Westchester County Business Journal Event planners sound off
Event planners sound off
Despite the recession, companies still need to have meetings – they just may be closer to home and farther from fun than before.
In the corporate meeting and event-planning industry, staying local and cutting frills has made meetings and conferences possible for cash-strapped businesses.
“I think local makes more sense to a lot of the companies now,” said Kristin Briggs, president of White Plains-based corporate meeting and event planning company Westchester Meetings & Events. “There are times where it’s great to do a webinar, but there are also times when you have to get your people together because most businesses are based on relationships. In Westchester, you can find some great places to go for training conferences or strategic planning meetings without racking up travel expenses, so you can reach the goal of your meeting without spending so much money. If a client is bringing people in from other parts of a country there is very, very easy access to the major airports and train stations to any of the local hotels here.”
Robert Sanders, president of Hospitality Resource Group White Plains, said there is a sense of renewed optimism within the event-planning industry as companies’ needs for meetings is coming back.
“What’s starting to happen is companies, although they’re still being careful with dollars, are recognizing the need to bring their people together,” Sanders said.
In addition, while meetings have been scaled back in the past 18 months to include upper-management only, Sanders has seen the number of employees at meetings increase.
“Last year a meeting may have included 25 people, and now they’ll have 60 people,”
Sanders said. “The inclusion of mid-level management in these meetings is a good sign.”
Although signs point to a recovery in the industry, the focus has changed, he said.
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