This summer I had the opportunity to interview numerous meeting planning companies about the services they offered, the processes they used and the technologies that supported their business processes. As a trusted advisor and consultant in travel and meetings, I remain independent yet seek opportunities to learn about the best-in-class strategies, resource models, processes and technology. I asked a few questions of these meeting management companies and the answer to the question, “Which meeting management technology do you prefer?” piqued my interest as I moved my chair closer to the table and sat upright in my chair.
We know that most meeting management technologies include different levels of functionality that support strategic meetings management programs. Some may offer multi-language capabilities, some may offer more security, some may provide better reporting; some may be cheaper; and some may provide better sourcing/RFP functionality. So, my extremely informal method of asking one question was surely not statistically relevant. Granted, if I created one survey that listed all of the technology functionality and asked all of the meeting planning companies which technology they preferred, the answer may offer more statistically correct feedback. Yet, informal word of mouth tends to go a long way in this business.
The meeting management companies agreed that they use multiple technology suppliers because their clients use different technologies. And, they all agreed that there were pros and cons of each technology that they used. I leaned closer to my colleagues so that I didn’t miss a word of what they were telling me.
The meeting planning companies told me that they preferred Cvent. Wow. This was news to me as it was not the answer I expected to hear. As a practitioner many years ago, I remember telling Reggie Aggarwal, CEO of Cvent, to stop calling me because I was perfectly content with my current meeting management technology. Fast forward many years … now, these successful meeting planning companies told me that they prefer Cvent? Spotlight seems to shine at different times on deserving companies. Today, the spotlight is on Cvent because of the feedback that I received and because of the headlining Washington Post article posted on Sunday, November 7, titled “How Reggie Aggarwal turned Cvent into a Success” Not only does this article follow Reggie’s never-ending pursuit of success, it also inspires us to never stop learning, build strong relationships, and follow your dream.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/07/AR2010110703933.html
In the fiercely competitive environment of meeting management technology, there are “up and coming” technologies that are trying to knock Cvent out of the spotlight. There are tried and true technologies that support the global strategic meetings management program of many organizations and have held the spotlight for many years. If your organization is seeking a meeting management technology, I encourage the use of a well-written request for proposal and a vigorous evaluation and testing process.
Congratulations to Reggie and his team as they spent endless hours listening to meeting planners and leaders; the valuable feedback resulted in a great product and service.
If you have any questions or need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.
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Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt
- Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
- Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
- Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)
The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954
Debi has the following designations:
- Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
- Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
- Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
- NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)
Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar
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