June 2012

At Your Service

The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Va. has released its summer white paper as part of the successful quarterly series Meeting Discoveries relating to meeting industry trends and helping meeting planners develop more productive meetings.

The new white paper, “What Meeting Planner Really Want in Their Service Experience” takes a close look at the demands and needs of meeting planners regarding service levels at venues and how they define outstanding service.

According to Sarah Vining, Marketing Manager at The National Conference, a survey was sent to 10,000 meeting planners across the United States to help identify what constitutes “great service” and the degree to which that contributes to their venue selection.  Based on survey findings, Vining interviewed two meeting planners, president of a management company, and a trainer to discuss great and memorable service.  Vining notes, “We discovered that a conference planning manager is one of the most valued services a venue can offer!”

Vining commented, “Considering the many changes that have affected the workplace in recent years – new technology, constant multi-tasking, and the blending of life and work -- the primary focus of a conference center’s approach to service has not changed.  As a trainer and facilitator for the past 20 years, Lynda Poll, founder and President of The Poll Group, Inc. (TPG), notes “The connection, concern and camaraderie have been every bit as good ; if anything, the staff seems to be working even harder to provide great service.”

The comprehensive white paper reveals that the three consistent service attributes that reoccurred in each conversation about superior hospitality service were:

•         The difference in choosing a venue that focus solely on meetings and events

•         The ability to build lasting relationships with the venue’s staff

•         The staff’s ability to anticipate a planner’s needs

Click here to ead the entire white paper, “What Meeting Planner Really Want in Their Service Experience."

The National Conference Center (NCC), located in Northern Virginia 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and 35 miles from Washington, D.C., is one of the largest and most comprehensive conference centers in the nation. With 917 guest rooms and over 250,000 square feet of meeting space, NCC has become a hub for productive meetings and is on the GSA schedule.  NCC is also home to West Belmont Place, Northern Virginia’s largest ballroom with 16,500 square feet for holding an elegant wedding or accommodating a large trade show or special event.   For information call 800-640-2684 or visit www.conferencecenter.com, or www.westbelmontplace.com.

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