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Amy Ledoux  CMP, CAE, Vice President, Meetings and Expositions, ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, discusses the state of the Convention Industry

By Timothy Herrick
Editorial Director

(A slightly shorter version of this interview originally appeared in the 2008 Facilities & Destinations SuperBook)

For nearly 90 years, the ASAE (American Society of Association Executives) & The Center for Association Leadership has been the leading organization representing associations. Founded in 1920, ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership now has more than 22,000 Association CEOs, Meeting Planners, Industry Partners, and Consultant Members, serving approximately 10,000 associations that represent more than 287 million people and organizations worldwide.

Without conventions, trade shows, exhibitions and meetings, Associations cannot become Industries—much less Professional Communities. Event Planning education and standards are central to the mission of the ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. And, at the center of providing information, education and standards to this vital function of the organization is Amy Ledoux  CMP, CAE, Vice President, Meetings and Expositions.

Ledoux has been in the hotel and meeting management industry for 21 years, a career that began as a Telecommunications & Theater major at Indiana University when she took a part-time job at the reservations desk of a local Golf Course Resort that also had a Conference Center. Along the way, she worked on both sides of the meetings booking coin, at both large convention centers and in meeting planning for several associations. Both her association and corporate meeting experience have given her hands- on knowledge in the areas of meeting and exposition marketing, registration and housing, contract negotiations, budget management, site selection, program development, supplier selection, exposition management, special event and sponsorship development, and overall logistical management. Ledoux has been an adjunct faculty member with the Event Management Program at The George Washington University since 1997 and in her current position with the ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, which she has held since 2004, she is responsible for more than 45 educational programs, four major conferences, and three large tradeshows annually.

In this wide-reaching Spotlight Interview, Ledoux provides candor and insight on some of the trends currently affecting the Convention & Meeting industry.  

Facilities & Destinations: What strikes you as the most significant change in conventions now compared to when you started?

Amy Ledoux: The need to be a meeting strategist who can manage a successful team to implement meetings that deliver consistent ROI to the attendees and the exhibitors. Meetings are a business unit within associations, and many meetings contribute a substantial net to an organization’s bottom line to help support other products and services that an association provides its members.  It is not good enough just to have a logistically flawless meeting.  You need to be involved in the overall strategic planning of the organization. 

F&D: In terms of convention center features, what feature that did not exist five years ago are you most excited about today?

AL: We are seeing more services and outlets being brought into convention centers—like Business Centers, so we can have on-site materials produced in the host city at a lesser cost with less turn around time.  There are anchor restaurants and outlets being added to help create a warmer meeting ambiance. The service staff of convention centers are working to deliver exceptional customer service like you often find in hotels.

F&D: Are bigger meetings getting smaller or are smaller meetings getting bigger?

AL: Totally depends on the business of that particular association’s industry.  Some industries are booming, therefore, their attendance and booth sales are increasing.  Not a one size fits all answer. 

F&D: What industries are booming?

AL: Anything having to do with Technology. ASAE & The Center launched a technology meeting three years ago and our attendance went from 563 in 2006 with 37 booths to 974 total attendees with 109 booths in 2007 to 1,200 total attendees and 122 booths in 2008.

F&D: How has the role of the association meeting planner evolved?

AL: Their role has grown beyond just managing logistics but to be more of a meeting strategist. It is not enough just to deliver perfect meetings and rest on past performances.  A meeting strategist is someone who continuously asks the meeting stakeholders what they want and then it is the meeting strategists role to make continuous improvements on their meeting.  They also need to constantly be expanding their skill set and challenging the norms in order to inspire those around them to achieve more. A meeting planner has had the tendency to focus on the NOW when they really need to be anticipating future needs of the organization and have the willingness to change and help others embrace those changes.
 

F&D: Is the booking window getting longer or shorter?

AL: The booking window is getting shorter.  Hotels and facilities are not as likely to book several years out unless your event is a city-wide meeting. More pressure is being placed on hotels and facilities to increase their revenues, so they look to book the most profitable piece of business for their property or the city. Groups that are trying to book a piece of business that may not be a city-wide event or an event that utilizes the majority of the sleeping rooms in comparison to the space they use are getting harder to book in a shorter window of time.  Hotels and facilities do not want to book early and end up with what we call “an ugly baby” piece of business when a prettier one may present itself at a later date. They want to remain flexible, especially larger, anchor hotels because they do not want to be booked up, then be unable to participate in a city-wide event. At the same time, there is more pressure on meeting planners to book events, even smaller, non-city events, longer in advance so the association can better market and promote the meeting and attendees can better schedule their time. I think the shorter window is here to stay.

F&D: What can planners do?

AL: Planners have to communicate the value of their meeting to the hotel and the destination. A lot of hotels won’t sign a contract until 18 months before the convention, Planners will have to be flexible, and have more rotation in their meetings at one destination—if the hotel knows the meetings will be there for three or four years, they are more likely to have a longer window. Hotels are looking for multi-year deals. We’ve been in a sellers market for while and I think that will continue.

F&D: How can associations reduce the negative impact of an economic slowdown on their conventions?

AL: Associations need to be watching what they are charging for registration fees. They need to pick destinations that are accessible, which means less time out of the office for attendees, and are affordable in terms of airfare and hotel room costs.
        
F&D: What meetings technologies are associations demanding now from venues?

AL: Wireless capabilities and accessibility. Businesses today expect people to be in communication almost 24/7.  So attendees need to be able to access their e-mail anywhere, whether through their pocket PC’s or laptops. Also presentations at meetings are in need of access to the web so connectivity in the meeting rooms is critical.  Also, to extend the reach or the life of a meeting beyond the actually event requires state-of-the-art technology access.  Centers and other venues need to change with the times and the times require connectivity! 

 F&D: Is the green meetings movement a fad?

AL: Green was something that came and went many years ago but this wave of greening is here to stay.  It will become the fabric of how organizations manage their meetings and their association.  It has become too hot a topic and the consequences of not joining the greening movement are very visible with regard to the effect on the environment and the effects it may have on your membership if you are not socially responsible as an organization.
 
F&D: In this new century, what is the biggest challenge for the American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Executives?

AL: To continually change and adapt to our members needs and concerns so that we can respond by providing education, tools and resources to help our members run their organizations better.  To say it another way—to remain relevant by providing programs, products and services that will help our members and industry partners remain relevant and address industry challenges.