Presentation by Milos Milovanovic for "Lviv Tourism Forum 2017", held on 18-20 October in Lviv, Ukraine.

1. LVIV
Tourism Forum
October 2017

2. Milos Milovanovic
Consultant
Milos Milovanovic is a international consultant
with expertise in activation and development of
convention bureaus and destination marketing in
emerging regions. He has over 10 years of
experience in the meeting and conventions
industry. He has consulted on projects in Belgium,
Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan & Qatar.
Milos was the CEO of the Serbia Convention
Bureau since 2007, whereas inaugural CEO he
was instrumental in its establishment and
development. Under his leadership the bureau
has made constant progress in International
Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)
rankings making the top 50 globally Serbia, as
one of the exciting and emerging Eastern
European convention destinations, is now in the
global limelight. It has made constant progress
and represents one of the fastest growing
meetings destinations globally.
GainingEdge, established in 2004, is a global
network of consultants that specialize in the
business events sector. GainingEdge operates
from 8 cities worldwide and has successfully
delivered over 50 engagements across the globe.
We have an excellent track record in the
establishment of new convention & visitor
bureaus, capability development of convention &
visitor bureaus, destination strategy, convention
centre feasibility studies and in-market sales
representation. We bring the expertise of a
diverse group of professionals comprising
business events market expertise, convention
bureau operational expertise, business
development expertise as well as convention
centre expertise. Our professionals are frequent
speakers at industry conferences, serve on
advisory bodies and participate in industry
initiatives on an international basis.
Gaining Edge
Advising the world`s convention
and meeting industry

3. MICE industry

4. What MICE Industry Really Mean
M.I.C.E.
 Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions
 Business tourism
 Business meetings & events
 The meetings industry
 MC&I (Meetings, Conventions & Incentives)

5. What MICE Industry Really Mean
Why destinations want to host international meetings?
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – BEYOND TOURISM EFFECTS
 Promote their economy and business potentials
 Attract international associations and leading experts
 Improve international integration of local experts
 Develop creative economy and knowledge-based society
FINANCIAL INCOME – TOURISM EFFECTS
 Business travelers tend to spend more money (3 times more)
 Meetings and conventions are usually out of high season
 Convention participants are potential leisure tourists

6. What MICE Industry Really Mean
Showcases
Local innovation,
products and
expertise
Generates
Favorable
Media
Attention
Local
Professionals
and Students
Knowledge
Investment
Platform
Profile
Exports
Networks
Access
New
Technologies,
New Ideas
Brings in
Buyers and
Distributers.
When They
See it
They Will
Believe it.
Business
Contacts,
Trade and
Research Links
Industry Leaders
Thought Leaders
Corporations
Investors
FOCUS

7. What MICE Industry Really Mean
 Provides platforms for knowledge exchange and professional development
of the local business and professional community
 Promotes new industry growth sectors and helps developing international
business networks
 Delivers economic benefits beyond just visitors arrivals and expenditure
 Attracts business travelers which means investors, industry and
government leaders, scientists and researchers, etc.
M.I.C.E.
Engages human (intellectual) capital of the destination, which
is the most important resource that any destniation has and
can count on !!!

8. Leisure Tourism Business Tourism (MICE)
How do Business Events and Leisure Tourism Differ?
The MICE industry differs from leisure in terms of the purpose of the visit, decision makers, service providers,
marketing approach, etc., and requires a distinct strategy for attracting business meetings.
 Fun and leisure
 Exploring new destination and learning new cultures
 Business networking and information sharing
 Education & certification
 Business networking
Purpose of Visit
 Affordability
 Uniqueness of destination and culture
 Kind of leisure activities available
 State of domestic economy
 Quality of MICE-related infrastructure, such as
convention/meeting venues and hotels
 Affordability and connectivity
Main Drivers
 Individual tourists
 Tour wholesalers
 Travel agents
 Meeting Planners/AMCs
 Professional Congress/Exhibition Organisers
 Associations and corporates
Decision Makers
 Tour operators/travel agents
 Hotels
 Airlines
 PCOs/DMCs/EMCs
 Venue Providers (meeting venues and exhibition
grounds)
 Convention centres
Service Providers
 Broadcast marketing to end consumers (tourists)
 Tour packages through tour operators/travel agents
 Bidding for international
conventions/exhibitions
 Lobbying with government and trade bodies
 Direct selling to corporates and associations
Marketing Approach
What MICE Industry Really Mean
Differences Between MICE and Leisure Tourism

9. MICE Industry
M.I.C.E.
 Meetings - general term indicating the coming together of a number of
people in one place, to confer or carry out a particular activity (corporate
meetings, seminars, symposiums)
 Incentives - events as part of a program which is offered to its participants
to reward a previous performance (incentive trips, team building)
 Conventions - participatory meeting designed for discussion, fact-finding,
problem solving and consultation (congresses, conferences, conventions)
 Exhibitions - Events at which products and services are displayed
(consumer shows, trade shows, fairs)

10. MICE Industry Suppliers
 Meeting Venues – purpose built convention & exhibition centers,
special venues (universities, cultural and historical buildings …)
 Hotels – with conference facilities, accommodation
 Event Planners – PCOs, DMCs, EMCs, …
 Transportation – airlines, ground transport, local transfer
 Meeting Service Suppliers – AV equipment, catering, translation,
security services, entertainment providers ...
 Destination Marketing Organizations – Convention Bureaus
(local, city, national), tourist offices
MICE Industry

11. 11
How Convention Bureau represents the entire MICE industry
Key Actors in Convention Marketing
Convention Bureau
Local and National Governments:
 Supports the convention market through
investment in facilities
 Financial support for convention bureau
 Protocol
 Logistical and security support
 Special events permits
Unique Roles of the convention bureau:
 One stop shop
 Represent the entire destination to convention
buyers
 Researches potential congresses, organizes site
visits and prepares bids
 Supports development of exhibitions
 Attendance promotion at events
 Industry development and coordination
Hotels
Convention Centres
Destination
Management
Companies (DMCs)
Local Host
Committees
Government
Professional
Conference
Organizers (PCOs)
Local Host Committee:
 Issues a formal invitation to the
group organizing the meeting
 Works with the convention bureau
during the bid
 Plans social programs during the
event
PCOs:
 Contracts with the meeting planner
 Handles on-site logistics – hotel
rooms, registration, housing, local
transportation, sponsorship, meeting
preparation, social program
arrangements, entertainment, etc.
DMCs:
 Ground transportation
 Logistics
 Organises pre- and post- tours
and incentive trips
Hotels:
 Provide room blocks for bid
 Banquets and catering
Convention Centres:
 Cooperative sales
effort with
convention bureau
 Primary meeting
facilities
 Event catering
Client surveys consistently say
that they will select destinations
where they can work with
convention bureaus over those
that don’t have convention
bureaus.
MICE industry

12. RESEARCH:
From Leads to Bids

13. BUSINESS FOCUS
Question: What are our
Industry Strengths?
Question: What are the Targeted Industry
Sectors?

14. Sourcing Leads
Lead Source
 Local Institutions
 Referrals
 Database > ICCA
 Web research
 Trade magazines & media
o Bid wins, case studies
 Trade shows & road shows
 Sales promotions
 Lead exchange > ICCA, GE
 Business networks
o CVBs, Centres, PCOs
o Government, industry partners
 Event calendars
o Bureaus, centres, PCOs, industry calendars

15. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Business Event Qualifier
 To help prioritise leads
 Creating a score sheet based on key
criteria
 Prioritising what is most important for
the destination
 Which events have the best chance of
success
Priority Potential Important Criteria
High High High
Medium High Medium
Medium Medium High
Low Medium Low
Low Low Medium
Focus

16. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria : Size
 Number of delegates
 Room Nights (delegates x days)
 Event space (sqm)
Considerations
 Delegates > differentiate between local,
national and international
Capacity

17. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria : Profile
 Delegate profile
 High yield spenders
 People of influence > investors,
decision makers
 Publicity value > topical subjects
 Events we can leverage

18. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria : Local Host
 Is a local host required > Yes/No
 Strength of local host
Considerations
 No local host required > a bonus

19. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria : Industry Sector
 Key economic growth sectors
identified by government &
industry
 Centres of innovation, R&D

20. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria: Time of Year
 Low season
 Shoulder season
 Peak season

21. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria: Event History
 Rotational pattern
 Destination choice > major or
regional cities, resorts
 Last time in your city/region

22. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria: Bid Time Frame
 High = ample time to prepare and
promote bid
 Low = short time frame and
complex bid process, not able to
meet criteria

23. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Criteria: Level of Support
 High = low level of financial and
non financial support required
 Low = high level of financial
support required

24. Qualifying and Prioritising Leads
Leads Qualifier
 Create a score sheet
 Weight criteria according
to importance to your
destination
 Apply to current leads to
determine High, Medium
and Low priority leads
Criteria Priority Weighting
1 – 10
Points
Score
Industry Sector Medium 3 10 30
Local Host High 5 3 15
Event Profile Low 1 5 5
Rotation Medium/High 4 8 32
Room Nights Medium/Low 2 7 14
Total
Possible =
150
96
SAMPLE ONLY
Other considerations can be: season, publicity value and profile, demographics of
delegates, government interest in field, level of financial support required, potential
for corporate/government sponsorship, audience/delegates

25. CREATIVITY:
Strategic position and strengths

26. Bid brief = what you need to know.
Bid strategy = what you do with what you know.
Definitions
If we have a clear strategy…
if we customise our bid…
if we speak clearly to what they want…
we will win over destinations that do “stock-standard” bids.
and solve their problems…

27. Barcelona Positioning
EASY access
WORLD CLASS facilities
RANGE & QUALITY of hotels
MULTICULTURAL
HUGE variety of cuisines
GREAT shopping
COSMOPOLITAN city

28. EASY access
WORLD CLASS facilities
RANGE & QUALITY of hotels
MULTICULTURAL
HUGE variety of cuisines
GREAT shopping
COSMOPOLITAN city
Singapore Positioning

29. EASY access
WORLD CLASS facilities
RANGE & QUALITY of hotels
MULTICULTURAL
HUGE variety of cuisines
GREAT shopping
COSMOPOLITAN city
Dubai Positioning

30. Self Assessment
Review Bid Criteria
 How does Lviv match up?
 Strengths & Weaknesses
 Competitive Analysis
Group Workshop

31. Destination Position
Lviv Iasi Cracow
Hotels (Quality)
Convention Centre
Facility Package
Air Access
Visa/Customs
Ground Transport
Related Industry / Innovation
Local Host
New Market Offer
Capability / Dependability
Cost
Safety & Stability
Government Support
Subvention
Unique Venues
Climate
Destination Appeal
Entertainment
Strong Average Weak

32. Tailoring your Bid
 Highlight your strengths
 Prepare a response for your weaknesses
 E.g. perceptions of cost
 Seek industry support
 Focus on competitive pricing
 Highlight potential for other revenue sources
 Put a value on all services provided
 Cost comparisons

33. The Business Case
 Factors that will make the
meeting a success
 Opportunities to
accomplish organisational
goals
 Related local industry
 Business opportunities for
attendees

34. The Business Case
 Meeting success factors:
 Convenience of facility package
 Quality and location of hotels / new hotels
 Destination appeal, exciting, entertaining, high delegate attendance
 Opportunities to accomplish organisational goals:
 What are their goals and how can you add value?
 Related local industry
 How does your destination relate to their science?
 Business opportunities for attendees
 Offer to organise a business exchange?

35. Value Proposition
 Insights into new innovation
- A world leading research institute
 Learning opportunities
- Technical tours
 Economies
- Lots of local speakers available
 Support resources
- Enthusiasm and commitment of local host
 New experiences
- Never been to the Lviv before
Things Lviv can offer better than our competitors:

36. Aligning Your Bid to Corporate Goals
 The question is not “what are you looking for in a
destination?” it’s “what are you seeking to
accomplish through your meeting?”
 Are you able to assist in helping the Association
achieve it’s goals and aspirations?

37. Play to your Strengths
 Highlight your strengths
 Differentiate against your competitors
weaknesses without naming them
 Turn your weaknesses into positives
 Develop creative offers

38. Things Lviv can offer better than other destinations
1. Unique selling points
2. Differentiation (why they should meet in Lviv
vs. other destinations)
 Examples:
o Learning opportunities for members
o Economies of scale
o Support networks
o New innovation
o New experiences
Workshop: Differentiating Lviv

39. Benefit Analysis
Discussion Points
1. What is the benefit to the prospective
client?
2. Put yourselves in their shoes
3. How does your benefit contribute to their
success ?
4. What are your clients care most about?
5. Why do clients use your destination for
business events?

40. Benefit Analysis
Benefit Analysis
 Why buy your pizza?
 Why come back?
Taste
Quality
Variety
Convenience
Reliability
Friendliness
Cleanliness
Service
Atmosphere
Enjoyment
Value for money
Choice
Save time
Get what you want
Feel Welcome
Stay healthy
No stress
Feel happy
Attributes Benefits

41. Selling Benefits
What are the benefits to client?
Strengths Benefits
R&D investment >>> Innovative program content
Regional strengths >>> Business opportunities
Competitive pricing >>>
Affordability for delegates to
attend
Low registration fees
Increase delegate
attendance

42. Group Workshop:
1. Considering the differentiators you have
defined outline the BENEFITS they provide
to the prospective client.
2. How does each benefit assist client in
achieving their desired outcome
3. First consider the list of desired outcomes
for a convention planner
 Sponsorships
 Attendance
 Legacy
 Profit
 Grow memberships
 Education
 Knowledge exchange
 Business to business
relationships
 Ease of doing business
 Successful meeting
Things Meeting Planners Like
Workshop: Customer Benefits of Meeting in Lviv

43. Workshop: Why Lviv?
 Top 5 Reasons
 Evidence / Proof

44. Differentiation
Why LVIV?
Benefits
 Business benefits
 Financial benefits
 Additional
motivation
 New business
 New clients
 Less expensive
inputs
 New technology
 Good partner
 Unique
experience
Evidence / Proof
What are clients looking for ???

45. Differentiation
Why LVIV?
Benefits
Top 5 Reasons
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
.
Evidence / Proof
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

46. THANK YOU