Convention Transportation – A Case Study
Today’s case study is one in a series of papers prepared by Kevin Smith Transportation Group. This weekly series will focus on real-world issues our clients bring to us, how our Project Teams work with those same clients to understand their opportunities and how together we develop and implement a transportation solution.
Is the coordination of ground transportation for an upcoming meeting or convention your responsibility? Call Kevin Smith Transportation Group today at 610-222-6225 and let one of our Event Planners help you organize all of your ground transportation, from routine airport transfers to Charter Buses for larger group moves.
Introduction
A client approached us regarding their annual convention being held at a local expo center. Their ground transportation needs crossed into multiple verticals, including airport transfers, shuttle services from the different hotels where people were staying, executive car services for Senior Management and two off-site parties.
The client wanted to identify one transportation partner who could handle all of those services, including the transportation itself, on the ground logistics and an overall Project Manager to coordinate the event.
KSTG’s approach was to build out solution that would support the more than 4,500 attendees coming in from more than 30 cities across the United States and have that solution be a single source provider who could support all of the service requests.
Background
The idea was to design a solution that addressed every transportation need. They needed 700 airport transfers, daily shuttle service from the hotels to the venue and two large group transfers for evening events.
They needed a single supplier to coordinate everything, required a variety of vehicle options and needed an on the ground Project Manager to oversee all of the moves.
In prior years, they did not have enough vehicles and in one instance the supplier completely missed one hotel. So organization of the event was top of mind for them.
Is the coordination of ground transportation for an upcoming meeting or convention your responsibility? Call Kevin Smith Transportation Group today at 610-222-6225 and let one of our Event Planners help you organize all of your ground transportation, from routine airport transfers to Charter Buses for larger group moves.
Alternatives
One of the alternatives the client initially considered was contracting with multiple partners to service their needs. This way, they could leverage 3 or 4 companies, each assigned to one specific type of transportation.
However, their teams realized that many times, there was an intersection of services that would occur, likely leading to confusion as to where one company started and another one stopped. Ultimately, they discounted this as a viable option and focused instead on identifying one company who could handle everything.
Proposed Solution
During the RFP process, we submitted an alternate solution to what was proposed, which included assigned Project Managers for each focus area, coordinators assigned to each hotel and 2 backup vehicles allocated to cover unforeseen delays or issues.
We were able to aggregate all of the work, allowing them to focus their team members on the event itself. In addition, the arrangement resulted in rolling in their quarterly team meetings into the program. While a much smaller event, we were able to seamlessly handle their entire itinerary now that we had a firm understanding of their needs and expectations.
Recommendations
The planning for the convention began 6 months prior to the actual event. It included weekly touch points and a dry run 30 days out, helping identify potential logistic issues that were addressed prior to the event.
Like any program, it was our job to take point and carry the burden of managing and delivering on the ground transportation. By working together, we were set up for success and the convention went off extremely well and we look forward to supporting it on an annual basis going forward.
Is the coordination of ground transportation for an upcoming meeting or convention your responsibility? Call Kevin Smith Transportation Group today at 610-222-6225 and let one of our Event Planners help you organize all of your ground transportation, from routine airport transfers to Charter Buses for larger group moves.
Thank you for reading today’s Case Study on Convention Transportation. Hopefully, you found this information insightful and you will be able to apply some of these solutions to your specific transportation challenges. For more case studies on the ground transportation industry, visit our case study blog page