BestCities Certified Quality Service
Best Practices. Best Meetings. BestCities
Convention and Visitors Bureaux (CVBs) often serve as official points of contact for meeting planners, assisting them with meeting preparations and logistics. Yet very few provide the level of service that BestCities bureaus do.
All BestCities bureaus have undergone a rigorous, independent inspection and approval process to qualify for inclusion into the Alliance. It is the first global alliance to put in place a certification programme – with standards certified by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA). A consistent level of excellence is ensured by all convention bureau services. Recommended improvements are made to guarantee meeting planners the highest level of service and expertise in the industry, year after year. Hence, the Alliance bureaus achieve LRQA certification based on a measurable, high level of professionalism and responsibility.
Because all eight destination partners have implemented the BestCities Service Charter and our 33 globally recognized service standards, meeting planners are guaranteed that every destination will feature the same quality of excellence.
View the 2009 Alliance Certificate (PDF)
BestCities' Certified Service Standards :
BestCities' LRQA certified Service Standards are organised into six main categories:
1. Destination Expertise
- Dedicated meeting planner website
- Dedicated meeting planners' guide
- Request For Proposals (RFPs) that serve as a brief for site selection
- Expertise on local products and services
- Facilitation of educational visits (on application)
- Access to local industry and government contacts
- Itinerary planning and suggestions
2. Bid Assistance
- Detailed event research using the BestCities global network to ensure a thorough knowledge of the bid requirements
- Customised bid strategies
- Customised bid document
- Bid presentation support, e.g. promotional stands, bid presentations, promotional literature (on application)
- Provision of audio-visual aids, e.g. multimedia, video, slides
- Venue and accommodation selection and recommendations
- Secure provisional room and venue allocations
- Access to event budgeting and financial planning services
- Site inspection support
- Local government and industry liaison
- Coordination of letters of support
- Bid promotion, e.g. mailings, PR assistance (on application)
3. Convention Planning
- Site inspections of local venues, accommodation and infrastructure (on application)
- The appointment of a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) if required
- Introductions to local industry and government
- Development of social programmes
- Development of pre-convention and post-convention tour programmes
- The selection of other products and services relevant to the event
4. Building Attendance
- Access to promotional collateral (some items at cost) i.e. videos, slides, brochures
- Assistance in developing recruitment strategies
- Global network through BestCities Global Alliance partner locations
- Destination web links to conference registration website
5. On-site Event Servicing and Post Event Support
- Complimentary visitor guides for delegates
- Visitor Information booths for events over 1,000 delegates
- Information listings on local services, e.g. restaurants, entertainment and shopping
- Post-event debrief to gain your valuable feedback on how effectively the city facilitated the conference
6. Post Event Evaluation
- A post event questionnaire has been developed to provide the partners with details on how it can monitor its own performance, as well as that of venues and suppliers in the city, in addition to assisting the Bureau in complying with the Alliance standards.
- The post-event evaluation process may also help provide Alliance partners with details of events that they can pursue as future opportunities, and may assist alliance partners in generating additional business through the BestCities global network.
Twice a year, the partners will conduct a self-assessment on where they stand with their service practices. The evaluation is shared with other members and areas of improvement are identified and discussed during the Alliance Management Review meetings.
Each partner will align its own corporate objectives with those of the Alliance and establish the necessary processes so that all partners will serve clients in the same way.