Watery eyes, red nose...
Puttering around the place she pulls off a dust-cover; dust flies everywhere. Big sneeze….AAaaahhhh CHooooo!!! Sniffling and rubbing dust from her eyes, she looks up.
• Newsletter writer: “Oh hello there, I didn’t see you come in”.
• Reader: Smiles and asks, “Are you back in business”?
• Newsletter writer: "Yes" Then breaks into a rendition of Aerosmith’s “I’m back in the saddle again”!
• Reader: Grins happily (or maybe not so happily, it depends on the reader) and continues to read on… read on… (to the tune of Aerosmith’s Dream On)
Ok so, not sure where all the Aerosmith references came from inside my head, but they seem to work, so I’m going with them. Hello everyone, and welcome to the SPIN Newsletter of March 2024.
I mean technically I could have waited to write the first 2024 newsletter in July and just pretended like the last newsletter wasn't written in June of 2022 and obvi July 2024 was next. Or that I just woke up from a coma in a hospital with my evil twin sister-cousin twice removed at my bedside, not acknowledging that two whole years have passed, just like in the daytime shows your grandma used to watch, but I digress.
Well, here I am, happy as a clam writing for the first time in two years, what happened in those two past years we won’t speak about, just like fight club, nothing to see here folks, move along. All that matters is that this is the new and improved SPIN Newsletter for 2024. Let’s begin.
(Twilight Zone theme music... What you're about to read here is a collection of imaginary weirdness that comes directly from Stephanie Veiga's brain, which goes by the pseudonym of Abby Normal. Continue reading... if you dare!)*
*Except for the new Cathi's Crappy Corner
Puttering around the place she pulls off a dust-cover; dust flies everywhere. Big sneeze….AAaaahhhh CHooooo!!! Sniffling and rubbing dust from her eyes, she looks up.
• Newsletter writer: “Oh hello there, I didn’t see you come in”.
• Reader: Smiles and asks, “Are you back in business”?
• Newsletter writer: "Yes" Then breaks into a rendition of Aerosmith’s “I’m back in the saddle again”!
• Reader: Grins happily (or maybe not so happily, it depends on the reader) and continues to read on… read on… (to the tune of Aerosmith’s Dream On)
Ok so, not sure where all the Aerosmith references came from inside my head, but they seem to work, so I’m going with them. Hello everyone, and welcome to the SPIN Newsletter of March 2024.
I mean technically I could have waited to write the first 2024 newsletter in July and just pretended like the last newsletter wasn't written in June of 2022 and obvi July 2024 was next. Or that I just woke up from a coma in a hospital with my evil twin sister-cousin twice removed at my bedside, not acknowledging that two whole years have passed, just like in the daytime shows your grandma used to watch, but I digress.
Well, here I am, happy as a clam writing for the first time in two years, what happened in those two past years we won’t speak about, just like fight club, nothing to see here folks, move along. All that matters is that this is the new and improved SPIN Newsletter for 2024. Let’s begin.
(Twilight Zone theme music... What you're about to read here is a collection of imaginary weirdness that comes directly from Stephanie Veiga's brain, which goes by the pseudonym of Abby Normal. Continue reading... if you dare!)*
*Except for the new Cathi's Crappy Corner
In this Issue of the March 2024 SPIN Newsletter, we have:
- AI – No, not “Al” from Married with Children, A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)
- SPIN Facebook Membership Page – a recap.
- Cathi’s Crappy Corner – a new standard on-going feature!
- Help Wanted – seeking volunteers for SPINCon.
- Sponsor Program – seeking Sponsor recommendations.
- That’s enough, I don’t want my fingers to fall off from the first newsletter back
Oh AI… (not Al Bundy)
A lot has happened since the last newsletter, including ChatGPT's debut on November 2022, followed by OpenAI's First-Ever Dev Day, November 2023 (in researching these two facts, I practically fell asleep at the computer, so let’s just leave it there). Here’s the thing about these two facts, no one has missed the boat here, it’s still docked, but you should start thinking about buying a ticket to get on the boat. How do you do this? By just using the tools available to you on the interwebs.
One resource is ChatGPT (openai.com). I signed up for this and just agreed to the terms without looking, I don’t suggest you do this, but I’m a risk taker, so there's that. Pretty sure I just agreed to give them my first-born goat. If this is the case, I will be sad when they come to claim my baby goat from me.
In the open text area, I typed “Write me an article about how to breathe life back into a newsletter”. A full page later, I was amazed at the results. However, here’s the thing, I like to be authentic, so for now, no ChatGPT was used** in the writing of this newsletter, because honestly, if it was, it would probably be funnier. Maybe one day when I’m lazy and want to eat peanut butter smothered English muffins instead of typing, I’ll resort to ChatGPT. For now, you get the weird and crazy directly from my brain through my fingertips, onto the interwebs for your reading pleasure.
As for whether you’ve missed the AI boat, no you have not, but it’s now or never (insert Elvis Presley song lyrics here). AI is not going away, just like the interwebs, it’s here to stay. So, start using it, even if you’re reluctant to do so.
One resource is ChatGPT (openai.com). I signed up for this and just agreed to the terms without looking, I don’t suggest you do this, but I’m a risk taker, so there's that. Pretty sure I just agreed to give them my first-born goat. If this is the case, I will be sad when they come to claim my baby goat from me.
In the open text area, I typed “Write me an article about how to breathe life back into a newsletter”. A full page later, I was amazed at the results. However, here’s the thing, I like to be authentic, so for now, no ChatGPT was used** in the writing of this newsletter, because honestly, if it was, it would probably be funnier. Maybe one day when I’m lazy and want to eat peanut butter smothered English muffins instead of typing, I’ll resort to ChatGPT. For now, you get the weird and crazy directly from my brain through my fingertips, onto the interwebs for your reading pleasure.
As for whether you’ve missed the AI boat, no you have not, but it’s now or never (insert Elvis Presley song lyrics here). AI is not going away, just like the interwebs, it’s here to stay. So, start using it, even if you’re reluctant to do so.
** No ChatGPT was harmed in the making of this newsletter.
Top 10 things to know about SPIN's Facebook page
1. What: SPIN (Members Only) Facebook page is a place for planners to connect. Currently there are over 1.2K members!
2. Where: Found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SPINprofs
3. When: You can join anytime, admins will approve you as soon as they can.
4. Who: Free for planners.
5. Who else: Sponsors can join with paid sponsorship.
6. What else: It’s a decentralized group, anyone can plan a SPIN gathering anywhere, anytime. Want to plan something where you live?
Great! Headed to an industry event, and want to meet up with other spinners?
Great! The best way to do this is to create an Event within the group and then promote it in the main thread. Tagging others is also helpful.
7. How: #PitchTuesday - Selling is only allowed on Tuesdays and must include the hashtag as the first word #PitchTuesday. This includes selling your planner services, your side hustle, sponsors, promoting their destinations or hotels or services, etc.
8. Safe: This is a safe space to ask questions, rant, post funny things, and be very real with one another.
9. Not Safe: Mean people and political or other divisive non-industry posts will not be tolerated.
10. Funny: Lots of random and funny things are posted
2. Where: Found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SPINprofs
3. When: You can join anytime, admins will approve you as soon as they can.
4. Who: Free for planners.
5. Who else: Sponsors can join with paid sponsorship.
6. What else: It’s a decentralized group, anyone can plan a SPIN gathering anywhere, anytime. Want to plan something where you live?
Great! Headed to an industry event, and want to meet up with other spinners?
Great! The best way to do this is to create an Event within the group and then promote it in the main thread. Tagging others is also helpful.
7. How: #PitchTuesday - Selling is only allowed on Tuesdays and must include the hashtag as the first word #PitchTuesday. This includes selling your planner services, your side hustle, sponsors, promoting their destinations or hotels or services, etc.
8. Safe: This is a safe space to ask questions, rant, post funny things, and be very real with one another.
9. Not Safe: Mean people and political or other divisive non-industry posts will not be tolerated.
10. Funny: Lots of random and funny things are posted
Our Love/Hate Relationship with Hotels
(select your own title below if it will cause you to read this article)
Because this is such an unsexy title for an article, we are going to allow you to choose your own title. To show SPIN’s inclusivity of all ages we’ve highlighted hits from a variety of decades.
Please select one of the following hit songs for your title:
• Somebody That I Used to Know (2011)
• Back to December (2010)
• We Belong Together (2005)
• Unbreak My Heart (1996)
• Don’t You, Forget About Me (1987)
• Break Up to Make Up (1972)
I’m a planner. You’re a planner. We like hotels, right? Some hotels we love, right? I remember after working in this business for a couple of years, I loved hotel salespeople. They were always so nice, a lot of fun, and ready to remedy any situation that hindered my meeting’s success. Yes, they were “sales” people, but they were also infinitely hospitable.
Five years into the business, I had favorite domestic hotels. These were places where the salespeople answered your calls, helped your secure dates, and turned you over to a CS staff that made all your meeting dreams come true. Am I right?
I remember LOVING Broadmoor. What’s not to love?!?! Great venue, impeccable service—the spirit of hospitality OOZED (Eeewww David) from every staff member I encountered. I remember the good, ole’ days of the Ritz Carlton properties. As planners we loved the Ritz “my pleasure” response to everything we asked. I even hired the Ritz Carlton staff to teach their customer service philosophy to dental staff at one of my annual conventions. Those. Were. The. Days. My. Friend.; we thought they’d never end.
It must have been love, but it’s over now. It must have been good, but I lost it somehow.
What happened to break up our loving relationship with hotels? Sure, there have always been challenges but we would pick up the phone, explain all the reasons we couldn’t agree to certain terms, and new terms would be crafted, or the language would be struck from the contract. We worked together, we compromised. Just like in every healthy relationship.
Hotblooded. Check it and see. I got a fever of 103.
What happened post-COVID? Was it the virus that changed everything in the world of hospitality?
The frustrations for planners have surely increased post-COVID. The brands are out to recoup so-called losses and there is a seemingly unending list of new fees and charges. We are dealing with sales and CS staff that are new in their jobs and lack the creativity and innovative solutions of the former seasoned professionals.
But it is beyond staffing. Hotel corporations seem bent on the concept of milking group business for everything they can. As planners we learned, pre-COVID, how using in-house AV could be cost-prohibitive for our meetings so we began inserting contract terms that allowed us to use outside AV. Hotels shot back with contract terms that allowed the outside AV if we allowed a bid from the in-house AV provider. They wanted the opportunity to compete. We complied.
Post-COVID, the contract terms changed. Now, they will allow outside AV but a “supervisor” from the in-house AV company must be hired at an exorbitant rate. Or outside AV is allowed for the general session, but the in-house AV provider must be used for all breakouts. If we use in-house AV, the equipment rates are so high we could purchase the projectors and screens for our next ten years of meetings for less than a three-day rental of the in-house equipment. And don’t get me started on the service charge placed on each item. Do they think we will agree to these terms?!?! Are there planners agreeing to these terms?!?!
You’re Still an Innocent, Always Be My Baby, And They Called It Puppy Love
Just like the influx of new hotel staff, there is an influx of new planners. Some with little or no training. Are they reading these terms? If so, do they even understand what they’re reading? Hotels are banking on these innocents and on less-than-engaged planners (that’s nicer than saying ‘lazy’).
I see questions posted regularly in meeting planner forums asking basic information that any planner worth their salt would know. You know, you’ve seen them:
R- E- S -P- E -C -T
I have always believed meeting planners are a group of professionals that are underappreciated and underestimated. Some of this is caused by members of our profession that are in it for the “perks.” We all know at least one of these planners. They want suite upgrades, room amenities, and VIP service but they’re not really interested in the details of managing a business. Yet, that is what meeting planners do—we are business managers. Some of us are small business managers and so of us manage multi-million-dollar businesses.
Relationships fall flat without mutual respect. (Trust me, I can tell you stories!) At this stage, I’m convinced we must command the respect of our hotel partners. We do that by being knowledgeable about our craft. We do that by sharing information and supporting each other. We do by being SPINers.
Bring Back That Loving Feeling
You can be assured at the next economic downturn hoteliers will be clamoring for our attention. They will pursue us with an unrequited passion offering up concession lists longer than we’ve seen in a decade. We will be setting the relationship terms. Until then, our love/hate relationship will continue. Let’s make the best of it.
(select your own title below if it will cause you to read this article)
Because this is such an unsexy title for an article, we are going to allow you to choose your own title. To show SPIN’s inclusivity of all ages we’ve highlighted hits from a variety of decades.
Please select one of the following hit songs for your title:
• Somebody That I Used to Know (2011)
• Back to December (2010)
• We Belong Together (2005)
• Unbreak My Heart (1996)
• Don’t You, Forget About Me (1987)
• Break Up to Make Up (1972)
I’m a planner. You’re a planner. We like hotels, right? Some hotels we love, right? I remember after working in this business for a couple of years, I loved hotel salespeople. They were always so nice, a lot of fun, and ready to remedy any situation that hindered my meeting’s success. Yes, they were “sales” people, but they were also infinitely hospitable.
Five years into the business, I had favorite domestic hotels. These were places where the salespeople answered your calls, helped your secure dates, and turned you over to a CS staff that made all your meeting dreams come true. Am I right?
I remember LOVING Broadmoor. What’s not to love?!?! Great venue, impeccable service—the spirit of hospitality OOZED (Eeewww David) from every staff member I encountered. I remember the good, ole’ days of the Ritz Carlton properties. As planners we loved the Ritz “my pleasure” response to everything we asked. I even hired the Ritz Carlton staff to teach their customer service philosophy to dental staff at one of my annual conventions. Those. Were. The. Days. My. Friend.; we thought they’d never end.
It must have been love, but it’s over now. It must have been good, but I lost it somehow.
What happened to break up our loving relationship with hotels? Sure, there have always been challenges but we would pick up the phone, explain all the reasons we couldn’t agree to certain terms, and new terms would be crafted, or the language would be struck from the contract. We worked together, we compromised. Just like in every healthy relationship.
Hotblooded. Check it and see. I got a fever of 103.
What happened post-COVID? Was it the virus that changed everything in the world of hospitality?
The frustrations for planners have surely increased post-COVID. The brands are out to recoup so-called losses and there is a seemingly unending list of new fees and charges. We are dealing with sales and CS staff that are new in their jobs and lack the creativity and innovative solutions of the former seasoned professionals.
But it is beyond staffing. Hotel corporations seem bent on the concept of milking group business for everything they can. As planners we learned, pre-COVID, how using in-house AV could be cost-prohibitive for our meetings so we began inserting contract terms that allowed us to use outside AV. Hotels shot back with contract terms that allowed the outside AV if we allowed a bid from the in-house AV provider. They wanted the opportunity to compete. We complied.
Post-COVID, the contract terms changed. Now, they will allow outside AV but a “supervisor” from the in-house AV company must be hired at an exorbitant rate. Or outside AV is allowed for the general session, but the in-house AV provider must be used for all breakouts. If we use in-house AV, the equipment rates are so high we could purchase the projectors and screens for our next ten years of meetings for less than a three-day rental of the in-house equipment. And don’t get me started on the service charge placed on each item. Do they think we will agree to these terms?!?! Are there planners agreeing to these terms?!?!
You’re Still an Innocent, Always Be My Baby, And They Called It Puppy Love
Just like the influx of new hotel staff, there is an influx of new planners. Some with little or no training. Are they reading these terms? If so, do they even understand what they’re reading? Hotels are banking on these innocents and on less-than-engaged planners (that’s nicer than saying ‘lazy’).
I see questions posted regularly in meeting planner forums asking basic information that any planner worth their salt would know. You know, you’ve seen them:
- “What is 20% attrition? Is that better or worse than 10%?”
- “What should I ask for if they want to walk my attendees?”
- “Do I need to have the meeting rooms assigned in the contract? The hotel says they’ll assign the space closer to the meeting date.”
R- E- S -P- E -C -T
I have always believed meeting planners are a group of professionals that are underappreciated and underestimated. Some of this is caused by members of our profession that are in it for the “perks.” We all know at least one of these planners. They want suite upgrades, room amenities, and VIP service but they’re not really interested in the details of managing a business. Yet, that is what meeting planners do—we are business managers. Some of us are small business managers and so of us manage multi-million-dollar businesses.
Relationships fall flat without mutual respect. (Trust me, I can tell you stories!) At this stage, I’m convinced we must command the respect of our hotel partners. We do that by being knowledgeable about our craft. We do that by sharing information and supporting each other. We do by being SPINers.
Bring Back That Loving Feeling
You can be assured at the next economic downturn hoteliers will be clamoring for our attention. They will pursue us with an unrequited passion offering up concession lists longer than we’ve seen in a decade. We will be setting the relationship terms. Until then, our love/hate relationship will continue. Let’s make the best of it.
Help Wanted – for no pay; mostly for ego and recognition…
Dear SPINers – we are seeking volunteers to help with SPINCon, and here is a list of brief tasks should you choose to accept an assignment.
Email [email protected] to throw your hat in the ring. |
Dear SPINers – we are seeking recommendations for year-round Sponsors. If you are first to submit a new Sponsor and they sign up with SPIN, there is a $100 referral bonus that goes right into your pocket. Winner-winner chicken dinner. Send contact details to [email protected]
P.S. If someone wants to volunteer to be our Sponsor liaison, that would be super wicked awesome. (the “wicked” comes directly from the New England vernacular)
P.S. If someone wants to volunteer to be our Sponsor liaison, that would be super wicked awesome. (the “wicked” comes directly from the New England vernacular)
Are you curious about becoming a SPIN member?
These buttons have been sanitized for your convenience, so feel free to click them again and again.
PLANNERS:
Here's the thing...it's free, it's only available on Facebook, but you have to be a planner with 10+ years' experience to qualify. |
SUPPLIERS:
Suppliers can join only if they are one of our amazing SPIN Sponsors Please contact us at [email protected] to learn more about our Sponsorship plans. |
I spy with my little eye, something green!