Convention centres are unique and successfully dealing with them requires specific skills and knowledge. By Judy Allen
Savvy planners realize that when it comes to working with convention centres, it takes an entirely different skill-set than it does when working with hotels. For planners with little or no experience using these venues, the first lesson seems basic, but it’s absolutely crucial for the overall success of your event: convention centres are not like hotels in many key areas.
There are several things one takes for granted in a hotel that may or may not be available at a convention centre. And while convention centres have attributes that may be ideal for your event – such as flexible room sizes and vast space options – they will definitely test your skills as a planner, right down to the most minute details. Where hotels can accommodate last-minute requests and requirements, convention centres are limited in their abilities to provide requests on the fly. The great beasts do not suffer fools gladly.
Here’s a case in point. At a recent corporate fundraising event in Ottawa, event organizers, who had previously held their annual event in a hotel ballroom, were thrown a curve. The planners were accustomed to having staff on hand to help with certain details – such as bellhops to load equipment to a ballroom.
At a convention centre, bell staff do not off-load and move items to the event site. The planners took this detail for granted and did not schedule sufficient staff to help unload silent auction items, leaving them scrambling for helping hands. In retrospect, the organizing team should have inquired during the negotiation stage to ensure extra staffing was in place – and determine the subsequent costs of this request.
At the same function, organizers planned a martini bar like they had in past years at the hotel. But the day before the event, they discovered the convention centre did not have martini glasses available. They were forced to scramble to secure more than 1,000 rental glasses. Complicating matters was the fact a major event was taking place in the city, which had drained martini glass reserves. Not surprisingly, it was an unexpected cost organizers had not anticipated, or included, in budget projections.
To make matters worse, the planners hadn’t known in advance to make arrangements for meals for the set-up crew. As a result, they lost precious time searching for food, which was not available in the convention centre. In a hotel, staff could slip out to a coffee shop, or make last-minute arrangements to have food available. Yet unless meal arrangements are made beforehand, convention centres do not have the facilities to provide instant food service. In fact, most convention centre contracts state food from an outside source cannot be brought into the facility.
ALL CHARGED UP
Considering this example, it’s easy to see that working with convention centres requires not only a special skill-set, but a hawk-eye to detail. Gord Simonin, man-ager of recognition and awards programs at Calgary-based Telus Communications Inc., says having a thorough understanding of food and beverage arrangements provided by your convention centre is key, especially when it comes to catering.
It’s important to find out if there’s an exclusive supplier (one outlined in the contract), a preferred caterer due to formal or informal business arrangements made by a convention centre, or if you can use a caterer of your choice. Whatever the case, the issue could present challenges when designing the catering portion of the event.
“Make sure you understand all of your options,” says Simonin. “Even with exclusive supplier arrangements, you many have an ‘out’ clause that allows you to use, if only partially, an outside caterer for all/part of your event if the ‘exclusive’ supplier is unable/unwilling to provide the type of menu to your specifications.”
Depending on the nature of the event, there could be add-on charges levied by a convention centre property such as: power (lighting, sound systems, etc.); various services such as registration desk or coat check; labour charges; or parking.
“I recommend you assume your room charges include the four walls, concrete floor and hopefully, a ceiling,” says Simonin. “Ask if these charges have any other inclusions. And then ask for a complete written listing of services and additional charge items you may need to service your event. Most convention centres should have all charges outlined in the facility planner’s package. If you don’t see something you think you’ll need, ask before, and not after, in order to minimize surprises.”
NEGOTIATION SMARTS
As a planner about to start negotiations with a convention centre it’s beneficial to understand the motivation of the party you’re up against, says Ruth Abrahamson, president of Base Consulting and Management Inc. in Toronto. “When working with convention centres, as with any business dealings, it’s crucial to understand what the other party’s prime revenue generators are,” she says. “For convention centres, even more than hotels, it is a combination of the meeting space and food and beverage. These items are probably the least negotiable.”
Hotels on the other hand, depending on meeting requirements, can receive additional revenue from guest rooms. This helps offset room rental charges for ballroom set-up and rehearsals. The hotel can also pick up revenue when a group is in-house as it uses its restaurants and bars. Depending on the total revenue they are receiving, hotels can waive set-up room rental charges or reduce them.
A convention centre does not have this option. If you are using a ballroom for set-up and rehearsals, the convention centre is not generating food and beverage revenue from that room. In most cases, there will be a room rental charge that may not have a great deal of flexibility.
When it comes to negotiations, having as much lead time as possible strengthens bargaining power, says Simonin. But he’s the first to admit this is not always possible. “The reality is our clients, especially internal corporate departments, are wanting to turn around major events with less and less lead time,” he says. But information is still power, and Simonin maintains there is a marked advantage in having a detailed under-standing of the property you are negotiating with. Even if you have an alarmingly short lead time, remember an empty room still gathers no revenue. Knowing important details, such as the location you want within the centre, timing, and what other events are scheduled, can all be used as leverage at the negotiating table.
Staying flexible is also key. The common goal, for the planner and convention centre, is a successful event, a happy client, the satisfaction of a job well done and repeat/referral business. Respecting each other’s position helps achieve these goals.
THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP
Admittedly, relationships between planners and convention centres have evolved to help create positive outcomes. “There is more open communication and understanding of what drives the other party’s business, so a win-win result can develop,” says Abrahamson.
Simonin agrees, adding that convention centres seem more flexible than ever. “Convention centres I’ve dealt with are in some ways operating more like large hotel venues,” he says. “It used to be they would say, ‘This is what you get, you can’t change it, take it or leave it.’ Now, they are taking a more service-oriented approach to working with clients to understand their needs and have become more flexible in meeting special requests.”
Simonin advises planners to be straightforward when asking for specific needs. “[Convention centre staff] may still say no, but they might say yes,” he says. For example, he recalls a situation where he wanted to bring a large recreational vehicle (RV) into a convention centre as part of an event. “Initially we were told flat out no. We spent some time explaining the significance of what we were trying to accomplish and then we spoke with the building design and engineering people. We negotiated the details of transporting and moving the RV inside the building. In the end, we were able to execute about 90 per cent of our RV plan, which is obviously much better than the initial zero per cent,” he says. “This all came about through the relationship and communication with our contact and having open, honest dialogue with them.”
Timothy Lilleyman, director of food and beverage at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, says savvy planners are making the entire process much easier from a convention centre viewpoint. “Planners are more aware of what is possible,” he says, “and they’re willing to try new things.”
Lilleyman’s point is sound advice for neophyte planners faced with the daunting task of using a convention centre for the first time. The process can be easy and relatively stress free, if you carefully review requirements and work in concert with the convention centre right from the start.
CENTRE SPEAK
Words of wisdom from convention centre veterans:
Three’s a crowd? “When negotiating with convention centres, find out if there are any third parties involved,” says Timothy Lilleyman, director of food and beverage at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. “Most convention centres outsource everything, so get references and referrals. It will save you a lot of heartache down the road.”
Testing 1, 2, 3. “No matter what the lead time, the planner’s attention to detail and due diligence in following up three, four, five or 10 times is necessary,” says Gord Simonin, manager of recognition and awards programs at Calgary-based Telus Communications Inc. “It is essential you have a great working relationship with your convention centre contact person. Communicate and document all arrangements, charges, changes and final plans.”
Success in the details. “Unlike hotels, convention centres only have two major revenue streams, rent and food and beverage,” says Ruth Abrahamson, president of Base Consulting and Management Inc. in Toronto. “So check ahead about the cost of pads, pencils, power, garbage removal and bottled water.”
Lay it on the line. Convention centres need to know all of your requirements so they can bring their best recommendations to all parties involved, says Lilleyman. His advice? “Be honest, straight and become partners. Only then can they work with you on providing creative suggestions on how to best meet your objectives.”
Document everything. “Make sure everyone is on the same page, literally,” says Lilleyman. “Ensure schedules and timelines are dated and timed if necessary and everyone who needs to have one, has one. Insist on a pre-con (a pre-convention meeting for all concerned) and that the people who will actually be working on the event be there.”
– Judy Allen is president of Toronto-based Judy
Allen Productions and author of EVENT PLANNING: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas, Conferences, Incentives and other Special Events (John Wiley & Sons).
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