Anne Wallin-Rødven tells us about the Mercado Workshop
Since 1991, Anne Wallin-Rødven has managed the Convention Bureau of VisitOslo. She is committed to ECM and has been a member of the Board since her election in June 2007 at the General Assembly in Athens.
Attending the Mercado Workshop in Berlin on 17-19th February 2011, she tells us more about this event she helped to set up in 2009, when it took place for the first time in Montreux.
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You are one of the people who originated the Mercado Workshop, how did you come up with the idea?
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The concept of cities exchanging leads by bringing clients to a workshop is a well-proven marketing tool, and we have done that for years with association clients within ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association). When we wanted to find something on a similar basis that could be worthwhile to our ECM members as well, we came up with the idea of staging a workshop targeting corporate clients. Nobody had done that before.
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During past workshops and the meetings with clients, has there been anything that has surprised you?
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The fact that competitors can be in the same room and be friendly and supportive of each other does not surprise me anymore, but it certainly surprises the clients we bring along to the workshop!
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What are your overall impressions of the workshop?
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That it is a very useful tool! To speak and do business with clients that your colleagues have brought along with them is so powerful.
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In your opinion, what is the added value of the workshop?
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We all know that personal contact is more important than advertising and sending information to potential client. That is why trade shows are so important. To be able to spend time with new clients is really fantastic, because you get to know them so well, and in a relaxed, fun and friendly way.
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How do you view the speed-dating system and the “obligation” to meet all of the participating destinations?
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This is the most important part of the workshop. Of course, it is a discipline and it can be tiring -especially for the clients. But the clients themselves agree at the end of the day that it is a worthwhile exercise, because they learn a lot more than were they just to choose themselves which destinations to talk to.
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In a nutshell, why would you recommend this event to ECM Members?
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As I have said above, it gives you access to very good clients (your colleagues would not dare to bring someone who is not good….) and the concept makes it easy to get to know them well, and also to get to know your colleagues well. These are all important aspects.
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