With capacity still restrained, fuel prices variable, and demand up, the cost of air travel today is among the biggest challenges for meeting planners. As part of its ICCA Intelligence series, the International Congress & Convention Association, based in Amsterdam, has created a document with advice for working with airlines and air alliances. Here’s ICCA’s list of the 9 benefits you can offer airlines in a negotiation. To read or download the entire how-to document, visit the ICCA Web site.
1. “Official airline” or “official alliance” status
2. Exclusive logo presence in all printed material
3. Complimentary advertisements in conference programs, internal newsletters, or association publications
4. A list of potential and actual attendees for the conference in order for the airline to promote transport to the event
5. Exclusive mention at event Web sites, with links to booking engines
6. Proactive marketing to inform delegates about promotional flight offers and about the range of potential routes using the “official airline” and its partners, and to encourage early booking
7. Distribution of airline collateral material to delegates (such as invitations to join frequent-flyer programs)
8. Recognition of airline during the meeting (such as invitations to VIP events, logo presence on signage, name mention during key elements of the event, or even an airline executive as a speaker if the conference is on a subject relevant to airlines)
9. Monitoring of how effective the partnership has been. This is important not just for securing support for one event, but also can help to develop a long-term partnership with a particular alliance.