Debate
What’ s a fam trip really worth? Why the model needs reform
AT THE LAST CMW LUNCH CLUB, ATTENDEES FROM DMCS, DESTINATIONS AND AGENCIES MET TO DISCUSS A PRESSING INDUSTRY ISSUE: NO-SHOWS ON FAM TRIPS. THEO REILLY REPORTS
T here’ s a line that’ s all-too
familiar in the‘ fam trip’ world:“ A proposal just came in – I’ m going to have to drop out. Sorry!” At the most recent CMW Lunch Club, this issue dominated. If companies send their representatives on a training programme – whether it’ s a course on Adobe, Microsoft Excel or candlemaking – they pay for the privilege. Education costs the educator.
Why, then, does the destination community offer free trips? We’ ve now arrived at a point where so many free invitations are sent that some representatives don’ t even show up – or if they do, they might be unqualified, or worse, uninterested.
Panel of 3: Chris Jordan, Cathy Joyce and Roger Bradley
No-shows and no standards Mercedes Conde-Nieto, director of sales at Destination Management Connections, explains:“ We see it as an investment and agencies should too. Being free has bred a sense of entitlement, and the UK market is highly spoilt with some agencies saying they receive up to 40 invitations a month to lunches, dinners and hotel visits in the UK and internationally.
“ They pick and choose where they go. Some will accept and then cancel in favour of something more‘ appealing’. Some will cancel or no-show and not give it a moment’ s thought.”
Chris Jordan of Destination Management Connections says:“ Because invitations and places on these
“ The perception of business development trips as‘ freebies’ or‘ complimentary holidays’ is an outdated mindset " trips are free, people are lured into a false sense that‘ it’ s okay if we don’ t attend.’ The impact that has on suppliers who’ ve invested time and budget is massive.”
Cathy Joyce, sales director at The DMC Advantage and past president of MPI UK & Ireland, said:“ These trips are fundamentally professional development tools aimed at deepening relationships and enhancing knowledge about our destinations. It’ s imperative that we foster a mutual commitment between suppliers and agencies, creating a framework where both parties invest.
Without a fee or deposit, invitees will keep doing what they’ ve been doing. The relationship between agency and supplier will never be a true partnership until both parties are financially invested.
The problem with the term‘ fam trip’ Sales director at destinations UNLIMITED and event speaker Roger Bradley said that one of the biggest problems is the language we use. Words like complimentary, free and hosted give the impression of a gift given –‘ on the house’ – by the supplier.
He says:“ The perception of business development trips as‘ freebies’ or‘ complimentary holidays’ is an outdated mindset— especially when compared to how we approach other forms of professional development in the MICE industry.”
Chris Jordan echoes this idea:“ Terms like free and complimentary create a culture of choice, where people feel they can pick and choose right up to the last minute. That leads to late dropouts, disengagement and missed opportunities for everyone involved.”
Pádraic Gilligan, marketing director at SITE, believes terms like complimentary“ have distorted the perceived value of fam trips”.
“ These are not leisure junkets,” he says.“ They are professional development tools and destination audits.”
One comment that was repeatedly thrown around was that“ we don’ t want
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