Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1039775
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ARRIVALS FOR JAN-MAY 2018 T R AV E L DATA F rom Jan-May 2018, international passenger arrivals at Miami International Airport (MIA) reached a new record, increasing by +2.7 percent compared to the previous year. Domestic passenger arrivals increased by +2.0 percent compared to Jan- May 2017, contributing to record-breaking passen- ger arrivals with an increase of +2.3 percent. MIA Passenger Arrivals. B udgets, greater quality control, cost and reliability of AV and technical services, security of content and the challenges of meeting the increasing- ly complex dietary demands of a more diverse demographic: these are among the major concerns of the nation's meet- ing planners. Teneo Hospitality Group, the premier group representation firm, gathered observations from top meeting planners to determine their most pressing issues and concerns. They represent a spectrum of the meetings industry – banking, phar- maceuticals, technology, associations and travel management companies. According to Teneo President Mike Schugt, rapid expansion of technology has generated new and more complex issues and rising prices. "Concerns about technology costs and reliability led the list of trends, and planners expressed unease with their ability to protect meet- ing content." In dealing with these issues, planners must be able to trust their suppliers, Schugt notes. "Our planners stressed the need for honesty, accuracy and rapid response as a major requirement for effective planning," he asserts. WI-FI Effective, high speed Wi-Fi is the most critical aspect of today's meetings, bring- ing together phones, tablets, laptops, messaging services, AV, lighting and an array of special applications designed for each meeting. But more than ever, plan- ners are frustrated by high prices, increas- ing labor costs, lack of flexibility, difficul- ties in negotiations and in some cases, a lack of options in hiring a firm for these events. Planners agree that Wi-Fi should be more reasonably priced since current policies can make planning and cost con- trol difficult. Many of these costs are passed on to smaller businesses, associ- ations and exhibitors, making participa- tion costlier and potentially placing the participants at a competitive disadvan- tage. AV Linking Wi-Fi to AV is increasingly problematic, with stories of break- downs in coordination that have impacted presentations and events. At a recent luncheon in a major city, the AV company failed to do the required run through and the entire AV had to be shut down. Reliability of AV can be eas- ily compromised – interference from outside the venue can compromise bandwidth as much as 25%. Controlling costs and ensuring technical quality are a challenge for both venues and plan- ners. Venues must provide top-of-the- line technical services, keep abreast of advances and ensure their equipment is operated by a highly trained staff, either in-house or outsourced. In order to negotiate effectively, planners need to become more familiar with terminol- ogy and the specific needs of exhibitors, vendors and attendees. PLUG-IN POWER SOURCES As devices proliferate, travelers are faced with the problem of recharging everything from phones and tablets to laptops and other portable electronic devices. The demand has rapidly out- Record International Arrivals Jan-May 2018 Jan-May 2017 % Change vs. 2017 4,644,146 4,523,197 +2.7% Domestic Arrivals Jan-May 2018 Jan-May 2017 % Change vs. 2017 4,853,872 4,858,904 +2.0% Record Total Arrivals Jan-May 2018 Jan-May 2017 % Change vs. 2017 9,598,018 9,382,101 +2.3% TENEO HOSPITALITY GROUP POLLS LEADING MEETING PLANNERSON EMERGING TRENDS IN 2018 Experts Cite Growing Concerns Re. Cost Control, Reliable Technology, Data Security, Costly and Complex Dietary Demands B M & T ••• September/October 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 40