the meeting planner
Tricia Hall, CAE, CMP
This is a relationship business!
Summer 2008
Tricia Hall, CAE, CMP is president of Albuquerque-based Tricia Hall & Assoicates
MPG : What led you into the meetings industry? What was your first position?
Tricia: Like a lot of folks, I was led into the meetings industry by accident. I went to the University of Texas and have a degree in marketing. My first jobs were in marketing for the film industry, then into the catering and the gourmet food business but I realized that was not what I wanted to do long term. In 1986, I landed a position at a non-profit association, the Texas Center for the Judiciary, and, although I wasn’t given any formal training, one of my responsibilities was meeting coordinator.
Who were your early mentors and what lessons did you learn from them?
In my first job, my boss, John Stokes, taught me about a strong work ethic and he did it by modeling. My longtime friend and colleague, Janet Blomquist, has a very practical approach to the industry so I rely on her knowledge. She is my sounding board. My other mentor is Cecily McKinley who taught me to be who I am. Cecily is a model of value and integrity – she’s my barometer.
Please describe your company and what makes it unique.
My core business is association and meeting management. I have several clients for whom I provide full service management and other clients who only need certain services such as hotel and venue contracting.
I’ve been an association manager for 22 years and I think that is one thing that makes my company unique. I teach CMP review courses and all types of meeting planning and hospitality topics. Teaching keeps me current within the industry and enables me to provide my clients the most cutting edge service.
What are the greatest challenges facing this industry?
Balancing the service aspect of the industry has been a real challenge. I think the hospitality industry has become a commodity. The pace and stress of our industry is costing us in terms of quality of work and service. The speed at which we have to react is becoming almost unmanageable.
It’s also difficult to maintain meeting budgets. The fuel cost issue is hitting now and it stresses our budgets - what we are able to offer members, how many programs we can do, and what the programs will include.
The way we are delivering educational content is also becoming a challenge. Because our demographics are changing, I don’t think the same teaching models still work - the passive learning, the lectures, the keynote speaker. There needs to be new and different ways of delivering the message. How? I’m not sure.
Do you foresee a time when technology will replace face-to-face meetings?
I may be old school but I don’t see a time when face-to-face meetings will go away.
When times are good, meetings are in full force, we’re booking and cooking, but when times are tough we may supplement our face-to-face meetings using technology. In my organizations, we would never replace our convention or annual meeting because one of the primary reasons people join an association is for the networking.
What do you feel about green meetings?
It is certainly a hot topic. Meeting managers have been going green for awhile. What is encouraging for me is to see the building and infrastructure side getting on board and going green.
I still have room for improvement. Part of that challenge is educating my members about the green concept. It goes beyond recycling your name badge. It’s a different way of doing business and changing the culture within your organization. Our industry has a huge carbon footprint - travel, paper, supplies, food, utilities - the list goes on and on. In my opinion, we have a moral obligation to become better stewards of the planet.
If you were addressing a group of hotel owners or executives, what would you say to them regarding their relationships with meeting planners and the meetings industry?
This is a relationship business. Unfortunately, there are now so many sales lead generation overlays that the direct sales process has become very cloudy. It’s become a numbers game. Who gets the lead first. While I understand the need for profit, the focus is on the bottom line.
I would tell these executives to be cognizant of their sales process. To me, having direct access to the sales professional is probably the most important relationship that they can offer me. When they put all these overlays on top of it, they have no idea of my spend or my overall value and I truly get lost in the shuffle.
There are exceptions, obviously, but I think the hotel owners are too far removed. It’s the people at the property level that have to make up for that indifference and maintain the relationship with the planners. The hospitality and service aspect used to be the cornerstone of our industry and I don’t know that I can say that anymore.
Do you have a recommendation to bring some of that feeling back?
I think you have to give the sales professionals the ability to have real conversations, real negotiations, and the ability to service the business like they used to. Luckily, I have great relationships with the suppliers I work with but I think it is because we continually foster the relationship. I don’t think that is true across the board. My relationships are what gives my company value to my clients.
What advice do you have for people considering a career in this industry?
First, you need to be sure it’s the career you want because it’s a huge commitment - long hours, stress, dealing with a multitude of personalities, deadlines - but that is what also makes it exciting.
Second is learning. Luckily, our industry has great resources to support our education. I’m a life-long learner. While you are in the career, if you can learn, learn, learn, it will keep you relevant and successful.
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