M A X I M I Z E YO U R CO N F E R E N C E RO I
S
Contributing Writer: Sean Doherty, CSEE, Sales & Sports Marketing Manager, Punta Gorda I Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau
ports travel industry conferences and trade shows have come a long way since I started attending them over 20 years ago. From more in-depth educational sessions with expanded subject matter to more engaging networking functions, these industry gatherings have become a primary tool for destinations to utilize as part of their overall event recruitment strategy. While education and networking are both beneficial and worthy elements for any conference, the most valuable component from my experience in terms of event recruitment is one-on-one appointments. To maximize one’s effectiveness in this area, preparation and follow up are clearly key. Below I’ve listed the most important items I consider before and after attending an industry trade show that help keep me organized and on task.
Preparation Do your homework: Once the list of event organizers has been
released as part of the appointment scheduling process, I prioritize researching each entity to educate myself as to what opportunities exist that may be a fit for my destination and its facilities. Although I may feel a high level of familiarity with certain event organizers from previous interactions or due to the high-profile nature of particular organizations, I resist the temptation that I know all I need to know about them. Rights holders and their organizations are continuously evolving, whereby they may add events to their portfolios or even an entire sport. I recently experienced this when I met with an organization that I had not had much contact with the past few years due to an incompatibility with the sports they operated and our facility availability. I learned in our appointment session that this respected event organizer is now entering into the pickleball arena which potentially could be a great fit for our newly opened PicklePlex of Punta Gorda. Another item I keep in mind while doing my research is looking at the organizer’s event history. Do they typically only select large metro areas to host their events? Do they have a pattern of rotating geographically or have they ever had a presence in my region of the state or country? Is there an exorbitant bid fee that is out of reach for my budget? Which direction has their participation been trending? Answering these questions on the front end helps me maximize how I spend my time at the trade show. 36
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PUSH MAGAZINE
5 ST E PS O F P R E PA R AT I O N 1
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
2
KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
3
WHAT’S NEW?
4
KEEP YOUR MESSAGE FRESH
5
INITIATE A CALL TO ACTION
