Meeting Planners Turn To DMCs For Unusual Venues
<H1>Meeting Planners Turn To DMCs For Unusual Venues</H1>By Lauren Bielski
<B>W</B>hile budget restraints, shorter lead times and "low-gloss" directives for incentives and meetings are the norm in the 1990s, destination management companies are managing to pull off impressive events at a cost-effective price.
A new national reach-resulting from the formation two years ago of the Association of Destination Management Executives and the establishment of two national alliances, The DMC Network and The Contact Group-is legitimizing a group of operators that meeting planners have avoided or used with some reservation, said Helen Moskovitz, president of Helen L. Moskovitz and Associates, a DMC in Nashville.
"The current business environment offers an interesting dichotomy," Moskovitz said. "Businesses are very concerned with trimming costs and achieving a certain ROI. But on the other hand, they are finally sanctioning the use of DMCs, understanding perhaps that the buying clout and expertise that they offer is worth the fee."
If planners avoided DMCs before, it was more than likely because they did not want to deal with evaluating vendors, a task that The DMC Network performs by requiring all of its affiliates to qualify annually by turning in client evaluations. If the organization gets wind of three complaints, the affiliate is ousted.
Another way in which the networks are useful is they allow members to pool useful client data such as case histories, preferences and other requirements, while also offering more standardized contracting and proposals.
"Working with The DMC Network takes a lot of the guesswork out of finding a DMC," said Al Sears, a meeting planner with the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. He has worked with Moskovitz on MPI-related projects but also has relied on The DMC Network to hire other companies when he didn't have the luxury of a personal meeting.
By using DMCs, planners also have access to unusual event venues and high-production-value functions that can be the cure for humdrum-meeting syndrome.
"I'm more comfortable dealing with the experts of particular geographic regions," said Les Sudduth, a planner with State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, Ill., who is working on a project that requires use of several DMCs. "They can help me do my job better."
Stacey Feldman, an operations assistant for Empire Force Events Inc. in New York, said that an unusual or exquisite venue like a museum, gallery or atrium can enhance a meeting's value. "There are quite a few restrictions placed on the planner; it's definitely not easy to use a museum," she said. "But the effect is worth the effort."
The same can be said for much of the planning that Feldman's firm handles, often by partnering with in-house planners to create truly memorable occasions, such as a recent day-long "photo sleuth" throughout New York City that her company ran for IBM U.K. Attendees were given Polaroid cameras and a series of clues; they took photos to prove that they'd hit their mark.
"This isn't 1980s excess, but I see a greater number of corporations wanting to create an original experience, and they are very quietly paying for it," Raglin said. Recently, Raglin dealt with a European organization that tried to "do New York" solo. When its planner had little luck in securing a breathtaking itinerary, she turned to the hotel personnel.
The group arrived in New York with many elements still up in the air. Then they called Briggs Red Carpet, which arranged for Jacqueline Onassis' former chef to cook dinner at a private supper club.
Another recent client, a conservative company from Minneapolis, wanted to offer its attending executives a "dine-around" evening in the out-of-the-way restaurants that are the antithesis of tourist traps. "For one client, we brought the actress who plays Miss Saigon back to the supper club after her performance," Raglin said. "No planner would have the resources to do that alone."
Dabney Bixel, president of Bixel and Associates in Beverly Hills, Calif., considers her job a combination of presenting lesser-known aspects of the city with classic events like clambakes, museum visits and golf outings. She is always keeping her eyes and ears alert to the "next hot restaurant or nightspot" that epitomizes the best of the city, in an effort an effort to keep events fresh and unpredictable for high-echelon clients who are not easily impressed.
"We want to emphasize that L.A. has the best qualities of both a resort and a city," Bixel said. "Most people think 'Hollywood,' and they don't realize that you don't trip over film people or the beautiful people. You have to know where to look." Given the appeal of Hollywood, Bixel often holds events on the back lots of Paramount's sound stages. She also has worked with Anne Dixon, vice president of sales at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel, on several Hollywood theme parties. But just as often, she is leading a group on a nature retreat or two-day golf or tennis tournament.
"There are certain situations, particularly when trying to motivate or reward high-powered executives or clients, when you have to be inventive," Feldman said. "Most planners understand how important making a special impression is, but they don't necessarily grasp how partnering with a DMC and incentive house make an event truly spectacular."
For instance, at last year's PowWow event sponsored by the Travel Industry Association of America and hosted by the New York CVB, Empire Force brought in 5,000 travel professionals for a four-hour event at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where attendees were treated to two performances of the New York City Ballet as well as side performances of opera singers, mimes and minstrels as part of the welcome reception.
At a recent gala held for Japan Amway, a client of the Japan Travel Bureau, Feldman arranged for Liza Minelli to perform at The Plaza. "We used 48 transparent acrylic tables, lit them from underneath and draped them with a pink table covering," she recalled. "When we lit the tables, the entire room shimmered.