the meeting planner

Janet Blomquist, CMP
The "Go-To" Person
Winter 2008

Janet Blomquist, CMP, is the director of support services for Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. in Austin, Texas.

MPG:  How did you get your start in the meetings’ industry?

Janet:  I started with Texas Electric Cooperatives as a receptionist and moved up.  I eventually became the assistant to our CEO who, at that time, did all the meeting management for TEC.  He gave me the opportunity to work along-side him and learn first hand how things really worked.

I am responsible for approximately a dozen annual meetings each year and they include CEO’s, engineers, directors, accountants and others.  Each group is unique.  That’s part of what makes my job fun.

Who were a few of your early mentors?  What lessons did you learn from them?

One of my first mentors was Ken Loyd, who at the time was the assistant CEO for TEC. Although the term wasn’t used in those days, he “empowered” me to take the initiative and do things on my own.

Jim Morriss, our CEO, was also a wonderful mentor to me.  He believed and taught me that you must know where you’ve been before you can move forward.  This is particularly true with meetings.  While we all strive to be on the cutting edge, we must always look back to see what we’ve done, to learn if it was successful, and to evaluate if it met the needs of our attendees.

Tricia Hall has also been a great mentor.  She is a dear friend and someone who helps me look at things from every angle.  Tricia is honest, fair and a wonderful sounding board.

What qualities help make a successful meeting planner?

There are the obvious things like attention to detail, creativity and resourcefulness.  But, I believe another key skill is your involvement and networking skills.  After all these years, I am amazed at how many friends and peers I have met and how giving they all have been.  For several years, I was active in MPI and served as president of the Texas Hill Country Chapter.  It took extra time, but I can honestly say I always received much more than I gave.

This industry is not a “40-hour-a-week” job.  You must have a good work ethic.  It is easy to become discouraged and I’ve see a resentfulness in some of my peers at times about what it takes to get the job done.  When you stop and think of what a wonderful industry we’re in, you understand that it’s worth the extra time and effort.  The term “hospitality industry” is perfect.  It really defines what we do.

Name a few hoteliers / CVB people / meeting planners who exemplify professionalism.

Tricia Hall, Cecily McKinley, Denice Finch, Mary Kay Hackley and Janean Ferguson are just a few great people who come to mind.  These individuals share a professional ethic and a true commitment to our industry.

In my early career, Marilyn Monroe [formerly president of the Texas Society of Association Executives] played a big part in my education.  She always tried to be fair and do what was best for her members.

If you were addressing a room full of hoteliers, what would you say to them?

We all know that the business cycle - sellers market vs. buyers market - goes back and forth.  During my 30 years in this position, our meeting schedules have been pretty consistent, in good years and bad.  We all understand that hotel owners are in the business to make money, but I sometimes wonder - would they rather have our meetings for 3 or 4 years in a role or just a one shot meeting.

Years ago, I was not a fan of regional hotel sales positions.  But I now believe, for our association, these positions are critical.  These people understand our total financial potential for their company.

What is the greatest challenge facing the meetings / hospitality industry during the next five years?

I think we’re facing a number of challenges.

Travel:  The price of gas, airline issues, and the overall difficulties of traveling are going to have an ongoing impact.  Most companies can’t justify having 3 or 4 staffers out for a full week.  They’re cutting back and sending fewer people, which hurts our bottom line.

Staffing:  Our industry is known for long hours and people in the “new” workforce want more free time.  We need to be creative and find ways to balance their needs with the organizations’ workload.

Technology:  While there is so much new technology available it takes, time, money and training to implement these new tools.

Education:  Continuing education and training is critical.  Our association has added 100 workshops.  We are taking the training to our members, doing regional training and anything else we can do to assist our members.  Meeting technology [teleconferencing] can assist with some of this but I am a firm believer in the importance of face-to-face communications and networking.

Fear:  People are facing more concerns about terrorism and pandemic scenarios.  We must implement emergency plans and procedures to address these growing concerns.

What advice would you share with a room full of novice meeting planners?

Be realistic about what it takes to succeed in this industry.  It takes long hours, hard work and the ability to handle stress while maintaining your composure.  You must dedicate time to develop a resource network and you need to give back to the industry.

I believe this is why we have become so strong and have increased our value to the industry.  Years ago, meeting managers didn’t have “a seat at the table.”  That’s changing.  As a professional meeting planner, you can bring a lot to the table but you must add value.

You are judged on how you conduct your business.  Being that “Go To” person with a great attitude will always serve you well.

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