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Challenging standard conference pricing.

Article Excerpt
Competition does more than keep a savvy entrepreneur on his toes. it breeds healthy, necessary change. That has been true for the airline industry, where aggressive, creative upstarts like Southwest, JetBlue and Song have seized significant share from aviation stalwarts like American Airlines. They did it by primarily offering valued-added extras, such as television monitors for every seat, and by simplifying the industry's notoriously convoluted pricing model. JetBlue and its contemporaries wisely realized business and leisure passengers wanted the satisfaction and peace of mind that comes only when they know they secured the best deal.

The conference center market now is suffering the same maladies as the airline business. New mega-resorts and hotels are offering more amenities than ever and are striving hard to capture the meetings market. Today's conference center is increasingly challenged to change a widespread perception that views it is an institutional environment without the amenities of a resort or...