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(May 16, 2018) – Destinations International and European Cities Marketing (ECM) today announced that the organizations will partner to launch the Event Impact Calculator (EIC) for the European market. The announcement was made during a press conference today at IMEX Frankfurt.
The ongoing partnership between Destinations International and ECM promotes and delivers destination tools and educational resources to respective members while working together to build the value of each organization and connect industry leaders.
The EIC is powered by Destinations International and measures the economic value of an event and calculates its return on investment to local taxes. Armed with this information, destination organizations and CVBs are better prepared to make the case to policymakers for the ongoing development and growth of the events sector. The partnership with ECM will enable destinations across Europe to be equipped with the tool.
“Knowledge is power,” said Tammy Blount-Canavan, Destinations International Board Chair and President and CEO of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As destination organizations seek to further measure the economic importance of their destination’s events, this tool empowers them to make a strong case for continued destination marketing.”
“This partnership helps further demonstrate Destinations International’s mission to empower our members with the tools they need to help their destinations excel,” said Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International. “Destinations International offers competitive destination tools, such as EIC, to help destination organizations and CVBs thrive and we look forward to collaborating with ECM to provide these tools for success.”
“The European Cities Marketing Event Impact Calculator as we will call it measures the economic value of an event and calculates its return on investment to local taxes. Armed with this information, destination organisations and CVBs are better prepared to make the case to policymakers for the ongoing development and growth of the events sector,” added Pier Paolo Mariotti, Vice-President Meetings Industry and Meeting Manager | EURAC Research Bolzano.
“The EIC, which is used by destinations across the globe, provides consistent and specific data, delivering key metrics to all of our public and private sector partners. This further step will enable ECM to provide its members with an enhanced offer and a wider range of services available. We are very proud of this new milestone and want to congratulate Destinations International on its achievements,” concluded Dieter Hardt-Stremayr, President of ECM and CEO of Graz Tourismus.
The models and platform have been developed by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, and includes three distinct modules: meetings (including business meetings, conventions, and trade shows), sports (including amateur, college, and professional events), and festivals and cultural events.
For more information about the EIC visit www.destinationsinternational.org.
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About Destinations International:
Destinations International (formerly Destination Marketing Association International) is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. Destinations International is about serving destination marketing professionals first and foremost. Together with more than 4,700 members and partners from nearly 600 destinations in approximately 15 countries, Destinations International represents a powerful forward-thinking, collaborative association; exchanging bold ideas, connecting innovative people and elevating tourism to its highest potential. For more information, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.
European Cities Marketing (ECM):
European Cities Marketing is the only non-profit organization improving the competitiveness and performance of leading cities of Europe by providing a platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network to build new business. ECM has a leading role in promoting city marketing as a profession. European Cities Marketing is linking the interests of members from more than 100 major cities in 36 countries. More information can be found on www.europeancitiesmarketing.com.