10 tips for a perfect site inspection
DESCRIPTION
The success of your meeting can depend upon a carefully planned and well executed site inspection. Your ultimate destination and facilities choices must be attractive enough to draw attendance, be symbiotic with your organization’s goals and “character,” and have the appropriate space to comfortably accommodate all activities. An unpopular or ill-equipped location can spell disaster for the meeting you worked so hard to produce. Preparing for and executing an expert site inspection is a whirlwind process! It’s difficult to find the time to do it right, but if you don’t, the opportunity to find the best location for your meeting is greatly diminished. This is where the services of your destination expert, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB, sometimes referred to as a Destination Marketing Organization) in the destination they represent, can literally be an extension of your staff, saving you time and money, and allowing you to leverage their local knowledge, relationships, and buying power. So, while using a CVB to assist you in the site inspection planning may be the best tip of all; we have 10 other tips to share as well. These insights will guide you seamlessly through the process of finding just the right fit for your next meeting. In this session you will learn: 10 great tips for super charging your site inspections How to enlist the help of your destination expert from the CVB, as the best first call in any destination to save you both time and moneyTRANSCRIPT
10 Tips for a Perfect Site Inspection
Amy J. RileySr. Dir. of Conv. Sales
Las Vegas CVA
Alex MurphyDir. of Sites & Contract Negotiations
Meeting Expectations, Inc.
Terri RobertsDMAI’s empowerMINT.com
1. Put all your cards on the table early.1. Put all your cards on the table early.
• Beyond rates, dates, space
• Purpose of your meetingPurpose of your meeting
• Attendee demographics
• Typical meeting behavior
• Any hot buttons
• Planner profile• Planner profile
2. Take time to sit…before you walk.2. Take time to sit…before you walk.
• Break the standard pattern
• Get a “lay of the land” before you beginbefore you begin
3. Put Yourself in d ’ hYour Attendees’ Shoes
• Just how VIP is this• Just how VIP is this treatment?
• Determine what is likely to happen to your attendees
4. Make a List of Priorities.4. Make a List of Priorities.
• Predetermine the most important things to see and insist on seeing them first
• Bring a camera or a gvideo device
5. Have a short list, b l f fbut leave room for a few surprises.
• Take control of the d bagenda, but…
• Encourage creativity
6. Address the hard stuff up front.6. Address the hard stuff up front.• It’s not sexy, but it’s gotta be donegotta be done
• AttritionF d/b• Food/beverage minimums
• Extra costs of parking• Extra costs of parking internet, resort fees, etc..etc..
• Meeting room rental or extra time need for set up or tear down
7. Look beyond the h l f lhotel or meeting facility.
• Walk• Walk
• Cab
• Rent a car
• Can’t afford to miss
8. Ask for Examples‐d d b ddiagrams and beyond.
• Seeing is believing• Actual set up• Standard sleeping rooms
• Meet the staff or understand the staffunderstand the staff structure and ratios
9. It’s not easy being green,h !oh yes it is!
• Dispense with the paper
• Carry no bag• Wear comfortableWear comfortable shoes
10. Communicate Your Timelines.10. Communicate Your Timelines.
• Clearly articulate the ydecision process
• Define your follow upDefine your follow up needs and expectationsexpectations
• You CVB partner can help communicatehelp communicate and consolidate
11. Use the CVB as Your Extended ffStaff.– You thought thereYou thought there were only 10!
–Kindly refer back to–Kindly refer back to tip #6…there’s nothing like a littlenothing like a little surprise!
With over 113,000 hotels and facilities in the US… hi h ?which one?
Connect with over 880 destination experts h l FIND j h i h FITto help you FIND just the right FIT…
Direct to the CVB ….one‐stop‐shop for planners:p p p
•Planners easily search and compare meeting needs across multiple destinations.p
•Planners save time and money submitting one FastTrackRFP to multiple destinations.
•Planners manage a single profile, check their histories and power shop at over 200 top cities.
