I was honored when recently asked to be a guest blogger for
Mumtaz Marketing, Joella Hopkins has long been both a friend and someone I
admire from both a personal and professional level.
My name is Frank Robinson, I own and operate Island Events, a luxury based Destination Management Company
( DMC) based in Hawaii.
For those of you not sure of what a DMC actually does I urge you to visit the ADMEI (Association of
Destination management Executives International) for a better definition, but
we are, simply put: a professional
services company, possessing extensive local knowledge, expertise and
resources, specializing in he design and implementation of events activities,
tours transportation and program logistics. In short SPECIALISTS.
Often times people will ask us - “why do I need a DMC, won’t my venue do all of the things you offer?”
The response is a clear and concise NO.
I can assure you with 20 years of experience working in luxury hotels as a
catering manager and DOC , there is no way I could have ever done all that a
DMC could offer our clients, and my own job at the same time.
Venues such as resorts and hotels are (hopefully) experts at
managing their property or “footprint”, some
are not and we help there too. We are able to be an extension of the venue
or hotel when guests are off property. We work as a liaison for our client to
partner with the best and most appropriate industry vendors available. We have
volume contracts with many, so often times we can actually save you money.
In Hawaii we generally manage corporate incentive programs that
are 4 and 5 days in duration, but often
DMC’s in many cities manage individualized single evening events that
might prove too complex for the standard event planner.
Here is the thing, if you are planning a stand alone event at a
local venue that requires decor,
lighting, entertainment or catering, then a great and professional event
company like Mumtaz would be an ideal option for assistance - they ROCK! However
when you add complexities to the event such as holding it in a city far away
from where you are based, managing individual and group transportation, hotel
accommodations, registration staffing,
activities, VIP services, security, marketing, permitting, airport hospitality
services, insurances and often to a multi day program - a good DMC is the best
friend you can find! We are able to
assist and manage all of the program elements - often times partnering with an
event or marketing company like Mumtaz to manage the elements we would need to
outsource. Think of us like you might a general contractor when building a
house, managing all of the elements through subcontractors to deliver the the
finished product - an amazing experience for your guests!
So why partner with a DMC?
We are experts in the areas we live and work in; this equates to many
benefits for our clients such as savings related to time, finances and
expenses, ROI on experiences and a sense of security as we help you overt or manage your way
through the day to day stresses of operating events .
I am blessed to live and work in one of the worlds most desirable
locations, Hawaii. There are few places on earth as pretty with all of the
luxuries, sensibilities and amenities as one could find in any other american
city. I could go on and on about what we do but I thought some photographs
might be a better way to share our story . . .
Enjoy and A Hui Ho!
