National Conference Center Compiles “78 Reasons to Host a Meeting”

Nov. 5, 2012 - PRLog -- It started as a facebook campaign at The National Conference Center (http://www.conferencecenter.com/) to gather as many “reasons to meet” as possible.   A month later, 78 responses provided a widely varied look at the meetings industry, the economy, technology, training, group dynamics, marketing, business development, human emotions, social experience, collaborative thinking, networking, increasing morale, inspiration, generating ideas, reconnecting, and stimulating professional growth.  Essentially, it is all about relationships and bringing people together.  

“Many people are genuinely passionate about their meetings” said Eric Whitson, Director of Sales & Marketing at The National Conference Center.  “There really is an infinite number of reasons to meet.  Clearly, all of these 78 reasons to meet support the need for face-to-face meetings.   And, according to Corbin Ball, ‘there is no such thing as a virtual beer.’”

The compilation of responses was collected by Laura Ransone, ARAMARK intern at The National Conference Center and posted on the website.  The compilation is available at:   http://www.conferencecenter.com/media/docs/pdf/78Reasons.pdf

The National Conference Center, located in Northern Virginia 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and 35 miles from Washington, D.C., is one of the largest and most comprehensive conference centers in the nation. With 917 guest rooms and over 250,000 square feet of meeting space, NCC has become a hub for productive meetings and is on the GSA schedule.  NCC is also home to West Belmont Place, Northern Virginia’s largest ballroom with 16,500 square feet for holding an elegant wedding or accommodating a large trade show or special event.   For information call 800-640-2684 or visit www.conferencecenter.com, or www.westbelmontplace.com.

The National Conference Center is managed by ARAMARK Conference Centers.  ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com.


Some of the responses include:
“Meetings are great for the economy! According to the CIC’s Economic Significance Study, the meetings industry directly supports 1.7 million jobs, $263 billion in spending, a $106 billion contribution to GDP, $60 billion in labor revenue, $14.3 billion in federal tax revenue and $11.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.” - Leah Retting, Student at George Mason University

“People, ideas, surroundings and experiences all expand your horizons.” - Joan Eisenstodt, Association and Corporate Trainer

“Because - in the words of Corbin Ball - “there’s no such thing as a virtual beer.” - Maura Gast, Executive Director at Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau