Having an event « EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE » is an exciting moment for a Moroccan DMC. VIPs (and their travel planners) have high standards, and this is a noteworthy achievement if your provider is chosen to welcome a prestigious client. However, it can also be scary and difficult, because the stakes are high and the Executive committees are not like ordinary travellers. At Tendencia Events & Travel, we put so much effort into leaving our service as a memory engraved in the hearts of our most important clients, for this reason we will mention in this article our special approach with what we people we call “Executive committee”
Start early!
Start early Organization and planning are essential because there are always additional challenges when it comes to welcoming high level clients. Make sure you have the right contacts ready, make the contact and ask what documents need to be collected, how and to whom they need to be presented. If there are hotel stays, invest time to get to know the hosts who work there and check again just before the guest arrives.
Anticipate anything that can go wrong
Safety cannot be compromised and it is important to have a good risk management plan. Identify specific points along the route that may involve potential risks and take into account the resources available to minimize, monitor and control the likelihood and/or impact of such events. Always keep in mind evacuation and alternative routes. Some companies may choose to travel with a doctor at hand, but in any case, always know where the nearest medical care centres are at each stage of the trip. You have to imagine the worst-case scenarios is even if it is a frightening exercise, but it is important to know exactly how we could deal with each possible situation, what resources we have and what additional help we might need.
Nailing logistics
Make a list of all cars, drivers, employee names, distances, stops, hotel addresses and hotel room numbers. When planning accommodation and transportation, keep in mind that the security guards will likely want a room in the same hotel and their own means of transportation that will closely follow them. Special permits may be required.
Build your team
Carefully select the staff members who will be in direct and indirect contact with the client. Know your guides and staff. When unforeseen circumstances arise, you need to be able to call on more people to help you, so make sure you have qualified and available backup staff. Larger groups of VIPs need more staff ready to act at any time.
Maintain confidentiality
It is essential to respect privacy and confidentiality agreements. Maintain the identity of a VIP in case of need to know. In many cases, most people did not need to know the identity of our special guest. In addition, there may be strict privacy concerns, particularly in the case of minors. Companies may be required to sign legal documents that prevent them from disclosing the identity of the customer for a certain period of time, or even forever. In some cases, companies may not be allowed to take pictures, and in others, they may be allowed to take pictures but you cannot publish them. Or, companies may be able to use photographs, but not label the most prominent customers on social media.
And then to the final “Act normally”
Hosting a VIP is not a normal situation, but everyone (staff, security and VIP) will relax more if you pretend to be. Don’t be surprised, don’t ask personal questions or become too friendly.
