More than a quarter (26 percent) of insurance
planners must involve their in-house procurement departments in
site selection, negotiations, and/or contract reviews for
incentives and meetings. That was one of the findings from a survey
of nearly 200 corporate planners attending the annual meeting of
the Vancouver, B.C.-based Insurance Conference Planners
Association, held in November 2002 in Kissimmee, Fla.
The survey also revealed more than one-third (35 percent) of
planning departments in North American insurance companies saw the
size of their staffs decrease in 2003, while more than half (55
percent) reported no change in staff numbers.
Among other key findings:
" Lead times for incentive programs decreased last year for 47
percent of planners.
" Two-thirds of the survey respondents said a hotel’s
recommendation helped them in selecting a destination management
company for a program.
" Twenty-six percent said price has overtaken service and
quality as a primary factor in decision making.