Chicago and Orlando are tied at the top, and Washington, San Diego, and Las Vegas round out the top five destinations that planners consider when selecting a site for a meeting. That’s just one of the findings from STR’s latest DestinationMAP (Meeting Assessment Program), an online survey the travel research firm conducts every two years of about 800 corporate, association, and third-party planners.
“Sixty-seven percent of planners listed Chicago and Orlando in their destination consideration set, and both markets were particularly popular in what we define as the large meetings segment [more than 1,000 attendees],” said Chris Klauda, STR’s director of destination research.
When asked what characteristics are most important to them as they consider destinations, more than 80 percent of respondents selected unsanitary conditions and an unsafe environment as the leading deterrents, followed by high hotel costs.
“So they are looking for safety, cleanliness, and value,” Klauda said. “High food and beverage costs charged by the venue are another rule-out," Klauda added.
With the proliferation of information that is now available on websites and through social media, destinations have to work harder—and smarter—to cut through the clutter to become top of mind with planners. The destination’s website is still the primary source planners use when researching a location. And while there is plenty of information online, meeting industry events are still a valuable source of information, with about two-thirds of all planners attending trade shows and conferences.
“And among planners who plan seven or more meetings annually, about a third attend IMEX, followed by a quarter attending local and national M.P.I. and P.C.M.A. events,” Klauda said. “So the destinations need to be at the conferences that their target planners are attending.”
She noted that STR also had conversations with some respondents to gather anecdotal feedback, and that generated useful information about how destinations can effectively work with planners.
“They should not be so automated in how they deal with the planner, to make them feel they are getting a customized experience and to not just abandon them once they’ve gotten the business,” Klauda said. “Those are the destinations that do the best, not just when they win the business but as the event takes place.”
