Modern-day businesses have new goals and marketing strategies that can make them a global enterprise, accessible to as many people as possible. Of course, aside from taking your business online, there are other, more traditional ways of growing your brand’s reach further away from your actual local office. Organizing events at other places definitely requires some more research on your part. And in order for these events to proceed smoothly, it’s only logical that you solicit the help of the best local DMC (Destination Management Company).
What Exactly Is a DMC?
Essentially, a DMC is a company that manages all your event needs for you in the area that you might not be familiar with as this place is local for them. In that respect, they can help you organize the best event for your business thanks to their knowledge of other local services. That said, a DMC can tend to all kinds of necessities, from accommodation, food, and fun to transport, promotions, tours, security, and so on.
You might think that hiring a DMC will only result in more hassle, but the fact of the matter is that their help can be crucial to make your event a real success without having to experience and deal with the organizational burden on your own.
When to Use DMC Services?
Aside from the actual conference venue, which is still an extremely important aspect of your event, the chances are that you’ll have plenty of other activities planned for outside the venue itself. Things like sales incentives, restaurants, transportation, etc, are all elements of a great event for a business party, and it would be wise to have a local DMC knowledgeable about the best spots, routes, and schedules to assist you in creating the best plan and itinerary.
You should also think about worst-case scenarios. Even though these are not likely to happen, it doesn’t mean they won’t happen at all. In that respect, hospital treatments, tracking passports and other lost documents, dealing with traffic jams, broken vehicles, and so on are all situations that can turn seriously troublesome really fast if you’re on your own and maybe even have to deal with language barriers and different currency aside from the unknown location. But, when you have a DMC on your side, you can count on them dealing with all these matters professionally and efficiently.
How to Find the Best DMC?
For starters, your best bet is to look into trade shows such as IMEX and EIBTM, as they tend to showcase global DMCs as well. Of course, it’s not necessary for you to attend these shows if you’re unable to go; luckily, online connection allows you to join the DMC network so that you can get in touch with them directly or with representation companies. The latter will also help you brief and assess the DMCs so that you can identify the best possible location for your event as well.
Of course, don’t forget that you can learn a lot from social media and especially LinkedIn when you’re looking for a list of global DMCs. That way, you’ll also gain insight into the feedback from previous clients. In the end, if you actually have a location in mind already, you might benefit more from personal recommendations from your colleagues and other entrepreneurs from your networking contacts.
The Importance of DMC Location
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when organizing a business event at another city, country or even a continent is to fail to listen to DMC’s advice when it comes to location. Essentially, your goal is to hold an event in a more populated place, but there are other locations that have to be taken into account.
For instance, you should never stubbornly request specific accommodation if the DMC clearly advises to move closer to the venue when there’s an actual traffic concern. This doesn’t only include the vicinity of accommodation and venue, but the possibility to engage in other activities, too. If you want to organize a destination tour as well, the accommodation location together with the location of restaurants and entertainment are all important aspects that your DMC can help you with.
After all, you don’t want you and your party to get stuck in traffic or to waste valuable time commuting from one place to another without rhyme or reason. This will only point to your poor organization skills.
Finally, keep in mind that you should properly prepare yourself for the trip, especially if you’re planning to hold an event in a culturally different environment. While you don’t have to learn the language, you can benefit a lot from a couple of common phrases. Also, consult the DMC about some important and traditional customs. Essentially, keep the line of communication with your DMC open so that you can organize a successful event and stick to the best possible practices for your business goals and the location you’ve chosen.
