tion with a sales incentive program, allowing senior executives to participate in both. By combining meetings, companies can also leverage better hotel rates and other meeting contracts (transportation, airline, etc.).

• More Substance
Another trend can be defined as “less fluff, more stuff.” Meeting agendas are no longer packed with recreational activities or extended free time; r

As the business world becomes more impersonal, with automated phone trees and a dizzying amount of online tools, the bond between company and constituent becomes less personal. Increasingly, organizations are utilizing face-to-face meetings to unite with key audiences, communicate their messages and make an impact. As a result, meeting trends are leaning toward a more interactive and personal structure, as illustrated below:

• Incentive Programs
Rather than provide incentive trips to the same top-producing members of their sales force, companies are involving the entire organization by offering team awards that reward R&D, manufacturing and customer support. Incentive programs, traditionally recognized as simply a sales tool, are now considered an important part of brand building and marketing.

• Marketing Integration
As products and services come to market faster, companies cannot wait for year-end marketing meetings or large industry conferences to discuss tactics and strategies. Instead, companies are planning regular meetings and events to discuss and refine marketing plans. As a result, today’s marketing meetings and events are shorter in duration, smaller, more frequent and more focused.

• Return on Investment
As the economy gains ground, companies are spending more on meetings and conferences than in previous years, and a stronger emphasis is placed on ROI gained from meeting budgets. Many companies will “piggyback” meetings as a creative way to maximize meeting expenses. An executive meeting may be held in conjunction with a sales incentive program, allowing senior executives to participate in both. By combining meetings, companies can also leverage better hotel rates and other meeting contracts (transportation, airline, etc.).

• More Substance
Another trend can be defined as “less fluff, more stuff.” Meeting agendas are no longer packed with recreational activities or extended free time; r

structure, as illustrated below:

• Incentive Programs
Rather than provide incentive trips to the same top-producing members of their sales force, companies are involving the entire organization by offering team awards that reward R&D, manufacturing and customer support. Incentive programs, traditionally recognized as simply a sales tool, are now considered an important part of brand building and marketing.

• Marketing Integration
As products and services come to market faster, companies cannot wait for year-end marketing meetings or large industry conferences to discuss tactics and strategies. Instead, companies are planning regular meetings and events to discuss and refine marketing plans. As a result, today’s marketing meetings and events are shorter in duration, smaller, more frequent and more focused.

• Return on Investment
As the economy gains ground, companies are spending more on meetings and conferences than in previous years, and a stronger emphasis is placed on ROI gained from meeting budgets. Many companies will “piggyback” meetings as a creative way to maximize meeting expenses. An executive meeting may be held in conjunction with a sales incentive program, allowing senior executives to participate in both. By combining meetings, companies can also leverage better hotel rates and other meeting contracts (transportation, airline, etc.).

• More Substance
Another trend can be defined as “less fluff, more stuff.” Meeting agendas are no longer packed with recreational activities or extended free time; r

nd building and marketing.

• Marketing Integration
As products and services come to market faster, companies cannot wait for year-end marketing meetings or large industry conferences to discuss tactics and strategies. Instead, companies are planning regular meetings and events to discuss and refine marketing plans. As a result, today’s marketing meetings and events are shorter in duration, smaller, more frequent and more focused.

• Return on Investment
As the economy gains ground, companies are spending more on meetings and conferences than in previous years, and a stronger emphasis is placed on ROI gained from meeting budgets. Many companies will “piggyback” meetings as a creative way to maximize meeting expenses. An executive meeting may be held in conjunction with a sales incentive program, allowing senior executives to participate in both. By combining meetings, companies can also leverage better hotel rates and other meeting contracts (transportation, airline, etc.).

• More Substance
Another trend can be defined as “less fluff, more stuff.” Meeting agendas are no longer packed with recreational activities or extended free time; r

uration, smaller, more frequent and more focused.

• Return on Investment
As the economy gains ground, companies are spending more on meetings and conferences than in previous years, and a stronger emphasis is placed on ROI gained from meeting budgets. Many companies will “piggyback” meetings as a creative way to maximize meeting expenses. An executive meeting may be held in conjunction with a sales incentive program, allowing senior executives to participate in both. By combining meetings, companies can also leverage better hotel rates and other meeting contracts (transportation, airline, etc.).

• More Substance
Another trend can be defined as “less fluff, more stuff.” Meeting agendas are no longer packed with recreational activities or extended free time; r

tion with a sales incentive program, allowing senior executives to participate in both. By combining meetings, companies can also leverage better hotel rates and other meeting contracts (transportation, airline, etc.).

• More Substance
Another trend can be defined as “less fluff, more stuff.” Meeting agendas are no longer packed with recreational activities or extended free time; rather, the bulk of the sessions are filled with content and training. Does this mean meetings are becoming lifeless and dull? No, there’s simply more need to place emphasis on finding smart ways to engage audience members with unique activities and team-building techniques that are instructive and fun.

• Clear Messaging
Consider a conference budget wasted if key corporate messages fall flat due to weak presenters, poor clarity or lack of defined expectations. Increasingly, companies are investing in presentation training for executive speakers or hiring professional speakers so that the message delivered is clear, concise and “sticks” with the attendees after the meeting has ended.

• Partner Participation
To underwrite the cost of meetings, companies are relying more heavily on their vendor and partner relationships. Firms are asking partners to sponsor portions of meetings or events, such as a reception or breakfast. This supports both partner and corporate interests; the vendor has the opportunity to get in front of company representatives, while the sponsorship dollars offset meeting expenses.

• Location, Location, Location
Finally, expect more interesting meeting locales. Companies are more often conducting meetings in Asia, Central America and Western Europe, connecting global counterparts and increasing the overall value of the meeting experience.

Do you remember the airline commercial in which a CEO hands plane tickets to each staffer following the loss of the company’s oldest client? Trends in the meeting wo