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Strategic Meetings Management 101Lynda Garvey. SMMCStrategic Meetings Consultant

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What it is?

Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) is a disciplined approach to managing enterprise wide meeting and event activities, processes, suppliers and data in order to achieve measurable business objectives that align with the organizations’ strategic goals / vision, and deliver value in the form of quantitative savings, risk mitigation, and service quality.

What it is Not?

•Meeting Consolidation

•One Size Fits All

•Meeting Execution

Defining SMMP

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Why Meetings?

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Industry Overview: Market SizingThe large and predominately unmanaged corporate meetings market represents an opportunity for

our customers to drive savings while reducing risk

Corporate Meetings Market $ 73.4 B

- Leisure & Associations

$ 84.7B

$158.1BTotal Market Size

How big IS the Meetings Industry?

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Travel

Procurement

Meetings

A Convergence of Disciplines

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Reality 101: Goals at OddsTravel Management

Drive business to preferred partners repeatedly

Travel is travel – even for meetings

Provide rolled up data/reporting

Lack of meetings industry knowledge

Procurement

Standardize/homogenize

Reduce risk/cost

Meetings as a commodity

Lack of meetings industry knowledge

Meeting Management• Unique/creative meetings• Subjectivity is rewarded• High level of ownership • Previously not engaged in

enterprise solutions• Legacy success

How do we bridge the gap

and work together toward

common strategic goals?

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So…Why SMMP?Data• Average company meeting spend equates to

– .50 to 1 percent of annual gross sales or…– 25 - 30% of Total T&E Spend or…– 60% - 120% of Corporate Air Volume or…– 2 - 3% of Revenue

Cost Savings and Avoidance

Process Efficiencies / Reduce Redundancy

Risk Management• Contract Terms & Conditions• Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Compliance• Crisis Management Situations

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Developing a Business Case

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Business Case

Define

Measure

Analyze

Build

Implement

Executive Summary Current Situation

OpportunityFinancial Strategy

Support RequirementsMarketing

Implementation

Define Success

Scope/Global

Key Stakeholders

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Building a SMMP

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Building a SMMPDesign Your SMMP

Approach…what components?

• Align Objectives to Components• Determine Service Configuration

– Outsource vs. Internal or Combo• Prioritize Components• Create Implementation Plan• Communication Plan• Train Program Users

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Implementing a SMMP

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Components of a SMMPPolicy

• Meeting Definition

• Meeting Process and Tools

• Approval Process / Levels

• Sourcing and Contracts

• Financial Guidelines

• Preferred Suppliers

• Key Contact Information

• General Instructions

Why?• Corporate Direction

• Compliance• Control

• Efficiencies

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Components a SMMPRegistration of Meeting/Event

• Registration helps supply consolidated, consistent and auditable data

• Determine what data you need to collect and what you are going to do with it

• Technology can assist in this process

• Options range from spreadsheets to robust technology solutions

• Cost/benefit decision

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Components of a SMMPApproval

Determine who can approve:• Meetings

• Exceptions

• Changes

• Levels

Need to collect and communicate

Drives compliance• Enables consistency

• Produces better buying and business decisions

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Components of a SMMPSourcing / Procurement

Purchase required services at best pricing

Supports corporate objectives• Preferred supplier usage

• Risk mitigation

• Standardized contractual requirements

• Safety and security

Savings

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Planning / Execution• Logistical requirements - In-sourced, out-sourced, or mix

• Creates consistency

• Clearly define roles and responsibilities

• Set expectations

Components of a SMMP

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Payment / Expense Reconciliation

How to pay for and acquire meeting related services and products

Link planners with tools and resources• Payment Processes

• Online travel reservations

Ensure adequate controls are in place• Data capture

• Auditing

• Reporting

• Reconciliation

Components of a SMMP

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Data Analysis / Reporting

• Determine what data needs to be collected, reported, and tracked

• Who is using the data and what business decisions are being made?

• Is the right data being collected and is it being communicated?

• Apply data to drive decisions

• Reconciliation or meeting budgets

• Supplier/vendor management

Components of a SMMP

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Technology: Enabler to Success

• Delivers efficiencies• Drives common standards

• Mature, consolidated marketplace• Automates processes• Centralizes data

• Improves visibility to meeting activity

• Reduces/eliminates paperwork

• Supports/enables pre approval

• Reporting capabilities from the meeting level to the enterprise level

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Phased approached

The Pieces Come Together

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This Session was Brought to you by the GBTA Groups and Meetings Committee

GBTA Groups and Meetings Committee offers industry leadership and Best-In-Class education in

Strategic Meetings Management. 

The group assesses and explores enterprise-wide meeting and event related processes, metrics, standards and supplier strategies to achieve quantitative cost-savings, risk mitigation and optimal service levels.

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GBTA Groups & Meetings Committee Publications

Strategic White Papers - Framework for Success: SMMP• Building a Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP)• Building a Meetings policy in Support of Your SMMP• Mobilizing Internal Stakeholders• Choosing the Right Technology in Support of your SMMP• Leveraging Group and Transient Spend with Hotel Suppliers• Evaluating Strategic Meetings Management Programs• Evaluating SMMP Scorecard• Models of Success: Profiles in Strategic Meetings Management• A Strategic Approach to Small Meetings

Tactical White Papers - Critical Meeting Components• Hotel and Air• Ground Transportation• Venues• Destination Management Companies• Audio Visual

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Q & A