Tiers or Tears?

ABSTRACT

The convention and meetings business worldwide has grown to become a significant economic, political, and social phenomenon. Convention centers aggressively compete for the right to become the destinations for conventions, which increasingly can be held anywhere in the world. More recently, first-tier convention centers have begun to use digital marketing by developing sites on the World Wide Web. However, very little research to date has focused on these convention center Web sites. This study examined the Web sites of 10 major convention centers in the U.S.-each with 500,000 square feet or more of exhibit space-in terms of technical, marketing, internal, and customer critical success factors (CSFs). It was concluded that these Web sites should be further developed and improved, particularly in their marketing and customer-related aspects. The Web sites were evaluated once in 2000 and again in 2001, and a slight improvement in performance was noted.     

Convention center facilities,attributes and services: The delegates' perspective

Convention centers are among the key players in the convention industry, make a critical economic contribution to the destination and present an important consideration in meeting planners' site selection process. Given the substantial investment in convention centers in recent years and the increased competition among them for business, an understanding of critical facilities, attributes and services is vital. This article assesses convention delegates' perceptions of the importance of select venue facilities, attributes and services. Furthermore, the performance of one of the top convention centers in Asia is assessed, identifying its strengths and weaknesses on the basis of an importance-performance analysis.     

Tourists’ online reviews of convention centers

Investigating both the valence of online reviews and convention centers’ performance is an effective approach towards understanding convention center visitors’ needs, wants, and expectations. Understanding convention center experiences from the customer perspective can improve venue services and event products for both convention centers and event organizers in a business-to-business context. This study examined TripAdvisor online reviews using a combined automated and non-automated content analysis to explore the dynamic experiences of convention centers. The dual analysis of qualitative and quantitative characteristics resulted in the identification of key concepts, satisfaction/dissatisfaction factors, center-and event-related complaint issues, and tips/suggestions.     

Optimization-based convention site selection method

The meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions industry has developed greatly in recent decades, and has become an important driver of the regional economy. Many big cities are eager to develop the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions industry as a means of stimulating their economies. As is well known, convention site selection is one of most important research topics related to the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions industry, and this article presents an optimization-based method for convention site selection. This proposed method takes the non-quantifiable factors of site selection into account, and it adopts the use of second-hand data to quantitatively evaluate the performance of candidate sites with respect to several quantifiable factors. The proposed method is applied instead of using questionnaire surveys, and it is applicable for selecting convention sites even when the candidate sites are in the same cities. The method presented in this article takes various site-level factors into account (such as the meeting and accommodation facilities), along with city-level factors (such as the site environments). The main focus of this article is to provide a concrete method, along with a series of suggestions to help convention planners in making appropriate site-selection decisions.     

The Great Halls of China? Meeting Planners’ Perceptions of Beijing as an International Convention Destination

This research focused on meeting planners’ perceptions about selecting Beijing as an international convention destination. Twenty-three convention destination site selection criteria organized into five categories were identified. It was found that, with respect to Beijing, the importance of site selection criteria has changed since the late 1990s, with meeting planners now attaching more weight to the quality of convention services, quality of convention planning assistance, and city image. The meeting planners who had previously held international conventions in Beijing attached greater importance to research and development cooperation opportunities and choice of accommodations than those who had not. They rated Beijing's performance lower on the convenience of the application process (required by Chinese governments) and government support. It was concluded that Beijing needs to improve most on the quality of convention services and convention planning assistance, and by relaxing government policies related to the holding of international conventions.     

Virtual MICE Promotion

ABSTRACT

Hong Kong and Singapore have been the leading cities for hosting MICE in Asia. Every year, thousands of events are held, both by local and international organizers, in Singapore and Hong Kong. Despite the significant economic contributions of MICE to a local economy, hospitality and tourism literature seldom analyzes Hong Kong and Singapore in terms of MICE promotion. The absence of published articles is particularly true in the context of virtual promotion. This paper reports on a study examining events promotion in the Web sites of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Singapore Tourism Board. The paper also analyzes the performance of the official Web sites in providing useful site selection information to event organizers and meeting planners. Empirical results of a content-based analysis indicate that the information provided by the Singaporean Web site is more comprehensive than its Hong Kong counterpart.     

Towards a Conceptual Framework for Assessing Community Attractiveness for Conventions

Abstract

The convention, exposition, and meeting industry (CEMI) has been growing at an unprecedented rate with cities of all sizes building or expanding their convention centers. While the cities may or may not have made good decisions, the underlying base for these judgements has not taken into account those characteristics of the city that convention attendees deem important. This research fills this void by delineating sixteen different city traits that impact on conventioneer destination attractiveness and develops scales for each. For each scale, applications to major convention cities are provided as examples. The framework provides an empirical base for convention decision making that was not previously possible. The extant research offers a means by which convention center operators and city policy makers can compare themselves to other cities or centers and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Thus, entities using this approach can better position themselves in the market with a resulting increase in success with conventions.     

The development of an evaluation scale for B2B service quality: The case of the Korean convention industry

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop scale dimensions for evaluating professional convention organizers (PCOs) from the perspective of conference hosts. Based on a literature review of B2B service quality and convention service quality, and in-depth interviews with host organizers in the Korean convention industry, five quality dimensions were identified: potential, process, personal, technical, and outcome qualities. The reliability and validity of the five dimensions were verified using empirical data. The results show that service quality between PCOs and hosts should be considered to be a holistic experience rather than a set of separate factors as discussed in previous studies. This paper also contributes by proposing that the five scales serve as a managerial tool for PCOs to evaluate their own performance and as criteria for hosts to develop effective business relationships with service providers.     

A strategic website evaluation of online travel agencies

Online travel Web sites have been the most frequently visited online information facilities by travelers. To evaluate the effectiveness of a travel Web site, the Web site manager should regularly check whether or not it is fulfilling the objectives that were established for it. This research uses a strategic Web site evaluation framework to introduce a five-stage process for examining the consistency of Web site’s presence and its intended strategies. Two leading online travel agencies with different business strategies are selected to demonstrate methods of implementing a strategic evaluation framework and to compare the evaluation results. A hierarchical evaluation structure is introduced to explicitly delineate the two Web sites’ different strategy intentions and related evaluation criteria. Results show that an individual Web site’s strategy-inconsistent criteria can be easily identified through a gap analysis and criteria performance matrix. A strategy-inconsistent dimension can be discovered through a radar chart analysis of the 4PsC (Product, Promotion, Price, Place, and Customer Relationship) dimensions and a transaction phases analysis.     

Convention tourism modelling

This paper introduces an approach for identifying the determinants of convention attendance at alternative cities. This approach permits planners to evaluate the relative importance of accessibility and attractiveness variables as determinants of convention attendance for each site. Four major convention sites in the USA are analysed to illustrate the procedure. In this example, accessibility was found to be far more important than attractiveness.     

A content analysis of travel agency web‐sites in Korea

The Internet has become a dominant issue in today's tourism environment. This paper is to provide large travel agencies in Korea with a better understanding of their Web‐based competitive environment. A content analysis of the top 60 travel agencies Web‐sites in Korea suggests that many travel agencies do not develop their own Web‐sites and although travel agencies are using the Web, they have not, as yet, fully utilized capabilities of Web‐sites. This study also suggests some implications for successful cyber tourism marketing, including the establishment of a Web‐site, on‐line selling, customer supports, and cyber marketing mix strategy on the Web. Limitations and further research issues are also suggested.     

Convention Centers as Staging Grounds for Disaster Recovery

Abstract

In the United States, three convention centers have recently found themselves in roles that they were not designed to fulfill-that of staging grounds for disaster recovery. In the case of the attacks on the World Trade Towers, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center served as a makeshift morgue and a staging area for recovery personnel. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, people flocked to New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center when breached levees and flooding left thousands homeless. Many of these evacuees from New Orleans were transported to Houston where they were temporarily housed at the George R. Brown Convention Center. In the future it is likely other convention centers will find themselves in similar situations, yet few of these facilities are prepared to serve as centers for disaster recovery. This paper suggests specific strategies convention center managers, along with their local coordinators of homeland security, should employ to prepare for the eventuality of natural and manmade disasters. It also considers amenities that should be built into convention centers so they are better prepared to serve in times of disaster. These efforts will be expensive and require expertise that is beyond the experience of most convention managers. As such these preparations will require coordination and funding at the state and federal levels.     

A Study on Flow Experience Structures: Enhancement or Death,Prospects for the Korean Wave

In proposing the concept of flow which focuses on experiencing the sites visited by Korean Wave tourists as induced by drama or movies, the role of involvement level (variables) of Korean Wave tourists in influencing flow construct as they experience the sites of FIT (Film Induced Tourism) was investigated. The involvement level of Korean Wave visitors was found to operate as a mechanism by which challenge, skills, and focused attention on site might be more organized or more actively experienced. This recognizes that there is clearly a need for making the FIT sites exposed much by any mix of various media. The findings of this study showed that challenges and skills influence enjoyment as an output factor of flow. Film site visitors are assumed to participate in the roles of film characters, experiencing the places and the atmosphere. The degree of visitors' reflections of the film optimizes awareness of flow experiences on the site. Therefore it is necessary to provide more detailed experiential programs on the film sites with a wide variety of flow-related contents in the film.     

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.     

Destination Online Communication: Why Less is Sometimes More. A Study of Online Communications of English Destinations

This research investigates the relationship between Web site design and the Web site end-user experience of a vast number of English tourism destinations, both local and regional ones. Following recent research in the field, this paper evaluates destinations’ online communication based on the implemented Web site features and on the effectiveness of the communication itself, borrowing its research methodology from different domains. After content and functionality analysis, a user-experience, scenario-based investigation has been carried out, which demonstrated that complex Web sites do not always serve end-users’ needs properly; in other words, Web site complexity is not directly related with good user experience. This research may help destination managers to foster their online communication if they have fewer content and functionalities but are better focused and clearly user-oriented.     

Kelo

Abstract

Cities spend billions of dollars to build or expand convention centers (Sanders, 2005). To cities with ailing downtowns, the lure of the convention business has long been something coveted by local politicians as a means to rejuvenate these markets. Now local governments wishing to expand their convention business by rejuvinating an ailing downtown market, and thus making their citiy more attractive to convention planners, may have another weapon in their arsenal in the form of “public use” under government's eminent domain power.     

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.     

Convention Site Selection Criteria Relevant to Secondary Convention Destinations

Abstract

This study utilizes a Likert scale attitudinal survey to assess the convention site selection preferences of association executives. The study looks at the importance of 31 site selection criteria and how the significance of these criteria is influenced by different association and convention characteristics. These analyses reveal a number of trends that are particularly relevant to smaller convention cities. The general finding suggests that while secondary convention destinations have advantages, they are not likely to be attractive to the more lucrative national and international gatherings unless they have an airport with direct flights from most major markets. Furthermore, those organizations whose geographic scopes are narrower might also be difficult to attract because they tend to have their conventions in the same, centrally located venue year after year.