The Meetings Industry:

1
The Meetings Industry

• Who We Are and Why You Need to Know About Us!

2
What is the Meetings Industry?

• It is an industry consisting of organizations
  engaged in the planning, servicing and
  accommodation of meetings, conventions and
  exhibitions

3
Whos Involved?

• Clients are typically associations, corporations,
  governments or NGOs
• Direct suppliers include meeting planners, event
  managers, convention centres, technology
  suppliers and hotels
• Indirect suppliers include things like local
  transport, attractions restaurants, entertainment
  and retailers

4
Our Industry Plays a Key Role in Supporting

• The business community
• The professional community
• Government policy
• The tourism industry
• The public as a whole

5
What Distinguishes the Industry?

• Its not tourism
• a business to business sell
• close ties to business and academic communities
• different clients, markets, decision factors
• but it can support tourism (builds destination
  profile, supports the creation of new tourism
  infrastructure)

6
What Distinguishes the Industry?

• Its a mix of public and private sectors
• The industry operates in a highly competitive
  private sector environment, but
• Facilities like convention centres typically have
  government owners
• Organizers can be associations, corporations,
  governments or entrepreneurs
• There is often a need to balance market demands
  and public expectations

7
What Distinguishes the Industry?

• Its valuable
• Big business world wide
• Delegates spend 2-3 times more than other types
  of visitors
• The benefits are widely dispersed throughout many
  sectors of the economy
• It often represents new money coming in from
  outside the local economy
• It builds value for other industries

8
What Distinguishes the Industry?

• ..but demanding
• many destinations wants the benefits
• long lead times for booking require patient
  investment
• an efficient but challenging sales process
• one sale can create thousands of visits
• buyers, sellers know a lot about each other
• global rotation creates world-wide standards

9
Three Key Roles

• An economic role
• A business development role
• A community enhancement role

10
The Economic Role

• Generates delegate / exhibitor spending
• Promotes visits and utilizes hospitality
  infrastructure (off season implications)
• Promotes tourism by creating pre / post
  conference visits, adding accompanying persons
  and encouraging return visits
• Attracts and supports new infrastructure
  investment such as hotels

11
The Business Development Role

• Attracts business audiences that wouldnt
  otherwise visit
• Exposes delegates to the city and its investment
  opportunities
• Provides a vehicle for local business and
  professional groups to host colleagues
• Creates a showcase for local products and services

12
The Community Role

• Creates access to professional development
  opportunities
• Brings world class knowledge and expertise into
  the community
• Provides facilities and services for communitys
  own events and celebrations
• Generates non-resident tax revenues that can be
  applied to community services

13
A Highly Competitive Industry

• Destinations world-wide recognize and want the
  benefits conventions generate
• Competition is intense in many markets
• Service and facility expectations are higher than
  ever
• A buyers market now, so.
• Success demands quality, commitment and investment

14
Government Policy a Key Factor!

• Concentration of buying power making site
  decision more value-sensitive
• Ongoing investment required to remain competitive
• Clients are realizing the benefits they bring
• Total experience is of increasing importance
• Transportation policy is a big issue
• Need to balance security with accessibility

15
The Industry Thrives When

• The local cost structure is competitive
• Taxation levels are acceptable
• There is convenient and affordable access
• The community makes delegates welcome
• There is a safe and secure environment
• Immigration and security processes are
  reasonable
• There is a supportive business and academic
  community

16
The Industry Suffers When

• Access becomes difficult
• Costs become non-competitive
• Immigration and security measures become a
  disincentive
• The destination becomes threatening
• Facilities and services are unable to meet
  international standards

17
A Very Positive Outlook

• The meetings industry demonstrated great
  resilience following 9/ll, last recession
• Recent studies all indicating industry growth
  last year
• Technology is enhancing meetings, not threatening
  them
• Industry observers see continuing strength in the
  need for face-to-face meetings in an Internet
  age!

18
A Critical Role for the Future

• Meetings, conventions and exhibitions support
  professional, research, technology and academic
  development
• They are critical vehicles for business
  advancement
• They help build networks and bridge cultural
  differences
• They are vehicles for finding solutions to global
  issues!