Successful Meetings - September 2008 - (Page 56) Convention > Stepping Up in Class Centers sition 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.” 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 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 http://hamptoncvb.com http://hamptoncvb.com
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