DESTINATION SERVICES

Working closely with Brand Department, messaging will be visually and tactically represented at all events so that client and partners, after attending a Visit GPS Program, will know and feel the Greater Palm Springs brand. This will be accomplished by use of the following:

• Fashioning client events around our brand pillars; specifically, Health & Wellness and Outdoor Adventure
   
• Templated marketing and collateral material designs
   
• Venues that align with the Greater Palm Springs brand in terms of unique spaces, views of the outdoors and high levels of service quality
   
• Custom menus, when available, using foods that are indigenous to the Coachella Valley
   
• Beverage offerings with product from our local breweries and distillery and/or custom drink menus
   
• Amenities that not only are aligned with the event, but have a tie back to the destination
   
• After its successful debut at IMEX America in October of 2018, the newly designed booth – a midcentury modern home – will be featured at IPW in May of 2019 and again at IMEX in September of 2019

In 2018, Destination Services and Convention Sales revamped the entire Site Experience process, spearheaded by the Associate Director of Destination Services and an outside consultant.

The program revisions included:

• A name change from Site Inspection to Site Experience
   
• A complete overhaul of the internal procedure for organizing the experience
   
• Introduction of post site surveys, taken by the meeting planner and evaluating how the hotel properties executed their portion of the site experience
   
• A secondary survey, taken by the meeting planner, evaluating Visit GPS staff on executing their portion of the site experience
   
• The introduction of custom post-site thank you amenities for the meeting planners
   
• Transfer of the planning and execution of pre-planning sites from the Destination Services Managers to the Site Experience team

Ongoing Site Experience program plans for 2019 include:

• Development of formalized quarterly reporting to hotels and Visit GPS staff on performance metrics
   
• Introduction of a recognition program for those properties that excel as evidenced by survey results
   
• Visit GPS hosting of the first “Destination Site Experience Assessment” forum in which Visit GPS, clients, hotel partners, DMC and attraction representatives will help us improve this program

As a result of these changes, we anticipate the number of sites the team will be responsible for planning will increase by 15% to a total of 137 with a conversion rate goal of 90%.

Convention Sales clients, both prior to and after booking their meeting, oftentimes require assistance from Visit GPS. This type of assistance can range from access to marketing materials, connecting planners with local resources, organizing pre-planning sites and a variety of additional services.

As such, the Destination Services section of the website has been completely revamped. Clients now have the ability to access information, request materials and contact the team through the following links:

• Destination Pre-Promotion
• Site & Planning Visit Coordination
• Creation of a Microsite
• Order Visitor Guides and Destination Brochures
• Access the Media Library
• Obtain Media Guides
• Gather Pre-Written Destination Descriptions
• Connect with Local Non-Profits for Community Service Programs
• Secure Registration & Staffing Services
• Review Local Deals & Discounts
• Get Vendor & Venue Assistance
• Order Welcome Letters from Visit GPS, destination and state officials
• Access the Calendar of Events
• Gather Research Data About the Destination
• Review Destination Safety Information

With over 200 personalized service requests and more than 917 partner referrals in 2018, Destination Services is positioned for 2019 to provide exemplary levels of service. We anticipate this personalized attention will directly impact booking, and re-booking, of meetings in Greater Palm Springs.

• Customized microsites: Visit GPS will create custom microsites for qualifying meeting clients. These custom sites will help meeting planners promote their upcoming meetings to attendees as well as promote the attributes of Greater Palm Springs. Research demonstrates that part of the decision to attend includes meetings that are held in unique and interesting locations. By providing this service, Visit GPS assists meeting clients with increasing their meeting attendance as well as promoting Greater Palm Springs.
   
• Welcome videos: Visit GPS will create, for qualifying clients upon request, a custom welcome video. This video is played at a current meeting to announce the destination as the following year’s host destination. The video will feature shots of the destination with a final slide welcoming “Group XYZ” to Greater Palm Springs in “Month of 2019”.
   
• Safety information: Event and event attendee safety is an increasing, and important, concern for meeting planners. Safety information, tips and resources will be introduced to this section of the website in 2019.