CONVENTION MANAGEMENT

SIGNIFICANCE OF CONVENTION AND MEETING BUSINESS

Divided into two main sections: corporate business and association business. According to Successful Meetings magazine, corporations spent $37 billion sending their employees to meetings. Meetings and Conventions magazine reported that more than 7,06,000 corporate meetings are held annually. Estimates of the attendance for both meetings and educational seminars are over 31 million people annually.

SITE SELECTION

To begin the site selection process, the planner must first consider the goals and objectives that have been established for the meeting, convention, or exposition. Next step is to develop a group prospectus that will enable the meeting planner or exposition manager to determine the physic al requirements for the meeting, convention, or exposition. The role of the host property is to provide the facilities and services needed to assist in the execution of meetings, conventions, and expositions.

CONVENTION CENTRES

At any one-time convention centres can usually house a larger number of people than can the largest meeting room in most hotels. Because of the high costs involved in convention centre construction, these centres generally must be financed by public funds with the justification that this expenditure of public fund allows more conventioneers to be accommodated, thus extending the need for more local employment.

CONVENTION CENTRE LOCATION

Murphy suggests the following five site considerations when locating a convention centre: Site size is critical since space varying from half-to a full city block is needed to house the main building plus possible support buildings along with delivery and service areas, parking, and entrances. The site should be central and accessible to quality accommodation and major inter-city transportation terminals for domestic delegates. The site should be close to major shopping and entertainment districts or regional shopping centres.

Plenty of parking is necessary within the centre, or close by, again because many domestic delegates will drive there, and international delegates, as well as domestic air arrivals, will often rent cars at the airport. Proximity to recreation facilities and attractive surroundings is important.

TYPES OF CENTRES

The Executive Centre designed to handle the specialized requirements of top corporate management. The Corporate Convention Centre used primarily for a companys in-house use, although sometimes this type of centre will be rented out to others.

the non-profit centre, usually part of a university campus where the emphasis is on adult continuing education.

SPONSORS

Associations Corporations Trade unions Independent companies who sponsor and operate trade shows Religious groups Tour groups Theatre and arts groups Social organizations

MARKETING AND PROMOTION

In order to successfully market and promote a convention or an event, the sponsoring organisation must:

Determine their break-even attendance figures. Develop a marketing plan Develop a timetable Implement the programme Evaluate the program.

PROCESS OF CONVENTION MANAGEMENT

Establishing goals and objectives Targeting the population Designing the program Creating a budget

Selecting a site
Negotiating contracts

Formulating committees

Establishing a marketing plan

Hiring subcontractors Planning logistics Designing food and beverage functions

NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTRACTS

Negotiations usually take place between representatives from the host property and the sponsoring organization. There are many negotiable areas involved with conventions, meetings and expositions which include guest sleeping rooms, functions space, safety, security and accessibility, food and beverages, renovation and construction, contingencies, restrictions, and cancellations.

DESIGN, PRINTING AND MAILING OF CONVENTION MATERIALS

Logo creation; Stationary;

Brochures;
Attendee flyers; Invitations; Registration forms; Name badges; Agendas and programs; Post-conference material

POST CONVENTION MEETING

A post-conference/convention meeting, as the name suggests is a meet ing organized after the convention is over to make an assessment or appraisal of oneself. The purpose is not to point fingers or place fault, but to seriously evaluate the process, the strengths an d weaknesses, good and not so good, why certain things happened, and what was or was not done that did or didnt help. Other vital post meeting activities include writing the appropriate thank you notes, reviewing and paying bills, and tipping and gift giving.

BENCHMARKING AND POST CONVENTION TASKS

The registration committee would prepare a report regarding the total number of delegates registered, the amount paid to them as TA or DA, to handover of the remaining bags and other material etc. to the secretariat or the management along with an analysis of the feedback gotten from the participants. The accommodation committee settles the bills with the hotels etc and files a report in relation to the experience gained and the activities done Similarly the transport committee, entertainment committee and the reception or the protocol committee also do the remaining jobs and file their reports.

The academic committee analyses, evaluates, and vets the academic deliberations, prepares the proceedings and in case they have to be published the work gets lengthened. The steering committee takes stock of the entire event and suggests further follow up action to the organization if required. It also suggests future course of action.