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Destination selection is crucial for meeting planners, as it directly impacts the success of the event. Key considerations, such as accessibility, infrastructure, cost, safety, local attractions, and cultural fit, determine attendee experience, logistical ease and overall event effectiveness. A well-chosen destination enhances attendee satisfaction, facilitates smooth event execution and contributes to the event’s overall success, making it a pivotal decision for meeting planners.

Factors for planners to weigh range from ease of access for most of the attendees to ease of transit once on the ground, while also considering the needs of the stakeholders involved.

Accessibility to the Destination

A first step for planners is to assess where most of the attendees will be coming from and then look at locations from there. Accessibility to the destination is crucial. Planners look at the availability and frequency of flights, the proximity of airports to the event venue, and the quality of ground transportation. Another factor is how people will travel around the city once they are at their location. Other questions include what mass transit is available or what traffic is like in the area.

The destination should also have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the event, including suitable venues, hotels, conference centers and technology facilities.

One Southern California-based insurance company hinges the decision on locations of attendees alongside input from senior leadership. “Airlift is also an area we look at when recommending locations to stakeholders,” according to the principal planner for the company. Depending on the type of meeting, the planner will research how far the airport is from the hotel/venue and determine whether there are enough flights in and out to accommodate the group size. Planners for the company can request an air analysis from a travel business partner to help determine if the location is feasible for the meeting. The destination should have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the event, including suitable venues, hotels, conference centers and technology facilities.

“The destination has to be less than 45 minutes away from an airport,” says Sheree Griggs, Senior Meeting Coordinator, Travel, Meetings & Incentives for Aflac Worldwide Headquarters, which hosts a national convention for some 2,000, among other annual meetings. “If we have to make them travel more than 45 minutes from an airport to that resort, it’s out. We look to travel to a place located near a major airport, because we have people that we fly in from all over the country, and we choose those places that are closest to an airport that fit within the budget.”

Griggs recalls a meeting she organized in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was chosen partially because of its downtown walkability. “We do look for places that are safe and walkable for them,” she says.

She also prefers having a resort or venue that offers a variety of onsite options aside from the same conference space used for the meeting. She says it is preferable if the venue can offer unique spaces, such as an outdoor lawn or patio. “I hate when I have them at a resort and they’re in a meeting all day, and then the resort wants them to do their dinner onsite. I don’t want to put them back in that conference room that they’ve been in all day. Can we do something out here on the lawn? Can we do something here on this little patio? I just try to change things up because I personally would not want to sit in a room that long to have breakfast, my meeting lunch, dinner, everything in this one room. We want to get out and explore.”

The Impact On a Budget

Budget considerations are significant in choosing a destination. Planners need to evaluate the cost of accommodations, venues, catering, transportation and other services.

According to the seventh annual State of the Meetings & Convention Industry study, planners are trying to find creative solutions to ballooning F&B costs, including sourcing boutique event centers as an alternative approach to using hotel meeting space. The study was conducted by Future Partners in collaboration with Miles Partnership and Digital Edge. It is based on a U.S. survey of 479 meeting and event planners representing a variety of sectors and was fielded from Dec. 20, 2023 – Jan. 19, 2024. Some respondents also shared that they plan to use AI in sourcing venues/destinations.

There are ways to get creative figuring out décor, entertainment and other aspects of the meeting to keep costs down. Working with established business partners helps. Having a relationship with the venues and destination can sometimes help in striking deals to keep costs down, according to Griggs.  “It is budget, budget, budget,” Griggs says. “Luckily, some of the places that we’ve sourced have worked well with us. They may decrease the resort fee, but you have to ask. If you don’t ask, they’re not going to do it. All they can say is no.”

She adds, “We definitely look at the budget, especially for the market side, and incentive trips really have to stick to their budget. The problem with that is that, when they’re sticking to a budget, I think a lot of people don’t realize that coming out of the pandemic, the flight prices, airline tickets were astronomical. I know you want to take 50 people to Aruba, but just the flight alone takes up your entire budget. There’s no money to do anything else. I think prices are trending down now, but for a while that was something that we really had to look at.”

Booking locations that have been a success in the past is also part of the equation. Planners often seek feedback from colleagues, industry associations and previous attendees who have experience with hosting or attending events in the potential destination, according to the State of the Meetings & Convention Industry study.

According to the report, destination selection is heavily influenced by hotel experience with planners rating hotel/meeting facility service levels (81.6%), hotels – quality (81.6%) and hotels – rates (80.2%) as high or of extremely high importance.

“One of the things I ask is if I have 100 people checking in on this day, are you going to have your front desk fully staffed?” Griggs says. “I need your front desk fully staffed. I don’t need one person and everybody waiting in line. I want the desk fully staffed. So, those are some of the things, like before we go into contracting, that I’ll ask ahead of time.”

Stakeholders also might have a vision in mind that is not realistic when it comes to the budget. Griggs recalls one client who wanted to host a meeting in Cancun. Where his market was, they were going to have to spend a lot of the event budget to fly everyone to Cancun. Some of the people would have to stay overnight to catch early morning flights, which would add to the costs. “I had 10 people that needed to drive in the night before, because they were 3-4 hours away. We realize that our stakeholders sometimes forget about those things, and that’s added budget. So, there are a lot of moving parts,” she says.

Other factors regarding the destination include time of year. Destinations during peak travel season can pose a challenge to book within a tight budget. If the time of year is not flexible, planners can explore alternative lower-cost destinations.

In addition, time of year and city-wide availability both have a large role to play in getting the best rates. Planners can request slower periods to get discounts or lower rates. Planners who are flexible and provide venues with alternative dates can often negotiate better pricing. Weather conditions can also impact outdoor events, transportation and attendee comfort, which is a consideration in the destination selection process.

Griggs says there was a client who wanted to host a meeting in California, but didn’t want to go to Northern California because it was January, which potentially can be cold and rainy. “We look at seasonality. I don’t want to send somebody to Colorado in the dead of winter. I have to think about whether they are going to get stuck. Whether they are going to get snowed in. So, we try to stay away from those places. The most requested are somewhere where it’s sunny. Nobody wants to go anywhere if it’s rainy and cold.”

She adds she has also planned incentive cruises. “We started bringing back cruises and people really like those. We have relationships with a lot of the cruise lines and some event third-party companies that negotiate those rates for us.”

Activities and dining options in the destination can also play a factor. For business meetings – are there dining/entertainment options in close proximity to the hotel, or for incentives, what activities are available in the area? Are there unique experiences a planner can offer attendees?

Taking Sustainability Into Consideration

Sustainability and environmental responsibility are becoming increasingly important considerations. Planners may look for destinations and venues that have green practices, recycling programs and eco-friendly options.

According to the State of the Meetings & Convention Industry study, planners anticipate a growing responsibility to make sure their members’ values are in sync with the values of the destination.

Nearly two-thirds of planners agreed with the statement: “A destination must align with our members’ values in order to host our meetings/events.”

More than half of planners anticipate an increase in the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion of meeting attendees and speakers (60.3%), the importance of green practice certifications (55.5%) and an increase in corporate social responsibility initiatives (52.0%) being included into meeting agendas.

Over three quarters of planners (77.7%) are open to sourcing new destinations in the U.S. they had not considered before. A few other findings from the survey include the expectation among planners for increased attendance at live meetings, but also a wider impact on destination selection due to politics. More than 61% feel the impact of local politics on destination selection will increase. More than half (53.2%) of planners agreed controversial issues caused planners to reconsider destinations.

A medical communications planner says politics does play a role in deciding on location for the meetings she plans. “A state’s political atmosphere and if they take stances against the company’s morals,” play a part, she says.

While the considerations for companies may differ, destination selection is a pivotal decision for meeting planners, directly influencing attendee satisfaction, event logistics and overall success.   I&FMM