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Planners Experiencing Increase in Meetings in 2008

May 19, 2008

MCLEAN, VA (May 19, 2008) – Meeting planners who will be attending the 12th annual Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings® West Conference and Exposition at the Long Beach Convention Center, June 11-12, 2008 stated that they are experiencing an increase in meetings in 2008, and that although budgets are not increasing more than half of the attendees plan to conduct business at the show.

84.2 percent of respondents named hotels/resorts as the top resource they will be looking for at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings West, with venues and promotional items as the next most desired resources at 72.4 percent and 53.9 percent respectively.

"We understand the importance of providing our attendees with the resources to make planning easier" said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. "By surveying our attendees, we can anticipate the needs of the planners and connect them with exhibitors that can best meet those needs."

The 2007 Affordable Meetings West show generated rave reviews from exhibitors and event organizers expect that exhibitors at HSMAI's Affordable Meetings West 2008 will enjoy the benefits of a busier 2008 season for planners.

"Some of the best RFPs of the year were generated at the 2007 West show," said Jeff Johnson, an exhibitor from Marriott. "HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings offers us a great opportunity for networking and is the best show that we attend."

"We have attended HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings now for 10 years running," said Ken Haas of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. "Affordable Meetings is a big part of our annual meeting plan."

In addition to providing networking opportunities for exhibitors and planners, HSMAI's Affordable Meetings West will also feature new educational seminars.

Based on the survey, 50 percent of respondents plan to attend "TechSavvy, Meeting Planning Smart: Get Comfortable with 21st Century," a session offering an introduction to meeting planning software and Web products that can assist in automating meeting planning tasks.

Other new sessions include:

• Meeting Planning 101: An Introduction to Meeting Management

• Who’s in Charge of Your Career? Creating a Strategic Plan for Success

• Mastering Memory: An “Essential” for Meeting Planners

• Learning Breakthrough Thinking

• Greener Meetings With Less Stress: How to Save the Planet Without Losing Your Mind

• Leadership in Today's Multigenerational Workplace

• A Kick in the Attitude

• Taming the E-mail and Information Overload Beast

• Ethics, the Law, and Best Practices in the Meetings Industry

HSMAI's Affordable Meetings West will also feature a new networking luncheon, offering exhibitors and attendees another forum to meet face-to-face.

More than 700 attendees, representing meeting and event planners from a variety of organizations, with a majority representing corporate, association and independent sectors and the balance from government, non-profit, education, religious and medical/health care organizations, trade show management and the military, are expected to visit HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings West 2008 show. Attendance at HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings West is free-of-charge for qualified meeting planners.

Booth space is still available at the Affordable Meetings West and can be obtained by contacting Beth Petersen, show manager, GLM, (804) 261-3929; fax (804) 918-1547; e-mail: beth_petersen@glmshows.com.

Other shows for 2008 include: HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® National and Event Technology Expo™, Sept. 10-11, 2008, Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, D.C.

Event Technology Expo™ (ETE) will be the first large-scale event dedicated to addressing all aspects of technology as it relates to tradeshows, meetings, and special events.

Attendee information for HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West is available by calling 914-421-3200 Ext 7777.

About HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings® West

HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings West will once again offer attendees the opportunity to meet and do business with more than 250 exhibiting companies during a unique exposition that will showcase venues, products and services to help produce various types of meetings and events. Year-after-year, the highly-acclaimed trade exposition is a main attraction for attendees looking to meet and network with knowledgeable suppliers who are determined to help produce valuable meetings and assist with purchasing decisions. Exhibitors represent hotels and resorts, university conference centers, unique meeting sites, convention and visitor bureaus, transportation companies, trade publications, software and audio/visual businesses, and other meeting and convention suppliers. HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings is owned and presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Americas region and managed by GLM, a dmg world media business. Visit www.affordablemeetings.com for more information.

About HSMAI

HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings(r). Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 39 chapters in the Americas Region. For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102, phone (703) 610-9024; fax (703) 610-9005, or visit the website at www.hsmai.org.

Contact name: Rachel Rosenberg, Edelman Atlanta

Contact email: rachel.rosenberg@edelman.com