Heavily’ Melissa M. Johnson, CMP, Manager, Meeting Services AmericanAcademy of Family Physicians
Second- and third-tier for us is largely defined by the number of superior hotels and hotel rooms
in a city that can accommodate ourmeetings and conventions, as well as the size of the meeting facilities/convention centers. After rooms and space, we also consider the amenities that a city has to offer—attractions, sports teams, nightlife, restaurants, things to do and places to do them in—essentially, what an attendee would be looking for to attract them to that city. After those two considerations, airlift and cost come into the equation. In terms of cost, sometimes a second-tier city can be
SERVICE IS KEY: Melissa Johnson starts out with
hotel rooms, and then moves down a list of other considerations.
less expensive than a first-tier city, but that depends on the length of meeting, meeting-venue type (resort vs. airport property), and overall experience you are trying to provide your attendee. Service from facilities is certainly a consideration that weighs
heavily on the decision of where to meet.We had a magnifi- cent experience with ourannual convention this yearin Denver. Convention-center staff and vendors were easy to work with, hotels were located within walking distance of the center, the hotel experiences and rates were favorable, and the overall serv- ice provided by the city and CVB staff was impeccable.