In 1992, I started my event planning career as an intern at a North American concert promotion agency. My boss, the CEO of the company, became my first mentor in the industry, guiding me in business with tools I still use today. His first piece of advice: Always be honest in business. If you make a mistake, he said, never hide it or lie about it. Eventually I earned my stripes and began managing large-scale public events, festivals and concerts. Eight years later, after I’d begun a corporate planning career, a mentor suggested I join Meeting Professionals International. I became an MPI member and received a certificate in the mail with a poster that said, “Principles of Professionalism.” I read it and read it again. I framed it and hung it in my office. Here in part is what it said:

Maintain professional integrity.

• Honestly represent and act within one’s area of professional competency and authority without exaggeration, misrepresentation or concealment.
• Avoid actions which are or could be perceived as conflicts of interest or for individual gain.
• Offer or accept only appropriate incentives, goods and services in business transactions.

As I look at these three areas of maintaining integrity, I realize that following (or not following) an ethical path in the meetings management profession starts with the individual and fans out into the entire organization. The GSA incident provides many examples where a few individuals took an alternative path and did not adhere to the guidelines dictated by their organization.

Reports of the GSA conference detail a red carpet awards ceremony that recognized the hired musical performers rather than government employee contributions. According to reports, employees were told the event was listed as an “awards ceremony” so federal dollars could be spent on food at the event.
In another example, the conference’s main organizer, administrator Jeffrey E. Neely, hosted a party in his room the night of the closing dinner. According to the Inspector General’s report, Neely’s relative—a non-GSA employee—selected the menu for the gathering and added more food. The relative reportedly contacted the GSA event planner on Neely’s staff and knew there was money in the budget to take care of the additional food.

MPI’s Principles of Professionalism are a code of conduct for our industry. A personal ethics policy begins from within, but what happens when employees are directed by their superiors to make decisions that circumvent organizational mandates? The choice becomes take a stand or risk losing your job. Reports describe Neely as directing his staff to make the conference “over the top.” When his staff suggested that this might not be a good idea, he ignored their viewpoint.

These examples are overt instances of not adhering to guidelines. The GSA incident also reveals less apparent examples that could be seen as gray in the ethical spectrum. Federal travel rules and regulations impose cost limits (government-rated sleeping rooms, for example). The Inspector General said GSA got around these restrictions by promising the hotel additional catering revenue in return for bringing the room rate down to the government’s acceptable limit. While they weren’t breaking the rules outright, they were misrepresenting the guidelines, which, according to MPI’s principles, does not honestly represent and act within the area of professional competency.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow responded to the GSA incident, saying, “Unfortunately, a single instance of irresponsible decision-making has the potential to cast a negative light on the millions of men and women who work every day to make America’s meetings, conventions and events industry the best in the world.” The ripple effect of one misrepresentation can be a tsunami for an entire economic driver.

I again look at the MPI poster hanging in my office. It goes on to say, “Commitment to these principles is implicit to membership and is essential to instilling public confidence, engaging in fair and equitable practices and building professional relationships with meeting industry colleagues.” There is a footnote that clarifies the meaning of “public” as “oneself, the association, fellow members, meeting attendees, clients and customers, suppliers and planners, employers and the general public.”

At a young age, I learned through my mentors that you won’t have a career without honesty and trust. That’s the basics of ethics. It starts from within.

“GBTA staff members and volunteer leaders from the GSA have spent countless hours developing the NTF program together,” McCormick wrote in a letter to exhibitors, attendees and sponsors. “And, although we at GBTA firmly believe that there is no more appropriate time for government travel professionals to learn cost-cutting strategies from top corporate travel managers, hear from business and academic leaders, build key relationships with industry suppliers and reinforce ethical behavior standards, we cannot hold this important forum without GSA’s participation.”

Worried that emerging trends could disrupt the meetings industry, Ralenkotter suggests a new national agenda to quell the challenges. Three major issues and his solutions include:

1. Many businesses and government entities are discouraging meetings travel for budgetary or public relations reasons. Ralenkotter says meetings should be more relevant and the industry must promote the value of meetings to business leaders, policymakers and individual consumers.
2. The hassles of long-haul travel include outdated transportation infrastructure and struggling airlines, which discourage many from traveling. His solution is to make meetings more accessible by developing a new travel infrastructure master plan and modernizing airports. “Safe, efficient, and cost-effective travel requires a bold new approach to our national infrastructure,” Ralenkotter said.
3. High-tech and low-cost alternatives to face-to-face meetings are becoming good options for some people. He suggests making meetings more competitive, for the industry to evolve and meet the needs of tomorrow’s consumer, including harnessing the power of new technology to strengthen the value of face-to-face meetings.

The meetings industry contributes $458 billion to the U.S. GDP, generates $64 billion in tax revenue, and employs 1.7 million Americans. Ralenkotter is the president and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Most of us feel claustrophobic in an airplane restroom, but consider the problem of a typical sumo wrestler. At weights up to 600 pounds, these VIPs can’t fit into airplane restrooms at all. To cope, they don’t eat or drink for half a day before flying to enable them to withstand a 10- or 11-hour flight with no restroom breaks.

Andrew Freund, founder of the California Sumo Association has planned hundreds of events for sumos during the last 15 years and works to accommodate the needs of his larger-size clientele. Freund organizes the U.S. Sumo Open, an international sumo tournament involving 50 sumo competitors from 15 countries. He has also worked three different times on international events for Japanese professional sumo, involving about 110 people, including 42 all-star elite sumos and another 70 or so coaches, referees and judges. He organized exhibition tournaments in 2005 in Las Vegas, in 2007 in Hawaii and in 2008 in Los Angeles.

Sumo wrestler Yamamotoyama. Photo courtesy of USA Sumo.

One of Freund’s key objectives is to make travel as easy and comfortable as possible for sumos, especially during a long airplane ride, and to minimize travel time. Depending on the size of the sumo, ground transportation might include a taxi or a large-size van. Yamamotoyama, a 6-foot-4-inch, 600-pound Japanese sumo, recently came to the United States for several appearances. When traveling around, he sat flat on cushions on the floor of a Dodge Caravan, from which the middle seat had been removed.

When flying, two adjacent first-class seats work well for sumos, but if they’re unavailable, three economy seats in a row work as well as long as the arm rests fold up. First-class seats may also be too expensive, sometimes five or six times the costs, possibly beyond the budget of the organization paying for the ticket, says Freund. There are no weight limits for passengers on commercial flights, but some airlines require passengers to buy additional seats. “We’ve put guys who are 500 or 600 pounds on a plane, no problem,” he adds.

In Japan, professional sumos are well respected and enjoy high status. They expect the rock-star treatment when they travel, says Freund. For the Grand Sumo Tournament Los Angeles in 2008, Freund chose a hotel that was less than four miles from the competition venue. “For elite caliber sumos, the less they have to wait around and sit on a bus, the better,” Freund said.

Photo courtesy of Chuck Green/USA Sumo.

Freund admits there are some special challenges to face when planning sumo events. “But on the other side of the coin, sometimes concerns are exaggerated,” he says. “Generally speaking, it isn’t that difficult.” For example, concerns that a hotel bed will break are overblown, especially considering that a sumo is no heavier than the combined weights of a large couple. “A sumo might eat what two people eat, but they’re not going to take out the whole buffet. If you put some common sense into it, it isn’t that difficult. You just have to make the necessary adjustments.”

Sumos certainly represent an extreme, but current trends suggest meeting planners will increasingly have to accommodate attendees of more diverse sizes in coming years. The size of the average American has increased substantially in the past two decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A standard meeting room chair is now narrower than most people’s bodies, and many planners are asking hotels and venues to allow 4 to 6 inches between chairs for optimal comfort (read more room set-up tips here.) Proper medical care and adequate nutrition contribute to people getting taller, too, which presents its own challenges in travel and housing. Read more about this topic in the upcoming May/June issue—our annual sports issue—of Connect magazine.

David Scowsill, president and CEO of WTTC, says international travelers are expected to surpass 1 billion for the first time this year. “It is clear that the travel and tourism industry is going to be a significant driver of global growth and employment for the next decade,” says Scowsill. “Our industry is responsible for creating jobs, pulling people out of poverty, and broadening horizons. It is one of the world’s great industries.” The fastest-growing regions are South and Northeast Asia. North America is expected to see 1.3 percent growth.

Read more about the economic impact meetings and conventions have here.

Another survey, this one conducted by DestinationMAP, also shows that cost concerns are decreasing and an emphasis on travel convenience and on-site amenities is being renewed. Like the respondents in the PKF survey, though, planners are still negotiating for discounts and concessions to lower the cost of events. In PKF’s study, food and beverage and off-site events were the top two areas in which meeting planners were cutting costs.

Not surprisingly, major cities regularly top the list, with New York in first place this year, displacing three-time champion Los Angeles. Other cities in the top 10 are Miami, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Atlanta, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Baltimore and Orlando. The reader ratings are highly subjective, however. Big Apple manners expert Thomas P. Farley, who writes the blog What Manners Most, came to the defense of his city. “People in New York are constantly in a rush,” he said. “Certainly, they don’t linger on corners smiling, waving, and waiting to help people. But once you’ve stopped a New Yorker and asked them for directions, they’re usually more than helpful.”

Our “Cool” feature focuses on noteworthy places and ideas our readers and editors recommend. Some of the featured places are on T&L’s rudest list, proving that those rankings certainly aren’t true for everyone. We’d like to hear from you, too. What’s on your “best of” or “worst of” list related to meetings?

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.