Client Prospecting: Spending Time With Buyers

Gary Tufel -- Tradeshow Week, 1/8/2007

For industry suppliers, it's essential to participate in the meetings of major industry organizations such as the Intl. Assn. of Exhibitions and Events, Meeting Professionals Intl., Healthcare Convention & Exhibition Assn., ASAE and The Center for Assn. Leadership, and Professional Convention Management Assn. — in short, any gathering their buyers are likely to attend. These are opportunities for suppliers to build relationships with new and existing clients, not to mention make a good showing in front of competitors.

Do suppliers use varying strategies at different industry events, depending on their target audience? Contributing Editor Gary Tufel asked suppliers planning to attend PCMA's 2007 Annual Meeting in Toronto.

Question: What is unique about the clientele you reach and the business you book at PCMA? How do you tailor your marketing message to this audience?

"Hargrove finds the PCMA attendees to be very approachable and very much geared to the educational aspects of their conference. This is a good fit with our face-to-face marketing style, which is our most successful approach.

"The many medical groups that attend PCMA are also a good fit with our client base. Will Alvey, our senior national sales executive who attends PCMA, always participates in the Industry Helping Hands program — a good venue for doing good work."

Tim McGill, CEO, Hargrove

"The professional meeting planners who attend PCMA tend to be very seasoned and experienced, not easily influenced by exaggerated sales pitches. They are looking for precise information about a destination's potential for pleasing their members or their clients."

Steve Goodling, President and CEO, Long Beach (Calif.) Convention & Visitors Bureau

"PCMA attendees are eager to learn new information about the industry and are very enthusiastic to reach meeting destinations. Atlanta has a completely new story to share, and PCMA provides the perfect setting to show everyone that every day is an opening day."

Mark Vaughan, Executive vice president, sales and marketing, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

"The PCMA audience represents some of the most experienced senior meeting professionals in the industry. Typically, with experience comes an elevated need and expectation on behalf of these clients to collaborate deeply with their vendors to craft solutions that are highly customized to the unique needs of their individual organizations — and since this is core to the Experient business approach, it's always a great business fit for us."

Rick Binford, Chief marketing officer, Experient

"The clientele I reach and the business I book through PCMA is unique because the Greater Midwest Chapter is one of the largest within PCMA. Chicago is home to the nation's second-largest number of association headquarters and is the largest single home of medical associations. With this concentration, establishing and increasing Nashville's visibility as a convention destination is best achieved by having a personal connection. One way this is done is by attending the PCMA annual meeting.

"In Toronto, clients and suppliers will come together in a relaxed business atmosphere. As I approach this annual meeting, I have contacted all of my clients and set appointments to meet at an educational session."

Pride Haggerty, Director of sales, Midwest office, Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau

"PCMA is the nation's leading association management and hospitality industry educational organization. (It) attracts high-level meeting planners, especially from medical associations, which is a target market for New York City's meeting venues and hotels.

"NYC & Company's main message to planners is that meetings held in New York City regularly draw record-breaking attendance because this is where the world does business. Also, meeting attendees favor traveling to New York City for all the obvious multitude of things to do and see."

Susan Sweeney, Vice president, convention development, NYC & Company