Session Focus
APEX UPDATE
“Creating a New, Efficient
Future”
APEX Overview
APEX Technology
APEX In Action
APEX Will Never Be “Done”
Done”
An Initiative of the Convention
Industry Council (CIC)
Convention Industry Council
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
Program
Project Attrition
Economic Impact Studies
Hall of Leaders
Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX)
Initiative
Reality
80,000 organizers/planners
– 19,000 belong to a professional industry
association Industry is fragmented
Not working in tandem (until now)
Millions of dollars wasted in inefficiencies
each year
Cannot afford to automate inefficiencies
– Technology is exploding
The Vision of APEX
APEX
Creating a New, Efficient Future
“The industry will operate
at the highest level of
efficiency and professionalism
through the use of collaborative
accepted practices.
practices.”
IndustryIndustry-wide development of accepted
practices
Efficiencies in processes and technology
Leveraging technology
Ongoing structure to address emerging
issues
Lasting changes in the way we do
business
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The Phases of APEX
Conceptual Phase
– 1997/2000 to 2004
– Difficult to see the vision; no tangibles yet
Development Phase
– 20042004-2006 panel work
– Early deliverables & initial product portfolio
Implementation Phase
Two Types of Accepted Practices
or Voluntary Standards
Action
– How we do business and exchange
information (norms)
Information
– What specific information we want/need to
share, transmit, store, etc. about events
– 2005 forward
– Marketing, communications, education
APEX Completed Deliverables
Glossary – free online
History/Post Event Reports (PER)
– Free online
– FeeFee-based template via APEX Toolbox
ESG (Event Specifications Guide)
– Free online
– FeeFee-based Template via APEX Toolbox
Housing Form
APEX Deliverables
Coming Soon
Templates
– Hotels
– Resorts
– Convention Centers
– Conference Centers
– Cities
Contracts
– Tutorials
– Guidelines
Glossary
APEX Completed Deliverables
Rooming List
Registration Form
Sample RFPs
– Facility
– AV
– Service Contractor
– Show Mgmt
– DMC
– Transportation
WIIFM
(What’
(What’s In It For Me?)
More effective communication
Standardized Event Specifications Guides
More efficient scheduling of food &
beverage, labor, and services
More credible event histories
Easier evaluation of service proposals
Faster completion of contract negotiations
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Reality Check
The Technology Vision
of APEX
We all have computer systems,
but they cannot
“talk”
talk” to each other.
Seamless transfer of data between
computer systems…
systems…
Reduces duplication of efforts
Increases efficiencies of operations
Results in costcost-savings
Technology Advisory Council (TAC)
Digitizing our Business Processes
Driving Adoption…
Adoption…
Knowledge Owners
– PCNametag
– Newmarket & Daylight
– DataApp
– Gaylord
– Ungerboeck Systems
– Passkey
– Freeman Companies
– Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, Disney,
Data Dictionary
– Defining 7,000 fields of data
Data Map
– Translating APEX forms into datadata-defined
templates
– FREE, Open Access Data Map
Open to anyone
Digitizing our Business Processes
XML Schema development
– to drive seamless interface between
systems
– start incorporating specs 2007
Alliance with industry standards
organizations
– OTA (Open Travel Alliance)
– HTNG (Hotel Technology Next Generation)
The APEX Meeting &
Event Toolbox™
Launched: July 2005
Units Placed through
June 2006: 5500
Highlights:
Highlights:
•Increases productivity
•Implements APEX accepted practices
•Sets the stage for seamless transfer
of data!
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APEX Toolbox – Provides critical
APEX Toolbox Main Screen
support to the industry…
industry…
Access APEX
Industry-Designed
Templates
Neatly packaged set of readyready-made,
highly customizable tools
One footprint – seamless transfer!
APEX Accepted Practices
Access Over 200
Business Templates
(badges, tent cards,
agendas, etc.)
Create, Edit Profiles
– Templates, tools, checklists and forms
– Pushed to registered users upon completion
(no repetitive typing)
Create New Documents
(ESG, Housing Form,
Rooming Lists, etc.
Access APEX Accepted Practices
Provide Feedback to CIC
on Accepted Practices & Tools
Link back to APEX Website
APEX Toolbox Template Browser
Select Templates you
wish to view – Word,
Excel, PowerPoint
Easy PDF Creation
and Digital Camera
Interface
APEX Toolbox
Available through www.conventionindustry.org
CIC Retail Price: $99.95 USD
Also offered by CIC member organizations
Preview of template
Messaging from
APEX, partner
MultiMulti-level categories of templates
organized by function
Access the APEX
Industry Glossary &
All CIC Manual
Checklists
It’
It’s Not About…
About…
What our forms look like…
like…it’
it’s about the quality
of the information we are sharing.
Doing it “my way”
way”…it’
it’s about changing our
processes and enabling computers to do the
work.
work.
APEX
What Now?
Being caught up in minutia…
minutia…it’
it’s about reducing
redundancies so we can be strategic.
strategic.
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STEP 1
Start Using the APEX Toolbox…
Toolbox…
the first step toward
seamless exchange of data!
STEP 2
Start Using the New Terminology
– ESG (Event Specification Guide)
Versus Resume and BEO
– PER (Post Event Report)
Versus History
STEP 3
Adopt the Industry “Norms”
Norms” for Timely
Exchange of Information
APEX Event Specification Guide (ESG):
– Four Weeks Out – ESG to all facilities and vendors
– Two Weeks Out – Facilities and vendors respond with completed
orders (production schedules, Banquet Events Orders (BEOs), etc.
APEX Post Event Report (PER):
Step 4
Change to the “APEX Way”
Way” of
Doing Business
Start Using the New Forms and Templates
Think “Efficiencies”
Efficiencies” in All You Do
– Within 60 Days – Event organizer & suppliers agree on postpost-event stats
(exhibitions, meetings, conventions)
– Distribute and File for Reference – Final report given to each supplier
and filed for future reference – an ongoing history of the event over
time!
Step 5
APEX Will Never be “Done”
Done”
Promote APEX at every opportunity
It’
It’s the ongoing evolution of our industry
Within your organization
– sign up for APEX EE-News
With your customers
With your vendors/partners
At industry gatherings
APEX provides the structure to address
emerging issues
APEX is “owned”
owned” by the entire industry,
not one organization
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