Planner Roundtable
ON THE AGENDA: CONVENTION CENTERS Five perspectives on the top site-selection criteria Robin V. Hayes, CMP, Senior Director, Conference Planning & Professional Education, American Counseling Association Jean M. Heis, CMP, Director, Meetings & Exhibits, Institute of Food Technologists Billie Robinson, Director, Meetings & Conventions, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Cindy Sample, Director, NAMM Trade Show Operations Kathy Smith, CMP, Former Director of Meetings, The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine By George Seli
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convention center offering the right “dates, rates and space” is often required for a city to be in the running to host a large convention or trade show. The event planner will usually be faced with several viable cities whose centers do meet those key criteria, and in order to make a choice, the next step is to dig deeper into the qualities of the facility, including proximity to hotels, the layout of the meeting space, technological and green features, F&B options and more. Centers that check off many if not all items on a planner’s “wish list” are likely to enjoy repeat business from the group, particularly if those great features are complemented by great service. The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) brought its Annual Meeting back to the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center last year, and a major reason was the service the group enjoyed in 2004. “I have worked with other centers whose staff either seemed like they were new to the scenario of convention services or they just hadn’t 21
quite gotten it,” observes Kathy Smith, CMP, who at the time was in her 27th and final year as Director of Meetings for AANEM. “But that is not at all true about the Savannah Convention Center. My convention services manager was top notch, dedicated to the success of the program, and the catering person was wonderful to work with as well.” One of the most salient cases of repeat business is The NAMM Show, which has been at the Anaheim Convention Center for 34 years, and service — both from the Center and CVB — is again one of the primary drivers of the relationship. “Anaheim has been a great partner in growing and evolving with NAMM and always keeping NAMM’s members in mind,” remarks Cindy Sample, Director, NAMM Trade Show Operations. In what follows, three other planners along with Smith and Sample discuss some of their top criteria for choosing a convention center. These decision makers also highlight promising trends in areas such as connectivity, sustainability and catering. Facilities & Destinations 2014-2015 Winter