Organizing an out-of-town business meeting or event involves many details, and rising costs have led meeting planners to scale back their plans. With higher expenses for securing venues and coordinating all the components of a successful conference, many planners are choosing smaller gatherings and increasingly booking them directly through venue websites.
Data from 2017 reported by Meetingsbooker.com shows that 95 percent of meeting planners who reserved event space online were arranging smaller events of fewer than 20 attendees. Online booking is fast and convenient, and for last-minute reservations it can offer attractive rates on a venue’s otherwise unused space.
For small meetings that require fewer logistical arrangements, planners clearly prefer handling details online rather than spending time on phone calls to hotels, which can average around 47 minutes per call. Using web-based tools not only saves time but also streamlines the process, making it a practical choice for smaller-scale events that don’t demand extensive coordination.