How can selecting a destination before venue help you return better value from your events?

Morning, friends of Evolve. If you organise meetings for a membership organisation and want more value from your destinations, this webinar is a must watch.

Too many planners go straight to the venue and stop there. The big unlock is working with your Convention Bureau and Destination Marketing Organisation from day one. In this lively session, three brilliant guests show exactly how to do it, with practical examples you can use this week.

First up, Heledd Williams from Meet in Wales sets the scene. What are CVBs and DMOs, really? Think of them as your destination fixers, a central hub that coordinates venues, hotels, civic spaces, transport, social programmes, local knowledge, and sector connections. Most are publicly funded, many run ambassador programmes, and the best ones become genuine partners rather than a switchboard. Heledd’s advice is simple. Bring them in early, be clear on your aims, and let them open doors you cannot reach alone, from bid support and B-roll, to city leadership, universities, and local supply chains.

Then we move to strategy with Nienke van der Malen from Conferli. Her message is destination first. Start with your purpose and your community, then shortlist cities that match your ecosystem. If your association sits in mathematics, choose a place with real maths depth. You will unlock better speakers, site visits, local sponsors, and young members.

Conferli’s platform benchmarks destinations on the things that actually matter to associations, so you stop comparing apples with oranges and start comparing like with like. A lovely bonus here is Gen Z engagement. Work through professors and clinical leads, and you reach their students too, which is gold for future membership.

Next, Lisa Owen from Liverpool Convention Bureau shows what you gain by calling the CVB before you build the programme. Yes, you get venues and room blocks, but you also get access to marketing support, city funds, local sponsors, and legacy programmes. Liverpool’s Club Liverpool ambassador network is a model to copy. Around 320 ambassadors have already helped drive more than £100 million in conference impact for the city region, and the team are bidding as far out as 2033. If you are preparing a bid, let the CVB connect you to the right ambassadors, map your objectives to the city’s clusters, and strengthen your case with civic backing.

We also dig into subvention, often misunderstood as cash only. The truth is broader and more useful. Yes, some destinations offer financial support, but most value arrives as in kind help that actually moves the needle. Civic receptions, mayoral welcomes, free public venues, university partnerships, delegate boosting, and serious media reach. Wales’ approach is a great example. Rather than cover core costs, their support brings Welsh culture and language into the experience, so delegates know they were truly in Wales, and your programme feels richer. Liverpool adds VisitBritain delegate boosting to the mix, which can lift international attendance when channelled through your CVB.

A quick nod to the live poll. Most attendees already use CVBs for introductions, local knowledge, and added value. That is a strong start. The bigger opportunity is to treat the CVB as a strategic partner from the outset, not a last minute helper. Share your mission, agree success measures together, and let them convene the people who can help you achieve them.

If you remember only three things, make them these. Destination first. Contact the CVB early. Design your bid and your programme to deliver legacy and social value, not only logistics. Do that, and you will see stronger attendance, better sponsorship, richer content, and a far more memorable delegate experience.

Ready to dive in and steal a few ideas for your next RFP or bid pack? Grab a cuppa, hit play, and watch the full webinar. Then share it with a colleague who is still venue first. This one will save them time, money, and stress, and it might just transform your next event.

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