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Checking In - South May 2010

It may be true that the meetings industry is facing challenging times across virtually all segments, but government get-togethers are not one of them.

In fact, although government planners are acting cautiously like their association and corporate counterparts, this segment is actually in a growth mode as the priorities of the new presidential administration start to take shape, with meetings focused on sustainability and alternative energy leading the pack.

While many of these meetings are utilizing conference space already owned by various governmental agencies—such as Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—planners who do bring their groups off-site are tending to opt for suburban locations that offer a less-expensive option, and are actually asking for rates that are below the government per diem allowances.

Trends also point to an increased use of videoconferencing as well as even shorter lead times—sometimes only a month out.

Visit our "Reliable Sources" story,  to see what government planners and some of the key destinations that attract them have to say about this consistent—but increasingly complex—market segment of government meetings.

In times like these, it’s good to know our government is meeting!

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About the author
Tyler Davidson | Editor, Vice President & Chief Content Director

Tyler Davidson is the vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today, which publishes the meetings industry trade magazine Meetings Today as well as MeetingsToday.com, various newsletters, webinars, the in-person Meetings Today LIVE! Hosted-buyer events and other meetings and events industry B2B channels.

 

Tyler has covered the travel trade for nearly 35 years.  In his role with Meetings Today, which recently won the prestigious FOLIO: Eddies Award for best magazine issue, Tyler leads the editorial team on its mission to provide the most in-depth meetings content in the industry. Previously, he worked as the Asia, Canada, Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. editor at Travel Weekly magazine and TravelAge West. Before joining the dual editorial staff producing destination sections for Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, Tyler was the Africa, Israel, Middle East, Switzerland and Pacific Northwest editor at TravelAge West. He also undertook general news and feature assignments while working at the magazines. 

 

Besides reporting on the travel trade, Tyler has covered the real estate industry, held various editorial positions at the San Francisco-based national satire magazine The Nose, wrote freelance technology industry pieces and covered the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders for a bilingual newspaper in San Francisco. He has a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University, where he worked in various editorial capacities on its award-winning student magazine, Prism. 

Contact: tyler.davidson@meetingstoday.com