Sometimes even more difficult than ensuring supplier compliance is ensuring that employees comply with internal meetings management policies that are in place. This challenge can intensify when a program expands globally.

One audience member addressed the panel with an ethical question regarding complying with preferred-supplier agreements. Hotels get caught in the middle when it comes to internal compliance, she said. “If an employee is supposed to use a preferred meetings management company to book the meeting, but instead calls the hotel directly, is the hotel supposed to say no to the request?”

Planners should ask hotel sales people to contact them if they get requests that are out of compliance, said Ridzon. “The onus is then on the internal [planner] to communicate with this person who is out of compliance. Most of the time it is an issue of the person just not being aware of the policy.”

It is in the hotel salesperson's best interest to address the issue up front, added Ridzon. “As a hotelier, you are not going to be looked at as a rat. We are going to find out eventually [this person was not in compliance] and then go back to the hotel and ask why we weren't contacted about this.”

“What is the best way to have these policies embraced by employees and followed on a global level?” asked Odom.

“It has to come from the top,” said Krugman. “Until C-level management makes the policy mandatory, it will never be completely adopted.”

Managing that compliance once a mandate is in place is equally important, said Ridzon. “There has to be a downside to noncompliance so [employees have] an incentive to use the system.”

In closing, Odom asked what the future holds for strategic meetings management.

“SMMPs become even more important when you hear about a recession and economic woes,” said Ridzon. “When money is tight at a company, where do [top executives] look first to cut spending? Travel and meetings. Would you rather management just slash budgets or would you rather be in an SMMP environment where you can sit down with the budget slashers and say, ‘Let's make some rational business decisions on where we can cut spending.’ In times like these, this is where you can really provide value to your company.”

Partnering With Procurement

Participating in a panel discussion on global meetings consolidation at the Fourth Annual Pharmaceutical Meetings Planners Forum in Baltimore, George Odom, senior director, Advito, Dallas, offered the following tips:

Find a procurement ally

Having procurement in your corner can be a tremendous help in getting a global program off the ground; just be sure your goals and experiences align. “Find someone in procurement with a services background,” advises Odom. “If your procurement person's experience has only been in purchasing widgets, you will need to educate him or her on purchasing in a services model in order to develop a productive partnership.”

Talk their language

“Procurement is generally very linear in their thinking,” says Odom, “while planners are usually very fluid.” The result: miscommunication. “Give procurement as many specifics as possible upfront so they can look at sourcing meetings as more than just a number.”

Who's the leader?

While procurement usually has a leading role in executing a global meetings consolidation program, Odom says it is important to differentiate between what decisions lie in procurement's hands and what meeting planners will have control over. “Procurement can teach the meeting planners formal procurement processes so they are comfortable handing over some of the decision-making to planners.”

Take a Six Sigma approach

By going through a global implementation as part of a Six Sigma approach, you are less likely to get pushback, says Odom. (Six Sigma is a data-driven approach for improving business management.) “If you have a Six Sigma group in your organization, consider getting on their to-do list. You will get a lot of resources for your project.”

Do a gap analysis

Enlist subject matter experts in different areas of the company to put together a gap analysis for meetings management. “Make a list of where you are today and where you want to be, and determine a step-by-step process for closing that gap,” said Odom.

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