Convention center operations: some questions answered

Convention centers continue to be built or expanded, worldwide. But, with all these new and expanded centers coming on-line, which ones will succeed and which will fail? Is there an optimum sized city that would do well to have a convention center? Is it only the large sized centers that can compete effectively? What type of management structure works best and helps insure the success of a center? The current study answers some of these strategic questions in convention center planning and development.     

Evaluation of Web Site Performance: Korean Convention Centers

With strong government support for the convention industry, several international-scale convention centers have been established in major cities in Korea. The convention centers have developed Web sites as an online marketing tool for meeting planners. The purpose of the study is to identify and compare the current performance level of the Korean convention centers' Web sites and to provide useful strategies to improve Web site performance. The results revealed that the Korean convention centers should improve the customer- and marketing-related aspects on their Web sites among four perspectives in Web site performance evaluation. Recommendations are made on how the Korean convention centers can improve the effectiveness of the Web sites.     

Convention and Conference Facilities

Abstract

A rigorous statistical analysis indicates that large group bookings are a dominant source for errors in convention and conference facilities. This study demonstrates that the accuracy of the quantitative forecast can benefit from human judgment when an explicit structured process is applied to the judgmental adjustments. It develops and fits a correcting model that simulates managers' predictions. The results suggest that this approach can improve the accuracy of quantitative forecasting models when applied and calibrated to the hotel's specific characteristics.     

The Effect of Basic,Performance and Excitement Service Factors of a Convention Center on Attendees' Experiential Value and Satisfaction: A Case Study of the Phoenix Convention Center

This study investigates how the various services provided by a convention center and its service quality affects attendees’ experiential values, and in turn, leads to the attendees’ overall satisfaction and loyalty. The sample consisted of 217 convention attendees in Phoenix, AZ, representing a response rate of 54%. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used for analyses. Results indicate that basic and excitement service factors have a positive influence on individual experiential values. Also, the study shows that enhanced individual experiential values have an impact on raising overall satisfaction with the convention center.     

Relationships and Factors Influencing Convention Decision-Making

Abstract

This paper examines the views of key decision-makers in the convention industry as part of a CRC for Sustainable Tourism research project. In particular, it examines the relationships between the main participants, the key factors for a successful convention and the emerging trends within the industry. In order to explore these influences, the research method used structured interviews with international convention associations, professional conference organizers (PCOs) and international delegates. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with nine international associations from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as eight PCOs, all of whom facilitate international conventions within Australia. Nineteen international delegates were also interviewed at two international conferences. The findings from these interviews suggest that the decision-making process for conventions is influenced by a complex set of relationships between the three sets of interviewees. The study revealed that the relationships between the convention bureaus and convention centers were very important. The interviews confirmed the findings of previous studies regarding the key success components for a convention, but also pointed to emerging trends in the convention sector that will impact upon success in the future. These trends included the increasing number of female conference delegates, the increased need for Internet facilities for conventions, and the high priority placed by convention participants on the safety of the convention destination.     

China's Convention and Exhibition Center Boom

Abstract

There was one mega C&E center (over 50,000 square meters of indoor space) in China in 1992, totaling 160,000 square meters. By 2003, there were 16 mega centers, totaling 1,288,000 square meters-a growth of 805% in 11 years (Table 1). This paper records the history of the convention and exhibition (C&E) industry in China and examines the prevailing optimistic view of its prospects. The profit criterion and motives behind the establishment of C&E centers in China are explored. Potential developments are discussed and future research directions are identified.     

Career Identity and its Relation to Career Anchors and Career Satisfaction: The Case of Convention and Exhibition Industry Professionals in Asia

This paper explores career identity and its relation to career anchors and career satisfaction, key demographic and job variables, specific to convention and exhibition (C&E) industry professionals in Asia. It reviews the key literature relating to career identity and career anchors, which is followed by a discussion of findings of an online survey of C&E industry professionals in Asia. Study results indicate that the majority of C&E professionals displayed a strong cognitive and affective identification with their career in the C&E industry. However, career identity varied significantly with the time respondents had been in the industry, job seniority and age. In terms of career anchors, the lifestyle anchor was found to be the most dominant career anchor, followed by challenge and autonomy. Examining the relation between career anchors with career identity revealed that the lifestyle anchor was more important to respondents with a weak career identity, whereas the challenge anchor was more important to respondents with a strong career identity. Managerial implications of the study findings and suggestions for future research are provided.     

会展活动与旅游活动的比较 --兼论会展旅游概念的界定

本文通过比较会议与展览来界定会展业，通过会展活动与旅游活动的比较来区分会展业和旅游业，通过游客与参加会展的人群的比较来界定会展旅游者，通过会展活动中会展属性与旅游属性的比较来界定会展旅游。得出会展业与旅游业是两个性质完全不同但又关联紧密的行业；会展旅游与旅游业的会展多元化经营是两个不同的概念。会展旅游业是旅游业利用会展业的旅游属性和依托会展业的发展优势形成的新型产业。     

Convention and Exhibition Center Development in Korea

Abstract

As Korea comes increasingly into the spotlight with globally recognized events and its heightened importance as an international business destination, the demand for the modern and innovative convention and exhibition facilities has increased. This paper provides an overview of Korea's convention and exhibition industry, with a special focus on the development of convention and exhibition centers. Following the delineation of the boom of convention and exhibition center development, it concludes with some pertinent issues.     

Curriculum Development in International Convention and Conference Management at Meio University,Okinawa, Japan

Abstract

Many factors, political, economical, and environmental, are conducive to the introduction of a specialized convention and conference management curriculum in Okinawa, Japan. Recent changes in the Japanese government's industrial policies to expand and reinforce the Okinawa Free Trade Zone by 2005 is one such factor. To handle this increase, Okinawa will require an infrastructure that will support and maintain this expansion, which includes educating the workforce with a sound convention and conference university curriculum in Okinawa. Therefore, this study documents the process and results of a convention and conference management curriculum development endeavor between Meio University in Nago, Okinawa, Japan, and the University of Houston in the United States.     

会议旅游目的地的选择与评估--以上海市为例

本文首先从理论上研究了会议组织者对会议目的地的选择标准,以及会议结束后怎样对目的地进行满意程度评估。接着通过半开放式的问卷,对2002年在上海召开过国际会议的会议组织者进行了调查,并在调查结果分析的基础上应用“重要性一表现”的研究方法,试图找出上海作为会议旅游目的地的优势和劣势,希望能为整体营销上海作为会议旅游目的地的市场战略提供一些帮助。     

Convention Center Wars and the Decline of Local Democracy

ABSTRACT

Convention centers have emerged as a focal point in an intense competition among cities for a share of the economically important meetings and exhibition market. In this paper, we present abundant evidence to show that cities can substantially benefit by capturing a share of this market. However, the cost and size of the meetings facilities that are appropriate for particular cities will vary with local circumstances. We argue that such local considerations are ignored because of the political influence that the meetings industry now exerts when cities make decisions about building or expanding convention centers.     

会展旅游发展模式之探讨

会展业的发展需要其他行业为之提供相关服务,旅游业是其一。因此,讨论会展旅游也成为题中应有之义。本文在明确会展旅游概念的基础上,依据旅游业和会展业的一些特性,结合我国旅游企业的行为特点,围绕协会的功能的发挥和游戏规则的建立,试图构建旅游业与会展业协同发展的,模式来推动我国旅游业更深地融入到会展业中,促进在我国尚处起步阶的会展旅游走向成熟。     

An Exploratory Study of Convention Specific Social Media Usage by Attendees: Motivations and Effect of Generations on Choice of Convention Information Source and Intention to Use Mobile Application

While social media and mobile devices have grown as important tools of communication and marketing in the meeting industry, limited research has explored convention attendees’ perception of convention specific social networking media and what the motivations are for attendees’ adoption of using convention specific social media. This study aims to identify convention attendees’ motivations of using convention specific social media and demands of convention specific mobile applications. This study also investigated how attendees’ generation affects their selection of convention information sources and attitude toward mobile applications. Based on the identified key motivations of using convention specific social media, convention organizers need to build social media that provide up-to-dated convention information as well as a functionality of building community among attendees. The findings also show that generation affects the choice of convention information source and intention of mobile applications usage. This study identified the most demanded convention mobile applications including, exhibitor directory search, convention floor plan, and convention itinerary planner. This study can be used as a basis for more extensive examinations of the use of social media in conventions and for empirical testing of convention attendees’ attitudes toward convention social media and mobile applications.     

苏州会展旅游开发的初步研究

会展旅游是国际上新兴的专项旅游形式,因其具有诸多常规旅游产品所没有的优越性,越来越受到人们的青睐.本文从发展苏州大旅游的角度出发,综合考量了苏州发展会展旅游的优势与劣势、机遇与挑战因素,然后提出苏州发展会展旅游的目标定位和一系列对策措施.     

Exploring Content and Design Factors Associated with Convention and Visitors Bureau Web Site Development

Abstract

Convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) have become important organizations within the tourism industry. The International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) reported that it represents approximately 500 destination management organizations in 30 countries (IACVB, 2003). As one of the most important components of the tourism industry in the United States, the Convention and Visitors Bureau performs various activities to facilitate destination marketing and development, with the aim of enticing leisure and convention customers to their particular city or region. Meanwhile, meeting planners are using technology to enhance their ability to produce and execute meetings that demonstrate a high return on investment. Consequently, CVBs' websites have enormous potential in selling a destination and facilitating the meeting/convention planning process. This paper explores the content and design factors associated with convention and visitors bureau web site development. It also demonstrates how planners utilize the Internet and CVB websites.     

论广州新会展中心的形成对广州酒店业的影响

广州会议、会展业对广州酒店业的经营影响巨大，尤其是每年两次的交易会给当地酒店带来了大量的客源。随着经济的发展，新会展中心的形成，将使广州的酒店业在需求总量上进一步扩大，但酒店之间的竞争格局会发生改变，尤其是高档酒店之间的竞争会更加激烈，在酒店布局上，形成酒店的东进、南移的新局面。     

Prioritizing convention quality attributes from the perspective of three-factor theory: The case of academic association convention

This study examines the asymmetric effects of convention attribute performance on attendee satisfaction (AS) from the perspective of three-factor theory through impact range-performance analysis and impact-asymmetry analysis. This approach enables classification and prioritization of convention attributes as frustrators, dissatisfiers, hybrids, satisfiers, and delighters for the effective management of AS. Moreover, this approach allows assessment of each attribute's range of impact on AS. Through these methods, researchers/practitioners are able to easily pinpoint areas of concern for performance improvement. Findings are to offer industry practitioners insights into prioritizing attributes and effectively addressing AS.     

Perceived attributes of Asian foods: From the perspective of the American customers

The objectives of this study were to examine and compare the attributes of six types of Asian foods (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese) as they are perceived by American customers. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire examining the attributes of Asian foods was developed. The data was collected through a web survey completed by 424 American customers of the six types of Asian food. Importance-performance analyses showed that across the six types of Asian foods some common attributes were perceived. However, the analyses also indicated that each type of Asian food was perceived to have its own particular characteristics, signifying each cuisine's uniqueness when compared to other types of Asian foods. The results suggested basic information pertinent to marketing strategies for positioning and product development for Asian food restaurants.