Optimism Rules the Day

Meetings & Conventions: Newsline newsline.gif (8042 bytes) MOST PLANNERS ARE CONTENT AT WORK, BUT PRESSURE IS HIGHOptimism Rules the DayWith the number of unemployed Americans higher than at any time since 1994 and threatening to climb even higher workers across the country are losing sleep over job security. Despite such uncertainty, however, the meeting planning community is surprisingly optimistic.

M&C’s April survey of 616 planners revealed that 88 percent feel secure in their jobs right now. Moreover, planners for the most part are content: 82 percent are satisfied with their jobs at the moment although 29 percent admitted they would be looking for a new position if the job market were better.

To be sure, there are causes for concern. More than a quarter (28 percent) of respondents have experienced layoffs in their departments over the past year, and 45 percent believe if they lost their jobs it would be difficult to quickly find another.

Other findings demonstrate that the nation’s economic woes are having an effect on planners. Seventy-one percent feel more pressure to prove their worth than they did a year ago, and 79 percent expect to take on more work than they did a year ago. Of those planners whose departments have been trimmed, 34 percent are picking up the slack for laid-off workers.

Despite added responsibilities, 67 percent say they’re not worried about getting all their work done, and 70 percent feel they are performing as well in their jobs as they were a year ago.

Planners’ high level of commitment is not even dampened by the prospects of limited compensation. More than a quarter (27 percent) did not receive a raise last year, and 35 percent do not expect an increase this year or are unsure of the fate of their paychecks.

By Art Pfenning, corporate research director for NORTHSTAR Travel Media, LLC, M&C’s parent company.

What Association Executives Earn The gender gap in earnings grows in relation to size of organization, according to a 2001 compensation survey. Male CEOs Female CEOs Trade association $136,775 $92,125 Individual membership association $139,241 $85,204 Total staff size: 2 or fewer $75,000 $60,000 3 to 5 $95,640 $77,000 6 to 10 $116,550 $108,000 11 to 20 $138,200 $126,000 21 to 50 $201,923 $159,280 51 to 100 $237,900 $145,518 More than 100 $287,600 $249,233 Total annual budget: $300,000 or less $67,600 $54,789 $300,001 to $500,000 $75,600 $68,579 $500,001 to $750,000 $90,000 $72,800 $750,001 to $1 million $102,000 $87,525 $1,000,001 to $2.5 million $118,800 $112,425 $2,500,001 to $5 million $170,000 $137,100 $5,000,001 to $10 million $227,750 $160,585 $10,000,001 to $15 million $225,994 $171,750 More than $15 million $285,000 $256,269 Source: American Society of Association Executives