Show Me the Money

If there's a pitch to be made in corporate meeting planning right now, it's the one for implementing a strategic meetings management program. “Launching an SMMP involves an internal sell, so start with a business plan,” says Lisa English, CMP, CMM, president and chief strategist at Meeting Dimensions in Temecula, Calif. “Especially now, because of the economy, there is much more focus on demonstrating return on investment. You need to be clear on what the payback will be, how much time it