Maximising Occupancy Rates for Convention Centers

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.
 
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