U.S. News & World Report has published its list of the 50 best careers in 2011 — and "meeting planner" once again is on it.
According to the weekly newsmagazine's Dec. 6 report, the employment of meeting and convention planners "is expected to grow faster than the average for all professions over the next decade or so" thanks to the "growing importance of meetings to increasingly global companies."
Because the recession has caused a contraction of the meetings industry in the last two years, U.S. News said today's meeting planners have to be "tougher," "willing to negotiate for lower costs and better perks," and "willing to face tough questions on budgets and return on investment."
Despite the recession-fueled challenges, however, U.S. News concluded that "most organizations recognize the value of the face-to-face meeting — as not just a perk but an imperative for companies that have greater global reaches."
For U.S. News' complete list of "The 50 Best Careers of 2011," visit www.usnews.com