The Meetings Industry operates on a global scale, but is not a globalised business. Thousands of conferences and events are being booked and organised by professionals around the world every day. But unlike those multi-nationals for whom we ply (some of) our trade, there are very few in the industry that have offices abroad.

If a client wants an event agency in the UK, the US and Hong Kong then the odds are they’ll need three agencies. Which means a lot more work to find, asses and manage them and, as for a homogeneous service, with integrated accounting and IT systems? It’s something a lot of the largest clients are starting to think about. They’ve professionalised procurement at a local level and now are looking to do it across borders.

UK agencies are well respected, our market is the most advanced in Europe, some would say the World. However, our ability to take advantage of our enviable position is lacking. And, if we delay the moment will be lost because, just over the horizon, I think that the Travel Agents are mustering their forces. Over the last five years they’ve lost much of their consumer business to the power of the internet and are looking for a new business model which involves coordinating the movement of many people around the world in an organised and timely manner. Sound familiar?

Now, I know that few of these travel agents are true global players, but they have the muscle, skills and resources to be so. It maybe that they can and will bring globalisation to the meeting industry, take over much of the sector, but undermine the highly skilled and personalised service we all offer our clients.

It would be a tragedy if an industry developed over the last 25+ years by committed, hard working, pioneers ultimately found itself controlled and exploited by others. If anyone is going to live up to the examples of our clients and trade successfully on a global scale then let it be those who truly understand the business. Otherwise there is a real danger that the industry will be downgraded to a homogenised, standardised, lowest common denominatorised shadow of its former self.

Just imagine the service levels of our top venue finders, and the creativity and precision of our leading event organisers replaced by overseas call centres, pre-negotiated rates, 'not sure I can do that' and 'do you have a reference number'. It’ll be like going out for a “Gourmet Burger” and ending up in McDonalds.

To minimize the threats in the immediate future I'd urge clients to work even closer with suppliers on a mission to improve service levels and control costs and over a wider area. We talk a lot about building relationships: getting to know our clients’ needs, sharing their objectives and in some cases even adopting their values and culture. There are many good reasons for this approach and in the past they’ve largely been carrots…rewards for good deeds done, but the possible threat of dumbing down the service we offer is more of a stick…something that will really hurt clients and suppliers alike if we don’t act now.

And is there a longer term solution to avoid this dumbing down? A few options spring to mind…A land grab as the biggest agencies open up overseas offices, a consolidation as agencies around the globe form networks and joint ventures or, possibly, the need to form partnerships with those, like the travel agents, that have the infrastructure to offer a truly globalised business, but lack the specialised skills and experience we in the industry have developed.

While we have been referred to as an industry in adolescence I personally can't help feeling that it is time to move out of our comfy home and explore the big wide world.

David Campbell
Chairman