On today's podcast we talk with Lee Ann Benavidez, VP of Sales Operations for Hyatt Hotel Corporation.   (Or visit, Hyatt Meetings & Events)  Lee Ann will be part of an all-star panel representing many of the major hotel brands at the upcoming CMP Conclave in Baltimore.  She and the rest of the panel will be taking part in a session called: "Trends and Shifts in Hotel Sales Landscapes". Today we chatted about the shifts in technology and how planners and their hotel sales counterparts are all learning to adjust and adapt to the changes that touch the processes of booking space and managing an event.  We consider some of the ways that technology can provide helpful data to save time and costs while still honoring the traditional relationship model between planners and suppliers that is so valued in our industry.   We touch upon concessions and negotiations with your hotel partners.  And, we also spend some time on safety, security and contingencies and how the changes that occur around us have touched the meetings industry.  Including a bit about how each property deals with unique sets of conditions unique to their location when planning for the safety of their guests and attendees.   There's still time to join us in Baltimore at the CMP Conclave on September 16-18!