Interactive Technology Hits Its Stride at ASNR Annual Meeting
Numbers didn't tell the whole story for the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) Annual Meeting held April 29 - May 5 in San Diego. Attendance held steady from the previous meeting, but the key changes were in members' options once they arrived.

With programming content as the main draw for the ASNR audience, the 2006 meeting introduced new ways for attendees to access and interact with that content. The scientific programming options offered in 2006 provided attendees with novel approaches to the education delivery methods used in prior years, in particular with expanded Audience Response Sessions (ARS). These interactive sessions allowed immediate Q&A segments and quizzes with audience participants and speakers.

The technology offered a way for the society to highlight its educational content: The abundant supply of continuing medical education offerings by medical schools, medical organizations, and private education companies has increased the competition among ASNR's limited audience base.

"Physicians have less time to spend away from their office or academic setting, and they are being more discriminate in choosing their education options than ever before," said Lora Di Padova-Tannehill, CMP, ASNR's director of scientific meetings. "Location of the meeting, overall costs, programming content, loyalty, and leadership involvement with the sponsoring organization are all major factors in their decision process."

The focus of programming content has moved to using more ARS technology with interactive attendee feedback in sessions throughout the annual meeting. ASNR's 2007 Annual Meeting will feature additional sessions with the innovative technology and improvements based on feedback from 2006.

"The technology allows for great interaction among the session participants and the speaker and panel members depending on the session format," Di Padova-Tannehill said.

Programming itself reflected trends and hot topics in the industry, some with a decidedly business focus. Attendees could attend sessions on private practice business practices for entrepreneurial neuroradiologists and business management practices for establishing and maintaining profitable practice.

ASNR is also modifying its registration pricing and bundle pricing to better reflect the travel trends of attendees. Due to members' limited time away from personal and professional lives, the association has begun readjusting the registration categories by allowing more opportunities for shorter time periods or bundled programming days versus the entire meeting package of nearly six full days.

"We are more successful at capturing our audience if we offer more suitable packages within their time frame of being away from personal and professional life," Di Padova-Tannehill said.

International attendees faced continuing challenges from recent travel-related limitations. Visa requirements and processing lag time for international attendees proved to be an obstacle for planners and participants. ASNR experienced registration cancellations, research withdrawals, and decreased attendance from certain countries due to the unexpectedly long time required for visa processing for international attendees interested in attending. 

SPECIAL REPORT Reno-Tahoe Shifts Personnel and Focus  
Meeting and convention sales has taken center stage at the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA). With new President and CEO Ellen Oppenheim, new Vice President of Sales and Marketing Knud Svendsen, and Executive Director of Sales Philip D'Amico, RSCVA has overhauled its sales approach.

In an effort to better assist clients, the agency has redeployed its sales team by geographic area and is leveraging its resort-casino partnerships for increased outreach opportunities. "This model follows closely with the associations and groups and allows us to work in tandem with our hotel-casino sales representatives, as well as more closely aligning our efforts with those of our air service growth regions," Oppenheim said.

Oppenheim pointed to industry trends showing that first-tier cities are outpricing the market, allowing destinations such as Reno-Tahoe to rise as a viable option offering reasonable room packages, plentiful recreation options, one of the largest convention facilities on the West Coast, and air travel options that compare very favorably to other destinations of its size.

In 2007, Reno hotel-casino properties will add 92,000 square feet of new meeting facilities as part of several multimillion-dollar expansions. The new developments include a $300 million Peppermill Casino Resort expansion, a $300 million Grand Sierra Resort renovation, and construction of a pedestrian walkway connecting the Atlantis Resort Casino to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.