A little more than a decade ago, the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASN) in Oak Brook, IL, found that only a few hotels could accommodate its annual trade show and physician research program. While some first-tier city convention hotels could handle the number of attendees, the society also needed great amounts of breakout and session room space and exhibit space, says Director of Scientific Meetings Lora Di Padova-Tannehill.
The time had come, Di Padova-Tannehill says, to move on up to a convention center. It was clearly the right move, even though switching venues brought a host of new challenges. But there were other considerations besides space: convention centers brought greater security, more flexible space, the chance of double booking would be reduced, and details for a large event could be settled 12 months to 18 months ahead of time, versus the average six months at a hotel, she says.
"I don't think I realized how nervous my boss was at the time. That transition year was a tough one," Di Padova-Tannehill says. "You jump from lesser fees to a huge chunk of sometimes $200,000 in license fees and tying your food service to a rental rate, and all of that. There are a lot of different parameters going into it."
Every group that has made the move to a convention center has had its own reasons for moving their event, but the opportunities and challenges the transition presents are nearly universal, say convention center executives. The best advice for planners making the move, they say, is to inform the convention center sales staff as soon as possible that the group has not used a center before. In that way, both vendor and buyer can ensure no detail is overlooked.
"When you buy the convention center, you buy the box, but the box is empty. Unlike a hotel, in which you've bought a furnished box and everything that comes with it," says Teri Elliott Jarvie, director of meeting services for the Healthcare Financial Management Association in Westchester, IL.
Filling that box with what you need for a meeting may require extra costs, extra time, and extra effort, Jarvie says. Therefore, it's best to be prepared and to plan ahead.
"Moving to a convention center is obviously indicating that your event is growing larger. That prospect can be a little scary," says Dittie Guise, former chief operating officer for the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. "That's where the center's event manager can come into play to make sure they connect [you] to the right people to get the right information."
Not Your Parent's Convention Center
Convention centers have a reputation for being huge, concrete hangars, able to accommodate tens of thousands of people, but at the cost of ambiance. However, the new breed of convention centers is placing more emphasis on environment, with bright, open areas to gather in, and more comfortable classrooms with natural light.
Some centers, such as the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC), have incorporated hotel-like services for guests, including door greeters, to give the sense that visitors are taken care of. Andy Mikschl, senior vice president of sales for the SDCC, says planners using a center for the first time should pick a venue with a high emphasis on service, with partner hotels nearby, to create an atmosphere of hospitality.
"If those services are in place, it can make the transition easier on the attendee," Mikschl says. "And at the end of the day, that's what the meeting planner is trying to do, create this sort of seamlessness in the eyes of their attendees."
The biggest pushback from attendees to using a center may come from needing transportation to and from the hotel, Jarvie says. Ideally, room blocks are within walking distance and the space within the center is designed with plenty of seating and rest areas.
"If you can get them to the center, typically they are engaged there, and they'll stay there. If you build the networking space correctly, it will happen," she says.
But even if attendees find networking nooks, they will be using them to complain about the bad food rather than discuss the general session, right? Wrong, Jarvie says. Many convention centers are investing in their catering capabilities, to make them on par with or even better than large hotels.
"I've found most of the catering departments to be very creative and talented," Jarvie says. "They are extremely professional and know their building very well. Give permission to the people you are working with to help you through it the first time, and learn from them. Everybody wants repeat business."
Convention centers are going head-to-head with hotels in competition for large events, so food and beverage has to be top-notch, Mikschl says.
"A lot of convention centers have a reputation of a bad level of service, whereas our food and beverage service is as good as, if not better than, most hotels," he says.
Besides the softer benefits of F&B and ambiance, many convention centers can devote more time and resources to your large event than a hotel can. Centers are more likely to accommodate a soft hold on a date, says ASN's Di Padova-Tannehill, whereas hotels push for contracts before any space is reserved.
Hotels also see their space as "24-hour revenue generators," she says, and it's not uncommon to find your meeting space has been booked for an evening event. That was the case when an unhappy bride showed up at one of Di Padova-Tannehill's session rooms recently to set up for her evening reception. Neither party had realized the room was double booked, and though the hotel paid for the reset of the room, nobody was happy. That situation is much less likely to occur at a convention center, she says. Security can also be easier at a center, she says, as public access can be restricted.
Open Your Wallet
Is a convention center dramatically more expensive than using a hotel? Yes and no, planners say. While many convention centers charge for services differently and more often than hotels do, other costs are offset or reduced. There is also a measure of convenience to using a convention center that can be difficult to assign a value to.
For many groups growing in numbers, there is no choice but to upgrade to a bigger space. Savvy planners look for ways to reduce new charges where they can, Jarvie says. For example, many centers charge a room setup and reset fee, so the agenda for the meeting should call for as few room changes as possible.
"There are a lot more ancillary charges," says San Diego's Mikschl. "You end up paying for things at a convention center that you maybe otherwise wouldn't in a hotel. It all goes back to the fact that we don't have room revenue to offset some of these charges."
These fees can include additional air-conditioning for off-hours, meeting room rentals, additional tables and chairs, and labor, Mikschl says. Even "tape removal" fees can be levied after an exhibition at some centers. A convention center usually will provide planners with a complete pricing guide at the initial inquiry into the center.
"It's by no means nickel-and-diming, and we've come a long way over the past few years to eliminate as many of those charges as we can," he says. "A lot of times the customer would rather be charged up front and just roll those fees into the rental charge."
Another difference that planners must prepare for is that they may have to work with multiple vendor contacts, rather than one single hotel contact. If there is a change in the schedule, for example, a planner at a convention center may have to inform her audiovisual, telecommunications, catering, room manager, hotels, transportation, and other vendors separately.
"If you are used to working with one person at a hotel, you should be ready to work with at least two or three at a convention center," Guise says. "I have seen clients surprised or scared by it."
Planners say it's important to read every contract and guide issued by convention center vendors, even if you feel inundated with paperwork.
"There will probably be more players involved in filling up the box than in the hotel. Even if it's an exclusive contractor to the center, it may be a separate company, a separate bill, and a separate contact," says Jarvie.
At centers that offer event management assistance, planners should be aware that center staff faces the same challenge in notifying vendors of changes, Mikschl says.
"In a hotel, it's more of a tight-knit community," Mikschl says. "It's easier to disseminate that information, while at a big convention center, there's a lot more entities that are going to be working on the event. The quicker you can get information to the event management staff, the better off you are going to be."
Taking the Leap
The key to making your first event at a convention center a success is the ability to project your needs well in advance, says Di Padova-Tannehill. If attendance rates are expected to increase during a certain year, or budget constraints are to be put into effect in the future, notifying a center ahead of time can help you get a better deal or bigger rebate.
"If a venue or package works for you, try to rebook as soon as you can. They are going to be more willing to want you back, especially if it was a good fit for them too," she says.
First-time convention center users need a little more "hand-holding," according to Philadelphia's Guise.
"There will be more components, especially if they are adding exhibit space or a big banquet for the first time," Guise says. "We at the center have to educate and make it a lot easier for them."
Many planners' first reaction to seeing a convention center may be negative, Mikschl says. Convention centers are designed to be an empty canvas to create whatever aesthetic is needed. However, that blank canvas can be used to a planner's advantage, and the best strategy is to ask for whatever you want, even if you think it can't be done, he says. Planners should expect convention centers to adapt to their needs as much as the planners themselves are required to adjust their expectations for a property. Everything from billing requirements to decorations can, and should, be customized.
"Just because they don't do it, and the hotels do, doesn't mean the building couldn't adjust their ways to better suit the needs of the customer," Mikschl says.
"A lot of groups do themselves a disservice by trying to remain in a hotel," Mikschl says. "They think if they make that transition, their attendees will feel less comfortable, and they would be less likely to attend. But really, you may be stunting the growth of your event by not making that transition."
Originally published Sept. 1, 2008
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