Convention Visitor’s Bureau

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SCOPING OUT SITES OUTSIDE LA

by Nicholas Harper

One of the first things anyone should do that is planning to exhibit at a convention or show in a city away from home is check out the local Convention Visitor’s Bureau (CVB). Most cities these days have them and they give you instant entree into virtually any show market and

connect you with the right people to get the job done. Knowing how these

high-powered bureaus operate, and how to use their newly expanded

services, can help you stage a top-notch event in even the most

unfamiliar surroundings.

Services that were once available only in major show destinations are

now offered by small- to medium-sized cities as CVBs of all sizes try to

be more full-service. Because shows are a major source of revenue for

them, whether in terms of hotel room nights or of dollars spent at

consumer shows, CVBs will do whatever it takes to get your business.

Here’s a sampling of services:

-Site selection assistance. When one Los Angels-based show manager began searching for

new venues, she spread the word, and bureaus from Denver to Dallas and

New Orleans to Portland, OR rolled out the red carpet. She visited

several sites and at each one was hosted by a liaison from the local

CVB. In New Orleans, for example, she visited 20 properties, discussed

room blocks, dined at “incredible” restaurants and met event planners

who could coordinate extra-curricular activities for attendees.

-Pre-show promotion. Once you’ve chosen your show location, ask for CVB

help in spreading the word. After the American Academy of Family

Physicians (AAFP) selected Dallas for its annual meeting, the Dallas CVB

sent its convention services manager (CSM) to the AAFP’s meeting the

year before to promote the upcoming event. The CSM staffed a 10-by-10

booth where she distributed brochures and maps, answered questions about

everything from Dallas weather to her favorite Mexican restaurant, and

recorded the names of people who requested more information.

-Supplier contacts. CVBs make sure you meet florists, hoteliers,

photographers and other professionals. “The focus now is on providing

customers with information about only the facilities and services they

need,” says the executive director of one CVB. But, a word of caution:

CVBs are member-driven. The hotels, restaurants, attractions and other

industry suppliers you’re offered still come from CVB membership rolls.

Also, because of their neutral position, CVBs rarely recommend one

supplier over another.

-Collateral connections. CVBs will send your potential exhibitors and

attendees four-color brochures, maps, fact sheets and directories,

usually at little or even no cost.

TIP: If you’re a show manager seeking bureau assistance, look for a

destination where your show will have the most impact. If you’re a big

fish in a little pond, the local CVB will go that extra distance to

accommodate your event.

Help for Those Who Help Themselves

Get the most out of your working relationship with the CVB in a city of

any size by keeping these tips in mind:

-Know your show. How many exhibitors do you expect? What are their

special needs? How many attendees came to your last show? Did the

location affect that number? What off-site events does the show sponsor?

The answers will make finding the right city — and the right CVB to

work with — much easier.

-Do your own homework. Develop demographic requirements as they relate

to your target audiences, talk with other show professionals about

venues they’ve used and visit sites on your own. After you narrow the

field, solicit help only from those CVBs whose cities interest you the

most.

-Deliver your specs. Provide the show specifications that CVBs need to

link you with the best contacts in their cities. Tell them what

suppliers you’ll need so they can complete the necessary legwork before

you arrive. Get a good fix on the number of room nights your group will

take, the probable off-site events you’ll generate and the financial

impact your event could have on the local economy.

-Make reasonable requests. Prioritize your wish list, letting CVBs know

what you absolutely must have and what could be considered optional.

It’s Not an Inspection Checklist

A detailed checklist of fundamental specifications is essential to

conducting a productive site inspection. But it’s also important to go

beyond such quantifiable basics as available exhibit space and meeting

rooms. Here are other factors to take into consideration before making

your final decision:

-First-hand experiences. Even if you are very familiar with a facility,

check with show managers who have used it recently. Are any areas being

renovated? Have union situations changed? Have local traffic patterns

changed?

-Service-contractor insights. If possible, take your contractor with you

on the site inspection. The contractor’s familiarity with the facility

can help with details that save time, trouble and money.

-Attitude of facility staff. Did they make an attempt to understand your

show? Did they ask about your overall objectives as frequently as they

asked about their potential revenues?

-Management concerns. Do you want information on union jurisdictions?

Are you concerned about the liability limits you’ll be required to

carry? Include anything that you want to know about that you won’t

actually “see” on your inspection.

-Show-specific needs. Do you have any unusual requirements for power?

Storage of exhibit materials? Security? Signage?

-What-ifs. What happens if power goes down? If there’s a fire at 2 a.m.?

If the cleaning crew doesn’t show up when it should? Is there a call

list for senior management, and does the event coordinator have the

authority to summon the person who will solve your problem?

-How it all works. Visit on a busy day, during a big show, to find out

if the facility lives up to management’s promises and really can meet

your needs. Check out such things as the lines in the registration area

and at the concessions, and traffic flow in the exhibit halls.

Second-Tier, Not Second Rate

Considering second-tier cities for your event dramatically expands your

options. But are they the right choice for you? This list of pros and

cons can help you decide. But remember: each destination has its own

unique characteristics, and this list does not apply in its entirety to

every second-tier city.

The Upside

-Second-tiers try harder. You’ll get more attention from the CVB, the

convention center, hotels and vendors. They appreciate your business and

recognize that you have many other cities to choose from.

-Many costs are lower. You could find better rates for meeting space

rentals, hotel rooms, food and beverage, and labor.

-You’re worth more. The economic impact of an exposition is felt more

keenly in a second-tier city. And that increases your negotiation power.

-Your event looks bigger. Filling an entire convention center, rather

than one corner of a larger facility, makes your show look more

impressive to exhibitors and buyers alike.

-Labor is less stressful. Many second-tier cities have relaxed work

rules that save exhibitors an enormous amount of money and create a more

user-friendly environment for your exhibitors.

The Downside

-Fewer services. One show manager finds that convention centers in

second-tier cities don’t always have enough tables and chairs for

breakout meetings, or can’t make signs quickly enough.

-Limited attractions. Some second-tier cities have less to offer for

dining, entertainment and sightseeing. This might be important for shows

that are spouse-oriented.

-Transportation hassles. Although some second-tier cities are served by

virtually every major airline, others are less easily accessed by air.

This is a special concern for overseas attendees who might need to take

connecting flights.

-Less international appeal. Many international participants are aware of

only the largest exposition cities and might consider a show in a

second-tier city less important. Also, they might prefer cities with

many attractions – for a vacation in addition to the event.

Hotel Hospitality

Hotel exhibit space can be an option for both trade and consumer shows.

Some hotels have large, dedicated exhibit space and state-of-the-art

services that rival those of the best convention centers. Others can

turn their ballrooms and meeting rooms into high-quality exhibit space.

Some have flexible rooms that can be converted into exhibit space, but

they lack many of the support services needed by a show organizer.

Keeping that broad spectrum in mind, you can use these guidelines to

help determine if a hotel is the appropriate choice for your event:

-Fewer distractions. Because everything and everyone is self-contained,

exhibitors and attendees can go directly from their rooms to the

program. Show organizers don’t have to consider shuttle transportation,

attendees are less likely to stray to go shopping or sightseeing if they

aren’t leaving the building, and networking opportunities are greater

when people spend more time in the same building.

-Simplified contracts. You’re dealing with a single entity for exhibit

space, room blocks, insurance, catering, audiovisual needs, spouse

programs and so on.

-More bargaining chips. If you’re booking rooms and holding food

functions, you’re bringing in more total revenue and are therefore in a

better position to negotiate costs — including costs for exhibit space,

which are frequently non-negotiable in a convention center.

-Multi-group competition. Simultaneous events are not as segregated as

they are in a convention center. This could mean confusion in common

registration areas or in lobbies, or crowding in food areas at mealtimes

and freight elevators during move-in/move-out.

-Restricted exhibit space. Hotels are less likely than convention

centers to have large, column-free expanses of exhibit space. Also,

ceilings are generally lower — typically, 17 to 23 feet high, vs. 30 to

35 feet in convention centers.

-Limited utilities. This could be a concern for show managers whose

exhibitors consume quantities of electricity, water or compressed air.

-Awkward move-in/move-out. Hotels typically have limited loading dock

facilities, without direct dock access to the exhibit areas. This could

mean higher drayage rates. Also, marshaling facilities might be lacking.

-Exclusive contractors. Some hotels have exclusive or in-house

contractors. This could be a problem for show managers who have a

contract or long-term relationship with a contractor.

What You Can Negotiate

Space rates are often cast in stone by governmental bodies such as

facility authorities, city councils, state legislatures or other

agencies. If you manage a consumer show, or a small or regional show,

you aren’t booking enough hotel rooms to have much clout in the city.

Mega-shows that can fit into just a few cities, or shows that have rigid

schedules, also have little flexibility. Does that mean that negotiation

with the facility is a lost cause for most show managers?

Hardly. The key is learning what to negotiate. Here are some of the

areas that show managers have negotiated successfully. For best results,

don’t ask for them all. Choose the ones that are most important to you,

and the ones on which you are willing to yield.

-Payment plans. Can the facility reduce the amount of your deposit? Can

it adjust the due date to accommodate your organization’s fiscal year or

marketing budget?

-Move-in/move-out days. Aim for a time period that is reasonable, given

the size and complexity of your show. But don’t automatically jump at

“free” days. If the facility’s schedule gets pressed, and it cuts some

of your free time, you won’t be compensated. But if you’re paying for

the time that’s cut, your prorated refund can help pay for any overtime

charges you incur.

-Comfort items. Will the air conditioning be turned on during move-in?

Will the lights be at full power? Will food-and-beverage service be

available during all hours of move-in/move-out? If these are really

important to you, you might want to hold firm here and yield elsewhere.

-Food and beverage. These rates are usually negotiable if you’re holding

several food functions on site. But go beyond rates. Can you extend the

hours that food stands are open, for the convenience of exhibitors

working late? What about free coffee and doughnuts for exhibitors on

set-up days? Upgraded centerpieces? Extra servers for large food

functions?

-Meeting rooms. This is one of the most flexible areas. If the facility

provides ice water only for head tables, request it for all tables. Ask

for draped tables, with pencils and note pads. Try for extra rooms for

board-of-directors lounge, speaker-prep rooms, press rooms or executive

offices. If you are using a large portion of the facility and purchasing

substantial food and beverage, ask for a waiver of meeting room set-up

charges or the fee for turning a room more than once a day.

-Safety and health personnel. Can you choose your own provider for

on-duty nurses and paramedics? If not, can you negotiate hours or rates?

-Trash removal. You might be able to negotiate a lower rate if you can

demonstrate that your show has low trash output.

Avoid Billing Errors

Billing errors can wipe out your hard-won negotiation gains. These tips

can help you spot or prevent such errors:

-Have operations people on site who know your budget.

-Insist on a bill before you leave the hall.

-Don’t pay undocumented charges.

-Before dismantling, walk the show floor with facility personnel and

check the usable square footage. Is it really as stated? Should you

receive deductions for any pillars and posts? If aisles run through any

large block exhibits because of fire regulations, be sure the aisles are

deducted from total exhibit space.

-Create sign-in sheets for all workers contracted through the facility.

The sheets help you locate personnel, but also account for hours worked.

-Send the facility a function manual listing everything you order. Then,

have your staff sign off on room set-ups and event orders. If something

is delivered that you did not order, alert the facility immediately and

head off that charge.

Leveraging your show’s value

The greater your show’s economic impact, the stronger your negotiating

position. Be prepared to prove how many dollars will come into the

community and how many businesses will benefit from your event. Assemble

figures on everything from hotel, restaurant, entertainment and shopping

expenditures, to facility rent and general and specialty contractor

expenses. If you manage a smaller show, include even more statistics,

totaling small-ticket items such as parking revenues.

Nicholas Harper is an independent trade show consultant based in Ventura.

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