Chapter 5

Planning Meetings, Conventions, and Exhibition

Sponsors of Meetings, Conventions, and Exhibitions

Sponsors of meetings, conventions, and exhibitions can be:

1. Associations 4. Independent companies 5. Religious groups

2. Corporations who sponsor and operate 6. Theater and arts groups
3. Trade Unions trade shows 7. Social organization

These organizations have varied reasons for sponsoring meetings,

conventions or exhibitions. In the case of corporations, meetings may be
designed to disseminate information, solve problems, train people or plan for
the future. Associations may sponsor meetings and exhibitions for purposes of
networking, educating members, solving problems or generating revenue.

Sponsors of meetings, conventions and exhibitions are responsible for

determining whether or not there is a valid need for the meeting. After
justifying the need for holding the meeting, the sponsor must decide how to
plan the meeting. Planning is often assigned to individuals who have little
knowledge on how to plan, organize and execute meetings. Thus, it is not
surprising that meetings are poorly organized and the participants become
disappointed. To avoid this problem, many sponsoring organizations hire
individuals who have formal training in meetings management.

In the case of exhibitions, sponsors either take the role of exhibition

manager or find someone to fill the position. Exhibition managers can be
employees of an association or a show management company OF they can be
private entrepreneurs who perform tasks such as the conceptualization and
development of trade shows. (Rutherford, Pp. 51)

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The Bidding Process

The bid is the most critical marketing tool in obtaining business. The
bid should answer all the needs and requirements specified by an organization
in a clear and concise manner. This bid may be presented to an individual, a
small committee, a board of directors or a general assembly of hundreds or
even thousands of people. The presentation may take place when decision
makers visit the city or it may take place in another location. The presentation
may be given to 2 client who is well known by the bureau or to a relatively
new client. Each bid presentation will have its own unique character depending
on the potential client and the character of the bureau. The following are
important in the bid process:

Preparation

1. Request a “bidform” or information about the specific needs and requirements of

the organization. This could be as short as one page or longer. It is the document that
explains in detail what the organization needs in order to host its meeting.

2. Research the history of the organization for at least the past four years; analyze any
discrepancies and clarify them with the organization’s meeting planner.

3. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of your destination from the perspective of the
meeting planner.

4. How is the bid to be made? Will the organization allow an oral presentation or does
it only accept written bids or both?

5. Find out all the logistical details of the bid presentation such as location, date and
time.

a. time limitation of the presentation

b. required number of copies of bid

c. size and setup of the room

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 d. whether access to the room for preparation is allowed

e. number of people to whom the presentation will be made

f. names, titles and addresses of people to whom the presentation will

be made

g. who else will be making presentations

h. whether there are any restrictions or rules pertaining to the

presentation

6. Meet with the leaders of the local constituency to discuss the strengths of the local
chapter. Clarify the role the local leadership will have in the bid presentation. Then
assess whether support from the surrounding areas can be obtained for this bid.

7. Classify the type of the organization-social, political, scientific, educational etc.

8. Analyze your market position-what makes your destination different or better than
another. This positioning of a destination is important to identify its uniqueness and
give it value as 4 meeting, convention or trade show location.

9. Contact previous host cities and ask for their help in dealing with the organization's
planner.

10. Work with the local representatives to pre-sell your destination through a letter
writing campaign including variety of photographs or pictures.

Presentation

1. Be sure that the presentation document is complete neat and readable without
misspellings and grammatical errors.

2. Personalize the bid document. Some bureaus even engrave the names of decision
makers on the cover of the bid document to give it a more personalized touch.

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3. Send invitational letters in protocol order from congressional representatives, state
representatives, senators, governors, mayors, local members and the bureau. Each
letter should not exceed one page.

4. If there is a “bidform” from the organization, be sure It is completely filled out with
the needed supplemental information. Be sure to include color photographs and the
brochures that will sell your destination.

5. If an oral presentation is made, prepare the scripts of each person who will
participate in the presentation. Open with a local member of the group’s constituency,
followed by a mayor or other high-ranking local government official. Then the
bureau’s sales executive should make a brief but detailed presentation. The local
member will close the oral presentation.

The Process of Planning a Meeting, Convention and Exhibition

There are several steps to be followed in the process of planning a

meeting, convention and exhibition. These are:

1. Establish goals and objectives. 6. Negotiating contracts.

2. Targeting the population. 7. Formulating committees.

3. Designing the program. 8. Establishing a marketing and promotion

plan.
4. Creating a budget.
9. Hiring subcontractors.
5. Selecting a site.
10. Designing food and beverage functions.

The Process continues on-site during the actual event. Activities include move-
in/move-out, implementing the plan, coordinating the various participants in the event
and managing the overall meeting. Post-event activities include evaluation, feedback
and planning for the future.

Goals and Objectives

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 The goals and objectives of a meeting, convention or exhibition should be
established by the sponsor. One of the first responsibilities of a meeting planner is to
meet with the sponsor of the event in order to know the reasons for holding the
meeting. The meeting planner should understand whether the sponsor of the meeting
or convention is interested in providing an educational experience for the attendees,
entertaining the attendees and their families, boosting the morale of the attendees,
solving a specific problem or a combination of these objectives.

Targeting the Population

After determining the goals and objectives, those involved in the planning
stage of the meeting, convention and exhibition must determine who should attend.

In the case of exhibitions, the development of the exhibitor list as well as the
target audience must be considered. The sponsoring organization must attract
exhibitors to their exhibition. To do this, the sponsor should convince the exhibitors
that the show will provide an excellent marketing opportunity for them. The
sponsoring organization should provide the exhibitor with a prospectus outlining the
proposed audience thus allowing the exhibitor to determine whether or not attendees
are their targeted audience. Targeting the population is very important to both
meetings and exhibitions.

Designing the Program

The program design is the structuring, balancing and pacing of the program by
combining major topics and sub-topics, passive and active sessions, Serious and fun
presentations to provide professional and personal growth and networking
opportunities for participants (Price, P. 11)

The program design should include the theme and the agenda of the meeting,
convention and exhibition. In designing the theme for the meeting, convention and
exhibition, planners should ensure that the theme should take into consideration the
needs of the audience, the objectives of the event and should provide continuity.
(Juergens, Pp. 9-10). For example, the theme for the Annual Convention of Tourism

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Educators of Schools, Colleges and Universities (TESCU) held from September 19-
23, 2003 at the Traders Hotel was “Innovating Tourism Education: Creating a
Research Culture.” Included in the agenda were several resource speakers who spoke
on the value of research in tourism education, different research methodologies as well
as trends in tourism research.

Budget

According to PC. Dotson, a budget is an estimate of income and expenses and

a plan to adjust the anticipated expenses to the expected income. Overall budget
figures are usually provided by the sponsoring organization but specific guidelines are
normally obtained from previous conferences, meetings or exhibitions budgets.

A budget includes fixed expenses, variable expenses and sources of revenue.

Fixed expenses are not dependent on the number of attendees. Examples of fixed
expenses are administrative fees, postage and printing, advertising and promotion,
staff travel, speaker fees, contracts with certain suppliers such as audio-visual firms.

Variable expenses are those that fluctuate depending on the number of

attendees. Examples are food and beverage, hospitability programs, exhibition
expenses, guest rooms, gratuities, registration materials, printed materials such as
programs, proceedings and hand-outs, support personnel and evaluation materials.

After determining the expenses, sources of revenue to support the activities

must be developed. Registration fees to support the activities must be developed.
Registration fees are the a most constant source of income for conferences. Other
sources of revenue are advertising, sales of cassette tapes, educational material from
the event, sponsorship, grants, company funding and funding provided by the
sponsoring organization or company. It would be impossible to host a meeting,
convention and exhibition without these sources.

Site Selection

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 The site selection process is a very important part of the activities of the
sponsoring organization. The site is a critical factor in the success or failure of the
event. The two most important factors in site selection are convenience and cost.
(Conlin, p. 15)

In the site selection process, the planner must first consider the goals and
objectives that have been established for the meeting, convention and exhibition.
Based on these goals and objectives, a meeting plan or format is developed. The next
step is to develop a group prospectus that will enable the meeting planner or
exhibition manager to determine the physical requirements for the meeting,
convention and exhibition. A prospectus is a formal document that outlines in detail
the history of the sponsoring group and attendees as well as a proposal of the specific
requirements for the meeting or convention. All site requirements are included such as
preferred dates, number and type of guest rooms; number, size and usage of meeting
rooms and estimated times required; range of acceptable rates, dates and food and
beverage events or activities and other related information. This prospectus is sent to
the Convention and Visitors Bureau of the city being considered. The Convention and
Visitors Bureau will then pass the prospectus to all member properties. The properties
that meet the physical requirements of the meeting, convention and exhibition will
submit a proposal of what their properties have to offer to the Convention and Visitors
Bureau. The bureau will organize the material and send a complete packet to the
meeting planner OF exhibition manager to enable them to review all possible sites.
The Convention and Visitor Bureau will also organize familiarization trips to allow
the planner to visit the possible sites and do on-site inspections. If there is no
Convention and Visitors Bureau in the host city, the meeting planner must request
proposals from individual properties.

During the site inspection, the meeting planner should bring a checklist that
includes the following areas: sleeping rooms, meeting and exhibition space,
transportation (airport and ground) food and beverage, recreation (on site and local
attractions) and services.

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 In retrieving the sleeping rooms, a meeting planner should consider the number
of available rooms, types of rooms provided, quality of furnishings, security of the
room and corridors, accessibility for handicapped persons, quality of lighting for
reading and adequacy of work surfaces.

In the case of meeting rooms, the points to be reviewed are the following: the
number, shape and size of rooms, quality of furnishings, lighting, accessibility of
audio-visual equipment and suitability for exhibits. In reviewing exhibition space, the
following points should be considered during the inspection: square footage of exhibit
space, accessibility, limitations placed on move-in and move-out activities, utilities,
policies regarding storage and exclusivity of subcontractors.

Since transportation accounts for a large portion of the budget there are two
issues that need careful attention: First, the planner should consider how to get the
attendees to the host city in which the meeting is being held. Second, the planner
should also consider how to move them from one location to another a within the host
city. The planner and exhibition manager must also consider the transfer of exhibit
materials, office supplies and registration materials to the exhibit site.

At present, most individuals attending meetings, conventions and exhibitions

either fly or drive. Attendees flying should be able to travel form the airport to the host
facility efficiently and safely. For those who are driving, city maps, hotel maps and
street signs should be detailed, accurate and clear so that attendees do not get lost. The
meeting planner should review all possible means of transportation such as airport
shuttles, taxis, city buses and car rental.

If the program design requires moving attendees from one facility to another
during the conference, a ground service operator may be contacted. A ground service
operator is a company or person in a destination city that handles local transportation
and other local travel needs. Ground service operators May be used to shuttle
attendees to and from the convention facility to their various hotels. They may also be
used to take attendees to special events that are held away from the host facility.

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 The meeting planner should also consider the attendees with special needs such
as the older attendees, those traveling with small children and the handicapped
attendees. The persons involved with the site selection should also pay close attention
to the service attitude of those who will be interacting with the attendees.

Another area that must be reviewed during the site selection process is the
ability of the host city and property to provide services and facilities for leisure time
activities. According to J. Conlin, the four main leisure activities which are important
in the success of meetings are golf, free time, tennis and tours.

Negotiations and Contracts

The negotiation of price and services will begin after the site has been selected.
Negotiations are usually undertaken between the representatives of the host property
and the sponsoring organization. Negotiable areas include sleeping rooms, function
space, safety, security, accessibility, food and beverages, renovation and construction,
contingencies, restrictions and Cancellations.

Once the negotiations have been concluded, a contract is written and signed. A
contract 5 a legal document which defines the responsibilities of all the parties
concerned.

Formulating Committees

The formulation of committees is necessary in the sponsorship of a meeting,

convention and exhibition. Each committee should have its own specific goals and
objectives. If the sponsor of the conference is a professional association, the by-laws
of the association usually contains the committee structure to plan, organize and
operate the conference. Each committee should have a chair and members. Examples
of association committees are the program committee, Ways and means committee,
membership committee, committee on budget and finance, committee on publications
and public relations, social committee.

Marketing and Promotion

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 The following should be considered in order to successfully market and
promote a conference:

1. Determine the break-even 3. Develop a timetable.

attendance figures.
4. Implement the program.
2. Develop a marketing plan.
5. Evaluate the program.

Marketing procedures should begin by determining the break-even attendance

figures. The break-even attendance figures is the minimum number of paying
attendees the conference must have in order not to lose money. At the very least, the
minimum number of attendees must create enough revenue to cover the expenses. In
determining this number, the sponsors must have a clear idea of their budget.

A marketing plan must be designed once the break-even figures are

determined. A marketing plan is a written blueprint of an organization's marketing
activities regarding a particular meeting, convention and exhibition. It contains the
goals and objectives of the marketing and promotion of the conference, target market
and the marketing strategies to be used.

A timetable must be developed after a marketing plan has been established.

P.C. Watson suggests that all important information regarding registration,
transportation, housing, seminars, etc. be sent six to eight weeks before the meeting,
convention and exhibition.

Food and Beverage Functions

The food and beverage functions must jibe with the program design and budget
for the meeting, convention and exhibition. The sponsor has the responsibility to:

1. Determine the number of food and beverage functions needed for the
conference.

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 2. Determine the type of food and beverage functions needed for the
conference.

3. Determine the cuisine.

4. Guarantee attendance figures.

5. Develop a system for record keeping.

In determining the number of food and beverage functions to be included in a

meeting, convention and exhibition, the sponsor must consider the overall budget.

After determining the number of food and beverage functions, the type of
function should be established. The following are the various ways of providing food
and drink to the attendees:

1. Breakfast 4 Refreshment breaks 7. Theme parties

2. Lunch 5. Receptions 8. Late night suppers

3. Dinner 6. Hospitality suites 9. Recreational

activities

In choosing the cuisine for a meeting or convention, the meeting planner

should know the desires of the attendees. Although there is a trend towards lighter
menu choices, there are still some attendees who prefer heavier food. The planner
therefore, must know his or her group and choose menus accordingly.

Once the meeting planner has determined the number, type and cuisine for the
food and beverage functions, attendance figures must be established. Since food and
beverage functions are very expensive, the sponsoring organization and the meeting
planner must give special attention to the number of guarantees. According to C.
Price, a guarantee Is the minimum number of meals to be served and will have to be
paid for. Host properties generally require 24 to 48 hours advanced minimum
guaranteed number. This allows both the planner and the host property to operate
within a margin of safety.

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 The area to be considered in food and beverage is record keeping. There are
many ways of ascertaining the number of people served at the food and beverage
functions. The most common methods are head count, ticket count, plate count and
food consumed.

Food and beverage plays a vital role in the overall success of the meeting,
convention and exhibition. Hence, it is necessary that the meeting planner work
closely with the food and beverage department of the host facility to ensure that plans
are accurately made and that execution of these plans are efficiently done.

On-Site Management

On-site management involves overseeing every aspect of the meeting or

convention from the time the registration table open until the last guest departs. For
large meetings that last several days, one person cannot attend every activity. Thus,
the planner and sponsor should have a good working relationship with the site staff
and suppliers to be sure that every activity is carried out on the scheduled time.

The planner should arrive a few days before the event to meet with the hotel
staff, suppliers, personnel and other key individuals. This pre-convention meeting
allows all parties to understand their needs during the event. Price recommends that
the pre-con meeting should include each department that has specific responsibilities
during the meeting such as the Front Desk, Accounting, Security, Electrician and Bell
staff. in addition, the hotel sales manager, the convention services manager and the
general manager should also attend the meeting.

The planner should make sure that all employees are at their assigned areas,
pick up messages regularly from the staff office and maintain regular communication
with the suppliers and personnel through such devices as beepers, Pagers and walkie
talkies.

The planner must also monitor on-site attendance. It is important to know how
many people attend each function. Attendance figures should be recorded on a form

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prepared for this purpose. After the convention, the planner and the sponsor can use
the attendance results to plan for next year’s meeting or convention.

The planner should also conduct a post-conference meeting to evaluate the

meeting — its strengths and weaknesses. Other important post-meeting activities
include writing thank-you notes, reviewing and paying bills, tipping and gift giving.

EVALUATION

A meeting has to be evaluated in order to ascertain whether the goals that were
established during the conceptualization phase were realized.

There are several ways of evaluating meetings. Smaller meetings can be

evaluated through informal methods. Comment cards and informal conversations with
the planner Can be used to obtain a general feedback. After the meeting, the sponsor
or planner may telephone some attendees and ask about their impressions of the event.
Another method is a focus group which may give suggestions for improvement.

Formal methods such as questionnaires or surveys are other ways of evaluating

the meeting or convention. Questionnaires should be short and easy to understand. To
increase the return rate, questionnaires should be designed in such a way that it can be
easily and quickly completed. Thorough evaluation makes poor programs good and
good programs excellent (Juergens,2000).

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