gdansk the number one meeting destination in poland

Gdansk the number one meeting destination in

Poland

1. What is the Meetings Industry?2. The Market3. Worldwide Competition4. Step by Step ... The BID process5. Exercise6. Case Studies7. Discussions

Programme

1. What is the Meetings Industry???

Definition by UNWTO

Meeting aims:

To motivate participants,

to conduct business,

to share ideas,

to learn,

to socialise and

to hold discussions

The Meetings Industry

Definition by UNWTO

Meeting size:

Minimum number of 10 participants

The Meetings Industry

Definition by UNWTO

Meeting venue:

A rental has to by paid for the use of the venue for meetings

Meeting duration:

A half-day (four hours) or more

The Meetings Industry

What is included in the Meetings Industry

Association Meetings

Corporate Events (Meetings, Incentives etc.)

Exhibitions

The Meetings Industry

Where does the Meetings Industry fit in?

In common:Image of the destinationHotels & Transportation

Leisure Travel

Business Travel

Meetings IndustryTourism

The Meetings Industry

• Creates education• Supports continuing education• Facilitates scientific networking• Enables communication• Creates platforms for knowledge export

The Meetings Industry

Please - forget about

The Meetings Industry

MICE

MICE

MICE

2. What is the Market???

What names do we find for Association Meetings?

Congress

Confe

renc

e

Workshop

Sem

inar

Colloq

uium

General Assembly

ForumConvention

Who knows what is what?Does size matter?Does type of attendance matter?Does content matter?There is no standard nomenclature – Let‘s talk about Association Meetings!

The Market

Meeting Incentive

Product Launch

Dealer Conference Kic

k O

ff User Meeting

Lets talk about Corporate Events

The Market

What names do we find for Company Events

Three key segments of the Meetings Industry

Clients

Intermediairies/Clients

Suppliers

The Market

Clients

IGO‘s, NGO‘s

International Associations

Continental Associations

Regional Associations

National Associations

Scientific Communities

Corporations

Exhibition Organisers

The Market

Intermediairies/Clients

Core PCOs

AMCs

Venue Finders

Meeting Planners

Incentive Houses

Convention Bureaux

The Market

Suppliers

Convention CentresHotelsTransportation CompaniesDMCsPCOsInterpretersAV CompaniesIT CompaniesBadge ProducersFlower Shopsetc.etc.etc.

The Market

Research &Analysis

Venues

Securing venues & accommodation

Bid

Site-inspection

DecisionThe Meeting

DMCs

Hotels

PCOs

Evaluation

Suppliers

The City

= CVB

One stop shop for the meetings industry Coordinating the marketing of a destination Objective and neutral partner Source of information Financed by the City (and members)

Convention Bureau

3. Worldwide Competition

• New destinations• New convention centres• New convention bureaux• Politicans understanding and support

The worldwide competition

– China • How many new conference centres – who knows?

– India• At least five new centers in the pipeline

– Australia• New Conference center in Melbourne by 2010

– South Africa• New Centre in Cape Town by 2003, will double in

size until 2010

The worldwide competition

– Mexico• Restructuring of the Mexican Convention Bureau• Meetings and Incentives VAT exempted

– Puerto Rico• New Convention Centre San Juan opened in 2006

– Dubai• Ongoing investments in fantastic meeting and tourist

products

The worldwide competition

– London• Summer Olympics 2012 – new infrastructures• Excel London – bought by ADNEC from Abu Dhabi

All over Europe• Centres renovate, expand, fair grounds grow

North America• New Centre in Vancouver• New major hotels in Las Vegas

The worldwide competition

Competition is not a threat,

it is an opportunity!

4. Step by Step

The BID process

“The 10thCongress of the European Society

will be organised in….

GDANSK

.

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

PREL. BOOKINGS

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF A PROCESSAssociations

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

SECURING VENUES

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS

Know your destination / your product

Unique Selling Points

Business intelligence

Collecting information on the meeting

Lobbying

Complementary information

Partnership

Decision for candidacy

RESEARCH

Know your Destination

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Venues• Accommodation• Social venues• Logistics• Research• Trade & industry• Sponsors• Keep updated• Personal individual contacts with decision

makers

Invite

Front person

Lobbyist

Must be supported

Must be educated

Shall have the glory

LOCAL MEETINGS AMBASSADORS

LOBBYING

Communication with the association

Find out about the competitors

Find out what makes the association tick

Find out who’s supporting who

Find out if the association is ready for a bid from your destination

Guidelines History of the congress Availability in the destination Costs Support - local, national, European

COLLECTING INFORMATION ON THE MEETING

Ask the association Internet No guidelines

GUIDELINES

ICCA/UIA Internet Local member of the association Board member Colleagues in the industry (CVB, PCO, venues) Previous destinations

CONGRESS HISTORY

INFORMATION FROM ICCA

Other events Better events

AVAILABILITY

Costs for hosting the meeting

Is it worth it?

Who can pay?

COSTS

COMPETITION ANALYSIS

Some elements to be taken into consideration:

Accessibility

Local logistics

Costs for delegates

Safety

Health issues

Stability of the currency

Unique selling points - USP

Strengths and weaknesses

DECISION FOR CANDIDACY

Risk analyses

Competitors

Costs

Does it fit?

Time and capacity to deliver

HamburgTallinnMalagaWarsaw

GOING FOR IT?

You must have the desire to win

You must be prepared for a long struggle

You must have the knowledge

You must be prepared to loose

.

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

PREL. BOOKINGS

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF A PROCESSAssociations

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

SECURING VENUES

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS

Secure Venue and accommodation

What - When - Why Reservation of congress venue Remember the margins Block bookings of the Hotels Confidential information

Perfect scenario: the CVB makes the block reservation of

the Congress venue(s) and hotels Information to the Hotels If a Core PCO is involved?

Who does What????

No hotel rooms = no congress Confidential information Prices Who is responsible and until when? Contracts Information

Hotel rooms

.

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

PREL. BOOKINGS

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF A PROCESSAssociations

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

SECURING VENUES

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS

THE BID

A bid book is a document presenting the destination,

focusing on the association’s needs, for organising a

meeting

Whatever you state in a BID should be a contractual promise

The bid document is YOUR documentation

THE BID

Read the Bid Manual/Guidelines

Do NOT interpret it!!

Find out what is missing

THE BID

Check support again

Is it possible to offer an other week?

Are they really 1,000 delegates at the opening session?

PRACTICAL EXERCISE

WHO WILL RECEIVE THE BID?

The Head Office of the Association

The Core PCO / AMC

The Board Members

The voting delegates

All attendees

A combination

HOW TO DELIVER THE BID

Hard cover Bid book

PDF format

Web based

CD ROM / USB

Combination

Currency

Square feet or square meters

More than one language?

Local / international holidays

You need to bridge the gap!

ADJUST THE BID TO THE CLIENT

THE BID BOOK

1. Letters of invitationsSupport from the university, other universities, national research centres, researchers in Europe etc

2. Scientific level

3. What Gdansk stands for

THE BID BOOK

4. Proposed congress venue(s)

5. Proposed scientific programme

6. Communicating the meeting

7. References (in the same size and/or same subject)

CONGRESS VENUE

THE BID BOOK

8. Travel to Gdansk by plane (official carrier? ; low cost carriers) by train, by car

9. Public transport

10. Accommodation Hotel Overview

Low cost options?

THE BID BOOK

11. Social venues & events

12. Restaurants

13. Preliminary budget

14. Gdansk & surroundings

15. Pre & Post congress tours

16. Support City of Gdansk

Reception by the Mayor of Gdansk

Barter agreement from an Airline

Financial assistance

Free advertising material

Free photo material and digital city maps for programme production

SUPPORT FROM THE DESTINATION

WINNING STRATEGIES

Follow the guidelines – do not standardize

Every Bid book is a tailor made product

Know your client and how she/he acts

Give the client what she/he wants – NOT what you like to offer

Create transparency and trust

.

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

PREL. BOOKINGS

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF A PROCESSAssociations

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

SECURING VENUES

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS

Why?

To prove that the bid is true

Create a relationship between the association and the destination

Who?

Decision maker (s)

The meeting planner

SITE VISIT

When?

Before decision - of course - BUT……

How?

Create a focused programme

Dare to exclude

Logistics

Relations

The right people

SITE VISIT

.

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

PREL. BOOKINGS

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF A PROCESSAssociations

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

LOBBYING

LOBBYING

SECURING VENUES

RESEARCH

BIDS

SITE VISIT

DECISIONMEETING

EVALUATION

EXAMPLE OF THE BIDDING PROCESS

Check the format of the presentation

Time?

Who?

Where?

What?

BEFORE THE DECISION

Presentation:• Who will make the presentation on-site?• Train the presentor • Try to find out how competitors will

present• Challenge the audience• Lobbying activities on-site

DECISION TIME

PROMOTING THE CANDIDACY

Start early

Meeting Ambassadors prime role

Talk to the supporting partners –again

- and they must talk to their friends

Talk to decision makers

Lobbying – count votes

OPERATIONAL ACTIONS

Mini bid Exhibit E-mails or even better write a letter

DECISION

The Head Office of the Association

The Core PCO / AMC

The Board Members

The General Assembly

All attendees

A combination

PRESENTATION OF THE BID

Train your meeting ambassador well

Be there yourself or backing up at home

Keep time schedule

Be prepared for surprises

“The 10thCongress of the European Society

will be organised in………

HAMBURG

THE RESULT

Why did you loose?

The unexpected

The non discovered secrets of the Association

The hidden agenda

A decision making body neglecting their own rules

You did a perfect research, a perfect Bid Book and you made an outstanding presentation!

THE RESULT

Don’t blame anyone - just try to understandand evaluate your campaign

Decide if you want to go for it again - or not

“The 10thCongress of the

European Society will be organised in………

GDANSK

THE RESULT

YOU WON!!!

Congratulations!!!!

Celebrate!!!

Evaluate your campaign……

……and……….

START WORKING

But that’s a completely new story…….

The CVBs role The PCOs role The Core PCOs role The Hotels and Convention Venue Contracts to be signed When is the information released?

The destination has been selected

6. Case Studies

CASE STUDY

• IADR– Started 1996 –Lost to Vancouver

– Tried again – Lost to Jerusalem

– Tried again – Meeting ambassador and GCB in Vancouver, Won 2006 – switched with Jerusalem

– Marketing in Tokyo

– Marketing in San Diego

– Göteborg 2003 – All time high delegate numbers

CASE STUDY

• Sociology– First try in Lyon 1999. Lost due to bad

lobbying– Second try in Singapore 2004. Won 2010

due to very good support, good lobbying and excellent presentation by meeting ambassador

CASE STUDY

• Sexology– First try in Cuba 2003. Lost to Sydney due

to bad support and a meeting ambassador who wasn’t well known in the organization.

Fun gifts– Second try in Montreal 2005. Better

support, site visits by key persons, Montreal helping us

Each Bid is Different

Know your client and how she acts

Give the client what she wants – not what you like to offer

Educate meeting ambassador

Lobbying

Transparency and trust

Be prepared to loose and start all over again

WINNING STRATEGIES

The Meetings Industry –

a fascinating business

You only get fascinated if you are

actively involved!