Business travelers rarely have time to visit their destinations, so these companies bring the destinations to them.
The seasoned business traveler knows there is little downtime between packed schedules of networking events and meetings when on a work trip. Can organizers make things a little more interesting while hosting in an exciting destination?
The answer is yes.
Destination Management Companies (DMC) all over the world bring the location’s culture and history directly to attendees, no matter how short the break in schedule.
Mila Nikolaeva, CIS, Senior Project Manager at Tsar Events DMC & PCO in St. Petersburg, Russia, for example, demonstrates a traditional bread and salt ceremony for visitors. “This is a traditional sign of Russian hospitality which can be combined with the folklore trio performance,” says Nikolaeva. “It can be arranged at the airport, upon check-in at the hotel, before the meeting, lunch, or dinner. Not only is it a beautiful ceremony, but the meaning behind one of the oldest Russian traditions is quite symbolic — to welcome important guests with bread and salt, the signs of wealth and prosperity.”
If you are not sure on where to start or what types of local activities to bring in to your meeting, turning to a local DMC for support can result in a natural solution that gives your attendees an enhanced experience. “Our destination is known as the city of makers, so we’ve created authentic makers experiences including destination market-themed breaks and receptions,” said Denise Ker Waldron, President and CEO of Viva! Events in Portland, Oregon. “Attendees meet local makers while tasting and touching products like sipping vinegars, honey, chocolate, and soap which are then made available for purchase at a pop-up shop.”
Organizations like the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI) are great resources for organizers hoping to bring business travelers a little more in terms of experiences.
Every city has something to explore, and business travelers should get to truly experience these destinations as well as tourists.
