I attended a neighbors party this past weekend and was introduced to an event planner who was anxious to talk about her recent trip to Cancun.
“Kathleen”, that’s my neighbor, “tells me that you go to the most wonderful places”, she said before gulping down the last of her Cosmopolitan. “My favorite place on earth is Cancun…the beaches, shopping, and oh and did you get to see the pyramids…Chiz-a-nits-a isn’t it breathtaking?”
I could have told here that when I was in Cancun I was on the go from sun up to sun down over the course of 48-hours but instead I told her a big… fat… lie. “Well flying in first-class with Kevin Costner was a delight,” I said, “My Presidential Suite overlooking the ocean wasn’t as large as I expected” and “Shakira told me that she was writing a musical score for a new episode on Sesame Street…ha, ha, ha, ha.”
Without further adieu she rose from her seat, extended her hand and exited to the kitchen for a refill.
But truthfully, a vast majority of my site inspections aren’t as sexy or glamorous as Cancun. I don’t accept complimentary plane tickets from CVB’s. I rent a car as opposed to a private airport transfer. And I arrive at the hotel unannounced an hour before my appointment with my sales representative.
A bit unusual you say? Not really because I treat this as business and not a FAM trip. I understand the idea behind the “red carpet” treatment but it means that I wouldn’t experience the hotel like an attendee.
So, know your goals before your next site inspection.
First do a simple SWOT analysis. Evaluate locations based on strengths (good reputation), weaknesses (too expensive), opportunities (place that would draw new members) and threats (other meetings in town that would drive up costs).
Second, take a serious look at lift…your attendees have to get from point A to point B. Look at your attendee’s departure gateways and the arrival airport under consideration. Is it a one-stop or an all day affair getting there? The more stops or costlier the flight, the easier it for an attendee to decide on another program…and not yours.
Third, analyze the entire cost of your program. Those costs include airfare, transfers, guestroom rate, F&B minimums, meeting room rental, AV, taxes, service charge, attrition and cancellation.
Finally, remember about service after the sale. Your sales representative can be very helpful, professional and knowledgeable but keep in mind that after the contract is signed, your group will be turned over to a Conference Services Manager.
You’ll want to consider two important factors here. How long the CSM has been with the hotel and his/her total years of experience.
Follow these simple steps and you’ll help to secure the best possible site for your next meeting, conference or convention.
