Are site inspections for meeting planners going the way of the buggy whip and the dodo?

An amazing 61.4% of 192 respondents to MiMegasite.com's latest poll said they would choose a meeting property based just on information, specs and photos found on the internet  --  without even conducting an in-person site inspection.

Breaking it down some more:

• The percentage of respondents who said they would do it under most circumstances was 28.6%.
• The percentage of those who said they would do it only if they were short on time was more than one third.
• The remaining more than one third of respondents said that they would not book a property under any circumstances without first conducting an in-person visit.
  
  
  
  "As the sophistication of Web sites continues to advance, many properties now offer 360-degree views of guest rooms, meeting space, banquet space, and other areas, allowing planners to get a solid idea of a property's feasibility for their meetings," said MiMegasite. "And when it comes to judging the service staff at a property--which obviously cannot be done over the Web--many planners rely on word-of-mouth anecdotes and recommendations if they are not going to conduct an in-person site visit."

Will the trend continue? Probably.

Report by David Wilkening