(compiled from staff reports from Association Meetings Magazine) CVBs are a sales engine. Meeting planners partnering with them should do so early on. Even if the planner is brand loyal, linking up with the CVB can help search out tips and suggestions.
Through the Eyes of Planners
- The CVB will make you look good. They know everything that has ever worked for groups and planner can depend on them to be a partner to be a bridge to a community. With selecting services and suppliers, the planner needs the CVBs help.
- CVBs are getting more and more creative in finding ways to assist the planner. Sales Efforts are more aggressive, and they're planning more familiarization tours and featuring the city as a destination, not just a hotel. Some CVs are taking their cities "on the road" with media presentations. Those are fine, but nothing takes the place of experiencing the touch and feel of a destination.
- The planner should be be fair and honest when submitting a request for proposal. CVBs represent a large number of properties; CVBs can be of the help if the planner provides an accurate, detailed RFP.
- The planner should be realistic with attendance estimates. Don't say, "We had 40 last year, but we're expecting at least 90 this year."
- If the planner has had a bad experience in a city, check back later with the CVB. New people or new practices might be in place.
- Look for professional and competent staffing in CVBs. With sales, look for people are knowledgeable about the market and are responsive to needs.
- After the planner has booked a meeting, they should turn to the CVB's event-management team and ask to help identify all the things that the CVB can do for the planner's organization.
- For housing, generally, the planner can work with the CVBs housing bureau. If you go this route, get assurances that the CVB is capable of processing reservations promptly.
- Planners can look to the CVB for help with volunteers. Many cities have volunteers who are available to help throughout the event
- If a city is no longer being considered for a meeting, the planner should let the CVB know.
Through the Eyes of CVB Personnel
- Nobody knows the city better than the CVB. The CVb will try to determine the purpose of the meeting and the planner's priorities. The CVb can save a lot of time, and best of all, most if not all services are free
- The CVB is the face of the city.
- CVBs can do as much or as little as the planner wants. For example, if the planner wants welcome banners, the CVB can do that. If the planner wants letters of welcome from elected officials, they can do that too.
- Typically, the purpose of CVBs is generate revenue for their cities. The CVBs goal is to relieve the planner's stress and make the meeting a great experience so that the organization will come back again.
- CVBs do bid proposals -- they even do presentations to decision makers.
- CVBs join the meeting planner's team when they come to the city and you're the boss. The CVB does what the planner tells them to do
- If the planner needs funding for a meeting, the CVB can help find sponsors.
- The CVB can help put the planner in touch with local members of the organization.
- CVBs know the hotels and attractions and work well with them.
- The CVB will help that planner with whatever services needed, even if the planner has already committed to a hotel.
- The CVB wants the conference to well attended and will provide attendance-building tools.
- The CVB cannot recommend one hotel over another based on which one the CVB likes.
- If the planner is new to meeting planner, the CVB can look over the meeting spec and find ways to save the organization money.
- The CVB can inform the planner about what else is going on in the city, and about groups in town that might be incompatible.