The Destination Organization Performance Reporting Platform, formerly known as the Organization and Finance profile study allows members of Destinations international to view and analyze trends in key areas of interest for the industry. For 2023, we have added several new sections and key performance metrics to the platform including the Convention Sales and services section which encompasses questions regarding sales, hotel packages, and convention centers. These new questions are meant to serve as an invaluable resource to assist organizations in guiding the development, strategies, and management of their destination.  

Sales Department  

Now, more than ever, Destination Organization Sales Leaders recognize the importance of sharing non-proprietary information with their peers, especially in areas that can affect staffing and talent attraction or retention. With many destinations either welcoming new sales team members or still grappling with understaffing challenges, the ability to generate comparative reports for destinations of comparable size or budget and cross-reference data sets, becomes invaluable for conducting assessments that support sales and staffing initiatives. Sales leaders can use this tool for many purposes, including ensuring that their organization is properly staffed in comparison to competitors of a comparable size and market makeup. 

Some of the key Sales Department data insights encompass:

• Percentage of Group Business
• Full-Time Employee distribution across various sales markets  
• Booking Credit logistics
• Bonus and Variable Compensation structures 

Hotel Package and Convention Center Insights

The capacity to cross-reference sales staffing structures with other data sets enriches the perspective of sales leaders. Furthermore, evaluating this data in conjunction with hotel and convention package information within the competitive set facilitates discussions spanning goal setting, compensation, room blocks, expansions, and destination development.  

Familiarizing oneself with the Hotel Package Insights significantly aids sales teams in positioning themselves within the competitive bid process and equips sales leaders to engage in meaningful dialogues with hotel partners on various aspects relevant to the sales process.  

Some of the key Hotel Package data insights encompass:

• Number of downtown district hotels
• Total downtown district room count
• Airport-to-core hotel package distance
• Number of hotels connected to the convention center (if applicable)
• Hotel unionization status

Sales leaders have the flexibility to cross-reference the composition of hotel packages with the convention center's footprint or examine both resources independently. Convention centers frequently outline future development potential, and this tool offers sales professionals insights that support such discussions. It also provides an understanding of the ability to review the ratio of destination organization sales staffing and convention center size within destinations of similar budget or size and encourages comprehensive reviews of the vendor variations within the facilities. 

Some of the key Convention Center data insights encompass:

• Total meeting space within the convention center  
• Count of ballrooms, exhibit halls, and meeting rooms
• Food and beverage providers, audio-visual providers, and internet providers  
• Details regarding the age of the building and past/prospective renovations

The significant benefit of exploring these three areas separately or through cross-referencing can empower sales leaders in a wide range of discussions with their teams, hotel and vendor partners, boards, and internal and external stakeholders. We encourage leaders to acquaint themselves with the tool and begin outlining how they can effectively apply the data to advance their organization's objectives. 

Getting Started

To begin filling out the information for the newly added section, destinations can download the data collection worksheet to help collect the necessary data ahead of time. Utilizing the information on the most recently completed fiscal year for your organization, all data can be entered into the platform. Destinations can complete the survey over time, but we recommend you click submit/save at the bottom of each page as you enter information. To access the results of the survey, members in good standing of Destinations International have complimentary access to the tool allowing them to compare responses across organizations of a similar budget and market size. The results tab allows a member to download personalized charts and utilize filters to create comparative sets across the industry. Finally, we invite members who have questions to reference the support page accessed via a link in the upper right-hand corner of the platform website. Additional assistance can be provided through our research mailbox at [email protected].