Meeting Budget
The Convention Center and the CVB: A Vital Connection
The most important components to look for in a convention center are rates, dates, and space, right? While those are all among the top priorities, a strong relationship with the local CVB is also crucial for ensuring a successful meeting. When planning a meeting in a convention center, make sure the center under consideration and its local bureau work seamlessly together: It will make your job much easier.
"A lack of cooperation between the CVB and a convention center will do nothing but damage a meeting planner's experience in their choice city," said Geraldine Bordelon, CMP, director of conventions at the Baton Rouge Area CVB. "The meeting planner will have a much harder time contacting city entities and industries. This lack of cooperation will ultimately frustrate the meeting planner and give the city a bad reputation. Also, the CVB and convention center must both be on board when offering incentives to eliminate confusion and frustration for the meeting planner."
On the other hand, "when a CVB and convention center work in unison, the meeting planner feels more secure," said Doug Bennett, vice president of sales for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. "They know questions will be answered and the safety net will be held tightly on all sides. The team effort benefits everyone involved and increases the chance a group will want to come back. It's when one side becomes territorial and doesn't team up that planners lose."
Clues to a Good Relationship
So how do you know if the convention center and bureau in a particular city get along? According to the experts, you can watch out for several clues. For starters, "communication between the two and the transfer of information could be the key signal," said Ronnie Burt Jr., vice president of convention sales and services at the Baltimore CVB. "For example, if the client sends the Request For Proposal (RFP) directly to the bureau with all information attached, that should be shared with the convention center to assist with addressing the key needs and buying factors up-front, as well as historical data." Bennett agreed that the flow of information between the center and bureau is crucial. "When a planner has a technical question about stage setup or labor relations and the CVB doesn't have answers, this probably means the two aren't talking and sharing information," he said.
Another important clue to spotting a successful partnership between a CVB and a convention center is "the lack of bureaucracies and red tape," Bordelon said. "The absence of these problems will make things go a lot smoother for the meeting planner. Another sign of a good relationship is the willingness of both parties to negotiate and to stay within a planner's budget. A bid presentation that comes from representatives of both entities is also usually a good sign, as it shows cohesiveness from the beginning."
What does a successful partnership look like in real life? It can take different shapes in different cities. In Birmingham, for instance, the CVB and the convention center attend industry trade shows together, conduct site visits together, create joint marketing materials such as direct mail and advertising campaigns, and meet regularly to discuss ways to jointly improve their sales and services, said Michael Gunn, CMP, vice president of convention sales for the Greater Birmingham CVB. "If we don't work well together in selling the city, how could we work together in making the client's meeting a good experience?" he said. "It takes a total team effort from the hotels, the convention center, and the CVB to make any meeting a success."
Approaching the Partnership
So if you're looking for a destination with a closely knit convention center and bureau, your approach may be a little different. When planning a meeting in a convention center, it may seem like common sense to go straight to the center's staff when seeking information. But because any convention center meeting is a citywide meeting, it is usually more advisable to first contact the local CVB, which can offer a big-picture view of the destination - and you can learn upfront about the relationship between the bureau and the center.
"A meeting planner should consult with the CVB first because we are the main link to all that the city has to offer," Bordelon said. "The bureau can offer a broad perspective of the city's assets and help guide the meeting planner to the correct facilities, caterers, attractions, and more. The bureau is like a one-stop shop for all a meeting planner's needs, incorporating several different entities. Starting at the bureau creates a successful partnership, putting the meeting planner in contact with all the entities of the city and creating an overall package, instead of simply a narrow view of the city. Starting at the CVB also ensures that the meeting planner does not miss out on meeting planner incentives or other citywide incentives that are being offered."
"Starting with the CVB is most efficient," Bennett said. "From selecting a hotel to finding meeting space and parking, the CVB has ties to all facets of the community. One-stop shopping saves the planner time, and many times, money."
How to Prepare for Convention Center Negotiations
When it comes to negotiation, most commonly overlooked aspect is preparation, according to John Patrick Dolan, CSP, CPAE, attorney and a recognized expert in the field of negotiation.
Rather than taking negotiation seriously, he said, "we say things like, 'We're just in the negotiation stage of the deal.'" Rather than looking ahead to what will need to be done after negotiations are completed, meeting planners should take time to prepare before negotiating with convention centers and other vendors. Dolan offers the following checklist to help negotiators prepare for negotiations.
1. Know what you want and don't want. "Most of us have a general idea of what we want or want to avoid in a deal," Dolan said. "Unfortunately, general objectives tend to render general results, leading to second guessing and dissatisfaction." Instead, Dolan recommends that you write a paragraph describing in detail what you want and don't want from the transaction, editing your description furiously until it is focused and precise. If you enter negotiations with a clear idea of your objective(s) and rationale(s), you will be more likely to achieve desired results.
2. Know what your counterpart wants and doesn't want. Don't stop after writing your own description; Dolan recommends that you do the same thing for your counterpart. Write the description of what your opposite is looking for and seeking to avoid. "This exercise tends to be a real stumper, and eventually a real eye-opener," he said. "Knowing our counterpart's goals, objectives, and sought-after results helps us see commonalities that lead to creative solutions."
3. Know what concessions you are willing to give. What must you absolutely achieve. What terms, conditions, or extras could you live without? According to Dolan, every great negotiator knows there must be give and take on both sides for agreements that make sense.
4. Know your alternatives. "Remember when you bought your first car?" Dolan said. "Mine was a 1956 T-Bird. The guy I bought mine from told me, 'I like you and want to sell you the car, but there's another person coming over in 30 minutes who also wants the car.' Wow, did the dynamics of the negotiation shift on the spot. Having an alternative vendor or supplier really helps your level of confidence."
5. Know your counterpart and your subject matter. "Remember transactions take place between people, and people view the same facts and appeals differently," Dolan said. With the wealth of information available about personality styles, body language, and neuro-linguistic programming, it's a good idea to learn what you can about the type of person you will be across from at the negotiating table. As for subject matter, "know it cold," Dolan said. "There is no excuse for being ill-informed, and lost credibility is rarely recovered."
6. Rehearse. Practice always makes perfect. Dolan even suggests attending swap meets and flea markets, because they offer good opportunities to sharpen your skills.
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