Destination Marketing Association International this month launched three new committees focused on advocacy, technology and social responsibility that are tasked with developing new business initiatives and tools and resources to aid meeting planners' destination selection processes.

Each committee is comprised of about 30 DMAI members. Meetings already have begun and will be held at least quarterly, according to Dan Fenton, DMAI board chair and president and CEO of Team San Jose.

The committees and their initiatives are funded with $4 million raised by the Destination Travel Foundation. According to Fenton, about $2 million is being allocated to technology, with the other half split evenly between the advocacy and social responsibility groups. "One big difference now is that it's not just a committee that talks about ideas, but has no resources and can't implement it," he said.

The technology committee oversees the recently launched Empowermint.com, a Web site that enables meeting planners to search and compare destinations and meetings facilities, submit and manage site and venue requests for proposals and house historical meetings program profiles.

Fenton said the committee also plans to provide other resources, including digital visitors guides, and develop ways to provide targeted destination information through such technology as handheld mobile devices.

The advocacy group's role is to work with local governments and community leaders to help bring business to a destination, raise the awareness of convention and visitors and tourism bureaus and influence elected officials for funding and other initiatives, Fenton said.

The social responsibility committee, meanwhile, is working with the Green Meetings Council and others to lay out a consistent green platform for DMAI members.

The committee also is working to promote tourism marketing and promotion as a career and providing resources to planners on how to select a local charity or philanthropic organization for their event.

"As opposed to being reactive, they can see what they want to do and match a charitable program with a planner's organization before they choose the destination," Fenton said. "If we can continue to increase the amount of that type of activity that goes on in our communities, it becomes a national story."

Fenton also said that DMAI plans to carry these initiatives to the 10 percent of its membership based outside of the United States.

Originally published Jan. 25, 2010 This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy