Gdansk
the number one meeting destination in
Poland
Programme
1. What is the Meetings Industry?
2. The Market
3. Worldwide Competition
4. Step by Step ... The BID process
5. Exercise
6. Case Studies
7. Discussions
1.
What is the Meetings Industry???
The Meetings Industry
Definition by UNWTO
Meeting aims:
To motivate participants,
to conduct business,
to share ideas,
to learn,
to socialise and
to hold discussions
The Meetings Industry
Definition by UNWTO
Meeting size:
Minimum number of 10 participants
The Meetings Industry
Definition by UNWTO
Meeting venue:
A rental has to by paid for the use of the
venue for meetings
Meeting duration:
A half-day (four hours) or more
The Meetings Industry
What is included in the Meetings Industry
Association Meetings
Corporate Events (Meetings, Incentives etc.)
Exhibitions
The Meetings Industry
Where does the Meetings Industry fit in?
Leisure
Travel
Business
Travel
Tourism
Meetings Industry
In common:
Image of the destination
Hotels & Transportation
The Meetings Industry
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Creates education
Supports continuing education
Facilitates scientific networking
Enables communication
Creates platforms for knowledge
export
The Meetings Industry
Please - forget about
MICE
MICE
MICE
2.
What is the Market???
The Market
What names do we find for Association Meetings?
Forum
General
Assembly
Who knows what is what?
Does size matter?
Does type of attendance matter?
Does content matter?
There is no standard nomenclature –
Let‘s talk about Association Meetings!
The Market
What names do we find for Company Events
User Meeting
Lets talk about Corporate Events
The Market
Three key segments of the Meetings Industry
Clients
Intermediairies/Clients
Suppliers
The Market
Clients
IGO‘s, NGO‘s
International Associations
Continental Associations
Regional Associations
National Associations
Scientific Communities
Corporations
Exhibition Organisers
The Market
Intermediairies/Clients
Core PCOs
AMCs
Venue Finders
Meeting Planners
Incentive Houses
Convention Bureaux
The Market
Suppliers
Convention Centres
Hotels
Transportation Companies
DMCs
PCOs
Interpreters
AV Companies
IT Companies
Badge Producers
Flower Shops
etc.
etc.
etc.
= CVB
Research &
Analysis
Securing venues &
accommodation
Bid
Venues
The City
DMCs
Suppliers
PCOs
Hotels
Site-inspection
Evaluation
The Meeting
Decision
Convention Bureau
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One stop shop for the meetings industry
Coordinating the marketing of a destination
Objective and neutral partner
Source of information
Financed by the City (and members)
3.
Worldwide Competition
The worldwide competition
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New destinations
New convention centres
New convention bureaux
Politicans understanding and support
The worldwide competition
– China
• How many new conference centres – who knows?
– India
• At least five new centers in the pipeline
– Australia
• New Conference center in Melbourne by 2010
– South Africa
• New Centre in Cape Town by 2003, will double in
size until 2010
The worldwide competition
– Mexico
• Restructuring of the Mexican Convention Bureau
• Meetings and Incentives VAT exempted
– Puerto Rico
• New Convention Centre San Juan opened in 2006
– Dubai
• Ongoing investments in fantastic meeting and tourist
products
The worldwide competition
– London
• Summer Olympics 2012 – new infrastructures
• Excel London – bought by ADNEC from Abu Dhabi
All over Europe
• Centres renovate, expand, fair grounds grow
North America
• New Centre in Vancouver
• New major hotels in Las Vegas
Competition is
not a threat,
it is an
opportunity!
4.
Step by Step
The BID process
“The 10th
Congress of the European Society
will be organised in….
GDANSK
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
SECURING
PREL.
BOOKINGS
VENUES
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE
OF THE
EXAMPLE
OF A PROCESS
BIDDING
PROCESS
Associations
EVALUATION
EVALUATION
MEETING
MEETING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
SITE VISIT
DECISION
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
RESEARCH
Know your destination / your product
Unique Selling Points
Business intelligence
Collecting information on the meeting
Lobbying
Complementary information
Partnership
Decision for candidacy
Know your Destination
YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Venues
Accommodation
Social venues
Logistics
Research
Trade & industry
Sponsors
Keep updated
Personal individual contacts with decision
makers
LOCAL MEETINGS AMBASSADORS
Invite
Front person
Lobbyist
Must be supported
Must be educated
Shall have the glory
LOBBYING
 Communication with the association
 Find out about the competitors
 Find out what makes the association tick
 Find out who’s supporting who
 Find out if the association is ready for a bid from
your destination
COLLECTING INFORMATION ON THE
MEETING
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Guidelines
History of the congress
Availability in the destination
Costs
Support - local, national, European
GUIDELINES
 Ask the association
 Internet
 No guidelines
CONGRESS HISTORY
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ICCA/UIA
Internet
Local member of the association
Board member
Colleagues in the industry (CVB, PCO, venues)
Previous destinations
INFORMATION FROM ICCA
AVAILABILITY
 Other events
 Better events
COSTS
Costs for hosting the meeting
Is it worth it?
Who can pay?
COMPETITION ANALYSIS
Some elements to be taken into consideration:
 Accessibility
 Local logistics
 Costs for delegates
 Safety
 Health issues
 Stability of the currency
 Unique selling points - USP
 Strengths and weaknesses
DECISION FOR CANDIDACY
Risk analyses
Competitors
Costs
Does it fit?
Time and capacity to deliver
Hamburg
Tallinn
Malaga
Warsaw
GOING FOR IT?
 You must have the desire to win
 You must be prepared for a long struggle
 You must have the knowledge
 You must be prepared to loose
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
SECURING
PREL.
BOOKINGS
VENUES
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE
OF THE
EXAMPLE
OF A PROCESS
BIDDING
PROCESS
Associations
EVALUATION
EVALUATION
MEETING
MEETING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
SITE VISIT
DECISION
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
Secure Venue and accommodation
What - When - Why
 Reservation of congress venue
 Remember the margins
 Block bookings of the Hotels
 Confidential information
Who does What????
Perfect scenario:
 the CVB makes the block reservation of
the Congress venue(s) and hotels
 Information to the Hotels
 If a Core PCO is involved?
Hotel rooms
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No hotel rooms = no congress
Confidential information
Prices
Who is responsible and until when?
Contracts
Information
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
SECURING
PREL.
BOOKINGS
VENUES
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE
OF THE
EXAMPLE
OF A PROCESS
BIDDING
PROCESS
Associations
EVALUATION
EVALUATION
MEETING
MEETING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
SITE VISIT
DECISION
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
THE BID
A bid book is a document presenting the destination,
focusing on the association’s needs, for organising a
meeting
Whatever you state in a BID should be a contractual
promise
The bid document is YOUR documentation
THE BID
Read the Bid Manual/Guidelines
Do NOT interpret it!!
Find out what is missing
THE BID
 Check support again
 Is it possible to offer an other week?
 Are they really 1,000 delegates at the
opening session?
PRACTICAL EXERCISE
WHO WILL RECEIVE
THE BID?
 The Head Office of the Association
 The Core PCO / AMC
 The Board Members
 The voting delegates
 All attendees
 A combination
HOW TO DELIVER THE BID
 Hard cover Bid book
 PDF format
 Web based
 CD ROM / USB
 Combination
ADJUST THE BID TO THE CLIENT
Currency
Square feet or square meters
More than one language?
Local / international holidays
You need to bridge the gap!
THE BID BOOK
1. Letters of invitations
Support from the university, other
universities, national research centres,
researchers in Europe etc
2. Scientific level
3. What Gdansk stands for
THE BID BOOK
4. Proposed congress venue(s)
5. Proposed scientific programme
6. Communicating the meeting
7. References (in the same size and/or same subject)
CONGRESS VENUE
THE BID BOOK
8.
Travel to Gdansk
by plane (official carrier? ; low cost carriers)
by train, by car
9.
Public transport
10.
Accommodation
Hotel Overview
Low cost options?
THE BID BOOK
11. Social venues & events
12. Restaurants
13. Preliminary budget
14. Gdansk & surroundings
15. Pre & Post congress tours
16. Support City of Gdansk
SUPPORT FROM THE DESTINATION
 Reception by the Mayor of Gdansk
 Barter agreement from an Airline
 Financial assistance
 Free advertising material
 Free photo material and digital city maps for
programme production
WINNING STRATEGIES
 Follow the guidelines – do not standardize
 Every Bid book is a tailor made product
 Know your client and how she/he acts
 Give the client what she/he wants – NOT what you
like to offer
 Create transparency and trust
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
SECURING
PREL.
BOOKINGS
VENUES
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE
OF THE
EXAMPLE
OF A PROCESS
BIDDING
PROCESS
Associations
EVALUATION
EVALUATION
MEETING
MEETING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
SITE VISIT
DECISION
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
Why?
To prove that the bid is true
Create a relationship between the
association and the destination
Who?
Decision maker (s)
The meeting planner
SITE VISIT
When?
Before decision - of course - BUT……
How?
Create a focused programme
Dare to exclude
Logistics
Relations
The right people
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
SECURING
PREL.
BOOKINGS
VENUES
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE
OF THE
EXAMPLE
OF A PROCESS
BIDDING
PROCESS
Associations
EVALUATION
EVALUATION
MEETING
MEETING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
SITE VISIT
DECISION
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
BEFORE THE DECISION
Check the format of the presentation
Time?
Who?
Where?
What?
DECISION TIME
Presentation:
• Who will make the presentation on-site?
• Train the presentor
• Try to find out how competitors will
present
• Challenge the audience
• Lobbying activities on-site
PROMOTING THE CANDIDACY
 Start early
 Meeting Ambassadors prime role
 Talk to the supporting partners –again
 - and they must talk to their friends
 Talk to decision makers
 Lobbying – count votes
OPERATIONAL ACTIONS
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Mini bid
Exhibit
E-mails or even better
write a letter
DECISION
The Head Office of the Association
The Core PCO / AMC
The Board Members
The General Assembly
All attendees
A combination
PRESENTATION OF THE BID
Train your meeting ambassador well
Be there yourself or backing up at home
Keep time schedule
Be prepared for surprises
“The 10th
Congress of the European Society
will be organised in………
HAMBURG
THE RESULT
You did a perfect research, a perfect Bid Book and you
made an outstanding presentation!
Why did you loose?
The unexpected
The non discovered secrets of the Association
The hidden agenda
A decision making body neglecting
their own rules
THE RESULT
Don’t blame anyone - just try to understand
and evaluate your campaign
Decide if you want to go for it again - or not
“The 10th
Congress of the
European Society will be
organised in………
GDANSK
THE RESULT
YOU WON!!!
Congratulations!!!!
Celebrate!!!
Evaluate your campaign……
……and……….
START WORKING
But that’s a completely new story…….
The destination has been selected
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The CVBs role
The PCOs role
The Core PCOs role
The Hotels and Convention Venue
Contracts to be signed
When is the information released?
6.
Case Studies
CASE STUDY
• IADR
– Started 1996 –Lost to Vancouver
– Tried again – Lost to Jerusalem
– Tried again – Meeting ambassador and GCB in
Vancouver, Won 2006 – switched with Jerusalem
– Marketing in Tokyo
– Marketing in San Diego
– Göteborg 2003 – All time high delegate numbers
CASE STUDY
• Sociology
– First try in Lyon 1999. Lost due to bad
lobbying
– Second try in Singapore 2004. Won 2010
due to very good support, good
lobbying and excellent presentation by
meeting ambassador
CASE STUDY
• Sexology
– First try in Cuba 2003. Lost to Sydney due
to bad support and a meeting ambassador
who wasn’t well known in the organization.
Fun gifts
– Second try in Montreal 2005. Better
support, site visits by key persons,
Montreal helping us
Each Bid is
Different
WINNING STRATEGIES
Know your client and how she acts
Give the client what she wants – not what you like to offer
Educate meeting ambassador
Lobbying
Transparency and trust
Be prepared to loose and start all over again
The Meetings Industry –
a fascinating business
You only get fascinated if you are
actively involved!