Understanding the Difference Between Event vs Destination Management
Planning events and developing destinations are two major aspects of the thriving meetings and events industry. However, many people often need clarification on the distinct roles of event management and destination management companies.
While they seem similar at first glance, event managers and DMCs play different but complementary parts in making meetings, conferences, trips and other experiences genuinely memorable.
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What is an event management company?
An event management company is a professionally managed firm that specialises in planning, organising and executing successful individual events by handling all the logistical and production details from budgeting to venue sourcing to catering to onsite coordination. They ensure events run seamlessly and deliver an impactful experience for attendees.
What is a destination management company?
A destination management company (DMC) is a locally-based firm that specialises in effectively promoting and facilitating a destination through customised programming and services for meetings, conferences, and group travel.
DMCs act as the on-location expert, handling all logistics and providing destination support across multiple events over extended periods to enhance the overall experience at a destination.
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Here are 5 key differences between event vs destination management companies.
1. Company Execution:
Event management focuses on planning and executing events in their home city or country. Destination management company focuses on planning and executing events in destinations outside their home base.
Event management company may not have in-depth cultural and logistical knowledge of destinations outside their home base. Destination management company has in-depth cultural and logistical knowledge of their destinations.
2. Contact with Clients:
Event management company works with multiple clients on different events. Destination Management company acts as a single point of contact for clients visiting their destination.
Event management company is specialised in event production and management. Destination management is specialised in destination and cultural knowledge as well as event logistics.
3. Logistics and Vendor Management of Event
Event management company is responsible for logistics of individual events while destination management company is responsible for overall program logistics and on-site support.
Event management company may not have extensive local supplier and venor relationships.
Destination management company has strong local supplier and vendor relationships to get preferred rates.
4. Budget Planning
Event management companies are responsible for the budget of individual events they plan. Their budgets will typically include costs related to venue, talent, production, marketing etc. for that specific event.
On the other hand, destination management companies are responsible for the overall program budget of client visits and trips to their destination. Their budgets encompass not just event costs but also travel expenses like flights, accommodation, meals, transfers etc. for entire duration of client visits.
5. Staff Support and Event Success
Event management companies typically do not provide staff support that travels with clients to the event locations. Their focus is on planning and executing individual events locally within their home country or city.
On the other hand, destination management companies specialise in providing end-to-end services and support for clients visiting destinations outside of the DMCs' home base. They leverage their expertise in the local area by offering staff that can travel with clients to the destination. DMC staff assist clients throughout their visit by handling logistics, cultural queries as well as any on-site requirements.
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While the differences between event vs destination management companies have some overlapping responsibilities in planning programs and activities, their fundamental focus and approach differ greatly based on whether they are enhancing a full destination or producing a single event.
Both play important roles in the meetings and events industry, and effective coordination between their distinct scopes can help optimise the end-to-end experience for travellers, tenplanners and local stakeholders alike.
A clear understanding of these differences is key to strategically leveraging the services of each.
FAQ
- What is the main focus of an event management company?
Event management companies focus on planning and executing individual events from start to finish within the allocated budget and timeline. Their main focus is on producing a single successful event.
- What are the key responsibilities of a Destination Management Company?
Key responsibilities of DMCs include acting as a local destination expert, developing customised itineraries, handling on-ground logistics, providing long-term destination support and services, and marketing the destination to travel groups. Their focus is on enhancing the entire destination.
- How do the scales of impact differ?
Event management deals with shorter timelines to plan a single program, while DMCs focus on sustained destination development over extended periods to have a larger scale of impact on the full destination.
- What is the difference in clientele?
Event management clients are individual event organisers. DMC clients include various meeting planners and travel groups that visit the destination over long periods through customised programming.
- How do the relationships differ?
While both collaborate where needed, event management focuses on the transactional execution of a single client program. DMCs cultivate ongoing strategic relationships across stakeholders in their designated destination.
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