Author Archives: Successful Meetings

Study: Meetings Generated $770 Billion in Economic Impact in 2012

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Originally posted on SuccessfulMeetings.com by Matt Alderton

In 2012, 1.83 million meetings were held in the United States, up from approximately 1.8 million in 2009, according to the Convention Industry Council (CIC), which today published an update to its 2009 study, The Economic Significance of Meetings to the U.S. Economy.

"More meetings bring more jobs," CIC CEO Karen Kotowski said in a statement. "Meetings increased employment at a time when many industries didn't have the same opportunity. In 2012, meetings employed nearly 1.8 million people. That translates to 8.3 percent more jobs created by meetings in 2012 than in 2009, nearly double the average employment growth rate during that time."

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New White Paper Emphasizes Importance of Networking

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Originally posted on SuccessfulMeetings.com by Matt Alderton

There's no denying the value of social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter. But there's no substitute for face-to-face networking, according to Dyanne Smith, marketing manager at The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Va., which last week published a new white paper on the importance of face-to-face networking.

"With the amount of online resources readily available to us on our desktops and smartphones, blindly attending events and 'hoping for the best' becomes obsolete," Smith writes. "We must remind ourselves that social media does not replace face-to-face networking but instead is a supplement and provides the tools for instantaneous two-way communication."
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House Passes Bill Restricting Government Meetings, Travel

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Originally posted on Successful Meetings by Matt Alderton.

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday [11/18] voted overwhelmingly in favor -- 388 to 1 -- of H.R. 2061, otherwise known as the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA).

Sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the bill is intended to increase transparency around government spending by increasing financial reporting requirements for federal agencies. It would expand the amount of data reported online at USASpending.gov, require federal inspectors general to regularly review spending data for accuracy, and mandate the creation of a website updating the public about activities to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in government spending.

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Society of Government Meeting Professionals Names New CEO

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Originally posted by Matt Alderton on Successful Meetings

Robert Bergeron has been named the new executive director and CEO of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP), the organization announced yesterday.

"During the past several years, SGMP has expanded its level of resources and opportunities for our membership, most recently with the launch of our CGMP Congress, and grown stronger as an association," said SGMP President Rob Coffman. "Rob Bergeron is the right person at the right time to make SGMP even stronger and better for our members. We look forward to continuing this path of progress working together with Mr. Bergeron leading the SGMP staff."

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