High Tech and High Touch
Doing Business in the New Millennium
by Larry Skaja
President of Conference Management Systems, LLC
Association executives and meeting planners have a new challenge. The challenge is similar to the one most of us face in our daily business lives but with a twist. Technology -- the blessing and the "curse" of today's business world -- is racing ahead at a record pace. Association managers must understand and embrace technology to better serve members everyday and at their meetings.
The new generation of meeting attendees has grown up with computers, beepers, cell phones, MTV, and the Internet. This group expects technology to work and make their meeting experiences easier, faster, and more enjoyable anywhere, anytime.
There is an ever-increasing need for association meeting planners to use more and more technology combined with greater personalized service before, during, and after the meeting to attract and keep attendees. The planners that fail to use this new technology will be literally left in the cyber dust.
New Technologies at Work in Meetings Industry
Most association meeting planners already use some technologies in either preparing for or during their annual meeting, conferences, or seminars. This might include simply using e-mail to keep in touch with hotels, suppliers, volunteers, members, and others. It is an easy way to give and receive valuable information quickly while having the option of putting hard copy into the files as backup.
Or, a meeting planner might use some of the new conference planning software to save money and time. Even an association's voice mail system can become the planner's 24/7 promoter. Voice message systems at the office are obviously used to capture messages; however, a wise planner will use that same system to promote future meetings. For example, while a caller is on hold, a planner can have promotional messages playing which highlight upcoming meetings or refer inquires to the association's website or fax-back system.
So, why not also take a voice message system to your next meeting and use the technology to provide a better meeting experience for your attendees? On-site voice messaging centers can provide attendees with personalized voicemail boxes through which to receive messages from home or the office 24-hours a day in the voice of the caller rather than by hand-written notes on "While You Were Out" pink slips. Messaging centers can be expanded to include stations for e-mail access and personal Internet searches.
In-between meetings, today's savvy planners are also using the Internet while in researching destinations, reviewing hotel specifications, scanning hotel or convention center floor plans, seeking local service providers, checking literature, or downloading check lists, and much more. Using such technology can help planners free up more time for their vital duties of program development and providing member services.
More planners in the future will need to seek ways of using technology and the Internet to extend the impact of their meetings and share the educational content with a global audience. For example, some planners are now providing online sessions with live or taped videostreaming or posting session recaps on their association's web site.
Another way to use technology to extend the reach of meetings to non-attendees is with video conferencing. Many convention centers and some larger hotels are routinely offering facilities and technological support for video conferencing. Planners will have to incorporate more of such technology in the future.
Don't Forget the "High Touch"
Association executives and meeting planners using technology at their offices and on-site at their meetings must remember there is a downside to all of this. The potential downside to overusing technology, even with something as simple as a voicemail system, is that you lose the human touch in dealing with your members.
John Naisbett in "Megatrends" coined the term "high touch" 20 years ago. He referred to several examples in his book where companies were using technology to improve the quality of the customer service. What was a good idea then is an even better idea today in an age of near runaway technology solutions to nearly every daily problem.
"High touch" can now be defined two decades later as a true combination of human interaction and user-friendly technology. Association executives and meeting planners will need to understand how to ensure "high touch" becomes and stays a part of their association culture especially the way that services and information are provided.
Putting High Touch into Action
More advanced planners are using their organization's website to allow potential attendees to register online on secure sites for capturing credit card transactions. This makes registration faster, easier, and less costly for the attendee and the organization. It is just another way of providing better service with technology.
If online registration is not possible for one reason or another, a simple web site can easily offer information via downloadable fax-back forms. By adding automation and technology, the association staff can be relieved of many mundane chores such as data entry to free up time to make follow-up phone calls and spend more time addressing more complex attendee questions and concerns. . . in other words, providing more high touch.
User-Friendly is High Touch
How can you and your association put high touch into action? You can use technology to create high touch in the way of more personalized service, easier access to information, and 24-hour electronic contact with staff for answers and assistance.
This doesn't have to be difficult. Association executives can easily make their websites more user-friendly by simply providing e-mail hotlinks to staff and searchable databases for course information, abstracts, speakers, etc. Members and potential meeting attendees can be directed to the website for routine information. While they are surfing, questions will come to mind. Put e-mail links in logical places throughout the site as a form of high touch.
You can even offer ways for attendees to use your website to create Personal Planners to facilitate their meeting/expo experience. Other ways to offer technology to meeting attendees is as simple as offering cell phone and pager rentals on-site.
Enhancing the Learning Experience with Technology
Despite predictions that technology would replace the need for people to meet face-to-face, associations are now renewing their belief that personal contact away from the office is the best form of communication. Meetings remain the best way for people to share concepts, exchange ideas, and view products.
Meetings are the best way for attendees to learn from each other. So, why not enhance that type of learning? Get away from traditional podium presentations and use technology to foster discussion among audience members. Associations can supply the means for attendees to learn at interactive forums or set up technology centers where attendees and suppliers can sit quietly to get hands-on experience with programs and data.
At least provide the means for attendees to make more personal contacts via a messaging center.
After the meeting, associations can "share" session content via websites and other means. Members and others who were unable to attend a session or even the meeting itself can later point their computer to the Internet and log on to receive a presentation in live action video. If an association chooses not to go to that expense, then summaries and recaps of presentations can easily be posted on the association's web site during or after the meeting.
How can technology and human interaction provide a high touch solution to a complex problem of changing schedules for a very large group? Here is one example:
Case Study
One of the best examples of the technology helping provide "high touch" is the Call Center created by Conference Management Systems for Avon, a well-known seller of cosmetics. Avon has an annual sales meeting of about 10,000 representatives. The meeting consists mainly of mandatory sessions and optional sessions.
Avon management wanted to be able to quickly register 10,000 people for the event and initially assign the sessions, yet allow individuals to easily change their schedules AFTER receiving their written confirmations. CMS set-up a system to allow a "warm transfer" of callers to Avon headquarters. When a call is received at Avon, the staff person quickly transfers the caller to the CMS registration call center but stays on the line to introduce the Avon caller to their contact. In this way, there is no "voicemail hell" or "hunt and peck" procedures. Very friendly . . . in other words, high touch to give the caller the feeling of being handled with efficient courtesy.
Your Exhibitors Need High Touch Too!
Offering lead retrieval systems to your exhibitors is a good way to use technology to help create a better sales situation for exhibitor and attendee alike. Typically, these systems consist of a device to "read" the attendee's badge or a plastic card (similar to a credit card). The latest and best technology involves a hand-held laser scanner for instantly reading attendee badges with 2-D barcodes, data storage via a computer disk for capturing attendee demographic information, and optional printouts.
This technology makes the experience of visiting a booth faster, easier, and hassle-free for both attendee and exhibitor. That puts high touch into action!
Some associations are setting up "virtual" trade shows as a way to supplement real world expos or to be used as a "preview" to build attendee interest. These virtual trade shows allow potential attendees to browse a cyber exhibit hall and preview companies and products that interest them most. I believe this approach can help sell the real exhibition and provide better service.
In conclusion, my advice for association executives and meeting planners is to get up-to-date on the available technology and stay updated on what is available for their meetings and headquarters operations. Using technology to provide a greater number of positive "high touch" interactions between your organization, its staff, and individual members will benefit everyone for years to come.
Bio:
Larry Skaja is a Member of the Forum's Associate Member Committee and a speaker at this summer's Educational Conference. He is the founder and President of Conference Management Systems, LLC (CMS) of Park Ridge, Illinois. CMS is an established national supplier to the convention and expo industry with its own lead retrieval system, high tech solutions for registration, and other products. His clients include American College of Surgeons, American Hospital Association, Direct Marketing Association, Avon, and Pampered Chef.
