| Rotation | | | | Do your delegates expect warm weather? Is |
| | | | high humidity a problem? How about rain or |
| A smart organization will rotate its annual | | | | snow? Don't make the mistake of meeting in |
| convention across the map. This strategy not | | | | the wrong destination at the wrong time of |
| only allows you to meet in all regions where | | | | year. Find out the average daily high and low |
| your membership is based, but it also | | | | temperatures for each of the cities you're |
| benefits membership growth and recruitment in | | | | considering. Also obtain the average number |
| addition to keeping the meeting fresh in | | | | of days with .01" or more of rain in the |
| terms of climate, attractions, time zones, | | | | month you're thinking about. This information |
| and cost of attending. | | | | is available in 40-year averages and is |
| | | | collected by most airport authorities. If |
| Member Input | | | | outdoor activities aren't on the agenda, |
| | | | however, then weather becomes less of a |
| Ask your members - both actively attending | | | | deciding factor. |
| members as well as those who don't attend | | | | |
| often - where they'd like the convention to | | | | Competition |
| be held. They may bring to your attention | | | | |
| destinations that you haven't considered. Be | | | | Too often, organizations wear rose-colored |
| sure, however, to give more weight to sites | | | | glasses and assume that their meeting is the |
| recommended by actively attending members | | | | only one of its kind that their members will |
| since their attendance is the foundation of | | | | be interested in attending. But that's not |
| your meeting's success. | | | | always the case. If there are organizations |
| | | | in a field similar to yours, or you simply |
| First Tier vs. Second Tier vs. Third Tier | | | | have a number of true competitors, take the |
| | | | time to check when and where their meetings |
| While many organizations will always meet in | | | | are scheduled. Sometimes delegates and |
| first-tier destinations, many others should | | | | exhibitors have to draw the line as to how |
| be looking more closely at second- and | | | | many meetings they can afford or take the |
| third-tier cities, where they can enjoy being | | | | time to attend in a given year. And if your |
| the big fish in the pond and receiving added | | | | convention conflicts by date or location with |
| attention. There's an abundance of great | | | | a competing convention, you're running the |
| smaller destinations - with first-rate | | | | unnecessary risk of losing your attendees and |
| convention facilities - that might be a | | | | exhibitors to another event. |
| better fit for your organization. However, if | | | | |
| your group has a history of maximizing | | | | Keep Options Open |
| attendance and revenues while convening in | | | | |
| first-tier markets, you should probably stay | | | | Your chances of orchestrating a successful |
| where you can sustain or continue this | | | | site selection can usually be improved |
| growth. | | | | substantially by creating competition in the |
| | | | marketplace. Whenever possible, strive to |
| Lift | | | | find two to three facilities or destinations |
| | | | that you're willing to contract with and that |
| If you anticipate an attendance of 10,000, | | | | want your business. (Groups often make the |
| it's probably not in your best interest to | | | | mistake of deciding on one particular |
| select a meeting site whose airport can't | | | | facility or destination and then trying to |
| handle the large number of daily arrivals and | | | | negotiate.) It's also very important to show |
| departures that your group will need. Simply | | | | date and room block pattern flexibility |
| put, if people can't get there, you're in | | | | wherever possible. |
| trouble. Make certain you obtain information | | | | |
| on the total number of daily nonstop flights, | | | | As you can see, selecting a meeting site |
| seats, and feeder cities prior to finalizing | | | | isn't as simple as throwing a dart at a map. |
| a destination with questionable lift. In | | | | But it can be quite an enjoyable and |
| addition, be cautious of cities where one | | | | educational experience. By doing your |
| carrier dominates the lift some of these | | | | homework, you will put yourself in the best |
| cities can be very expensive to fly into. | | | | situation to select the destination that will |
| | | | help give you record attendance, revenues, |
| Climate | | | | and reviews. |
| | | | |