Incentive planners can better leverage support from convention bureaus and destination management organisations. iStock/Alona Horkova
Unique experiences, programme ROI and savings in cost and planning time are top priorities for incentive planners, yet nearly 40% of respondents to an Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) survey do not regularly engage with CVBs or DMOs, or see their importance. A panel discussion explored what planners could be missing.
Hosted by the IRF and drawing on its survey findings, the discussion examined how convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and destination management organisations (DMOs) can support incentive travel programmes – and how planners can make the most of those relationships.
Think you know the destination? Think again
While CVBs and DMOs represent an entire destination, the panel said their local knowledge can help planners find the right fit for a particular event.
“We are the boots on the ground and the destination; when people travel for incentives, it’s about that emotional connection, the feeling that they have when they're attending these exclusive, one-of-a-kind experiences,” said Kelly Cavers, chief sales officer at Discover The Palm Beaches, the official tourism marketing organisation for Palm Beach County, Florida. “That's where we can really step in and find those unique local moments that you couldn't get elsewhere.”
Familiarity with a destination can lead planners to overlook what CVBs and DMOs have to offer.
“People feel like they know everything about the destination because they've had really successful programmes, they know the cool experiences,” said Jeffrey Fehr, business development director at events agency Wynford. “Even if you have your relationships, there’s still that opportunity to engage with CVBs and DMOs.”
From reward to resource
Many DMOs and CVBs offer financial incentives or complimentary planning resources. Cavers highlighted emergency management toolkits as one way to save planners time and money.
“Not everyone can offer financial incentives, but there are other services that provide a huge advantage and cost savings – something as simple as emergency management toolkits that we offer,” she said. “If something were to happen, you want to understand where the nearest hospital or urgent care is and you want that information at your fingertips. There’s a cost in collecting all of that, and your DMO could probably just provide it to you very quickly and do that work for you.”
Think value, not group size
The survey found a strong perception that CVBs and DMOs are interested only in programmes of 250 people or more. Yet smaller incentive groups can deliver higher yields, the panel noted.
“We don't see incentives being any less valuable than the conferences we work on because they help us to deliver to a different group of stakeholders,” said Lene Corgan, head of business events at Copenhagen Convention Bureau. “And for those who haven’t yet picked a DMC for example, we can connect you with several to try. It’s about building relationships, and these are key to our industry.”
That matchmaking can extend to hotels and experiences tailored to a programme’s needs, Fehr added.
“They're not just saying, ‘here's all of our hotels and here's all of our experience’,” he said. “They can create a bespoke experience for you, and really provide those experiences and properties that are going to have a large impact on your programmes.”