MPI Toronto Chapter Blog

Five Stories that Rocked Our Industry in 2009

Meeting professionals faced a lot of challenges in 2009: sagging economic indicators, hotel foreclosures, travel scares, (yikes!) attrition. But the year also saw the emergence of new social media possibilities, groundbreaking research and green technologies. One+ assessed reader feedback and its own research to create this list of the top five stories that rocked the industry in 2009. Read more...

Unique Venue Ideas

Some of these may be a little too adventurous for your meeting or event, but look what's trending around the world in unique venues.

60 Unique Nightclubs and Bars - From Dancefloors Over Shark Aquariums to Pop-Up Clubs (CLUSTER)

(TREND HUNTER) Now, these are unique nightclubs I'd love to party at! These innovative clubbing hot spots around the world go far beyond the regular dance floor with cute servers behind the bar -- these unique nightclubs… [More]

And in our own back yard (Toronto) O.Noir has recently opened. (http://www.onoir.com/TO/frames.htm) If you've dined in the dark... let us know what you thought.

Nikki

Connecting the Dots to Your Future

On Thursday February 5, those of you who were at MPI Toronto Chapter's Monthly Meeting know that Joan Eisenstodt's presentation sparked some lively conversation. Whether you think that the economic downturn spells disaster for the industry, or if you see this as an opportunity - your opinion is relevant and we need to hear from you on this issue.

There is a conversation going on at MPI Toronto's GroupSpace that was started as a follow up to Thursday's meeting. If you have an opinion - whether glass half full or half empty - I encourage you to join in this conversation.

http://www.mpiweb.org/cms/mpiweb/community/CommBoards.aspx?TopicId=4539

A salient point that comes out of this economic downturn is the reminder that we are all in this together.

Nikki

To Scent or Not to Scent…

I am sure many of us have noticed recently the increasing occurrence of scents being used in public spaces. From hotel lobbies, to retail outlets, scent marketing seems to be wafting into more and more places.

The theory is that scent is a strong trigger for memory and mood. The risk is you don't know what memories may be associated with a scent… what's pleasant for some may not be for others. The other risk is that you cause your customers to go into a sneezing fit or allergic response and leave.

I am surprised that in today's age of heightened allergies, marketers are taking this risk. From my limited research on this subject, I've learned that the scientific world has not concluded there is an allergy impact from air scents.

Recently, at a client board meeting in Montreal, I had a not so pleasant experience with a floral scent that was pumped into the meeting room about every hour. By the end of the first day of meetings, more than 1/2 the board had headaches, and one board member was sniffling and sneezing uncontrollably - having a severe allergic response to the smell. What was also interesting was it took us about 1/2 the day to figure out what was causing the problem - the scent was very subtle - until we realized it was there, and then it became overwhelming.

For those of us who attended the WEC in Las Vegas, you may also have noticed the scent in the lobby of THE Hotel - at times it was quite strong.

Scent marketing is a growing industry - and if you Google you will find all sorts of websites and blogs dedicated to the science of scent marketing. Here are just a few:

• http://www.scentmarketingblog.com/
• http://www.scentmarketing.org/
• http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10250329&CFID=3673016&CFTOKEN=80233598

I'd be interested in knowing if you have noticed an increase in aromas and what you think about it. Please post a comment. Or if you are a venue and you are using scent in your public spaces, what is the feedback from your customers?

Nikki

The Power of Perks and Privileges

The October report on www.trendwatching.com/trends/perkonomics/ is on Perkonomics. The report highlights how 'perks' are being used to satisfy a consumers demand for convenience and status.

So what consitutes a perk? When you can buy your way into the lounge at the airport it seems to no longer be much of a perk... especially to those who were getting this 'exclusive privilege' as a reward for their loyalty and volume usage.

The report highlights that the benefits of offering 'perks'. Here is a cut and paste excert of what they had to say.

• Perks bring much-needed love (if not FREE LOVE), in upturns and downturns, potentially leading to more ‘brand love’.
• Perks help commodity-like industries stand out by conferring a (renewed) sense of uniqueness. Adding perks often requires the ability to partner with other products or services, so brands with the best partnering skills—and therefore access to the best exclusive offers—will win.
• Perks, when done well, foster customer loyalty.
• Perks can give you the leading edge when it comes to attracting first-time customers.
• Perks can make for great if not invaluable PR; customers will tell others—perks are excellent conversation starters—while the media (trend watchers included) love a good perk story.
• Perks can help make boring companies (insurance, anyone ...?) interesting again, and thus more desirable.
• Perks can help cultivate more desirable brand perceptions and associations—think anything from showing you actually care about your customers (gasp!) to showing you care about the environment, offering eco-perks.

(www.trendwatching.com/trends/perkonomics/)

As meetings industry professionals, we are used to some of the perks and privileges offered by service providers to the industry - club floor lounges, dedicated check-in lines, special reservation numbers, upgrades, etc. But how well do we use perks and privileges at meetings and events to build loyalty and new customers amongst meeting attendees? The possibilities could be endless in terms of what is offered, and may also be another opportunity to attract sponsors.

This summer at a music festival I attended, they had 'exclusive' parking for Volkswagen drivers - very clever sponsorship on the part of Volkswagen. And although I am not a Volkswagen driver... I still remember the offering, and here I am blogging about it. 

What interesting perks and privileges have you offered or are you considering offering at your meetings and events? Add a comment and let me know what you are doing, or are planning on doing in the near future.

Nikki 

What Are You Serving?

For me one of the best parts of any meeting/event is the food. I love to eat, and I love to try new things. I also like to cook so am always looking for new ideas to try at home as well. When I plan events for our association clients, the challenge is to be able to make innovative menu choices on a budget. It is also becoming increasingly challenging to meet the diverse needs of meeting participants.

So what is the next big thing in food and beverage? The 2008 National Restaurant Association 2008 survey revealed the following trends:

Food

• Small plates are still big!
• Organic, local, sustainable
• Ethnic cuisine and ethnic fusion

Beverages

• Signature cocktails
• Pairings (wine and beer; beer flights)
• Craft beers
• Organic wine/beer products

Most of these food and beverage trends have already filtered their way into the meeting and events industry. So what’s next? Here are some new trends that may start popping up in our industry.

It Ingredients – you know the one ingredient that makes you ooh so cool.

• High end juices (packaged to look like wine)
• Red espresso
• Exotic edibles (giant toasted ants?)

(See the Trendwatching Briefing: http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/ for more information)

DIY – where diners select the flavours – Geschmackslabor a restaurant in Germany allows diners to select flavoured oils that finish their dish, creating their own unique taste sensation (http://www.geschmackslabor.com/)

High End Dessert Trucks (move over Popsicle Pete) (http://www.springwise.com/food_beverage/index.php?page=2 )

Customized M&Ms (http://www.mymms.com/customprint_faces/)

I’d love to know what you think is going to be the next big thing in food and beverage – add a comment if you have any ideas or if you have tried something new and fabulous at a recent event. In the meantime, I’m off to sample more food…

To listen to the 2008 Forecast podcast from the National Restaurant Association:  http://cdn3.libsyn.com/nra/NRA_2008_Restaurant_Industry_Forcast_-_Food__Beverage.mp3?nvb=20080822124822&nva=20080823124822&t=0febf71846a1b7c5a1ebb