Every corporate event is a serious undertaking that could make or break your company. What seems to be a simple mistake could end your company for good, and one just needs to remember the disastrous Fyre Festival to understand why destination management services are important.
Careful planning could have prevented the failure that it was, as the organizers would have known where they can “actually” hold the event that is aligned with their vision, as well as how to budget the funding that they have.
Of course, it was eventually revealed that Fyre Festival leader Bill McFarland was a notorious scammer. Regardless, many of the undesirable consequences of the festival could have been prevented if there were knowledgeable, events marketing-savvy people on the ground working for the organizers.
Explained below are what you should not scrimp on when hiring destination management services, even if you have an equipped in-house marketing or public relations team working for you.
1. Find an appropriate venue for your event
Destination management services know their areas inside and out. This means that they know the right venues for your event and possibly have the best of the best list for you to choose from.
They will weed out the bad locations for you depending on your requirements and preference. Should your initial choice be far from ideal, they will make sure to advise you against it.
2. Get incentives from local suppliers
Take advantage of positive travel insights and incentives through your partner destination management services. According to a new study by the Incentive Research Foundation, travel incentives are on the rise this year, which means that merchants are willing to engage in discount and loyalty programs with their clients.
You can make most of these incentives with well-connected destination management services from your overseas event destination.
3. Come up with an effective marketing campaign
Travel management professionals are experts at what they do and actually went to school to train for it. According to a primer by the International Society of Meeting Planners, travel management professionals have taken up tourism-related courses where they were specifically taught the rigors of the job.
Certifications are respected in this profession. In addition, destination management services’ knowledge of the local business milieu and way of life also allow them to provide you indispensable advice when it comes to marketing and selling tickets for your event.
4. Help attendees find accommodations easily
Destination management services could also provide your staff or attendees travel support when it comes to finding them a suitable place to stay. This can involve anything from airport pickup to end-to-end travel planning.
5. Ensure nothing is lost in translation
It would be nearly impossible for miscommunications to take place between parties with the help of destination management companies. Destination management services act as your local translator, making sure every request is fulfilled to a tee.
Destination management services are a key player to make your event a success. There are hundreds of companies out there that can provide such services, but only a few are reliable.
Make sure that you do extensive background on research on a company before you hire one. Always choose one with a long-standing history in destination management, good reviews and a proven network of suppliers and connections.