The St. Louis, MO-based International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) surveyed its North American members (which include executive and resort conference centers, company training centers, and college/university conference centers) about the availability of technology tools in their facilities. The survey received a 60 percent response rate. Conference centers most often use a Complete Meeting Package (CMP) rate, which includes meals, meeting space rental, and some audiovisual and other meeting support services, at a per-night package rate.

In addition to questions about videoconferencing and the Internet (see charts), the survey asked about projection equipment. Nearly half of the centers (45 percent) said they typically use portable multimedia projectors, more than twice the number that uses built-in projection. LCD panels were used by 22.8 percent and video monitors by 8.4 percent.

The study also found that 81.4 percent of the centers' guest rooms offer voice mail; 80.7 percent offer data ports.