BESTBET Final Report 201206 PDF

BESTBET
A FRAMEWORK FOR BEST PRACTICE

IN BUSINESS AND EVENT TOURISM
IN SOUTHEAST WALES
FINAL PROJECT REPORT
DR CLAIRE HAVEN-TANG, PROFESSOR ELERI JONES &

CHRIS WEBB
CARDIFF SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

CONTENTS
Page
1. INTRODUCTION 3
1.1 Terms of Reference 3
1.2 Evidence of Need for the BESTBET Project 3
1.3 Regional Tourism Strategy for Southeast Wales 4
1.4 Funding 5
1.5. Project Aims 5
1.6 Project Objectives 5
1.7 Project Approach 6
2. BUSINESS AND EVENT TOURISM 7

2.1 Sector Definition 8
3. RESEARCH APPROACH 9
3.1 Phase 1 9
3.2 Phase 2 10
3.3 Phase 3 11
4. PHASE 1 FINDINGS: WHAT IS BEST PRACTICE IN BUSINESS AND EVENT 12

TOURISM AND WHAT ARE THE LESSONS FOR SOUTHEAST WALES?
4.1 Leadership 12
4.2 Infrastructure 14
4.3 Bidding 15
4.4 Ambassadors 17
4.5 Skills 18
4.6 Branding 20
4.7 Networking 21
5. PHASE 2 FINDINGS: WHAT DO UK-BASED CONFERENCE AND EVENT 23

ORGANISERS WANT?
5.1 Profile of Respondents 23
5.2 Venues 24
5.3 Destinations 26
5.4 Training and Development 29
5.5 Experience of Southeast Wales Destinations 33
6. THE SOUTHEAST WALES SCENARIO: INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS 34

OF WHERE WE ARE NOW
6.1 Leadership 34
6.3 Bidding 38
6.4 Ambassadors 39
6.5 Skills 39
6.6 Branding 40
6.7 Networking 41
1
Page
7. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BET IN SOUTHEAST WALES 43
7.1 Leadership 43
7.3 Bidding 44
7.4 Ambassadors 47
7.5 Skills 47
7.6 Branding 48
7.7 Networking 48
8. ACTION PLAN FOR BET IN SOUTHEAST WALES 50
A Welsh version of this report is available on request or on-line at

http://www.uwic.ac.uk/bestbet/research.htm
Detailed supplementary evidence and appendices are available on-line at

http://www.uwic.ac.uk/bestbet/research.htm
2
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Cardiff School of Management (formerly the Welsh School of Hospitality, Tourism
and Leisure Management) undertook the BESTBET project in conjunction with Capital
Region Tourism (CRT), the Regional Tourism Partnership (RTP) for Southeast Wales.
BESTBET is designed to develop a framework to promote best practice in relation to
business and event tourism (BET) in Southeast Wales, in order to underpin two of
CRTs five strategic market propositions. The project covers four unitary authority
areas in Southeast Wales: Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire and Vale of Glamorgan
1.2 EVIDENCE OF NEED FOR THE BESTBET PROJECT
The business tourism sector has long been recognised as a sector that provides high
delegate spend and a high yield. The opportunities presented by this lucrative market
have led many destinations to implement marketing initiatives to attract domestic and
international business tourists 1, with many world-wide destinations investing in
purpose-built convention centres with the dual role of improving destination image and
generating economic benefits for local communities 2.
The UK business and event tourism sector has grown dramatically, raising the issue of
quality of provision, which is becoming increasingly important to BET consumers 3.
Business visitors are important to Wales because they have a higher spend than
average visitors and a more seasonal spread 4. Business tourists spend an average of
257 per trip, while holiday tourists spend 167 (Locum Destination Consulting, 2003:
16) 5. Winning and hosting key national and international conferences is viewed as a
1
Lawrence, M. and McCabe, V. (2001) Managing conferences in regional areas: a practical evaluation in
conference management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 13 (4), 204-207.
2
Weber, K. and Ladkin, A (2003) The convention industry in Australia and the United Kingdom: key issues
and competitive forces, Journal of Travel Research, 42 (November), 125-132.
3
Robinson, L.S. and Callan, R.J. (2003) UK conference delegates cognizance of the importance of venue
selection attributes. In: K. Weber (ed.) Advances in Convention, Exhibition and Event Research:
Convention & Expo Summit 2003 (pp. 248-261), Hong Kong: Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
4
The Tourism Company (2001) Achieving the business tourism potential of Wales: report for the Wales
Tourist Board, London: The Tourism Company.
5
Locum Destination Consulting (2003) A revised tourism strategy for Southeast Wales: Capital Region
Tourism, West Sussex: Locum Destination Consulting.
3
major economic boost to the host town or city and can contribute to urban
regeneration. Additionally, the incremental benefits of business tourism arise when
business visits are extended for leisure purposes.
Wales has become more active in promoting itself as a business tourism destination
but has some way to go to catch up with its competitors..Although Wales starts
from a low base, it cannot afford to neglect business tourism (The Tourism Company,
2001: 3) 6. However, Wales lacks a purpose-built conference and exhibition centre,
which hinders its capacity to attract certain business and event tourism markets.
Furthermore, there is a view that the general level of professionalism and skills in this
area could be improved and there are weaknesses at all levels of the business tourism
product (The Tourism Company, 2001: 64) 7. The higher standard of service quality
demanded by business and event tourists requires more labour-intensive service
suppliers, which translates into higher levels of job creation. The business and event
tourism industry requires increasing professionalism and efforts to increase capacity
may be frustrated by a lack of expertise and professional skills amongst those working
within the industry.
1.3 REGIONAL TOURISM STRATEGY FOR SOUTHEAST WALES
CRT acts as the lead body for tourism in Southeast Wales. CRTs strategic vision for
tourism in Southeast Wales is based on the following five strategic market propositions:
Business Tourism
Event Tourism
Culture and Heritage Tourism
Golf
Luxury short-breaks
BESTBET will address business and event tourism issues by analysing best practice in
business and event tourism in selected UK destinations; identifying skills shortages and
6
7
4
training gaps within the tourism sector in Southeast Wales and formulating an action
plan for business and event tourism in Southeast Wales.
As a result, BESTBET should aid the achievement of two of CRT's strategic market
propositions, as well as adding value to the visitor experience, raising awareness of the
potential of the BET market and enhancing economic growth. BESTBET will also
develop a framework of appropriate training solutions for Southeast Wales to ensure
that tourism businesses can respond to BET market opportunities, thereby increasing
the competitiveness of Southeast Wales as a BET destination.
1.4 FUNDING
BESTBET is a two-year research project approved under the European Social Fund
(ESF) Objective 3 Operational Programme for East Wales. ESF Objective 3 aims to
combat long-term unemployment and assists young people and those at risk of social
exclusion; promotes equal opportunities, adaptability and entrepreneurship in the
workforce; and improves training, education and counselling for lifelong learning. CRT
also makes an annual financial contribution to the project, in addition to providing
advice and guidance support.
1.5 PROJECT AIMS
BESTBET aims to: establish best practice in relation to BET; demonstrate the value of
working in partnership; gather data on skills needs to improve the skills bases of those
involved in BET in Southeast Wales.
1.6 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Objective 1: Undertake UK-wide research to identify best practice in BET.
Objective 2: Disseminate UK-wide research results to BET providers in Southeast

Wales.
Objective 3: Raise awareness of the growth potential of BET and the benefits of
participation in BET networks.
5
Objective 4: Enhance understanding of customer needs and expectations amongst
BET providers.
1.7 PROJECT APPROACH
Limited statistical information exists on business and event tourism and there is a lack
of well-defined terminology. The sector lacks consistent research methodologies to
provide accurate information on BET markets and factors influencing purchasing
decisions. In addition, the BET industry lacks a Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC), which impedes the accurate reporting of economic and employment data.
The study was undertaken between October 2004 and December 2006 by Dr Claire
Haven-Tang, Professor Eleri Jones and Chris Webb. The range and quality of data
available demarcate the scope of the project. The project is based upon:
Analysing desk research on BET.

Undertaking interviews across the UK and within the project area to develop
enhanced intelligence and identify key issues for BET in Southeast Wales.
Investigating four UK destinations to identify the key attributes of successful BET
destinations.
Undertaking quantitative research with UK-based conference and event organisers
to establish the needs and expectations of business and event tourism consumers.
Pro-actively sharing the results with key stakeholders in Cardiff, Monmouthshire,
Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan through a series of dissemination events.
6
2. BUSINESS AND EVENT TOURISM 8
Business tourism comprises all trips whose purpose is linked to the travellers
employment or business interests. Whilst there are similarities between the terms
business tourism and business travel, some 9 suggest that business tourism is a wider
term, encompassing all aspects of a business travellers experience, whilst business
travel is more concerned with the movement of business travellers to and within their
destination. Ladkin (2004) 10 asserts that the need to meet is an important part of the
business process and there is a perceived link between business growth, prosperity
and the relative need to meet.
An event can, in its broadest definition, encompass anything attracting an audience by

appealing to specific tastes, desires or needs (Carey, 1994 cited in Swart and Smith-
Christensen, 2005:1) 11. Events vary in their size and impact and may be referred to
using different terms, such as: mega events; hallmark events; special events and key
events. Events may also be classified according to their type and sector, e.g.: public,
cultural, festivals, sporting, tourism and corporate events. Bowdin et al. (2005: 2) 12
note that the historical purpose of many fairs and events was for trading purposes,
similar to the purpose of modern-day exhibitions, and state that:
The UK, and the various countries and cultures within it, have a rich
tradition of rituals and ceremonies.These traditions, influenced by
changes within society, including urbanization, industrialisation and the
increasingly multi-cultural population, have greatly influenced many
events as they are celebrated today.
The BESTBET project investigates both business tourism and event tourism in
Southeast Wales, as there are synergies in terms of the facilities and support services
8
See Supplementary Evidence Section 2 for a detailed literature review of Business and Event Tourism
at www.uwic.ac.uk/bestbet/research
9
Swarbrooke, J. and Horner, S. (2001) Business Travel and Tourism, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
10
Ladkin, A. (2004) The characteristics of and demand for conferences: an investigation into the
conference activities of London-based companies (Paper Number 034). Retrieved from Proceedings of
Tourism State of the Art II Conference (The Scottish Hotel School, University of Strathclyde, CD-ROM,
June 2004 release, ISBN 0-9548039-0-6).
11
Swart, K. and Smith-Christensen, C. (2005) Contributing towards a research culture in the event tourism
industry a public private sector partnership [online]. Available from:
http://www.iipt.org/conference/africaconf2005/Concurrent/Presentations/Edu.%20Forum/Swart-
Presentation-Summary-for-Educators-Forum.pdf. [Accessed on 10 October 2005].
12
Bowdin, G., McDonnell, I., Allen, J. and OToole, W. (1999) Events Management, Oxford, Butterworth-
Heinemann.
7
required for BET in a destination. In addition, event tourism can support business
tourism and help to reflect the flavour of a destination, by developing bottom-up,
community-led events; thereby creating a unique selling proposition for destinations.
2.1 SECTOR DEFINITION
There is a lack of consistent terminology used within the BET sector. Therefore, this
project has adopted the terminology and definitions used by the Business Tourism
Partnership (BTP) (2003) 13, encompassing:
1. Conferences and meetings;

2. Exhibitions and trade fairs;
3. Incentive travel;
4. Corporate hospitality;
5. Outdoor events.
These are also referred to discretionary business tourism, as event organisers can use
their own discretion when deciding on where they are held, hence there is a degree of
flexibility in terms of where they are held.
However, business tourism also encompasses individual business travel often

referred to as non-discretionary business travel because the destination is not selected
but determined by the specific work to be undertaken. This is obviously not something
that can be managed by a specific destination and so for the purpose of the BESTBET
project, non-discretionary business travel will not be considered.
13
BTP (2003) Business Tourism Briefing: An overview of the UKs Business Tourism Industry, Business
Tourism Partnership, London.
8
3. RESEARCH APPROACH 14
3.1 PHASE 1
3.1.1 Desk research
This involved gathering information from a range of industry and academic sources,
including: British Association of Conference Destinations, Business Tourism
Partnership, CRT, Meetings Industry Association, Wales Tourist Board (now
VisitWales) and VisitBritain. Clarification of business tourism terminology was a priority
in order to establish research boundaries. For the purpose of the ESF bid, business
and event tourism were combined, whereas in reality there are distinctions, particularly
in relation to discretionary and non-discretionary business tourism. Therefore, the
project focused upon: conferences and meetings; exhibitions and trade fairs; incentive
travel; corporate events and outdoor events as defined by BTP 15.
3.1.2 Key stakeholder interviews
The original ESF bid document included a commitment to undertake 50 interviews

across the project area (Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan).
In total, 57 interviews were completed across the project area, which included: local
authorities, CRT, WTB, hoteliers associations, festival and event organisers, venues,
hotels, conference bureaux, Cardiff International Airport, Ryder Cup Wales, WDA,
Artes Mundi, Newport Unlimited, Southeast Wales Transport Alliance and recruitment
agencies. These interviews were designed to gain an overview of extant perceptions
of BET in Southeast Wales, specifically: Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport and the Vale
of Glamorgan, including obstacles to development.
Interviews were also undertaken with 11 key stakeholders outside the project area, i.e.:
BACD, MICE Research Unit at Bournemouth University, North Wales Conferences,
North Wales Conference Centre, Welcome Host Wales, University of Westminster,
Caerphilly County Borough Council, Arts Council England, Royal College of Nursing
(events department), VisitBritain and Capital Wales. These interviews were designed
14
See Supplementary Evidence Section 3 for a more detailed research approach at
www.uwic.ac.uk/bestbet/research
15
BTP (2003) Business Tourism Briefing: An overview of the UKs Business Tourism Industry, Business
Tourism Partnership, London
9
to gain an overview of BET across the UK, including obstacles to development and
issues relating to destination and venue selection.
3.1.3 Case studies

Case study interviews were undertaken in four UK BET destinations, selected for their
success in the BET marketplace: Bournemouth, Glasgow, Manchester and
NewcastleGateshead. The key stakeholders interviewed in each of these destinations
included: local authorities, hotelier associations, destination marketing organisations,
conference bureaux, venues, regional development agencies and bidding units. The
interviews were designed to identify key elements contributing to the success of these
destinations in the BET marketplace and raised some key issues for the BET strategy
in Southeast Wales.
3.2 PHASE 2
3.2.1 Stakeholder consultation
The project team reported back on case study findings and used themed working group
discussions and open debate to solicit feedback from key stakeholders at a
dissemination event in March 2006. The information gathered at this event led to with
the development of a blueprint for best practice in BET in Southeast Wales, designed
to move the industry forward, inspire creativity and innovation and promote partnership
working. In addition, the project team met with the economic development officers in
each of the four local authorities to discuss the blue print for best practice and to gain
consensus on the way forward for Southeast Wales.
3.2.2 Quantitative survey of UK conference and event organisers
A web-based questionnaire was designed, using SNAP software, to gather information

from conference and event organisers about their conference/event experiences in
2005, as well as: factors that influence their choice of destination and venue; major
causes of delegate dissatisfaction; conference/event skills, training and development
and their experience of Southeast Wales as a conference/event destination.
A random sample of conference and event organisers was drawn from the BACD
database of conference buyers based on type of organisation (association, agent and
corporate) and regional location of their organisation.
10
782 conference and event organisers were initially contacted by telephone to establish
their willingness to participate. 692 questionnaires were distributed, with e-mail
distribution being the preferred option. 90 conference and event organisers declined to
participate. 128 responses were received, generating a 16% response rate.
3.2.3 Extant UK BET education and training provision
A web-based search of current BET education and training provision in the UK was
undertaken to identify the extent of provision, including higher education, accredited
and non-accredited trade association provision, in order to identify gaps in BET
education and training provision in Southeast Wales.
3.3 PHASE 3
Data triangulation transformed the qualitative and quantitative data into a blueprint for
best practice, ultimately creating an Action Plan for Southeast Wales.
Glasgow
Case Study
Internal
Stakeholders
Manchester
Case Study
Final Project
Stakeholder Conference and
Holistic Report:
Consultation Event Organisers Action Plan
Framework Best Practice for
Event Survey
Southeast Wales
Bournemouth
Case Study
External
Stakeholders
Newcastle
Gateshead Case
Study
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4. PHASE 1 FINDINGS: WHAT IS BEST PRACTICE IN
BUSINESS AND EVENT TOURISM AND WHAT ARE THE
LESSONS FOR SOUTHEAST WALES?16
Analysis of the case study interviews undertaken in Bournemouth, Glasgow,

Manchester and NewcastleGateshead highlighted seven key themes for best practice
in business and event tourism:
Figure 4.1: A framework for best practice in business and event tourism
4.1 LEADERSHIP
Evidence of best practice in relation to leadership in the case study destinations

demonstrated a clear BET strategy for the destination; appropriate funding and top-
level commitment to BET; strategic and operational co-ordination; communication
16
See Supplementary Evidence Section 4 for a more detailed version of this section at
12
between key stakeholders in the destination; destination coherence and a
destination team approach.
Glasgow demonstrated a coherent partnership approach which created a unique

selling proposition for the business tourism market in terms of a delegate travel
pass.
Manchester emphasised the vision and commitment of the Leader of the City
Council to BET and how BET is integrated with the long-term strategy of the city.
Manchester, Glasgow and NewcastleGateshead have all benefited from local
authorities with the political confidence and aspiration to develop the destination.
Glasgows conference bureau provides leadership for Glasgows destination team
approach and the Bournemouth International Conference Bureau (BICB) is based
in the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC).
Leadership, communication and top-level commitment pave the way for events
which have an anchor in the locality, hence creating a more positive economic
impact for the local supply chain. Manchesters strategy promotes community
events to build their brand - Original Modern City as they consider events to be a
key strategic driver for tourism visits and for generating economic investment. The
events team help community-event organisers to develop long-term event
sustainability and professionalism, which enables the event to capitalise on
additional tourism visits, as well as ensuring a sustainable events calendar for
Manchester that complements their business tourism product. The Major Festivals
and Events Unit in Glasgow City Council adopted a similar approach by developing
seven major festivals and events to encourage more tourists to Glasgow and
generate greater economic impacts.
NewcastleGateshead have developed a mature partnership approach to BET and

destination development and also have a very clear strategy in terms of delivering
BET for the destination. NewcastleGateshead demonstrate that localised joint
venture arrangements represent real communities of interest and present the
destination in a co-ordinated, flexible and entrepreneurial manner.
Public-private partnerships are fundamental to achieving pro-activity as well as

reactivity. Furthermore, a clearly communicated and well-funded long-term strategy
is important for BET because it allows two levels of co-ordination: strategic and
13
operational. The Northwest Conference Bidding Unit is an example of strategic co-
ordination within a destination.
Critical mass is also important in terms of destination team and coherence,

destinations like Glasgow are still able to actively co-ordinate their destination
partners and demonstrate a symbiotic relationship between competitiveness and
co-operation.
Approaches towards the appropriateness of subvention strategies varied.

However, there was acceptance that most major cities around Europe have a
subvention policy.
Thus, key leadership issues for Southeast Wales include:
Top-level commitment: to highlight BET as a priority for Southeast Wales and to

provide vision and leadership for the BET agenda.
Destination partnerships: appropriate partnerships and communication

mechanisms to enable strategic and operational co-ordination, to achieve a
destination team approach.
Subvention: a clear subvention policy with transparent eligibility criteria.
Event strategy: to identify a sustainable events programme to complement the

business tourism strategy, unitary authority events and any major events, which
nurture community-led grassroots events that promote regional USP, encourage
business-to-leisure extensions and support the destination brand.
4.2 INFRASTRUCTURE
Compactness of the destination, accessibility and seamless integration of transport

infrastructure are important for BET markets, particularly if trying to access
European and international markets. Glasgow, Manchester and
NewcastleGateshead all offer direct air links to a vast array of national and
international destinations, which increases their potential to secure inbound BET
business. Bournemouth prioritises this as an issue, whilst Glasgow has a route
development fund to further enhance access.
Domestic routes offered by budget airlines are increasing access to UK events. For
example, developments at Southampton Airport have made Bournemouth an easily
14
accessible destination for delegates from Scotland. However, there is recognition
that route development needs to be sustainable for the destination to attract future
conferences and events.
The transport infrastructure within the destination is also critical. The

NewcastleGateshead Initiative are working on the production of integrated travel
cards (metro, bus and rail), as it can add value, help conference organisers and
form part of the delegate welcome package.
A range of suitable venues and accommodation within the destination is obviously

fundamental to attracting BET events. Conferences with exhibitions are a growth
market, but need venues with sufficient capacity. The success of the SECC in
Glasgow is a result of their flexibility, capacity and close proximity to hotels. As an
emerging BET destination, NewcastleGateshead recognises that venue capacity,
specifically a purpose-built conference centre, needs to be developed in order to
increase BET business. However, some events are so large that the destination
becomes self-selecting and price can be an issue, especially for the Association
market.
Thus, key infrastructure issues for Southeast Wales include:
Accessibility: increase direct air routes to increase the number of inbound BET
visitors.
Transport infrastructure: seamless transportation networks within Southeast Wales
to facilitate the transfer of BET visitors within the destination and to facilitate their
dispersion outside the destination to enhance business-to-leisure extensions.
BET venues: target BET markets that suit existing and planned BET venues
which are competitively-priced, in order to meet BET visitor expectations and
champion the calls for a purpose-built conference centre with an integrated hotel
complex to increase BET capacity in Southeast Wales.
4.3 BIDDING
Bidding involves the whole process of gathering market intelligence on appropriate

markets for the destination, product knowledge about the destination and time
committed to researching potential events/conferences, which links into the funding
available for bidding, as the bidding process can require considerable investment.
15
Essentially, the case study destinations felt that they had to be In it to win it!;
otherwise there would be lost opportunity costs. For example, the Bournemouth
International Centre won two events through their membership of ICCA, which they
would not have secured without being ICCA members. Glasgow demonstrates a
partnership approach to bidding, as Glasgow City Marketing Bureau often submit
joint bids with the SECC.
The Northwest has the UKs first conference bidding unit, which is a unique
approach covering Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool and the Lake District. The
unit is funded for three years to generate 20 million of economic benefit for the
Northwest, and is designed to complement and extend bids, especially from
European and International Associations. The Unit has dedicated researchers and
sales managers and demonstrates pro-active utilisation of trade association
information. In the last two and a half years, the Northwest Conference Bidding
Unit has bid for 118 conferences, of which 28 bids have been successful, with 40
still pending. The total economic impact of the work of the bidding unit is expected
to be in excess of 40 million, far exceeding the original targets set for the bidding
unit.
Sophisticated databases, e.g. ICCA and UIA, as well as networks of counterparts in

other destinations enable conference bureaux to proactively identify target markets
to suit their destination. However, competition amongst venues is increasing as a
result of the number of BET venues.
Potential BET clients need a rapid response to their conference specifications - the
Northwest Conference Bidding Unit produces high quality bids within 48 hours,
whilst matching product to niche markets was key to Bournemouths success.
The process of bidding for an event or title can raise the profile of a destination,
which demonstrates the importance of the bidding process. For example, bidding
to be a European Capital of Culture raised the profile of NewcastleGateshead, even
though they were unsuccessful.
Thus, key bidding issues for Southeast Wales include:
Regional Bidding Research Unit: to establish a Southeast Wales bidding unit to add
value to the region by increasing BET business.
16
Research: to increase research activities to ensure that the most appropriate BET
markets are targeted in relation to the BET product portfolio in Southeast Wales
and to gather key information on the decision-making processes of different
associations.
Funding: to secure funding for the Regional Bidding Research Unit and associated
resources, e.g.: trade association databases.
Destination partnerships: appropriate public-private partnerships and

communication mechanisms to enable a smarter approach to bidding for BET
events.
4.4 AMBASSADORS
The role, funding and proactivity of Ambassadors is crucial to securing BET

business for a destination. The conference bureaux in Glasgow, Manchester and
NewcastleGateshead all run successful Ambassador Programmes, which facilitate
promotion of the destination and help to gather market intelligence on the
association market. However, it is crucial that Ambassadors understand their role
in relation to destination development.
The internal conference department at the University of Manchester offers

commission to academic schools to incentivise academics into organising
conferences which bring delegates to Manchester.
The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative organised a successful Taxi Ambassador

Scheme, designed to improve customer service and to encourage taxi drivers to be
experts about the city and current/forthcoming events.
Thus, key Ambassador issues for Southeast Wales include:
Expansion: to extend the existing Cardiff Ambassador Programme across

Southeast Wales.
Clarification: clearly define and communicate the role of Ambassadors in promoting

Southeast Wales as a BET destination and in any bidding process; and set clear
objectives for the Ambassador Programme.
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4.5 SKILLS
As more people travel to a variety of destinations they increasingly become familiar

with world-class destinations and services. As a result, their expectations are
increasing in relation to product and service quality, as well as the perceived
distinctiveness of the product and value for money.
Clarification of bodies responsible for leading, co-ordinating and monitoring the

skills agenda is crucial to ensure effective delivery. In Bournemouth, the Hoteliers
Association assumes leadership on skills; in Glasgow, VisitScotland take
responsibility; whilst Marketing Manchester lead their skills agenda. In
NewcastleGateshead, OneNorthEast the Regional Development Agency, are
responsible for the skills agenda, which is delivered through the Workforce
Development Plan devised by the regional office of People 1st the Sector Skills
Council for Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure.
Public sector funding for BET-specific training is important to encourage BET

providers to engage with training. In Glasgow, Scottish Enterprise funds the
national training programme for business tourism. In NewcastleGateshead,
European funding has been allocated to provide tourism-specific skills advisors for
the Area Tourism Partnerships in the Northeast.
BET markets demand high quality products and services, therefore tourism
businesses and their staff need requisite skills and a sound understanding of the
BET market to effectively deliver the BET product, including specific bidding skills.
VisitScotland are raising standards through best practice and have a suite of BET-
specific programmes. Marketing Manchester developed a skills strategy and is
working with partners to address skills issues.
Partnerships are essential to effectively address and deliver on the skills agenda.
In Bournemouth, a destination partnership has developed a training hotel linked to
the Bournemouth International Centre. Additionally, local colleges are working with
the public and private sectors to address skills shortages and gaps. Marketing
Manchester are addressing skills shortages and gaps through partnerships with
Chamber Link, Job CentrePlus. Manchester Employer Coalition, Manchester
Enterprises, local colleges, Springboard and the Learning and Skills Council.
18
NewcastleGateshead recognise the need for BET-specific training across the
Northeast. In addition, NewcastleGateshead recognised the need to develop the
skills of overseas workers in the BET sector employers can access funding for
English language training for their overseas staff.
Tourism businesses need to understand the potential of business-to-leisure

extensions, hence need destination knowledge to encourage extended or return
visits. VisitScotland, in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Scotland Business
Tourism Unit and the Glasgow Conference Bureau, provides world-class BET-
specific training led by internationally-renowned experts.
To address the issue of first and last visitor impressions of the City, Glasgow City
Council has introduced an obligatory training course as part of the Glasgow taxi
licence. All 5,000 black cab-drivers attend a one-day course covering: taxi
standards, health and safety, disability awareness, and customer care. The course
also includes tourism, particularly the needs and expectations of the BET market
and knowledge of Glasgow's attractions and events. Manchester are piloting a
scheme at Manchester Airport with airport Hackney carriage-drivers who are
completing the BTEC qualification in Transporting Passengers by Taxi and Private
Hire alongside Welcome International and Mapping Manchester.
The use of volunteers at events can create human resource challenges. However,
Glasgow and Manchester both use large numbers of volunteers. Following the
Special Olympics, the Major Festivals and Events Unit in Glasgow City Council
created an events volunteer database and were considering a SVQ-level
educational programme for volunteers with progression routes for event-related
qualifications. One of the legacies of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in
Manchester was a volunteer database, with a core list of trained volunteers, who
continue to work on major sporting events.
Education and training opportunities identified as relevant to BET include: customer

care; hospitality; management development; health and safety; marketing; sales;
recruitment and selection; event management; event planning; IT; and other
bespoke courses, e.g.: the mechanics of incentive travel, conference and exhibition
training (see Appendix 2). These opportunities range from half-day training on very
specific aspects to full degree programmes.
19
Thus, key skills issues for Southeast Wales include:
Delivering the skills agenda: clarify responsibility for co-ordinating and monitoring
the skills agenda to ensure effective delivery to improve the BET skills base in
Southeast Wales.
Funding: ensure adequate funding to engage BET providers in BET-specific

training in order to improve BET skills, thereby enhancing the quality of the BET
product and experience in Southeast Wales.
BET-specific training: develop appropriate courses to address gaps in extant BET

training provision in Southeast Wales.
4.6 BRANDING
Branding provides a framework for destination coherence and in a competitive,

crowded tourism marketplace brand image becomes a critical tool. Strong brands,
e.g. Manchesters Original Modern City and Glasgows Scotland with Style,
represent the destination externally and resonate with internal stakeholders. The
city brands in these destinations have a clear approach, reasoned argument and
collective aspiration.
Glasgow use branding as an inward investment tool and to promote civic pride,
whilst NewcastleGateshead have rationalised conflicting destination brands to
harmonise the application and imagery of the NewcastleGateshead brand, which
demonstrates a coherent and symbiotic approach to destination branding both
internally and externally. These approaches also show that internal stakeholders
see the bigger picture, i.e.: Glasgow and NewcastleGateshead as BET
destinations.
Manchester and NewcastleGateshead stress the importance of promoting capital

city status in external branding. Whilst all the case-study destinations emphasised
the importance of capital city status at regional level as well as national level. They
felt that it was a real attribute for a destination to have status as either a national or
regional capital city.
Bournemouth focus on their product brand, i.e.: the Bournemouth International

Centre, which has a renowned reputation in the BET marketplace; whereas
Glasgow, Manchester and NewcastleGateshead all focus on their destination
20
brand. The NewcastleGateshead Initiative believes that the evolving partnership
between Newcastle and Gateshead has maintained media attention.
Marketing a less well-recognised geographical region can create confusion in the

BET marketplace, hence the Northwest Conference Bidding Unit always bid in the
name of well-recognised destinations, e.g. Manchester, Liverpool or the Lake
District.
Thus, key branding issues for Southeast Wales include:
Destination branding: highlight branding as a priority to develop a strong destination

brand to enable Southeast Wales to compete more effectively with other BET
destinations.
Destination partnerships: build appropriate partnerships and communication

mechanisms to enable BET providers to see the bigger picture Southeast Wales
as a BET destination; branding as an inward investment tool and their role in
promotion and development of the destination brand.
Collective aspiration: a brand underpinned by a clear approach and collective

aspiration, linked to a coherent BET strategy in Southeast Wales.
Capital city status: to exploit Cardiffs capital city status
Regional branding: to address concerns about branding and marketing a region to

BET buyers as opposed to a specific destination.
4.7 NETWORKING
In the context of BESTBET, networking is defined as external to the destination,

hence includes: membership of trade associations, e.g.: British Association of
Conference Destinations (BACD), Meetings Industry Association (MIA),
International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), European Federation
of Conference Towns (EFCT) and attendance at trade shows, e.g.: CONFEX,
EIBTM, and IMEX.
Destination networks also help to enhance market intelligence. The rotational

aspect of many conferences means that they tend not to return to the same
destination or do not return for a considerable period of time; hence destinations
21
can pass clients within networks and share information on their specific conference
needs.
There are costs attached to trade association membership and attendance at trade
shows and the immediate benefits may be intangible. However, the costs of the
lost opportunities of not being a trade association member or part of a network are
often immeasurable. The message was Join the Club!
Thus, key networking issues for Southeast Wales include:
Trade association membership: to identify the most appropriate trade associations

for Southeast Wales aligned to the BET strategy and product portfolio, to enhance
client information and networking opportunities.
Trade show attendance: to identify the most appropriate trade shows for exhibiting
the Southeast Wales BET product and to facilitate trade show opportunities for
independent BET providers.
22
5. PHASE 2 FINDINGS: WHAT DO UK-BASED CONFERENCE
AND EVENT ORGANISERS WANT? 17
128 responses were received from UK-based conference and event organisers, who
were asked about their conference/event experiences in 2005, as well as: factors that
influence their choice of destination and venue; major causes of delegate
dissatisfaction; conference/event skills, training and development and their experience
of Southeast Wales as a conference/event destination.
5.1 PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS
Survey responses were obtained from conference and event organisers representing
the following types of organisations:
Number of
Respondents
Professional Associations 74
Corporate Companies 35
Conference Agencies 14
No reply 5
Generally, the conferences/events organised by respondents in 2005 were spread

throughout the year, primarily on weekdays, with an anticipated decline in activity in
August:
90
80
70
Number of Conferences/Events
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
January February March April May June July August September October November December
17
23
The number of delegates attending conferences/events organised in 2005 by the
respondents were:
Number of
Respondents
Less than 15 delegates 5
16-25 23
26-50 21
51-100 27
101-200 31
201-500 14
501-1000 4
1001-5000 1
5001-10000 0
Over 10000 delegates 2
However, only a small percentage of overseas delegates attended these

conferences/events in 2005:
Number of
Respondents
None 39
Less than 5% 55
6-10% 5
11-15% 9
16-20% 7
21-30% 2
31-40% 2
41-50% 3
More than 50% 6
5.2 VENUES
For all categories (association, corporate and agent), hotels were the preferred venue
for conferences/events organised in 2005, followed by multi-purpose venues and
purpose-built conference centres. The UK Conference Market Survey 18, also reported
that hotels are the preferred venue type for both the corporate and association sectors.
18
MIA (2004) UK Conference Market Survey, Meetings Industry Association, Pershore.
24
Number of
Respondents
Hotel 103
Multi-purpose venue 68
Purpose-built conference centre 61
University/academic venue 53
Unusual venue 41
Residential conference centre/management training centre 39
Sporting venue 28
Other venues used by respondents in 2005 included: exhibition centres, marquees,

cruise ship, theatres and museums, stately homes, church halls, NHS sites, woodland
and other outdoor venues.
5.2.1 Venue choice
Respondents from all three categories (association, corporate and agent) cited: price,
quality of venue facilities, availability and the capacity of the venue as the top four
factors which influence their choice of venue. Price, availability and capacity of the
venue were also amongst the top five factors influencing venue selection for the
association and corporate sectors in the UK Conference Market Survey 19.
Number of
Respondents
Price 112
Quality of venue facilities 107
Availability 101
Capacity of venue 100
Location relative to public transport links 81
Service quality 80
Responsiveness of venue to enquiries 67
Catering 64
Car parking 55
Location relative to 46
accommodation/entertainment/restaurants
Dedicated technical support in the venue 30
Internet access for delegates at the venue 20
Translation services for delegates in the venue 8
Independent venue 7
Part of a chain 7
The availability of translation services for delegates as an influencing factor was low.
However, this reflects the low percentage of overseas delegates attending
conferences/events organised by respondents in 2005. Additionally, dedicated
19
25
technical support in the venue as an influencing factor was low, especially amongst
respondents from the corporate sector. This may indicate that technical support is
outsourced; therefore, it is not imperative that the venue provides dedicated support.
Interestingly, Internet access for delegates was also low as an influencing factor,
especially for the association and corporate sectors; yet rated highly amongst
conference agencies, possibly demonstrating the range of facilities conference
agencies wish to make available for their clients.
Other factors cited as influencing their choice of venue included: disabled access,
previous experience of a venue, value for money, security, venues that fit the event,
reputation of the venue, availability of rooms with natural light, Welsh language facilities
and staff, cancellation policy of the venue.
5.3 DESTINATIONS
5.3.1 Destination choice
Respondents from all three categories (association, corporate and agent) cited:
accessibility of the destination, value for money, previous experience of a destination
and service quality as the top four factors which influence their destination choice for
conferences/events. Accessibility, value for money and service quality were also found
to be amongst the top ten factors influencing venue and destination selection for the
association market in the UK Conference Market Survey 20.
The range of visitor attractions in the destination as an influencing factor was low,
although this may reflect the incidence of social/partner programmes, as it was an
influencing factor selected mainly by those from the association market; as was the
availability of subvention. The lack of respondents selecting membership of trade
associations and destination presence at trade shows may indicate a lack of
awareness or attendance at trade shows. Although the responsiveness of the
destination conference bureau is low as an influencing factor, this may be the result of
conference/event organisers booking directly with hotels/venues.
20
26
Number of
Respondents
Accessibility (air, road, rail links) of the destination 103
Value for money 103
Previous experience of a destination 80
Service quality 76
Good links between hotels and venues 66
Range of accommodation in the destination 60
Responsiveness of hotels to enquiries 59
Responsiveness of venues to enquiries 59
Transport infrastructure in the destination 52
Proximity to an airport 41
Rotation of conference/event 40
Responsiveness of the destination conference bureau to 35
enquiries
Internal/external perceptions of the destination 31
Range of visitor attractions 17
Subvention (financial or in-kind support from destination) 16
Recognised hotel brands in the destination 10
Capital city status 9
Strong destination brand 8
Membership of trade associations e.g.: BACD, ICCA, MIA 4
Presence of an Ambassador Programme 4
Destination presence at trade shows e.g.: CONFEX 1
Other factors cited as influencing their destination choice included: disabled access,
client choice, location for local events to reduce travelling time for delegates,
surrounding area (i.e.: visitor attractions), size of exhibition space and number of
rooms.
In relation to the framework for best practice presented in Section 4, accessibility of the
destination is an important influencing factor, but not necessarily the transport
infrastructure within the destination. This demonstrates that getting delegates to the
actual destination is the key priority. Value for money and service quality are also
important as influencing factors which illustrates the importance of skills development
for the BET sector.
5.3.2 Destinations used in 2005
London, Birmingham and Manchester all scored highly in terms of destinations used by
respondents in 2005. This reflects the UK Conference Market Survey 21, which
consistently found London, Birmingham and Manchester in the top three cities used by
both the association and corporate sectors. London was used for far more
21
MIA (2004) UK Conference Market Survey, Meetings Industry Association, Pershore
27
international (15) and national (53) conferences/events than any other destination but
did not feature highly for regional (9) or local (6) conferences/events.
Many respondents stated that they would return to destinations used in 2005 for future
conferences/events.
Number of Respondents
My event is
Destination I would return for rotational but I
future conferences
used in 2005 /events would recommend
the destination
London 84 69 19
Birmingham 55 44 15
Manchester 38 32 15
Leeds 32 27 10
Bristol 29 25 9
Edinburgh 19 14 8
Glasgow 19 16 5
Nottingham 17 13 7
Brighton 15 12 3
Harrogate 14 11 3
Liverpool 14 10 5
NewcastleGateshead 12 12 3
Bath 11 11 2
Sheffield 9 7 4
Bournemouth 8 5 3
Belfast 7 5 2
Torquay 5 5 2
Blackpool 4 3 2
Llandudno 4 2 0
Aberdeen 3 2 1
Eastbourne 1 1 2
Scarborough 1 1 2
5.3.3 Outstanding aspects of conference/event destinations
There were a variety of responses in relation to conference/event organiser

perceptions of outstanding aspects of destinations. However, the responses tended to
focus on: accessibility, service and staff attitudes, facilities and venues.
5.3.4 Causes of delegate dissatisfaction
Respondents from all three categories (association, corporate and agent) cited
catering, access and cost as the major causes of delegate dissatisfaction at
conferences/events. Interestingly, technical support and Internet access did not
feature highly as causes of delegate dissatisfaction. This underpins respondents
earlier responses on factors influencing venue and destination choice. In addition,
28
catering and cost were found to be major causes of delegate dissatisfaction in the UK
Conference Market Survey 22
Number of
Respondents
Catering 86
Access 64
Cost 61
Accommodation 55
Comfort 51
Technical support 11
Internet access 8
Entertainment 4
Other causes for dissatisfaction cited by survey respondents included: service; lack of
disability awareness amongst venue staff; car parking; travel problems/delays;
overbooking; over-priced UK venues especially for the overseas market; poor
programme, joining instructions and signage.
5.4 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Most conference/event organisers that responded to the survey identify their own
training and development needs in relation to conference/event organisation,
demonstrating a structured approach to the identification of training needs, but also
possibly reflecting the structure of the sector, with more independent working
arrangements:
By you 76
Through an appraisal system 35
By your line manager 32
Ad-hoc basis 31
However, only 27 respondents (21%) reported undertaking any specific training or

development for conference/event organisation in 2005. This suggests that either the
sector is extremely highly trained; or that conference/event organisers do not recognise
the value of training; or that individuals may not be sufficiently able to identify their
training and development needs hence may not be sufficiently aware of their specific
skills gaps.
22
MIA (2004) UK Conference Market Survey, Meetings Industry Association, Pershore
29
The methods used for training and development were:
Number of
Respondents
In-house training (on-the-job) 11
Informal workshops/seminars 10
College/University courses 5
Coaching/Mentoring schemes 5
In-house training (off-the-job) 5
Professional or trade association training 4
Management Development 3
Computer-based/E-learning 2
Distance learning (e.g.: correspondence courses) 1
NVQs 1
Modern Apprenticeships 0
The most used methods are in-house training (on-the-job) particularly for
respondents from the corporate sector, followed by informal workshops/seminars
especially for respondents from agencies and the association sector. This supports
previous studies in other sectors 23, which found on-the-job training to be the most
common method of development.
The least used methods are computer-based/e-learning, distance learning, NVQs

and Modern Apprenticeships.
Respondents sourced training providers in a variety of ways, although personal

recommendations were dominant. That training providers were sourced through
professional associations suggests credibility and recognition are important to
conference and event organisers.
Respondents were asked which months were the most convenient for training and
development. Definite trends emerged which reflect reported patterns in
conference/event activity, as August, July, January and February were cited as the
most convenient times for training and development.
23
HtF (2002) A review of staff training and development in the hospitality industry, HtF, London; IMPACT
(2002) Skills Dialogue Report for the Tourism and Cultural Industries.
30
5.4.1 Skills for conference/event organisation
These skills are I can easily
ESSENTIAL to It is easy to I train IN- source
my role in RECRUIT for HOUSE for EXTERNAL
conference/event these skills these skills TRAINING for
organisation these skills
Assist delegates with travel
58 21 24 9
arrangements
Assist with setting up,
90 11 32 2
running and closing events
Audio visual and special
39 22 18 32
effects equipment
Communication skills 95 10 26 8
Customer service skills 91 8 27 7
Devise and implement
43 14 14 13
marketing plans
Devise and implement
47 15 17 12
promotional plans
Dismantle and clear
18 22 10 12
temporary structures
Evaluate overall
conference/event 75 7 22 4
performance
Foreign language skills 8 19 3 22
Handle and prepare material
and equipment for temporary 26 15 11 14
structures
Health and safety skills 42 15 23 22
Identify and provide tourism-
related information and 21 16 7 13
advice
Identify opportunities to
47 7 11 2
participate in events
Internet marketing 34 15 18 12
IT skills 62 16 24 14
Leadership skills 62 8 16 10
Manage product and service
46 4 19 5
quality
Marketing skills 50 15 15 14
Networking skills 67 4 20 5
Organisational skills 97 10 23 5
Personal attributes, e.g.
attitude, confidence, initiative, 88 5 19 1
enthusiasm
Prepare and maintain
32 22 8 10
stewarding
Problem-solving skills 87 11 17 5
Project management skills 76 7 17 8
Regulate the movement of
people, vehicles, and 34 16 10 13
equipment
Research and establish event
64 6 20 5
feasibility
31
Risk assessment skills 41 9 16 12
Survey sites for temporary
15 11 4 14
structures
Team working skills 71 6 14 4
Video/satellite conferencing 12 15 7 18
Waste management 9 18 8 16
Website design 21 21 11 29
Conference and event organisers cited the following skills as most essential:
organisational skills; communication skills; customer service skills; assist with setting
up, running and closing conferences/events; personal attributes (e.g.: attitude,
confidence, initiative, enthusiasm); problem solving skills; project management skills;
evaluate overall conference/event performance; team working skills. Most of these
skills are generic and easily transferable across sectors, which suggest that event-
specific or technical skills may be outsourced.
Conference and event organisers cited the following skills as least essential:
video/satellite conferencing; waste management and foreign language skills. However,
the apparent low need for foreign language skills may reflect the low number of
overseas delegates at conferences/events organised by the respondents; whilst
video/satellite conferencing is a technical skill that may be outsourced.
Few of the essential skills are reported as being easy to recruit and many respondents
train in-house for them. There are few instances of external training being easy to
source, especially in relation to the skills deemed most essential. This may indicate a
lack of external training provision for these skills and/or that external training is not
appropriate.
A concern is what happens when in-house training is not provided and external training
is not easy to source. In such instances, no training or development may occur which
is to the detriment of the BET product and experience. However, some comments on
specific conference/event skills needs and issues suggested that conventional training
may not be appropriate as organisers acquire skills through experience.
Generally respondents from all three categories (association, corporate and agent)
rated the current training provision in the conference/event industry as satisfactory.
32
Number of
Respondents
Satisfactory 50
Unsatisfactory 15
Poor 14
Good 13
Very good 2
5.5 EXPERIENCE OF SOUTHEAST WALES DESTINATIONS
Very few respondents had experienced Monmouthshire, Newport or the Vale of

Glamorgan as BET destinations, although 26 respondents had used Cardiff, with 23
stating that they would return. Those that had not used any of the four destinations in
Southeast Wales, but who would consider them are an important market to target, as
there is the potential to influence their decision-making process and convert these
conference and event organisers into actual demand.
Yes but I
No and I would Yes and I
No but I would would not
not consider would use this
consider using use this
using this destination
this destination destination
destination again
again
Cardiff 28 58 3 23
Monmouthshire 52 50 0 2
Newport 50 49 2 4
Vale of Glamorgan 52 50 0 3
Many of the respondents who stated that they would not consider using destinations in
Southeast Wales explained that either they do not organise conferences/events in
Southeast Wales or that their decision is based on location their perception of
accessibility.
33
6. THE SOUTHEAST WALES SCENARIO: INTERNAL
STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS OF WHERE WE ARE
NOW 24
The quality of the BET product and experience in Southeast Wales is crucial if
Southeast Wales is to develop a competitive and sustainable BET sector. A holistic
partnership approach involving key public and private sector stakeholders is
imperative; the public sector to co-ordinate and assist with funding and the private
sector to deliver the BET product and experience.
6.1 LEADERSHIP
Internal stakeholders concur that leadership is key to BET development in

Southeast Wales. However, leadership needs to be visible and have the political
confidence to make bold decisions, e.g.: whether to compete on the world stage.
One viewpoint was that where destinations lack political confidence, there tends to
be a need to consult which can be detrimental to moving the destination forward.
Most stakeholders believe that if Southeast Wales is to compete internationally
there must be a visible and proactive leader.
Many internal stakeholders report a lack of joined-up thinking across Southeast

Wales, which may restrict the potential of BET. Strategic and operational co-
ordination of BET in Southeast Wales should demonstrate joined-up thinking and
ensure economic impacts throughout the local supply chain.
Most BET funding is not based on any long-term strategy; therefore, few BET
events have progression, commitment or a clear strategy. There is also a lack of
coherence across Southeast Wales in terms of the lifecycle and sustainability of
BET events.
A weakness of local authority-led destination marketing bureaux is that they can be

parochial and fail to realise benefits for the wider region. For example, some
stakeholders commented that marketing by the four unitary authorities in the project
is more locally and domestically-focused. A localised joint venture arrangement
can represent real communities of interest and present the destination in a co-
24
34
ordinated, flexible and entrepreneurial manner in order to bring BET benefits.
Currently, the funding structure of BET in Southeast Wales creates more of a
reactive approach rather than a commercial approach to selling Southeast Wales
as a BET destination.
Success in business-to-leisure extensions can demonstrate how conference

bureaux add value to the destination and bring BET benefits for the rest of
Southeast Wales. Hence the role of conference bureaux in facilitating business-to-
leisure extensions is critical. However, there is limited awareness amongst BET
providers of the potential benefits of business-to-leisure extensions and a public-
private sector partnership approach is crucial.
Destinations in Southeast Wales do not have a strong policy of subvention

compared to other UK BET destinations.
There are many good examples of communication and co-operation, but these are
at a destination rather than regional level and targeted at specific groups. For
example, in Cardiff there is an Events Liaison Panel; a Venue Forum and Hoteliers
Association, which are active and work well for their members. However, there
does not appear to be formal channels of communication between these groups,
nor do they have strategic roles in the destination. In Newport, operational co-
ordination exists through the Safety Advisory Group and Monmouthshire has a
Forum for Event Organisers.
The Wales Rally GB was cited as an example of how Cardiff acted as a catalyst for
the rest of Southeast Wales in terms of funding and delivering an event with a
destination team approach. However, concerns were expressed that the
destination team approach is informal and reactive, depending on what is
happening in Cardiff and only peaks for major events.
Support services, e.g.: traffic management, signage and policing, across Southeast
Wales are often reported to have an inconsistent approach in relation to BET
events.
Currently, local authorities operate community-level events through a variety of

local authority departments. This must be addressed through improved co-
ordination between event organisers and event funders, as the current situation can
create a very disparate approach to events, both for event organisers at
community-level as well as from a destination-level in terms of using events to
promote and develop Southeast Wales.
In the long-term, developing events with an anchor in the locality will create a
stronger tourism multiplier effect and promote cultural identity. The primary
35
purpose of many local authority-led events is to add value to the destination rather
than being a pull factor in their own right. However, local events have the potential
to be strategically developed to attract more visitors into Southeast Wales and
complement business tourism activities. Mega-events can generate short-term
media attention and increased visitor numbers, but are expensive to bid for, with no
guarantee of return on investment, and to stage. In addition, destinations can find
leveraging economic benefits difficult because of the political structure of event
ownership the Ryder Cup was cited as an example here. Hence it is difficult for
destinations/regions to fully exploit the opportunity to create a destination/regional
presence at the event, compared to home-grown events, which can help build
destination distinctiveness.
There are a variety of local events across Southeast Wales, some community-led
and others organised by local authorities. Many internal stakeholders felt that a
long-term regional perspective should be adopted, in terms of creating and funding
a sustainable annual events programme in Southeast Wales which promotes
regional USP, illustrates diversity in Southeast Wales (e.g.: food and drink, arts and
culture, agriculture, history) and acts as a vehicle to attract more visitors to the
region. There are examples of positive initiatives, such as Adventas Promotional
and Marketing Fund for event organisers and CRTs Event Support Scheme,
although budget allocations only enable short-term funding.
6.2 INFRASTRUCTURE
Transport links are crucial as the infrastructure within a destination, as well as the
geographic location of the destination, is directly related to a destinations ability to
organise and deliver a competitive and quality BET product.
Through the route development fund, Cardiff International Airport is working to

increase direct air routes and inbound visitors. Increases in direct air routes are
crucial to enable Southeast Wales to actively target European and international
associations, as well as to enhance the potential of business-to-leisure extensions.
However, dispersion to the rest of the region through existing infrastructure is also
an issue that stakeholders feel needs to be addressed.
Different destinations in Southeast Wales are suited to particular BET markets. For
example, Cardiff caters for the association markets who want events with a large
social agenda and the potential to use different venues. Newport also caters for
the association market, although to a lesser degree than Cardiff, with the Celtic
36
Manor Resort specifically catering for the incentive and corporate markets. Rural
destinations, such as Monmouthshire and the Vale of Glamorgan, are more suited
to the events market, although the country house hotel products in these
destinations lend themselves to the incentive travel and corporate market. There
needs to be an increased awareness of the most appropriate BET markets to suit
the BET product across Southeast Wales.
Many stakeholders report that privately-operated BET venues in Southeast Wales,

such as the Cardiff International Arena, are not seen to be competitively priced with
respect to Cardiffs BET markets. This demonstrates the need for a coherent, well-
funded, researched and focused BET strategy.
The mix of public and private venues in Southeast Wales determines the potential
for commission as a revenue stream for conference bureaux. For example, the
majority of high-capacity venues in Cardiff are local authority-owned. The Cardiff
Conference Bureau has to market these venues but receive no commission from
bookings. Therefore, the capacity to generate revenue from commission is
restricted.
Public sector-ownership of BET venues also creates problems in terms of:

commercial freedom; proactive and reactive capabilities; and achieving an
appropriate balance between political and commercial use of the venue.
The lack of suitable venues is a constraining factor for BET development in

Southeast Wales. For example, many outdoor events are hosted in sports venues,
which have other primary purposes and are therefore not always appropriate for the
event. There are also rehabilitation costs if sports grounds are damaged through
trampling, as well as balancing local community use with visitor use.
Many stakeholders repeated calls for a purpose-built conference centre, attached

to a hotel complex. There was strong feeling that without this facility, Cardiff and
the wider region will fall behind other UK cities in developing BET capacity and
exploiting the full potential from previous profile-raising events, such as the Rugby
World Cup and FA Cup. Some hotel operators raised concerns about whether
hotel companies will invest in properties in cities showing little growth, as Cardiff
has gone from having the highest growth in the UK, to being a city where growth
has peaked and hotel operators are trying to sustain their position. A destination
which peaks and then struggles to retain its position is not conducive to attracting
inward investment and BET events.
Many BET providers stressed that conferences with exhibitions are a growth
market. There is potential for the development of an exhibition centre, in order to
37
add to the Southeast Wales product portfolio. The range of add-on venues in
Southeast Wales for social programmes is also important to the BET strategy to
ensure a potent product mix. Stakeholders also emphasised the importance of the
complete package to BET organisers. Hence, all elements of the package (hotels,
venues, transport and entertainment) are reliant on each other to deliver a high
quality BET product and experience.
Most local authority-led BET events require procurement and have common
requirements especially in relation to technical resources. Some stakeholders
suggest that a more coherent destination approach could be adopted in Southeast
Wales, for example working together to achieve bulk buying power and to utilise
technical resources, which would demonstrate the benefits of a wider-BET
perspective.
6.3 BIDDING
Currently the Cardiff Conference Bureau only has the capacity to operate in a
reactive mode. For the Bureau to become more proactive, additional funding and
resources are required. Increased proactivity would align Cardiff and Southeast
Wales with other best practice BET destinations which continually undertake
research on their potential target markets, including the demand for partner
programmes and familiarisation visits to ensure that they understand and qualify
buyers.
To effectively develop a sustainable BET product in Southeast Wales, yield

management is important with regards to the type of BET events that Southeast
Wales bids for. Many stakeholders felt that more consideration should be given to
targeting high-value BET events, rather than high volume from the association
market because of the implications for hotel room rates.
The product and venue portfolios differ across Southeast Wales; hence, it is not
possible to guarantee an equitable share of BET business for providers across
Southeast Wales. In addition, most BET events have long lead times which make it
difficult to demonstrate the immediate tangible benefits of BET for Southeast
Wales.
The diversity of venues across the region is a positive factor for Southeast Wales.
The cost of bidding for and winning an event is simply admission to that
event/sector. Further investment is required to successfully deliver the event and
38
leverage the benefits for Southeast Wales. In addition, the cost of bidding for some
events can be prohibitive and act as a deterrent to bidding. A long-term strategic
plan would address this issue.
6.4 AMBASSADORS
Cardiff is the only destination in Southeast Wales that currently operates an official
Ambassador Programme, targeting the academic, medical and business
communities.
An effective Ambassador programme needs adequate funding to assist

Ambassadors in bringing BET events to Southeast Wales, as when associations
invite bids from potential destinations, the local association contact is crucial to the
bid process.
Some stakeholders lacked clarity about the role of Ambassadors in relation to BET.
6.5 SKILLS
Achieving Our Potential 2006-2013 25 emphasises that improvements in quality

need to be matched by improvements in skill levels. Poor service quality is a
deterrent to BET buyers, especially from international markets, considering
Southeast Wales as a potential destination and many stakeholders believe that the
importance of good quality service delivery is not appreciated by many BET
providers in Southeast Wales.
Organisational and management skills, including event-specific technical and

administrative skills are key to hosting and delivering BET. Hence, the ability of the
BET-organising team in the destination is critical. Many local events run by
volunteers rely on the mix of skills provided by the volunteers. However, some
successful local events are struggling to maintain an appropriate balance between
the scale of the event and the organisational abilities of the organising team.
Increasingly, more overseas staff are working in the tourism sector in Southeast
Wales. This, coupled with the potential of business-to-leisure extensions, creates
the need to enhance destination knowledge to encourage extended or return visits
25
Welsh Assembly Government (2006) Achieving Our Potential 2006-2013, WAG, Cardiff.
39
through customising Sense of Place. Enhanced destination knowledge through
customising Sense of Place also relates to skills for developing partner
programmes, which can generate economic benefits for the destination especially
through business-to-leisure extensions and increased attendance at association
events. Successful planning for partner programmes requires detailed knowledge
of the group, including: interests; relevance; socio-economic profiles; gender; ages
and scheduling.
There is a lack of awareness amongst many BET providers about the potential of
business-to-leisure extensions, as well as a lack of understanding about the
different BET markets, such as incentive travel, which is a tool used by the
corporate market to motivate and reward staff.
The first and last impressions of the destination as conveyed by taxi drivers were
raised as an issue by some stakeholders in terms of how internal perceptions of the
destination are sold to visitors.
Events create many casual jobs and it is often the case that event management
and catering companies supply their own labour. However, stakeholders reported
skills gaps amongst local authorities, community groups and across Southeast
Wales in general.
The use of volunteers at events can create human resource challenges with
regards to ensuring volunteers are equipped with the relevant skills and receive
appropriate training.
The range of BET education and training opportunities available in Southeast

Wales are extremely limited (see Appendix 2), although event management degree
programmes are available in Southeast Wales.
6.6 BRANDING
Achieving Our Potential 2006-2013 26 stresses that a strong brand identity must be
reinforced at all levels of the industry to enable Wales to increase its market share
of international and UK visitors. This is imperative if Southeast Wales is to compete
more effectively with other more established UK BET destinations, ultimately
moving into the world-wide marketplace, and is underpinned by one of the key
26
40
outcomes for branding as cited in Achieving Our Potential 2006-2013 (2006: 63) 27
[the] value of business tourism to increase by a greater rate than tourism overall.
Stakeholders report that many BET providers in Southeast Wales fail to see the
bigger picture, i.e.: Southeast Wales as a BET destination, branding as an inward
investment tool and their role in destination development and promotion of the
destination brand.
It is the strength of a citys brand image that encourages visitors. Currently, Cardiff
and Newport are both undergoing re-branding exercises which should be
underpinned by a clear approach and collective aspiration for the brand, linked to a
coherent strategy for the destination.
Capital city status provides huge opportunities but, to date, has been under-
exploited. Recognition of capital city status should provide confidence to draw
attention to the destination.
Bidding processes can be beneficial for branding and generating media attention,
as exemplified by NewcastleGateshead and their European City of Culture bid.
The value of branding Southeast Wales was seen as debatable by stakeholders

because of its potential to confuse BET buyers. In addition, some BET providers
under the Southeast Wales banner, feel more aligned to distinct areas, such as the
Wye Valley and Vale of Usk, as Southeast Wales generates a more urban image,
which they feel misrepresents their BET product. As with Northwest England,
Southeast Wales has many disparate parts that create an eclectic whole, making it
difficult to brand and sell a homogenised destination.
6.7 NETWORKING
Successful destinations need customised information on the requirements of their

different clients networking and sharing information through membership of trade
associations aids this process. No destination in Southeast Wales is a member of
ICCA, for example, although Cardiff and Newport are members of BACD. Many
BET providers concede that they gain few direct conversions from their
membership of trade associations, but they recognise the networking value and
potential economic opportunities of being trade association members.
27
41
Many BET providers in Southeast Wales adopt similar attitudes to attending trade
shows. Their approach is that they have to be seen in the right places to be
considered as a player in the BET marketplace, even though they are unlikely to
secure financial returns. Generally, BET providers and other stakeholders attend
trade shows as a collective, i.e.: under the VisitWales (formerly WTB) banner, as
the cost of exhibiting at trade shows for independent BET providers can be a major
obstacle.
42
7. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BET IN SOUTHEAST WALES
The development and quality of the BET product and experience in Southeast Wales is
dependent upon a coherent, funded, researched and proactive BET strategy,
strategically and operationally co-ordinated, which addresses the key issues of:
leadership; infrastructure; bidding; Ambassadors; skills; branding and networking. A
holistic approach must be adopted to address these key issues in order to ensure
effective delivery of BET in Southeast Wales.
7.1 LEADERSHIP
Secure political support for BET from the Welsh Assembly Government
(Department for Enterprise, Innovation, and Networks) and the unitary authorities in
Southeast Wales.
Increase long-term collaboration between the public and private sectors to address
funding issues.
Implement and communicate BET leadership structures in Southeast Wales to

industry to clarify roles and responsibilities for BET.
Proactively drive a coherent and cohesive BET strategy across Southeast Wales.
Enhance the strategic role of BET working groups.
Establish destination-level operational co-ordination to address inconsistencies in

the approach of support services to BET events and enable the dissemination of
information to BET organisers.
Create clusters of BET providers/organisers in Monmouthshire, the Vale of

Glamorgan and other unitary authorities in Southeast Wales to enhance BET
development. BET clusters co-ordinated by the public sector and driven by the
private sector are to lead on BET-specific agendas, tailored to their product
portfolio to enhance business-to-leisure extensions and interact with the Regional
Bidding Research Unit.
Each unitary authority in Southeast Wales to implement a strategy to nurture the

development of community-led grassroots events which support business tourism;
business-to-leisure extensions; inward investment and resonate with domestic
tourism.
43
Ensure regional co-ordination of local authority event strategies.
7.2 INFRASTRUCTURE
Ensure that the transport infrastructure effectively supports the BET sector, with
regards to bringing BET visitors to Southeast Wales and enabling seamless
integration of transport within the destination, as well as dispersion outside the
region to spread the benefits of BET.
Improve the multi-lingual visitor welcome at transport gateways (e.g.: airport, train
stations) through public-private collaborations to provide enhanced tourist
information.
Ensure that BET venues in Southeast Wales are competitive in terms of price and
provision with respect to targeted BET markets.
Continue to lobby for a purpose-built regional conference centre, with the potential
for a separate exhibition centre to add to the Southeast Wales product portfolio,
which is flexible and adaptable to ensure maximum usage.
Establish a procurement consortium for local authority events teams.
7.3 BIDDING
Establish a Regional Bidding Research Unit, located alongside Cardiff Council, led
by CRT and working closely with Capital Wales to give proactive capabilities to the
extant Cardiff Conference Bureau and the rest of Southeast Wales. Objectives for
the Regional Bidding Research Unit should complement the work of the Cardiff
Conference Bureau by adding value to Southeast Wales by offering a resource that
does not currently exist specifically proactive research for future BET events.
Where regions in Southeast Wales have limited resources to focus on BET,
working with the Regional Bidding Research Unit should facilitate access to BET
markets. The Regional Bidding Research Unit should:
o Bid for international, European, national and regional BET events for Southeast
Wales aligned to the Southeast Wales BET strategy.
o Have access to ICCA and other appropriate trade association databases for
research purposes.
44
o Consider the implications of yield management and seek high value events not
just high volume to effectively develop a sustainable BET product in Southeast
Wales.
o Communicate with the public and private sectors to emphasise that a diverse
range of BET venues across Southeast Wales is a positive factor. Not all BET
events are attended by large numbers of delegates - the ICCA qualifying criteria
is that international association meetings must: be regular; rotate between at
least 3 countries and attract a minimum of 50 participants. Many of the country
house hotels in Southeast Wales can be positioned for the incentive travel and
corporate markets.
o Recruit, train, develop and retain individuals with specific bidding skills to attract
and retain BET markets. A mix of talent is important in bidding teams, including
strong personal selling and networking skills. Strong bid teams should develop
effective internal and external networks, which build alliances and increase
competencies 28.
o Recruit product experts to establish the credibility of the bidding team and
secure visible support from external networks, such as politicians and corporate
bodies.
o Ensure a formalised and proactive destination team approach in Southeast

Wales which demonstrates a symbiotic relationship between competitiveness
and collaboration.
o Develop a subvention policy for Southeast Wales with transparent eligibility

criteria, in relation to: venues, transport, hotels and civic hospitality, to enable
Southeast Wales to be more competitive. The public and private sectors need
to commit support to a subvention policy.
o Ensure Southeast Wales becomes smarter in the bidding process, considering

aspects such as: economic impact; regional promotion; financial return; location
decision; needs of decision-makers and professional presentation, as there are
a limited number of associations, coupled with an increased demand for events
world-wide.
o Establish key factors for bidding success, including: relevant professional

credibility; understanding the brief and formal/informal decision-making process;
recognition that decision-makers may not be experts nor use rational selection
28
Westerbeek, H.M., Turner, P. and Ingerson, L. (2002) Key success factors in bidding for hallmark
sporting events, International Marketing Review, 19 (3), 303-322
45
criteria; exceeding expectations; customising professional products and
services; and appreciating internal strengths and weaknesses in relation to the
competition 29.
o Utilise the Knowledge Capital initiative to exploit the business identity of

Southeast Wales, highlighting academic and business synergy, and use the
Knowledge Capital brand when targeting the association market. To become a
Knowledge Capital, cities must have world-class higher education; knowledge
and skills in the local workforce; innovation and creativity; diversity; bold city
leadership and the ability to channel and communicate knowledge effectively
o Develop and implement a BET visitor experience value chain 30 in Southeast

Wales for a demand-driven, commercial and partnership approach to BET
development. This includes acquiring, organising and applying knowledge
related to the total BET visitor experience as the complete package is essential
in an increasingly competitive market.
o Define and monitor client service levels in Southeast Wales ensuring: reliability,
assurance, innovation, empathy and responsiveness 31 in order to develop a
quality and competitive BET product.
o Promote options for pre- and post-event tours in bid documents, which are
customer-focused and not geographically limited by political boundaries. Raise
awareness of the importance of business-to-leisure extensions across the
public and private sectors and position Cardiff and Newport as gateways to
other places of interest - Monmouthshire, the Vale of Glamorgan and other
Southeast Wales destinations.
o Develop partnerships to ensure that the Regional Bidding Research Unit has:
buy-in from key stakeholders; transparent decision-making; the ability to react
to market demands and the ability to acquire both public and private sector
funding.
o Ensure that bidding is more than just winning a BET event for Southeast Wales
by exploiting potential inward investment opportunities; hence the need to
complement the work of Capital Wales.
29
Emery, P.R. (2002) Bidding to host a major sports event the local organising committee perspective,
The International Journal of Public Sector Management, 15 (4), 316-335.
30
Hawkins, D.E. and Nikolova, M. (2005) Visitor Experience Value Chain Approach, WTO Education
Council General Assembly Conference, 1 December 2005, Dakar, Senegal
31
BestCities Global Alliance (www.bestcities.net)
46
o Develop a sustainable programme of BET events in Southeast Wales to guard
against ad-hoc labour demands and add to the Welsh experience by
generating a core BET event team.
o Co-ordinate a Southeast Wales events calendar to integrate and support major

events.
Secure adequate funding and resources for the Regional Bidding Research Unit.
7.4 AMBASSADORS
Extend the successful Cardiff Ambassador Programme across Southeast Wales.
Clarify and communicate the role of an Ambassador.
Objectives for the Ambassador Programmes should be to increase: conference

business; the number of Ambassadors; the range of sectors represented and
awareness of the Ambassador Programme.
Secure funding for the expansion of the Cardiff Ambassador Programme across
Southeast Wales through partnerships with the private sector.
Establish active channels of communication to inform Ambassadors of BET

developments in Southeast Wales.
7.5 SKILLS
Identify the body responsible for co-ordinating strategic and operational

partnerships to ensure delivery of the BET skills agenda to improve the skills base
in Southeast Wales.
Identify funding sources to facilitate participation in BET-specific training to improve

the quality of the BET product and experience in Wales.
Develop accredited flexible training courses that are fit for purpose to bridge gaps
in extant BET-specific provision, meet business needs and increase
professionalism.
Design BET awareness training which raises awareness of relevant incentive travel
products and venues across Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport and the Vale of
47
Glamorgan to demonstrate further BET potential within Southeast Wales and
generate benefits for the wider region.
Develop specific training for taxi drivers, similar to that provided in Glasgow and
Manchester Airport.
Design BET awareness training which enhances destination knowledge amongst

BET providers in order to design partner programmes and encourage extended or
return visits through customising Sense of Place.
Local authorities across Southeast Wales should seek to build their labour pools
and skill sets for events, including health and safety and stewarding.
7.6 BRANDING
Develop a consensus on regional branding issues.
Develop a strong brand identity to enable Southeast Wales to compete more

effectively with other BET destinations, which differentiates Cardiff and Newport
from each other and other cities and is readily identifiable. Cardiff must exploit its
status as a national capital city.
Harmonise branding and produce guidelines for the application of the destination
brand and associated imagery to create a sense of identity and local buy-in, similar
to the approaches in Englands Northeast and Northwest.
Work with BET providers to emphasise their role in destination development and
branding, in particular the importance of city branding as an inward investment tool,
as well as a destination marketing tool, and how this contributes to civic pride in
Southeast Wales.
7.7 NETWORKING
Identify the most appropriate trade associations for Southeast Wales to join, linked
to the research strategy of the Regional Bidding Research Unit. BACD and ICCA
are prime candidates and provide indirect marketing benefits by conferring a sense
of accreditation onto Southeast Wales that buyers understand and by facilitating
networking opportunities. ICCA also offers services such as the Destination
48
Comparison Report, which serves as a tool for analysing current destination
positioning and future marketing plans.
Identify the most appropriate trade shows for exhibiting the Southeast Wales BET
product, linked to the research strategy of the Regional Bidding Research Unit and
develop mechanisms to enable independent BET providers to exhibit their product.
49
8. ACTION PLAN FOR BET IN SOUTHEAST WALES
The main priority for BET is to establish a coherent, funded and proactive BET strategy
for Southeast Wales which addresses the issues of: leadership, infrastructure, bidding,
Ambassadors, skills, branding and networking.
The action plan identifies the action required to implement, deliver and monitor the BET
strategy for Southeast Wales. The timescales within the action plan are based on the
premise that funding is secured by the time annual budgets are set in April 2007.
50
STRATEGIC ISSUE ACTION RESPONSIBILITY TIMESCALE
LEADERSHIP Lobby political support for BET strategy in Southeast Wales from the Welsh CRT April 2007
Assembly Government (WAG) (Department for Enterprise, Innovation, and
Networks) and the unitary authorities in Southeast Wales.
Bid for convergence/competitiveness funding with match funding from WAG. CRT April 2007 or
ASAP
Establish a Regional Bidding Research Unit and appropriate leadership CRT By October
structures for BET in Southeast Wales. The Regional Bidding Research Unit to WAG (DEIN) 2007
be established for 3 years in the first instance with approximately 4 staff, budget Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities
of 0.25million per year and a target economic impact of 15million for
Capital Wales
Southeast Wales over 3 years.
Implement and communicate BET leadership structures in Southeast Wales to CRT By December
industry to clarify roles and responsibilities for BET. Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007
Proactively drive a coherent and cohesive BET strategy across Southeast CRT Ongoing
Wales. Regional Bidding Research Unit
Enhance the strategic role of BET working groups. CRT Ongoing
Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities
Establish destination-level operational co-ordination to address inconsistencies CRT BET Working Group By December
in the approach of support services to BET events and enable the dissemination 2007
of information to BET organisers.
Create clusters of BET providers/organisers in Monmouthshire and the Vale of CRT BET Working Group By December
Glamorgan to enhance BET development and interact with the Regional Bidding Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities 2007
Research Unit. Regional Bidding Research Unit
Implement a strategy in each unitary authority in Southeast Wales to nurture the CRT By December
development of community-led grassroots events which support business CRT BET Working Group 2007
tourism; business-to-leisure extensions; inward investment and resonate with Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities
domestic tourism.
Ensure regional co-ordination of local authority event strategies. CRT BET Working Group Ongoing
INFRASTRUCTURE Ensure that the transport infrastructure effectively supports the BET sector, with CRT Ongoing
regards to bringing BET visitors to Southeast Wales and enabling seamless SEWTA
integration of transport within the destination, as well as dispersion outside the Cardiff International Airport
region to spread the benefits of BET.
51
Improve the multi-lingual visitor welcome at transport gateways (e.g.: airport, Cardiff International Airport By December
train stations) through public-private collaborations to provide enhanced tourist First Great Western 2007
information. Southeast Wales Unitary
Authorities/Tourist Information
Centres
Ensure that BET venues in Southeast Wales are competitive in terms of price CRT BET Working Group Ongoing
and provision with respect to targeted BET markets. Regional Bidding Research Unit
Continue to lobby for a purpose-built regional conference centre, with the CRT Ongoing
potential for a separate exhibition centre to add to the Southeast Wales product Capital Wales
portfolio. Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities
Cardiff Hoteliers Association
Cardiff Chamber of Commerce
Establish a procurement consortium for local authority events teams. CRT BET Working Group By October
Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007
BIDDING Identify and bid for international, European, national and regional BET events Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
for Southeast Wales aligned to the Southeast Wales BET strategy.
Research ICCA and other appropriate trade association databases. Regional Bidding Research Unit By October
2007 and
ongoing
Communicate with the public and private sectors emphasising that a diverse Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
range of BET venues across Southeast Wales is positive, aligned to ICCA
qualifying criteria for international association meetings and the scope of BET
markets.
Recruit, train, develop and retain individuals with specific bidding skills to attract Regional Bidding Research Unit By December
and retain BET markets. 2007
Recruit product experts to establish the credibility of the bidding team and Regional Bidding Research Unit By December
secure visible support from external networks, such as politicians and corporate 2007
bodies.
Ensure a formalised and proactive destination team approach in Southeast Regional Bidding Research Unit By December
Wales which demonstrates a symbiotic relationship between competitiveness 2007
and collaboration.
52
Develop a subvention policy for Southeast Wales with transparent eligibility Regional Bidding Research Unit By October
criteria. 2007
Ensure Southeast Wales becomes smarter in the bidding process. Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
Utilise the Knowledge Capital initiative to exploit the business identity of Regional Bidding Research Unit By October
Southeast Wales and use the Knowledge Capital brand when targeting the 2007 and
association market. ongoing
Develop and implement a BET visitor experience value chain strategy in Regional Bidding Research Unit By October
Southeast Wales for a demand-driven, commercial and partnership approach to 2007 and
BET development. ongoing
Define and monitor client service levels in Southeast Wales. Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
Promote options for pre- and post-event tours in bid documents, which are Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
customer-focused and not geographically limited by political boundaries.
Raise awareness of the importance of business-to-leisure extensions across the Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
public and private sectors and position Cardiff and Newport as gateways to
other places of interest - Monmouthshire, the Vale of Glamorgan and other
Southeast Wales destinations.
Develop partnerships to ensure that the Regional Bidding Research Unit has: Regional Bidding Research Unit By October
buy-in from key stakeholders; transparent decision-making; the ability to react to 2007 and
market demands and the ability to acquire both public and private sector ongoing
funding.
Exploit potential inward investment opportunities. Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
Capital Wales
Develop a sustainable programme of BET events in Southeast Wales to guard CRT BET Working Group Ongoing
against ad-hoc labour demands and add to the Welsh experience by Regional Bidding Research Unit
generating a core BET event team. Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities
Co-ordinate a Southeast Wales events calendar to integrate and support major Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
events
53
AMBASSADORS Extend the successful Cardiff Ambassador Programme across Southeast Wales Regional Bidding Research Unit By December
and secure funding for the expansion of the Cardiff Ambassador Programme CRT BET Working Group 2007
across Southeast Wales through partnerships with the private sector. Cardiff Ambassador
Programme/Cardiff Conference
Bureau
Communicate the role of an Ambassador. Regional Bidding Research Unit Ongoing
Cardiff Ambassador
Programme/Cardiff Conference
Bureau
Set clear objectives for the Southeast Wales Ambassador Programme with Regional Bidding Research Unit By October
ongoing active channels of communication to inform Ambassadors of BET CRT BET Working Group 2007
developments in Southeast Wales. Cardiff Ambassador Programme
SKILLS Co-ordinate strategic and operational partnerships to ensure delivery of the BET TTFW By April 2007
skills agenda to improve the skills base in Southeast Wales. Regional Bidding Research Unit
Identify funding sources to facilitate participation in BET-specific training to TTFW Ongoing
improve the quality of the BET product and experience in Wales. CRT
Regional Bidding Research Unit
Develop accredited flexible training courses that are fit for purpose to bridge TTFW Ongoing
gaps in extant BET-specific provision, meet business needs and increase Regional Bidding Research Unit
professionalism. Training Providers
Design BET training which raises awareness of relevant incentive travel venues TTFW By December
in Southeast Wales and enhances destination knowledge amongst BET Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007
providers in order to design partner programmes and encourage extended or Training Providers
return visits through customising Sense of Place.
Develop specific training for taxi drivers, similar to that provided in Glasgow and TTFW By December
Manchester Airport. Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007
Training Providers
Build labour pools and skill sets for events in local authorities across Southeast Regional Bidding Research Unit By December
Wales, including: health and safety and stewarding. Training Providers 2007 and
Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities ongoing
54
BRANDING Develop a consensus on regional branding issues. WAG By October

CRT BET Working Group 2007
Capital Wales
Southeast Wales Economic Forum
Regional Bidding Research Unit
Develop a strong brand identity to enable Southeast Wales to compete more CRT BET Working Group By April 2007
effectively with other BET destinations, which differentiates Cardiff and Newport Southeast Wales Unitary Authorities and ongoing
from each other and other cities and is readily identifiable. Cardiff must exploit Capital Wales
its status as a national capital city.
Harmonise branding and produce guidelines for the application of the CRT BET Working Group By December
destination brand and associated imagery to create a sense of identity and local Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007 and
buy-in, similar to the approaches in Englands Northeast and Northwest. Capital Wales ongoing
Work with BET providers to emphasise their role in destination development and CRT BET Working Group Ongoing
branding, in particular the importance of city branding as an inward investment Regional Bidding Research Unit
tool, as well as a destination marketing tool, and how this contributes to civic Capital Wales
pride in Southeast Wales.
NETWORKING Identify the most appropriate trade associations with industry databases - for CRT BET Working Group By October
the Regional Bidding Research Unit to acquire membership of. Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007 and
ongoing
Identify the most appropriate trade shows for exhibiting the Southeast Wales CRT BET Working Group By December
BET product and develop mechanisms to enable independent BET providers to Regional Bidding Research Unit 2007 and
exhibit their product. ongoing
55
56

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BESTBET

A FRAMEWORK FOR BEST PRACTICE

FINAL PROJECT REPORT

DR CLAIRE HAVEN-TANG, PROFESSOR ELERI JONES &

CARDIFF SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

2. BUSINESS AND EVENT TOURISM 7

4. PHASE 1 FINDINGS: WHAT IS BEST PRACTICE IN BUSINESS AND EVENT 12

5. PHASE 2 FINDINGS: WHAT DO UK-BASED CONFERENCE AND EVENT 23

6. THE SOUTHEAST WALES SCENARIO: INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS 34

8. ACTION PLAN FOR BET IN SOUTHEAST WALES 50

A Welsh version of this report is available on request or on-line at

Detailed supplementary evidence and appendices are available on-line at

1.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE

1.2 EVIDENCE OF NEED FOR THE BESTBET PROJECT

1.3 REGIONAL TOURISM STRATEGY FOR SOUTHEAST WALES

1.5 PROJECT AIMS

1.6 PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Objective 1: Undertake UK-wide research to identify best practice in BET.

Objective 2: Disseminate UK-wide research results to BET providers in Southeast

1.7 PROJECT APPROACH

Analysing desk research on BET.

An event can, in its broadest definition, encompass anything attracting an audience by

2.1 SECTOR DEFINITION

1. Conferences and meetings;

However, business tourism also encompasses individual business travel often

3.1.1 Desk research

3.1.2 Key stakeholder interviews

The original ESF bid document included a commitment to undertake 50 interviews

3.1.3 Case studies

3.2.1 Stakeholder consultation

3.2.2 Quantitative survey of UK conference and event organisers

A web-based questionnaire was designed, using SNAP software, to gather information

3.2.3 Extant UK BET education and training provision

Analysis of the case study interviews undertaken in Bournemouth, Glasgow,

Evidence of best practice in relation to leadership in the case study destinations

Glasgow demonstrated a coherent partnership approach which created a unique

NewcastleGateshead have developed a mature partnership approach to BET and

Public-private partnerships are fundamental to achieving pro-activity as well as

Critical mass is also important in terms of destination team and coherence,

Approaches towards the appropriateness of subvention strategies varied.

Thus, key leadership issues for Southeast Wales include:

Top-level commitment: to highlight BET as a priority for Southeast Wales and to

Destination partnerships: appropriate partnerships and communication

Subvention: a clear subvention policy with transparent eligibility criteria.

Event strategy: to identify a sustainable events programme to complement the

Compactness of the destination, accessibility and seamless integration of transport

The transport infrastructure within the destination is also critical. The

A range of suitable venues and accommodation within the destination is obviously

Thus, key infrastructure issues for Southeast Wales include:

Bidding involves the whole process of gathering market intelligence on appropriate

Sophisticated databases, e.g. ICCA and UIA, as well as networks of counterparts in

Thus, key bidding issues for Southeast Wales include:

Destination partnerships: appropriate public-private partnerships and

The role, funding and proactivity of Ambassadors is crucial to securing BET

The internal conference department at the University of Manchester offers

The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative organised a successful Taxi Ambassador

Thus, key Ambassador issues for Southeast Wales include:

Expansion: to extend the existing Cardiff Ambassador Programme across

Clarification: clearly define and communicate the role of Ambassadors in promoting

As more people travel to a variety of destinations they increasingly become familiar

Clarification of bodies responsible for leading, co-ordinating and monitoring the

Public sector funding for BET-specific training is important to encourage BET

Tourism businesses need to understand the potential of business-to-leisure