Money and time are at a premium in this fast-paced world. It is harder and harder to make time and place in the budget to attend meetings no matter how attractive travel and hotel rates may be. One way to step around the challenges of the present economy is to use video streaming.

Video streaming is communicating live from one computer to another. All you need is healthy internet connection and a web cam plus the skill and confidence to use them. A live stream allows more people to attend your presentation in real time.

The presenter’s charismatic appeal and knowledge base will speak equally loudly to remote viewers as they will to up close and personal attendees. In addition, a symposium may have several panels and cover a range of topics. Remote viewers can pay for individual panels at a reduced rate.

Record the event and sell the DVDs on your company’s website. This benefits attendees who can watch panels they may have missed at the conference and individuals who were not able to watch the live streaming.  Allow room for comments and questions on your website, either through a comment page or by providing an email address for queries. Video streaming is a good way to increase both attendance and revenue for your presentation.

If you are looking for some good locations for your business meetings get Las Vegas booked–now. Why? Because several of the big properties are reporting signs of the recession easing. MGM Mirage and Las Vegas Sands have both suggested the downward spiral has stopped and business leveled off. What this means to you, the planner, is this is prime time to get those rooms and conference centers committed before the prices go up.

This also means that you may have some big talking to do to convince your clients that it’s okay, despite public opinion and government guidelines for travel expenditures. Already some businesses are thinking more about their employees, who will benefit from the conferences, than the public. Even though the public will eventually benefit with better products and service in American goods, taking public image into consideration in this case could be harmful. Read the rest of this entry »

Planners everywhere have noticed hotel rates have taken a bit of a dive. But did you also know that it has made several of the upscale destinations affordable for clients who would normally book second-tier–or even less expensive–accommodations? It’s true. At least for the time being, locations that were previously off limits due to price are now more available than ever before.

Part of the problem, as you might imagine, is the economy. Companies have cancelled meetings, groups have put off conventions, and general travel is down across the globe. The other problem is the restriction placed on companies by the public eye. They do not want to seem like spendthrifts in the wake of the recent collapse of some of the business giants in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »