In the evolving culture of business, strategic meeting management (SMM) programs are being developed and implemented to create professional value in all business sectors to reach larger strategic goals. As corporations strive to tighten spend across the enterprise, the value of consolidating and capturing meeting spend has gained more visibility and, as a result, the role of procurement is increasingly in demand. Procurement and meeting managers’ collaboration has created challenges around the alignment of the partnership and the approach.
In 2005, MPI’s Global Corporate Circle of Excellence created an SMM white paper that identified eight basic steps to develop an SMM program.
While the platform used to define this program comes from a corporate meeting/event department perspective, the program has proven to be beneficial to many audiences, including intermediaries (independent meeting planners, third-party planners, multi-management companies, destination management companies and association management companies) that want to better partner with clients in delivering SMM and suppliers (convention/conference centers, CVBs, hotels, resorts, meeting facilities, production companies, onsite meeting support) that want to better understand client needs and develop stronger relationships with their buying partners.
Based on this model, MPI is offering an SMM track at the upcoming World Education Congress (WEC), Aug. 9-12 in Las Vegas. The track will consist of five sessions to provide an in-depth look at each step and demonstrate how to create an SMM department within your organization.
One of the sessions—“Your Preliminary Plan for Strategic Meetings Management and Validation”—will focus on drafting a plan to implement an SMM program and uses working with procurement as a model. The session will outline how to prepare and approach the partnership with procurement. The necessary steps will be highlighted to ensure your organization is ready to actively bring in procurement partners and provide methods to implement a successful SMM program.
As your organization approaches the development of an SMM plan, consider using the following recommendations.
Understand what each role can contribute to a successful SMM program
As you either develop or mature your SMM program, getting support from all levels of the organization is critical. The first step in developing your organization’s communication and action plan is to determine which departments will play a key role in your program and which departments might be outlaying supporters. While reaching out to these departments, your message should differ depending on what you need from them and what they are going to need from you. Be open about what you or your team does best, and don’t be afraid to ask for help where outside experts could provide support to your department. Don’t hesitate to bring in experienced SMM professionals.
Find out what’s important to your department
Ask questions that depend on which department you are using to help validate your program, as each has a specific mission that aligns to the company’s vision. What do they need from the SMM program? What does the SMM program need from them? Once this is addressed, it should become clear how each department can converge upon the initiative to help each other.
Also, find out what their key success factors are, in regards to company goals, and then search within your department to see what you are already doing correctly or areas that are in development that could help them to meet their goals. As you are working together to enhance departmental goals, this alliance will increase efficiencies for the entire organization. It’s the power of partnerships that move organizations forward.
Learn to speak each other’s language
When you reach out to other departments, do your research. Procurement uses a different language and terms than those generally spoken in the meetings world. Do not expect them to understand your organization’s hundreds of acronyms. Be patient and use business language. As with any new initiative, there will be a learning curve. However, once both parties are educated about each other’s processes, a dynamic partnership is sure to follow.
Quantify meeting data
As you are looking at meeting data, be sure to have the processes and technology in place to report your data. Reporting should be flexible enough to service your meeting sponsors but also all of your supporting departments. Quantify your department’s value. Consider cost savings analysis (What is your percentage of savings vs. your labor charges?), cost avoidance (What are you considering cost avoidance—billing discrepancies, guarantees, onsite cost? Set parameters and stick to them.), contracted concessions (Are all contracted concessions being used per meeting and what are the savings per meeting for using those items?), meeting volume (How many meetings are implemented? Locations? Venue Brands? Specific venues? You can use this information to negotiate preferred vendor contracts or discounted rates.) and green practices (What savings are realized with implementing green practices?).
Give clear, concise specifications
A key area where procurement partners can help enhance your program is with preferred vendor management and contracting. To ensure that you are going to get the results you want and need from any strategic sourcing effort, be sure that procurement understands the following information.
- The goals and objectives of this sourcing effort.
- The specific sourcing specifications you require.
- The past history of this sourcing initiative.
- Your past relationships that relate to this initiative.
- Your decision-making factors.
- What are your “must haves” and “nice to haves?”
Your procurement partners have the skills and negotiating background to ensure that you get the most for your program and your money. They may also have a toolbox of templates to ensure an easier process for any vendor sourcing initiative.
Join us in Las Vegas as we explore the development of a Strategic Meetings Management program, discuss best practices associated with SMM and learn from our colleagues who are walking the SMM talk.
BARB TAYLOR CARPENDER, CMM, CHSC, is founder of Taylored Alliances, which offers tailored solutions aligned with clients’ needs and is the benchmark for industry-centric intermediary organizations. Carpender has assimilated an impressive background of sales, marketing and operations experience within the hospitality industry. Throughout her career, she has maintained a long-standing association with MPI, serving on regional and international boards of directors and multiple committees and advisory boards. She has been involved with MPI’s Platinum programs, including the SMM track. Carpender can be contacted at btc@tayloredalliances.com.
ANGIE DUNCAN, CMP, CMM, has played a significant role in the growth and development of Indianapolis-based VMS Meetings over the past 10 years. VMS has been in the forefront helping clients develop and implement processes and policies to ensure compliance. VMS continues to exceed procurement metrics while maintaining high levels of customer service with marketing teams. Duncan can be contacted at angie.duncan@vmsconnect.com.
