International Congress and Convention Association www.iccaworld.com

Practical Workshop on Bidding

Dan RivlinChristian Mutschlechner

Vilnius, July 2010

The RFP/Bid Manual

Read, read, read – with a colleague

Four eyes see more than two eyes

Analyze, put questions aside, try to really understand

NO INTERPRETATION – yours might be completely

different to the client’s interpretation

Meeting days

Time of the year

Size of meeting rooms

Hotel rooms, split, categories

Size of the break out rooms

Exhibition and poster space

Details on social events

Special features

Budget, sponsors, exhibitions size

ICCA

Previousdestinations

Previousorganizers

etc.

Take home message:

Use your business network!! (ICCA family)

Where to find your first answers

ICCA

ICCA

Research Information from ICCA

The Research

The Association webpage

Internet (check previous congresshomepages)

Press reports – our meeting industrymedia

Additional Information to be found

The Pro Active Approach

Talk to the local contacts within the Association

Talk to the Head Office

(verifying information from local contact)

Talk to Board members

NO COLD CALLS, BE PREPARED WHEN CALLING

Additional Information to be found

Do you know your competitors?

Do you know the competing infrastructures?

Do you know your own infrastructure?

Do you know your weaknesses?

Local support versus support in competing destinations

Local scientific commitment?

Competition Analysis

Some elements to be taken into consideration:

Accessibility

Local logistics

Costs for delegates

Safety

Health issues

Unique selling points (USP) – touristic image

Local support & local commitment

Competition Analysis

Try to get soft information from:

Colleagues in the industry

PCOs, Convention Bureaux, Venues..

Your international network

Use your local contact (members) to find out how thedecision makers “tick”

The extra step to take

Risk analyses

Competitors

Costs

Time and capacity to deliver

Scientific standing of your local

representative

Pre-booking of meeting venues,

social venues and hotels etc.

Buenos AiresBangkokVancouverCape TownVienna

Decision for candidacy

Read the Bid Manual

is it the Head Office of the Association

or the Core PCO / AMC

or the Board Members

or the voting delegates

or all attendees

Find out –

it could also be a combination

Take home message:

The audience influences the content

Who will receive the BID?

Collecting Bids

Evaluating

Criteria

Weighting ?

Recommending ?

Analyze the best venue from the logistical, marketing –

in the medical field Pharma Codex - point of view.

Core is also anticipated to recommend, to exclude

disqualified venues and present a recommendation

of one or a few sites.

The Core PCO role

Venue Weigh

Venue rental cost 25%

Food & beverage cost 10%

Accommodation cost 10%

Stability of conventioncenter

20%

Growth flexibility 5%

Sufficient hotel rooms 10%

City accessibility 10%

Venue accessibility 10%

sample table of weights and criteria forthe Core role

Core role weights and criteria

Hard cover Bid book

PDF format

Web based

CD ROM / USB

Find out

Take home message:

Follow the request of the association!

Technical Options

Follow the guidelines – do not standardizeevery Bid book is a tailor-made product

Know your client and how she/he acts

Give the client what she/he wants – not whatyou like to offer

Create transparency and trust

Whatever you state in a BID is a contractualpromise

Winning strategies

Currency

Square feet or square metres

More than one language?

Local / international holidays

You need to bridge the gap!

Take home message:

especially in the medicalfield Jewish holidays

have to be considered!

Adjust the bidding document to the client

The presenter

should be perfect

The final crucial step – Presentation of the BID

You might want … Leonardo

or ….. what else?

Who is the perfect presenter?

Angelina

or

Halle ?

Who is the perfect presenter?

Who is the perfect presenter?

a good speakera good presentera stage performera knowledgeable and flexible personality

knowing the Bidknowing the destinationknowing the Association

willing to performwilling to convincewilling to win

…and

Take home message

“Why do we, the national society,want you to come (and help us)?”

What you need is

… able to speak clear, slow and understandableEnglish

Last but not least – what you need is a

Jack of all Trades

Take home message:

Train the presenter!

The issue is more important than the presenter‘s ego !

What you need is

Strategy

Content

“Political” versus “commercial” interests

Can destination rely?

Should they lobby on Board members?

A different presenter – the CORE PCO

Why did you loose?

The unexpected

The undiscovered secrets of the Association

The hidden agenda

A decision making body neglecting the own rules

You did a perfect research, a perfect Bid Book and you hadan outstanding presenter!

Take home message

“The bigger the voting forum, the less the benefitof the association be their main consideration”

The Result

Don‘t blame anyone !

Simply decide - we go for it again or

we quit.

The Result

Every Bid is different !Every Bid is a completely newchallenge!

… Last Word

Looking forward to meeting with youin the next bidding competition!

International Congress and Convention Association www.iccaworld.com

Q & A