TMGevents logo Making Sure the Destination Measures Up - the indispensable value of inspection visits

Living up to expectations

Are you sometimes frustrated and disappointed that the reality of your chosen destination falls short of the hype?
Does the picture painted in the initial proposal fail to live up to expectations? Do you find that as the planning advances you have to devote more money to shore up the weakest aspects of the planned programme? And does it occasionally strike you that your event management company is on as steep a learning curve as you when it comes to dealing with a particular venue or destination? Do you sometimes feel that they are adding something new to their portfolio at your expense?

Help is on hand

The good news is that there are several steps you can take to avoid nasty surprises like this along the way.

The first thing to do at the outset is to ensure your event management company is being completely honest with you about their overall grasp of the destination being put forward. Quiz them intensely. Subject them to detailed questioning on their experience at this destination? Who have they already taken there? How did previous groups compare with yours in terms of size, make-up and purpose? And what about duration, time of the year or even budget? A successful 'big ticket' two night recognition and awards event doesn't necessarily translate into success for your less lavishly funded four night incentive trip.

A professional supplier will of course be totally honest about the extent of their operational experience in any particular location. The fact that they have not managed an event there for a client should not necessarily rule out either the agency or the destination in question. But you should be looking for some solid evidence that the place has been very thoroughly researched. Who from the agency side has taken a so-called 'fam' trip to the place? What did they learn? Have they acquired a clear grasp of what can be achieved there? What needs to be done to extract the very best from what is on offer? What are the limitations? And do they appear to have made contact with the key people at the destination who can bring the event to life?

Committing

But once the decision is taken and the commitment is made to a specific venue or location, there is no going back, and one of the most critical elements of the entire planning process is the inclusion of one or more site inspection visits. TMG Events would advise clients that the level of investment involved is far too high to risk embarking on an event without conducting at least one recce trip to the destination.

 

So why is the inspection visit indispensable? Here are a few thoughts:

  • At the outset it's a wise move to be able to confirm at first hand that the hotel selection is the most appropriate one for you together with dining venues and the social activities.
  • Inspection visits remove any lingering elements of doubt and ensure that nothing is left to chance.
  • You will gain a much better understanding of the way the proceedings will unfold with a clear picture in your mind of the physical context in which things are happening.
  • Site visits are invaluable in judging how best to add the sizzle and put the finishing touches to an event.
  • Things are not always what they seem. Though painstaking desk research and planning will have preceded any inspection visit, thirty minute transfer times can on occasion prove to be ambitious - to the point where a rethink is required.
  • The best planned programmes will inevitably be vulnerable at some stage. An inspection visit is the easiest way to identify potential hotspots and put in place sensible contingency plans.
  • Circumstances can and do change over a very short timespan. Even if your event management partner has worked several times in the past with a venue or at a destination, a change of local management or even new building works can alter things at the drop of a hat. A visit reassures everybody that nothing has or is set to change.
  • Face to face meetings with hotel managers and local suppliers can actually help in the bargaining process to keep costs to a minimum and extract best value.
  • You will gain a better understanding of the management issues and assess the manpower required 'on site' to deliver the event successfully.
  • Depending on the complexity of the programme and the journey time involved, it's usually better to opt for two or more brief visits rather than a single 'catch-all' inspection.
  • If a meeting is part of the event, a visit is the best way to assess how the meeting venue works with the accommodation and social programme.

Reassurance

Above all an inspection visit is (or should be) a totally reassuring experience (and even if it isn't, the need for immediate corrective action is recognised by all involved). You will emerge feeling much more confident about the entire event and able to field all manner of questions, whether from participants about what to wear or tricky ones from your own board. A properly planned and conducted site inspection will simply enable you to take a more relaxed approach in the run-up to the event itself…and that surely is no bad thing!

Interested in this destination? Contact TMG Events.