Local Sales and Marketing Reference Guide

Your convention and visitors bureau is a great source for leads. It provides valuable information that can help you market your products or services to the lucrative convention and meetings industry in your city.

The convention calendar lists detailed information about meetings, trade shows and conventions that are scheduled over the next two years and that will bring more than 100 delegates to your city. Each listing provides the information you need to market your product to the individuals in charge of the meeting, show or convention. Such information includes: the hosting organization’s address; phone and fax numbers; anticipated number of attendees; headquarters hotel; number of sleeping rooms blocked; date of meeting; and whether or not the meeting will include exhibits.

• Remember that meeting planners will be interested primarily in group services and facilities. Typically, they will not be making arrangements for individual request.
• Make sure your product can be used by the meeting planner before you make contact.
• Don’t waste your valuable time and resources contacting those groups whose size, dates or scope may be outside your company's capabilities.
• Consider the site of the meeting. Do your research about the group. Find out if there is a contact within the company with whom you already have good working relationship.
• Is your product or services more appropriate to the meeting with a heavy local attendance or out of town attendance?
• Remember that meeting planners are very busy. They will appreciate hearing from you, but only if they think you understand and can accommodate their requirements.

Step 2 – Time your contact appropriately. As with any marketing effort, timing can mean everything.

• You should make contact with meeting planners 18 months prior to the scheduled meeting.
• Remember, at 12-15 months out, meeting planners are typically involved in the current year’s meeting and won’t have time to work on future functions.

• Meeting planners repeatedly tell Bureau staff that uninvited phone solicitations from Bureau members trying to sell them a product or services turn them off. For best results, you should contact meeting planners by mail, e-mail or fax. Use the phone for follow up only and always be respectful of the meeting planner’s time.
• Get the attention of the meeting planner by making your correspondence creative and timely. Remember that other companies are also making contact. Consider how you can make your correspondence stand out in the sea of similar ones.
• Make sure you personalize your letter. Meeting planners, like most people, receive reams of form letters and junk mail that often end up in the trash. By personalizing your correspondence, you’re demonstrating that you have done your research.
• Include brochures if appropriate, but make sure it is specific to the meeting market. A general brochure usually doesn’t provide information needed by a meeting planner. Also, make sure that any promotional material included in your mailing is a size that can be filed easily.

• Keep it brief and to the point. Be sure to mention:

• Approximate prices for your product or services
• Proximity to meeting facilities
• Names of similar industry groups with whom you’ve worked
• Any references…particularly those whom the meeting planner might know

• Give planners the opportunity to respond easily and quickly by enclosing a stamped, self-addressed post card or a separate "fax back" sheet. Give them the option of requesting more information or telling you they don’t have a need for your product or services. Remember that if you make it easy for meeting planners to follow up, you’re more likely to get a response.

• Finally, keep in mind that the person listed in the calendar may not be responsible for the purchasing decisions of every aspect of the meeting. Many associations have committees or other staff for specific duties. Ask who will make decisions for the type of product or services you offer.

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