Five steps to …Creating a meetings programme

Some companies spend as much on meetings and events as they do on regular corporate travel. Yet very often there are no controls on meetings even though there may be strict rules and processes for individual business trips.

One of the main reasons there is less management of meetings is that it is harder. But it’s not impossible, and even if you don’t introduce a full strategic meetings programme there are still steps you can take to control spend and compliance for your organisation.

Step 1 – Research the current situation

As is the case with all travel sourcing projects, begin by understanding how much your business is spending and who within your organisation is spending it. Both these tasks are complicated. Meetings spend can have many different internal owners, and the budgeting and reporting process is sometimes opaque. You will need to talk to departments including marketing and training. Spend data sources include not only travel agencies and cards but also accounts payable and any meetings agencies already being used by meetings bookers. You also need to understand which meetings agencies are being used by your business along with any other specialist providers, such as destination management companies and audio-visual suppliers.

Step 2 – Negotiate with suppliers

Try to consolidate to fewer suppliers. This can be difficult because meetings bookers often have their favourites that they consider reliable. However, it should be possible to reduce your list of vendors at least partially so that you can negotiate better prices with those suppliers which remain on the list. In the case of airlines and hotels, it may be possible to negotiate a total package combining both transient and meetings travel.

Step 3 – Check contracts carefully

Issues like cancellation clauses can prove very expensive. One negotiation tactic is to tell hotels and venues what your standard cancellation terms are, instead of them telling you what theirs are. Watch out also for hidden extra charges for everything from catering to in-room equipment like flipboards and microphones. If these are not negotiated in advance, additional items ordered at the last minute can prove astonishingly expensive.

Step 4 – Create a policy

In particular, make sure meetings are booked through approved channels, whether directly with approved suppliers or through a preferred agency. Aim to create a standardised payment process too. A meetings policy is essential not just to control costs but also for risk management purposes: standardised booking channels will make it easier to track where your people in an emergency.

Step 5 – Win your colleagues’ co-operation

Internal communication is vital because meetings organisers can be resentful of perceived interference in what they often see as the most exciting part of their jobs. Explain to them that you are not trying to take over their creative work, such as choosing party venues or sourcing speakers. Instead, you are helping them by building a standard, time-saving process for the less glamorous side of their duties, such as contracting.