For this edition of “Caffin’s Corner,” Facilitiesonline takes the opportunity to interview its Associate Publisher. Caffin’s Corner is a special Blog that appears periodically to fill everybody in on some of the new things The Facilities Media Group has been up to. This time out, Caffin talks about the new Facilities & Destinations PLANNER GUIDE, which will be introduced this fall.

Facilitiesonline: Why make Facilities & Destinations three special annual issues?

Michael Caffin: In recent years, we have been publishing our annual Facilities & Destinations SuperBook Directory, featuring our Awards of Excellence. Well, our readers wanted more publications and our advertisers wanted more ways to reach our readership. The meetings industry and the venues that serve that industry has become too dynamic to contain in only one directory. So, we are introducing a brand-new publication this fall: Facilities & Destinations 2008 PLANNER GUIDE,  an in-depth, comprehensive, meeting planner centric, Resource Directory. And of course, the PLANNER GUIDE will be in addition to our 2009 Facilities & Destinations SuperBook coming next Spring and in January, there will be the 2009 issue of Facilities & Destination CONFERENCE for small-to-mid-size meetings.

FOL: What recent improvements/additions have there been to F&D’s readership for this new publication?

MC: For 2008, we added the entire North American membership of Meeting Professionals International (MPI), bringing our total circulation to more than 51,000 association and corporate meeting planners and key decision makers in North America. But the good news is this expanded readership is for all our “F&D” issues—the new PLANNER GUIDE, Facilities & Destinations SuperBook and Facilities & Destination CONFERENCE. Now all meeting venues and destinations—Convention Centers, CVBs as well as Hotels, Resorts and Conference Centers—can hit their entire market, the association planners and executives as well as all corporate meeting planners.

FOL: So the MPI membership supplements the existing circulation?

MC: If by supplements you mean tremendously expands our readership, then you are correct. The MPI membership will be added to our circulation that includes the membership of American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE); Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE); Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI); Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA); Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA) and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCMP). Our goal is to reach all meeting planners throughout North America.

FOL: What will be different about the PLANNER GUIDE?

MC: The core of the magazine is our directory that showcases listings of all the leading meeting venues. What will be different with the PLANNER GUIDE is that the listings will be more global—featuring the entire array of meeting venues and destinations large and small. The reason for that is mainly responding to the industry. In addition to large national and regional conventions and trade shows, Associations and other organizations are holding an increasing number of smaller meetings—for their committees, task forces, and state and local chapters. At the same time, companies and individual entities and organizations within an industry are planning meetings and events that take place during—or right before or right after—a larger industry-wide convention. The demand for a wider variety of meeting venues is high.  In addition, we have taken the “PLANNER” in the publication’s title to heart and are developing editorial sections specifically for Meeting Planners, with lots of useful and informative articles but our industry and the planning profession. Some of the editorial components being developed include booking tips, columns from industry leaders, and in-depth interviews with Meeting Planning experts.

FOL:  What added value will CVBs, meeting venues and suppliers receive?

MC: Each display advertiser receives a free ¼-page expanded listing, with full contact info about your facility/city/company, a picture, logo and more. We’ve also developed several different packages for advertisers as well as an attractive discount for advertising in two or all three "F&D" issues.

FOL: How do think the economy will effect this new publication?

MC: There is no lack of worry when it comes to economy, all of it justified. But the economy is cyclical, especially when it comes to the meetings & events industry. In fact, we are already have in the works some really interesting and useful articles how  planners can create exciting and effecting meeting experiences during sluggish economic periods. The bottom line is, people have to work smarter—venues and CVBs have to develop more competitive meeting and convention packages and planners have to evaluate a wider range of options in order to create better, more effective meetings. A slowdown is time for more marketing, not less, because marketing makes you more competitive. And in fact, it’s because the industry is more competitive and complicated that a need arose for the PLANNER GUIDE!

Michael Caffin
Associate Publisher
(212) 532-4150 ext 103
mcaffin@facilitiesonline.com

Andrew Reeves
Account Executive
(646) 688-5229
Areeves@facilitiesonline.com

Harry Mark
Account Executive
Hmark@facilitiesonline.com
(718) 370-1607