Transcript IDF Industry Forum

Luc Hendrickx
Executive Director
• Who are the key congress suppliers?
• What does the congress need from these key suppliers?
• How do I communicatie with the client?
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
Key Suppliers
• Venue
• Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Congress Centre
• Destination Management Company
• Hotels
• (Local/National diabetes community)
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
Venue
• Politically stable
• Point of contact sees “the wider picture”
• Understands the economic impact of a mega-congress
• Key suppliers work as a team (including the hotels!)
• Congress-friendly
• Contacts with local decision-makers
• Accessible
• (fits the IDF political agenda)
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Feel and appetite for the city
• Support site inspection
• Main contact for the bid process
• Access to local contacts, co-negotiation
• Unbiased and complete information
• Provide authorized ruling on legal status, tax, VAT
• Suggestions for social functions
• Support after the contract is signed
• Artwork
• Arbitration between organizer and local suppliers
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
Congress Centre
• State-of-the-art infrastructure
• Match the size and requirements
• Full-house rate, 24/24
• Preferred suppliers (<> exclusive suppliers, tying)
• Balanced terms & conditions rental agreement
Deposits/balance, cancellation/availability, additional services
• Appoint operations manager ASAP
• Attend the previous congress
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
Destination Management Company
• PCO/DMC
• Track record of successful congresses of similar size
• Excellent references
• Satisfied with the DMC role
• “Eyes and ears on the ground”, represent the client
• Attend previous congress
• Share information
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
Hotels
• Be part of the key supplier team
• Care about the city as a congress-friendly destination
• Think long-term
• Hotel accommodation is part of the initial bid
• Keep to bid commitments
• Realize that a congress is not an incoming group
• Go easy on yield management
• Be real about offer & demand
• Adapt release dates to the nature of the event
• Don’t exploit tying
• Realize congress attendance is becoming more selective
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
How to communicate with the client
• Personal contacts
• IMEX, EIBTM, ICCA, EFCT, IAPCO, MPI
• Involve association professionals in client advisory panel
• Associations Conference Forum (AC Forum)
www.acforum.net
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
How not to communicate with the client
• Don’t send unsollicited e-mail
• Don’t send unsollicited brochures
• Don’t invite a blind target group to fam’ trips
• You have two ears, only one mouth
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005
11th ICCRM, Seville, 7-9 July 2005