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"Salina, A Place to Meet" an Evaluation of the Bicentennial Center I I I I I I I I I I I I L [ C i ., Q D o --- I I I I I I L IJ I. IJ ~ ~ I I I I I I I I I I I I I Bioentennial a ~~ iI'1Ci.. MmING....,a . y.l.'''''' May 24, 1983 This market study was prepared by a team of six Kansas State University students under the direction of Dr. Richard P. Coleman. The reader is encouraged to keep in mind this report was prepared by students working within a very limited time frame. While the students exhibited a genuine interest and put forth a great deal of effort in the research project, it is not intended to be a professional product. Our cost for the study was very minimal. It covered reimbursement for telephone calls and supplies. Hopefully the report will be a starting point to do more in-depth research on the marketing of the Bicentennial Center. ~l\[ v\,.c Bill Harris, Manager kef YO "y"V"TTCT1JT1~-rn-"dn~'d~. -me-resUlts or tnlSlnveStlgatlon-are contained in the enclosed report entitled, "Salina, A Place to Meet. An"Evaluation of the Bicentennial Center and City of Salina." The research involved telephone interviews with a representative sample of 114 organizations. We think you will find, as we did, that the results of the investigation pOint toward several possible changes that could be undertaken by the management of the Bicentennial Center. Should you have any questions about the report or the research, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Marketing Research Team Jeff Wa 1 ker Dan Dolezal Tom Anderson Chris Walters Kevi n Kannard Brad DeBauche Enclosure (1) Report REC'O 't,~.'lV ., .UM, :.. .:. :.'0 ,~ t: '.1v3 .8/Cf!l:TEr..'.... Cz.-.._,:,'."",,- t;,'....e:.R City of Salina by Tom Anderson Brad DeBauche Dan Dolezal Kevin Kannard Jeff Walker Chr; s Wa Hers Marketing Research 640 Kansas State University Prof. Richard P. Coleman May 5, 1983 PREPARED FOR: Management of the Bicentennial Center I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Table of Contents Page Executive Overview- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ _ _ _ 1 Part I Introduction and Methodology - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - _ 2 Part II Results and Discussion - - A. Users Results- - B.. Nonusers Results 6 6 10 Part II I Conclusions and Recommendation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 Appendices A. Introductory Letter - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B. The Questionnaire: Sample Copy Users- C. The Questionnaire: Sample Copy Nonusers _ - 24 - - - 25 - 26 I I II I 'I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 Executive Overview The basic purpose of this study was to find the reason or reasons why the Bicentennial Center is failing to realize adequ~te revenue from their convention and trade show business. We had 114 organizations for our sample, and the sample consisted of organizations who hold conventions or trade shows in Kansas. Overall, the users have been very satisfied with the services and facilities of the Bicentennial Center. The biggest drawback according to them was the lack of hotel accommodations. One sub-group of the non-users said they would use the Center if a large hotel were built near the site. Another sub-group said they were planning on using the Center in the future, while a third group said they would probably never use the Center fo various reasons. An ideal, but probably non-feasible, recommendation would be to build a large hotel adjacent to the Bicentennial Center. One of our more practical recommendations would be to have more extensive promotion about the Bicentennial Center. This increased promotion should be primarily in the form of personal contacts. Another recommendation would be for the Center to consider discounted rates for smaller groups. II I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I 2 Part I: Introduction and Methodology For a marketing research project to be understood and utilized correctly, it is essential that everyone involved in the project, be it the researchers themselves or the company officials involved in the enactment of the project, understand the basic stages of the marketing research process. This process involves five basic steps: identifying a marketing problem or opportunity, designing a marketing research project, collecting data, analyzing and inter- preting data, and preparing and presenting a marketing research report. The first four stages listed above have been completed throughout the course of the semester and will be briefly discussed in the context of the final stage, the marketing research report. Before any research project can be considered completed, its findings must be properly communicated to the appropriate staff for whom the report is being conducted. Although there are many different forms used to present the research results, it is usually best to use a mix of these forms to provide a well rounded report which caters to the different management styles and information needs. The basis of any research project is determined by recognizing a specific marketing problem and acting to correct it. In Salina's case the problem was a failure to realize an adequate revenue from their current trade show and conven- tion activities. From this problem, specific objectives were formed to provide a fOundation for the project. Some of the early research objectives were as foll ows; - To determine the awareness level of the Bicentennial Center by potential trade show and convention holders. - To determine the various qualities and criteria that are continously looked for in choosing a convention site. II I II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 3 - To find the opinions and attitudes relating to the Bicentennial Center's convention and trade show facilities. - To identify general. patterns and characteristics of trade show and convention participants. From these objectives and other considerations, the marketing research project has been carried out to its present stage, presenting the final report. This report is an in-depth summary of a research project done for the Salina Bicen- tennial Center. It contains results, conclusions, discussions and a list of recommendations for the Center's staff to examine. The report has been divided into fou~ major parts, Introduction and Methodology, Results and Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendation, and an Appendix, with each part concentrating on, and explaining, a different segment of the total marketing research project. After recognizing the marketing problem of the Salina Bicentennial Center and forming certain research objectives, the research design was constructed. Because of the time limits imposed on our group, a sample survey of 114 partici- pants was randomly selected from a list of potential convention and trade show participants supplied by the Center's management. The participants were divided into two distinct groups: past users of the Center's facilities and non-users. Two special questionnaires were designed for the survey, one to be given to the users and one for the nonusers. Each interviewee was phoned and interviewed by a research team member who administered the questionnaire to them. The phone interview was chosen as our means of communication because it was the most economical and feasible method available to us as a research team. In performing an interview, each member would call the participant on the phone, determine whether he was representing a group who had used the facility, then utilize the appropriate questionnaire. Answers to our questions were either II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 written down in abbreviated form on a piece of paper or recorded on a speaker phone and then transferred in appropriate detail to the questionnaire. In examining the specific qualities of persons interviewed a precise picture is hard to draw because of the type of interview we conducted. However, a general picture may be formed by giving some basic characteristics of the sample group as a whole. Around 65% of the sample respondents were male while the remaining 35% were female. The ages of these people varied from around 25 years old to nearly 70. Most of the people interviewed had responsible staff positions such as vice president, or public information director although a few secretaries were respondents also. Finally, the most frequently called area in our sample was the Topeka area, which received over half of our calls. In a further attempt to familiarize Center management with the Methodology used in our research project, we would like to examine and explain our question- naires and its construction. (There are copies of both questionnaires in the appendix of this report.) The questionnaire was a very important part of our research project as it was our primary tool in the data collection process. There are no standard rules for constructing good questionnaires, as they vary with the different types of research being done. However, the best questionnaires that are administered over the phone consist of open-ended questions (ones that do not have a yes or no answer), that flow from the areas of general interest to specific. Lastly the structure of a questionnaire should be such that the questions follow each other logically, and answers to succeeding questions elaborate and expand on prior questions or answers. In reviewing our questionnaire, it is evident that we start the questionnaire out with some general introductory questions about the interviewee's organization and gradually move. into a more specific data section involving questions about trade and convention facilities as a group, and I I I I I I I I I II I I I I I I I I I 5 finally focusing on Salina and the Bicentennial Center itself. This ordering will usually make the survey participant more comfortable and will enable him to provide us with better answers. This concludes our Introduction and Methodology phase of this final report. The remainder of this report consists of three other sections: results and discussions, conclusions and recommendations and the appendix. Each of these sections will provide you with a better and more in-depth understanding of our project. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 6 Part II: Results and Discussion A. Users Results In analyzing the data accumulated from previous users of the Salina Bicentennial Center, several dominant behavior patterns and quantitative measures have been found. After reviewing their opinions and comments per- taining to the Center as a whole, we have formulated some final perceptions about the previous users of the Bicentennial Center. The results obtained from these participants can only strengthen our understanding why the Salina Bicentennial Center is failing to gain adequate revenue from its trade show and convention facilities. To begin, the Salina Bicentennial Center is viewed by its past users as an outstanding facility that is spacious, clean, modern, and efficient. Nearly every organization that has experienced the facility has strongly felt a wish to return, if only to enjoy the modern, convention-type atmosphere that it provides. Because there were absolutely no problems expressed by most users, it gives further reason to believe that the Bicentennial Center as a facility is absolute- ly a number-one, first rate installation. When having our respondents rate the Center from one through ten, the average response was 8.90, which is very high and indicates it is perceived as an outstanding facility. In addition, along with the facility, is the service and efficiency of the Bicentennial employees. Again, previous users were generally impressed with this aspect of the facility, giving it an average rating of 8.08. When comparing the two figures mentioned above with the figures that relate to considerations which organizations use in selecting any convention or trade show site, they are higher in relation to the general valuations, reenforcing the fact that as far as the facility and its employees are concerned, the Center is viewed by its past users as a high quality facility that can adequately host a trade show or convention, I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 7 Another strengthening factor in favor of the Bicentennial Center is its central location in the state of Kansas. Although many factors are involved in choosing a convention site, location seems to rank just as high as the facility itself. It has been demonstrated by organizations that choice of geographically central spot can result in an increased turnout of organizational members because of minimized driving and travel expenses. Thus, the Bicentennial Center and Salina represent an excellent location for many Kansas organizations because of the absolute central geographic setting within the state. Because approximately 83% of our respondents prefer a central location when choosing a convention site, the Cen~er repeatedly gains high rankings concerning its locational assets. The Bicentennial Center's overall average ranking was 8.86 out of 10, and when this is compared to the figure of 7.4 of 10 as location importance in rating criteria of choosing a site, it is obvious that the Bicentennial Center's location is above average and represents an adequate facility which is ideally located in the center of the state, making it accessible to many organizations throughout the area. As mentioned earlier, the Bicentennial Center is considered a large, spacious facility. From our user surveys, many groups ranging from 20-2000 members have attended the Center for some type of convention that averages between 2 and 3 days. It is a common pattern to observe the smaller groups, such as 20-100, using this type of facility for just 1 day, while larger groups con- vene for longer conventi ons. .Another interesting behavi or pattern is that although many members may have input concerning their choice of convention sites, the final decision usually is based on either the Board of Directors, a selected committee, program chairman, or executive director. These people or committees have suggested to us that although they do prefer a central location and a modern facili- ty, they are wi 11 i ng to rotate thei r event each year to keep a vari ety of peopl e interested I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 8 around the state of Kansas. It is common for some groups to stay at the same place each year, but over 60% of the groups that have used the Bicentennial Center have continued to rotate their events annually. Let it be stressed that no negative effects of Bicentennial facility have forced these organizations to rotate on an annual basis. Whether rotating or not, groups throughout the state have continued to spend thousands of dollars annually to hold their convention and promote their ideas and demonstrate the newest ideas to strength its organization or members. Although many respondents were unaware of the approxi- mate amounts spent annually for conventions, some were not hesitant in revealing these dollar amounts. Some groups spend as little as $2,000 while larger groups allocate in the area of $80,000 a year. In judging Salina's reputation as a place for hosting a convention or trade show, the past users were sure to state that Salina is generally considered a progressive city and adequate enough in size to host a large amount of people from across the state. In reviewing its restaurant facilities, never were there any terrible impressions to really hinder an organization's decision to utilize the city. Many people are satisfied with the number and variety of dining establishments in the city of Salina. When asking the previous users about hotel accommodations, this subject brought up more negative judgment of Salina and the Bicentennial Center than all the other negatives combined. First, it must be stated the Salina hotels as facilities are considered spacious, modern, and more than adequate. It is the location of these hotels in relationship to the Bicentennial Center that is the problem. Respondents, when asked to recall what they remembered most about their convention in Salina, were inclined to say that the convention headquarters of the Bicentennial Center was not located near a hotel, thus making the movement I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 9 from lOdging to the Bicentennial Center a major problem in holding their conventions in Salina. Again, it is not the facilities themselves, but their location that poses a problem. To verify this, each respondent was asked to rate hotel accommodations as a consideration in choosing a convention site. The average figure relating to this consideration was 8.4 out of 10, which signifies that the hotel is a major factor in a convention. When the users of the Center were asked to rate the hotel availability, based on their previous experiences of their convention in Salina, the result was a meager 5.1 to 10. This proves the fact that many people are unsatisfied with Salina's hotel accommodations in relation..to their location with the Center. With this uncovered, it is easy . to grasp the truth that participants in a convention would much rather stay, convene, sleep, and eat very near or at the same place for simple convenience. In analyzing some further considerations for Salina as a potential convention site, many users indicated that although Salina's entertainment potential was not outstanding, it is found that most organizations do not consider this an important criteria at all in choosing a convention site. In addition, the relationship between the city of Salina and the Bicentennial was seen as strong and efficient. No complaints were ever heard as the organizations confidently thought the two work well together in presenting a good package for a trade show or convention. II I I ,I I I I ,I , I II I I I I I I I I I ~i.. ,. . ." . ,,;:.:~".,. ':~ ~~, J i ,.- ...... .~ . .. .~ .. ......:~. ';."~:...l.,, ~ '... ..." .' . .~ "t. ,1--' .... .' '.... 10 A. Nonuser Results There seemed to be a wide distribution of sizes of the organizations inter- viewed. Forty percent of the organizations interviewed had an organizational size of anywhere from one to five hundred members, nine percent had an organiza- tional size of five hundred - to - ggg members, and organizations with over 1000 members accounted for thirty-one percent membership size. Of the nonuser organizations interviewed, 97% hold some type of convention or meeting. The remainder, only 3%, hold just a trade show. Several persons in each organization are ordinarily involved in the decision- making process when choosing a convention site. Among the organizations inter- viewed, the board of directors is the most frequent decison-making body. Other persons reported to be involved in making the final decision were executive directors, convention committees, and managers. The organizations interviewed gave several criteria which are prerequisites in choosing a convention site. Out of a list of thirteen criteria, the five most important were size of the facility, accommodations of facility under one roof, location of the city, cost of the facility, and accessibility of the facility. When asked the average length of their convention, 32% of the nonusers told us they hold a two-day convention, while 42% hold three-day-1ong conventions. A larger majority of the nonusers stated that length of convention was not a factor in choosing a convention site. Eighty percent of the total organizations interviewed said that they did rotate convention sites in which the top five included, Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Lawrence, and Hutchinson. Twenty percent of the organizations held their conventions at the same place, in which Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City were those selected every year by those non-rotating organizations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :. I I 11 Out of the total nonuser organizations interviewed, 68% stated that they had heard something, or knew a fair amount about the Bicentennial Center. The remaining 32% declared that they had heard nothing about the Bicentennial Center in Salina. Of the nonuser organizations surveyed, 57% showed some positive indication as to holding a convention at the Bicentennial Center. Out of this percentage of organizations, two-thirds said that they would hold a convention at the Center if the hotel accommodations were improved. There did not seem to be much of a problem with the Center's facilities and services. Practically all of these organizations who knew much about the facility cited it as an excellent one. A few of them even said it was the nicest facility in the state. There were a few potential problems cited. One dealt with the cost of the facility being too high while another concerned the catering of the meals. A couple of the organizations heard that the catering needed improvement. " These complaints were minor, though, as compared with the central tone of good reports. Most of the organizations thought of Salina as a nice convention site. None of them had any specific complaints about the town. A few of them even went out of the way to examplify their positive feeling about Salina, as is shown in the quote: "I love Salina. I think it is one of the most progressive cities in the state." There were a few organizations who did not know anything about Salina, but overall, the town was a well liked place. Its location was also thought of as being excellent. Organizations cited centrality in the state and the excellent hi,ghways of 1-70 and 1-35 as the main reasons for Salina's favorable location. These non-user organizations h~varied impressions toward Salina's restaurants. One sub-group thought Salina had some really good restaurants. A I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 12 few of them pointed out Big John's as being an excellent eating establishment. Another group classified Salina's restaurants as being just average. There were not any restaurants that stood out in their minds. They seemed to think that there were a good variety of places to eat but there were not any really great ones. The last group of organizations did not know enough about Salina's restaurants to rate them. As we stated earlier, these nonuser organizations thought the main problem with Salina was that it was lacking in housing accommodations. Seventy-five percent of these organizations said Salina needed a large hotel next to the Center. --From the convenience standpoint they did not like the idea of spreading , their people allover town in different motels. They wanted a housing facility that would accommodate their entire group so they could all be together. They also didn't like the idea of driving to the convention site. They wanted their convention location to have a hotel next to the facility. A large proportion of these organizations said they would probably use the Center if it had a large hotel nearby. The ones that did not specify whether they would or would not just did not know enough about the Center to give a definite answer. The largest proportion of these organizations had conventions that attracted 600 or more people. Another 25% of the organizations said they wanted to have everything under one roof, lodging as well as meeting rooms. This particular group said they would probably never use the Center. They only hold conventions at places that can hold all their people and also handle their convention. The main reasons they seemed set on doing this were convenience and cost. A few organizations said it was cheaper to hold conventions in a hotel, because the meeting rooms were free. The size of these organizations' conventions varied, ranging from 300 to 800 people. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 13 As was said earlier, of the current nonusing organizations surveyed, 57% showed some positive indication of holding a convention at the Bicentennial Center. Of these organizations who showed an interest, one-third said "yes, they would use the Center at a future date." These organizations believe, however, that the Bicentennial Center does possess various shortcomings. However, they believe that the benefits of using the Center far out-weigh .the negative aspects that they have associated with the facility and/or town. When asked what they knew about the Bicentennial's services and facilities, a majority of the organizations responded that they knew little about the Center and/or would like more information on the Center. A typical response was "I really do not know much about the Center aside from the fact that it is in Salina," or "I have not seen any of their brochures, I would sure like some." A majority of those who had some knowledge of the Center had nothing but favorable comments. They commented that the facilities and services were very nice and very accommodating. A major drawback was the fact that the hotels were too far away and that the food must be catered in. As respondents said: "It is very nice, but people have to travel so far from their hotels" or "Another drawback is that the food has to be catered in." One respondent also commented that the facility was a little big for his group's needs. The overall impressions of Salina as a town were excellent. Salina was portrayed as a very progressive, clean and friendly town. Other favorable comments included Salina's location. The location was described as excellent or ideal for most organizations. "They also have an excellent location" was a common phrasing. Salina itself was described as a very easy town to get around in. Many respondents mentioned that location was Salina's strongest point. Several organizations also mentioned Salina's easy access. They pointed out that Salina was surrounded by two major highways, 1-70 and 1-35. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 14 The biggest drawback to the Center seems to be the hotel situation. The most repeated comment was that the hotels were located too far away from the Bicentennial Center. "They need to build a big hotel right next to it." Several organizations mentioned the Best Western as being pretty nice but all of the larger organizations mentioned the hotel as being too small. They seem to like the idea of having everyone under one roof. The opinions of Salina's restaurants were pretty evenly split between those who have heard they are satisfactory and those who said "they leave a little to be desired." Most organization representatives commented that the food and atmosphere were good from what they had heard or knew from personal experience, and gave the restaurants an "overa 11 good rating." On the other hand, some organizations made the comment that Salina's restaurants "are good but not great." These groups indicated that in their opinion, the restaurants in Salina are middle-of-the-road; they are not anything spectacular but they also are not just the greasy spoon type. Nearly every organization has a different reason for not previously using the Bicentennial Center. Some organizations indicated that the "Center wasn't really big enough to suit our needs" while others said that the "Center was too big for our conventions." Some stated the facilities were too expensive. Two reasons that were given for not using the Center can be corrected right away by the Center's staff. The first reason is that the local Salina chapter has not promoted the Center as a possible convention site. "The only reason we haven't held a convention there is because their local chapter hasn't promoted it." This situation can be remedied by increasing the promotion of the facility to the local organizations affiliated with statewide bodies which hold conventions. The second reason for not using the Center was because they were not aware of it. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 15 "We weren't really aware of what Salina's facilities were like." This can also be remedied by increased promotion. The location of Salina itself is a problem to several organizations. "Most of our members are located in 3 major cities, therefore we prefer to have our conventions in one of these cities." When asked whether their organization would use the Bicentennial Center in the future, one-third of the organizations that showed an interest said the chances were better than even that they would. Many of these organizations had problems with using the Center; however, their organizations believed that these prOblems could be overcome. The main problem was with the size of the facility but thi~ problem was more than offset by the ideal location of Salina. "Salina is an ideal spot for us, we would be able to work out the size factor." "The rooms are a little big but the location is ideal." Another group said that they probably would hold a convention at the Center in the future but it would not be for two or three years. This organization always books its convention sites two or three years in advance. Finally, there. were those organizations who said that they would probably use the Center but they needed to receive a little more promotion from the Center itself or local members of their organization. Forty-three percent of the organizations surveyed indicated that they would not hold a convention or trade show in Salina at the Bicentennial Center. Forty- percent of these organizations said that the size of the Center was a problem. Thirty percent responded that the location of Salina was the chief reason for their reluctance in using the Center. While the remaining thirty percent responded that they did not wish to break away from their present sites. Of the organizations who responded that they would not hold a convention at the Bicentennial Center because of the size of the facility, roughly half said it was too large, while the other half said it was not large enough. These organizations had very limited knowledge about the services and facilities offered I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 16 by the Center. One organization responded, "We don't know much of anything about the Bicentennial Center, only that the size doesn't suit us." This was a typical response from these organizations. The organizations who considered the Center too small generally considered Salina to be inferior to the larger cities as a possible location for a convention. Comments such as, "Salina is a nice town, but doesn't hold a candle to Wichita or Kansas City, as a place we'd hold a convention," were generally indicative of the attitudes of these organizations. The majority of these organizations who considered the Center too small felt that Salina's central location was definitely an advantage. "We think Salina's I central location is definitely a plus," was the response of one group. Again, this seemed to be reflected by most of these groups. Among these groups, there was a general dissatisfaction with Salina's hotels. Comments like, "The hotels themselves are definitely not first rate", and "They're just not big enough", reflected the general opinion of these groups. There was also a frequent lack of knowledge about Salina's restaurants. However, those who did have knowledge of the restaurants found them to be adequate. "They're not anything special, but they're alright", was a comment that can best exemplify thi s attitude. The organizations who thought the Center was too large were just as unknow- ledgeable about the Center's services and facilities as were the groups that thought the Center was too small. One organi zati on spokesperson commented, "Our conventions usually only run about 100 people, therefore, the Center would be much too large for our needs." These groups all tended to be small in size. Their conventions usually run under 300 people. Salina was viewed as a nice town by this group. They considered it to be I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 17 adequate in size as far as holding a convention there. The central location of Salina, seemed to be a big plus for most of these organizations. There was a real lack of awareness about Salina's hotel accommodations among these small nonuser organizations. The impressions that were given though, were generally unfavorable. One organization commented, "Since we're so small, we like to all meet in one nice hotel. Salina really doesn't offer a real nice hotel." There was a striking lack of knowledge of the Bicentennial Center's services and facilities among the organizations who cited Salina's location as the reason they will never meet there. One organization stated, "We've never heard anything about thei r servi ces, but I simply know we'll never have a conventi on there." Roughly half of these organizations would never hold a convention in Salina because most of their members are located in one area of the state. "It would be stupid for us to hold a convention in Salina, because all our members are located in the eastern third of the state", was a comment made by one. Another segment of these organizations tend to draw a more national participation. Therefore, they tend to look for very large, visible cities. Thus, the characteristics of Salina's physical location, and its size would prohibit these groups from ever meeting at the Bicentennial Center. Several organizations stated that Salina simply didn't have enough to offer in the way of recreation. These groups meet in Colorado or the Ozarks and are looking for things that are just not found in- Salina's part of the country. Looking at the organizations who traditionally hold their conventions at the same sites year after year, we found there to be a real sense of apathy toward the Center and Salina. None of the representatives of these organizations seemed to know anything about the Bicentennial Center, or Salina. If they did I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 18 know anything, they were very reluctant to comment. One organization's repre- sentative said, "I don't have any impressions of Salina. I have never been there and have never heard anything about it." We received several other comments from organizations that were very similar to that one. We find it very hard to believe that these organizations knew nothing of Salina! This seems to uphold our contention that the majority of these organizations are almost totally apathetic to thoughts of Salina as a possible convention site. These organiza- tions have met at the same sites for years. They seem to have absolutely no desire to change this routine. About 70% of these organizations meet at the Century..!r. One of these organizations said, "we've met at the Century II for years. We like all aspect of their facility, and Wichita itself. Therefore we have no reason to switch." This seems to be a fair representation of these organizations. We found that a candy distribution association in Kansas holds its conven- . tions at places that are solicited by individual memebers. This group's spokes- man noted that its members in Salina had never approached the association with the possibility of holding a convention there. This was not a unique situation: other organizations surveyed reflected this same viewpoint. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 19 Part III. Conclusions and Recommendations By summing up all the accumulated data provided by the users of the Bicentennial Center, in addition to the discussions between our group members, we have come to a total agreement that the Bicentennial Center is an outstanding facility that has a spacious area and an adequate showroom, labeled Heritage Hall. The efficiency of the employees has complemented the modern facility well. Another trait valuable to the Bicentennial Center as indicated by the users is its central location. Because the Center is stationed in Salina, it proves to be a favorite geographic location for all who have experienced the facility. One major reservation that concerns all users is the problem of hotel accommodations. It was brought out time and time again that organizations whose members have to transport themselves back and forth from a hotel not located near the Bicentennial Center often experience some difficulties and inconvenience with this matter. As for Salina and its offerings, most users feel that Salina is a progressive city and has adequate tools to play host as a convention attraction. Turning to nonusers, we have classified the nonusers of the Bicentennial Center into three separate groups: (1) those who say they would use the Center if a hotel was near the site, (2) those who are planning on using the Center in the future, and (3) those who say they will probably never use the facility. The first section of our conclusions are related to those organizations who do not use the Center because of hotel accommodations. These organizations just did not cite much of a problem with the Center's services and facilities. In fact most everything said about the Center was positive. One organization was quoted as saying, "I think it is a beautiful facility, the nicest in the state", while another one had this to say, "They have a good facility. It's big enough for a large meeting like ours, but it is not suitable for us if we plan to stay there for more than one day." I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 20 There also did not seem to be any problems concerning Salina's location or layout as a convention town. One organization had this to say. "It is every bit as good as Wichita"; another organization said Salina was a good town with an excellent location. There did seem to be a possible problem with Salina's restaurant offerings. None of these organizations came out and said that Salina's restaurants were horrible, but quite.a few of them were lacking a really favorable impression. One group said, "There is nothing that stands out, but there are a good variety of places to eat". The majority of these organizations seemed to have this bland type of attitude. We got the impression that Salina might need an out~ standing four-star restaurant that is open to the public. The main reason this group of organizations is not using the Bicentennial Center is the lack of hotel accommodations. One organization said, "The reason we don't have conventions there is because of the housing... It is very comparable to other facilities other than housing." This was stated over and over again. We think this next quote sums up the feelings of this whole group of organizations, "We don't hold conventions at the Bicentennial Center because there isn't a large hotel. The whole purpose of a convention is getting people together. We don't want them scattered away from one another." There was no definite pattern to the size of the organizations that would use the Center in the future. These groups ranged in size anywhere from 150 to 1200 members who would attend their conventions. A majority of these organiza- tions picked either the size of the facility, or the location of the facility as their most important criteria in choosing a convention site. The average length of the conventions that these organization held, was two to three days, and to a majority of these groups, this was not a factor in choosing their convention site. Another important point is the fact that nearly everyone of I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 21 of these organizations rotate their convention sites year after year. Overall, the organizations had a favorable attitude toward the Center's facilities and services. Every group that was familiar with the Center had nothing but compli- ments for it. Salina as a town also received very good marks. It was viewed as progressive, clean and friendly. Salina's restaurants received an average rating. Big John's and Brookvil1e were termed "excellent" but for the most part the restaurants were not real good and they were not real bad. One respondent summed it up best, "Nothing spectacular." The biggest drawbacks to the Center were the size and distance of the hotels from the Center and that the food must be catered in. However, these organizations did not feel like these drawbacks were critical enough to keep them from having conventions at the Center in the future. This was indicated by their favorable responses to the question as to whether they would hold a convention at the Bicentennial Center. Of the organizations who stated they would not hold a convention at the Bicentennial Center because of problems with its size, more than half were not aware of any facet of the Center, or Salina. These groups said they knew nothing of the Center's services or facilities, yet they still thought of the Center as being too large or small. Most of the organizations who said the Center was too small met at the Century II in Wichita. We feel that these groups do not think Salina is capable of handling a very large convention. Not only Salina itself, but also the Bicentennial Center. Of the organizations who considered the Center too large, price was given as an important determinant. These groups tended to be small in size, with a convention participation rate never exceeding 300 people. We feel that, even though these groups responded negatively when asked about future use of the Center, if they were to learn more about the facility itself, they might become more receptive to the possibility of using the Center. This I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 22 seems to be supported by the fact that many of these organizations said they thought the Center was too big or small for their purposes, when in fact the Center would be able to handle their groups quite easily. After analyzing the organizations who cited Salina's location as a problem, we have come to the conclusion that there is nothing that can be done to draw interest from these groups. For a variety of reasons, these organizations have stated that they would never use the Bicentennial Center because they would never meet in Salina. This can also be concluded from the organizations who tradition- ally meet in the same place. They have absolutely no desire to change locations. Therefore, we feel that it would be a waste of time to try and persuade these I organizations to consider the Centfi!r. There are problems which deal with Salina as a town, whether it is location or what it has to offer in the form of exciting entertainment. These are areas which can not be resolved by the management of the Bicentennial Center. Recommendations. The "ideal" recommendation we could propose to the management of the Bicentennial Center would be to construct a large, first rate hotel, adjacent to the Center itself. We realize that this proposal is definitely not very practical. But according to our findings, this was the overriding drawback found among the organizations we surveyed. The users of the Center stated this as being the main problem they encountered when meeting in Salina. A large portion of the nonusers stated the lack of on-site hotel accommodations was the primary reason for not utilizing the Bicentennial Center. We feel that a more practical recommendation would be to increase promotion of the Center. This increased promotion should be in the form of personal con- tacts. Ideally face-to-face, but possibly by telephone. This could prObably be accomplished with the existing staff of the Center, and with help from the II I i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 23 Salina Chamber of Commerce. We think that this type of promotion will prove far more effective than the distribution of brochures. Many of the organiza- tions we surveyed had absolutely no knowledge of the Center, except that it existed. Add to this the fact that many of these same organizations stated that they had received some literature on the Center. We have concluded that this literature was not studied very thoroughly. Therefore, we think an actual discussion with a representative of. the Center would prove far more effective in enhancing these organizations' knowledge of the Center. We also suggest that a visitation program be established for executives of nonusing organizations. This may include an all-expenses paid visit to the Center. This would allow for a tour of the facility itself. This visit to the facility may change the opinions of these who thought the Center was too small, or too large. We think that if executives of these organizations actually see what the Center has to offer, they will be impressed enough to consider using the facility. We suggest that the representatives of the Center emphasize the capabilities of handling all sizes of groups. This may alleviate some of the misconceptions about the Center's perceived size problems. We also recommend that a flexible price structure be established. This should be done in order to enhance the Center in the eyes of the smaller, more price-conscious groups. The price structure should be emphasized by the repre- sentatives of the Center, as well as in literature that is sent to the various organizations. We found that groups as large as 400 considered price to be a key criteria in choosing a convention site. Finally, we hypothesized prior to in-depth analysis that there would be some organizations who would have to be ruled out due to size. However, we found no real trends in size among the groups of nonusers. Therefore, we recommend that no organization be ruled out purely on the basis of size. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 24 APPENDIX A. Introductory Letter I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I !~::~i l!!!!!___ KANSAS ~ ~ Department of Marketing Calvin Hall Manhattan, Kansas 66506 913-532.eooa APPENDIX A TO: Kansas Trade Show and Convention Participants FROM: Student Research Team, Marketing Department, Kansas State University This spring a group of students in a marketin~ research class at Kansas State University has formed to study trade show and convention behavior. We are trying to learn about the decis~on process: how do trade show planners decide where to hold their shov/s and similarly how do convention planners decide where to convene. The main purpose of this letter is to inform you that we will be contacting you in the near future by mail or phone for information relevant to our study. The information we will be requesting includes your criterion in choosing a proper site for a trade show or convention (i.e. location, capacity, accomodations, ect). Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Research Team Member t'Iarketing Department Kansas State University I- I I .1 II I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 25 APPENDIX B. The Questionnaire: Sample Copy Users [I I I I II II I I I I I I I I II il II APPENDIX B SALINA BICENTENIAL C~NT~H Survey for Users Code Number, Group Interviewed, Person Interviewed, Position Held, Number Called, City Called: Time/Date of call: Hello, this is from Kansas State University and I'm a member of a marketing research team doing a study on trade show 2nd convention participants in Kansas. We recently contacted you via letter about this study and now I'd like to ask you a few ':ju<?stions pertaining to your organizations trade show or convention B_C ti vi ties. first, let me get some idea on the size and function of your organ- ization. How would you describe it? how often do you hold a trade show or convention or both? When you do hold a trade show or convention, how many pecple attend and participate in it. Do you hold your trade shows or conventions at the same si"e each year or do you rotate annualy. Why? what are the advantages of this? Does a company official usually visit a site before it is choosen? iho makes the final decision in choosing a site? ~f you were to estimate the dollar amount that you budget for trade shows and conventions each year, what would be your estimation? I I I II I I 'I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Salina users-page 2 APPENDIX B (cent'd) From your personal experiences with trade shows or conventions so far, which facility would you say ~as the best? Why did you pick this particular site? Please tell me all of the facilities at which you have held a trade show or convention at in the past three years. * The following questions are more specific in relating only to Salina and the Bicentenial Center. A few questions about Century 11 are included so we can form a coorelation between the different sites available. These questions also help evoke a more honest answer from our participants. Do you prefer a central location when choosing a trade show or convention site? If yes-why? If no-Why is location not a top priority for your organization? Now I'm going to list five considerations in choosing a convention or trade show site. What I'd like you to do is rate them on a scale with l-unimportant and 10-very important. Here are the five considerations I Hotel Accommodations 1 2 J ~ 5 6 7 8 9 10 Regional location of site 1 2 J ~ 5 6 7 8 9 10 Service and efficiency of site employees 1 2 3 ~ 5 6 7 8 9 10 Entertainment potential of surrounding area 1 2 J ~ 5 6 7 8 9 10 Space and layout of the facility 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ~ Questions, comments, additions or complaints I I I I I I I I il il I I I I I I I I I Salina users-page 3 APPENDIX B (cont'd) Now I'd like you to rate th~ same five considerations once again. this time using your previous knowledge of the Salina Bicentenial Center as the basis for your decision. This time let I-poor and 10-excellent. Here are the categories. Hotel Accommodations 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Regional location of the site 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Service and efficiency of site employees 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Entertainment potential of surrounding area 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Space and layout of the facility 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 * The following space is for any questions, co~nents, additions or complaints--(not to be read to the interviewee, but for the interviewers use only.) * The following question should be asked only if the interviewee's company has held a meeting at Century 11 in Wichita. As you earlier mentioned, you have held a trade show or convention at Century 11 in Wichita within the past J years, now please rate these categories on a scale with I-poor and 10-excellent with your knowledge of Century 11 in mind. Hotel Accomodations 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10' Regional location of the site 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Service and efficiency of site employees 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Entertainment potential of the surrounding area 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Space and layout of the facility 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 * Record any questions, comments,additions or complaints. ~ Salin~ users-page 4 APPENDIX B (cont'd) I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I What do you remember about the Salina BiCentenial Center when you held your convention or trade show there? How would you describe Salina's hotel accommodations? What are your general impressions of Salina's restaurants? If you were to suggest two things to improve Salina's chance of hosting a trade show or convention, what would you suggest? How would you describe the relationship between the City of Salina and the BiCentenial Center? Do you think they work well together in presenting the best possible package for a prospective trade show or convention participant. Finally, to what extent would a stronger promotion of Salina and the BiCentenial Center itself help the center in securing future conventions? That's all of the questions I have, do you have any questions or anything that you would like to ask me? You have been most helpful, thank you very much for your time. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 26 APPENDIX C. The Questionnaire: Sample Copy Nonusers il I II I I I I II I I I I I I I I I I I' APPENDIX C ' 'BICENTENNIAL CENTER ..... Survey for Non Users Code-NUmberl Group Interviewed!. Person' Interviewed I' Office In Organization I Hello. My name is . a few questions relating to choosing a convention site. this is in conjunction with State UniverSity. Z. First I'd like you to tell me something about the size of your organization and i tspurpose. " NUmber Called I - City Called I " Time- & Date Of CallI arid I'Cl like to ask you your organization, ' and how you go about As, was mentioned in my letter to you, a marketing research class at Kansas 1. · .2A. Do you hold either conventions Or trade shaws--if so, how often and- what are they like? _ - IF- A GROUP KOIDS, NEITHER. CONVENTIONS OR TRADE SHOWS, TERMINATE INTERVIEW ~ ). Who are the participants in deciding where a convention is held? Who makes the final decision? ' 4. Tell me something about, the criteria used in choosing a convention site? .- .~ .. 5. To Y01,lr group', what is the single, most important criteria in. choosing a convention site? 6. What is the average length of your convention? Is this ,a factor in ahoosing your location? j , -over- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 1 I' 16. IJ. APPENDIX C (cont'd) What are your general impressions.of Salina's restaurants? 14. Are there any particular reasons why your group hasn't held a. . convention at.the Bicentennial Center? . (PROBEI How does the. Bic~ntennialCenter compare with the place(s) . you hold conventions?) 15. In the future, would your 'group hold a oonvention at the Bicentennial Center? (Circle yes or no.) . If, yes - why? . If no. -why not? Are there any add! ti6nal comments you would like. to m~e regarding~ . your decision-making process in choosing a convention site, or about the Bicentennial Center. in Salina? . . .. .. Thank you very much for yoUr cooperation: "