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The Big Announcement,
by Timothy Schneider,
Publisher, Association News
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Los
Angeles, CA – July 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / In our role as organizers
of the Meetings Quest trade-show
series, we always rely on the expertise and involvement of the destination
marketing organizations in the cities where we hold Meetings Quest. Indeed,
we do not even consider taking Meetings Quest to a city unless the convention
bureau has first signed on as a sponsoring partner. In this way, we attempt
to practice what we preach when it comes to the meeting planners we serve
with Association
News and Meetings Quest.
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 Last
month, I had the opportunity to experience once again what a difference
it can make when you work hand-in-hand with the official destination marketing
organization. In this instance, the occasion was the announcement of Atlantic
City as the host for Meetings Quest (see
related story on page 14). Thanks to the coordination provided by Meet
AC, the DMO for Atlantic City, the press conference for the announcement
included elements that can serve as a model for partnering with your host-city
DMO on event announcements:
The
DMO can help extend your organization’s public relations efforts. In
crafting news releases and media messaging about your events, the host-city
DMO can provide real value in helping position the destination in a way
that creates interest on the part of your prospective participants and
attendees. Working closely with the DMO’s public relations department will
help you capitalize on its destination-specific expertise.
The
DMO knows its local media. For a meeting planner from out of town,
it’s almost impossible to know the local media and opinion-leaders as well
as the host-city DMO. Relying on the DMO for guidance on who your message
needs to be communicated through in the host market can magnify the effectiveness
of your organization’s PR and social media efforts.
The
DMO has influence with state and local political and civic leaders.
In the case of the announcement of Meetings Quest in Atlantic City, Meet
AC provided the lieutenant governor of New Jersey, the mayor of Atlantic
City and a number of other political figures and civic leaders who either
spoke at or attended the press conference. That sort of influence can have
a positive impact on your organization’s credibility and immediately enhances
the importance of the events you organize.
We
have always been proponents of the important role that destination marketing
organizations play in the meetings industry. Even with something as basic
as announcing the location of your upcoming event, the work of the host-city
DMO can add tremendous value and help set the stage for a successful event
well before it occurs. For further information on destination marketing
organizations and trends in the meetings and events industry, please read
our special section, produced in conjunction with DMAI, which begins
on page 23. For more details on Meetings Quest, please turn
to page 15 for the guide to Meetings Quest in Oakland, visit MeetingsQuest.com
or call 877-577-3700.
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 Timothy
Schneider is the publisher of Association
News and SportsTravel
magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating
106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider
Publishing also organizes Meetings
Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting
planners, and the TEAMS Conference
& Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers.
TEAMS '15 is being held in Las Vegas, November 9–12, 2015. TEAMS ’16 will
be held September 26–29, 2016, in Atlantic City. For further information
on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free 877-577-3700
or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.
The
current issue of Association
News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking
here.
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Media
Contact:
Timothy
Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider
Publishing Company, Inc.
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What’s
Ahead at Convention Centers for Meeting and Event Planners?
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Download “Convention
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