Northstar

Planner's Portfolio Meeting Strategies 18 JUL-AUG 2018 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM Prepare the attendees. Before they even get into the country, educate your attendees so they can get the most out of the experience. Active education can provide guests with small dictionaries, travel guides, local maps, or anything else that can assist them in getting around or understanding the locals' way of life. Passive education comes in the planning, and the small details that planners understand but their attendees do not blatantly see. This includes using local restaurants, so they not only experience the food but learn about the culture without realising it. "Educating attendees is something that can be done actively or passively, depending on the purpose of the programme," says Eli Gorin, CMP, CMM, chief operating officer at FHTDirect -- International Group Housing. Leave the hotel. "Tailor the experience to showcase the best of the destination. No one wants to sit in a soulless boardroom that could be anywhere in the world," says Christina DeHaven, CMP, director of client engagement at Grass Roots Meetings & Events. She recently visited Dubai and was impressed with its juxtaposition of the old and the new. You've flown your group thousands of miles away from home, now what do they do? Make It Worth the Trip "I assumed that Dubai would be much like Vegas, but there is so much culture, like the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding and the souks in Old City," she says. "For groups, an evening in the desert can't be missed. It's easy to think that Dubai is skyscrapers in the desert and believe me, the architecture is absolutely impressive, but learning about the cultural ties to the region was fascinating." Add regional flair. One easy trap to fall into is to view the destination in broad strokes rather than as a destination with a culture that is unique. At least one authentic restaurant that showcases local cuisine is included in all the programmes Gorin plans. He also makes sure attendee gifts feature a sense of place. A meeting that Gorin helped plan in Praia do Forte, Brazil, 45 minutes north of Salvador de Bahia, was held in an eco-resort adjacent to a small village that had shops, restaurants, kiosks, and even a small whale museum. "We did simple dinners in some of the local restaurants, and the food was amazing. All the attendees really enjoyed the opportunity to see and experience more," he says. medicine and bio sciences, automotive and logistics, energy and environment, or others. Another IEEE conference that Ocampo helped plan was held at a university in Torino, Italy, in the center of the city. "The university enriched the attendee experience, fostering the exchange of ideas, and it was also in a lovely walkable part of the city that was easily accessible to all the delegates," says Ocampo. It's more fair to international attendees. In a global economy, it's possible attendees will be spread among two or more continents. This is especially true for annual association conventions or trade shows. In those situations, it's only fair to rotate a meeting's location so that no one ends up always having the long ight. Where the majority of attendees are based should be taken into consideration, as well as the location of oces and the customer base. Of course, when it comes to incentive programmes, the more exotic, the better. It engenders goodwill among attendees. While goodwill is not a goal that can by itself support the weight of a decision to choose a long-haul destination, it can provide signicant value to both attendees and the host organisation. Faraway locales oer out-of-the- ordinary group experiences that help attendees develop camaraderie and create priceless memories, which in turn results in attendees looking upon the company they work for favourably, likely inspiring increased productivity. "Faraway locales oer out-of-the- ordinary group experiences that help attendees develop camaraderie and create priceless memories." memories."

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