MeetingNews
www . M e e t i n g N e w s . c o m September 20, 2010 We’re your T E AM . www.CLEVELANDMEE TINGS.com
RISING IN THE EAST
Survey: China mtgs. up p. 4
GREENING SITE SELECTION
Cvent deal refines search p. 6
FAREWELL. SEE YOU SOON
MN changes format p. 20
CVB Bellwether
Philadelphia
ready to ring
in recovery.
Rates To Rise,
But Perks Still
To Be Had
continued on page 71
By Michael B. Baker
As analysts continue to shift hotel forecasts upward for this year and 2011, meet-
ing planners could find increasing
room rates and hotels tightening such
terms as attrition clauses and deposit
requirements, though planners also
should still expect plenty of perks to
be included in negotiations.
On average, meeting planners
should expect a 5 percent increase in
room rates across the board in 2011,
said David Brudney, principal of
Carlsbad, Calif.-based hotel consult-
ing firm David Brudney & Associates.
Hotels that maintain demand better
during the downturn could see in-
creases as high as 10 percent, he said.
“Demand is returning, and hotels
that do larger group business are ben-
efitting from this demand,” Brudney
said. “It’s probably better on the asso-
ciation side. Corporate meetings are
not as big as they used to be, but they
are getting bigger.”
Carlson Wagonlit Travel in August
issued a similar forecast, saying aver-
Maxvantage: Negotiating, Availability
Present Challenge To Meeting Planners
Jim Abrahamson, president of the Americas region for
InterContinental Hotels Group, spoke recently with
MeetingNews senior associate editor Michael B. Baker
about group travel expectations, rate negotiations and
a brand-by-brand overview of the company, the world’s
largest in terms of revenue and number of rooms.
InterContinental Exec Sees Rebound Afoot
MeetingNews: What sort of bounce-back
are you seeing with group business?
Jim Abrahamson: Booking windows are still relatively short.
continued on page 69
