Need to phone a friend?
Every seasoned planner knows that CVBs and DMOs are the best friends they could possibly turn to when planning a meeting. The information and resources these types of agencies provide help planners stick to their budgets and bring the wow factor to their events. But while these organizations’ standard services are common knowledge, some planners may be unsure how to maximize CVB offerings. What questions should they ask CVBs to provide more than the basics and determine if a destination is the best fit? How can they ask CVBs to go above and beyond for their meetings? And how can they ensure they’re fostering positive relationships between themselves and CVB reps?
Here’s what three experts had to say about communicating with CVBs.
Give Them a Checklist
The needs of each meeting will vary depending on what the client wants, so before a planner begins communicating with CVBs, he or she should be crystal clear on what the client is looking for from a destination. That goes beyond just the capacity and hotel tier and extends to everything from downtime activities to how close the group wants to be to the airport.
“I would remind planners to create their own RFPs based on their clients’ needs and to know what those top three needs are,” said Kimberly Wyckoff, owner of KW Meetings & Events. “And make sure the CVB understands them because if they can’t accommodate the top three needs for your client, you’re wasting your time.”
Once planners know those needs, creating an RFP that is outlined on a single document can streamline the selection process by eliminating a lot of back-and-forth with CVBs.
If a destination meets a client’s major criteria, it’s important to look at other key information, like ease of access, available hotel types and venue sizing.
“When I’m first contacting a CVB, what I’m mostly doing is trying to find a hotel home for one of my conferences,” said Abby Freeman, founder and principal planner of Mitchell Meetings. “So all my questions are around how many hotels you have that I can fit in, what do they look like, where are they, that kind of thing.”
Determine the Vibe
Even when destinations meet an event’s main requirements, there’s something about them that can’t always be captured in a simple proposal. A destination’s culture and overall feel — or its “vibe,” as Gen Z might describe it — can be the difference between whether attendees make happy memories or don’t remember a destination at all.
Asking about a city’s walkability, its nightlife, demographics and even factors like crime are all important to determine how an attendee will feel while in the city. This is especially imperative to consider if the target attendee has extra factors to consider, like safety or accessibility.
“We’re trying to provide our clients and attendees with an experience outside of just the hotel,” Wyckoff said. “I’m really working with my CVBs asking, ‘If we’re downtown, what all do you have downtown? What’s going on during this time?’”
One of the best ways for planners to determine the feel of the city is to see it for themselves. It’s common for CVBs to offer site inspections to planners, and even sometimes for planners and their clients, to see the city in person.
An in-person visit can reveal a lot about a destination, including how valid the initial proposals were.
“I need to make sure everything I requested is actually offered,” said Cynthia Graddy, independent event planner at The Graddy Group. “I have a lot of groups that want golf outings, and there are some very beautiful places that only have nine-hole golf courses, and that just doesn’t work for my groups. I need to go and see the quality of the courses for myself.”
An in-person visit lets planners experience everything from a destination’s traffic to the demeanor of its people toward visitors. A CVB rep might act as a friendly ambassador at conferences, but if a planner or client feels unwelcomed by locals, they might determine the city is not a good fit for their group.
“A good CVB is going to show me and my clients the best side of the city and the best parts of it so that we can get a better sense of it,” Freeman said. “Will they give me transportation and take me around the city and make suggestions not just for a hotel, but for some off-site venues?”
Another important factor that a site visit can reveal is a destination’s accessibility. A planner without accessibility training can bring along an accessibility coordinator to see how easily hotels and venues meet accessibility standards.
Ask About Extras
The typical amenities CVBs offer, such as providing information on the city and helping planners source vendors, is helpful, but some CVBs are willing to go above and beyond — planners need only ask.
In addition to vendor sourcing, many destinations can offer rebates and special deals on hotel room blocks in the initial stages of planning, as well as marketing support before the event and even staffing support during the event. A CVB can also go above and beyond by assisting with negotiations when it comes to local vendors, from A/V to transportation.
“They can offer coupons for local restaurants; microsites, which are websites that we can use about the city; and all kinds of literature about the city that we can share with our participants,” Freeman said. “I like to use them for everything.”
It’s often the small details that grab the attention of attendees. Small details like welcome signage, polite volunteers and knowledgeable tourism ambassadors can be the difference between an average attendee experience and a great one.
“It really is the little things sometimes,” Graddy said. “Because they took the time to do that, that’s what gets noticed, and it makes people feel special.”
Make it a Conversation
The best planner-CVB relationships are based on honest, two-way communication that goes beyond a sales pitch. While every CVB wants to sell their destinations, the good ones know that a planner will only be happy if the destination is truly a fit and the meeting goes well.
Fostering a good relationship with CVBs is the first step toward that honesty, so attending industry shows is a must. At conferences or events, while networking with CVB reps, planners can ask for honest, no-frills, “off-the-record” feedback about hotel properties, like which ones will or won’t be a good fit.
These events are also a good way for planners to determine who their strongest contenders are; CVBs that are proactive and can respond to RFPs quickly stand out.
“I generally like the CVB that will reach out to me, if we’ve gone to a trade event,” Wyckoff said. “I have a process where I take their card, screenshot it and send it to my admin team with notes so I remember the details.”
Planners should also be sure to ask for references from CVB reps to determine how strong the fit is for their meeting group.
“I ask other people who’ve been there before, and I tell them, ‘I want your references,’” Graddy said. “If they don’t give me references, that says something.”
Graddy recommends asking destinations for connections with similar groups to see what other planners have to say about how the destination handled their meeting. Failure to provide references can indicate lack of experience with a certain type of group or a history of poor experiences. Either way, knowing this upfront can save planners headaches later.
