What's the Big Idea?

Eggleston took a different tack when, as the 2007 annual meeting in Toronto approached, ASM planning staff realized that something drastic had to be done. With gas prices rising, hotel rates going up, rental fees climbing, and vendor fees increasing, it was getting harder to hold down expenses. Yet, they didn't want to give attendees “sticker shock” by jacking up registration fees or charging them for things they weren't used to paying for, explains Eggleston. And they didn't want to cut out any programs or services or markedly reduce the quality of the food and beverage or entertainment in a way that would sour attendees on the meeting. “You don't want to make it look like attendees are losing something,” he says. “So we had to think outside of those boxes. What are we going to do to keep costs down, yet allow the attendees get the experience they want?” That was the question convention staff was wrestling with as the meeting approached.

Ultimately, they came up with one big idea that would cut overall meeting costs by 30 percent to 40 percent, estimates Eggleston. And while it did create some discord among attendees before the meeting, when it was over, there were no complaints.

The plan involved consolidating a large reception called “Division Night” — which traditionally occurred in several venues — under one roof. The 45,000-member society is made up of 27 divisions representing different specialties in the field. “For years, ASM has always had different social events for each division at the meeting and each gathering is very expensive,” explains Eggleston. Each event has its own food and beverage, entertainment, ancillary costs, transportation, even venue. The 27 events are held simultaneously in reception halls at five or six properties in the host city.

They merged it all into one huge gathering for all 10,500 attendees in a ballroom at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. Because the 27 divisions fall into one of four large member groups, the hall was split into four distinct areas for each group. Each area had entertainment, food and beverage, and networking areas, but there was also a main stage where everyone could mingle, eat, drink, and network.

Initially, there was some resistance to the idea. “People thought something was being taken away from them,” says Eggleston. But in the end, attendees were satisfied with the setup because it allowed them to maintain their own gathering, while providing the opportunity to network with others. And if any division decides to have their own reception elsewhere, they can, but they must pay for it themselves. ASM plans to do the same thing next year.

Overall, the association saved “several hundred thousand dollars” on the event, says Eggleston. Big savings came from having one food and beverage contract with bulk prices, one rental fee, fewer entertainers, and less staff on-site to oversee the events. Perhaps the largest chunk of savings was on transportation costs because they didn't have to foot the bill to cart people to and from 27 different events at a handful of different venues.

“One of the things we didn't anticipate was the high gas prices,” he says — which made transportation costs higher than expected. For next year's meeting in Boston, transportation is a big focus. ASM is already devising a strategy to minimize shuttle costs by strategically clustering events near hotels with the largest room blocks. The association is considering utilizing public transportation at future meetings.

In the end, the 2007 annual meeting had record attendance and low costs, a meeting planners dream. “We got everything we wanted,” says Eggles-ton. “It cost less for the association, and attendees didn't see a huge hike in registration fees.”

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