DMO Services for the Meeting Professional

 

The overall job of a DMO is to market and sell their destination. Since a DMO wants every single client to be happy, it’s going to do everything it can to match every client with the perfect setting and services for its meetings and most of their services are FREE.

Before a meeting begins, DMO sales professionals can help locate meeting space, check hotel availability, and arrange for site inspections. DMOs can also link meeting professionals with the suppliers, from motorcoach companies and caterers to off-site entertainment venues, that can help meet the prerequisites of any event.

The bottom line — the DMO is working for you.

DMOs

 

  • Encourage groups to hold meetings in their city
  • Assist meeting professionals with preparations
  • Provide promotional materials to encourage attendance
  • Establish room blocks for hotels
  • Serve as the official point of contact
  • Give meeting professionals access to a range of services and value-added extras

Specific services DMOs offer Meeting Professionals

  • Unbiased information about services and facilities in the destination.
  • A vast information database and a one-stop shop, thus saving meeting professionals time, energy and money in the development of a meeting.
  • A liaison between the meeting professional and the community. For example, DMOs are aware of community events with which your meeting may beneficially coincide (i.e. festivals, sporting events). They can also work with city government to get special permits and to cut through red tape.
  • Help meeting attendees maximize their free time through the creation of pre and post-conference activities, spouse tours, and hosting of special evening events.
  • Provide hotel room counts and meeting space statistics, and will keep a convention/meetings/events calendar in order to help meeting professionals avoid conflicts and/or space shortages.
  • Match properties to specific meeting requirements and budgets
  • Collateral material
  • Help with on-site logistics, including registration
  • Housing bureaus
  • Auxiliary services, such as production companies, catering, transportation
  • Site inspections/familiarization tours and site selection
  • Speakers and local educational opportunities
  • Security
  • Coordination of local transportation
  • Access to special venues

What does your organization offer the Meeting Professional in the way of services?

Information from Destination Marketing Association International