Discover Organizations that host Meetings

The three (3) main entities that host and organize meetings are corporations, associations, and non-profits (such as government agencies). For the purposes of this class, we will concentrate on corporations and associations.

Corporate meetings range in size from small, medium, and large. Corporations plan many meetings throughout the year. Usually, corporate meetings are inclusive of not only the meeting; but meals, tours, and activities. Attendance to corporate meetings is usually mandatory. Companies don’t generally publicize their meetings; they tend to be understated in their marketing and advertising efforts.

Association meetings are more visible and advertise their events to increase participation. Associations vary in size and nature and usually hold annual meetings. Their scope ranges from small regional organizations to national and international ones. There are trade associations, professional and scientific associations, technical societies, and SMERF. Association participation is made up of members and generally only charge for the meeting itself; meals and extra activities are not included.

Trade associations are comprised of businesses that represent a specific industry such as the National Restaurant Association. Trade associations typically hold educational seminars and conferences as well as state, regional, and national conventions (usually in conjunction with exhibits or trade shows).

Professional associations represent a particular profession such as the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI).  These groups may have state and regional chapters as well as a national headquarters. They will hold a number of different types of meetings as well as a national convention.

And, there are SMERF meetings. SMERF stands for social, military, educational, religious, and fraternal groups. These meetings usually require more room nights and large spaces. This market segment is very dependable and steady business (even during economic downturns) and usually book during non-peak dates. However, because attendees pay on their own, this group is more price sensitive.

Now let’s get familiar with organizations that book meetings and events.

assignment-1.png  Assignment Instructions:

Part 1 —

Go the Orlando Orange County Convention Center Calendar (Links to an external site.) website and answer the following questions:

Review all the shows scheduled from March – May 2022. 
Name one (1) corporate meeting scheduled at the Orlando Orange County Convention Center during that time
Name one (1) association meeting scheduled at the Orlando Orange County Convention Center during that time
Name one (1) SMERF meeting scheduled at the Orlando Orange County Convention Center during that time
Part 2 —

After reviewing the shows booked at the OOCC, choose one (1) association to research.

Select one (1) association meetings scheduled and answer the following about the Association:
Name the Association and the meeting they are hosting at the OOCC
Provide the meeting dates
Summarize the association (who are they, what do they represent)
Where is the association headquarters?
What type of people/companies are members of the association?
Describe the benefits of being a member of the association

Assignment Details:

Answer the questions listed above and submit in Canvas. Type directly within the body of the assignment or upload a word document.
Please proofread your assignment before submitting for grammatical and spelling errors. Spell words out completely.
Click here (Links to an external site.) for direct access to the Orange County Convention Center Calendar
https://calendar.occc.net/calendar/