Making the Case for Meetings Management

Data Speaks Volumes. Know Your Numbers.

Real data and financial information should be the foundation for your business case. The numbers will resonate with decision makers and others at your organization. While a program will immediately lead to more organizational transparency into the costs of running meetings, this actually may be the most difficult step in the process. One of the main drivers of implementing an SMM program in the first place is the need for transparency into meeting spend. Your senior executives want that transparency, even if they haven’t completely embraced the idea. So, it may very likely take some thorough research to build your case, but the information gleamed will be illuminating to your team.

So where do you start looking?

Well, you’re also not a researcher or financial analyst, so don't go into it alone. Partner with essential internal (and external) contacts, and utilize these relationships to gain access to financial data you may not have at your fingertips. Potential partners, and the best places to search include: card services, accounts payable, national accounts, and hotel partners. By digging through this data to estimate your meeting spend, you’ll create a strong base for your business case. If you’re a global organization, and the prospect of gathering all of this information seems overwhelming, choose a starting point. North America, for example. Don’t conquer the world just yet!