London, Singapore among top international meeting spots
London was chosen by more than 20 percent of respondents as the top international meetings destination.
London, Barcelona, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong are the top international destinations planners prefer, according to a survey conducted by Development Counsellors International, which included responses from 187 planners who are responsible for planning global meetings. Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York were the top North American meeting cities based on survey results. The top three factors that influence planner decisions on meeting destinations are conversations with destination representatives, recommendations from industry peers, and experiences from business and personal travel, the survey showed.
Other key findings of the survey include:
- More than half of respondents rely primarily on convention bureaus for information, with email being the preferred method of interaction.
- Meeting face-to-face was rated the most effective means of influencing planners considering a new destination.
- Online advertising is the most effective form of advertising, but the majority of respondents preferred reading printed versions of travel industry publications.
- Group familiarization trips are preferred over individual trips, and are also important for almost three-quarters of planners considering a destination.
Read the entire executive summary at aboutdci.com/2012-winning-strategies.
