© 2006, Educational Institute Chapter 5 Selling the Corporate Meetings Market Convention Management...

© 2006, Educational Institute

Chapter 5 Selling the Corporate

Meetings Market

Convention Management and ServiceSeventh Edition

(478CSB)

2© 2006, Educational Institute

Competencies forSelling the Corporate Meetings Market

1. Identify factors that corporate meeting planners consider when making a site selection.

2. Describe the different types of corporate meetings.

3. Identify characteristics of corporate meetings that are important for selling to the corporate market.

4. Identify who typically decides where to hold a corporate meeting.

5. Describe the tools salespeople use to locate corporations and to find information about the meetings they hold.


What Corporate Meeting Planners Look For

1. Quality food service• F&B functions are major contributors to success

of an event• Very important to planners and attendees

2. Adequate meeting space

3. Service• Most important element in repeat business

4. Enough guestrooms• Prefer to use only one host property

(continued)


What Corporate Meeting Planners Look For

5. Convenient location• Downtown, airport, and certain suburban

properties

6. Attractive location• Consistent with image of the corporation• Especially true for incentive meetings

7. Security• Prefer to meet away from busy areas• Often prefer to be the only group in the hotel

(continued)


Types of Corporate Meetings

1. National and regional sales meetings

2. New product introduction/dealer meetings

3. Professional/technical meetings

4. Management meetings

5. Training meetings

6. Stockholder/public meetings

7. Incentive meetings


Sales and New Product Introduction/Dealer Meetings

Sales Meetings• One of the largest sectors of the corporate meetings market• National attendance about 150, duration 3-4 days• Regional attendance about 50, duration 2-3 days• Meetings may involve new product introductions, sales

training, or morale building• Good source of repeat business for hotels• Generally staged by the sales and marketing department of

each division of a company

(continued)


Sales and New Product Introduction/Dealer Meetings

New Product Introduction/Dealer Meetings• National and regional in scope• Method of creating enthusiasm• Vary greatly in size and duration• Attract top company management, stockholders,

and the press• Excellent chance to "show off" the property and

attract new business

(continued)


Professional/Technical and Management Meetings

Professional/Technical Meetings

• Often take seminar and workshop formats

• Lecture and demonstration by consultants, educators, and/or vendors

(continued)


Professional/Technical and Management Meetings

Management Meetings• May be regular events, or in response to

specific situations• Usually small in size, but premier facilities

are required• Attendees are prospects for divisional or

company meetings• Geographical location varies greatly• Commonly last two days

(continued)


Training and Stockholder/Public Meetings

Training Meetings• All levels of corporate personnel require training• Training meetings in hotels account for the largest number

of corporate meetings• Attendance is usually less than 50, average nearer 30• Duration is usually 3 days• Special requirements: A/V capability, minimal distractions,

adequate light, prompt service• Rarely require prestigious locations• Trainers tend to return to hotels where everything worked

out well

(continued)


Training and Stockholder/Public Meetings

Stockholder/Public Meetings

• Meetings for nonemployees

• Public relations and industrial relations hold exhibits and meetings

(continued)


Incentive Meetings

• A meeting is included in 80 percent of all such trips

• Attendees and planners look for first-class service and accommodations

• Bookings usually guaranteed

• Participants use all of the facilities of the hotel

• Usually indicates high revenue


Characteristics of Corporate Meetings

Cycle/pattern

Lead time

Geography

Kinds of sites

Attendance• Mandatory• Highly predictable• Use of rooming lists and VIP lists common

Duration: average 3 days

(continued)


Characteristics of Corporate Meetings

Exhibits

Meeting room requirements

• Especially need breakout rooms near larger rooms

Repeat business

Multibooking potential

One meeting—one check: master account

Meetings business brings other business

(continued)


Cycle/Pattern and Lead Time

Cycle/Pattern• Irregular• As-needed basis• Usually midweek

Lead Time• Short compared to associations• Incentive meetings: 8–12 months to 2 years• Annual sales meeting: 8–12 months• Most others: 3–6 months• Crisis meetings: virtually no lead time


Geography and Kinds of Sites

Geography• No pattern• No reason to vary site to attract attendees, since

attendance is mandatory• Convenience is most important geographic criterion

Kinds of Sites• Variety; depends on purpose of meeting and

position of attendees• Each property has the right features to host some

kind of corporate meeting


Repeat Business and Multibooking Potential

Repeat Business• Training meetings• Crisis meetings

(continued)


Repeat Business and Multibooking Potential

Multibooking Potential• Same meeting program may be repeated in

several locations• Good for

a) chains, b) hotels with cooperative agreements with

hotels in other cities, and c) hotels that use independent hotel

representatives• More difficult for independent hotels to attract

corporations that repeat meetings

(continued)


Techniques for Selling Corporate Meetings

• Sell the decision-maker, not a go-between.

• Start at the top of the organization chart.

• Pay attention to tomorrow’s decision-maker.


Corporate Meeting Decision-makers • Full-time meeting planner• Company president• Marketing and sales executives• Advertising and sales promotion managers• Other corporate executives: corporate relations; public relations;

industrial relations; communications• Passenger traffic/corporate travel managers• Procurement (purchasing) managers• Training director• Meeting specialists/third-party planners


Tools for Finding Corporate Meeting Planners

Special Meetings Publications• These publications offer advertisement space, sales-

lead services, and rental lists for direct mail• Successful Meetings• Meetings & Conventions• Meeting News

Business Publications• Reach some important prospects• Readership is much broader than target market(s)

(continued)


Tools for Finding Corporate Meeting Planners

Trade Directories and PublicationsTrade Associations

• Their executive directors can give you important leads

Lateral Referral and Penetration• Local suppliers could recommend the property• Large companies have many divisions to

penetrate• Hotel employees may have leads for meetings

business

(continued)


Trade Directories and Publications

• Research the industries of past clients• Dun and Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory• Standard and Poor's Register of Directors and

Executives • Ward’s Business Directory• Meeting Professionals International Membership

Directory• Science and Technical Societies in the U.S. and

Canada• Directory of Corporate Meeting Planners

© 2006, Educational Institute Chapter 5 Selling the Corporate Meetings Market Convention Management...

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