Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/19029
America descended on Cincinnati each of the last two years with attendance estimates between 15,000 and 20,000 each year. Church of God In Christ brought 8,500 members to their 2009 convention in Tampa using over 8,800 room nights. Hopefully we’ve convinced you to get on the religious market bandwagon and stay there even when the econo- my takes a turn for the better. Here are some tips for appealing to the religious mar- ket and some things to avoid. First, several CVBs and other suppliers have a sales person on their staff dedicat- ed to the religious market. There are nuances of dealing with the religious market that don’t apply to corporate retreats. Second, keep in mind the religious market is extremely price sensitive, which is one of the reason many of the larger tier markets don’t necessarily make good destina- tions and neither do those locales without flexible rate structures. Why you might ask? Members of the reli- gious market typically pay their own expenses and bring family members with them. Often, religious convention attendees save for an entire year to afford one of their retreats. And children provide a special con- cern for meeting planners in the reli- gious market. There is less of a need for single or double rooms and more of a need for triple and quadruple rooms and pull out beds, along with kitch- enettes to cut down food expenses not to mention things like babysitting services – family-friendly attractions within a block or two of a religious convention are a big plus. Having a solid relationship between the CVB and the meeting planner is vital, especially as it pertains to the religious market. The CVB can explain the nuances to a hotelier and other suppliers and better explain the price constraints of many religious organizations. It’s also incumbent upon the meeting planner to keep meticulous records of previous events to give the CVB the ammunition necessary to negotiate favorable prices. Another area of importance to a supplier trying to chase after the religious market has to do with messaging. When presenting to this market avoid suggesting outside venues that have to do with things such as bars, nightclubs and casinos. While this might seem obvious, several meeting plan- ners have reported previously that some destinations take a one size fits all approach and forget to cleanse their presentations of such materials – hence the need to have someone dedicated to the religious market on staff. Many religious groups only take RFP’s from destinations that are already a part of their denomi- nation. Suppliers should build a solid relationship with the local congregations of all religious organiza- tions and keep them apprised of the latest offerings – new hotels, new convention facilities or anything that attracts attention and puts your destination in a p o s i - tive light. Religious groups have a tendency to meet over the summer when schools are not in session, making it difficult to offer off-season or shoulder-season rates. And if you represent a city that has a large influx of tourists, having ample hotel space at reasonable prices might pose a significant problem. Another challenge that’s surfaced over the past few years has to do with room rates negotiated a few years before the recession hit. Many suppliers lock in their rates and refuse to negotiate even when circumstances change. Think of the long-term good will gained from price flexibility and a willingness to negotiate. Remember, this group is extremely price sensitive. Think about the tradeoff between reduced price and having more attendees. It’s extremely important to be culturally sensi- tive to all religions. For example, Muslims don’t eat pork or drink alcohol. Hoteliers and other venues hosting a religious organization need to walk their properties and remove anything the might look offensive. If in doubt take it down. Also, some venues might need to be converted to a place of worship, that’s especially true for large gath- erings whose attendance won’t allow them to fit in a tradi- tional house of worship. Advances in technology have many of us rely- ing almost exclusively on emails and PDF doc- uments to make contact with meeting plan- ners. Nothing will offend a meeting plan- ner more. Get out of the office or invite the religious meeting planner in for a visit. Get to know them and their organization. Learn their wants, desires and needs. Now lets make a pivot and look at technology from the religious meeting planner/buyers perspective. How do you market a conference, convention or retreat in the 21st Century? How do you increase your footprint and attract new members? It’s no longer prudent to just print brochures or flyers and Black Meetings & Tourism September/October 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 49