Convention Management and Service

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Convention, Meetings, and Trade Show Industry

1. The Convention and Meetings Industry Today
2. The Scope of Today’s Meetings Market
a. Types of Meetings
b. Who Holds Meetings
c. Types of Group Customers
d. Types of Meeting Facilities
3. Trends in the Meetings Industry
a. New Technology
b. Changing Demographics
c. Strategic Meetings Management
d. Complex Contracts
e. Third-Party Meeting Planners
f. The Wellness Movement
g. Green Meetings and Social Responsibility
Chapter 2: Developing Your Marketing Plan
1. The Difference Between Sales and Marketing
2. The Importance of Marketing
3. The Marketing Plan
4. The Four Steps of the Marketing Plan
a. Step 1—Conducting Market Research
b. Step 2—Selecting Target Markets and Positioning the Property
c. Step 3—Establishing Objectives and Action Plans
d. Step 4—Reviewing and Monitoring the Marketing Plan
5. Putting a Marketing Plan into Action
Chapter 3: Organizing for Convention Sales
1. Sales Structures
a. The Sales Office
b. How the Sales Office Interfaces with Other Departments
2. The Sales and Marketing Staff
a. Positions within Sales
b. Supplemental Sales Staff
3. Managing the Sales Effort
a. Standard Operating Procedures
b. Sales Meetings
c. Assigning Account Responsibility
d. Evaluating the Sales Effort
4. Sales Records and Filing Systems
a. Hotel Filing Systems
b. Control Books and Sales Forms
5. Sales Office Automation
a. Advantages of Automation
b. New Advances in Hotel Computer Systems
c. The “Virtual” Office
d. Additional Uses of Automation
Chapter 4: Selling the Association Market
1. Revenue Producers

2. Requirements for Association Meetings
3. Kinds of Association Meetings
a. Annual Conventions
b. State and Regional Conventions
c. Conferences
d. Seminars and Workshops
e. Board and Committee Meetings
f. Hybrid Meetings
4. Characteristics of Association Meetings
a. Cycle and Pattern
b. Geographic Restrictions
c. Lead Time
d. Kinds of Sites
e. Voluntary Attendance
f. Convention Duration
g. Price
5. Association Meeting Decision-Makers
a. Association Director
b. Association President and Officers
c. Committee Chairperson
d. Board of Directors
e. Other Influences
6. Sources for Finding Association Business
a. Directories and Databases
b. Specialized Periodicals
c. Hotel Records
Chapter 5: Selling the Corporate Meetings Market
1. Requirements for Corporate Meetings
2. Kinds of Corporate Meetings
a. National and Regional Sales Meetings
b. New Product Introduction/Dealer Meetings
c. Professional/Technical Meetings
d. Management Meetings
e. Training Meetings
f. Stockholder/Public Meetings
g. Incentive Meetings
3. Characteristics of Corporate Meetings
4. Corporate Meeting Decision-Makers
a. Full-Time Meeting Planner
b. Company President
c. Marketing and Sales Executives
d. Advertising and Sales Promotion Managers
e. Other Corporate Executives
f. Passenger Traffic/Corporate Travel Managers
g. Procurement (Purchasing) Managers
h. Training Director
i. Meeting Specialists/Third-Party Planners
5. Sources for Finding Corporate Business and Decision-Makers
a. Special Meetings and Business Publications
b. Trade Directories, Publications, and Databases
c. Trade Associations
d. Convention and Visitors Bureaus
e. Lateral Referral and Account Penetration

Chapter 6: Selling Other Markets
1. Nonprofit Organizations
2. The SMERF Groups
a. Social Groups
b. Military and Other Reunions
c. Educational Meetings
d. Religious Meetings
e. Fraternal Meetings
3. Government Agencies
4. Labor Unions
5. Incentive Meetings
6. Insurance/Financial Service Meetings
7. Medical Meetings
Chapter 7: Selling the Meetings Market
1. Personal Sales Calls: Mastering Consultative Sales
a. Step 1: Pre-Call Planning
b. Step 2: Opening the Sales Call
c. Step 3: Getting Prospect Involvement
d. Step 4: Presenting Your Property
e. Step 5: Handling Objections
f. Step 6: Closing and Follow-Up
2. Telephone Selling
a. Telephone Techniques
b. Screening Prospects
c. Setting Appointments by Phone
d. Telephone Sales Call Follow-Up
e. Handling Inquiries
f. Telemarketing
3. Sales Blitz Selling
4. Trade Show Selling
5. Selling with Convention and Visitors Bureaus
6. Site Inspection Selling and Familiarization Tours
Chapter 8: Advertising to the Meeting Planner
1. Print Advertising
a. Trade Magazines
b. Hotel Directories
2. Using Technology for Advertising
a. The Internet
b. E-Mail Advertising
c. Fax Transmissions
3. Collateral Materials
a. Brochures
b. Other Collateral Materials
c. Specialty Items
4. Direct Mail Advertising
5. Planning an Advertising Strategy
a. Reach, Frequency, Timing, and Consistency
b. Exchange Trade Advertising
c. Cooperative Advertising and Strategic Partnerships
d. Advertising Agencies
6. Public Relations and Publicity

Chapter 9: Negotiations and Contracts
1. Negotiations
2. Letter of Agreement/Contract
a. Names of Organization and Hotel
b. Official Dates
c. Number and Kinds of Rooms
d. Rates/Commissions
e. Arrival/Departure Pattern
f. Meeting Space
g. Complimentary and Reduced-Rate Rooms
h. Prior Visits
i. Working Space
j. Registration Control
k. Exhibit Space
l. Food Functions
m. Refreshment Breaks
n. Liquor
o. Gratuities and Service Charges
p. Audiovisual Equipment
q. Union Regulations
r. Master Account and Credit Procedures
s. Method of Payment
t. Termination/Cancellation Clauses
u. Damage Clause: Liquidated or Mitigated Damages
v. Attrition Clause
w. Arbitration/Dispute Resolution
x. Warranty of Authority
y. Insurance/Indemnification
z. Other Contract Matters
3. Contract Standardization
4. Multiple-Meetings Contracts
Chapter 10: The Service Function
1. Service Is the Key
2. Who Services?
a. The Convention Service Manager
b. Increased Recognition
c. Convention Service Staff
d. Convention Service Managers at Convention and Visitors Bureaus
3. The Transition
4. An Overview of the Service Function
Chapter 11: Guestrooms
1. Reservation Systems
a. Hotel-Managed Reservations
b. Rooming Lists
c. Convention Center Housing Bureaus
d. Third-Party Housing Companies
2. Room Assignment
a. Rate Structures
b. Complimentary Arrangements
c. Priorities
d. Room Types
e. The Group History

f. Arrival/Departure Pattern
g. Other Hotels
3. Managing Room Blocks
a. No-Shows/Overbooking
b. Attrition
4. Check-In/Check-Out
a. Check-In Procedures
b. Check-Out Procedures
Chapter 12: Preparing for the Event
1. Pre-Convention Meeting
a. Key Personnel Roster
2. Resume (Specification Sheet)
3. Banquet Event Order (Function Sheet)
4. The Importance of Communication
5. Communicating Details Electronically
6. The Importance of Follow-Up
Chapter 13: Function Rooms and Meeting Setups
1. Function Rooms
a. Types of Function Rooms
b. Function Room Size and Layout
c. Meeting Room Plans
d. Timetable for Setup and Breakdown
2. Managing Function Rooms
a. Sales Restrictions on Function Space
b. Function Room Charges
c. Function and Meeting Room Revenue Management
d. Release Dates
e. Several Meetings Simultaneously
f. Use of Meeting Rooms by Others
g. Employee Procedure Manuals
3. Meeting Setups
a. Function Room Furniture
b. Basic Meeting Setups
c. Setups with Tables
4. Breakdown of Function Rooms
5. Meeting Rooms of the Future
6. Monitoring Function Room Usage
Chapter 14: Food and Beverage Service
1. Food Service
a. Types of Food Functions
b. Themed and Special Events
c. Off-Premises Catering
d. Changing Tastes
e. Types of Service
f. Chef’s Tastings
g. Pricing Food Functions
h. Attendance
i. Attrition
j. Function Rooms
k. Control Procedures
l. Staffing

m. Uniserve or Duoserve
2. Beverage Service
a. Types of Setups
b. Hospitality Suites
c. Brands
d. Pricing Methods
e. Beverage Control
3. Post-Function Actions
4. In-House Coordination: Large vs. Small Properties
a. Role of the Catering Manager
b. Servicing and Selling
c. Communication and Cooperation
Chapter 15: Audiovisual Requirements
1. Types of Audiovisual Equipment
a. Sound Systems
b. Lighting
c. Screens
d. Projectors
e. Projector Stands
f. Multimedia Presentations
g. Simultaneous Interpretations
h. Virtual Conferencing
i. Other Presentation Device
2. Bandwidth and High-Speed Internet Access
3. Outside or Inside?
a. Audiovisual Specialists
b. In-House Equipment
4. Charging for Audiovisual Equipment
5. Union Regulations
Chapter 16: Admission Systems and Other Services
1. Convention Registration
2. Convention Security
a. Controlled Admission
b. Ticket Arrangements
c. Uncontrolled Admission
d. Exhibit Security
3. Other Services
a. Signs and Notices
b. Convention Headquarters Room
c. Convention Hospitality Suites
d. Guest Packages
e. Telephones
f. Printing and Duplication
g. Decorations
h. Entertainment
i. Preferred Suppliers/Exclusives
4. Guest/Companion Programs
a. Building Guest/Companion Attendance
b. Activities for the Attendees’ Guests
c. Activities for Children

Chapter 17: Exhibits and Trade Shows
1. The Scope of Exhibits and Trade Shows
a. Types of Exhibits
2. Exhibit Planning
a. Key Trade Show and Exhibit Personnel
b. Scaled Drawings
c. Layouts
d. Photo File
e. Timetable
f. Show Hours and Room Assignments
g. Labor Regulations
h. Insurance
3. Exhibit Billing Procedures
a. Hotel’s Rental Charge
b. Exhibition Service Contractor’s Fee
4. Convention Shipping and Receiving
a. Exhibit Shipping
b. Recommended Address Terminology
c. Shipping Methods
d. Incoming Shipping Costs
Chapter 18: Convention Billing and Post-Convention Review
1. Convention Billing
a. The Master Account
b. Time of Payment
c. Guest Credit
d. Gratuities and Service Charges
e. HSMAI’s Suggested Payment Schedule
2. Post-Convention Review
a. Comparison with Projections
b. Function Attendance
c. Special Services
d. Individual Comments
e. Post-Convention Reporting
f. Final Appraisal