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For as long as I can remember, meeting planners have been under fire to not only demonstrate meeting & event value, but also the value that they personally bring to the table. Some things never change and now the bar has been substantially raised with the fast moving SMMP initiative and increased expectations by senior management for improved productivity, cost savings and ROI.

The Shift from Logistics to Strategic

Yes, Strategic Meeting Management is a maturing "value and accountability" model and this shift from logistics to strategic thinking is essential for planning teams to deliver short and long term results that deliver real business solutions. The need for meeting and procurement teams to take a strategic approach to meeting management is validated by Tom Mc Donald, who delivers strategic consulting & education to corporations, associations and suppliers. He has seen first hand the gap between executives’ expectations for business results and planning teams focus on meeting execution and logistics.

"Companies now expect their meetings and events to deliver business results", said McDonald, President of Del Mar California based Dr. Tom McDonald & Associates. " Planning teams now have the tools and resources to make this happen". "Those that do not embrace this critical shift will see their futures in jeopardy", he continued.

Of course, the gap widens the more decentralized the meeting planning environment. Furthermore, seldom is there effective upward communications on meeting quality, spend and value based outcomes. Also absent are meaningful metrics to define and measure success.

What is Business Acumen?

For meeting professionals, business acumen is a combination of both an in-depth understanding of "how your organization works" and how meetings & events can play a major role in achieving management and stakeholder goals and objectives. Yes, this requires significant homework and collaboration with senior managers, but the payoff is well worth the time invested.

This business plan approach includes knowing how your organization is structured, what are the business challenges and issues of the day, what products and / or services are produced, how these are delivered to primary and secondary markets, who are the key industry competitors, what drives profitability across the enterprise, knowing brand standards and core values?  It is also important to understand the role of key departments and managers and their contributions to meeting and event management (financial, personnel, content, etc.).

So what are the new learning and skills required to make an impact at the top?  First, it's moving beyond meeting agendas, budgets, problem solving and logistics and understanding senior manager's big picture vision for meetings & events. Where does the management team place their focus everyday? Let me briefly connect the dots:

Do your communications and planning with senior managers include some of the above components?

Do you find your collaboration with managers too focused on logistical and operational matters? Are you offering ideas and strategies that drive real business solutions?

"Business executives now see meetings as essential to their companies success", Mc Donald added". " The opportunity is there for meeting planners to now become strategic partners in the process,” he concluded.

So if you want to be heard at the top, start the process of understanding the business environment and complexities of your organization, know the challenges of senior managers, build your business acumen and focus on how meetings and events can drive real business solutions. Making the shift from logistics to strategic thinking will have a big impact on your organization...and career!

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Jennifer W. Brown, CMP, is President of Meeting Sites Resource, a global specialist in meeting site research and hotel contract negotiations.  The Company also offers professional meeting support services, Strategic Meeting Management consulting and advanced technology solutions.

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• Custom Workshops / Strategic Meeting Management Consulting
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Jennifer Brown, President
Meeting Sites Resource
(949) 250-7483 ext. 315
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