Cultural tourism : the hot ticket to cool meetings.

Incorporating cultural venues into your meetings can transform the typical into the transcendent.

If you're a regular at ASAE's annual meeting, don't think there's a misprint in the ASAE San Diego 1999 program when it comes to the traditional Sunday evening Dine Around. It's no mistake that it has been changed to Monday - a deliberate move made to incorporate some of San Diego's cultural venues into the event.

Hosted by 5 of the 14 museums boasted by the city's famous Balboa Park, the Dine Around will allow meetinggoers to experience the burgeoning concept of cultural tourism. Rather than simply dining, guests will be able to take in the culture of the museum galleries and stroll in the lush park that sports the flora fostered by San Diego's moderate climate. This coupling of culture with meetings and travel is a trend that Rick R. Prickett, director of cultural tourism, San Diego Convention and Visitor Bureau, says has been gaining momentum since the 1995 White House Conference on Travel and Tourism.

While the industry has not identified a precise definition of cultural tourism, Prickett who worked with ASAE on incorporating the Balboa Park experience into the annual meeting schedule, cautions that "since cultural tourism derives from the quilt of arts, history and heritage, urban revitalization, food, and ethnic character that stitches a place together, the definition must vary from region to region." He defines it simply as "travel that is directed toward experiencing arts, heritage, and the special character of a place."

RENEWING FOCUS

The idea of incorporating culture into the travel itinerary is hardly new. It's part of the nature of tourism. According to a 1998 survey by Travel Industry of America, Washington, D.C., 46 percent of the 199.8 million U.S. adult travelers included a cultural, arts, heritage, or historic activity while on a trip of 50 miles (one way) or more during the past year.

What is new, says Prickett, is a national initiative - kicked off at the White House travel and tourism event - that calls for a more organized effort on the part of all the elements of the travel and tourism industry to develop partnerships to promote their unique venues and events. As Prickett describes this effort, "Many new partnerships and alliances are being formed among destinations, government agencies, and other organizations and associations to come up with creative new products for us to market both for tourism and for meetings and events."

The American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C., for example, has taken the lead in establishing Partners in Tourism, a collaboration among seven national cultural associations. The partners seek to advance the role of culture and heritage in national, state, and local travel and tourism policy and practice. Says Karla A. Cosgriff, development associate at AAM, "representatives of the partnership meet on a monthly basis to discuss opportunities in tourism development available to their constituencies. We also provide Partners in Tourism members with case studies they can use as guidelines for building successful programs in cultural and heritage tourism."

The San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau was the first CVB to devote a full-time director of cultural tourism to the task. The organization did so "to help develop the linkages between the arts, the hotels, and the CVB in order to attract more people to arts and entertainment venues," according to John Marks, president and CEO.

Many other regions have followed San Francisco's lead, with more and more organizations (be they CVBs, state tourism offices, or local and state arts agencies) identifying directors of cultural tourism to coordinate and create ever-growing numbers of new packages and venues for association meeting planners to weave into their plans.

"Museums, historical sites, and rotating exhibits and entertainment can be customized into packages that suit the needs of your group," explains Prickett. "The exciting thing about cultural tourism is all the different components you can put together on many different levels. Instead of simply providing your attendees with some tickets or an a la carte package, you can make a unique venue available that becomes the centerpiece for your entire conference. Having your board dinner on the stage of the opera house among the props of a stage set for a production makes attendees feel special and that they are really experiencing the overall ambiance of the place they are visiting."

It's no surprise that the group of organizations instrumental in developing the marketing concepts to promote cultural tourism were among the most eager to apply them to enhance their own meetings. Cynthia Wilcox, assistant director of meetings for the American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C., reports that AAM's annual meetings have benefited from the local color of their host cities for many years. At this year's Cleveland, Ohio, annual meeting, several events were held at cultural and historical venues, including a reception for 1,400 members at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, I. M. Pei's stunning building at the edge of Lake Erie. "With food and drink on every level and a Detroit swing band as a backdrop," says Wilcox, "guests could take the self-guided tour or simply loosen up and hit the dance floor. They loved it."

Other associations have begun romancing the cultural tourism stone for many reasons.

* Adding value. For the American Nursery and Landscape Association, Washington, D.C., "it was a confluence of trends," says Kellee Magee, director of meeting and business programming, "that made us particularly receptive to synthesizing cultural tourism into our meeting activities." ANLA leadership recognized not only the time crunch that drives people to find new ways to combine personal and professional activities, but they were aware of the close-knit culture of their industry. Magee rightly concluded that members would be receptive to enjoying a different cultural experience together that they could easily incorporate into their professional meeting agenda.

For ANLA's annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, "which we've held there for 28 years," explains Magee, "members had rarely been outside the hotel. But last year we brought Louisville to them - by working with local restaurateurs to provide 'The Taste of Louisville' in the exact same space where we'd traditionally held the opening cocktail party." Members saw the event as a tremendous bonus. The response was so overwhelming that plans are in the works to host next year's event at the Louisville Slugger Museum.

For similar reasons, Magee has just signed on with the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago to hold the association's 125th anniversary bash. Five hundred members, associates, and guests will sip cocktails in Stanley Field Hall, in the shadow of the 40-foot-tall Brachiosaurus, the world's largest mounted dinosaur, and two life-sized elephants. If mingling with the mammoths weren't enough, guests will also be flanked by two huge fountains, the Totem Pole exhibit, and a magnificent grand staircase - all under skylit vaulted ceilings. "When we hold the celebration in the main hall of the Field Museum, it's an event; it has flair; and they'll all be talking about it," says Magee.

* Beating the competition. "Sometimes our members travel so extensively that it takes something really special to lure them to an annual meeting," says James Zaniello, association executive, Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Washington, D.C. Currently assigned as executive director, OsteoArthritis Research Society International, Washington, D.C., Zaniello explains, "OARSI's upcoming 4th World Congress is slated to take place within the Hofburg, the former Habsburg Imperial Palace, in Vienna, Austria - with the Kunsthistorisches, Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts and one of the leading art museums in the world, hosting the closing night dinner. "This type of centerpiece for a meeting," says Zaniello, "really raises it to another level, makes the experience that much more special, and sometimes motivates the member to bring a spouse and extend the trip." Zaniello hopes to add even more allure with a cocktail party hosted by the mayor of Vienna - complete with a reception at the city hall.

* Establishing exclusivity. James H. Sweeney, associate executive director, American Dental Association, Chicago, doesn't go half way when it comes to wowing the membership. He thinks nothing of reserving every seat in Whittemore Center Arena so that members can hear the Boston Pops perform just for them. "It's particularly special and unique," says Sweeney, "when we are able to provide tickets for an event that is sold out to series ticket holders." Sweeney has been able to book the theater in Honolulu, site of the next annual meeting, that's putting on Miss Saigon. Meeting attendees, who average 37,000, have the option to purchase tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis. "It's no problem packing the house," says Sweeney.

PAYING THE PRICE

As with other gems, the cultural ones don't come without cost, although the charges are not always monetary. Advance planning, supplementary a la carte costs, and added complications are often part of the tariff.

* Energy drain. "The most prominent cost of incorporating cultural tourism into events is energy - it just throws one more variable into the mix and should not be viewed lightly," says Magee. "It's another planning session, another caterer, another bill - all with unforeseen problems because you've never done it before. And, of course, it's another set of logistics - getting people from here to there."

* Increased costs. Some of the costs associated with cultural tourism can be prohibitive, admits Zaniello, "especially if your group is small. Our meeting is usually attended by 500 people, so you have to carefully match facilities with needs - and avoid the things that are just over the top. Also, in most European cities, when you sign a contract, you must supply a downpayment immediately," cautions Zaniello, "which can tie up your money for a couple of years." Plan some flexibility into your budget to account for fluctuating exchange rates, he also advises.

* Flexibility and creativity. Prickett, of the San Diego Convention and Visitor Bureau, admits, "To build your meeting around cultural tourism takes a little more research and some different creative thinking."

Magee adds, "It also depends on whether your meetings move. By changing the venue or moving to a completely new city, you'll have to do more and plan it farther out in order to avoid glitches and to secure space." And, Zaniello points out, "Since our members attend so many other meetings, we have to be aware of those locations and not plan something similar within the same time frame."

Robert Barrett, associate vice president of cultural tourism at the Los Angeles Convention and Visitor Bureau, reminds meeting planners and other association executives that despite the added effort, "by incorporating culture into your events, you project subtle messages about your organization's commitment to culture, education, and values that are indicated by the venues you select."

Says Magee, "as a meeting planner, incorporating culture into our events makes my job a challenge, and I can never quite predict how it will all turn out. But I feel that I bring a component of excitement and energy to the members that they would not otherwise experience."

ADDING A CULTURAL COMPONENT

If you want to roust meeting attendees out of a rut, research the cultural cornucopia offered by your host city. Turn to these resources for information.

* ASAE's online CVB directory. Check out the searchable directory at www.asaenet.org/cvb/cvbdir_sql.cfm for a comprehensive listing of CVBs across the nation and around the world - which have extensive information about the cultural opportunities in their cities.

* American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C. For a list of state contacts for cultural initiatives or for additional information on the activities of Partners in Tourism, call Karla Cosgriff, development associate, [phone]; or send e-mail to [e-mail].

* Partners in Tourism, Washington, D.C. The organization recommends the following Web sites to learn more about how you can incorporate cultural tourism into your meetings:

* Partners in Tourism: Who We Are, www.aam-us.org/cultural.htm;

* Outlook for 1999: Cultural Tourism News, www.nasaa-arts.org/new/nasaa/artworks/pubs.shtml;

* Tourism Industry Profile, www.nasaa-arts.org/new/nasaa/artworks/profile.shtml

* Calendar, at www.nasaa-arts.org/new/nasaa/artworks/calendar, shtml

* The National Association of State Arts Associations. Go to www.nasaa-arts.org/new/nasaa/aoa/aoa_contents.shtml for a map linking to State Arts Associations that can provide additional information.

* The National Trust for Historic Preservation. For heritage-based tourism information, check out this site at www.nthp.org/main/traveler.htm.

ASAE changed its traditional Sunday night Dine Around event to Monday night for the ASAE San Diego 1999 annual meeting in order to showcase San Diego's Balboa Park museums. Guests will dine around 5 of the park's 14 museums, viewing the collections in between courses.

For John Marks, president and CEO of the San Francisco CVB, Beach Blanket Babylon, a spoof of popular culture with extravagant costumes and outrageously huge hats, "is a San Francisco institution and reflects the creative and sometimes outrageous spirit of our city."

Heidi Prange, director of meetings, Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America, Reston, Virginia, incorporated the option to attend the show into SlGMA's 40th anniversary meeting. "To kick off the meeting, members could purchase tickets to Beach Blanket Babylon, and we took 172 people down to the show by bus. Recalls Prange, "People realized that the Club Fugazi, where the show is performed, is right in the middle of the North Beach district, where there are a wealth of great restaurants. So, some didn't take the buses back, but they all raved about the evening."

Juana Guzman, director and founder of Chicago Neighborhood Tours, Office of Tourism, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, developed the tour program to showcase the many ethnic neighborhoods for which the city is famous.

Roberto Bedoya, executive director, National Association of Artists' Organizations, Washington, D.C., says, "The tours were a nice fit for our members because while we have an eclectic membership, most members are artist-centered and grounded in community work. They could observe work like their own being done in the richness of ethnic neighborhoods. The Mexican Fine Arts Center and the Beacon Street Gallery - it was nice to see people working in their actual facilities in their own neighborhood settings."

Carole Schweitzer is associate editor of ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT. E-mail: cschweitzer @asaenet.org.