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+ Strategic Meetings Management
SMM: How-to Guide
Dr. Eliza Hixson,
International Centre for
Research in Events, Tourism
and Hospitality at Leeds
Metropolitan University
This guide offers you insights and case studies from strategic
meetings management (SMM) practitioners who can guide you
through the SMM process, present its elements and key drivers, explore the reasons for its implementation, introduce the
taxonomy created for MPI’s research and take you step-by-step
through the program development.
WHAT IS SMM?
SMM is grounded in a number of concepts that have been discussed
for decades in academic literature. For meeting industry professionals, the key components of SMM include supply-chain management,
procurement, centralization, value, meeting quality and risk management. As SMM has grown within the sector, meeting industry
professionals tend to add data management and meeting design, in
particular around return on investment and return on objective.
The most widely recognized definition of strategic meetings management was created and published by the Global Business Travel
Association (GBTA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
It reads as follows.
Strategic meetings management is a disciplined approach to managing enterprise-wide meeting and event activities,
processes, suppliers and data in order to achieve measurable
business objectives that align with the organizations’ strategic
goals/vision and deliver value in the form of quantitative
savings, risk mitigation and service quality.
2014 | Page 1
SMM Index Maturity Levels
The SMM program is working
and delivering value;
compliance is beginning
to gain traction.
SMM Support Processes
are either non-existent
or happening in an
ad-hoc fashion
The need for SMM support
processes is recognized
and design of these
processes may be starting.
Most SMM program basics
are in place.
The SMM program is working
well, and is delivering value
that illustrates the tie between
the SMM program and
overarching business
objectives.
The SMM program is wording
well delivering face value
across enterprise. sustainable
over time and supported by
ongoing and successful
efforts for continous
improvement.
MASTERING
EXCELLING
OPERATIVE
EMERGENT
DISCOVERY
RANDOM
LEVEL ONE
LEVEL TWO
LEVEL THREE
LEVEL FOUR
LEVEL FIVE
LEVEL SIX
WHY ESTABLISH AN SMMP?
Although this definition is widely used, existing literature,
interviews with leading practitioners and the results of focus group
discussions all acknowledge that SMM means different things
to different organizations. Often, this is based on the practices
and requirements of the individual organization, as not all
organizations have the same goals and, therefore, their practices
differ. These differences arise from the various perspectives and
contexts within which an SMM program (or SMMP) is
implemented, and the maturity of that SMMP.
In his book on the subject, industry expert Kevin Iwamoto
describes six levels of SMM maturity, as follows.
At the random level, an organization unsystematically implements SMM practices without being aware of how these practices
tie in with SMM. In the discovery stage, the organization learns
about SMM and how more practices can be implemented across the
organization. At the emergent level, the organization starts adopting and implementing SMM practices in order to get consistency in
meeting delivery. At the operative level, the organization has all its
SMM operations in place. And in the final two stages, excelling and
mastering, the organization focuses on the progress and efficiency at
which it implements SMM.
In his book, Iwamoto says that maturity is dependent upon the
organization’s state of policy, procurement, data analysis and reporting, as well as stakeholder management and meetings technology,
among other factors.
In contrast, in his writings, Christopher Dwyer adopts an approach that identifies advanced attributes of mature SMMPs in
best-in-class organizations, including the following.
• Centralizing budgetary control
• Improving analytics and reporting
• Formalizing sourcing
• Improving attendee experience
• Enhancing pre- and post-event communication
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to SMM, because
not all practices are applicable to every type of organization. Even
though SMM may be generally defined the same way, there are elements that are organizationally specific.
Dwyer surveyed businesses that have adopted, or are in the
process of adopting, an SMMP to ascertain current best-in-class
practices using the following four performance criteria to distinguish
such organizations.
1.The percentage of meetings/events that meet or exceed goals
and objectives
2.The rate of compliance to internal meetings/events polices
and guidelines
3.The percentage of meetings and events executed on or
below budget
4.The rate of meetings and events spend under management
There are a number of key drivers for the growth in SMM adoption. Subject matter expert Mike Malinchok summarizes these drivers under four central headings in his writings.
• Visibility
• Risk mitigation
• Compliance
• Cost saving
MPI’s own research finds that the key drivers to SMM adoption are
increasing savings/avoiding costs (81.7 percent), establishing good
communication across the organization (59.8 percent), raising visibility/transparency (56.2 percent), increasing the value of meetings management (55.6 percent) and increasing productivity (54.9 percent).
THE SMM TAXONOMY
MPI created an SMM Taxonomy based on its systematic literature
review and interviews with SMM leaders. Presented here as a table,
the taxonomy is split into role (buyer, supplier, planner, consultant)
and context (supply-chain management, procurement, centralization
of processes, meeting quality/participant experience, executive sponsor). This taxonomy is featured in “Strategic Meetings Management
(SMM) Report: SMM Taxonomy, Growth and Future.” It is designed
to make it easy to assess what you need to do within the SMM space
and what is occurring within best-practice organizations. Identify the
role of your organization in the meeting industry and see what you
can be doing to align your business with SMM practices.
2014 | Page 2
ROLE
OBJECTIVE
SUPPLY-CHAIN
MANAGEMENT
PROCUREMENT
PROCESS
CENTRALIZATION
MEETING QUALITY/
DELEGATE EXPERIENCE
EXECUTIVE
SPONSORSHIP
Buyer
Save money
Preferred supplier
agreements and control
Formal sourcing processes reduces steps
in purchasing and
increases efficiency
Visibility of meeting
spend, facilitated by
data management from
budgeting to close out
Review of previous
events and where savings can be made that do
not impact participant
experience
Review of previous
events and where
savings can be made
that do not impact participant experience
Increase Value
Close relationship
(aware of objectives)
Clear procurement
processes enable cost
and quality criteria to
be assessed
A meeting master
calendar
Stated objectives that
clearly identify what
attendees expect to gain
from the experience
Organizational guidance for rolling out
an SMMP across the
whole organization
Centralized systems
enhance the delegates
experience by simplifying
Preparedness to back
an SMMP during a
potentially costly organizational audit and
SMM set-up phase
SDuty of care to support
the delegate and management of meeting cancelation risk in the buyer/
supplier relationship
Strong leadership to
create buy-in across
and between organizations
Increase value and
save money
Increased opportunities
for working collaboratively with supply chain
partners
Manage procurement
and respond to RFP
Technology systems
(meeting requests,
RFPs and attendee
management)
Reduced risk due to
known service quality
and agreed cancellation
fees
Supplier
Greater visibility to manage demand for meetings
Data from central
purchasing card
Save money
Strategic alliances with
independents
Preferred supplier
agreements and SLAs
to minimize negotiation
Simplified billing
process
Cost savings passed on
to participants when
possible to increase
attendance and enhance
perception of value
Understand reasons
for securing and
supplying cost savings
to achieve long-term,
stable relationships
with buyers
Increase Value
Consistent service
through defined SOPs
RFPs that demonstrate
the value of relationships with evidence of
quality delivery
Information sharing
Understand target
participants in order to
support delivery that
exceeds expectations
Leadership to encourage all staff to understand importance
of relationship and
to meet and exceed
expectations
Reducing risk through
preferred supplier
agreements, SLAs and
other forms of managed
supplier relationships
Simplified processes
for securing third party
materials
Visibility and access
to all buyers within an
organisation
SMM cost savings and
value passed on to participants and measured
in meeting evaluations
If no SMMP, executive
leadership to facilitate
partnership management with buyer
organizations
Reduced time in
responding to preferred
supplier status RFPs
Simplified processes for
submitting proposals
Understand technology
to simplify communication and management
Cost savings passed
on to participants if appropriate
Communication and
education within the
organization
Increase Value and
save money
Planner
Centralized approval
process
Save money
On-going contact with
buyer
Compatible technology
platform with buyer
Cost savings passed on
to buyer
Increase Value
Client likely to choose a
preferred supplier
Greater strategic
understanding of event
objectives
Measurement and
monitoring processes
to support continuous
improvement
Systems in place to
measure ROI and ROO
Development and use
of existing metrics to
measure what success
looks like within business and for clients
Increase value and
save money
Development of long
term relationships with
partners and suppliers
Need to manage
procurement processes
and respond to RFP
Need to learn to use
technology systems
appropriate for your
organizational role
Request a meeting/
Meeting registration
If no SMMP, executive
leadership to facilitate
partnership management with partner
organizations
Establishing procedures to manage the
risk pertaining to longterm relationships
Intermediary
Save money
Simplified and integrated processes for
sourcing suppliers
Systematic and centralized procurement
processes
Centralized systems for
processing information
Increase Value
Enhance communication systems to ensure
buyer and supplier are
aware of objectives and
expectations
More robust, consistently updated systems
for ensuring quality for
sourcing
Familiarity with a range
of case studies from a variety of industries, so as
to advise businesses on
SMMP implementation
Encourage preferred
supplier contracts
Know the tech
platforms available
to clients to assist in
SMMP implementation
or development
Increase value and
cost savings
Clear understanding of
target market and objectives of participants
Communication to all
levels of organization
and with suppliers
about SMMP
2014 | Page 3
WHERE TO START?
In the SMM Taxonomy, you can see a number of ways to improve
the efficiency and effectiveness of managing your meetings. This
next section will take you through a step-by-step guide of how to
start implementing SMM in your organization.
1. Access Information and Education
First and foremost, build your knowledge and understanding of
SMM. MPI has developed a number of resources to help you learn
more about SMM. The MPI portal can be accessed by the following
link: www.mpiweb.org/SMM.
Nearly half (46 percent) of respondents to MPI’s research say
that education made it easier to develop and implement an SMMP.
Alongside education, interviews with industry experts acknowledge that sharing and spreading information is a crucial element
of change management. Informing all employees of the purpose of
SMM is key to adoption within an organization. Therefore, you
need to develop and encourage knowledge across your company.
Carole McKellar of HelmsBriscoe says that there’s actually a wide
range of different ways that people can start to embrace SMMP.
“Of course a huge part of that is communication and education,
she says. “Most importantly, success is driven by colleagues talking
about their experience, explaining to their peer group how it has
been beneficial to them and encouraging people to get on board.”
2. Develop a Business Case
Next, build your business case for SMM to establish how it will
help your organization and express this to your c-suit managers. Examine your current practices and explore how SMM will
enhance your business.
When starting her road to SMMP at WellPoint, Cindy Heston
gathered and analyzed contracts with suppliers to assess what was
occurring within her business. This process took several months
as she sought opinions on the broad area of risk management in
meetings and travel planning. In this case, it took around six
months to move from the initial data collection phase though the
consultation process with superiors to the stage where she was able
to fully implement her SMM proposals.
Heston started off preparing the business-case on procurement
grounds, but realized very quickly that the multi-faceted approach
she was proposing would in fact tackle the other benefits she was
seeking as well. So the initial emphasis on financial savings, though
obviously still important, was complemented by the opportunity to
take control over many other risk factors affecting the organization.
“Once I had built a business case for SMM based on a multifaceted approach, rather than just a procurement approach, it
quickly became warmly received within the organization,” she
says. “The healthcare reform debate within the U.S. at the time
provided the perfect platform for us to reduce the risk in our
broader operating environment. The perfect storm happening outside helped us to raise this opportunity at the highest levels, and to
get corporate buy-in.”
It’s wise to consider the broader organization and sector context
within which your company operates, because there may be other,
external factors you can address in your interventions that lever additional benefits.
Similarly, a case study at IHG found that there were a number of
hurdles to creating a business case for SMM. Ingrid Quimby-High
from IHG states that from the beginning she had to really make sure
that she could quantify a business proposal. Her team conducted
months of research to ensure that the need was large enough to
justify the investment. Like WellPoint, Quimby-High acknowledges
that “there’s a lot of research, pre-work and making sure that you
have all the right parties engaged and validation happening across
the globe.”
3. Find Executive Sponsorship
Upon researching and developing your business case for SMM
based on your meeting data, it’s important to gain executive sponsorship. Ideally, this is someone in a position of power who is able
to drive and support the implementation of SMM. MPI’s SMM
report shows that SMM “champions,” or advocates, encourage
adoption. In fact, 72 percent of respondents believe that having a
leadership champion makes it easier to adopt an SMMP.
The WellPoint case study demonstrates that it’s critical to gain
corporate, senior-level support early on by presenting the business
rationale that supports your proposals. The importance and the role
of executive sponsorship can also be seen in the SMM Taxonomy.
In another example, Cisco brought Carolyn Pund on board
to drive a strong SMMP at the company. Pund leads the global
strategic meetings management team (GSMM), which drives the
program. In each Cisco region around the world, there’s a person
dedicated to the running of the program, education and adoption.
At IHG, the process began with a core group in the meetings department that was responsible for delivering sales strategy, on a global
scale, to teams at both regional and hotel levels. Clients, hotel area
managers, key hotel franchisees, industry experts and third parties became the pillars in the research and evaluation phases of the process.
4. Get Policies and Procedures in Place
Once you have built your business case and have executive sponsorship in place, you need to start implementing the SMM practices
that are valuable for your organization. Consider the aims and objectives of your organization and implement practices accordingly.
At Cisco, Pund and her co-workers took nearly four years to
thoroughly build their global SMMP and the policy around it. By
aggregating their travel, finance, contracting, legal and risk management policies, the team produced a robust program document.
Says Pund: “With an SMM program and in building the policy
you are not an island, you are not just coming in saying ‘this is
what is going to happen.’”
5. Review Frequently Implemented SMM Practices
MPI’s research shows these Top 5 SMMP practices.
• Use documented standard operating procedures (72 percent)
• Define objectives with meeting sponsor to align with
organization’s objectives (69 percent)
• Use preferred supplier agreements (64 percent)
• Utilize a master meeting calendar (63 percent)
• Use web-based, electronic requests for proposals (55 percent)
2014 | Page 4
These are the practices most commonly implemented in meetings management by organizations around the globe. Additional
information on SMM practices can be found on the SMM portal.
When you set up your policies and procedures there are a number of
aspects to consider. These factors are discussed herein.
A.Supply-chain management. In a successful SMM program, all
members of the supply-chain work together and make contributions. In their paper on supply chain responsiveness, Daekwan
Kim and Ruby Lee say that collaboration with global suppliers is
key. Use a limited number of suppliers and choose those who are
located around the world. Preferred supplier agreements can be
developed with these suppliers so that you get the same level of
value and quality regardless of the location of the meeting. Decision scientist Ganesh Vaidyanathan writes that these supply-chain
partnerships can provide security, which is highly valuable when
trying to achieve consistent quality in meetings. Close relationships within the supply-chain also encourage information sharing,
which can be beneficial to the success for all parties involved.
Long-term relationships also produce beneficial results, such as
leverage to negotiate costs as well as preferential treatment in
terms of bookings and cancellation policies.
In regard to supply-chain management and the development of
business relationships, interviews with experts in the SMM field
emphasize the importance of frequent meetings and sharing information with partners. For example, Cisco asks for quarterly reports
from its partners, such as hotels, which must be in line with its
SMM requirements. Carlson Wagonlit Travel raises the importance
of involving stakeholders in one of its papers: “It is important to involve all key stakeholders so that a new, centralized program takes
into account their requirements and leverages their expertise.”
Having dedicated personnel to manage and liaise with partners
is also a key success factor in maintaining relationships. The interviews with practitioners acknowledge that on-going relationships
bring various short-term and long-term benefits for both buyers
and suppliers. In an Active Network (formerly StarCite) report,
the company refers to successful partnerships as a “two-way
street” where there is a balance of benefits for partnership participants. Security of supply-chain provides buyers with substantial
risk mitigation benefits and confidence in their business continuity
planning around potential crises. Suppliers gain a greater level of
financial security and an improved ability to plan strategically.
From a supplier perspective, IHG works seamlessly with client
SMMPs so that it can solve needs on an individual basis, including all levels of programs. It developed a technology platform that
offers a plethora of tools to ensure that hotel staff can support all
clients. In addition, the strategy had to be adaptable to correspond to hotels across the globe.
B.Procurement. Relating to supply-chain management is the area of
procurement. According to a paper by Dr. Peter Naudé, purchasing can take three forms: re-buy, modified re-buy and new buy.
Each of these scenarios impacts the steps in the procurement process. For example, a new buy requires information searching and
identification of the most appropriate service or good. These steps
are skipped in modified re-buy or re-buy situations because the
supplier has been identified and there is an established relationship between the two parties.
SMM places itself within the re-buy position, whereby contracts between buyers and suppliers are established in the form
of preferred supplier agreements. Therefore, says travel company
AdVito, an SMMP can streamline sourcing and contracting. This
increases the reliability of procurement because both parties are
already familiar with the expectations and requirements of the
other party. It can also create greater efficiency in the procurement process.
In a Maxvantage paper, the writers suggest that SMM programs are often put through the formal sourcing process in order
to apply strong procurement principles, which includes leveraging
the total meeting expenditure volume of the company.
Examples of procurement principles within the meeting sector
include the use of preferred hotel agreements. According to BCD
Incentives, a preferred hotel program drives SMM success, with
buyers able to streamline the purchasing process due to existing
contracts and relationships with the supplier. According to a GBTA
Foundation paper, preferred hotel or master service agreements
(MSAs) with suppliers can also assist the procurement process,
with timeframes for delivery, meeting requirements and responsibilities contractually agreed upon prior to the meeting. This process
is also advantageous for suppliers because they gain greater clarity
on the requirements and expectations of their clients.
C.Centralized processes. In his book, The Company of the Future,
Frances Cairncross states that centralization is required to achieve
speed, productivity and coherence. In an online column, Paul
Colston agrees, advocating that more centralization within the
meeting sector will make SMMPs efficient and successful. Examples include master meetings calendars, registration
systems and centralized approval processes. The first phase of
MPI’s SMM study identifies that practices such as these increase
consistency and efficiency. Moreover, adopting these practices can
result in cost savings, reduced liability and increased standards
of delivery. WellPoint established that a culture of openness and
a willingness among different teams and business units to share
information on budgets, contracts, activities and concerns is important for consistency and compliance. Therefore, a platform to
share information and centralize processes is an important step.
D.Implement support technologies. Central technology systems can
be set in place to manage many elements of a meeting, including
planning, budgeting, purchasing, attendance, payments and measurement, according to SMM expert Kevin Iwamoto. StarCite has
determined that travel departments often have centralized systems
such as this, whereas the meeting sector often uses multiple tools.
Therefore, there is scope for meetings to develop and co-locate
these processes. Centralized processes also make it easier to
construct reports on the outcomes of the meetings held within an
organization, Maxvantage found.
The MPI focus group conducted at EIBTM 2012 in Barcelona
especially related to this point, with experts saying that reports
produce a wealth of information—however careful analysis
needs to be applied in order to transfer this from data to business intelligence.
WellPoint uses data software as a tool to monitor all expenditure from travel, venue, food and beverage, audiovisual and
accommodation, for instance. The organization piloted three
2014 | Page 5
different products over the course of a year before reverting to
the technology tool they had been originally using. There are a
number of software providers that are available, so it is a case of
trialling and finding out what system works for you.
Think about what information you need to capture and what
you will use your technology platform for. Become familiar with
your requirements so you can analyze which software is most
appropriate for you. For example, to capture data around its
meetings, Cisco has a robust custom-built portal. Team members
send a request for all meetings over a cost threshold to be put
on the portal. Each meeting goes through a submission process
and is then put forward for logistical planning, website build and
attendee registration and payment. The use of the portal ensures
that data is standardized and comprehensive. This helps to ensure
that the data are captured and can be analyzed.
FACTORS INFLUENCING SMM ADOPTION
The MPI literature search, interviews and survey responses indicate
that geographical spread and organizational culture and size can
impact the adoption of practices across a company. Positive attitude
to change and ability to mandate were two factors that help drive
adoption in an organization.
1. Geographical Spread
AdVito found several factors that constrain the implementation of
an SMMP in a global context, including language, currency and exchange, cultural issues and global suppliers. Therefore, global businesses based in the U.S. that want to spread their programs to other
parts of the world could face difficulties. Maxvantage went so far as
to create standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each country to
help companies overcome some of these global challenges.
2. Organizational Structure and Size
Organizational cultures also differ; some may be more resistant to
change than others. Maxvantage found that these differences can
be based on corporate culture and also the culture of the country
AdVito (2007). “The View from the Other Side of the Pond: Hidden
challenges and intelligent solutions to global meetings management consolidation,” AdVito, Dallas.
BCD Meetings & Incentives (2010). “Bottom-line savings with SMM,”
http://www.bcdmi.com/documents/Valuethroughoutsourcing.pdf.
in which an organization is operating. The geographical differences
raise an issue for U.S.-based companies that want to spread their
SMMPs to other locations around the world. In this case, listen and
collaborate with employees so that they are aware of the reasons to
implement an SMMP and how it can benefit them. As stated before,
adoption of an SMMP requires executive sponsorship and SMM
champions. Educating employees about the value of adopting the
system can be a vital element to its success. Mike Malinchok suggests focusing on both cost and value-add as reasons to implement
an SMMP. Organizations that focus purely on cost may experience
some push back and less development of their SMMPs because the
value levels have not been considered.
3. Attitude to Change and Ability to Mandate
Change management is a recurring theme in the interviews with
practitioners, and the MPI research aimed to explore this further
and identify how important this factor is for SMM adoption. More
than half (55 percent) of respondents believe that the ability to
mandate makes it easier to implement SMM. And 52 percent of
respondents believe that a positive attitude to change also makes it
easier to start an SMMP.
Take-Aways
• Heighten the visibility of current meetings spend by conducting an organization-wide audit of who currently organizes
meetings and their associated costs.
• Show how meeting objectives can be obtained through
consolidation.
• In association with human resources and staff travel, show
how geographical consolidation of disparate meetings across
the organization can reduce costs, improve risk mitigation and
enhance productivity.
GBTA Foundation (2013). “Guide to Strategic Meetings Management
RFI or RFP,” GBTA, Chicago.
Iwamoto, K. (2011). Strategic Meetings Management Handbook: From
theory to practice, Easton Studio Press.
Cairncross, F. (2002). The Company of the Future, Profile Books, London.
Kim, D., & Lee, R. P. (2010). “Systems Collaboration and Strategic Collaboration: Their Impacts on Supply Chain Responsiveness and Market
Performance,” Decision Sciences, 41(4), 955-981.
Carlson Wagonlit (2010). “Improving strategic meetings management,
piece by piece.”
Malinchok, M. “Strategic Meetings Management (SMM): The four key
value drivers,” S2K Performance Coaching.
Colston, P. (2012). “SMMP: The word on the block,” Conference News
Magazine, http://www.conference-news.co.uk/feature/2012/09/21/
SMMP-the-word-on-the-block/150.
Naudé, P. (2012). “Organisational buyer behaviour,” video resource,
http://hstalks.com/main/view_talk.php?t=2182&r=633&c=250.
Degnan, Manning, C. D. and Savelli, C. (2010) “Strategic Meetings
Management: The next cost savings opportunity,” Maxvantage.
Dwyer, C.J. (2012). “Strategic Meetings Management: A handbook of
emerging strategies for the next generation of meetings and events management,” Aberdeen Group.
Dwyer, C.J. (2011). “Strategic Meetings Management: A view into the
best-in-class strategic meetings management program,” Aberdeen Group.
StarCite (2009). “Partner Perfect: Strategic sourcing remains key to effective meetings management,” StarCite, Philadelphia.
StarCite (2009). “Integrating Corporate Travel, Procurement and
Meetings Management: A best practice roadmap to strategic meetings
management success,” StarCite, Philadelphia.
Vaidyanathan, G. (2012). “Does security impact e-procurement performance? Testing a model of direct and moderated effects,” Decision
Sciences, 43(3), 437-458.
2014 | Page 6
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Foundation is passionately committed to bringing vision
and prosperity to the meeting and event community
worldwide by investing in results-oriented initiatives and programs that shape the future and bring
success to the industry. MPI is the largest and most
vibrant global meeting and event industry association, comprised of approximately 20,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. For
more information, visit www.mpifoundation.org.
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About MPI
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest and most vibrant
global meeting and event industry association. The organization helps its
members thrive by building human connections through knowledge and
ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of
approximately 20,000 members belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide.
For additional information or to join, visit www.mpiweb.org.
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MPI Staff
Marj Atkinson, Research Manager
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Jessie States, Editor
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