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5 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Destination Management Company

ByEvent Leadership Institute
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READ TIME: 3 minutes

Doing business in an unfamiliar destination comes with specific challenges. A Destination Management Company (DMC) brings local expertise, local knowledge and a set of local resources that can make or break your destination specific event. Finding the right DMC will help to bring local flavors to your event, and can be invaluable for all of your logistical needs outside the ballroom. A lot is at stake when handing over responsibilities to an outside partner, making it essential to ask the right questions in order to find the best DMC to satisfy your event needs.

Here are some important questions to ask your potential DMC so you can rest assured you are getting the best fit for your needs:

Quality Management:

1. How many full-time staff do you employ?
Good management of a program is a key part of its success. Many DMCs will hire freelancers to manage programs, but true effectiveness corresponds with how much management they keep in house.

Company Experience:

2. Do you belong to any DMC consortiums?
DMCs must meet key requirements to qualify for consortium membership. Meeting these requirements will verify that your DMC has demonstrated a basic level of skill and knowledge.

3. Describe the largest group you serviced: When? How? What?
Know how much your potential DMC can expand and how well can they cover your group’s size and unique needs.

Industry Dedication:

4. Are any of your staff members Destination Management Certified Professionals (DMCPs)?
Being part of a large association of destination management professionals assures a level of dedication to their business.

Problem Solving Capability:

5. What is the greatest event emergency you’ve had to handle? What did you do?
There is nothing that brings a program down like an urgent situation that isn’t handled well. Be sure your DMC can anticipate potential issues, prepare for them and handle them effectively.

Bonus Tip:

Now that you’ve found the perfect destination management partner, share as much information as possible about your event goals. Tap into their expertise and capture every opportunity to make your destination program a stellar experience.