Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) play a critical role in the overall success of an area — not only by bringing awareness, but also by providing critical support to hotels and venues. The list of strategies that go into this is a lengthy one, but there's one key component that can streamline — and maximize — a DMO's efforts. Enter, technology.
Take Visit Anaheim as an example. The organization, which has been serving the Orange County area since 1961, influenced almost $22M in awarded business in Anaheim in 2021. They also grew copy share from 46% in 2019 to 51% in 2021, and Anaheim’s hotel response rate is 3% higher when the DMO is copied (vs. the RFP being sent directly to the hotel). They now have a new award to add to their portfolio, as these efforts helped them win a Cvent Excellence Award — The Hometown Hero, which was presented on stage during Cvent CONNECT 2022 in Las Vegas.
The annual Excellence Awards recognize the top achievers across the hospitality industry, showcasing the accomplishments of industry leaders as they propel growth and inspire the future with innovative solutions. The Hometown Hero celebrates DMOs and CVBs that use technology to bring new events to their corner of the world and connect event professionals with the hotels and venues that best meet their needs. In other words: A Hometown Hero is at the forefront of meetings and events growth and recovery for their destination, and they use technology to get there.
Also nominated for the award was Visit Glendale, which saw a 17% increase in response time to Cvent RFPs in 2021 and achieved a response rate of more than 90%. Venue bid rate also improved by 25% when the DMO was involved.
Key benefits of using DMO technology
With tools such as CSN Business Intelligence, CVBs and DMOs can:
- Keep tabs on RFP volume in their own market and competing markets.
- Understand which cities and regions meeting planners are sourcing from.
- View and analyze past and forward-looking data and view year-over-year trends.
- Compare their market with competing markets.
- Identify areas of improvement and act.
