a guide to engaging your audiences - iacc
TRANSCRIPT
A guide to engaging your
audiences
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Welcome Congratulations, you’ve achieved IACC certification. That’s the first step. Now it’s time to tell the world you deliver the IACC Meetings Experience and gain maximum value from your IACC certification.
Telling the world, you deliver the IACC Meetings ExperienceYour property and staff have joined an elite group of over 300 venues in 23 countries that aspire to achieve the very best standards and deliver an exceptional IACC meetings experience!
IACC certification is a notable achievement that you can be proud to share.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to gain maximum value from your certification and how to promote your achievements to staff, customer’s suppliers, owners…the world!
Talking their language
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There are several ways you can promote your IACC membership in the media. Be strategic and think long term, spreading your story across several media types over an ongoing period will achieve the most impact.
Writing press releases Send a press release to tell the industry that you’re IACC certified and what that means. Distribute further releases with each newsworthy development of your membership, such as Copper Skillet Competition entry/success or project group participation.
We’ve included a template press release to help you.
Share your press release with IACC by emailing [email protected] and [email protected] and we will spread the news even further!
InterviewsMake key media in your region - local and trade – aware that you are available for interviews on your achievement of IACC and what that means to their readers.
PhotographySubmit photography with press releases and other media communication as this improves the chances of your content being used. At every discreet opportunity, promote your IACC membership in photographs taken of your venue’s rooms and event spaces with placards and framed certificates placed in shot.
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BlogsYour IACC membership is a good source of regular content for your blog. Through a series of blog articles, you could examine the process of achieving membership, describe what your membership means to your clients, explain the positive effect your membership is having on each of your business’ departments – the ideas for ongoing blog content will continue as your membership develops. Why not use IACC’s blogs to support your own blog writing, there are many topics to choose from here.
Social media Share your blogs, press releases, media coverage, photographs, comments and other news through your social media channels. As an outstanding member of meetings and events community you are qualified to add your voice to discussions, and comment on industry stories and trends that are creating a buzz online. Include @IACCmeetings and we’ll share your posts on IACC’s feeds.
We encourage you to connect with IACC for content that you can use in your own social media. As the meeting thought leader, leverage IACC social media for your property plans and look to us for content. Link, repost, retweet, share!
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IACC’s dedicated PR agency - davies tanner
To discuss promoting your venue and its IACC certification using public relations, we recommend you contact our dedicated PR agency davies tanner who are an independent and established agency, specialising in public relations and communications for the travel, tourism and hospitality, venue and events industry, with 20 years’ experience.
Robert Wright, Managing Director, is a business events industry expert, with connections to all major global stakeholders and influencer groups, he provides unrivalled counsel at strategic level. [email protected]
Arabella Halfhide, Account Manager, has five years of agency experience across a breadth of B2B and B2C clients, specifically within the hospitality and events sector. Bella is a forward-thinking team player with creative flare and a keen eye for detail. [email protected]
Fleur McCoy, Account Executive, a motivated and outgoing member of the team, Fleur has experience in journalism and broad knowledge of global MICE media. [email protected]
Please email [email protected] UK telephone: +44 (0)1892 619100 USA telephone: + 1 727 851 9120
www.daviestanner.com @DTBanter
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Sample press release
Press Release Contact: (Name)(Company - PR) (Tel Number) (Email)
The Heldrich joins the elite The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center announces its acceptance into IACC Following an application process that involves thorough inspection, The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center has demonstrated that it meets the stringent global quality standards set by IACC. Today, the sole international association representing small-to-medium-sized venues focused on meetings, training courses and conferences, has welcomed The Heldrich, located in New Brunswick, into full membership.
Stacy Martin, general manager at The Heldrich, made the announcement, “It is indeed an honor for The Heldrich to be included in IACC’s prestigious membership,” she said, “There is no more effective organization than IACC to help us achieve our business strategy, a core element of which is to grow market share in the small meetings sector. We are proud to be part of IACC’s global family of leading venues, and look forward to the substantial benefits it delivers.”
To achieve IACC certification, venue members must demonstrate a commitment to the highest standards in design, facilities, services, technology and sustainability. IACC members understand the importance of each of these elements in a successful meeting - and those who use IACC venues expect excellence. This exclusiveness makes IACC’s members part of an elite group representing the most innovative, forward-thinking and results-driven meeting venues in the world.
Mark Cooper, IACC’s CEO comments “The Heldrich has demonstrated unequivocally that it is totally committed to delivering the IACC Meetings Experience and I am confident it will be a valuable member of the association. By conforming to our global quality standards, The Heldrich has become a venue that meeting planners can confidently trust to look after their meeting.”
IACC serves its members by being the global thought-leader in the meetings industry, and currently has xxx members in xx countries within the Americas, Europe and Australasia. All members conform to IACC’s comprehensive set of quality standards and deliver the exceptional IACC Meeting Experience.
- Ends -
Acatchyheadlinegrabsattention
Useasubheadtoadddetailandcontext
Youropeningparagraphcontainsallkeymessagesandsummarisestheentirestory
Commentsfromleadingpersonnelhaveapositivetoneandreinforcekeymessages
Backgroundinformationgivesyourstorysubstance
Simplysaying,‘Ends’atthefinishofyourreleasetellstheeditorialteam–‘That’sallfolks’
Commentsentencesshouldstillmakesenseifusedalone,asthecommentmaybeedited.
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About The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center
The Heldrich is located in the cultural heart of New Jersey in New Brunswick. The property is situated at 10 Livingston Avenue across from the city’s famed Theatre Row, just west of important US Route 1 and four blocks from the News Brunswick Train Station (serving the Northeast Corridor: Boston-New York-Philadelphia, Washington, DC) and close to Exit 9 of the NJ Turnpike. It is 45 minutes outside New York City and has rail service to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The Heldrich features a state-of-the-art conference center with 17 meetings rooms, a 248-guestroom luxury hotel, Christopher’s Restaurant, serving freshly prepared specialties created in an exhibition kitchen to delight even the discriminating palate, Christopher’s Bar, and the elegant Livingston Ballroom, ideal for social and corporate gatherings.
For more information on The Heldrich, call 732-729-4670 or visit www.theheldrich.com The Heldrich is operated by Benchmark Hospitality International.
About IACC
IACC is a global community of passionate people and organisations delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences. This not-for-profit global trade association’s mission is to bring together the brightest industry minds to promote the best meeting venues, which deliver exceptional meeting experiences. IACC members deliver the IACC Meeting Experience by complying with IACC’s stringent Quality Standards and agreeing to IACC’s Code of Ethics.
The key benefits of IACC membership include marketing and business growth opportunities; educational events and courses, networking at member’s conferences and meetings, benchmarking, the immensely popular global Copper Skillet Culinary Competition that celebrates the artistry of IACC-member chefs from around the world, and the IACC Code of Sustainability, which supporting green meeting environments, initiatives and best practices.
IACC has over 300 members in 23 countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australasia. There are IACC members in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Kenya, Nigeria, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Mongolia and the Philippines.
For more information, visit the website at www.iacconline.org.
To learn more about IACC and the Benefits of Belonging, visit http://www.iacconline.org/membership-benefits.
For membership, visit the “Join IACC” at http://www.iacconline.org/apply-for-membership.
Briefdescriptionsoftheorganizationsmentionedinthepressrelease,knownasboilerplates,provideadditionalinformationtheeditorneedstowriteupyourstory.
Pointingtheeditorialteamtomoredetailedinformationisagreatwaytohelpthemverifyyourcredentialsandfindmoreinformationtoexpandthestory–itcangiveyoumorecoverage.
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IACC certification can re-enforce your brand identity and help you demonstrate further that you are meetings focused venue.
Using the IACC logo and a brief explanation of what it stands for, aligns your brand with IACC’s quality standards, producing a level of trust in the minds of your clients and prospects that goes far beyond words!
Add the IACC logo to the home page of your website and the meetings landing page. Provide a link to IACConline.org, which will allow people to gain a full understanding of the IACC Meetings Experience. We can provide logos that work with light and dark backgrounds.
Incorporate IACC certification into your branding:
• Place the IACC logo your pages with a link towww.IACConline.org
• Frame copies of your IACC certification andplace around your venue
• An IACC logo and explanation can be used inall marketing materials
• Add the IACC logo to your social mediaprofiles
• Use the IACC logo in bids and proposals
• Include the IACC logo with your profile in other online directories such as Cvent,Elite Meetings etc.
Visit IACC’s Brand Guidelines Page for further templates, logo downloads and advice.
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Most venues promise the best meeting facilities and the best customer care, but few can guarantee they are amongst the highest quality and certified by IACC.
Use your IACC certification to underpin your promise that delegates will receive the very best meetings experience and use it to highlight your team’s passion for delivering better meetings by being a part of a global community of experts in this field.
Highlight in bid documents that your venue has met a comprehensive set of global quality standards which cover venue facilities, food and beverage, customer service and sustainability criteria.
Promoting your membership Other directories such as Cvent, are excellent places to differentiate yourself form the masses, by stating your IACC certification in the Awards and Ratings section.
A Cvent venue directory page
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Your personal IACCmeetings.com page We ask new members to submit a member information sheet. We use this information to create a basic page for you. Your venue page is used to attract buyers to your venue.
Once your page is set up, we put you in control, so you can add additional images, meeting room capacity charts and much more. We recommend you update your page regularly. For assistance in logging in or updating your page, please email [email protected].
A sample IACC venue page
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Nothing will bring your IACC membership to life more than excited and engaged people.
We recommend you involve your team early. Help them understand that having them on-board and doing their bit is vital to your membership success. Show them how membership benefits each of their roles, and careers. Keep them in the loop so they are aware of future developments.
LET’S START: Please send us contact details for all key members of your team so we can make them aware of news and events that are important to them. Send to [email protected]
Sales Team Your sales team can achieve a major opportunity by using IACC certification in their meetings with clients and prospects. Ways to involve your sales team include:
K Give them a thorough overview of IACC membership, with a visit to our website in your new hire induction program
K Discuss IACC in your sales meetings
K Ask your sales team to watch the YouTube video What’s Your IACC Story?
K Consider the stories as shared by meeting planners on IACC’s YouTube channel Why Planners Love IACC Venues?.
K Visit the IACC Events Calendar and sign up for sales training courses, online training and events
K Participate in trade shows attended by IACC and meet planners
K Consider how to interweave the messages outlined in the Why Meet with IACC? guide into client messaging for your own property
K Attend IACC’s chapter annual conference and participate in sales calls in the region at the same time
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Food & Beverage Team By engaging with IACC membership, your F&B team can learn the latest culinary trends, hone their skills, keep their ingenuity fresh and raise their profile.
A highlight of the IACC calendar is our Annual Copper Skillet Global Chef of the Year competition. This global initiative is a chance for member chefs to showcase their artistry. It drives them to be more creative, resourceful and determined. We encourage all member chefs to enter.
See the IACC Events Calendar or email your local IACC office for details of the next Copper Skillet country cook-off that your chefs can enter.
Other initiatives include:
K IACC’s chapter annual meetings, where new trends in food and beverage and operations are learned by attending the F&B Education Track.
K Our regional member roundtables are a chance to meet like-minded professionals, share best practice and attend educational events.
K IACC’s Associate Member Directory is a source of trusted suppliers who offer products and services aimed at conference and meeting venues.
Leadership & Management Team Leading your leadership team to improvement in all aspects of their roles is a major opportunity of your IACC membership. We provide a series of industry specific development opportunities for your leadership team through educational events, conferences and online courses.
Opportunities for leadership teams include:
K The IACC chapter annual meetings and conferences offer a variety of excellent ways to learn, discover innovations and trends, experience different venues, make new contacts and network with like-minded professionals. Each has education streams covering leadership, F&B, sales, marketing and operations education
K Regional member roundtables where your leaders can meet industry peers, share best practice and attend educational events
K A wide variety of webinars and online training courses. Regular emails promoting training courses will be sent to everyone included in the IACC database
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The trends and research reports we publish are highly relevant to our members. They can help you make improvements across your business, including your sales and marketing.
Are you a routine-survey-deleter?
We know you are bombarded by requests to participate in surveys of all kinds every day and we know it’s often easier to simply delete every survey request without consideration. That’s understandable. But wait. We ensure the relevance of findings by only surveying meetings venues that operate using delegate packaging.
By participating in our surveys, you enable us to draw richer and more detailed conclusions. Improved survey results enable you to improve your business decisions and they benefit all IACC members.
If you routinely delete surveys, you are not acting in the collaborative spirit of your IACC membership and you could be missing out. Please take a few moments to complete our future surveys – we promise to keep them as short as possible and relevant to your business needs. We do appreciate your participation.
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Surveys to look out for:
K IACC Meeting Room of the Future Research and Trends Report
K Short surveys conducted by hospitality school partners with which IACC works
K Member surveys and polls
Explore your passions
Participating in IACC global and regional projects and committees IACC regularly forms project groups to promote better understanding of certain factors affecting the industry. We welcome your suggestions for topics, and your involvement in these projects. Perhaps you have a passion for sustainability, or love to follow food trends? Any topic that is relevant to conference venue operations has potential. If you wish to contribute to future initiatives, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please email [email protected].
IACC Green Star Sustainability Certification
As an IACC certified venue, you are eligible to participate in IACC’s Green Star program.
This program is one of the most comprehensive sustainability certification in the meetings industry and is a global standard. Through this no-cost program, your property can achieve a Platinum, Gold or Silver standard and use the Green Star logo to highlight your sustainable practices.
Your Green Team have a comprehensive checklist to work from, which they can use to set goals for reaching the highest standards in sustainable venue practices.
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Above all else, when you become an IACC member, you belong to a globally connected family. IACC members support one another, help solve challenges and develop innovations. When we all work closely together, we all move forward together.
Global Staff Exchange Program IACC's Global Staff Exchange Program is a framework which enables IACC members to send or host staff that work at other IACC member properties in other countries. Exchange staff benefit from experiencing different ways of working, experiencing different cultures and gaining new skills and perspectives.
You can either register to send individuals on exchanges or register as an exchange host property.
Quick facts about the program:
• All staff at all levels are eligible
• Exchanges should be for over four weeks and up to eight weeks or longer,depending on your agreed time scales and visitor permits.
• There are no fees associated with the program. The employer is responsible forthe employee’s travel expenses and must pay their normal salary during theexchange. The host property provides exchange staff lodging and meals duringthe exchange.
• Exchange staff can go to any participating member in any member country andexchanges do not need to be reciprocal. The program does not support domesticexchanges.
• Our guidelines for guest staff and registered hosts provide more information
Click here to view Guest Staff Guidelines
Click here to view Registered Host Guidelines
To begin the Global Staff Exchange Program process, click here or contact Kate Bacon at [email protected]
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Board member introductions
We can help you start a conversation with your fellow IACC members and IACC board members, it’s the first step to building new collaborative relationships and sharing ideas.
See IACC’s current global and chapter board members online.
If you would like to be introduced to a board member or fellow member, then please contact your regional IACC office.
IACC Europe 6 Leather Street, Long Itchington, Southam, Warwickshire. CV47 9RD United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)203 478 0274
IACC Americas 35 East Wacker Dr., Suite 850, Chicago, IL 60601-2106, USA Tel: +1 (312) 224-2580 Fax: +1 (312) 644-8557
IACC Australia Asia Pacific 123 Queen Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia Tel: +61 1300 008 710 Fax: +61 1300 507 126