Of the 1.8
million meetings held annually in the U.S., small meetings—50 people or
fewer—represent a large percentage. They are often simple, one-day events in a
single room with basic A/V and catering. However, hotels have often managed
these meetings in the same way they manage larger events, assigning a sales
person and negotiating a contract. This costs time, labor and money for the
hotel and the event organizer, but it is changing. Small meetings arrangers will
access direct, online booking of meeting space and experiences in 2018, and
they’ll have a number of tools to choose from. Streamlined processes promise to
save planners time and effort from traditional RFP booking engines, a key event
tech trend to watch in the coming year.