Chapter+7

The location of the 2009 HCEA Annual Meeting is in Tampa, which is a centrally located area for the event. The Tampa Airport is only 8 miles northwest of the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel with an approximate twenty-two dollar taxi fare. This makes the location of the meeting easily accessible for attendees coming from afar. The venues of the event are also located right off the interstate highway 275, which makes the venue easier for guests driving to the event. The weather in Tampa shouldn’t be a factor affecting any part of the meeting. All the workshops and events are taking place inside the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel or the Tampa Convention Center. The golf tournament at the beginning of the annual meeting could be affected by unpleasant weather. If inclement weather is an issue the golf tournament could be postponed or the participant could be given a rain check slips they could use another day. In chapter one pricing of the HCEA Annual Meeting was discussed. The member and non-member cost of the meeting is based on the type of membership attendees have. This is based on the part of the industry the attendees are involved in. Regular Members are organizations that are actively involved as exhibitors at healthcare conventions and exhibitions. Associate Members are healthcare associations, and supporting members are companies that provide products and services to the healthcare convention and exhibition industry. The average registration price for a regular, associate, and supporting member is $812 and the average price for a regular, associate, and supporting non-member is $1032, which is a $220, or twenty-seven percent, difference. // For discount on registration attendees had to register before May 10, 2009 and there was a super saver discount if you registered before April 10, 2009. Discounts were discussed in further detail in chapter one. //    // The HCEA Annual Meeting is offering various entertainment, excitement, and enterprise for its guests at the annual meeting. The events range from a Safari Tour at Busch Gardens to an elegant closing gala party. For more information, please refer to chapter one. // This year the HCEA Annual Meeting has a unique logo to go along with their title and theme. The logo really adds to the overall essence of the theme “Waves of Change” and where the meeting is taking place. Also, the colors make the logo an attractive and eye catching. As discussed in chapter one, the competition for the HCEA Annual Meeting is the Association for Exhibit and Event Professionals (TSEA). Their conference, “TS2 Show,” is taking place July 20-23, 2009 at the McCormick Place. This event is primarily for exhibit and event professionals. Comparing the HCEA and TSEA events they are very similar. Both events have over 60 educational workshop sessions and are both offering various luncheons and networking events, but HCEA does offer its attendees more ancillary events (golf tournament, Tampa tour, and safari tour). The HCEA also makes the event fun for guests by getting them involved in a treasure hunt during the event, for chances to win prizes at the end of the annual meeting. Although the TSEA show does offer entertainment various nights of the show, they don’t have any kind of special event for the attendees like the HCEA has the closing gala party and the New Orleans presentation. While the TSEA TS2 Show does have more keynote speakers than the HCEA Annual Meeting, the annual meeting has more entertainment and networking opportunities offered for the attendees. Also, when comparing the locations, Tampa and Chicago, Tampa is a lot more appealing during the summer for a vacation than Chicago. Making the annual meeting into a family vacation could be a great marketing tool for the event. // The HCEA Annual Meeting is offering various entertainment, excitement, and enterprise for its guests at the annual meeting. The events range from a Safari Tour at Busch Gardens to an elegant closing gala party. For more information, please refer to chapter one. // At the 2009 HCEA Annual Meeting isn’t any type of fundraiser taking place this year. For the future I think a good way to incorporate a fundraiser in the event would be to have a golf tournament fundraiser. They tournament could raise money for a local children’s hospital or the make a wish foundation. For the tournament the association could find businesses to sponsor the event to make some money, the participants would also pay a fee to play, and you could also ask local businesses to sponsor a part of the event. They could have a “in-kind” sponsor offering food or another service rather than money. This type of fundraising event would also attract the media’s attention because it was supporting the local community, which would give the HCEA a good reputation in the city. The businesses that did sponsor the event could each sponsor hole of the course and also donate some type of prizes for the winners of the golf tournament. This is just one suggestion for a fundraiser at the HCEA Annual Meeting in the future.
 * Chapter 7 **