Transportation

1
Transportation

• Chapter 9

2
Objectives

• After completing chapter 9, the reader will be
  able to
• Discuss the benefits of contracting an official
  airline.
• Identify several different types of ground
  transportation.
• Develop preliminary plans for a shuttle service
  between multiple hotel and event sites.
• Determine the advantages of securing the
  assistance of a professional travel management
  company to handle pre- and post-meeting tours.

3
Air Transportation

• Meeting attendees may make their own
  transportation arrangements, or the meeting
  manager may elect to manage travel costs on their
  behalf by naming an official airline that has
  agreed to provide reduced rate airfares.
• Select a carrier which has an adequate lift into
  the city where the meeting is being held.
• Once the contract is signed, the meeting manager
  may decide to use a travel management company to
  help with administrative details such as
  promotion, reservations, ticketing and tracking.

4
Air Transportation (continued)

• The primary benefit associated with designating
  an official carrier is the discount available to
  meeting attendees. It is currently possible to
  negotiate a percentage off published fares based
  on the location, dates and expected passenger
  volume of the meeting. In addition, zone fare
  programs offering guaranteed, unpublished fares
  from pre-determined sections of the U.S. and
  Canada to the meeting destination are available.

5
Air Transportation (continued)

• Additional benefits of naming an official carrier
  can include site inspection tickets, productivity
  tickets and discounted or complimentary
  transportation of meeting materials to the site.
  Site inspection tickets can be offered either
  complimentary or at a reduced rate that may be
  fully refundable after a meeting or convention
  has fulfilled its contracted number of flight
  reservations.

6
Air Transportation (continued)

• Productivity tickets are awarded after the
  meeting based on the number of attendees who
  actually flew on the airline (for example, one
  complimentary round-trip ticket for every 40
  passengers that were ticketed against the meeting
  contract number). Freight discounts will vary
  according to the carrier. These are all
  negotiable items to be included in the contract.

7
Air Transportation (continued)

• Consider travel benefits and limitations before
  completing the program schedule.
• It is also very important to consider the lead
  time necessary to promote an official airline
  program. Motivating attendees to travel on the
  designated carrier will increase the number of
  complimentary tickets earned by the organization.
  Set the contract up far enough in advance to
  disseminate information, and always include the
  airline in promotional materials for the meeting.

8
Remote Locations

• Local air, rail or bus service may be minimal or
  non-existent. Investigate alternatives
• chartered planes in small private airfields
• shuttle buses from the nearest airport or station
• limousines or rental cars
• larger groups may use local area ground operator
  to provide shuttle service from nearest
  transportation hub on a predetermined schedule.

9
Ground Transportation

• Transportation services
• local rail system
• airport service buses
• complimentary hotel vans
• regular and group fare taxis
• private limousines
• Investigate availability, cost and type of
  vehicle for each service offered.

10
Ground Transportation (continued)

• If special services have been arranged
  specifically for the meeting, be sure attendees
  are notified in advance. Advise the airport
  authority and travel agency or destination
  management company (if they are providing the
  meet-and-greet) about special buses arranged to
  meet flights during certain hours. Tell the
  selected service provider when to expect peak
  loads of arrivals and departures.

11
Ground Transportation (continued)

• Shuttle service from meeting to meeting
• complex and expensive
• To keep costs down and avoid problems
• understand how suppliers handle logistics
• develop customized schedules for each meeting
  and
• determine costs

12
Shuttle Service (continued)

• To keep expenses down and avoid problems
• The easiest method is to include the cost in the
  registration fee or secure industry sponsorship.

13
To provide the best shuttle service for the least
cost, refer to the overhead for guidelines.
14
Shuttle Service (continued)

• Assign someone to monitor bus usage.
• Work with the supplier to adjust the number of
  buses and bus schedules when necessary.
• Evaluate whether bus routes are being affected by
  traffic patterns during various times of the day.
• Request a post-meeting usage report from the
  supplier.

15
Local Tours

• It may be advantageous to use the shuttle bus
  supplier for sightseeing tours. If a destination
  management company is being used for sightseeing
  tours, it may be beneficial to have the company
  manage shuttle service as well.

16
Shuttle Bus for Tours

• Proposal should also include
• Tour description and prices,
• What is included in the tour price (admission,
  guides, meals),
• Minimum/maximum number of participants required
  for each tour,
• A contingency plan in case a tour is
  under-subscribed,

17
Shuttle Bus for Tours (continued)

• Proposal should also include
• Whether minivans are available for smaller
  groups,
• The cutoff date for cancellations in order to
  avoid paying a penalty,
• Lead time needed in order to provide an
  additional bus/van, and
• The organizations responsibilities (promotion,
  sales and ticket pricing).

18
Pre-Post-Meeting Tours

• Pre-post meeting tours are popular and attract
  more attendees, however
• they requires different skills, and
• different priorities
• Keep in mind they provide a total experience for
  the duration of the trip.