Going Global: Not Your Grandmother's International Program
By Elaine Macy
Many years ago, the most popular cities for international programs were London, Paris, and Rome. While these three cities are still among the most in demand, today’s planners are submitting more requests to Beijing, Berlin, and Istanbul than ever thanks to their strong infrastructures and for offering great financial value given the strength of the dollar and additional factors including incredible cosmopolitan centers of culture, politics, and media. Each culture has a particular way they run events, and it is common for planners from North America to experience resistance when requests are made to “Americanize” an aspect or require something to be done in a way that is truly never seen by the host destination. If you try to change the culture or the way of operating programs in different countries, it will not only be considered inappropriate – your demands will likely not be fulfilled and your clients’ expectations will not be met. Therefore, flexibility, understanding, and the willingness to adapt to local customs are keys to successfully planning an international gathering and avoiding anything getting lost in translation. Whether your client is looking to cross the Pacific or the Atlantic for their next gathering, here are a few tips to consider for a smooth and culturally sensitive planning process. **Considering What Constitutes a “Normal” Workday** Each country has a unique way of doing business. In Italy and Spain, for example, meetings rarely happen before 9am and dinners rarely begin before 8pm. Be aware of the hours for working and dining to ensure you do not request appointments (phone or in person) during these times. Also, keep in mind that many sales directors at international hotels, especially in Europe, do not work after 5pm or on weekends. Given those schedules and the differences in time zones, never expect an immediate response to RFPs. It can be typical to wait at least five days to receive a response to an RFP and while this would be an extremely long time to wait in North America, planners need to be understanding. To best cater to your clients, it is your responsibility to consider the time differences and local holidays and clearly communicate to the hotel about what you believe would be a reasonable amount of time to wait for a response. **Currency and Taxes** Regardless of where you are holding your event, keeping costs within budget is a top priority for all planners. One of the easiest ways to watch costs is to keep an eye on currency exchange rates and taxes. When dealing with international hotels, make sure you discuss the currency exchange rate and agree on a fixed rate ahead of time. If the exchange rate is more in your favor, make payments early to secure the rate or buy futures. This can ensure that your client can stay within budget even if rates fluctuate greatly months later when the event is scheduled to occur. All international meetings are affected by VAT in a few ways. First, you’ll likely be paying VAT to your meetings facilities, hotels, and service providers, as well as for the provision of goods abroad. Second, you may be a provider yourself if money from attendees is being collected. So, it is not uncommon to be both a payer and collector of VAT in a single meeting. VAT tax can be as high as 25% depending on the country, and rates may vary in your destination by type of good and service, as well as by attendee. There is often a small-business exemption for organizations with sales below a certain threshold that makes it easier to recover the correct amount. Always register for VAT in each of the countries you will be operating in, confirm in advance if VAT is included in your hotel room rate, and be sure to begin the VAT recover process as far in advance as possible. **Respect the Hierarchy** Expect to plan meetings in a way that fits the hierarchical structure of the country. For example, do not expect to always meet the General Manager when planning a meeting in Europe. In many European countries, the General Manager is not as accessible as one may be in North America, so do not be offended if it is someone else who serves as the “lead” contact during your site visit or actual meeting. In Asia, the most senior person leads all meetings, so expect to be seated according to ranking and do not take a seat before one has been assigned to you. This will avoid an around-the-table scramble. Also, whenever planning an event with Asian delegates, expect to assign them floors in the hotel based on pecking order and seating at meetings based on ranking. **Site Inspections** In Europe and Asia, a site inspection is the most important part of the program. There will always be a surprise. I’ve seen a wedding procession that was booked to cross through the lobby during the arrival of a separate evening event and a final gala event planned on a holiday, leaving the group with not enough servers to accommodate the guests. Do not let this happen to you! Before traveling internationally for a site inspection, send the hotel all of your requirements including those of your client or any associates traveling with you, any needs regarding food or beverage, or any other specific requirements for your meeting. Sending these details far in advance will ensure you do not waste any time on simple logistics during your visit to the property, regardless of how long you plan to be there, and helps avoid any need to respond to last-minute requests while in the air. I also highly recommend confirming far in advance that the conference manager who will be responsible for your event will be available and at your disposal the entire time. Always request a pre-con meeting both during the site and prior to the program arrival day. Pre-con meetings are not common in Europe and especially not in Asia unless you are working with a chain hotel whose corporate headquarters are based in the United States. This is another way to ensure there is not any miscommunication during your event because something got lost in translation. The recent launch of in-flight WiFi on international flights is very efficient, but I am sure there are many planners who appreciate the excuse to unplug and not have to fire off multiple pre-arrival emails! In Asia, when you meet someone for the first time at your site inspection or otherwise, the presentation of the business card is an essential component of making a strong personal impression and building a lasting relationship. The card presentation requires you to hold it with two hands facing the person you are meeting and bowing as you present the card. Never push a card across a meeting table and never write on someone’s business card. Always look at it attentively and save it. Events teams at hotels in Asia are extremely efficient but do things differently. Rather than going into the site inspection with a specific idea of how you will implement your events, ask your hotel contact how they normally achieve the activities you are requesting. They will likely have a unique way to execute everything and help you think outside of the box, thereby ensuring your attendees are engaged and (delightfully) surprised along the way. If looking to plan an event in Japan, remember that weekdays will bring a much more cooperative attitude from hotel staff on bookings and concessions, as these hotels are often at extremely high occupancy on weekends due to the influx of weddings. When it comes to arranging your menus, I recommend eating in the on-site restaurants and avoid requesting special tastings. Many hotels in Europe, for example, are asked to do extravagant food tastings for site inspections, but this is not a regular practice in Europe unless it is a very large and complicated program. By eating in the main restaurants like a regular customer, you will get a better indication of the food your guests will receive during the event, whether dining alone between sessions or as part of the group meals. That being said, always ask to see pictures of the food served at past events and ask how the hot dishes are served. Planners should consider booking meals at public restaurants in Asia, as these are popular for group events, are quite exclusive, and often feature a notable chef. As the activities you do offsite can be just as important as the programming at the hotel, contact a DMC in advance with an outline of the activities you would like to arrange for your site inspection to test them out, and make sure that the hotel also receives this list. You never know what other ideas, recommendations, or local expertise they can share to make your event truly one-of-a-kind! I’m always impressed by how creative and over-the-top DMCs in most Southeast Asian countries can be with putting together theme parties at a very reasonable cost. I’ve seen motorcades, the takeover of entire temples, special processions of villagers and elephants as a special welcome ceremony, and more. These make a huge impression and are a fun way to give attendees a true sense of place. **Dress for Success** One time when I was looking for a venue in Asia, I found myself ill-prepared for a site inspection in Bali, having packed a pair of 3-inch Manolo Blahnik heels. Not exactly the best footwear in which to visit temples and climb rock staircases! Regardless of how much a planner might travel every year, international events always raise the question of “what should I pack?” When traveling to Asia, I recommend that teams wear conservative dark suits for every meeting – before and during the event – and that women pair their outfit with low heels. In Europe, blend in by dressing conservatively in dark colors, and always have a great scarf on hand to add a new pop of color and not have anyone else know that you’ve already worn a specific sport coat that visit. Always carry a sweater or shawl in case you will be visiting a place of worship. **Food for Thought** When it comes to food for your attendees, pick menus that showcase local foods and do not expect to have cheeseburgers or other American food readily available. Although the hotels will likely accommodate these requests with enough advance notice, it is wiser to work within their menus and a better way to help your attendees interact with local customs and flavors. Also, provide insight to your attendees on dining practices that may potentially offend your host. For example, do not request soy sauce to put on a bowl of rice in Japan. Rice making is an art, and requesting soy sauce would offend the chef. In Italy, advise attendees to not cut their pasta but rather twirl it around a fork, and never ask for an extra spoon. Cocktail hours are an integral aspect of every gathering, so keep these hours happy by ensuring everyone understands how their drinks will be served in advance and don’t waste time questioning presentation. When it’s time to meet over a cocktail in Europe, for example, know that the cocktails will not be served with ice. You will need to request it. Also, do not be surprised when your mixed drink arrives in separate components – your mixer or soda still in its bottle with the liquor portioned neatly into a glass on the side, as they will expect you to mix the drink to your preferences. When it comes to group dinners, have an open mind and ask the hotel what is the most successful way for them to present the meals. It is common in many European countries to serve hot dishes on trays and not have chafing dishes. If this is going to be an issue for your client, always better to clear this up in advance to avoid any last-minute concerns. In Asia, they will shy away from family-style dinners and prefer to pass food on trays served to guests. Although special requests may be made, there is a chance you will meet a distinct language barrier and that the hotel will need to keep procedures exactly the same. **Testing, 1, 2… Testing** Looking back 15 or even 10 years ago, hotels in North America were far ahead of international properties in terms of the technology they could offer for meetings, especially those that were large in size. One of the reasons that Beijing, Istanbul, and Berlin have become so popular is that the cities offer new-to-the-scene hotels that are vastly technologically advanced and can cater to the same technological requirements any hotel in North America could accommodate. Fifteen years ago, travelers had to go to the front desk or to the concierge for assistance with instances like checking in, making a restaurant reservation, or inquiring what the day’s itinerary would entail. Today, hotels have virtual concierges and programs that allow attendees to do everything right from the privacy of their guest room. The Opposite House in Beijing, for example, does not have a formal front desk or concierge and everything is paperless. While some travelers love the high-tech feel of this experience, others who are not aware of the virtual programming may feel out of place, confused, or even frustrated with the inability to identify someone with the Les Clefs d'Or pin. Therefore, I recommend that planners provide a “fun facts” document for attendees who are scheduled to stay at one of these advanced hotels, making the technology process fun and engaging. Finally, always confirm and re-confirm a hotel’s Internet capabilities and make sure you test it personally during a site inspection. A hotel could seem perfect, but if their Internet speed does not meet your client’s expectations or if it is not able to accommodate the event’s presentation requirements, you will need to move on. **Talk the Talk** It’s vital that attendees feel comfortable during your meeting, and being able to communicate with the hotel staff – whether it’s the housekeeper or the waitress at breakfast – is key to this. Not until recently was it so easy to switch from speaking English to understanding Mandarin on a moment’s notice, thanks to the debut of new apps such as Guidebook that features automatic language detection and translation. I encourage all planners to educate their attendees on how to say “hello” and “thank you” in the local language regardless of where they are traveling to help create a warm and immediate connection for your group with the on-the-ground contacts, whether that is pre-loading the event app with a language guide, providing a printed booklet in every guestroom, or offering a credit to download the language app of the user’s choice to their preferred mobile device. **The Art of Gifting** In Asia, you should always bring a gift for the people you are meeting with. Imported liquor is especially well received and will make a strong impression. Never give a gift or anything that is packaged in the colors of white, blue, or black, as those are the colors of death. In China, if the hotel wishes to give you a gift, you must decline it and thank them three times. If they insist on you keeping the gift after that display, you may accept it, and they will do the same in accepting the gift you have brought for them. In Europe they appreciate anything made from your hometown, even if it is a t-shirt or a golf hat with the logo of your local sports team. While small local gifts are appreciated, tipping in cash after a program is very important. **Heed the Holidays** Too often, planners try to schedule a meeting around the holiday schedule of their clients and completely disregard the holidays that might be taking place in the country they are heading. It is essential to always check on local holidays and events prior to booking a meeting, as you do not want your host hotel to be low on staff due to people taking days off. At the same time, if you do find that you’ve planned an event that falls during a festive local holiday – let’s say Oktoberfest in Germany or the Dragon Boat Festival in China – make sure you organize a group excursion or block an afternoon free so attendees can revel in the excitement and immerse themselves in local culture. Remember that when you go to a foreign country, you cannot expect it to be the same as your home country. If every place was the same, why would anyone travel? Embrace the differences every culture has to offer, and allow your guests to learn and respect other customs and cultures throughout the meeting. Give participants as much information as possible on shopping, tipping, religious, and ethnic cultural differences to ensure everyone is comfortable with their surroundings and has the confidence to explore. Always give your guests a currency conversion card for their wallets to help them avoid over-spending when dining out and making last-minute shopping stops. The group market is an undoubtedly fluid and ever-evolving sector. To maximize the effectiveness of any incentive or meeting, it is important that planners understand not only the messaging, corporate goals, and even the age and interests of attendees but also the destination they are taking them to for their gathering. Rely on National Sales Offices with confidence, as they can be depended upon to help with any problem that occurs – or, better yet, contact them early to avoid issues in the first place. Select each international destination and property based on faith and trust. As most hoteliers are interested in the client relationship, everyone has similar goals to make each event more successful than the last. The industry depends on today’s planners to be true partners throughout the process so success can be a collaborative celebration.
