February 2005
Meeting attendance goals in the Midwest

How show organizers can bridge the perception gap

By Patricia D. Sherman


Cities across the mid-section of the country have just about everything show organizers want: new and upgraded venues with lots of nearby hotel rooms at a variety of price points; easy access to a large part of the country’s population; and convenient airports that are less harried than those on the coasts and in the South. Organizers praise eager-to-please CVBs, professional staffs at venues, friendly service in hotels and restaurants and affordable costs, from labor to catering. In fact, organizers are hard put to find anything not to like. 

The EXPO Site Selection Survey of show organizers (published in the November/December 2004 issue of EXPO) named size of the hall as the most critical factor in choosing a location. Midwest cities have that criteron aced. Throughout the region (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota), first-, second- and third-tier cities offer venues sized to fit any event.

However, the survey also revealed that when choosing to return to a city, organizers across the board — trade associations, for-profit shows and corporate event management — say the critical factor is lack of attendance draw from the city or region. Marketing the city isn’t just the job of the CVB. To meet attendance goals in Midwest cities, organizers have to market the destination, as well as the event.

The perception gap
With one exception, many attendees just don’t see Midwest cities as the most desirable destinations. The exception is Chicago, the Midwest’s contender in the international meeting heavyweight division. “Shows coming to Chicago see an increase in attendance. I don’t think we’ve had a show this year that hasn’t seen an uptick,” says Deborah Sexton, President of the Chicago Convention and Tourist Board. She cites three mega-shows held at McCormick Place in March and April: the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show increased attendance over last year’s event in Orlando, FL, by 11 percent. Exhibitors increased by 9 percent. The American Wind Energy Association: Global Windpower Conference saw attendance increase by 20 percent over 2003’s show in Austin, TX. Attendance was up 19 percent for The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry & Applied Spectroscopy. Last year the group met in Orlando, FL.   

But elsewhere in the region, cities suffer from a perception gap that can be a drag on attendance. In recent research to support a regional branding project, the Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association (GMCVA) clarified what show organizers know from experience. The GMCVA found that people who have visited Minneapolis, love it. Of those who haven’t, half say there’s “no reason to visit.” They describe it as small, dull and cold.

Other cities have similar perception problems. The Timber Products and Forrest Resources Association (TPFRA,  www.forestresources.org,) headquartered in Rockville, MD, held its international exposition near Hot Springs, AR, in April 2004. The event requires a large outdoor area to exhibit and demonstrate equipment, and a timber-related supplier in the area provided a perfect venue, says Neal Ward, Director of Communications.  Exhibitors were enthusiastic about the quality of contacts. But with an attendance of 3,000, the show barely met its lower-end projection, says Ward. Compared with a similar show in Quebec, he rates the Hot Springs event superior, although attendance was higher in Quebec. He attributes the difference to perception. “People think they already know a lot about Quebec. The response to the destination is positive immediately. But they don’t know much about Hot Springs.” And what they think they know, “that it’s not very progressive,” is a misperception, he adds.

As the Minneapolis study found, attendees report drastically changed attitudes toward cities after they visit them. Kevin Jetton, Director of Meeting Planning for the Chicago-based Association of Information Technology Professionals (www.AITP.org) says Omaha, NE, was chosen for the organization’s annual meeting in April primarily because of a strong local chapter and the helpful CVB. But enthusiasm wasn’t high for the city as a destination. To his surprise, though, formal and anecdotal evaluations showed Omaha was a big hit. Attendees loved the downtown, variety of good restaurants and lively entertainment district near the convention center and hotels. “One thing I would tell meeting planners: If you passed over Omaha before, don’t pass it again,” Jetson says.

Changing attitudes after visiting the city is well and good, but getting attendees to Midwest cities in the first place is the challenge for organizers. A look at some successful Midwest events suggests that the perception gap can be tackled three ways: correcting misperceptions, building on benefits specific to the show and telling attendees something new about the destination.

Correcting misperceptions
The first step is correcting misperceptions that potential attendees already hold. Minneapolis is dealing with the perception problem by identifying the negative stereotypes, looking at their causes and combating them head on, says Karyn Gruenberg, GMCVA Vice President of Marketing. “For instance, one of the biggest negative myths about our city is that it’s cold all the time. In fact, our winters are milder than Boston’s and our airport is closed less than one day a year due to inclement weather. We have seven miles of heated walkways connecting everything downtown. The weather is just not a deterrent to holding a meeting here.”    

Building on accurate perceptions
Overcoming the perception gap is not just a matter of correcting misperceptions; it’s also a matter of leveraging correct perceptions. Attendees have to have strong positive reasons for going to the city, says Gruenberg.  

Chicago has taken a bold approach that’s obviously working. The city positioned its own brand identity counter to the perceived strengths of two of its biggest competitors. “Orlando and Las Vegas are huge entertainment cities. We want to be perceived as a city serious about business. Our message is your attendees won’t be out wandering the streets during the event. You come here to get business done,” says Sexton.

Two correct perceptions of Midwest cities — that they’re affordable and accessible — have been undervalued and under-promoted. Promoted to the right groups, these features alone can mean big attendance. The American Association of Diabetes Educators (www.diabeteseducator.org), headquartered in Chicago, had its most successful annual meeting and show in August 2004 in Indianapolis, says Marie Shaw, CMP, Director of Meeting Services. More than 6,500 health care professionals attended. To a great extent, she says, the attendance was driven by cost. “Many of our attendees, mostly nurses and dietitians, are not fully funded by their employers. The education might be picked up, but they have to make their own hotel and travel arrangements.” The city offered a good hotel package and many of the attendees could drive with a colleague, she adds. Even though cost was the foremost decision factor, attendees came away with very positive opinions about the city. “It was a perfect match for us,” she says.  

Certain shows require convenient drive-in. Second- and third-tier cities, many of which have new and upgraded venues and hotel rooms, are a natural fit for this market. The American Philatelic Society Stamp Show (www.stamps.org) was held in August in the new Grand Rapids, MI, convention center. With more than 4,000 attendees, it was the organization’s most successful show, says Ken Martin, Meetings Director. Because they bring stamps for display and sale, attendees and exhibitors prefer to drive. That strongly influenced the decision to choose Grand Rapids, Martin says.

“Parking is a huge consideration in choosing a venue for our shows,” says Jennifer Young, Vice President of All Canada Shows (www.allcanada.com). She doesn’t consider most downtown venues for the 11 Midwest shows she manages every year. “We have our best turnout at suburban locations,” such as Wentzville, MO, and St. Charles, IL.
 
Turning on the charm
Show organizers are also overcoming the perception gap by promoting cities as desirable destinations in ways that attendees haven’t thought of. For smaller cities this often means highlighting family appeal and recreation.  At first glance, Rapid City, SD, may seem remote for a large meeting drawing attendees from all parts of the country. But it’s perfect for attendees with families who are looking for affordable rooms and lots of vacation attractions. The United States Tumbling Association (www.usta1.org) had its best annual meet in Rapid City, says Nancee Truelove, a professional coach based in Vincennes, IN, who organized the event that drew 1,800 athletes and coaches in 2003.

For the TPFRA show in Hot Springs, the natural beauty and abundant outdoor recreation of the region was a revelation to many attendees, says Ward, and he’s going to emphasize that in the promotion when the group returns to Hot Springs in 2007. “We’re going to do more with the charm of the place next time.”