Speaking as a geek (which, these days, isn't a bad label to have), I got to thinking how planners can (and should) be using Web 2.0 tools and services for their meetings … and suppliers to market their facilities and destinations.

Take RSS, Really (yes, that really is the first word) Simple Syndication. By now, most of you have seen this little icon peering out at you on tens of thousands of Web sites. It could be the most important function of the entire Web (okay, that might be a bit of hyperbole, but I'm not convinced it's that off the mark).

If we buy into the fact that there is way too much information on the Web to manage effectively (a no brainer), then RSS feeds is a huge part of the solution. Consider all of the news stories that impact our industry. In the past, we would have to constantly search, scan, and read a variety of industry publications to keep up with news critical to our industry and our jobs.

RSS acts as a free subscription service. For example, PCMA's redesigned Web site (www.pcma.org) allows users to stream industry headlines to their own customized reader. What? You don't have a reader? Well, if you're using Microsoft Outlook, RSS reading functionality has been built in since 2003. If you're a Firefox user, look at the icon on your Links toolbar. RSS capabilities were designed into the browser (as they are with the latest version of Internet Explorer). Both Google and Yahoo! users allow people to create and customize their own home page, with these RSS feeds at its core.

For far too long, I've ranted in our industry about how poorly designed our industry Web sites are. Too much glitz and flash, too little content - which is what keeps drawing people back. What if, next to pictures of happy tourist faces and single-room reservation engines (wait, I thought meeting planners need to book thousands of rooms at a time, not one guest room at a time), a hotel places tools and content of interest and importance to planners on their Web site? I mean great educational content, updated continually, focused on what's critical to planners.

Since we've taken a swipe at hotels (and, BTW, some large hotel chains do have RSS on their home page … if it only focused on education and not their "deals of the week," maybe more folks would subscribe to it), let's not leave planners out of this discussion.

So, planners, are you providing customized content for your membership the way PCMA is for us? Isn't an ongoing feed of the most important news information for your constituency part of your home page? I'm sure you have room for it, right next to your CEO's blog … um, unless you don't have that either. 

Working Smarter Take Away 

RSS feeds is the way to make information overload more manageable.

• If you're not sure what RSS is or how to make it work for you, view the step-by-step video on www.common craft.com. Type "RSS" in the search box.
• Keep yourself informed about the industry: www.pcma.org allows users to stream industry headlines to their own customized reader.
• Keep your members and potential attendees informed about your organization and meeting. Make an ongoing feed of news information available on your Web site's home page. 

James Spellos, CMP, (jspellos@meeting-u.com) is founder and president of Meeting U., which provides customized training solutions for the meeting professional. A certified Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), he has 16-plus years of computer training, software training, meeting planning education, and technology consulting experience. Working Smarter is sponsored by PSAV Presentation Services, www.psav.com.