Aggressive Pursuits: Cities Go Wild for SMERF Shows

By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 1/24/2005

When it comes to the SMERF sector, for once, plenty of convention and visitors bureau executives are happy to say, "We're not Las Vegas."

In fact, a look at the showfloor of the RCMA World Conference & Exposition, organized by the Religious Conference Management Assn. Jan. 25–28 in St. Louis, makes it clear there are lots of cities willing to pull out all the stops to attract social, military, educational, religious and fraternal shows. For example, 92 of the 757 exhibiting companies will occupy two booths each — the maximum number any organization can purchase at the annual event — this year at St. Louis' America's Center/Cervantes Convention Center.

The fact that RCMA's 3,300 members plan more than 15,000 conventions, meetings and congresses that annually attract over 14.6 million attendees is a clear-cut selling point to the exhibiting companies, which also include hotels, car rental companies and tour groups.

One typical exhibitor, the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau, is maximizing its exposure at the show with six people manning its two booths. Again, RCMA puts a limit on how many representatives you can have on the showfloor: three per booth, for a total of six.

"Don't just show up alone; group efforts go over big," said Norwood Smith, vice president of sales for the Tampa Bay CVB. A collaborative effort by a city's CVB, convention centers and hotels "reflects a destination that's excited to get your business," he added.

SMERF shows are utterly indispensable for any city, said Smith. "You can't do without them. They really benefit the entire destination."

That's because the SMERF business is a money train, said DeWayne Woodring, executive director and CEO of the Indianapolis-based RCMA. "It's a vast and lucrative market. The economic impact is staggering," he said.

Catering to religious shows in particular is a good idea because they're "recession-proof," Woodring said. "Regardless of world affairs, religious events tend to attract young and old alike."

Also, Woodring added, "religious means devotion. Devotion means faithful attendance."

The June General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists at America's Center in St. Louis is expected to produce an economic impact of $50 million to $60 million.

The RCMA show itself — which Tampa hosted in 2002 — is an essential medium for landing such SMERF business, which Smith said he pursues "very aggressively" since the shows help fill the Tampa facilities' calendar of shows. "We adopt the same theory as any money market strategist: If you want to be successful, you have to have a balanced portfolio," he said.

SMERF shows are very helpful because they often will take dates during off seasons and fit into a city's schedule as a short lead time group, said Steve Stickford, senior vice president of sales and services for the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, another RCMA exhibitor. "A mix of markets will continue to play an important role in our success," Stickford said.

SMERF shows are also appealing because their participants often don't have the same time constraints as typical tradeshow attendees and regularly fill up hotel rooms for days before or after the event, said Smith. "The wonderful thing about SMERF business is that they have a little bit more free time in their schedules," he said. "Oftentimes, they'll couple it with a vacation so that their stay is longer."

But as with any sector of the meetings market, there is rarely time to rest on one's laurels. Stickford said the fact that the SLCVC has booked seven SMERF shows with at least 500 hotel room nights for 2005 has not gone unnoted by first-tier destinations like Chicago, Orlando and, yes, Las Vegas. The competition for SMERF business has become more aggressive, he said, and the shows now strategically pursue destinations that didn't appeal to them historically.

"The new competitive marketplace, thanks to lower group occupancy levels over the past few years, has caused some SMERF groups to add first-tier cities to their venue-selection process," Stickford said.

Mark Tester, vice president of convention sales for the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, another RCMA exhibitor, said that his office's "ability to capture more of that market has probably increased." The SMERF market has "been on our radar screen always," he said, adding that one of the CCTB's senior staff members has focused on the market for 25 years.

Still, SMERF show organizers aren't necessarily racing to stage their shows in first-tier cities — they just want to make their participants happy, Woodring said. "They will go anywhere that has the facilities to accommodate them," he said.

Even Las Vegas, he added, recalling that a Southern Baptist group held its annual convention there several years ago.

To compete in a constantly changing marketplace, the Tampa Bay CVB has assigned one sales associate to the SMERF market. Its sales team also customizes strategies just for that sector.

For instance, Smith said, "Don't just go (to them) in the hard times. You can't go to a show just when you're desperate and need business. Show them that you want the business year after year."

Since he's noticed little staff turnover at many SMERF associations ("They do it because they love it."), Smith said he's able to nurture long-term relationships with their show organizers in a way he can't in the traditional tradeshow world. "Those relationships never go away," he said.

As a result, Tampa Bay has 11 SMERF shows booked in 2005.

The RCMA show is next headed to San Jose, Calif., in 2006 and Louisville, Ky., in 2007.