The Meetings Industry an overview and structure

Convention bureaus (convention and visitors bureaus, CBs) play a significant role in the development of the meetings industry, as they constitute the particular element which unites all the participants of the events market. They are marketing organisations or, in other words, destination marketing/management organisations, DMOs for short. Generally speaking, DMOs specialise in promoting the destination they represent in the scope of hosting events, support the event acquisition process and perform other functions, such as integrating the local meetings industry, preparing a common offer and developing it, conducting research concerning the position of the represented market, and undertaking educational initiatives. The key challenge convention bureaus face is achieving the best position for the destination as event venue.

Leading Industry Organisations in Destination Marketing

The entities operating in the meetings industry are represented by numerous associations and other industry-related organisations. The functioning of convention bureaus is closely related to the organisations which enable destination marketing bureaus to meet their objectives. The offer of associations established within the scope of the meetings industry may be addressed at representatives of all sectors of the market, or may focus on the members representing one of the specialisations of the meetings industry. These organisations associate individuals, legal entities and sometimes combine the two types of membership. The associations operate locally, nationally, continentally or globally.

Managing the Selling and Marketing of the Destination

Managing a destination as an event venue and conducting marketing activities building its position in this area constitutes the main part of the realisation of a convention bureau mission. Concentrating on the meetings industry requires, above all, direct sales – these are activities based on relations and real time contact. It would seem that the specificity of the meetings industry requires operations only in the B2B sector, but in fact convention bureaus usually undertake activities addressed at consumers, event participants, as the target recipients. Thus, a success-oriented convention bureau must master marketing both by means of traditional mass consumer marketing as well as by direct sales. To perform these activities well requires good planning. The reason for the existence of convention bureaus is the sale of destinations (states, regions, towns or cities). The art of being a modern leader is managing image-building activities (or brand-building activities) as well as sales activities. Consequently, managing destination marketing starts with creating an annual plan to guide the marketing. It is the first step in the annual cycle of the marketing and sales tasks of convention bureaus.

Managing Stakeholders to Destination Marketing

Stakeholders are a crucial and indispensable element of convention bureaus’ operations. They are persons (or groups of persons) with direct or indirect interest in the effects of the bureaus’ operations. A stakeholder with direct interest may be a convention bureau founder, its members (if the bureau has a membership structure), enterprises which draw direct benefits from convention bureaus operations (hotels, restaurants, attractions), employees of the meetings industry, clients and even competitors. The interests of these persons and organisations in the operations of a particular convention bureau and in the effects of the operations are of a very strong and specific nature. Stakeholders with an indirect interest are organisations associated in the sector of stakeholders directly influencing the formation of the role and character of convention bureaus. The connection may be very strong, as is the case with service suppliers for the meetings industry, or quite weak, which may be illustrated with the example of the association bringing together owners of houses where the meetings industry employees are accommodated, that is an organisation which is not directly related to a given structure.

Managing the Financial, Governance and Legal Considerations

A mission statement should be an expression of the values which a given organisation considers to be crucial in its operations and it should also indicate what needs to be done to realise the strategic vision in a predetermined period of time. A strategic vision represents the managers’ concepts and beliefs related to the long-term direction of the organisation, it is focused on the objectives which are expected to be achieved and determines the organisation’s scope of operation or the place where it plans to be in the future. The strategic mission reflects the organisation’s aspirations, whereas the mission statement informs how the organisation intends to realise them. As it determines the future for the organisation, the vision includes postulates in accordance with which the organisation meets the needs of its clients. Then, the mission identifies the clients, their needs and the manner in which the organisation will cater for them.

The Business Environment of Destination Marketing

Marketing is the process of creating, communicating and delivering offers which prove valuable to the customers, clients, partners and community focused around a given brand, product, service, person, event or place. It is the process consisting of the identification, prediction and delivery of the strategic benefits expected by the recipients as well as the management of profit-generating relations with clients. Destination marketing is a realisation of the process in relation to a selected geographical unit and, at the same time, a market concept of managing the said unit. Activities undertaken within the destination marketing strategy may be aimed at improving the image of a given territory and increasing its recognisability, developing specific features of its social and economic life, and influencing opinions, attitudes and behaviours of external and internal groups of stakeholders by shaping appropriate set of means and instruments for the stimulation of trade-off relations. These activities result in creating the image of a destination, that is a set of impressions and interpretations spontaneously connected with a given stimulus (physical or social) which brings on appropriate associations with the place in question.

Future Challenges of the Convention Bureau

The operation of convention bureaus as specific destination marketing organisations faces numerous challenges. These are associated with the formal aspect of managing such an office, establishing it in particular structures, budgeting, presenting a return on investment, as well as substantive aspect of the operations. The meetings industry is constantly changing and developing, and organisations whose work is related to this sector must be tremendously dynamic and ready to find solutions and proposals in response to the changing reality. In order to define the challenges related to the financing of convention bureaus’ operations and managing these organisations, what needs to be indicated first is the lack of cooperation between entrepreneurs representing local business and institutions responsible for particular components of the local tourist product (including offers for event organisation). The effect of the cooperation between these two groups of stakeholders should be a coherent offer, updated on an ongoing basis and adjusted to the changing trends in the meetings industry and to the expectations of potential organisers in the procurement process.

Organising and Developing the CB Staff

Contemporary convention bureaus play a crucial role in the functioning of destinations within the meetings industry. People managing these units, as well as the employees, are facing a difficult task. The challenge is to skilfully combine all the functions and manage relations not only between the team members, but also with the convention bureau’s stakeholders (members, representatives of the local industry, potential events’ organisers, partners, etc.). The staff of convention bureaus may comprise from one up to more than a dozen people. This depends on the location of the institution (physically and legally) and on its financial possibilities and strategy, which includes its functions, roles and objectives. The number is not directly proportionate to, but it does depend on, the size of the represented destination and its potential in the meetings industry. These factors determine the composition of the team, which may include: the president (director, head, manager, leader), marketing specialist, association and corporate market specialist, PR, social media and sales specialist, a person responsible for preparing offers or bids, a person who monitors and analyses data, in particular the ICCA/UIA database, and a person specialising in finances and accounting.