Executive Group Travel Blog

What is a DMC and when should you partner with one?

[fa icon="clock-o"] Mar 11, 2021 10:00:00 AM [fa icon="user"] Marci McCormack [fa icon="folder-open'] Incentive Travel


Destination Management Company

A Destination Management Company, or DMC, is a professional services company with extensive knowledge, expertise, and resources, specializing in design and implementation of events, activities, day trips, transportation, and program logistics. The services provided by a DMC usually include airport greetings, hospitality desks, special events, theme parties, decorations, AV, dinner events, site inspections, and anything you may need on site!

Amstar MexivoSource: Amstar

Partnership

The DMC works as meeting planner's teammate to make an event successful and provide an exceptional group experience. It's not possible for meeting planners or travel consultants to have extensive knowledge of every destination they recommend to clients. Many have enough knowledge to book about 70% of activities, events, etc., but it's that extra 30% that makes the events go off perfectly. A key service that DMCs help with is airport transportation and activity transfers. They have rights to do business at the airport and have large enough staff to handle multiple flight arrivals in a short period of time. A DMC makes the process smooth and less stressful for all involved. Depending on your destination or hotel, you might find that many activities and events are handled in-house. In that case, a DMC would be used less, but it all depends on your group's needs. At a hotel like the Atlantis in the Bahamas, you can throw a good event using a DMC only for airport transportation. But in a location like St. Maarten, a DMC is essential in helping organize dine-arounds, catamaran trips, final awards dinners, and off-site team building activities. 

One piece of advice is to be very transparent with your DMC. Don't hire a DMC for a site visit if you have no intentions of using them for your trip. Be honest and let them know if you are comparing other DMC providers and give them a realistic timeline of when your decision will be made.

DMCs can provide incredibly helpful local knowledge and expertise that can take your trip from good to great. 

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