lot of more slipping like crazy but the real good ones are really you know, come into the top because people are – you know, you really have – people have to pick or choose the conferences they’re going to now as attendees. So it’s interesting to how this is playing out for that too. The conferences are actually getting better so the other ones are going away obviously because people aren’t going to them but …
Jon Trask: Right. Yes.
Mike McAllen: Everything is evolving.
Jon Trask: Oh yes and attendances down you know, on somebody’s association things I see and that kind of stuff and yet on the other hand, attendance isn’t down as much on some of the things as you’d expect because people are looking at it too going nobody knows what’s going on. So we need to go meet with some people and see if we can all together figure out what’s going on. It was in our market sector. And so I’ve actually found a couple of associations where the attendance isn’t as weak as one would expect in the economy simply because it is the meeting to go to. It is the place to show up and see what they can offer your out together.
Tom Hillmer: All right.
Mike McAllen: Yes. I mean it’s …
Jon Trask: So that’s you know, if you’re an organizer, there’s something to look toward to make yourself a really unique spot in the marketplace and make people have to be there no matter what.
Mike McAllen: Right, right. Well, the meetings that are happening, they’re sure happening at a more you know, paired back level that’s for sure. I feel bad for people in some of the destinations that are providers of you know, recreational activity services and things like that where these meetings would come in and there would be at least a day of play time and they’d play golf and go to the spa and do the local activities and tours and you know, that stuff has just all really getting paired back if not, cut out completely.
Jon Trask: Yes, yes. One of my clients summed it up. This has stuck in head ever since they said it and that was, “For right now, we’re just not allowed to have fun.”
Tom Hillmer: Right. It’s true. What a great way to put it.
Jon Trask: You know and I’m sure it’ll change eventually but that’s kind of the matter right now. We’re just not allowed to have that fun for the moment.
Tom Hillmer: Right.
Mike McAllen: So interesting. Yes and we’re – you know, talking to you guys and in our company, it’s funny we’re all just still crazy busy all the time and it’s just not as much fun. I think that’s good thing.
Jon Trask: Well yes. I’ve tried to explain that to people. Yes, because people say, “Well how’s it going?” it’s like, “Well I’m really busy.” and they go, “Oh, great!” well but not in a good way.
Tom Hillmer: Right.
Jon Trask: You know.
Tom Hillmer: Right, so true.
Mike McAllen: Well how about – I saw some news and if either of you have been stuck on a plane and all on a tarmac?
Jon Trask: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: Oh yes.
Jon Trask: Inevitably.
Mike McAllen: What’s the longest time if you guys …
Tom Hillmer: In the winter usually.
Mike McAllen: Well you’re in Chicago too. Yes.
Jon Trask: Yes.
Mike McAllen: That must happen though more often.
Jon Trask: I think probably an hour or two is the worst I can remember.
Tom Hillmer: Wow.
Jon Trask: Minneapolis and London. I remember an hour or two in both of those.
Tom Hillmer: I had a 3-hour …
Mike McAllen: We have all these – oh 3 hours. They always have these stories you know in the past of people being stuck on a plane for hours and hours and hours. Yesterday Continental Airlines President COO, Jeff Smisek said that people on stalled planes can now deplane. So they’re implementing this that they could – new policies that people can get off the plane in excess of 3 hours. So …
Jon Trask: But is that …
Mike McAllen: It had to [inaudible] through the …
Jon Trask: … after 3 hours they let you off or is that …
Mike McAllen: Yes.
Jon Trask: … they think it’s going to be 3 hours they let you off?
Mike McAllen: No, it says after 3 hours. So – but they’re having the FlyersRights.Org formally the Coalition of Airline Passengers of Bill of Rights. They’ve shorten their names obviously. They are really pressing to have that done and Barbara Boxer is one of the sponsors of it. They want to have that across the board that after 3 hours, people have to be let off and they have to provide, you know, comfortable cabin temperature, ventilation, food, water, and restrooms which is a good idea. It’s funny that should – do you thing that would already be in play?
Tom Hillmer: You would think but …
Mike McAllen: But no?
Jon Trask: Yes.
Mike McAllen: But anyway, so it’s great. So Continental Airlines is now stepping up and said that they’re going to do that. That’s kind of a cool, cool – good news. Good news for people stuck up on planes.
Tom Hillmer: Did you hear this last week too, I saw in the news that – you know, because nobody’s flying. I mean, it’s been amazing. I was in O’Hare Airport on Tuesday of this week flying out and on a Tuesday morning when you would normally, that place would be packed, you could roll a bowling bowl down terminal K. I couldn’t believe it.
Jon Trask: Wow.
Tom Hillmer: I couldn’t believe it. And I just and it didn’t surprise me, the one I saw in the news article this week that you know, Southwest is apparently dropped all their fares now. One-way fares are anywhere from $49 to $99 just to try to get people back flying again. And as a result, most of the major carriers have all followed suit now in the same destinations to compete with them. So you know, depending on where you’re flying you might be able to find some really cheap fares right now. So …
Mike McAllen: Oh, yes.
Jon Trask: I know I’ve got a week coming up in Vegas and you know, it’s like 130 bucks to fly. It’s actually more expensive to drive but with the hassles and all of that, I decided I’m just going to you know, take the car over. It’s like you get to the airport 2 hours early you know, and you go through all that stuff and you pay for parking. By the time you’re done, you might as well just drive that 4-hour drive.
Mike McAllen: Interesting. Yes, I had the same experience at Oakland Airport. Was it Tuesday? The Tuesday before last. The same thing, nobody there, whole place empty.
Jon Trask: Yes.
Mike McAllen: But there are big Southwest …
Jon Trask: Sure.
Mike McAllen: … there are big Southwest airport. They’re …
Tom Hillmer: Yes. You know, I think it’s all a part of [inaudible]. A companies are cutting back in their travel budgets and B companies are back on their people. I mean, that’s a sad statement. We’re even commenting in our office. It’s not nearly as busy drive in the work anymore in the mornings. I mean, that’s a really scary statement.
Mike McAllen: It really is.
Tom Hillmer: It’s a really frightening statement that you can you know, 6 weeks ago it too you, you know, 45 minutes you drive your commute to the office. Now, people are making it in 25 minutes every morning. It’s not like it’s a fluke day, it’s a holiday. I mean, like people are commenting specifically how much faster people are making up to the office because the streets run – you know, Chicago suburbs area are just now as busy and sadly I’m sure a lot of it it’s because a lot of people have been laid off. It’s just really, really frightening.
Mike McAllen: Yes. There’s a lot of that going on. I have a lot of friends that have – [inaudible] on people that are not in this business which are you know, this big – a lot of freelance, people in this business but just people, you know. Well we all have these tech companies down at Yahoo! several friends of mine laid off from there. It’s a scary time.
Tom Hillmer: Yes.
Jon Trask: Well, I guess we just keep motor and through it and you know …
Tom Hillmer: Right.
Jon Trask: … try and maximize our value to our customers and …
Tom Hillmer: Well that’s the bigger (strategy).
Mike McAllen: Oh, yes.
Tom Hillmer: Continuing to represent value, that’s a big part of our – that’s a huge part of our strategy and I don’t want to call it strategy. It’s always been part of our strategy if you will but it’s just the big part of our conversations with our customers right now too is the value of you know, we’ve always brought but hopefully continue to bring especially in times like this.
Mike McAllen: All right. Yes, it’s very important. But just as Jon was just saying, you know, it’s going to become back. It just we have you know, this is the time to innovate and …
Jon Trask: Right.
Mike McAllen: … go out to do creative things and you know, really hone your skills.
Jon Trask: Right.
Mike McAllen: One thing – another thing I wanted to talk to you guys about, I went to the virtual meeting world yesterday.
Tom Hillmer: Did we ever talk about this or I was talking to Jon about this earlier?
Jon Trask: I heard about it but I didn’t have a chance to go yet. Somebody sent me an invitation to go check it out.
Mike McAllen: Yes, I had never been to one of these virtual – I’ve been to one in the Second Life where you have an actual avatar walking around but this one was – it kind of have an actual person walking around that it was you in there but I haven’t been to this kind and it was pretty interesting. It was – I found it to be very cumbersome to try to get around and then you kind of waiting this little like support – you know, when you go on to a website or something then they have a little thing where you can talk to a live person.
Jon Trask: Right.
Mike McAllen: This was kind of like so I would go into that. They had exhibit booths. You could go and click on it then you go into there and there were people in there, virtual people that were real people sitting in other places, other offices and you could chat with them. So it was a regular trade show and then they had an auditorium with actual people giving like webinar or kind of things which was kind of interesting except I ran into some problems with my Mackintosh not being able to get downloaded stuff so that was kind of like, I was why is this don’t work, you know. And I’m kind of a techie person so I should be able to get right in but I couldn’t get in. So I was thinking, oh how many people are being stuck by this but I hope …
Jon Trask: I ran into that Mac issue a number of times myself.
Mike McAllen: Yes. But anyway, overall it was pretty interesting and I wondered – have you either been one of those before?
Jon Trask: No, like I said I got an invitation but it’s just been too hectic to sit down and try to do it.
Mike McAllen: Yes, I just wanted to poke around just because I was interested in seeing it but they did actually – I do have to say that they did send me the audio and the slides of the ones that I tried to get into. They came automatically which was kind of cool so I just threw it on my iPod and listened to the one that I wanted to hear. Excuse me. So anyway, I just wanted to throw that out there. That was kind of an interesting way that people are spending – there was a lot of people there. I mean they showed how many people are in there and it was like 600 people were logged in.
Tom Hillmer: Holy cow. Wow.
Mike McAllen: Yes, yes so it’s pretty amazing and they you know, I got an invite Jon, you got one so I don’t – I guess they’re finding people through. I think Successful Meetings magazine was the one who sent that out so …
Jon Trask: Well this came from a friend of mine who passed it along. He said [inaudible] in those, yes.
Mike McAllen: Yes. I think that’s where I got mine from Successful Meetings magazine, that invite. So anyway, that’s for you out there. Interesting idea for doing meetings and getting your – if can get enough people in there, I think it’s really worth it. So you’re not spending – I mean, how much money did you spend to set that up and I chatted with a few people in there. Anyhow …
Tom Hillmer: Very cool.
Jon Trask: Well so you’re going out next week to Atlanta, right?
Mike McAllen: Yes. I’m going out to meet different – I’ve had all kinds of people contacting me which is pretty funny with our podcast and also over Twitter. People have been contacting me but what I’m trying to do as many interviews as I can while I’m out there and also catch some other classes. They were very interesting.
Jon Trask: Very good.
Mike McAllen: Yes. It should be fun so …
Jon Trask: I can’t wait to hear a report back.
Mike McAllen: Yes, yes. So if anybody is going you know, make sure to contact me. I was trying to have our meetings podcast meet up there and see if I can get some people. As I say, last time we talked and then I’m a little worried I might just be sitting there by myself. So – maybe I’ll have it in a lounge, in a bar somewhere there so …
Tom Hillmer: There you go.
Jon Trask: You’ll be left sad if no one else arrives.
Mike McAllen: At least I can drink my sorrows away. Anyway …
Jon Trask: We could make it sort of like a benefit thing like, don’t let this man sit alone in a bar. I’ll put a little sad eye photo of you on the website.
Mike McAllen: Right. It’s a good idea, it’s a good idea. Yes, it’s kind of pretty fun. I’ve been talking to Loran with them with MPI there and she has a bunch of people she wants me to interview too so that – it could be a good time. And then the next one rolled around, we’ll all try and get there and set up something.
Jon Trask: So if we can’t all be (insult) like Citi for that one.
Mike McAllen: Yes, that would be fun.
Tom Hillmer: That would be fun.
Jon Trask: Well and I’m going to be in Vegas doing a fairly large show and …
Tom Hillmer: Okay.
Jon Trask: … so I’ll be out there for a week and Tom, you’ll probably be in like 6 cities while I’m in Vegas, right?
Tom Hillmer: I’m probably. When are you in Vegas?
Jon Trask: I go out next Thursday, come back the following Thursday.
Tom Hillmer: Oh, great.
Jon Trask: So …
Mike McAllen: Oh yes and you know, another thing I wanted to tell you was that – Tom, that the trip that people sent Jon a t-shirt.
Tom Hillmer: Oh really?
Mike McAllen: Yes. Is that fantastic?
Tom Hillmer: Cool.
Jon Trask: I’ll load it to you guys if you want to borrow it. I – you know.
Mike McAllen: No, that’s fantastic. That’s fantastic and also the – what was the name of that thing that you mentioned last time, Jon the …
Jon Trask: Oh the airline mile high swap club.
Mike McAllen: Mile high swap club, yes. Duke? Is that Duke Getzinger?
Tom Hillmer: That’s just got a horrible connotation to it.
Mike McAllen: Yes. The name isn’t that strong of a name but it’s a great idea and the Duke from there, the CMO has contacted me to – he wants to maybe come on to the show too and talk a little bit about that. I think it’s a great idea.
Jon Trask: Yes.
Tom Hillmer: Cool.
Jon Trask: So well, I think we should give out the e-mail address, right for feedback?
Mike McAllen: Yes, let’s do that. Do you want to do it, Jon?
Jon Trask: I guess I can do that.
Mike McAllen: Meetings Podcast.
Jon Trask: MeetingsPodcast@gmail.com.
Mike McAllen: Yes, great and we’d love to hear from everybody. So thanks a lot guys.
Tom Hillmer: Yes.
Mike McAllen: And I guys we’ll talk again next week, huh?
Tom Hillmer: Sounds great.
Jon Trask: Sounds good.
Tom Hillmer: Have a good weekend.
Mike McAllen: Yes, bye-bye.
Jon Trask: Bye-bye.
Female: We appreciate and thank you for listening to the Meetings Podcast. You can find Mike McAllen at grassshackroad.com, John Trask at alliantevents.com and Tom Hillmer at creativegroupinc.com. The Meetings Podcast theme music comes from the Delgado Brothers which can be found at delgadobrothers.com. Special thanks to riptidegraphics.com for the audio editing of this podcast.
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