An Educated Consumer is our Best Customer... Indeed.

Funny how the motto's that you heard growing up actually make perfect sense to you later in life.  There are a number of slogans from the 70's and 80's that stand out in my mind so vibrantly, so I thought I would share one with you today.

East Coast haberdasher extraordinaire Sy Syms had a belief that consumers who understood the garment industry would see the quality in the products that he was offering, and therefore appreciate the value that they were getting for the price.  His motto, "An Educated Consumer is our Best Customer" was in every television and radio ad, on every sign and billboard.  Simple yet full of truth.

In recent years, I have happily applied that same belief to the Destination Management Industry.  Our consumers (meeting planners) who truly understand the Destination Management industry should see the quality in the services that we offer and appreciate the value that they are getting for the price. 

Let's face it... our destinations are now open to the world on-line.  A wealth of information about every venue, entertainer, and service provider are available on the Internet to anyone who knows how and where to look.  Though as DMCs we are still certainly local experts, many planners who don't understand the value of local experience and resources often attempt to use the internet as their toolbox, which is an unfortunate sign of the times.  What is perceived as a "value" can be a disaster when it comes to delivery of service, and guest experience.

To prove our value as an industry, as DMCs we need to be recognized for the service that we provide, not the products that we sell. 

For those of us who have been in the industry for a decade (or two), it's a bit of a learning curve that we have to embrace as a new challenge.  In recent years, I've been truly enjoying finding new ways to prove my value by contributing my experience and resources with my clients on a team level.  

As an industry, we need our clients to be educated.  Education equals efficiency when it comes to creative development and planning.  With shorter deadlines and increasingly quicker turn-around for events we need to start looking as our clients as our partners; speaking the same language, understanding the same vocabulary.

Take that a step further and as DMCs we need to be educated so that we can communicate with our vendors with that same level of efficiency to truly deliver our partners vision. 

With IMEX America just days away, Las Vegas is going to be bustling with some of the best and brightest Meeting Planners, DMCs, Third Party Agencies, Incentive Houses, Destination Management Organizations, Venues and Vendors.  All professionals striving to continue to educate themselves to new opportunities in an effort to speak the same language to create a better experience for the ultimate customer... the program guests. 

For those traveling in, we are looking forward to welcoming you.  Please take advantage of as much of the free education that you can.  Enjoy every opportunity to experience our destination first-hand, as that is the best way to truly learn about what is possible.  We would welcome the opportunity to be a part of your experience.  Stop by to say "hi" in booth #1622 if you're in the neighborhood.  Thanks for your time.