How Partnering with DMOs Adds Value to Your Meeting

This content was created collaboratively by Destination DC and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.

With smaller staff numbers and fewer resources than previously available, planners can still provide the local, authentic experiences attendees crave by partnering with local destination marketing organizations (DMOs). DMOs are composed of experts in the destination hosting your event and can build connections to secure the rates and dates planners are seeking. Moreover, the local knowledge generates ideas for activations and activities that transform an ordinary meeting into an unforgettable experience.

Here, we examine how planners can improve their meetings by working with DMOs.

Rely on Local Expertise

Think of a DMO as a free, one-stop shop to review options and secure key elements for your meeting. While you may be able to find information and make bookings on your own, it is much easier to work with an organization that can provide insight and context lacking from an internet search. This inside information can then be translated into including activities or unique venues that planners may have yet to consider.

Considering that Washington, DC is an international destination, an appropriate comparison is that a DMO acts like a travel agent who can research dates, rates, and other important information so that you can make the best choices for your group’s experience and your bottom line.

Destination DC’s convention sales and services team’s expertise includes unique venues, local attractions, and city-specific logistics, which helps planners create authentic experiences and confidently select vendors, venues, and other services. For instance, Washington, DC boasts many unique venues, including world-renowned museums, international embassies, and historical buildings and landmarks.

Groups looking to meet in the nation’s capital can reach out to representatives from Destination DC to identify available dates of popular venues. Likewise, DMOs can advise what hotel would make sense for your group–size, type of meeting, event objectives, and budget — and have the connections to negotiate lower room rates.

“A DMO can anticipate questions from hotels and venues and address those prior to sourcing to avoid back-and-forth with multiple hotels and venues,” said Tara Miller, Director of Global Sales (International) at Destination DC.

Institutional knowledge is also helpful in identifying and securing local civic leaders, celebrities, academic minds, and business executives who would make natural fits as speakers and keynotes. Tapping local speakers not only provides fresh voices to discussions on topics important to organizations but also saves time and money in scheduling travel and booking lodging. It also limits the risk that the speaker will be delayed, negatively affecting the session.

Planning teams can also benefit from working with DMOs when it comes to collecting the information they need for marketing materials, such as “Know Before You Go” emails and event microsites, which typically include tips for traveling around town, dressing for the weather, lists of popular restaurants, and inspiration for open nights.

“There is no reason why planners should feel like they have to do it all,” said Melissa Riley, Destination DC’s Senior Vice President, Convention Sales and Services. “Organizations like Destination DC can quickly pull together information to help ensure your attendees have the best experience possible.”

Gain Early Knowledge

The expression “Knowledge is power” holds true when planning meetings, whether for a dozen CEOs or thousands of attendees. Engaging with the local DMO early in the process–including at the RFP step–has significant benefits.

Representatives from Destination DC can search future calendars to see potential conflicts — citywide or other large-scale events — that could limit hotel room and venue availability. The same search would reveal open dates that could yield better rates.

Going a step further, DMOs can arrange site visits to maximize a planner’s time in the city exploring potential homes for receptions, galas, and, of course, the actual meetings.

“[Destination DC] arranged our entire itinerary for our first site visit. They took into account all of the venue types needed for our events and ensured we saw a variety of locations, with thorough tours of each and plenty of time to see the spaces as well as discuss logistics with all of the venue contacts,” said Bethany Coleman, Director of Event Management for The Institute of Internal Auditors. “The knowledge of Washington DC that Destination DC provided was irreplaceable.”

The Internal Auditors conference draws attendees from 120 countries who most likely would be aware of DC’s famous monuments and museums but not necessarily other standout sites. In the case of that conference, held in July 2024, Destination DC pointed Coleman toward Washington National Cathedral, which provided “a magical experience” for a gala, the planner said.

Associations and other groups booking years in advance will also gain insight into ongoing projects and scheduled completion dates. With the right planning and timing, such a group could use a venue that few, if any other, events will have–creating a brand new experience even for organizations who have met in Washington previously.

“Hotels constantly change with management, renovations, and new builds,” noted Miller.

Discover Authentic and Unique Experiences

In trying to match the expectations of attendees who want more than a meeting, planners increasingly need to think of their meetings as “bleisure” events, incorporating experiences that can only be found in the host destination. This can often mean leaving a city’s downtown to discover vibrant neighborhoods that reveal a culture built by generations of hometown residents.

Large, international cities will invariably have districts for high-end shoppers, music lovers, foodies, and more. In Washington, for instance, planners can send groups to Georgetown to explore elite retail, Dupont Circle to embrace a vibrant arts and culture scene, or U Street, where the city’s African American heritage is prominent.

Riley said DMOs like Destination DC are useful resources for connecting with local community and nonprofit leaders. They also provide maps, local guides, transportation, and recommendations for out-of-the-convention-center moments like block parties or other unique receptions. This extends to exploring routes for morning runs or yoga exercises — such as using popular parks or finding views to iconic sightlines — or finding a local landmark for teambuilding activities.

Further localizing the experience, DMOs can connect planners with local vendors to secure unique mementos to provide items that deepen the connection between attendee and destination. As a case in point, the 2024 NATO Summit in July included gift bags filled good from local minority-owned businesses. The combined products totaled more than $250,000 to local businesses, with over $215,000 going toward Destination DC member partners.

Crystal Green, Senior Director of Meeting Services at the American College of Rheumatology, praised Destination DC for its approach to facilitating authenticity at meetings. “What Destination DC does really well is they are consistent with their brand, so we don’t have to overthink who we are working with [or] what we’re doing,” Green said. “We can ideate together as a team and think about how our organization needs to move forward, what new ideas we have, and how we can best utilize the city.”

Plan Responsibly

Many associations and international organizations have environmental goals written into their bylaws, necessitating planners to remain mindful of finding actionable sustainability-driven moments. Local DMOs have compiled lists of eco-friendly venues that converse on energy, reduce waste, and are accessible to all attendees. They also can work with planners to create walkable meeting campuses and to navigate around town using buses, bikes, or Metro systems to limit an event’s footprint.

Working with suppliers and vendors through a host destination reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions. It also allows organizations to develop a long-standing relationship with a local partner that leaves a meaningful legacy.

“One of the key elements that we look for when inviting bids is a strong relationship with the DMO and the venues and supply chain in a destination,” said Caroline Mackenzie, Executive Director of ISHA – The Hip Preservation Society, which will hold its annual Scientific Meeting in Washington in October 2024. “It provides us with an indicator that the destination understands the needs of international events coming to a destination, and the relationship between the DMO and the supply chain in a destination gives an indication as to how well that local team works together and will be able to collaborate with us to provide the best event delivery possible.”

Riley said such a partnership plays to the DMO’s strengths: “Destination DC is proud of our commitment, as well as the city’s commitment, to making the world a better place. We gladly work with our partners to create meetings that match our values and to educate our visitors about DC’s sustainability mission.”

Prove ROI

An added perk of working with a DMO is better articulating the importance of the meetings and events industry, highlighting its positive economic impact. The benefit is mutual, noted Miller. “There is a need for case studies and economic impact data to advocate for local stakeholders to continue to invest in and elevate the business events sector,” she said.

The more the local community buys into an event’s importance, the more likely local businesses are to assist in creating an unquestionably positive and unique experience for attendees.

Planners can also gain access to a DMO’s marketing materials and meeting toolkits to help promote the event and drive attendance. Once guests are in town, the DMO can provide staffing assistance to cut down an organization’s travel costs and resources, which can then be invested into other parts of the event.

Learn how Destination DC can assist you in planning your next meeting in Washington, DC visit washington.org.

This content was created collaboratively by Destination DC and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.