“One of the key contributing factors to making an effective convention and visitors bureau (CVB) is proactive and innovative marketing that is directly focused on conveying a destination as a valuable meetings industry hub.
Through creating a clear MICE offering and communicating key messages to stakeholders, CVBs can position themselves within the global meetings arena and attract a greater number of visitors and potential business prospects.
Innovative marketing also supports CVBs in co-aligning themselves with complementary brands, allowing them to strengthen their destination offering. Participation at various trade shows is also another form of proactive marketing, creating an opportunity for a CVB to showcase its MICE offerings to a large targeted audience of potential business prospects.
It is also vital that a destination communicates its long-term goals and strategy regarding the development of meetings infrastructure. A good CVB will have a mid- to long-term plan to improve its MICE infrastructure, and each new development must be communicated to all potential stakeholders.
CVBs that create attractive grants or incentive schemes and take a collaborative approach towards industry partners can set themselves apart from their competition and create valuable relationships with key stakeholders. They can draw in a greater audience of potential meeting planners by offering benefits and incentives in return for loyalty to their destination.
It is also very important that CVBs are proactive in their approach to understanding the problems faced by the MICE industry. Those who keep up to date with all of the latest trends and business figures are better equipped to make viable business decisions that will directly address and overcome those issues.
Lastly, careful market research will also help CVBs to be more effective. Through gaining a clearer understanding of the ways in which they are perceived in the MICE market, particularly in relation to their potential competitors, they will be able to assess their offering objectively and differentiate themselves by communicating their unique selling points.”
Hervé Joseph-Antoine is the Singapore-based global managing director of Pacific World
