Gdansk the number one meeting destination in Poland

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Gdansk the number one meeting destination in
Poland
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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

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1. What is the Meetings Industry???
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Definition by UNWTO
The Meetings Industry

• Meeting aims
• To motivate participants,
• to conduct business,
• to share ideas,
• to learn,
• to socialise and
• to hold discussions

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Definition by UNWTO
The Meetings Industry

• Meeting size
• Minimum number of 10 participants

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Definition by UNWTO
The Meetings Industry

• 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

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What is included in the Meetings Industry
The Meetings Industry

• Association Meetings
• Corporate Events (Meetings, Incentives etc.)
• Exhibitions

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The Meetings Industry

• Where does the Meetings Industry fit in?

Leisure Travel
Business Travel
Meetings Industry
Tourism
In common Image of the destination Hotels
Transportation
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The Meetings Industry

• Creates education
• Supports continuing education
• Facilitates scientific networking
• Enables communication
• Creates platforms for knowledge export

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The Meetings Industry
Please - forget about
MICE
MICE
MICE
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2. What is the Market???
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The Market

• What names do we find for Association Meetings?

Workshop
Seminar
Colloquium
Congress
Forum
Convention
Conference
Who knows what is what? Does size matter? Does
type of attendance matter? Does content
matter? There is no standard nomenclature
Lets talk about Association Meetings!
General Assembly
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The Market
What names do we find for Company Events
Product Launch
Meeting
Incentive
User Meeting
Kick Off
Dealer Conference
Lets talk about Corporate Events
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The Market
Three key segments of the Meetings Industry
Clients
Intermediairies/Clients
Suppliers
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The Market
Clients
IGOs, NGOs International Associations Continen
tal Associations Regional Associations National
Associations Scientific Communities Corporations
Exhibition Organisers
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The Market
Intermediairies/Clients
Core PCOs AMCs Venue Finders Meeting
Planners Incentive Houses Convention Bureaux
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The Market
Suppliers
Convention Centres Hotels Transportation
Companies DMCs PCOs Interpreters AV Companies IT
Companies Badge Producers Flower
Shops etc. etc. etc.
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CVB
Securing venues accommodation
Research Analysis
Bid
Venues
DMCs
PCOs
The City
Hotels
Site-inspection
Suppliers
Evaluation
The Meeting
Decision
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Convention Bureau

• 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)

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3. Worldwide Competition
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The worldwide competition

• New destinations
• New convention centres
• New convention bureaux
• Politicans understanding and support

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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

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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

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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

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• Competition is not a threat,
• it is an opportunity!

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4. Step by Step The BID process
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The 10thCongress of the European Society will
be organised in.
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GDANSK
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LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SECURING VENUES
PREL. BOOKINGS
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
BIDS
BIDS
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EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS
EXAMPLE OF A PROCESS Associations
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
MEETING
DECISION
MEETING
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
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RESEARCH

• Know your destination / your product
• Unique Selling Points
• Business intelligence
• Collecting information on the meeting
• Lobbying
• Complementary information
• Partnership
• Decision for candidacy

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Know your Destination
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YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Venues
• Accommodation
• Social venues
• Logistics
• Research
• Trade industry
• Sponsors
• Keep updated
• Personal individual contacts with decision makers

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LOCAL MEETINGS AMBASSADORS

• Invite
• Front person
• Lobbyist
• Must be supported
• Must be educated
• Shall have the glory

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LOBBYING

• Communication with the association
• Find out about the competitors
• Find out what makes the association tick
• Find out whos supporting who
• Find out if the association is ready for a bid
  from your destination

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COLLECTING INFORMATION ON THE MEETING

• Guidelines
• History of the congress
• Availability in the destination
• Costs
• Support - local, national, European

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GUIDELINES

• Ask the association
• Internet
• No guidelines

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CONGRESS HISTORY

• ICCA/UIA
• Internet
• Local member of the association
• Board member
• Colleagues in the industry (CVB, PCO, venues)
• Previous destinations

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INFORMATION FROM ICCA
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AVAILABILITY

• Other events
• Better events

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COSTS

• Costs for hosting the meeting
• Is it worth it?
• Who can pay?

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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

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DECISION FOR CANDIDACY

• Risk analyses
• Competitors
• Costs
• Does it fit?
• Time and capacity to deliver

Hamburg Tallinn Malaga Warsaw
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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

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LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SECURING VENUES
PREL. BOOKINGS
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
BIDS
BIDS
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EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS
EXAMPLE OF A PROCESS Associations
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
MEETING
DECISION
MEETING
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
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Secure Venue and accommodation

• What - When - Why
• Reservation of congress venue
• Remember the margins
• Block bookings of the Hotels
• Confidential information

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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?

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Hotel rooms

• No hotel rooms no congress
• Confidential information
• Prices
• Who is responsible and until when?
• Contracts
• Information

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LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SECURING VENUES
PREL. BOOKINGS
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS
EXAMPLE OF A PROCESS Associations
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
MEETING
DECISION
MEETING
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
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THE BID

• A bid book is a document presenting the
  destination,
• focusing on the associations needs, for
  organising a
• meeting
• Whatever you state in a BID should be a
  contractual promise
• The bid document is YOUR documentation

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THE BID

• Read the Bid Manual/Guidelines
• Do NOT interpret it!!
• Find out what is missing

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THE BID

• Check support again
• Is it possible to offer an other week?
• Are they really 1,000 delegates at the opening
  session?

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PRACTICAL EXERCISE
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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

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HOW TO DELIVER THE BID

• Hard cover Bid book
• PDF format
• Web based
• CD ROM / USB
• Combination

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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!

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THE BID BOOK

• Letters of invitations
• Support from the university, other universities,
  national research centres, researchers in Europe
  etc
• Scientific level
• What Gdansk stands for

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THE BID BOOK

• 4. Proposed congress venue(s)
• 5. Proposed scientific programme
• Communicating the meeting
• 7. References (in the same size and/or same
  subject)

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CONGRESS VENUE

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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?

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THE BID BOOK

• 11. Social venues events
• Restaurants
• Preliminary budget
• Gdansk surroundings
• Pre Post congress tours
• Support City of Gdansk

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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

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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

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LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SECURING VENUES
PREL. BOOKINGS
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS
EXAMPLE OF A PROCESS Associations
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
MEETING
DECISION
MEETING
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
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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

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SITE VISIT

• When?
• Before decision - of course - BUT
• How?
• Create a focused programme
• Dare to exclude
• Logistics
• Relations
• The right people

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LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SECURING VENUES
PREL. BOOKINGS
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
BIDS
BIDS
.
EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS
EXAMPLE OF A PROCESS Associations
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
SITE VISIT
EVALUATION
MEETING
DECISION
MEETING
DECISION
LOBBYING
LOBBYING
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BEFORE THE DECISION

• Check the format of the presentation
• Time?
• Who?
• Where?
• What?

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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

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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

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OPERATIONAL ACTIONS

• Mini bid
• Exhibit
• E-mails or even better
• write a letter

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DECISION

• The Head Office of the Association
• The Core PCO / AMC
• The Board Members
• The General Assembly
• All attendees
• A combination

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PRESENTATION OF THE BID

• Train your meeting ambassador well
• Be there yourself or backing up at home
• Keep time schedule
• Be prepared for surprises

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The 10thCongress of the European Society will
be organised in
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HAMBURG
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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

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THE RESULT

• Dont blame anyone - just try to understand
• and evaluate your campaign
• Decide if you want to go for it again - or not

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The 10thCongress of the European Society will
be organised in
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GDANSK
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THE RESULT

• YOU WON!!!
• Congratulations!!!!
• Celebrate!!!
• Evaluate your campaign
• and.

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START WORKING

• But thats a completely new story.

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The destination has been selected

• The CVBs role
• The PCOs role
• The Core PCOs role
• The Hotels and Convention Venue
• Contracts to be signed
• When is the information released?

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6. Case Studies
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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

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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

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CASE STUDY

• Sexology
• First try in Cuba 2003. Lost to Sydney due to bad
  support and a meeting ambassador who wasnt well
  known in the organization.
• Fun gifts
• Second try in Montreal 2005. Better support, site
  visits by key persons, Montreal helping us

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Each Bid is Different
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• 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

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• The Meetings Industry
• a fascinating business
• You only get fascinated if you are
• actively involved!