French DMC asks: should you DIY for International Corporate Event Planning?
French DMC asks: should you DIY for International Corporate Event Planning
?There's quite a buzz in the corporate events/DMC industry these days. With all the belt-tightening going on, new services are being offered on the Internet which suggest removing the role of DMCs altogether. Event planners in companies are being encouraged to do all the work themselves. Is this wise practice or false economy?
Deciding what is appropriate
Much depends on the nature of the specific event at hand. In many cases a company will not need the inputs of a third party and can organize large corporate meetings on its own especially when this is done in the same country. Equipped with sufficient human resources, your own staff can undertake the planning and management functions that you would otherwise delegate to a local DMC. However when you're planning an international event, can this be done effectively on a DIY-basis? What will you gain and what do you risk?
The benefit of local knowledge
Running a corporate event abroad involves many factors in addition to the administrative costs of the main event itself. There are all the arrangements surrounding group arrival and departure, transfers between different points, hospitality, management of the main event and especially all the entertainment issues. The input of local knowledge provided by a local DMC agency can make a great difference to overall success. So should its services be considered a luxury or a necessity? Let's evaluate by looking at the points presented by the Do-It-Yourselfers.
What's behind the claims?
"Cut out the superfluous costs" they say. Would an Executive PA in Texas, charged with organizing the company's next General Meeting in Cannes, France, have the range of contacts to ensure the best selection? Would she be able to negotiate special rates with local suppliers? It's not very likely.
"Take care of all the meeting planning work in-house" they continue. Let's not forget that planning a large and important meeting is a time-consuming process requiring a major commitment by the planner. How will this integrate with her other activities? Will she be able to give the project the attention to detail that it demands? That's exactly what a DMC agency is paid to do.
"Use today's smart Internet-based technology to take the effort, worries and doubt out of running an international event" they conclude.There's no guarantee that planning an international event in-house will safeguard you from the unexpected. Perhaps the contrary! You may well lack the 'special tools' required to react quickly and well to every eventuality. What if the entertainer you booked falls sick? Or weather forces a change in plans? Nobody wants to find themselves in a rowing boat without oars.
Using your DMC agency to the full
The success and impact of an impressive overseas corporate event is remembered long after financial advantages are forgotten. So it's very important to appreciate what value you'll gain by working closely with a DMC as opposed to organizing everything yourself.
Coordination Running a Press Conference back-to-back with an Annual Board Meeting demands a close working relationship between the company's events organizer and the DMC's project manager. Look in 'Our News - World's Restaurants' on the Alcep site ww.alcep.fr to see how Alcep achieved this for a leading supplier of food and beverage services.
Theme-driven Often an important overseas event is tied to a special corporate theme. Involving a professional DMC team is a great way to expand the scope of innovative thinking. Let's say you're dealing with a medical nutrition company whose slogan is 'Follow Our Heart Beat'. You need to find activities that can give expression to this slogan.
Time-frame How much can be squeezed into a overseas weekend for over 300 guests arriving on 10 different flights? Making these logistic arrangements calls for a great deal of expertise and attention to detail. Yes, a company person CAN deal with all this but how much better to use local coorinators who know all the short-cuts and timesaving practices!
Surprises The request to "Surprise Us" allows the local DMC to use its innovative talents to add interesting elements to the program: such as taking visitors on a Paris tour in buggies or showing Chinese travel agents who 'knowe Paris' many new aspects of the city.
Resources To organize visits to local wine producers and set up the best route for an intensive 3-day trip required a rich knowledge of the French wine trade. Look in 'Our News - Italian Wine Sellers' on the Alcep site ww.alcep.fr to see how Alcep prepared this event for a leading Italian wine producer.
Impact The Gala Evening is the high point of most corporate events and needs to be organized with great care and forethought. Here is the classic example where a DMC's talents and expertise are exploited to the full taking care of many interest groups and ensuring that everyone is happy.
Many corporate events don't need special country-specific knowledge. But in a company's calendar there will be landmark events, such as organized by French DMC Alcep, where professionalism and 'panache' are the keywords. In such cases it is just common sense to profit from the expertise and innovation of a well-established DMC. Frugal Christmas Frugal Halloween Visiting Thailand On Holidays Obama Care Will Cover Every American...Except Those Exempted by Its 1,040 Waivers Reasons to Invest in Maternity Summer Dresses What You Need to Know About Traveling to China Some Tunisia Travel Advice Tips Tackling Your Hawaiian Air Travel A Brief Traveler's Guide to Spain Pack Light When Traveling With Toddlers! Five Things To Think about Before You Begin Your Spring Cleanup Enjoy the trip Four Amazing Monuments Located In Tangier For An Enchanting Morocco Travel