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Neil Pompan, IACC President, Discusses the State of the Conference Center Industry

By Timothy Herrick

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

More than half of Neil C. Pompan’s 22 years in hospitality industry has been dedicated to Conference Centers and the types of meetings held in these diverse venues. His resume covers the gamut of positions in the industry, including meeting planning, venue management and marketing. Pompan is a partner with EMCVenues , a meeting sourcing and marketing firm. Other past highlights include five years as CFO of the Meetings & Events Division of JB Morgan Chase, which include meeting planning and management of 12 conference centers worldwide as well as positions with MeriStar Hotels and Resorts, Inc., Benchmark Hospitality International , Scanticon International, Omni Hotels, and Conferon, Inc.

As the current President—his term runs through 2008—of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), Pompan might have his highest profile position in the Conference Center industry yet.  Out of the thousands of venues with meeting space or who utilize the term “Conference Center,” only an estimated 300 have the IACC Seal of Approval, a designation that means not only IACC membership but that a venue has met IACC standards, which take into account criteria such as the amount of dedicated meeting space, technological offerings and the offering of a Complete Meeting Package (CMP). As IACC President, Pompan has speared several initiatives, including the creation of a “Green Task Force,” and a special position on the IACC Board of Directors for younger professionals.

In an interview that covered a multitude of issues affecting meetings, planners and venue managers, Pompan provided distinctive, well-informed and insightful observation about current and future Conference Center trends. While today’s business climate may be a mix of economic worry and deciding on which services and technologies will best serve your market. Pompan might have the best advice for both planners and venue managers: “Successful meetings do not begin and end in the meeting room; rather, it is the interaction throughout a full conference in all areas of a facility that constitutes a “Total Meeting Experience.”

CONFERENCE: Are bigger meetings getting smaller or are smaller meetings getting bigger?

POMPAN: The volume of meetings is on the rise with a slight decrease in the number of attendees, but a large increase in the number of meetings being held within a meeting.  The typical meeting of a few years ago centered on a single general session where one or more person(s) presented to a group.  Today, meetings are breaking into smaller groups (breakouts) and working on separate topics to report back to the larger group. In addition, there is a current trend toward more regional meetings where attendees can drive in rather than fly.  Finally, there has been a huge increase in day meetings that require few if any guest rooms. This increase in day meetings tends to skew the answer to the question…”are meetings getting smaller”…The real answer is Yes and No.

CONFERENCE: What impact will an economic downturn have on conference centers?

POMPAN: Conference centers tend to “feel” a downturn six months after hotels and resorts and they also bounce back quicker. Conference centers tend to be buffered from vagaries in the economy because corporations meet in good times—to celebrate their successes—and bad times—to downsize, restructure or strategize how they will compete effectively even during a recession.

CONFERENCE: You’ve been in the business for a long time – what strikes you as the most significant change now compared to when you started?

POMPAN: Without question, the biggest change is in the sophistication and the use of technology to not only keep people informed prior to the start of meetings—e-mail, internet, etc.—but also in how knowledge is transferred. Technology has also served to change the way business is conducted. On-line sourcing tools has in large measure reduced the personalization that used to exist in the sales process and increased the speed at which business is conducted.  Ironically, some things have not changed.  The most basic of all presentation tools is still number one – The Flipchart.

CONFERENCE: In terms of conference center features, what did not exist five years ago are you most excited about today?

POMPAN: E-stations and airport boarding pass terminals. Conference attendees can send e-mails quickly and respond when time permits.  Boarding pass terminals are allowing the conference attendees to not have to travel to the airport as soon as they had to in the past—no more waiting in lines at the airport to check in!

CONFERENCE: What differentiates a venue with meeting space from a conference center?

POMPAN: In a nutshell, it is all about the business model. Convention centers are in the business of selling and servicing tradeshows.  Hotels are in the business of selling guest rooms. Both have a variety of amenities to attract business to their venues to achieve these goals. Conference centers, in contrast, are in the business of selling and servicing meetings. By conference center definition, the word “meetings” means a total 24-hour experience. Successful meetings do not begin and end in the meeting room; rather, it is the interaction throughout a full conference in all areas of a facility that constitutes a “Total Meeting Experience.”

CONFERENCE: What does the “re-flagging” trend—where hotels, mainly well known branded hotels—for example, Hilton—are transforming their meeting space into an IACC Approved Conference Center—say about Conference Centers?

POMPAN: The trend of major hotel brands embracing the Conference Center concept and introducing it into many of their properties certainly stands to qualify the viability of the concept and is a result of various enlightened owners recognizing that an IACC Conference Centers will differentiate themselves in various markets. We believe that this is a trend that will continue as more owners begin to understand the profitability that Conference Centers generate. 

CONFERENCE: Why are more Conference Centers providing team building activities?

POMPAN: Team building has been a trend for more than a decade because it’s a proven tool for the selection and motivation of result-oriented teams. Many conference centers have on-site equipment and staff (generally contracted) to provide this to their clients. Conference centers also provide “mini” team building events like “10 at 10”: a member of the fitness staff leads conferees through 10 minutes of exercises at 10:00 a.m.

CONFERENCE: IACC has appointed now two “millennial” Board Associate members and recently a report has been issued. What does Gen X/Y bring to conference centers and meeting planning?

POMPAN: Our Board Associates have brought a fresh look at how business will be conducted in the future.  They have informed the board on how to market to their generation and how they like to be led or envision leading others.  The Board Associates are now researching the importance of online social networking (My Space, U-Tube, etc.).  Social networking allows for the creation of networking and work groups the criss-cross the globe.  IACC believes that social networking will play a big part of how people meet in the future.

CONFERENCE: Can you identify the one recommendation from the report that what will have the most immediate impact on conference centers?

POMPAN: Most venue research is now done online, but not just on hotel and conference center web sites. Millennials incorporate social networking and peer-to-peer recommendations in their decision-making process and they’re particularly wary of marketing hype. They’ll believe what another planner tells them far more than what they hear from a salesperson. Millennials also demand instantaneous response from anyone with whom they are doing business.  Any lag in follow-up from a salesperson will kill the deal.

CONFERENCE: Is “ Green” just a fad, or do you expect more meeting planners will be demanding more environmentally aware?

POMPAN: Research shows that the environment is very important to the millennial generation and that they care very much for the world they are inheriting from the older generations.  With this group becoming the meeting planners and travelers of the future, environmentally friendly programs will become an expected standard in all areas.  IACC will educate its members on sustainability and how to respond to the growing demand for green meetings.  We will encourage our members to obtain certification from organizations whose prime objective is certifying green organizations and recognize those members that do.

CONFERENCE: What can meeting planners and conferences expect from the upcoming IACC Rebranding Initiative?

POMPAN: Planners can expect a stronger, more consistent message that conference centers offer the most productive environment for adult learning and better ROI for meetings. We fully anticipate that once underway, this rebranding effort will make IACC far more recognizable in the market place and we very much look forward to conducting focus groups in the future to test this hypothesis. 

CONFERENCE: What things that are now included in CMPs that surprise you most?

POMPAN: The purposes and benefits of a Complete Meeting Package centers on providing a product that simplifies the job of meeting planning and enables planners to provide a higher level of service to the attendee that they could otherwise provide in an a la carte manner.  As such, for the CMP to remain viable, it must address the current needs of meeting planner.  The CMP is now more flexible than ever before.  Conference centers by design and requirement often have a variety of packages and they are usually open to customizing a package for a particular event. The CMP now includes more presentation technology to meeting the tech savvy sophistication of today’s planner.