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November 4, 2009
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Getting Unconventional on Conventions
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| Fight Night founder Joe Robert and Park at 14th owner Marc Barnes invite Bisnow readers to their invitation-only “Pre-Fight Night” party tonight, Wednesday, at the Park at 14th; free food and drink between 8 and 9 PM. No charge, but you must register here. |
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| Associations across the board were looking to cut convention and trade shows costs this year. We asked association execs to compare notes on gatherings from DC to Atlanta to San Diego at our CFO Summit at the City Club on Friday, hosted by great sponsors Anybill, Reed Smith, and West, Lane & Schlager. |
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Global Cold Chain Alliance's annual convention had one of its highest profits in recent years, says VP Corey Rosenbusch. Recession fears made GCCA analyze costs, but revenue ultimately remained stable, leaving a nice profit margin. Corey says the association tried not to cut anything members would notice. Fewer staff traveled to its annual convention, and those who did stayed only for days they were needed. Meanwhile, Corey just got back from a board meeting in St. Kitts. That may be the remnants of a tan we detect, but Corey says the meeting was all work. Board members, however, arrived a week early with their families just to hang out.
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You won't find The Financial Services Roundtable holding meetings on any island (unless it's Manhattan). CFO George Forsberg says that two months prior to its spring conference, the association cancelled plans at a resort in Naples, Florida in favor of The Park Hyatt in DC. Future meetings are planned in business environments rather than typical resort locales.
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Biotechnology Industry Organization's Lisa Murphy told us the 1,200-member association's annual convention held in May in Atlanta was the victim of a Swine Flu scare. The entire Japanese delegation was held back because of H1N1 travel restrictions. The show normally attracts 18,000, but attendance dropped to 14,500 due to the economy and flu concerns. BIO also holds 10 investor and partnering conferences every year, giving biotech firms a place to present their technology to investors and other companies. One such conference wrapped up in San Francisco the day of our breakfast and another is planned for Germany this week.
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Attendance is largely based on location, says National Education Association's Michael McPherson. NEA's convention, which typically draws 10,000 delegates plus 5,000 of their associates and family members, was held this summer in San Diego and will be in New Orleans the next. The locations are chosen 6 to 10 years in advance. Like the Global Cold Chain Alliance, NEA tried to make cutbacks members wouldn't notice. The association encouraged more laptop usage rather than renting computers and cut back on catering by buying in bulk from Costco on location. It reduced signage and carpeting and rented fewer lamps, desks, and garbage bins for the convention floor. Staff members were also asked to book flights months in advance.
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Apparently, 7:30 is not so early for our early birds: Reed Smith's Bob Diamond, Financial Services Roundtable's George Forsberg, and Anybill's Sander Mueller. Look, they're drinking water instead of coffee. George says he's already working by about this time, and Sander tells us his two and five-year-olds are always up at 6 am. He jokes he's already eaten lunch by 9.
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GOVERNMENT GURU
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Last week, we had Professional Services Council CEO Stan Soloway as a guest speaker at one of our regular forums for readers of our Tech/Federal IT publication. The PSC has 350 corporate members concerned about government procurement and contracting policy, from Boeing to Booz Allen to Bank of America. Stan tells us so much is going on that even the biggest companies can’t keep up, and they use the PSC for pooled strategic analysis. He has a staff of 16, makes 60 presentations to member boards a year on subjects like agency budgets and insourcing. A former Clinton Defense official, he’s getting close to his 10th anniversary at the PSC. He hadn’t been a trade association exec, but was persuaded when others pointed out you can be a thoughtful “voice,” not just a “mouthpiece.”
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| Send story ideas to Jessica Sidman, jessica@bisnow.com |
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This newsletter is a journalistic news source which accepts no payment for featured interviews. It is supported by conventional advertisers clearly identified in the right hand column. You have been selected to receive it either through prior contact or professional association. If you have received it in error, please accept our apologies and unsubscribe at bottom of the newsletter. © 2009, Bisnow on Business, Inc., 1323 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036. All rights reserved.
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