Seven years ago, in a landscape more or less devoid of educational outlets for high-level industry professionals, a small group of corporate meeting executives found each other. Their goal: to start a forum to discuss the issues that they were dealing with as heads of meeting departments in major Fortune 500 companies — managing people, consolidating meetings, leveraging their spend.

Over the years, members of the Meetings Competitive Advantage Forum, which has remained pretty much anonymous until now, have quietly become an influential force in the industry. You might even say they are the pioneers of the strategic meeting management movement.

Not that they're looking for accolades — or attention. Many MCAF members did not want to be interviewed for this story and did not think the publicity was necessary. But the majority of this exclusive 40-member association did agree to share their story, ultimately because they feel that their focus — strategic meeting management — is the future of the industry.

“We have an opportunity to lead the movement and to be a resource for other people, not just ourselves,” says Michele Snock, CMM, global manager of meeting services at Cisco Systems, San Jose, Calif., and an MCAF member for the past six years. “What's the harm of trying to make a change in our industry and telling people what we're doing? It could potentially inspire other groups to do the same.”

Ahead of the Curve

MCAF's inaugural meeting in January 2000 was attended by just a handful of corporate meeting planners, including Madlyn Caliri, CPM, procurement manager and meetings and events program manager at AT&T in Austin, Texas. The group saw itself as an alternative for those who had moved up through the ranks and outgrown the education that was being provided by the industry associations.

“There's so much that happens at those associations that is truly successful,” says Michael Greto, CMP, event manager, strategic events at Coca-Cola North America, Atlanta. “But I'm looking for education at a much higher, more strategic level,” he says. MCAF, which he was invited to join in 2001, filled the void, delving deep into the principles and practices of strategic meeting management. “I learn more at MCAF than at any other conference.”

Snock points out that the major industry associations are now “coming to the table” with more strategic offerings. “That's a step in the right direction,” she says.

For example, in 2003, the National Business Travel Association debuted its Groups and Meetings Committee, and the following year Meeting Professionals International introduced the Global Corporate Circle of Excellence. Both include MCAF members: Caliri, Snock, and Theresa Tamer, CMP, director, strategic events at Coca-Cola North America, sit on the NBTA committee. Caliri was one of its founding members, and Snock pulls double duty, sitting on MPI's GCCOE as well.

Snock is glad that MPI and NBTA are tackling these issues and is happy to volunteer her time. “I'm hoping to make a difference,” she says, but adds that she would like to see the groups get “off the white paper track” and come up with research and case studies that show how to build a business case for strategic management programs.

By participating in these committees, speaking at industry conferences, and being quoted in magazine articles, MCAF's members — many of whom are recognizable names in the industry — have quietly brought attention to the business side of meetings. “We're the quiet company,” says Tamer. “We don't draw attention to ourselves, and we prefer to stay that way because we get a lot more done.”

As Snock puts it, any influence that MCAF members have had is a byproduct of the overriding mission of the group since day one: to share ideas and best practices, address challenges, benchmark, and help each other ramp up programs at their companies. She is the first to admit that, “in essence, this group was not meant to be anything more than a resource for ourselves.”

On the Agenda

MCAF consists of 20 major corporations, including Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, Gap, Cisco, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AT&T, and Coca-Cola. Each company is allowed to have two individual members. The limit is 20 because, says Snock, “We want it to be an organization that can all fit around the same table and work with each other.” (At the next meeting, however, the group will discuss whether it will expand.)

Most of the member companies are Fortune 100 companies, and membership is by invitation only. Invitations are extended based on recommendations from others in the group. Most members either have strategic meeting management programs in place or are working on one. About five companies are on the waiting list if openings arise. The group also has an attendance requirement that says if you miss two meetings in a row, it's time to step aside.

MCAF members never share preferred pricing with each other, says Snock. “We do share overall benchmarking statistics on percentage of savings.” Also, though some members are from the same business sectors (mainly technology and financial services), there are no major competitors in the group.

The group meets three to four times a year, with each member taking a turn hosting and planning the meeting in his or her city. They try to keep it on an East-West rotation, as most of the members are on the coasts. There are no dues or fees, and attendees pay their own way, with the host footing the bill for the meeting space. There are two officers, a team leader who focuses on strategic direction and putting together the agendas, and a membership chairman, with the players rotating every two years.

Because there are no supplier members, the forum allows members to speak freely and in-depth about specific situations and best practices without getting a sales pitch. “We love our suppliers, but this is an opportunity to talk turkey,” says Snock, “and get into the nuts and bolts of what we're trying to accomplish within our corporations.”

At the end of each meeting, the group develops the agenda for the next by voting on a list of hot topics. (Each company has one voting member.) Surveys are typically sent around before the meeting for additional agenda input.

The meetings last a day and a half. Attendees arrive on a Wednesday night for dinner, meet all day Thursday, and leave Friday after lunch. The agendas cover a lot of ground. At the last meeting, for example, Thursday kicked off with a panel of hotel executives fielding questions on working with global sales chiefs, and was followed by a presentation on socially responsible meetings. In the afternoon, members shared best practices on metrics — that is, how they measure performance, cost savings, etc. They also discussed how high oil prices are affecting their programs, the use of webinars, and the dos and don'ts of placing business during high-risk seasons. Other hot topics have included how to get buy-in from the administrative assistant community, measuring return on investment, and event marketing strategies. Individuals also discuss their involvement in industry events and advisory boards.

Often, the group invites experts to shed more light on topics. DMC officials were invited to talk about insurance, liability, and other related subjects; another time, speakers were brought in to present about measuring ROI. But, says Snock, “when we do bring suppliers in, it's to be educated by them, not to get a sales pitch.”