This article was downloaded by: [University of Sydney] On: 26 August 2013, At: 22:29 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Convention & Event Tourism Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcet20 Trends Affecting the Convention Industry in the 21st Century Karin Weber a & Adele Ladkin b a School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong b ICTHR, School of Service Industries, Poole, Dorset, UK Published online: 02 Oct 2008. To cite this article: Karin Weber & Adele Ladkin (2005) Trends Affecting the Convention Industry in the 21st Century, Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 6:4, 47-63, DOI: 10.1300/J452v06n04_04 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J452v06n04_04 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or
Transcript
This article was downloaded by: [University of Sydney]On: 26 August 2013, At: 22:29Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK
Journal of Convention & EventTourismPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcet20
Trends Affecting theConvention Industry in the 21stCenturyKarin Weber a & Adele Ladkin ba School of Hotel and Tourism Management, HongKong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon,Hong Kongb ICTHR, School of Service Industries, Poole, Dorset,UKPublished online: 02 Oct 2008.
To cite this article: Karin Weber & Adele Ladkin (2005) Trends Affecting theConvention Industry in the 21st Century, Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 6:4,47-63, DOI: 10.1300/J452v06n04_04
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J452v06n04_04
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all theinformation (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform.However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness,or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of theContent should not be relied upon and should be independently verified withprimary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages,and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or
indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan,sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found athttp://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
KEYWORDS. Meetings and conventions, industry trends, UnitedKingdom, Australia
Karin Weber is Assistant Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management,Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Adele Ladkin is Reader in Tourism, ICTHR, School of Service Industries, Poole,Dorset, UK.
Address correspondence to: Karin Weber, School of Hotel and Tourism Manage-ment, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR,China (E-mail: [email protected]).
Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, Vol. 6(4) 2004http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JCET
2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J452v06n04_04 47
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INTRODUCTION
The convention and meeting market is cyclical in nature and suscep-tible to changes in the business environment. The recent slowdown inthe global economy in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Septem-ber 11, 2001, is affecting the convention and meeting activity in the nearfuture, given the lead times associated with the industry. Yet even intimes of recession they are still engaged in, being viewed as an invest-ment. It is therefore likely that the increase the convention industry hasexperienced in the past decades is set to continue in the longer term.With the benefits of convention tourism now being recognized, destina-tions are interested not only in investing in the required infrastructurebut in maintaining growth and obtaining a return on investments(Dwyer et al., 2000; Oppermann, 1996). Competition is likely to inten-sify, with new destinations challenging the position of mature ones.However, the greatest changes are likely to occur in the structure of theconvention industry and the role it is going to play in an informa-tion-oriented society that has embraced technology.
The turn of a century and especially the beginning of a new millen-nium are prominent times to take stock, reflect, and, of course, also tolook towards the future. Several international convention industry asso-ciations undertook studies that focused on these very issues. The Pro-fessional Convention Management Association (PCMA), for example,commissioned an Environmental Scan, with the purpose of identifyingtrends in the broader environment that will impact the meeting industryin the United States in the medium term. The shift towards an informa-tion-oriented society, the restructuring of businesses and the continuedglobalization were found to be the most prominent business trends andtheir impacts are far reaching (PCMA, 2000). For example, the need forcontinuous information sharing is a result of the increased emphasis onup-to-date information and knowledge that renders previously accept-able updates on industry and professional changes only once a year in-sufficient. At the same time, the restructuring and downsizing ofbusinesses in the past decade, reducing corporate budgets and flatteningmanagement structures, may potentially reduce the number of peopleattending conventions and meetings on-site. Finally, it was noted thatcontinued globalization necessitates a greater understanding of culturaldifferences in the management of meetings.
On an international level, the International Congress and ConventionAssociation (ICCA) initiated and, on behalf of the Joint Meetings In-dustry Council (JMIC), organized a “Millennium Leaders Summit” that
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brought together over 100 participants from numerous industry organi-zations in Kuala Lumpur in June 2000, with a follow-up in November2000 in Hong Kong (ICCA, 2000). In a series of workshops they dis-cussed issues such as globalization, technology, standards and bestpractice, education and professional development, and industry recog-nition. Beyond that, the creation of a new peak body for the meeting in-dustry was a focal point of the summit. In this context, it is alsoimportant to point to some of the methodological concerns about the re-sults derived from the Summit, raised by one of the attendant key indus-try associations (UIA, 2000).
On an industry player level, the International Association of Conven-tion and Visitors Bureaus (IACVB) instigated the CVB Futures Projectthat pursued three specific aims: (a) clarifying the mission of the “CVBof the Future,” (b) identifying sources of competitive advantage, and(c) articulating strategic objectives and supporting action (IACVB,2000). With the promotion of the community’s wellbeing as its mission,the proposed top objectives of the “CVB of the Future” included theadoption of a customer-centric philosophy, the establishment of strate-gic alliances and distance education programs, and the identification ofnew sources of funding.
Finally, several meeting industry publications also conducted studiesassessing future trends. “Successful Meetings,” for example, invited 14top executives from hotels, CVBs, and corporations to a roundtable dis-cussion. While no consensus of opinion was intended nor reached, itnevertheless provided some interesting insights. The fact that not onlydifferent generations will come together at meetings and conventions inthe future but that these generations do take very different approaches tocommunication and possess different learning styles is of particular im-portance in terms of meeting management. For example, GenerationNexters, having grown up and spending much time on the PC ande-mail, to a certain extent, lack the verbal communication skills BabyBoomers had to cultivate in their business dealings. Meeting plannershave to be aware of these differences to successfully organize meetingsin the coming years (Successful Meetings, 2000). While the differencesamong generations are one key issue, the trend towards an aging popu-lation is another that is said to affect the industry. There are an increas-ing number of people opting for early retirement, many of whom maydecide to become involved in associations. Consequently, changes inassociations’ membership base, convention delegate profiles and dele-gate needs have to be considered and addressed.
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The present study aimed to expand on earlier studies by going be-yond a focus on a particular country and industry player. This article de-tails the key trends that are expected to shape the convention industry inthe United Kingdom and Australia in the next five years. The former is amature convention destination while the latter is a more recent entrant tothe global convention and meeting market. The study focus is on trendsin the business, social, technological, and political/legal environments.Similarities and differences in the results of panel experts in the UnitedKingdom and Australia are highlighted and discussed.
METHODOLOGY
Processes
The Delphi method was employed to address the research problem.This technique involves the creation of an expert panel from whichopinions are sought on the issues in question and an attempt is made tomove the panel towards a consensus in consecutive survey rounds. Tofacilitate this process, the results of the previous round are provided toparticipants so that they may revise their opinion or alternatively, pro-vide an explanation for the deviation of their answers. This techniquehas been successfully employed in a variety of tourism and hospitalitycontexts (e.g., Kaynak & Macaulay, 1984; Liu, 1988; Lloyd et al., 2000;Moeller & Shafer, 1994).
All aspects of the research process in the United Kingdom and Aus-tralia were closely coordinated. The creation of expert panels with asimilar composition, the use of a standard questionnaire for the scopinground and the alignment of the survey periods for the U.K. and Austra-lian studies were some of the measures taken to ensure an appropriatelevel of consistency.
Panels
Given the interest in trends affecting the entire industry rather than justspecific industry players, a wide representation in the composition of thepanels in both the U.K. and Australia was sought. Due to the fragmentednature of the industry, key executives from convention centers, conven-tion and visitors bureaus, convention hotels, professional meeting orga-nizers, industry associations, tourist organizations, destination marketingcompanies, and also academics were solicited. The compilation of a list-
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ing of suitable candidates for the panels involved the consultation of in-dustry publications and industry award listings to complement theresearchers’ personal knowledge of influential industry professionals ineach country. The experts were chosen on the basis of their experience inthe industry and their status.
Instruments
The first round questionnaire provided a detailed explanation of theobjectives of the research, the delphi technique, and the open-endedquestion, asking participants to identify the key trends in the broader en-vironment that in their opinion will affect the convention/meeting in-dustry in the U.K. (Australia) in the next five years. Based on thestatements provided in the first round, a questionnaire was prepared thatincorporated the various trends and instructed panel experts to indicatethe extent to which they agreed with these being key trends. The level ofagreement was measured with a 5-point Likert scale, with a value of 1indicating strong disagreement and a level of 5 denoting strong agree-ment. In the final questionnaire study participants were provided withthe list of trends, together with the mean rating for each trend derivedfrom the results of the previous round. In doing so, panel experts weregiven a final opportunity to compare their responses with the averagerating of the panel and amend their answers if they so desired.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Panel Composition
The composition of the expert panel from the United Kingdom isshown in Table 1, while the one for the Australian panel is shown in Ta-ble 2. In each of the tables the extent of attrition in successive rounds,one of the potential drawbacks of a delphi study (Laczniak & Lusch,1979) is also indicated. While the number of study participants is rathersmall, especially in the final round, it is important to remember that thedelphi technique is qualitative in nature, and it is the quality of the panelexperts, in terms of their experience and expertise to judge an issuerather than their number that is critically important to the quality of thestudy findings (Garrod & Fyall, 2000).
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KEY BUSINESS TRENDS
United Kingdom
Industry experts in the United Kingdom identified the intensified com-petition as the key trend in the business environment that is likely to impactupon the U.K. conference market. Several reasons were cited as contribu-tors to the changed competitive situation; namely, the increase in the num-ber of venues, the improvement of existing facilities, more competitiveprices from other destinations, and higher consumer expectations.
The range of venues in the U.K. with conference facilities now in-cludes urban and rural hotels, educational establishments, unusual venues(castles, stately homes, etc.), purpose build conference centers, residen-tial centers, and multi-purpose civic and municipal halls. The BritishConference Market Trends Survey 2000 estimates there are 5,640 suchvenues in the U.K. It’s not surprising then that the increase in the supplyof facilities forces venues to aggressively compete for business.
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TABLE 1. Membership of the Delphi Panel in the United Kingdom
Membership First Round Second Round Third Round
Destination marketing companies 2 1 1
Conference/convention bureaux 3 2 1
Industry associations 2 2 2
Leading academics 3 2 2
Conference venues 1 1 1
Tourism associations 1 0 0
TOTAL 12 8 7
TABLE 2. Membership of the Delphi Panel in Australia
Membership First Round Second Round Third Round
Destination marketing companies 2 2 2
Professional conference organizers 2 2 1
Conference/convention bureaux 3 3 3
Industry associations 1 0 0
Leading academics 3 3 3
Conference venues 3 3 2
TOTAL 14 13 11
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One of the main concerns put forward by the experts when consider-ing the business environment is the strength of the Pound Sterlingagainst other currencies. The value of the pound is seen as a key factorin the ability of the U.K. to compete with overseas destinations, as cur-rency exchange rates affect both the real and perceived cost of U.K.conference packages. If the pound is strong against other currencies, theU.K. products become relatively more expensive. This fact, combinedwith the U.K. being a mature convention destination, poses a majorchallenge to the industry.
The business environment is also altering the characteristics of con-ferences and the way conferences are organized. Regarding the charac-teristics of conferences, panel experts felt that industry conferences aregetting shorter in duration, with fewer delegates. This may be a result ofincreased pressure and workloads, which reduce the amount of timeemployees can be away from the office. Currently, association eventsare attended by the largest number of delegates (average 79) and likelyto last the longest (average 1.6 days) (British Conference MarketTrends Survey, 1999).
In terms of conference organization, the trend toward relationshipmarketing in the wider business environment is beginning to filterthrough to the conference sector. As relationship marketing is con-cerned with building long-term relations with customers, a range of tac-tics can be used to ensure repeat business. For example, conferencepackages can be tied to strategic alliances, joint ventures, and vendorpartnering. Venues are also concerned with generating extensive mar-keting databases of clients and delegates for long-term marketing pur-poses.
In addition, there are shorter lead times for conference organization,largely as a result of on-line information and booking services. The ef-fects of faster communication are generally altering the business envi-ronment as response times are shortened and communication is easierdue to the variety of media available. Opportunities for rapid communi-cation are having a direct effect on the speed with which conferencescan be organized. With shorter lead times, venues do not necessarilyhave the security of bookings months or even years in advance of theevent. Finally, customer needs are changing too, with time constraintsand consumer expectations increasing. This results in shorter confer-ences where delegates expect a high quality of service. The conferencebusiness has to adapt to this new type of demand.
Table 3 shows the average ratings of the expert panel regardingtrends in the business environment. There is a strong consensus on the
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increase in competition, the higher expectations of customers and fastercommunication in the business environment.
Australia
The expert panel in Australia identified four broad trends in the busi-ness environment that are likely to shape the convention industry in Aus-tralia in the next five years, namely the globalization of business,governments’ increased awareness of the economic benefits of the MICEindustry, taxation and currency exchange issues (Table 4). For each ofthese trends experts indicated the kind of impact that is likely to result.
In contrast to the threat of the strong Pound Sterling for the U.K. con-vention industry, the weakness of the Australian dollar was seen as akey trend on which the Australian industry has to capitalize on. In recentyears in particular, several Asian destinations have used price incen-tives to attract buyers (MacLaurin & Leong, 2000), something Australiarefused to engage in as not to compromise its high-quality image. How-ever, with the current exchange rates, Australia can be positioned as aprice competitive MICE destination.
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TABLE 3. Key Business Trends–U.K. Expert Panel
Key Business Trends2nd RoundAverages
3rd RoundAverages
Competition is increasing 4.88 4.88
The business is becoming increasingly global 4.50 4.75
Consumer expectations are higher 4.63 4.63
There is faster communication in the business environment 4.63 4.63
There are shorter lead times in conference bookings 4.38 4.50
Consumer needs are changing 4.25 4.25
Pricing is becoming more competitive 4.13 4.25
There is a need to improve facilities 4.38 4.00
There is an increase in relationship marketing 4.13 4.00
The conference business is dependent on the strength of sterling 4.00 4.00
There is a rapid growth of venues 4.00 3.88
There are inadequate infrastructure investments 3.63 3.75
The business is dependent on the success of the global economy 3.38 3.63
Conferences are getting shorter with fewer delegates 3.57 3.50
There are larger meetings with more breakout sessions 3.38 3.25
Meetings are becoming larger and more centralized 2.75 2.88
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The panel’s responses regarding governments’ increased awareness ofthe economic benefits of the MICE industry are of particular interest. Onone hand, it was felt that the investment in Asian destinations is going tofurther increase. Consequently, competitive pressures from this regionare likely to increase for the Australian industry. Yet, the panel’s re-sponses on the initiatives the Australian government is likely to take to
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TABLE 4. Key Business Trends–Australian Expert Panel
Key Business Trends2nd RoundAverages
3rd RoundAverages
Currency Exchange Rate
The current exchange rate provides tremendous opportunitiesto position Australia as a price competitive MICE destination.
4.58 4.58
Taxation
The continued tax deductibility of attendance at conferences isparamount to the ongoing success of the industry.
4.42 4.42
The GST has a negative impact on small businesses in theMICE industry.
3.67 3.67
The Globalization of Business
• requires a greater understanding of people from othercountries
4.33 4.33
• requires closer relationships with industry professionals fromother countries
4.33 4.33
• increases the potential for regional conferences, with moreinternational associations becoming active in Asia
4.00 4.00
• encourages trade that will lead to exhibitions/trade showswith a greater international flavor
3.83 3.92
• creates significant opportunities for corporate meetingsgrowth in Australia
3.83 3.75
• results in increased number of delegates from Asian
countries who register for
• International conferences 3.67 3.75
• Australian conferences 3.58 3.58
• results in more international associations that are based inEurope and the U.S. taking their annual conventions to theAsia-Pacific region
3.50 3.50
Government’s increased awareness of economic benefitsof the MICE industry
There will be increased investment in Asian destinations astheir governments are more aware of the potential benefits.
4.17 4.25
• leads to greater investment in the MICE industry in Australia 3.45 3.45
• leads to increased government assistance for MICEmarketing throughout Australia
3.08 3.00
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address these competitive pressures are much more cautious, with appar-ent perceptions that neither greater investment in the industry nor in-creased government assistance for MICE marketing throughout Australiais readily forthcoming. Given these perceptions, it is then not surprisingthat trends in taxation legislation were afforded such prominence in theratings, with the continued tax deductibility of conference attendance be-ing seen as paramount to the ongoing success of the industry. Finally, theglobalization of business was felt to be an important trend by the panel intwo ways: (a) the need for improved understanding of delegates and rela-tionships with industry professionals from countries that have a differentcultural background, and (b) greater opportunities for regional associa-tion and corporate meetings, and exhibitions and trade shows. Clearly,the trends in the broader business environment offer exciting opportuni-ties for the Australian meeting and convention industry, yet greater sup-port from the government is imperative to fully capitalize on theseprospects.
KEY TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
United Kingdom
Table 5 details the key technology trends that U.K. panel experts per-ceived as impacting the industry in the next five years. The changinguse of technology and technological advancements are expected tocause two major problems for the industry. First, venues that are install-ing new IT often do not receive efficient back-up and support facilitiesfrom IT providers when technological difficulties arise, preventing theirefficient operation. Consequently, there is a general reluctance to installstate-of-the-art technology, especially when in addition it comes with-out adequate training for venue staff who, in turn, are unable to providequality service to their clients.
The second problem experts perceived is that of different access tocapital and technology, affecting competitiveness. Conference clientsexpect state-of-the-art technology to be installed in the venues. How-ever, the cost of installing and constantly updating new technology isbeyond the reach of many smaller venues that have limited financial re-sources. Therefore, larger conference venues are in a more favorableposition to take advantage of technological advances.
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Australia
The Australian expert panel identified three major trends resultingfrom technological advances, as shown in Table 6.
In terms of specific technology, videoconferencing and Internet broad-casting were identified as trend setting technologies. Yet, panel expertsperceived their impact on the Australian convention and meetings in-dustry in stark contrast to popular media reports. There was a strongconsensus that teleconferencing and Internet applications such aswebcasting will not replace the traditional face-to-face meetings andconventions in the near future. Direct personal contact is still regardedas the ultimate means of communication, with the emerging technolo-gies being seen as complementary and important in addressing the in-creased use of impersonal communication methods such as e-mails formuch of the business activity. These results are consistent with thosederived from the 11th Meetings Market Study that is conducted annu-ally by the Professional Convention Management Association in theUnited States (PCMA, 2001).
While face-to-face conventions and meetings will continue to beprominent, their format is expected to change dramatically with the in-troduction of new technologies. In particular, the panel experts notedtrends towards less formal paper presentations and greater delegate par-ticipation. Greater networking opportunities will also be sought by con-vention and meeting attendees; something that can only be adequatelyfacilitated by personal encounters, in contrast to work issues that maybe dealt with via e-mail or phone.
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TABLE 5. Key Technology Trends–U.K. Expert Panel
Key Technology Trends2nd RoundAverages
3rd RoundAverage
There are greater demands and expectations in termsof technology from conference organizers
4.88 4.88
There are greater demands and expectations in termsof technology from conference delegates
4.25 4.38
New technologies are improving the conference industry 4.13 4.13
The differing access to technology affects competitiveness 4.00 4.13
Webcasts make convention programs available to wideraudiences
4.00 4.13
Video conferencing will increase in use 3.38 3.25
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Finally, it was noted that the nature of supplier services is likely tochange in the future, with less on-site and more on-line registration andpayment already being in evidence.
KEY SOCIAL TRENDS
In contrast to business and technology trends, social trends that willimpact the convention and meeting industry were rather few in num-bers, as perceived by both U.K. and Australian experts (Table 7).
In the U.K., panel members felt that the continued growth in interna-tional travel will facilitate conference attendance. The rationale for this
Face to face meetings are as popular as ever despitevideo-conferencing
4.33 4.33
Direct personal contact will remain the ultimate meansof communication
4.07 4.00
Conferences will need to be positioned as a necessarycomplement to the loss of face-to-face communication
3.58 3.67
The increasing use of on-line communication will replace theneed for face-to-face contact
2.08 2.17
Videoconferencing/Internet broadcasting
• enhance the industry by offering new revenue streamsfor associations that can afford to conduct more meetings
3.75 3.75
• are not a threat to the industry 3.33 3.42
• are a particular threat to Australia in view of the large airfarecomponent relative to the total cost of attending a conventionfor international delegates
2.75 2.92
• have an adverse impact on small corporate meetings 2.45 2.73
IT impacting the format of conventions/meetings
The format of conferences will change to include• more delegate participation• greater networking opportunities• less formal paper presentations
4.254.083.92
4.254.083.83
On-site IT developments will change the nature of supplierservices
4.42 4.42
There will be more cyber delegates at conferences 3.75 3.75
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comment was that as more people undertake international travel as partof their regular leisure and business activity, the idea of attending meet-ings and conferences overseas becomes readily acceptable to an in-creasing number of people. As mentioned previously, this study tookplace prior to the events of September 11 and the subsequent reluctanceby a large number of the population to travel for both leisure and busi-ness. However, even in the few months since the terrorist attacks thereare signs of recovery and normalization of travel behavior and it is rea-sonable to expect an increase in the medium term for both travel in gen-eral and for conventions and meetings in particular.
The trend towards working increasingly from home and not in a tra-ditional office environment was also perceived as critical since employ-ees who are more isolated at home need to meet and network with theircolleagues. In this context, conferences represent an opportunity forface-to-face gatherings of geographically dispersed employees, posi-tively affecting demand.
Finally, the panel felt that proposed changes to the term structure forschools in the U.K. might cause a dramatic change to seasonality pat-terns for the country’s leisure tourism sector. Conference activity tradi-tionally takes place in the low season for leisure tourism in resort areas.However, an alteration in the leisure season will result in the conferencebusiness competing with leisure tourism for accommodation and venue
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TABLE 7. Key Social Trends–U.K. and Australian Expert Panel
Key Social Trends2nd RoundAverages
3rd RoundAverages
United Kingdom
There is a continued growth in international travel 3.88 4.50
The increase in working from home will increase the need tomeet and network at conferences and meetings
4.00 3.88
The proposed changes to the term structure for schools in theU.K. will cause seasonality to alter and impact onthe conference business
3.38 3.38
Australia
Business people are increasingly trying to maximize time bycombining conventions with personal travel
3.67 3.75
The aging population will lead to a change in delegate profileand delegate needs
3.83 3.83
The increasing awareness of environmental issues willsignificantly affect the industry
3.50 3.58
Early retirees will increase association membership 3.08 3.00
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space. In view of the possible extension and/or dispersion of the holidayseason, the availability for the conference market of venues and accom-modation is likely to be seriously reduced.
The aging of the population, noted in several industry studies (e.g.,PCMA, 2000) was also perceived by the Australian expert panel as akey trend affecting the country’s industry due to its potential to affectthe profile of delegates and their needs. Early retirement has become apopular option in Australia with early retirees joining associations andattending their meetings and conventions. Their needs of course arevery different from that of the younger generations and have to be ac-commodated accordingly in the planning and organization of events.Similarly, increased time pressure on the workforce on one side and agreater desire to balance work and private life on the other have to bealso accounted for in meeting management, especially when business-people are trying to maximize time by combining conference atten-dance with personal travel–a key trend identified by the panel. Carefulconsideration has then to be given to the selection of the convention site,partner programs and a venue’s child-care facilities.
KEY POLITICAL TRENDS
The principal political trends identified by the U.K. expert panel re-late to government policies and industry support (see Table 8). In partic-ular, there was a perceived need for increased government funding fornational marketing campaigns to raise the profile of the U.K. confer-ence market so that it can compete more effectively with European andother international destinations. In addition, government funding in theform of grants for business developments and renovation of facilitieswas seen as important as was the reduction of the Value Added Tax onhotel beds and petrol prices which at present render the U.K. an expen-sive destination for convention and meeting delegates. Governmentsupport and the taxation issue had also been raised by the Australian ex-pert panel in the business environment context. Clearly, these are sharedconcerns, though the Australian panel, as previously suggested, ap-peared to be somewhat skeptical about the actual government assistanceit is going to get on these very issues.
Finally, industry experts in both countries perceived delegate safetyas an issue of increasing concern and importance. In particular, it wassuggested that the political stability of the host nation will become in-creasingly important as a site selection criterion for international orga-
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nizations; in fact, it may even become a key competitiveness factor,with Australian panel experts suggesting that Asian countries will com-pete with Australia on this measure once their governments stabilize.The issue of delegate safety, important at the time of the present study,has of course taken on even greater significance in the aftermath of theSeptember 11 events.
CONCLUSION
The future prospects of the convention and meetings industry in boththe United Kingdom and Australia are clearly dependent on a range ofexternal influences. Some of these are specific to the individual country,based on its geographical location and regional affiliation while othersare applicable to both countries. Despite the U.K.’s and Australia’s dif-fering status as a mature versus an emerging convention destination re-spectively, similar strategies are required to take advantage of theopportunities and counter potential threats posed by the environmentaltrends, including the:
• Upgrading of conference venue infrastructure and the develop-ment of new products.
Karin Weber and Adele Ladkin 61
TABLE 8. Key Political Trends–U.K. and Australian Expert Panel
Key Political Trends2nd RoundAverages
3rd RoundAverages
United Kingdom
Greater government support for U.K. conference destinations 4.63 4.88
Government funding should be increased 4.38 4.38
Government taxes and petrol prices hamper competitiveness 4.25 4.25
U.K. conference destinations need the reduction of VAT (ValueAdded Tax) on hotel beds
4.13 4.25
Delegate safety is of increasing concern 4.13 4.13
The differing access to capital affects competitiveness 4.00 4.00
Australia
The political stability of the host nation will become critical 4.50 4.50
Asian destinations will become more competitive with Australiain terms of perception of safety once their governments stabilize
3.75 3.75
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• Investment in human resource development for the industry to be-come an attractive career option and to improve employee motiva-tion.
• Implementation and utilization of new technologies that facilitatethe successful organization and delivery of conferences and meet-ings.
• Continuation of investment in marketing strategies that will raisethe profile of the industry at an international level.
• Lobbying of the government for support in terms of funding andinvestments.
Only if these strategies are successfully implemented will the U.K.and Australian conference and meetings industry not only remain com-petitive but also consolidate their position as key players in the interna-tional convention and meeting market in coming years.
REFERENCES
British Conference Market Trends Survey. (1999). Edinburgh: Systems Three.British Conference Market Trends Survey. (2000). Edinburgh: Systems Three.Dwyer, L., Mellor, R., Mistilis, N., & Mules, T. (2000). A framework for assessing
‘tangible’ and ‘intangible’ impacts of events and conventions. Event Management,6(3), 175-189.
Garrod, B., & Fyall, A. (2000). Managing heritage tourism. Annals of Tourism Re-search, 27(3), 682-708.
IACVB. (2000). The CVB futures project. Washington, D.C.: Arthur Anderson/D.K.Shifflet & Associates.
ICCA. (2000). Millennium Leaders Summit. Amsterdam: ICCA.Kaynak, E., & Macaulay, J. A. (1984). The delphi technique in the measurement of
tourism market potential: The case of Novia Scotia. Tourism Management, 5(2),87-101.
Liu, J. C. (1988). Hawaii tourism to the year 2000: A delphi forecast. Tourism Manage-ment, 9(4): 279-290.
Lloyd, J., Lopa, J. M. L., & Braunlich, C. G. (2000). Predicting changes in HongKong’s hotel industry given the change in sovereignty from Britain to China in1997. Journal of Travel Research, 38, 405-410.
MacLaurin, D. J., & Leong, K. (2000). Strategies for success: How Singapore attractsand retains the convention and trade show industry. Event Management, 6(2),93-103.
Moeller, G. H., & Shafer, E. L. (1994). The delphi technique: A tool for long-rangetravel and tourism planning. In J. R. B. Ritchie & C. R. Goeldner (Eds.), Travel,tourism and hospitality research: A handbook for managers and researchers(pp. 473-480). New York: Wiley and Sons.
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