Whether you’re an experienced conference planner or a newcomer scheduling an inaugural symposium, the ground transportation company you select will often give the first and last impression travelers have of the event. Here are some key facts to go over to make sure you select the best vendor to accommodate your conference travel needs.
Know the local hotels, restaurants, airports, and conference center drop-offs and loading zones. The first step when planning travel for a large convention is to make sure you research three things, 1) The local hotels where guests will be staying, 2) The main airports they’ll be arriving from, and 3) The main drop-off/pickup areas of the target conference center or hall where the event is taking place. Make sure you know your travelers’ budget range for overnight accommodations, and choose hotels that are conveniently located near the main attraction. Look also for hotels that are close to nice restaurants and neighborhoods. These details will make strong impressions on clients while they’re in town.
Research and enlist in trusted providers who can accommodate large groups. If you’re having a lot of people flying in at different times, it can be a headache to coordinate all of their arrivals with proper ground transportation, especially if there is more than one airport involved. An easy way to relieve this is to seek out and find experienced ground transportation specialists, like DPV Transportation Worldwide, that cater to the group business travel market. DPV Transportation Worldwide is an experienced professional ground transportation company. All of our chauffeurs are extensively trained, work in formal attire, and greet guests at airport terminals with name placards on tablet screens. They assist with any luggage and many are qualified with CDL-licenses to operate large luxury buses and shuttles for big group transfers.
Inquire about extra event manager personnel to control ground operations on the day of the event. One of the added benefits of using an experienced transportation service is they often have readily available event management specialists that can be used to help coordinate ground transportation on busy event days. They can act as guides or point-people during hectic schedules, and can facilitate last minute transportation requests without issue. DPV Transportation Worldwide can supply extra event personnel to help solve any unforeseen problems that arise on the day of the event, and make the overall experience from start to finish smoother for everybody by staying in close contact with clients and vendors at all times.
Create a backup plan so people know what to do if anything goes wrong. It’s always good to be prepared. Though one can’t anticipate everything that might go wrong before an event, it’s important to have contingency plans in place to cover basic risks. Ask your transportation provider what their protocols are in the event of an engine breakdown or flat tire. Make sure there are vehicles on stand-by in case an extra one is needed on short notice. By planning ahead and thinking about worst-case scenarios, you can make sure that no obstacle will get in the way of the conference running smoothly.
Organize all trip data into manifests for the transportation provider, and write clear trip itineraries for travelers. Make sure everyone, from the individual traveler to the chauffeur at the transportation company, has a clear idea of his or her travel schedule. Large transportation orders are typically compiled into what’s called a “group manifest†which is a document detailing each of the travelers’ information including flight times, destination addresses, and extra requests. By organizing everything ahead of time, and making sure both parties know exactly the time and place for pickups and drop-offs, you can help make sure everyone is accounted for and transported without issue on the day of the event.
DPV Transportation Worldwide has vast experience in handling large group transportation for conferences, and is a specialist in working with professional event managers from around the world. If you are interested in more information about DPV Transportation, read more about our meeting services here, and click below if you’d like to get a free quote.
