Creative Group’s new Customer Experience team leader, Jerry Murphy, the former vice president, operations at Maritz Travel, takes a few minutes with MeetingsNet to talk about the importance of collaboration and planning—and the eventual demise of the registration desk.
MeetingsNet: Five years from now, what won’t we be doing at corporate incentive travel programs that we’re doing today?
Murphy: With advances in technology we will see incentive travel become more personalized and managed at the individual level rather than at a group level. The concept of a registration desk where you go to check in will have disappeared. If you can check into a flight and a hotel with your phone, you can check in for a program without going to a desk. The idea of everyone staying at a single location will also change. People will want to experience destinations differently; some will want to stay at five-star hotels, other will want a more authentic experience.
MN: What do you wish corporate meeting executives better understood about independent meeting planning companies?
Jerry Murphy: We can provide the most value and help the earlier we are involved in the process of creating an event. This allows us to understand your thought process, the journey you want your attendees to take, the look and feel of the event, and how it should integrate with your company’s brand and strategic goals. It’s often difficult for people to put the initial concepts into words after the fact or to remember how they arrived at the meeting plan without knowing what the client was originally looking to achieve. That involvement by the planner at the beginning allows us to leverage our experience and design a solution that really meets your needs.
MN: What might someone be surprised to learn about you?
Murphy: I have completed several Chicago triathlons and one half Ironman. Preparing for triathlons is a little like planning a meeting. If you’ve done the training beforehand, the actual race is just a victory lap.
