This year, be prepared to encounter plenty of new staffers at your favorite meeting venues. As the job market slowly improves, half of hospitality workers plan to change jobs in 2004, according to a December survey by Chicago-based recruiting firm CareerBuilder. The survey of about 300 hospitality professionals indicates that many feel their job prospects are improving, with the desire to earn more money being the most commonly cited reason for job switches. This trend disturbs meeting planners who rely on long-term relationships with their supplier counterparts, particularly convention services managers and sales contacts. "I would never book a group at a property without knowing a key manager there," says Robert Schron, of Robert P. Schron Associates in New York City. "You need someone who will answer to you." Schron says he tries to "keep up on where people are moving to, but it's just as important to know who is replacing them." In one case, he says, a key contact left a venue without notifying Schron, endangering his meeting. One solution is asking the property to let you know of any staffing changes. "You can even have it written into the contract," Schron offers. "The people who are working there will have to tell you if there are any changes to the staffing."