2015–16 SALES & MARKETING PLAN
POSITIONING STATEMENT INTRODUCTION
Driven by caring and creative staff, Lansing Center is Michigan’s solution-focused venue. We are dedicated to creating unique personalized experiences for our customers and attendees.
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Lansing Center is responsible for having a positive impact on our community through the economic and social benefit we bring by hosting events and meetings. Our team must accomplish this goal, while at the same time maintaining a fiscally responsible budget. While significant accomplishments have been achieved, we intend to reach even higher. The following document outlines our 2015-16 sales and marketing objectives and strategies that will assist us in achieving these results.
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OBJECTIVE #1 Achieve current and future year revenue and economic impact goals
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OBJECTIVE SUMMARY • Reach convention room night actualized goal of 24,000 • Work towards future year convention room night goal of 19,000 • Achieve current year revenue goal of $4,980,838 • Secure 2016-17 room rental of $825,000 by June 30, 2016
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Strategies: • Foster and maintain good working relationships with convention hotels to ensure we receive timely and accurate room night data • Utilize the Next Step Report to ensure we are meeting our obligations to move business forward • Consistently utilize weekly triad meeting • Identify opportunities to improve the joint proposal process, including the letter and the offerings within it, if possible • Review the CVB’s documents and communications pertaining to Lansing Center and request the opportunity to provide input on improvements • Review the CVB’s process for investigating and passing on leads, and identify ways to make improvements • Identify new channels to reach new meeting planners with high potential to book • Develop reporting and improvements in the area of customer acquisition • Develop reporting and improvements in the area of customer retention • Renew current sponsorships and obtain new sponsorships • Develop agreed-upon sales talking points • Develop agreed-upon sponsorship talking points • Gather visitor data for sponsorship talking points and other uses • Improve website • Improve sales collateral • Improve site tour process
Measurement:
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• Convention room nights actualized goal will be measured in a monthly report created by the downtown hotel property along with an estimated 5,000 room nights produced throughout the city. Future consideration should be given to better measure city-wide hotel room night impact of Lansing Center. • Future year room nights will be measured based on the monthly room night booking report created by the Convention and Visitors Bureau • Current year revenue will be measured by the Lansing Center profit and loss statement • Future year room rental will be measured weekly by the Lansing Center Pace Report • Include “how did you hear about us?” question on customer evaluation form to determine what efforts are effective
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OBJECTIVE #2 Enhance the customer journey
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OBJECTIVE SUMMARY Includes all customer touchpoints: • All instances of customer service • Procedures involving customers • Customer-facing communications • New and existing retention and relationship-building practices • Physical touchpoints within the building
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Strategies: • • • • • • • • •
Identify areas where customer service can be improved Improve written documents Develop procedural documents, implement procedures, ensure accountability Identify the procedures that involve customers, then make improvements to those procedures for a better customer experience Identify other non-customer service, non-procedural customer touchpoints (i.e. building fixtures, furniture, decor), then make improvements to the touchpoints that need it Continue the Customer Advisory Board, implement badge program, improvements that result, and develop future projects with CAB Develop and implement customer recognition and entertainment tactics Improve customer evaluation form for clarity and usefulness Train employees on new programs and procedures that result from these efforts
Measurement: • Measure retention rates YOY (based on date of booking, not event dates) • Monitor improvement in customer evaluation scores in the areas of customer service and other aforementioned areas • Conduct focus groups before and after improvements to processes that involve customers (i.e. online bill paying) and measure satisfaction and ease of use scores pre- and post-improvement • Survey customers and/or conduct focus group of CAB about experiences pre- and post- badge program implementation • Institute suggestion box for attendee use and monitor number of suggestions pre- and postimprovements to affected areas
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OBJECTIVE #3 Innovate the way in which we serve our customers and each other
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OBJECTIVE SUMMARY Improve our practices and facility to secure our place at the forefront of the venue management and events industries, focusing on these areas: • Capital improvement • Team member education • Technology • Customer experience • Reporting and analysis
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Strategies: • Regularly identify educational opportunities for each department and share them with the management team • Keep abreast of industry developments and standards (via periodicals, webinars, white papers, websites, attending industry conferences) • Conduct competitive analyses, including the regional mid-size convention center survey and report • Create procedure to share the educational content, competitive analysis, and innovation ideas, which would result in establishing priorities and allocating funds to establish changes • Until the above occurs, gather existing innovation ideas and list them on the Google Doc at http://bit.ly/1NQ8Rzo, for proposing as outlined above • Develop a capital improvement plan • Form a decor committee • Achieve our goal of being the easiest and most collaborative city to do convention business with in the state of Michigan • Identify or continue to use software tools to improve staff efficiency and delivery • Evaluate yield management processes • Develop event profit and loss analysis system • Review partners and their competitors on a regular basis to ensure we are working with the most innovative partners within our means
Measurement: • Add a criterion to customer evaluation form to allow customers to provide input on our perceived level of innovation • Identify ways to measure specific improvements as they are selected
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OBJECTIVE # 4 Present and promote our image to stakeholders
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OBJECTIVE SUMMARY • Obtain the reputation of being the most customer-driven convention center in the state • Help shape the community’s perception that we help our community by 1) bolstering the local economy, 2) directly giving back to the community with sponsorships, 3) hosting public events that improve the quality of life of Metro Lansing residents, 4) placemaking, including creating a beautiful, enjoyable, and useful space along the River Trail
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Strategies: • • • • • •
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Participate in community events in which we have a vested interest Insert ads in the most circulated meeting industry publications/high traffic industry websites Research sponsorship opportunities within the meetings industry Insert strategic ads in local publications and on local websites, which contain the messaging designed for our community Strategically sponsor a limited number of local community events, including LEPFA-produced or co-promoted events (such as Jazz on the Grand) Engage local partners to provide additional value to customers and members of our community via placemaking (i.e. pedway window clings, MICA art within concourses, riverside plaza improvements) Develop media talking points Implement a social media plan Utilize the Customer Advisory Board and other sources of information to determine how to become the easiest, most collaborative, and customer-driven convention center in the state, implement and advertise those changes Develop sales talking points that support the claims of being easy to work with, collaborative, and customer-driven Communicate our value proposition, accomplishments, and contributions to stakeholders Establish and practice PR tracking Continue to roll out the branding project
Measurement: • Add a criterion to customer evaluation form to allow customers to provide input on how well we are reaching our reputation goals • Encourage and record feedback from CAB and stakeholders • Measure for increases in use of our outside plaza • Measure for increases in instances of positive PR mentions • Measure positive and negative social media engagement
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