Top Execs Call Shots On Budgets, Site Picks

Dallas — A new survey of meeting planners by Meeting Professionals International indicates that meeting and event budgets primarily are influenced by senior-level executives, not by planners. Further, senior execs are virtually as likely as planners to decide where meetings will be held.

The results, according to MPI chairwoman Terri Breining, underscore the organization's efforts to promote the importance of meetings among company executives.

"We suspected this was true," said Breining, of the dominant role of senior-level executives in the meetings process. "This just helps us understand further where decisions are being made."

In the survey, 56 percent of 220 respondents indicated that meeting and event budgets are determined by senior-level executives. Only 20 percent said meeting planners or meeting departments determine meeting budgets.

And, while 41 percent said it is planners who most influence meetings site selection, 38 percent indicated it is senior-level executives who have the heaviest site-selection influence in their companies.

Even this narrow margin is no victory for planners, Breining said.

"The majority of senior-level executives are making the decisions about budgets, which is tied to whether or not even to have the meeting," she said. "MPI has the responsibility to help these people with greater information and perspective on meetings generally, and the impact of meetings on their organizations specifically."

Breining said the survey supports two aspects of MPI's ongoing Pathways to Excellence strategic plan: devising a campaign stressing the importance of meetings in the corporate environment, and enhancing the ability of planners to take an active, decision-making role in that process.

MPI's Business Skills for Life program addresses professional development, helping planners "learn how to speak in more clear business terms, so they can better make the business case from within the organization as to why meetings are good for their companies," Breining noted.

"Now is the time for meeting planners to go to the next level, which is to try to get a seat on the executive board and have influence there," she said.