Use this information to get your best deal ever.
By Christine Born
1. Know who you are.
A comprehensive Request for Proposal should provide an overall evaluation of your meeting, says Donn Oswald, associate director of sales for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Think of a resume, which offers job experience, references, history, etc.”
What are you using the space for? Be specific and thorough, advises Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, associate director of convention planning, Mennonite Church USA. “Remember the old real estate axiom—location, location, location? Well, think instead: communication, communication, communication.”
The more information you collect and provide for the venue or destination, the more options you’ll discover. Do you use volunteers? What do you use them for? What are the demographics of your group? Are they largely men who are looking for sports activities? Or women who want shopping?
What are their values and makeup? Are they financially conservative? If so, they’ll be more likely to go out for ice cream than steak dinners. If you have lots of high school students, a catering package might be more filling. Are you bringing in kids, or are you bringing
in bishops?
2. Communicate what you need.
Reach out and don’t be afraid to go after the city you want. You don’t have to wait for a FAM trip. “But keep your cards close and do your shopping first,” advises Stephen Hahn, director, Western Region Market Sales, Marriott International. “Don’t declare your top choices right away.”
3. Think like a venue.
Understand how a property values your business and be ready to explain how you’re helping the bottom line. “There is no Magic 8 ball or behind the black curtain stuff here,” says Frank Kuhns, sales manger for the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Flexibility and pattern are key words. Be aware of an area’s seasons: What are the peaks and shoulders?
If a property can squeeze you between two events, there’s more room to negotiate on price. What is your arrival need? Can you come in on Tuesday rather than Sunday? Can you fit your meeting into two days rather than three when the meeting needs to be scheduled during a peak period?
Be sure to base your meeting space needs on move-in and move-out days rather than show days. What is your set-up time? Will you need to take up a ballroom on a day when you have booked no room nights? That will make a difference to the facility.
4. Know your room block percentage.
Having a low-risk group (97 percent pick-up rate over three to five events) could be a huge negotiating tool. “Be realistic,” Miller cautions. “If anything, be conservative.” How many double-doubles, kings, etc., do you need? How many room keys? Again, be very
specific.
5. What is the event’s F&B contribution?
Catering expenditure per room night can make the difference between good business for a hotel versus just average.
6. What other ancillary revenue does your meeting bring?
Does your group have heavy audio-visual requirements? Does it have bar sales?
7. Know your credit history.
CVBs share detailed reports on reportable meetings held in their cities, using a database called MINT (Meeting Information Network). A meeting is reportable if the following criteria are met: the event uses 50 or more rooms on peak; it rotates between at least two cities or states; and it is held on a regularly scheduled basis. “When you leave an event, make sure to ask the bureau for a copy or your credit history and check it for accuracy,” Oswald advises.
8. What’s your total dollar value?
This measurement is more important to a city than room nights. The cost per delegate (activities, dining, etc.) reflects the total economic impact of your conference.
9. Who’s the boss?
The venue will also want to know about your decision process. How long does it take to make a decision? Who are the decision makers? Being able to make a fast decision can be a leverage tool.
10. What other space considerations do you have?
What kind of breakouts—from classroom to half-moon set-ups? Are you willing to use outside meeting space? If a hotel has limited space, challenge them to help you find options.
Some extra tips:
• If it’s a new meeting, it is important to understand the risks involved for a property. There is always room for new meetings, but you’ll need to work with venues to find the best space and fit.
• Planners have to be flexible to find the best deal. What are the terms and conditions you can operate under?
• Build your relationships. The more relationships you have with suppliers, the better prepared you’ll be to deal. In a tight market, relationships and having choices are king.
What Constitutes Value Now?
It’s a buyer’s market, at least that’s the word on the street. Popular destinations, cruise lines, and even luxury hotels that wouldn’t have looked at some meetings in the past are promoting deals to lure groups and put heads in beds. But before you jump into a sweet-sounding offer, make sure it fits the demographics of your group and the needs of your meeting.
Traditional second- and third-tier cities may still be the best bet for faith-based conferences, which accrue the biggest value from being the only game in town. The impact of large meetings in mid-size and smaller cities is greater than in first-tier cities, meaning you’re in a position to negotiate better rates.
Maybe as important, visitor bureaus, convention centers, and hotels will bend over backwards to make sure your attendees have a great experience and will want to return again. Usually, everyone from hotel staff to retailers and wait staff will know you’re in town and will offer a warm and personal welcome. (Be sure to inquire about special offers and discounts for your group.) You also won’t have to worry about a conflicting or potentially incompatible group running into your attendees in the hotel lobby.
Overall, the cost of living in second- and third-tier cities is lower than in first-tier destinations, translating into savings for your group. Accommodations, restaurants, shopping, and attractions are often nearby, which can mean lower transportation costs. Local professionals (from universities, churches, or industries) can be good, inexpensive resources for presentations. The same holds true for entertainers. The city’s daily or weekly newspaper might be interested in covering your meeting.
Planners should contact the local CVB as early as possible to find out what incentives might be available for convention groups. Some cities offer grants specifically for faith-based and other nonprofit groups to help offset meeting costs. Then, work closely with the convention bureau, identifying local services and opportunities that can help reduce expenses.
Religious groups can enlist volunteers from area churches, as well as offering attendees the opportunity to give back by working on a community project. The CVB can help with these options.
Top Value Cities
Most travel websites agree that the country’s top value cities for the past few years have been Phoenix, Dallas–Fort Worth, Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington (D.C.), Kansas City, Miami, and Milwaukee, based on wide-ranging interests, affordability, and a plethora of accommodations and activities for travelers. This year, you’ll find even more special offers in most of them.
There also are many cities surrounding these metropolitan areas and in other regions with convention centers, new hotels, first-class amenities, compelling attractions, and often a distinctive cultural flavor that offer added value to planners.
Some cities are loaded with freebies that every person in your diverse group can enjoy—from chocoholic to history buff. There are free museums and museums that have at least one free day during the week. There are interesting tours of historic sites, churches, and local manufacturing facilities. The convention and visitors bureau will know which ones offer samples to groups, too. So, in these days of belt-tightening, go local and go free.
The Springfield, Missouri, CVB site has extensive “Free to See” listings that include the Assemblies of God National Headquarters, the Battle of Springfield Driving Tour, the Civil War Library at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, the Railroad Historical Museum, the Candy House Gourmet Chocolates (tasting tours), the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, and tours of the Grizzly Industrial Showroom.
Outdoor activities can add value to meetings in Springfield and Joplin, Missouri—both cities have major lakes, numerous clear-water streams, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Joplin combines the area’s natural beauty with city vitality. Once a mining center, Joplin has been hosting meetings since 1839 when the first settlers came to the area and gathered for small church and religious meetings. Today, the city’s convention center and adjacent Holiday Inn offer 40,000 square feet of meeting space and can accommodate up 2,500 delegates. The CVB offers services that can save planners money, including free goodie bags for all conference attendees.
Another affordable, yet exciting and hospitable meeting destination in the middle of the country is Topeka. Kansas’ capital city has first-class convention facilities, including the Kansas Expocentre with 116,000 square feet of meeting space. Free tours include the State Capitol building, where visitors can learn the state’s history in its dramatic murals and visit the House and Senate chambers. Another big attraction is Old Prairie Town, a 5.5-acre pioneer village on the Oregon Trail.
If you’re looking at a more northern location, Lansing, Michigan, boasts Midwestern hospitality and a proud history. The Lansing Center, situated within view of the Capitol building along the Grand River, is thoroughly modern from its architectural design to the wireless Internet service throughout the facility. The center has more than 120,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Moreover, attendees can walk through history and get a sense of a simpler past at the nearby Lansing City Market.
For planners considering the West Coast, San Jose, California, has been popular with conference groups for years. Besides the favorable climate, an abundance of facilities, and a convenient light rail system, the area’s historic missions add to its potential for faith-based groups.
Rapid City, South Dakota, may not come to mind immediately but the city is equidistant from both coasts and is serviced with direct flights from Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. Surrounded by the Black Hills and a two-million-acre ponderosa forest, the city has thousands of hotel rooms, large meeting facilities, fine dining, and plenty of shopping. Activities range from a buffalo safari to tours of monuments. Mount Rushmore, of course, and the Crazy Horse Memorial are favorite family adventures.
San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas, both are compact cities, with hotels and attractions within walking distance. The Alamo and River Walk in the center of San Antonio offer enough activities to keep your group busy for days. Fort Worth, with plenty of shopping centers and museums to attract visitors, offers excellent meeting space and is close to most Dallas landmarks and attractions as well.
Historic sites and natural attractions, including Dixie and Lurie Caverns, are popular destinations in Virginia’s Roanoke Valley, which has more than 6,000 first-class guestrooms, two civic centers, and an IACC-approved conference center.
If you’re looking for beaches and want to give your landlubbing group some adventure, head to North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast. Citywide events can be accommodated in a headquarters hotel and nearby properties. Tours range from a World War II battleship to a pirate tour through historic Downtown Wilmington.
Photos: Greater Lansing Michigan CVB; VisitTopeka.travel
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