By Ameen Ahsan

Convention centers are faced with stronger competition than in past years because of an increased number of venues and meeting space. In addition, as the event industry is part of an ongoing globalization process, the traditional marketplace is expanding to include international competition. 
A further challenge for convention centers identified is that meeting professionals are asking for more space for less money. This is because meeting planners are required to be more innovative in the way they produce events, which often requires more space than traditionally has been requested and accounted for in budgets. Further challenges include a trend towards strategic meeting management, the need for meeting planners to be cost efficient and increasingly conscious of the value of reporting on return on investment (ROI).

​Convention center marketing teams aim to maximize center occupancy and revenue by persuading meeting organizers to select their venue for events. Advertising plays an important role in the marketing program by raising awareness of the convention center’s facilities and helping organizers to attract higher numbers of delegates.

• Target Audience

Meeting professionals represent the most important target audience for convention centers. They are looking for destinations that will attract large numbers of delegates with meeting venues that have the facilities to support a successful event. Place advertisements in magazines targeted at meeting professionals or publications issued by institutes representing the profession. Marketing professionals also have responsibility for organizing events, although on a smaller scale than meeting professionals. Advertise your venue in publications targeted at the marketing industry.

• Event Facilities

Meeting planners look for venues that offer them the capacity, convenience and facilities to stage a successful event. Use your advertisements to provide basic information on the center, but include a link to your website where organizers can find comprehensive information. List any high profile events that you have hosted as proof of your venue’s status.

• Joint Campaigns

Successful conventions attract large numbers of visitors to an area, a factor that is important to tourist boards, economic development groups and local government agencies as well as convention centers. Approach these bodies to plan joint advertising campaigns that focus on the area as a destination for tourism and conventions.

• Event Advertising

Meeting professionals measure the success of their events by the number of targeted delegates they attract. Develop joint advertising campaigns with event organizers to help attract delegates. By contributing to the success of an event, convention centers can secure future bookings when the organizers are planning their next event.

• Paid Search

Paid search advertising, a technique for placing advertisements on the Web pages that show Internet search results, can deliver positive results. The aim is to attract Internet visitors who are searching for convention centers in a specific location. Convention centers can use the technique to generate inquiries that they can follow up with targeted email communications.
 
*Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting*
"where visions are realised"

7th Floor, Hi Lite Business Park, Calicut
http://www.ameenahsan.com
+91-7558-900-800
info@ameenahsan.com



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Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting (AASC) provides management consulting and strategy advisory services to projects, ventures and businesses. Key services include Business Planning, Consulting & Research, specialising in Management Consulting & Business Consulting services, Project Reports, Business Plans and Feasibility Studies.
AASC is based at HiLite Business Park, Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala. And serves clients across Kerala and Gulf (GCC) countries.
To know more about AASC services, please call +91-7558-900-800 or email info@ameenahsan.com

Job Description for Convention Centre Coordinators:
By *Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting*

Creating a job description is a key step in the hiring process. You must be able to accurately describe what a new employee will do in order to decide how to divide the work between yourself and your employee.
Demand for conference center coordinators is growing as businesses recognize the value of professionally run meetings.

Scope of the Job:
These professionals are responsible for the smooth running of conferences, from initial planning and liaison with clients to coordination of people and activities on the day. They supervise catering and hospitality teams, communicate with suppliers and presenters, and ensure that event sponsors and delegates have a satisfactory conference that meets their objectives.

Key Responsibilities:
To plan each conference, coordinators meet clients to discuss their requirements. They provide clients with a budget and a schedule for the event. They liaise with presenters and suppliers to ensure the facilities are in place for the event and delegate individual responsibilities to members of their team. On the day, they check that all facilities are ready and oversee activities throughout the day. After the event, they review feedback to identify any problems and ensure that all parties are satisfied with the conference.

Attributes for the Job:
A conference center coordinator must be capable of managing several activities at the same time, often under pressure due to time and budget constraints, according to the Job Explorer. They must have excellent planning, budgeting and project management skills and have the ability to lead and motivate their teams. Good communication and interpersonal skills are important for liaising with clients, colleagues, suppliers and presenters. Coordinators also need excellent customer service skills to deal with inquiries and complaints from event organizers and delegates. Feedback from attendees and organizers provides a measure of the coordinator’s performance.

Education and Professional Qualifications:
High standards of professionalism in the industry make a bachelor’s degree essential. A degree in marketing, business studies, hospitality or tourism management and public relations provides a relevant qualification.

Essential Industry Experience:
Coordinators must have knowledge and experience of all aspects of the conference business, including logistics, catering, presentation, customer service and marketing. Experience in a related field such as public relations, exhibition management or the hotel and catering industry would be useful, and coordinators must be able to demonstrate a track record of successful event management.
 
Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting
"where visions are realised"

7th Floor, Hi Lite Business Park, Calicut
http://www.ameenahsan.com
+91-7558-900-800
info@ameenahsan.com

*Kerala's finest experts for Feasibility Studies, Strategy Reports / Project Reports, Business Models and Vision Realisation*

​Why do a SWOT analysis before you invest in a Convention Centre or an Auditorium?
By *Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting*

Most buildings are occupied by one tenant for one purpose, such as offices. As a Convention Centre has different tenants every day, using the building for different types of event, it needs to be as flexible as possible, to meet the exact needs of each individual customer. The design must meet the needs of the market and enable the operator to run the building successfully for all types of event.

The market and different events for which the building will be used will vary for a particular city, country and business objective. Once these are established and agreed through feasibility and market research then a detailed brief can be prepared, which specifies the range of facilities within the building and the operational parameters for all aspects of the building.

SWOT is one very important tool that an investor or promoter should apply before venturing in to a new project. The strength and weakness are an internal analysis of the promoter whereas the Opportunity and Threat is an external analysis. A promoter has to totally analyze and understand his strengths and opportunities internally and externally along with threats and weakness which again can be internal or external.

Once the design is complete and construction is underway, it is important to programme in at least three months after the planned completion and handover date, for the operations team to settle into the building, have practice events and generally make sure all the systems are operating correctly. It is also prudent to have a buffer period between the reported completion date and the first commercial event, as it is extremely common for the construction to overrun.

Time, Cost and Quality are key criteria with different priorities at different stages of the project. It is important to remember a cut in the capital cost could have serious consequences on the operational aspects, which only come to light after the design and construction teams have moved on to other projects.

The most important factor in planning a convention centre is to have expert end user input throughout the project.

So what do you think of today’s post? Please share your views and experiences!

​*Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting*
"where visions are realised"

7th Floor, Hi Lite Business Park, Calicut
http://www.ameenahsan.com
+91-7558-900-800
info@ameenahsan.com

*Kerala's finest experts for Feasibility Studies, Strategy Reports / Project Reports, Business Models and Vision Realisation*
 
 

Why *Vision Planning* is essential before you invest in a Convention Centre or Auditorium?
By *Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting*

Today Convention Centers and Auditoriums have become an integral part of our lives. Not a single week goes by without us visiting a convention Centre or an Auditorium for events like a wedding, parties, conferences and so on.

Gone are the days when events were hosted at homes or at limited spaces. The new generation requires exclusive spaces which cater to their specific needs with all the latest amenities.
A state of the art Convention Centre would require huge investments which will be realized over a period of time. Constructing a Convention Centre or an auditorium is way lot different from building commercial spaces as convention centers cater to specific needs and wants. Building such complexes are risky if not done with enough vision, as it can result in crores of money spend and the asset being idle.

 A business interested in investing in a convention Centre or an Auditorium establish a vision of what/where they want to be at the beginning of the process so as to establish consensus on purpose and values to guide issue and strategy identification. Having a clear vision roadmap will enable in designing a convention Centre or an auditorium which caters to all the needs that might arise from a potential client.

The lack of a serious vision can lead to blind alleys and result in crores of amount wasted on an asset which can be put to no good use.

A good *Vision Planning*would be a roadmap to success.
*Ameen Ahsan Strategy Consulting*
"where visions are realised"

7th Floor, Hi Lite Business Park, Calicut
http://www.ameenahsan.com
+91-7558-900-800
info@ameenahsan.com

*Kerala's finest experts for Feasibility Studies, Strategy Reports / Project Reports, Business Models and Vision Realisation*