Organizers making site selection decisions for meetings, conferences, and events, have a long list of considerations. These considerations fall into a number of categories as noted and discussed in the following.
Meeting Parameters - Meeting planners have evolved a relatively organized process for making a site selection, which begins with defining an event's parameters. The meeting's objectives and proposed dates, along with the number of attendees, their geographical distribution, and their profile, influence destination and venue choice. The type of meeting or conference is obviously of top importance - whether the event is a true conference or symposium, an incentive travel reward, and exhibition, or perhaps a corporate meeting. Each kind of meeting tends to have varying requirements in site selection.
U.S. and/or World Region - Site selection typically begins with a decision of the organizers to convene the meeting in a particular part of the world – Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the like. The regional decision is typically made based on the origin location of attendees, and any perceived value in changing regions each year if it is annual or bi-annual event. Time of year and climate also may influence the choice of world region. World regions also have pre-conceived destination appeal, and the Las Vegas area ranks high in this regard. There is no denying that right at the top of the list for site selection is the perceived regional destination appeal of a meeting location. Top long-haul destinations such as New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Egypt, and offer distinct pre-conceived destination appeal to organizers. New York is a shopping, fashion, and financial center in one of the world's great and intense urban environments. Dubai beckons with the exotic, a man-made environment on the sea with unique attractions. Each top long-haul destination has such a pre-conceived destination appeal. This destination appeal is cultivated by active marketing, public relations, article placement, and events that package the imagery and connotations of particular long-haul destinations among meeting planners. There are some intangibles that can also become important in a pre-conceived appeal of an area - including whether the destination is a vital commercial hub for business (like a New York) or event a headquarters location for multinationals. There are times when meeting organizers need to bring attendees to the point of power and prestige, rather than to far-flung "escape" destinations.
Country Risk - In these modern times, the perceived political stability of a country, threats and travel warnings, and current experience with local crime in-region, are vital considerations. National governments around the world publish travel warnings for citizens, specific to regions, countries and cities. Even the stability of the economy is taken into consideration as a barometer for country risk.
What's Hot - What's Not - There is an ebb and flow to the popularity of specific long-haul destinations. While many areas have such an infrastructure that their market share goes undisturbed, most other regions rise or fall in popularity, relative to the "what's hot right" and "what's not." This is another area where ongoing marketing of a region is so important - the PR aspect - looking for seasonal, cultural, and event factors that may heighten interest for the region among meeting planners.
Ease of Event Destination Management - Some areas are easier to do business in, than others. The same with destination management for meetings and events. The entire event experience for attendees as well as the meeting planner is vital for a destination and event venue's reputation. Some factors in this regard, include: 1) customs clearance, and visa / passport requirements; 2) shipping and customs regulations; 3) currency exchange fluctuations; 4) Government-imposed travel restrictions; 5) language considerations; 6) cultural differences and taboos; and 7) international protocol.
Local Culture and Hospitality Sensibility - An area's culture is of course vital in so many ways - and Las Vegas certainly offers one of the most unusual local cultures and destination experiences available anywhere. Some cultures remain exotic and interesting to world travelers, and beckon when meeting planners make their site selection. Each destination around the world also has a varying sensibility about hospitality - the graciousness with which visitors are embraced. Long-haul flights and multiple time zone travel create weary attendees - which can impact a meeting program - also imply local hospitality professionals who can ease the rigors of such travel.
Local Meetings Infrastructure - As meeting planners make their full consideration for an area as a meeting location, the "meetings infrastructure" of course is vital - the infrastructure is either adequate or terrific, or it is not. Meetings infrastructure includes the air travel to and from a destination, the international airport serving the destination, and comprehensive destination management including transfers, ground operators, lodging, and the event venue, along with required support functions and services. Meeting attendees can sometimes originate from different regions around the world, so the ease of organizing all travelers to approximately the same arrival time is important. There are concessions other than low fares available from airlines, including marketing assistance, discounted freight rates, upgrades for VIPs, and complimentary or reduced-fare staff travel. The airlines also may offer passenger amenities such as use of club lounges, assistance with customs clearance, and group baggage handling. A quality convention center, a selection of multi-purpose venues for off-site, break-out or ancillary spousal program activities, are important, along with local convention, hotel, and venue staff that have solid communication skills and keen sensitivity for meeting guest requirements. A base of hotel rooms and cost options for hotel rooms, within reasonable proximity of the event location(s), are essential as well.
Exhibition space, presentation technology, and configuration of meeting rooms are together a subject important to all Conferences that include exhibitors have long lists of exhibitor requirements. Presentation technologies that are built-in to each venue space are helpful in assuring well-run meetings. There is also a wide variety in meeting room configurations, and typical meetings require an array of meeting room types to accommodate main session gatherings, breakout sessions, private hospitality gatherings, all-attendee receptions, and off-site events.
Dependable communication technology becomes critical when the meeting venue is in another country. The need to communicate, illustrate, and convey information in an effective way takes on a higher meaning when the organization is in an unfamiliar locale conveying information to a multicultural audience or accessing data from sources around the globe. High-speed broadband Internet connection is a valuable asset when an organization operates at its home base. Halfway around the world, it is indispensable. There is considerable variance in access, quality, and cost of services in meeting venues around the world. This asset is so important to the success of a meeting that it often is foremost on a corporate meeting professional's checklist at the RFP phase.
Entertainment for Meetings - Most long-haul meetings and conferences include some type of entertainment for attendees. Cultivating a roster of varied, fun, world-class entertainers is important for any destination venue. Meeting planners will often wish to echo current fads, fashions, and activities that are in vogue, so relationships with highly-capable destination management companies that can provide meeting planners customized experiences for in-meeting and off-site events, is quite useful. Such entertainment can run the gamut from a dance band, a comedian, or a magician to a complete folklore show. Meeting professionals and local DMC's are also quite sensitive to cultural taboos and are careful to avoid acts that may offend the audience.
Translation and Interpretation - Translation services are often at the top of the list for meeting attendees, for simultaneous translation during a meeting, to ad hoc translation as an attendee does business or meets with other attendees or contacts in the local market. Written materials intended for multinational audiences may need to be translated as the numbers in each language group dictate. Those items may include marketing literature, the conference program, the attendee roster, handouts, proceedings, exhibit literature, and other printed matter germane to the conference. In addition to the cost of translation, proofreading and printing costs can significantly increase a meetings budget. For seminars and breakout sessions at which audiences are smaller and only two language groups are represented, consecutive interpretation may be employed. This requires the presenter to pause frequently to allow the interpreter to translate. However, in general assemblies, simultaneous interpretation is the rule. For these sessions, the program will designate available languages with each one's channel number, and delegates are given multi-channel headsets. Professional interpreters in sound isolation booths interpret the speaker's message as it is presented. Day rates for translators/interpreters can become one of the major on-the-ground expenses for a meeting attendee, and anything a destination or event venue can do to assure quality and cost control for a team of translators, is appreciated by attendees.
Cost Advantages - If a destination can offer cost advantages to any aspect of meetings infrastructure, while at the same time offering a high-quality meetings infrastructure, this is a factor that almost ensures great competitiveness. The idea that a particular destination is a good buy - offering strength in variety and "value for the money" is no different than with other services.
Things to Do - Excursions - No long-haul meeting is complete without an exciting program of "things to do" and excursions while attendees are in-market. Many attendees while arrive before a meeting, or linger afterwards, if the destination offers exciting options for leisure-time. It is customary at long-haul events to schedule an international reception on the arrival night. Attendees are also customarily afforded the opportunity to enjoy historical, cultural, and recreational sites at or near the conference venue. An afternoon or evening at leisure enables visitors to enjoy the area's restaurants, entertainment, and cultural amenities. As a rule, planners contract with a local DMC to organize and supervise these activities.
Site Inspections - It is of course not enough to offer a top destination experience for meeting attendees - the destination must also be sold to the meeting planner during the site inspection(s) that occur prior to booking. A knowledgeable sales team on the ground, with representatives working the feeder markets, should provide a solid contact management system during the booking process. To aid meeting planners, most meeting destinations have an active tourist office and/or convention bureau staffed by competent, multilingual professionals. They also tend to staff offices in major cities, and most attend and exhibit at industry trade shows. These organizations assist planners with detailed information on their city or region and arrange for site inspection visits. During site inspection visits, the meeting professional also conducts a safety inspection of the meeting venue and meets with facility security officers to evaluate their emergency response plans. Health problems and medical crises can be minimized if they are anticipated. Delegates routinely are given pre-departure information on basic security and safety precautions. The Request for Proposal (RFP) process is also of great importance. Most major meetings are booked through an RFP process, where the meeting planner sets forth all meeting criteria, and destination venues respond with detailed proposals. Thorough, creative responses to meeting planner RFP's are important. A sales team capable of such quality responses is of course essential.
Marketing - Creating Awareness - A successful long-haul destination requires awareness among meeting professionals and industry associations. Meetings industry publications periodically run updated destination features that offer helpful information, from cultural differences and travel tips to hotel and convention facility construction. Most of these magazines also publish annual directories as well as an annual index to articles. In this marketing it is vital to create marketing appeal that matches destination appeal. There is so much destination information now available on the Internet, packaged in a style of great use to meeting planners, that many destination venues are evaluated simply based on the impact of cursory materials available on the Internet. Attention to detail in on-line awareness becomes quite important.
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