What’s your travel forecast for the coming year?
Technology keeps getting better and better, creating easier ways to book rooms. As everyone gets more mobile, small group and individual bookings are last minute. There’s been a real surge in speed with handheld devices and tablets, and we expect it to grow dramatically as prices go down, especially on tablets, and more people use them.

How is the economy changing booking patterns?
There will be continuous and various types of promotions by hotels to convince visitors to book in advance, which allows hotels to be more efficient and plan rates. You’ll see more incentives to make consumers change their behavior. There will be more rate differentiation between those who book and pay in advance, which will include the ability to make changes, and another for last-minute bookings, which won’t include any refunds on cancellation. Rates will also encourage travelers to stay longer.

Does this hold true for meeting space as well?
There’s no question that it applies to meeting space. Meetings and groups are booking short. There will be a push in terms of the negotiation process; rates will be different depending on length of stay and other factors.

What other changes do you expect?
The check-in process is changing due to technology. The front desk will disappear. The long lines when your group arrives at the same time will be eliminated. Consumers are getting used to doing more check-ins themselves. They are self-printing their airplane bordering passes; rental cars have self-check-in devices. There’s an app for room keys, allowing hotel guests to open their room using their phone; you’ll see this expanding, along with consumers selecting their rooms online. They’ll be able to head straight to their room as soon as they arrive. That’s great for travelers and produces cost savings for hotels. Hotels need to interface with entire systems and that is taking longer than in other areas of travels, but it’s on the way.

Do you see hotel rates going up overall?
The economy has been going sideways for an extended period of time. There will be a slow rise in demand [for hotel space] because not a lot is coming on the market. Rates are going up in bigger cities, but are expected to stay the same in second-tier cities and smaller markets. We’ll see increases in 2013, and we are telling travelers to book as far in advance as possible. Hotels won’t be slashing rates at the last minute. Planners, especially, should make plans earlier rather than later.

What’s in your crystal ball?
I see much more personalization. When someone books through the meeting planner’s software program, more preferences will be remembered and responses will be custom tailored to the individual. They’ll be offered rooms with what they want. This gives travelers more confidence that their travel provider knows them. They’re more comfortable working with them.

What about air travel?
The tremendous amount of consolidation means there’s less competition, which means rates will continue to go up. All rules have been tossed out the window. There are no more round-trip rates. Instead of system-wide rules, now it’s airline-to-airline delivering to capacity. Major airlines are becoming like discount carriers. There will be even more creativity in adding additional charges where they can. There are lots of other ways they haven’t gotten around to yet to maximize income. They’ll charge more for an aisle seat or a window seat. You’ll see more marketing…advertising on the backs of seats, on the airport shuttle buses, everywhere. Luxury-type airline travel in this country is a thing of the past. American Airlines going bankrupt means they can now compete and go head-to-head with Southwest, which has more routes as a result of its merger with AirTran. So fewer services, more fees, pricing skirmishes between online sites and airlines. Also, more packaging, which is more popular outside the U.S., with airfare, hotels and cars included in one price. Providers working with net rates can move a lot of product and hide bottom-line pricing.

What incentives are being offered to lure preferred customers?
What they’re doing with business travelers is splitting them up. They’re getting priority in lines, luggage off quicker, extra freebies. Some airlines may do premium seating, but you’ll no longer see the days of a higher percentage of staff to passengers. It’s a pay-for-what-you-get system, like the latest in the car industry—the toll device. It’s another way to charge you for extras.

What are your favorite travel resources?
Obviously, I use getaroom.com and I think kayak.com is a great site. Our big push now is on the vacation rental side for those who need a lot of accommodations. We’re adding things like condo hotels in New York City, as well as studios to three-bedroom apartments. We’re using more flash sales for lodging to excite consumers to take advantage of short-term offers. It’s a way for vendors to push aspirational products, and these opportunities lift the boat for the entire industry.

How does this apply to meeting planners?
If they have attendees who are arriving earlier or staying later, they need resources for them. We have commission-type programs for planners. We put them on a different URL to track bookings and the planner can earn extra inventory.

What frequent flyer advice do you have?
I rarely travel the same airline both ways. You can find better fares and convenient times by using different carriers. I make sure I am a premier member of all clubs, including car rental companies and all hotel groups. I love credit card programs. You get travel bonuses, double miles, triples miles, etc. It becomes a battle the consumer is winning.

What specific advice can you offer meeting planners?
Two things. One, make sure you have a little card in your wallet with your frequent numbers and credit card call-free numbers, so you can easily take it out and see them all—and always make sure you sign up for notifications by cell phone or text so you get important messages. Two, bring food and extra batteries.

What technology tool do you always travel with?
I always take my laptop and my Blackberry for email. I have a spare charger about the size of a credit card with three to four full charges for all my devices. Also, I have a Kindle, which I love especially when I’m with my wife and kids.

What else do you always pack?
An empty plastic bottle, which I fill up with water when I pass security. Who wants to pay $3 for a bottle of water? Two big bags of trail mix, a swimsuit and goggles, shorts and T-shirts and jogging shoes to exercise. The best way to see a city is to jog around.

What do you do to relax?
I work out always. That’s why I  bring my gym clothes.

What are your favorite destinations? Destin, Fla., because of the friendly people and its beautiful white beaches; Chicago for its architecture; New Orleans for the food; Atlanta because of its culture, food and entertainment; and Cancun, Mexico, for its beautiful sunsets, food and Mayan history.

Do you use volunteers for your events? Yes, I love using volunteers. We reach out to the local community colleges and universities as well as utilize volunteermatch.org.

What’s your favorite planning resource? Other planners. I appreciate learning new things from my peers and trying new approaches to my sometimes outdated routine. I also utilize the online resource MeetingsCommunity (MeCo).

How do you stay informed on the industry? I subscribe to and read many industry digital and printed publications and participate in several online webinars and conferences. I am a member of National Association of Women Business Owners, MPI-Carolinas Chapter, Christian Meetings and Conventions Association and Senior Planners Industry Network.

Did you always want to be a meeting planner? At first, I wanted to be a marketer and focus on product launches. I was going to travel the world promoting a Fortune 500 company’s products within various venues. Little did I know, I was thinking like a planner.

How did you get into meeting planning? I worked as a front desk clerk at a local hotel while I was in college and I noticed that we bent over backwards for this one particular lady when she had her meetings at the hotel. So, I asked her what she did and she changed my path from marketer to meeting planner. I began my pursuit to become a planner by working on a local conference and then moved to Maryland and worked for several nonprofits within their events departments.

What’s your best advice for fellow planners? You must be comfortable with change. A change to your program can happen one week before the event or one minute before the event begins. You must be able to handle it with grace under fire. If you cannot adjust to the idea that there will be changes all the time, maybe this is not the career for you.

In Caraway’s words:

When I’m planning events…
I always visualize the event from the attendee’s point of view.
I can’t live without a massage and a pedicure. We all know being a planner is hard on your feet. As soon as I return home from the conference, I am at the spa and nail salon. Oh, and my lip gloss!
I communicate with my mother, daily.
I most miss salespeople being genuine and truly appreciating your business, from the signing of the contract to the event payment.
I am most inspired by the people that implement my details—the convention service managers and staff. They become an extension of my team and show me that I’m in their “house” and they are going to take care of me, my client and the attendees.
I learn the most from my grandmother. She taught me that even if you don’t have a high school diploma, you can always learn. Things change all the time in this industry and if I am not willing to adapt to new technology and other changes, my business and my professional growth would suffer.
My favorite music is tough to choose as I appreciate R&B, hip-hop, neo-soul, rock and jazz. I love Mary J. Blige, U2, Adele, Jill Scott, Lady Antebellum, Anthony Hamilton, Kem and Boney James.
My favorite book is the Bible and books by James Patterson.
My favorite movies are “The Color Purple” and “The Notebook.”

Watch Caraway and other planners in videos from our Connect Marketplace events at youtube.com/connectmeetings.

Caraway’s photo by Luther Thomas.

Maybe it was the 6-month-old strapped to my chest in the baby carrier, but the service I encountered while traveling was unexpectedly above par. It was so good, in fact, that my husband, who’s not a comment card kind of guy, actually filled out a feedback form when the airline sent the request to his email. We even had a slight delay, and it still didn’t matter, because the desk agents, flight attendants and other people we encountered on our trip left us feeling very positive.

Customer service is the practice of treating people as individuals with different needs. As meeting planners, you are providers and your attendees are your customers. By focusing on them as individuals, you may be able to plan better events. In our first issue of 2012, we’re focusing on trends in meetings in the coming year, and one of them is focusing on your customers, not yourself. It’s time to make it about them.

We want to know what changes you’re making to your meetings and events in 2012. Comment here, or email your ideas to me at lhoppe@collinsonmedia.com.

The co-founder and CEO (he defines his title as chief executive optimist) of the Life is Good Co. pushed his message about the power of optimism to a packed room at the San Diego Convention Center, Jan. 11. “It’s not just what you have, where you are, what your title is, what kind of car you drive, or anything else—it’s the way you view your world,” Jacobs said. “When we see what’s right with the world rather than what’s wrong with the world, possibilities open up.”

It’s a welcome message, especially as the national media hammers away at negative news coming from the Republican primaries and continued reports about a stagnant economy. Even more heartening was Jacob’s call to find a cause and weave it into your work every day. “Selfishly, it puts a bounce in your step,” he said. “It’s the reason I want to work—because you can do something meaningful.”

Jacobs started the company with his brother, John, in Boston in 1994 with $78 in the bank, building it to the $100 million privately held business it is today, by promoting an optimistic message on T-shirts, hats and other products.

Meeting planners are an optimistic lot. (Actually, it would seem to be a requirement for a job that involves juggling many tasks while dealing with sometimes disgruntled or difficult people.) They have been in the forefront of the movement to involve event participants in activities that benefit the needy in host cities. Today, planners regularly incorporate programs or align with groups to raise money or support for worldwide causes as part of every meeting. These efforts contribute a broader meaning to the Meetings Mean Business campaign created by the industry a few years ago. What began as a marketing message to focus attention on the positive contributions of events to the economy and jobs has almost been co-opted by planners and their attendees, who have taken their events to a higher level that delivers rewards to them as well as the groups they adopt.

Looking for more optimism and inspiration to kick off your planning year? Our first-ever Cool Issue is chock-full of the wonderful, weird, exciting, creative concepts, places and trends from our meeting world in the January/February 2012 edition of Connect magazine.

Layout Changes
The changes mostly affect the organization of elements on the platforms. Some are minor (a simple name change) and others can throw users off (the profile box and news feed swapped sides on the web platform).

The new tabs at the top of the desktop site and on the bottom of the mobile site basically rename existing features, group some elements together and add functions.

Home–This tab is your news feed, or the tweets of everyone you are following. In some ways, the changes within the feed make the site more like Facebook: Photos or videos in a tweet now drop down directly below the tweet instead of opening in a new page or column. Replies, retweets and favorites are displayed with a tweet like comments and likes on a Facebook post. Before, retweets were good for your brand because they sent your message to more people, and now it’s even more beneficial because followers can see all the attention a tweet receives in one place.

Connect–Any activity about you appears on this page: replies, mentions, follows and list additions. The search field located at the top of the page is specifically to find and connect with other users. This tab is helpful to track activity about your account in one place.

Discover–This is the most enhanced section of the site, and possibly the most obvious section for Twitter to place promoted and paid content. The search field at the top is for people, keywords and hashtags. Stories, hashtags, people to follow and other search categories related to your account populate this page. This is where attendees can follow a hashtag for your event.

Me­–Your Twitter profile is much easier to access from the mobile site now since it has its own tab. It has the same functions, but in a cleaner, easier-to-find layout. Direct messages are also in this area, though it would probably make more sense to be on the Connect page. The web layout is not much different than the previous version.

New Features
Two new functions enhance Twitter’s presence on your website. Embeddable tweets allow you to post interactive tweets to your website. The live tweet has the same capability as it does on Twitter, which means viewers can reply, retweet, favorite or click on links within the post. Enhanced Twitter buttons added to your site allows users to share content and connect with others with one click. The new hashtag button auto-populates a tweet with the hashtag, ensuring followers are using the hashtag you want them to use to talk about you or join a conversation.

Enhanced profile pages are another way Twitter is taking on Facebook. The pages have only been rolled out for certain clients right now, but eventually brands will be able to customize their profiles. See examples of enlarged promoted tweets at the top of pages and custom headers at @AmericanExpress and @McDonalds.

Read other reviews and helpful hints about the new Twitter on Event Manager Blog, Fast Company and Mashable.

Don’t get too comfortable. Rumor has it that more changes are ahead, especially as the company continues to look for ways to monetize.

Beyond my personal property, I should also protect myself. I recently read about a hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, that conducted a study group, and half of the “influential and well-traveled Danish women” responding said they’d prefer to stay on a women-only floor because it provides both a sense of security and it feels more hygienic. The Bella Sky Comwell hotel opened in May and it features a women-only floor with a slight upcharge for rooms.

A few hotels in the U.S. also have all-female floors, including the Premier Hotel in New York City, Ellis Hotel in Atlanta, and Crowne Plaza properties in Washington, D.C., and Bloomington, Minn. The rooms have amenities you don’t find in most rooms, including flat irons, curling irons, yoga mats and kiss cams to say hello to family back home. As planners, you’re always trying to figure out what will make your attendees’ stay—or your own—more pleasant. Offering female attendees the safety, security and amenities of a women-only floor is an interesting thought.

Taxes
Canada’s Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program offers reduced tax incentives for international groups that hold their meetings in the country. For rebate information, requirements and forms go to the Canada Review Agency website.

Passports
Passports are required for any air travel outside the U.S. and its territories. They’re no longer cheap (for adults, $135; for kids under 16, $105), can take up to two months to process, and first-timers must apply in person. For forms and information, go to travel.state.gov/passport.

Mobile Phones
The new iPhone 4S is a world phone. It can be bought from AT&T, Verizon and, for the first time, Sprint. Even if you get your iPhone 4S from Verizon, whose CDMA network is incompatible with the GSM networks used in most other countries, you’ll still be able to make calls overseas, either through Verizon or by inserting another carrier’s SIM card. Whatever mobile phone you use, you should call your wireless provider to make sure it is ready to make and receive calls in a foreign country. You can also check with your carrier for the exact rates in the countries where you’ll be traveling. Calls will be charged on a per-minute basis. For subscribers with U.S. cell phone service, domestic voice, text message or data plans do not apply when traveling in another country. SMS text messaging is typically the cheapest way to communicate with people in the country where you’re traveling and also with people back home in the U.S.

Attendee Info
Create your own international tip sheet for attendees and include with event information.

Online Resources
The State Department posts current travel warnings and alerts on its site at travel.state.gov, which also has passport information. While the customs process has become more streamlined there are still certain restrictions and requirements. For specific dos and don’ts, choose “Tips for Traveling Abroad” on the international travel page. Lonelyplanet.com is also a useful site for international travelers with Users can click on the world map for information on global destinations, including crime and practical concerns.

> Return to “International Understanding” feature article.

1. You’re now in charge of meetings and convention sales efforts in Austin, Texas. What ideas do you have to bring more events to town?
As I learn about Austin, I’m finding out it’s extremely successful. It runs the highest occupancy rate of all the Texas markets, has a strong convention base and strong leisure base. People come here to enjoy entertainment and the variety of festivals. In addition to the convention center and the product currently here, there’s going to be a 1,000-plus room Marriott that’s going to continue to lure larger conventions. One of the main reasons why Austin is one of the few cities in the country to get such a large hotel is because the case has been made that the convention industry is strong and has a bright future.

2. What else is new in town?
There’s also the Formula One series, which draws an incredible international crowd and tourists. The track being built is going to be multipurpose and have a motorcycle event as well. Overall, that will help visitors come to town. And South By Southwest is growing by leaps and bounds, has an international presence and makes Austin a great location for the latest in cutting-edge technology.

3. What’s exciting to you about Austin as a destination?
The new [Marriott] is going to be a tremendous opportunity to provide convention planners a new destination. Austin is a vibrant, cool, hip, livable city. Many people immediately congratulated me [when I accepted the position] and said, ‘That’s such a cool city,’ and they hadn’t event been here. There’s curiosity about the town and that’s something to draw meeting planners here. Every association is looking to attract more members under 35, and I believe cities like Austin provide a great niche for that demographic. It’s going to help those associations who want to grow their attendance.

4. You call Austin a “new destination.” What do you mean by that?
There’s a curiosity and pent-up demand for Austin because of national and international accolades, but there’s a certain size of conventions that require a certain number of hotels. The new Marriott is going to parlay us into a whole new level of convention planners that will be looking at us for the first time. We have all the key logistical aspects they’re looking for such as hotels, a convention center and great airport access. Once downtown, you can walk everywhere. It’s safe; it’s vibrant. Now, with the large national associations and corporate groups, we can accommodate them.

5. What advice do you have for planners working with CVB representatives?
Be very direct and honest in asking those questions that are so vital to their decisions. We know the city, we qualify the needs of their conference very thoroughly and we can save them time.

What they haven’t done is change the age-old structure of meetings, something pointed out in a couple of recent meeting industry blogs.

The same almost sacrilegious thought struck me while looking through some photos from TEDGlobal2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland, in July. There are the talking heads on stage; there are the people in their seats, clapping on cue: top speakers, time limits, intriguing subjects, but still top down. They’re lecturing to their subjects.

Instead of planning the production of meetings, we need to start with the involvement of the participants. (Change the language from “attendees” and consider the impact.) How do our colleagues, associates, clients feel about traveling to a gathering? What is their emotional connection? How do they want to engage with others? How can you involve them?

Rethinking meetings means ground-up work. You might be asking why: Your meetings might still be producing results that you and your organization want. Will they two or five or more years from now?

Innovation has almost become a tired word, but it does not mean simply refining or upgrading or improving something that already exists. Innovation means a truly new idea. That is something that is rare and difficult—and worth thinking about and discussing.

Our new special series, “Rethinking Meetings,” explores these questions, presenting ideas from inside and outside the meetings industry, beginning in the January 2012 issue of Connect.