For immediate release | January 7, 2010
Annapolis-Based Company Weathers the Challenging Economy by Providing Affordable Management Options
Annapolis, MD… In a tough year for the meetings industry, Maryland-based Conference & Logistics Consultants, Inc. (C&LC) is reporting financial gains and client growth. In 2009, C&LC saw a dramatic increase in new clients, as organizations sought cost-effective ways to manage their meetings and events.
The firm has added five new clients the last year, including the Interaction Design Association (IxDA), the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA), the U.S. Psychological Rehabilitation Association (USPRA), the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA), and two projects for the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “We heard from organizations looking for ways to trim staffing costs, exploring outsourcing instead of adding or replacing full-time employees,” said C&LC founder and President Paul Henning. “By hiring us, our clients get executive-level management at fraction of what they would spend to hire a full-time staff. We provide just-in-time staffing support, ramping up three to six months before the meeting to get the job done but not drawing resources during slower times.”
2009 was the worst year for the conventions industry in nearly a decade, since the September 11, 2001 attacks halted travel and deflated conference attendance. An industry survey released last month by MeetingsMedia reports that U.S. hotel occupancy fell 9.5 percent and hotel room revenue plummeted 15 percent. Cities hardest hit by the decline include Phoenix (-13.7 percent), Dallas (-13.4 percent) and Chicago (-11.9 percent).
This is not the first time that the 22-year-old firm has seen the economic pendulum swing. “We’ve made it through tough times before,” said C&LC Vice President Janeé Pelletier. “Some firms can’t survive because they’re not agile. What sets us apart is our culture of teamwork and the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Our staff wears many hats, and we work creatively to get the job done right and to the standards our clients expect.”
The firm expects to see similar growth in 2010.
Since 1987, Conference & Logistics Consultants, Inc. has planned more than 2200 conferences and meetings. Conference & Logistics Consultants plans events that range from 50 to 10,000 attendees in both North America and Europe.
The firm’s clients include associations, corporations, and government agencies; the company has planned meetings and events for Microsoft, DuPont, the Association for Computing Machinery, the Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security, and more. In 2009, the firm was named one of the top 25 meeting and event planners in the Washington area by the Washington Business Journal for the twelfth year in a row.
For more information visit www.gomeeting.com.