Chapter 6 Selling Other Markets

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Chapter 6 Selling Other Markets
Convention Management and ServiceSeventh
Edition (478CSB)
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Competencies forSelling Other Markets

• Describe the nonprofit organizations market, and
  explain how to sell meeting services and products
  to it.
• Identify SMERF organizations and explain how to
  sell meeting services and products to them.
• Summarize sales considerations for selling
  meeting services and products to the following
  markets government agencies, labor unions,
  incentive meetings, insurance meetings, and
  medical meetings.

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Nonprofit OrganizationsStructures Leads

• Structures of Nonprofit Organizations
• Structured like associations
• Have members
• Formed for a common purpose
• Lead Sources
• Directories see the Guide to American
  Directories
• HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Exposition and
  Conference

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Nonprofit Organizations

• Many exist through fundraising
• Similar to trade associations
• Central source difficult to find
• Solicit local chapters of national groups
• Permanent staff, volunteer, board of directors
• Shorter lead time
• Offer to assist local chapter
• Economic community benefit
• National organization has experienced meeting
  planners

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Nonprofit OrganizationsSales Tactics

• Start with local chapters
• Expect short lead times (1 to 2 years)
• Assure planners of hotels assistance
• Point out economic benefits to community of
  holding national meetings locally
• Expect to deal with professional planners at the
  national level of nonprofit organizations

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Characteristics of SMERF Groups

• SMERF stands for
• Social groups
• Military and other reunions
• Educational groups
• Religious groups
• Fraternal groups
• SMERF Groups
• Nonprofit groups
• Tend to be price conscious
• Good source of business for slow months

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SMERF Groups

• Price Conscious
• Good numbers
• Fill soft spots
• People like to join social groups

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Social Groups

• Characteristics
• Local, regional, and national in scope
• Wide variety of interests and purposes
• Hold both large and small meetings
• Examples chess clubs, ethnic groups, bowling
  leagues
• Lead Sources
• Yellow pages of phone book Clubs Social,
  Political, and Athletic Organizations
• Propertys employees
• Propertys suppliers

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Military and Other Reunions

• Characteristics
• Rapidly growing market
• Planners becoming increasingly knowledgeable
• Military Reunions
• Combine reunions with vacations
• Price conscious/double occupancy
• Meet in September or October and on weekends

(continued)
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Military and Other Reunions
(continued)

• Family and Class Reunions
• Recreational amenities very important
• Often hosted by nonprofessional planners
• Need less meeting space than other markets
• Lead Sources
• THE Reunion Network TRN News
• Reunions, The Magazine
• Military Reunion News
• The Military Reunion Handbook A Guide for
  Reunion Planners

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Military Other Reunions

• Flexible weekend business
• Military
• Sept/Oct.
• Annual, biennially
• Banquet, Service, Meeting
• Price conscious
• Share rooms

• Class Family
• Recreational amenities
• FB, no meetings
• Pay own way
• Double occupancy

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Educational

• Broad Diverse
• Fill summer slow periods
• Teacher associations
• Continuing education
• Accessibility Value
• Short
• Extremely price sensitive

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Educational Groups

• Characteristics
• Fill rooms in summer months
• Local, regional, and national meetings
• Short in length
• Accessibility and value considered important

(continued)
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Educational Groups
(continued)

• Lead Sources
• Educational Associations and Directories
  (pamphlet)
• National Directory of College Athletics
• Local board of education
• Alumni offices and divisions of continuing
  education at universities
• Administrative offices of schools

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Religious

• Small Large
• Summer months
• Family oriented locations
• Pay own way
• Price sensitive
• Double occupancy
• Community Service projects
• Example Promise Keepers

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Religious Groups

• Characteristics
• Local, regional, and national meetings
• Tend to choose family-oriented sites
• Price conscious/double occupancy
• Meetings last from 3 days to 2 weeks
• Often meet in summer months
• Lead Sources
• Religious Conference Management Association
  (RCMA) Highlights
• Yellow pages Churches Religious Organizations
  Synagogues Mosques

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Fraternal

• The Greeks
• Multiple occupancy
• General membership, retreats, institutes, board
  or council meetings
• Professional honorary societies

• Service Groups
• Elks, American Legion
• Holiday parties
• Fund raising
• Annuals

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Fraternal Groups
(continued)

• Lead Sources
• Fraternity Executives Association
• National Panhellenic Conference
• National Interfraternity Council
• Alumni associations, Student Activities divisions
  at schools
• Yellow pages Fraternal Organizations
  Fraternities Sororities

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Government Agencies

• Characteristics
• Per diem allowances price conscious
• Mostly training meetings
• Slow to pay bills
• Short lead time
• Request for Proposal (RFP)
• Invitation for Bids (IFB)

(continued)
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Government Agencies
(continued)

• Lead Sources
• Phone book Blue pages or other special pages
• Society of Government Meeting Professionals
  (SGMP)
• Society of Travel Agents in Government (STAG)
• Commerce Business Daily
• List property in Official Airline
  GuideGovernment Edition

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Labor Unions

• 150 in U.S.
• Regular, repeat business
• National Conventions
• East/west, spouses, social programs, FB, high
  dollars, every two years
• Regional Conferences
• Central locations, 200-500, 2-3 days
• Executive Committee meetings
• Many a year, small, headquarters city

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Labor Unions

• Characteristics
• Usually hold meetings only at unionized
  properties
• National Conventions
• Held every 2 years alternate between East and
  West
• High spouse attendance, high expenditures
• Need lots of meeting space, sophisticated AV
  equipment
• Regional Conferences
• Held annually near center of region last 2 to 3
  days
• Attendance 200 to 500

(continued)
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Labor Unions
(continued)

• Executive and Committee Meetings
• Up to 4 meetings per year last 2 to 3 days
• Held in unions headquarters city
• Hosts of these are considered for larger meetings
• Lead Sources
• National conventions general secretary of union
• Executive and committee meetings
  secretary-treasurer

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Other

• These are part of corporate and association
  market.but deserve attention
• Incentive
• Insurance
• Medical

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Incentive Meetings

• Characteristics
• Offered as reward to motivate employees
• Recreation is key value
• Most programs mix business and pleasure
• High spouse attendance, high expenditures
• Key industries automobile parts and accessories,
  electronics, and insurance

(continued)
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Incentive Meetings
(continued)

• Incentive Travel Houses
• Represent several different companies
• Can provide repeat business
• Lead Sources
• Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE)
  annual directory, trade show
• International trade shows

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Insurance Meetings

• Characteristics
• Spend more on meetings than any other industry
• High expenditures not very price conscious
• Most programs mix business and recreation
• Spouses often attend the largest meetings
• Lead Sources
• Start with the insurance companys home office
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
• Insurance Conference Planners Association (ICPA)

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Medical Meetings

• Characteristics
• Market growing rapidly
• Usually 200 attendees or fewer
• Great potential for repeat business
• Held during peak periods for hotels

(continued)
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Medical Meetings
(continued)

• Reasons for Rapid Growth
• Changing technology and reform in health care
• New treatments and cures developed
• Continuing education requirements
• New medical areas emerging
• Globalization
• Lead Sources
• Professional Convention Management Association
  (PCMA)
• Medical periodicals and journals