Dialogue to Achieve Common Measurement/ Indicators for Group Business

1. Dialogue to Achieve Common Measurement/ Indicators for Group Business Reyn Bowman, President & CEO Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau

2. Definitions • Average Occupancy – Average number of available guest rooms occupied during a period of time. • Average Daily Rate – Average rate for the available guest rooms actually sold during a period of time. • Lodging Revenue Per Room (REVPar) Revenue per available guest room, whether vacant or occupied during a period of time.

3. Definitions • Room Nights – number of guest rooms utilized over the course of an event or meeting. • Peak Rooms – Highest number of rooms used on one night during the event. • Room Pick Up – Total room nights actually used by the event • Pick up Pattern – Total room nights used per night during the event.

4. Definitions • Guests Per Room – Average number of individuals occupying each room. • Event Length – Number of days and nights of the event. • “Rotatibility” – The ability of an event to rotate to more than one community over time.

5. Definitions • Definite Booking – Booking confirmed in writing by the planner with a letter of intent to the bureau or headquarters property • Tentative Booking – Potential future booking where the planner has expressed interest, but has not yet confirmed. • Occurring Meeting or Event – Events actually taking place in a given time period.

6. Definitions • Lead – An inquiry that has been qualified as feasible for a specific destination, including cleared dates, specs and details, which is then distributed by the DMO to potential venues targeted by the planner. • Overflow Rooms – Rooms needed outside the headquarters property, or requested by one destination of another to accommodate a group that is largely hosted by one destination.

7. Definitions • Multi-Destination Event – An event large enough to require facilities in more than one destination and a joint bid process. A multi-destination event has regional impact and utilization, not just draw. • Market Segments – Breakdowns by event type, attendee origin, and attendee type. • Event Type – Convention and meetings, exhibition/trade show, group tour, sports, film and consumer show.

8. Definitions • Attendee Origin • International – Draws national and int’l audience, 15% or more reside outside the host country. • National – Draws national audience, more than 40% reside outside a 400 mile radius. • Regional – Delegates reside in a multi-state area, 60% within a 400 mile radius. • State – More than 80% of the delegates reside in the event state, and more than 20% of the delegates reside outside a 50-mile radius. • Local/Intraregional – 80% of the delegates reside within a 50-mile radius, typically do not require overnight accommodations.

9. Definitions • Attendee Type • Delegates – Those who attend an event to participate. • Day Delegates - Non residents who commute from home to participate in an event. • Exhibitors – Thos who attend an event to staff an exhibit. • Attendees – a combination of delegates, exhibitors, media, speakers, guests/companions, etc.

10. Definitions • Delegate Spending – Total spending during an event by day and overnight delegates and guests/companions. • Organizer Spending – Total spending per delegate or exhibitor by the sponsoring organization. • Economic Impact – Total spending times the county-specific input/output multiplier. This represents the number of times the dollars are re-spent within the county’s economy before they go outside to pay for supplies produced elsewhere or to pay debt. This is usually 1.2 – 1.7 times the direct spending amount. • Non-Visitor Event Impact – Total spending including residents and spending by the organizer outside the county.

11. Sources • IACVB and NTA Expenditure Surveys (indexed to local indicators) • Smith Travel Research (customized to county level) • National Association of Sports Commissions • Past Event History • Surveying Event Organizers and Lodging Properties

12. Collecting Data • How to get cooperation (justification to provide) • Ensure confidentially of individual property data • Show overall impact of meetings • Show return on investment, occupancy taxes spent • Provide market trends, guide marketing adjustments • Explain impact of changes in supply • Justify or refute need for expanded facilities

13. Collecting Data • What to do when a property won’t cooperate • Use averages from similar properties • Hold roundtables to let early adopters persuade resisters • Pursue higher up in the organization • Adopt policies to predetermine listings and leads based on cooperation

14. Adapting or Indexing Expenditure Surveys • Index the average rate used in the model to the average rate relevant to that group in your community. • Index people per room to account for amateur sports groups that room far more than the model reflects. • Through surveys of or at local features, determine the customary resident to non-resident ratio.

15. Adapting or Indexing Expenditure Surveys • Adjust models for centric MSA’s downward to reflect regions with no dominant destination. • Reconcile significant differences between the impact in your county versus the impact reported by previous hosts.

16. Formulas • Convention and Meetings DCVB M&C Expenditure Calculator DCVB Meetings Impact Template • Sports Events DCVB Sports Expenditure Calculator DCVB Sports Impact Template

17. Suggestions for Next Steps • Session at next meeting to complete discussion and align • Develop website portal where counties can enter monthly information. (Computations could be set up behind the scene so destinations just add raw numbers.) • Work with the Division to include group statistics in the state’s annual report.