On the Spot 4-1-2002

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts April 2002

April 2002

Short Cuts:
On the SpotDo you appreciate receiving cold calls from suppliers?

“It all depends on how busy I am. I tell them immediately whether I can take their call or not. Cold calls can be useful. Once we were looking for a vendor for an event in Mexico, where good contacts can be hard to find, when we received a cold call from an ideal candidate.”
Aimeé Hernández
PR Specialist/Meeting Coordinator
Interval International
Miami, Fla.

“No, I don’t mind at all, although there are times when it’s not convenient. Sometimes it is an excellent way of hearing about a new venue or supplier. I probably receive about three to five such calls a week. Lately, a lot of hotels have been calling.”
Patricia Parrish
Association Trade Show Manager
Offinger Management Co.
Zainsville, Ohio

“It’s not that I mind taking them, but I don’t have the time. I do not get so many phone calls nowadays, rather e-mails. At the moment it is speakers and speaker bureaus who are really pounding the pavement.”
Linda Keith
Vice President, Meetings & Conventions
National Association of Pizza Operators
New Albany, Ind.