Religious meetings keep the faith
Planners of faith-based meetings are getting special attention these days due to their recession-proof nature, according to MICE experts.
“Religious-meeting planners are finding they are some of the most popular people around these days. They are being deluged with sales calls,” said DeWayne Woodring, executive director of the Religious Conference Management Association (RMCA).
Experts say religious meetings maintain consistent sources of meeting business without regard to economic conditions.
No surprise there because when times are bleak the devout still go to meetings to look for guidance. Unlike corporate meetings, religious groups are not economically driven.
Religious meeting planners usually go after the most affordable rates, so they frequently meet during “value seasons.” This makes them even more desirable for cities and locales with slow down times.
Downtown hotels are the top choice of religious meeting groups, according to the latest RMCA survey. Conference centers are second.
Most of these meetings are not large groups. Only about five percent of religious meetings need more than 3,000 sleeping rooms, but a majority of religious groups use exhibit space, with more than two-thirds reporting they need show space.
By David Wilkening
David
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