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Geocoding Bears Fans from Database

Have you ever wondered why they ask you for you zip code when you make a purchase at your favorite store? Unlike loyalty programs where a customer submits a profile and is identified with every visit to the checkout by scanning a card to compile a history of purchased items, geographical tracking is a way of seeing where your customers come from.

Geographical tracking, or geocoding is the process of turning an address, city, state, zip or postcode into mappable coordinates. This enables you to find trends, hot spots and cold zones in your marketing efforts. Where should you target next? What items are popular in a certain area. These questions are easy to answer when you visualize your sales data using a database mapping software.

Batchgeo is a free online mapping service that can create pinpoint maps based on your customer database; whether is includes full addresses, just city/state or even if it is only zip codes. You can even use databases you probably already have; attractions can use visitor sign in sheets, businesses can use customer databases and inquiry requests.

The Kankakee County CVB uses geotracking to measure ad results, see trends for a particular publication or track visitors to a specific event. Try it today to see how geotracking can help your business!

What to do before and after an Event: It’s not just about Tradeshow Exhibits

If you’re attending a marketing event to promote your property or attraction, the work can begin well before the event and isn’t finished when the trade show exhibits are packed away. Follow these tips for beforehand and afterwards and you can help ensure that you have a successful trade show, whether you’re a complete newbie or a veteran marketer.

• Make Sure Your Materials Are Being Shipped To The Correct Place

You can't always bring all your materials with you when going to an event, so having your trade show materials shipped to the right location is vital.  If any of the shipping details are incorrect, such as the zip code or city, or even which hall at the convention center, you could be stuck at the event without your trade show exhibits. Additionally, check that your company’s name or booth location is clearly labeled on the boxes so that the staff knows exactly where it should be placed for installation.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that your company’s name is clearly labeled on the inside of each box or shipping crate.  These crates can sometimes become damaged in transit and it could be a disaster if the container is damaged and no one knows where the contents belong.

• Think About What You Want To Accomplish With Your Trade Show Exhibits

Make sure that you understand what you want to get out of the expo. Many businesses set vague goals — that is, if they set any at all.  If your goals are something like “capture more leads,” sit down and think about what this really means.  How many leads to you want to capture?  Do you want to get 10?  Or is 200 a more reasonable number?  Also consider the strength of the leads.  It’s not enough to capture leads without qualifying them first.  A cold lead is as good as no lead so make sure that your leads actually have a reason or a need for your company before you spend hours following up once you get back into the office.

• Make Good On Your Promises

If you’ve promised to send an attendee information about your company, make sure that you actually do it once the event is over and the trade show exhibits are packed away.  If you promise to send something and don’t actually do it, many customers will assume you don’t want their business and will move on to your competitor.

Even if you didn’t promise information, you should still follow up with people you met at your trade show booth.  If someone filled out a lead card, but it didn’t seem like they were a hot lead, make sure that you call to check in every once in a while.  They were interested enough to visit your booth at the event so it’s possible that their needs could change in the future. Take care to not seem over-aggressive, however, since aggressive tactics can turn customers away.

While these tips aren’t complicated, they are extremely important if you want to maximize sales from a trade show marketing event.  Use these, but realize that they’re not the only things you should be doing.  Sit down with your staff and see if you can come up with other tasks that can help ensure your event is a success.

For more ideas contact our sales department.

Responding to RFP’s

Electronic RFP’s are a standard in the event planning industry. Meeting planners can contact several potential properties with the click of a button, resulting in overloaded in boxes in the sales department. As a result, the vast majority of sales offices fall short on response times, even when it is a hot lead for low demand dates.

More often than not, those who inquire about dates that are sold out, or those that have needs that cannot be met at this time by the property, fail to receive any response. This leaves the meeting planners hanging and leads to frustration and complaints, not to mention a loss of any future business from that client. It seems that at most booking properties, no one responds anymore to say, “We are fully committed for your requested dates, but if your plans are flexible we would welcome a chance to look at other options.” Few if any respond to say “Since your meeting space cannot accommodate a group of this size, we do hope you will keep us in mind when you are planning smaller meetings.”

Here are a few tips to help get more mileage from RFP’s – even if your property is not available:

1.    Respond promptly to all inquiries, even those for which you have no inventory or otherwise cannot meet their specifications. Plans change as meeting details are finalized, and many planners are involved with multiple meetings. A well worded response indicating those dates are not available that provides the planner with alternate dates and a description of what you can offer may make the difference for another meeting date. Utilize your word processing software or brand resource tools to develop templates to streamline the process so every planner receives a response, whether you can accommodate the proposed dates or not. 

2.    Never assume that your property isn't right for a prospective client or that your rates will be too high. Limiting yourself to this mindset could result in missing out on potential future business if the planner coordinates multiple events with different requirements. 

3.    Even if you have hosted an event or group in the past, don’t assume they will choose your facility without receiving a response from you. Perhaps the planner’s objectives for the event have changed or they are not aware of a recent upgrade to your property. Taking the time to send an appropriate response such as “since your last event we now offer (new item) and look forward to continuing to serve you needs.” 

4.    Just because you did not win the bid for an event in the past does not mean you shouldn’t respond to future bids. Consider that although you may not have gotten business in the past, you don't know that organization didn't recently have a problem at the hotel that did get the business. So, always respond.

Need more ideas? Contact the Kankakee County CVB for more information on responding to RFP’s.

Attention Grabbing Strategies for Your Event

Build Local Interest- From the use of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) to partnering with events, the power of grassroots efforts cannot be overstated. 

Think Strategy- Timing is everything when trying to secure local media coverage and encouraged planners to write and distribute press releases to local media groups a few weeks before the event as a general rule.  Strategy  plan your announcement so it is more likely to get picked up. Follow–up is important as well. Following up press releases with a media advisory the day of the event and incorporating as much local focus as possible.  Try to find a unique or interesting local angle. People are more inclined to attend an event if they care about it and can find some local connection. 

Leverage Social Media- Quickly gaining mainstream acceptance, event social media is a great way to gain publicity. Start a few weeks out/check Twitter and Facebook feeds of local media and bloggers. Social media platforms make it easy to search topics and open conversations that bridge the community to the event. 

Brand Carefully- The Branding of the image can go a long way toward attracting attention on its own. You want people to be able to see your signage, website, advertisements and promotional items and automatically know who you are without having to read the logo. Keep a common theme in your Brand. 

Generate Excitement-Keep the promotional momentum going during the event. There is a lot of energy and excitement missed when there is not a welcome party or opening night banquet. Communities need something to rally around. 

For more ideas, contact the Kankakee County CVB!

Group Planning Helps with Scheduling

Ever scheduled a meeting for your group, only to finds not everyone is available that day? Some have alternate dates, others can only make it the first date and others may be out of town. 

The Kankakee County CVB knows what a challenge scheduling can be for community and special interest groups as they are a large part of the clients the CVB services. Event planning can be complex and frustrating when it comes to the busy schedules of friends and family. Here are a few websites we have found that can help you relieve frustrations and plan more efficiently:

• Meetup.com makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. *** A few groups from the Naperville area interested in photography and bicycling already use this service to plan their outing to visit Kankakee County!
• WhichDateWorks.com – provides free and easy event scheduling online where everyone involved can track event date selections and receive notification when someone responds. No signup required and you can plan as many events as you want.
• MeetOMatic.com is an easy and free meeting scheduler. Simply use an easy web form, email participants, and view results.
• WhenIsGood.net – provides a very easy way to find out when everyone is free. No signup required and includes a convenient scheduling calendar.
• Doodle.com – helps scheduling meetings and other appointments. It is simple, quick, free and requires no registration.
• FasterPlan.com – allows users to make polls, find common dates, and more.

For more planning services visit our meeting page or download our Meeting Planner Guide.

Meeting Planner's Guide

Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau has a new online Meeting Planner's Guide. This planning guide is designed to assist you with your meeting requirements and to provide you with the information you need to make your meeting a successful event. Download your copy HERE.

Located just an hour south of Chicago off of Interstate 57, the Kankakee River Valley offers a peaceful setting for meetings, retreats, and special events. Find the perfect location for your event from a conference center to auditoriums, classrooms, theaters, and ballrooms.  For a truly unique event consider one of Kankakee County’s historic landmarks or outdoor facilities. 

We are here to assist you with your planning and servicing needs, so please give us a call—it’s toll free: 1-800-747-4837.

5 Ways to Enhance Your Next RFP Response

If you are a hospitality marketing representative, I know you answer a lot of Request For Proposals (RFPs). And even though "dates and rates" are still part of the process, they are not the total package. Think instead of your RFP response as a way to tell your story. Yes, it will take more time to accomplish this, but in the end, it will hopefully yield more group business to your destination.

Here are five things planners ask for, the usual hospitality response, and tips to enhance it:

PLANNER PICK #1: Event Date With a Few Alternatives
TYPICAL RESPONSE: Most sales personnel look at the dates and either respond to the proposal or throw it in the trash because they do not have those dates available.
ENHANCED ALTERNATIVE: Discuss what dates you do have available. Try to determine if there is any flexibility with their company or association. Let them know there are savings to their bottom line if they can be flexible. If they still won't budge, thank them for their time and then discard the paperwork.


PLANNER PICK #2: Number of Attendees, Meeting Rooms and Sleeping Rooms Required
TYPICAL RESPONSE: If your convention center or hotel isn't large enough to accommodate the group, the RFP is discarded.
ENHANCED ALTERNATIVE: Perhaps you need to know more about the meeting before your respond. How many meeting rooms do they need and what sizes? Can you spread the meeting over several spaces instead of just one? If your hotel has the meeting space but not the hotel rooms, perhaps you work with another hotel next door on overflow?


PLANNER PICK #3: Cities, States, and Areas of Interest
TYPICAL RESPONSE: Looking at the cities the planner is considering either has you slumped in your seat or feeling you have a great probability of a win.
ENHANCED ALTERNATIVE: Looking at all the other cities and states, put together a plus and minus page compared to the competition. Tell your story by accentuating the pluses. Use referral quotes but most importantly tell the planner why they want to meet in your city. Think of it this way: give them the story that makes it easy for them to convince to their boss.

PLANNER PICK #4: Venue Requirements
TYPICAL RESPONSE: Just the facts ma'am and lots of them. Number of meeting rooms, dimensions, sleeping room types, urban, suburban, or resort hotel. Amenities. Distance from the airport and shuttle service. Restaurants and bars on premise.
ENHANCED RESPONSE: Find out more about the group. What are their interests? Are they bringing their spouse or significant other? Do they want to be downtown or out near the airport? What do they like to do after the meeting? Again, tell a story about your property and what makes it special, but tailor your response to their needs.

PLANNER PICK #5: Food and Beverage
TYPICAL RESPONSE: Usually the hotel staff includes every choice available to the planner or a very short listing of food and beverage choices. Neither alternative is particularly helpful.
ENHANCED ALTERNATIVE: If the planner is making a site visit, ask them to sample some of the menu ideas your banquet staff has come up with. If this is not possible, put together alternative menu choices for the days they are there. Determine if the group wants plated entrees or buffet style. Include healthy choices and local influences, including your beverage choices.

In summary, it is important to cover the facts about your property and destination in your RFP, but equally important is the ability to sell it. Tell your story and don't be afraid to take risks. Sell the benefits of going to your destination, convention center, and hotel. Contact the CVB for more information.

Creating a Professional Proposal

A proposal is often the first documented impression that you serve up to your client representative of your property. SCENARIO: Your client wants the proposal “yesterday.” You want to give the client the proposal in the requested time frame so you rush through using a proposal you have used before. You forgot to remove references to the past client, the formatting isn’t neat and words are misspelled. If you had used a template, you would be in a better position with your client!

Yes, creating a proposal template that creates a “Wow!” from every client will take hours but they will be hours well spent. Putting together the template at a time when you are not under a tight deadline ensures a better product. After you complete the template you will have time to put it away, let it rest, and review again with a fresh set of eyes or even a new set of eyes of a trusted coworker or editor for fine tuning. When you receive a new request, just tweak your effective proposal template with specific, unique client information that is “dressed to impress!”

Creating a professional proposal template is sure way to give your location the best impression possible to potential clients. The Kankakee County CVB even has a sample template available to style your own. Additionally there are numerous examples available on the Internet by searching "professional proposals". Here is a link to a website with some great examples and ideas.

Do you have a plan?

Contingency planning is a vital aspect of any event management. Even the best made plans are unlikely to ensure that nothing goes wrong. When a major problem does occur event organisers are expected to be able to react quickly and appropriately. This ability to react stems from anticipating emergencies, accidents and problems, formulating plans and training staff in what must be done.

Industry consultant, trainer and speaker Tyra W. Hilliard, an associate professor at the University of Alabama, teaches meetings contingency planning at industry events. Some preparedness measures she recommends include the following:

• Form a crisis management team, including long-term and event-specific internal personnel as indicated by the threat and vulnerability assessment.
• Create a strategy for minimizing the impact of a crisis on meetings.
• Develop methods to inform meeting attendees about appropriate crisis prevention and response measures (e.g., emergency contact information, collecting medical emergency information on registration forms, posting and announcing evacuation routes, etc.).

Read more about contingency planning here.

How much space do I need for an event?

When it comes to meetings, one size does not fit all.

Before you book your venue, consider how people will be arranged in the space. For example, 250 people can comfortably stand in 1500 square feet (a room roughly 42 ft. x 35 ft.), which is great for a reception, but classroom seating would only allow 85 in the same space and 125 for a seated dinner at round tables.

Space and Capacity Calculator
This calculator will calculate the capacity of a banquet hall, wedding hall, or meeting room in many setup scenarios. It will also calculate space needed for a specific amount of people. You can also find out how many trade show booths will fit in a space, or how much space is needed. One thing to note, the calculator will not take into account odd shaped rooms. Also, remember to subtract the square footage of dance floors etc.

Need help calculating the size you will need? Vicki Layhew, our Sales and Marketing manager can assist you with site selection issues when you use the CVB to plan your event. Call 800-747-4837 or email her today!

Submit Your Event for 2013!

Did you know you can list an event open to the public on our calendar? We list list visitor friendly events held within Kankakee County, open to the public and of interest to potential visitors from 50 miles away or greater.

These events include, but are not limited to: festivals, public sporting events, concerts, theatre, dance, cultural facilities with ongoing programs, such as museums and art galleries etc.

We are unable to list business meetings, classes, educational workshops, most fundraisers, pet adoptions, political rallies, garage sales, retail/restaurant sales, religious services and membership events.

All submission forms must be filled out entirely, including description of event and contact information. Forms with blank entry fields or no description will not be processed for posting.

All events will be approved or denied by CVB staff within in 72 hours. The KCCVB reserves the right to edit and publish event submissions at their discretion.
Posting minimum deadlines (for events meeting the requirements above):

• 14 Days before the event: to be listed on the KCCVB calendar of events. Meeting this deadline may also include social media postings, weekly email newsletter and weekly flyer distributed to hotels.
• 6 weeks before the event: for items above and inclusion in monthly email newsletter.
• 3 months before the event: for items above and submission to Enjoy IL website (subject to their approval).
• 6-12 months before the event: For items above and possible inclusion in printed materials by KCCVB and Enjoy IL (subject to their approval)

You can still make it in our calendar of events if you submit prior to November 30, 2012. Happy posting!

How to be a Super Planner!

You may not be a real superhero, but you can look like a super planner when you host your next meeting in Kankakee County, Illinois. Experience an incredible selection of meeting venues with outstanding amenities and affordable rates only an hour south of Chicago. Contact us at sales@visitkankakeecounty.com for more information on bringing your next meeting to Kankakee County.

 

Meeting planner services offered by the Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau:

• Assist in choosing a property to compliment your event and submit a request for proposal.
• Provide a pre-convention familiarization tour of Kankakee County.
• Furnish quantities of the current Visitor Guide during or prior to, your event.
• Information table with area brochures, maps, and information.
• Events that are "open to the public", may be posted on our website.
• Complementary convention bags for events with overnight bookings.
• Help promote your event by sending press releases to local media.
• Provide name badges, welcome banners, or signage for events of 100+ with overnight bookings.
• Arrange a greeting from a local official.
• Registration assistance for groups of 100 or more