Meeting buyers see budget cutbacks ease

February 25, 2010 |

Most planners expect meetings expenditures to increase or remain flat in the next six months compared with the last six months, according to a survey conducted by MeetingNews.

The findings represent the first time in more than a year that the majority of group budgets are growing or holding steady, and support a growing sense that things are improving in the meetings business shared by hoteliers, industry associations, corporate travel buyers and meetings planners. Despite that optimism, it remains to be seen whether a rekindling of meetings spending would fuel a full-on recovery.

"We're not out of the woods yet," said Maritz Travel Co. president and CEO Christine Duffy. "I think people are still being pretty cautious and are really taking it quarter by quarter based on earnings and budgets being approved, which has not happened in one fell swoop."

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