Maybe you worked with an organization that had an SMMP in place, or perhaps you are an event professional and want to understand why some meeting planners you work with can sometimes be so demanding and nitpicky. Either way, Strategic Meetings Management Programs define the rules and regulations that organizations’ meeting planners must follow when managing corporate events. They regulate event spending, volume, standards, suppliers, risk mitigation, services, cost savings and more… And event planners and vendors must follow all of the rules.
If you are involved in corporate event group business, listen up! More than half of most corporate groups have begun implementing some form of SMMP regulation — it is not just a hot trend! SMMP is now an established stronghold in corporate America and if you want a piece of the corporate meetings business, you need to understand them or risk being left behind.
The Seven Pillars of an SMMP
- Central Registration of Meetings
- Mandated/Formal Hotel RFPs
- Formal Meetings Guidelines
- Preferred Suppliers
- Automated Processes
- Data Analysis and Reporting
- Formal ROI Metrics
Why Force Planners to Stick to Such Strict Rules?
The 2008 global financial meltdown and well-publicized outcry at some financial and insurance industry corporate meetings triggered a wave of interest in SMMPs. Establishing transparency and validating the ROI in meetings are now critical steps in the corporate meeting planning process. Unfortunately, this hassle is unavoidable.
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But don’t fret! For the month of January, Knowland will be making some of its core training classes open exclusively to customers on Knowland University available to the public. And lucky for you, the webinar “Understanding Strategic Meetings Management Programs” is the first to open! Learn how to sell strategically to corporate accounts that use an SMMP from a seasoned hotel professional. Space is limited, so it is highly encouraged that participants register online to reserve a spot!
Stay tuned next week for some more useful tips and tricks surrounding SMMPs!
