by: Bob Tomko
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I have always believed that there is a product and service for every customer and the same holds true in the hospitality and meeting industry. Major hotel chains, which formerly only had one brand, now have many brands that serve every level of customer and the big chains keep getting bigger.
The same is true in the Third Party Meeting Planner business. Small boutique Third Party Planners focus on a narrow market segment of select clients and provide incredible attention to detail and personalized service to them. They make their mark by being accessible, creative, cost flexible, and most of all, constantly letting you know how important your business is to them. Their mission is to be your trusted partner, navigating through the meeting planning process on your behalf.
Larger Third Party Meeting Planning organizations are in the business of growth. They have templated their successful processes, and follow a methodology of hiring more individuals, acquiring smaller businesses, and teaching them their successful templated processes. They have also expanded and templated other services as well like registration, housing, membership, and exhibit management. They have complete staffs that will relieve you of the entire planning and execution process should that be in the best interest of your organization.
In summary, there is a perfect Third Party Planning organization for every client. If your organization has hundreds of meetings per year, or many large meetings and citywide conventions, and you want to standardize your process, the large Third Party Planning organizations might be better for you. If you are interested in flexibility and creativity, where you pick and choose what personalized services your organization needs, a smaller boutique Third Party Planning Company is probably the best choice. It all depends on what you want.