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STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLAN
DURHAM CONVENTION CENTER
The Fuqua School of Business
Strategy 490: Strategic Planning Practicum
March 2009
Fuqua Team
Gen Arai
Janessa Pulliam
Happy Whitlock
Jianming Zhang
Faculty Adviser
Bill Sax
2
Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 2 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3
The Purpose of Study .................................................................................................................. 3 Company Overview .................................................................................................................... 3 Industry Overview ...................................................................................................................... 4 Growth of Business ..................................................................................................................... 4 Market Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 4
Marketing and Sales Activities ................................................................................................... 5 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 5
Company Description ..................................................................................................................... 6
Durham Convention Center ........................................................................................................ 6 Durham Convention Center Ownership ...................................................................................... 6 Mission Statement ....................................................................................................................... 6 Key Performance Indicators ....................................................................................................... 7
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) .......................................... 8 Market Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 9
Competition............................................................................................................................... 10 Target Markets .......................................................................................................................... 11
Marketing and Sales Activities ..................................................................................................... 15
Overall Marketing Strategy....................................................................................................... 15
Sales Strategy ............................................................................................................................ 15
Traditional Communication Methods ................................................................................... 15
Develop DCC Branding Strategy.......................................................................................... 16
DCC Website ........................................................................................................................ 16
Public Relations Campaign ................................................................................................... 17
Product Life Cycle .................................................................................................................... 18 Operations ................................................................................................................................. 19 Production and Service Delivery Procedures ........................................................................... 19
Production and Service Delivery Capability............................................................................. 19 Operating Competitive Advantages .......................................................................................... 19 Management Staff and Structure .............................................................................................. 20
Funds Required and Their Uses .................................................................................................... 24 Current Funding Requirements ................................................................................................. 24 Funding Requirements Over the Next Five Years .................................................................... 24 Use of Funds ............................................................................................................................. 24
Long-Range Financial Strategies (liquidating investors’ positions) ......................................... 24 Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 25
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 25 Implementation ......................................................................................................................... 26
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 27 Exhibit #1 .................................................................................................................................. 27 Exhibit #2 .................................................................................................................................. 28 Resumes of Fuqua Team ........................................................................................................... 29
3
Executive Summary
The Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to address the following three areas in an attempt to help the Durham
Convention Center (DCC) overcome an annual operating deficit of approximately $1 million.
1. Build consensus between owners and management regarding the mission of the facility and
appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs) for the DCC.
2. Ensure operational alignment to mission statement. This will be driven primarily by a revised
incentive structure that is directly aligned to key performance indicators and, subsequently, the
new mission statement.
3. Develop marketing/branding strategy that better positions DCC within local market and drives
additional revenue to DCC.
Company Overview
DCC is equally co-owned by the City of Durham and the County of Durham. Management of the
facility is outsourced to Shaner Hotel Group, a Marriott franchisee that runs DCC under the
Marriott brand.1 The owners pay a management fee to Shaner Hotel Group. Shaner has decision
rights over revenue generation, operations, variable costs, minor fixed costs and budget
preparation. The owners have decision rights over major fixed costs, major capital
improvements, budget approval, budget shortfalls, and financing. Interdependencies between the
two sets of decision rights revolve primarily around the budgeting process, financing, and the
relationship between revenue generation and major capital improvements. These
interdependencies are further complicated by the fact that DCC has two owners.
The Durham Marriott Hotel attached to DCC has 20% of the necessary guest rooms for a
convention center of its size.2 This imbalance notwithstanding, DCC likely behaves as a loss
leader for both the surrounding community (see below) and the adjoining hotel. If DCC was
owned by one entity, this would not be an issue. Given the separate ownership structure,
however, cost allocation becomes a more complex issue. This underscores the importance of a
continued open, cooperative relationship between management and the owners, which, it
appears, both parties have achieved. Regarding cost allocation, salaries of all exempt employees,
with the exception of the managing director, are split evenly between Shaner Hotel Group and
the owners. An alternative option might be to split costs according to the amount of time and/or
revenue that each employee generates for the hotel versus the Convention Center. It is important
to note that Convention Center support staff is hired strictly on a temporary basis, greatly
reducing DCC’s labor costs.
Given that DCC has minimized its costs, increased revenue will depend on both the volume of
business and profit margins. Based on DCC income statements, audio/visual equipment (A/V)
and room rental yield approximately 80%-95% profit margins, followed by beverages at 65%
and food at 13%.3 As such, DCC should upgrade its technological infrastructure to a level that
4
can support basic teleconferencing capabilities. The Convention Center should bring A/V in-
house in order to more directly benefit from the potential profit margins.
Industry Overview
Like most convention centers in second and third-tier cities, DCC is publicly owned and was
built to spur economic activity in downtown Durham while inducing the construction of a major
adjoining hotel. Historically, convention centers have acted as loss leaders. The broader
economic benefit that they generate, however, is often deemed sufficient to offset the operational
losses they incur.4
Tighter municipal budgets, exacerbated by the current economic downturn, have changed public
perspective, however, and publicly-funded convention centers, along with their managers, are
under greater pressure to reduce operating deficits.5 This is complicated by the fact that supply of
convention center space has outpaced demand. In addition, industry trends suggest that tighter
travel and meeting budgets, combined with more sophisticated teleconferencing capabilities, are
leading to an increased localization of meetings and conferences. This is even more reason to
have professional teleconferencing capabilities.
Growth of Business
The continued oversupply of convention center space6, as demonstrated by the recent
construction of the Raleigh Convention Center, will likely prevent any significant future growth
for DCC. In addition, the current economic downturn has resulted in a 9% decrease in
attendance and a 0.5% decrease in bookings throughout Durham (as of January 2009).7
Nevertheless, given the changing nature of the meeting and events industry, DCC does have an
opportunity to leverage its central position to both the community and downtown Durham and
position itself as the primary choice for local business. Future growth will also depend upon
DCC’s ability to upgrade its technological infrastructure.
Market Analysis
While meetings attendance in Durham has fallen by 9%, attendance in other major convention
centers, such as the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, has fallen by 20%.8 This may be
partly attributable to the fact that Atlanta is a premiere destination, reflecting the decline in long
distance travel associated with conferences and meetings. It also likely reflects the fact that
Durham is somewhat insulated from the immediate effects of the recession because it is fed by
“recession-resistant” industries and sectors, such as universities, hospitals,
medical/pharmaceutical companies and advanced energy companies. Indeed, Durham’s growth
rate far exceeds the national average, all of which should benefit DCC. Regarding the specific
issue of guest rooms, by 2011, there should be 500 additional guest rooms within walking
distance of DCC.9
Perceptions of Durham as an unsafe city are often cited as reasons why DCC does not attract or
benefit from more visitors. Based on our research, however, we are more inclined to attribute
low volume to a lack of awareness among several key local customer groups, particularly since
they are already booking events in Durham. Another critical issue facing DCC is the increased
fragmentation of its customer base. Fragmentation is primarily driven by the delegation of
meeting planning to individuals as opposed to a centralized meeting planner.10
5
Marketing and Sales Activities
Approximately half of DCC’s bookings are made online via the Marriott website.11
This
underscores the importance of the internet in meeting and conference planning today. The
Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (DCVB) also provide DCC with leads. DCC
participates in trade shows and conducts sales visits with meeting planners. Indeed, the Johnson
Consulting Group has developed an extremely detailed marketing plan that DCC should continue
to pursue. Reaching the full range of target customers, however, will be increasingly difficult,
particularly as consumer groups continue to become fragmented. An overarching branding
strategy would mitigate these challenges, including construction of a dedicated website for the
convention center.
Recommendations
Mission Statement and Key Performance Indicators
Adopt proposed mission statement and KPIs
Track and revise on a quarterly basis, if necessary
Build relevant KPIs into contract with Shaner
Introduce mission statement and KPIs to all employees
Revised incentive system
Review proposed incentive system
Work with Shaner to adopt incentive system (parts or whole) in
order to align activity directly to DCC
Follow proposed Implementation Plan when introducing the
system to employees
Branding strategy
Develop branding strategy that positions DCC as anchor of
downtown Durham
Refine DCC target to include local, high margin business
Develop dedicated website that enables:
o Online booking
o Promotion of DCC/customer events
o Joint promotion of downtown events (DPAC, DBAP, and
The Carolina Theatre)
o Press releases
Media campaign
Technological upgrades
In-room screens, projectors and computers
Reconfiguration of ballroom
6
Company Description
Durham Convention Center
Durham City and Durham County in North Carolina equally co-own DCC, a facility which
provides over 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space in downtown Durham, including
one of the area’s largest ballrooms. The Convention Center is attached to the Durham Marriott
Convention Center, a 189-room hotel.
With a growing population of approximately 218,000 people in 2008, Durham is a market known
for its universities, medicine, and arts (see Exhibit 1).1213
DCC was built in 1989 as the Durham
Civic Center and was founded to revitalize and provide economic stimulation to downtown
Durham. DCC is positioned in the midst of a diverse group of potential customers, including
numerous organizations that are a part of Duke University, North Carolina Central University,
Duke Hospital, and all the companies located in Research Triangle Park. It’s located within a
few minutes of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and two interstate highways
along with local public transportation in downtown Durham. Major Durham landmarks,
including the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP), Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC),
and the adjacent Carolina Theatre, bring in potential customers for DCC. Current customers from
local and county government and civic organizations add to the mix of corporate customers and
social customers, such as those holding weddings. DCC has food/beverage catering services, a
full-service restaurant, and audio-visual offerings to serve the needs of all types of customers
holding meetings and events.
Durham Convention Center Ownership
Durham City and Durham County contracted a third party, Shaner Hotels Group, to manage
DCC and established a Convention Center Authority Board of volunteers to monitor the
management of the facility. Shaner Hotels is also the owner-operator of the adjacent Marriott
Hotel. Since DCC was not established with a comprehensive mission statement, the goals of the
facility were sometimes vague to the Authority Board, management, and the owners. All parties
raised concerns, including DCC’s financial and economic goals, target customers, and “civic”
responsibility of DCC.
Mission Statement
The Authority Board needed clarity moving forward and a clear mission statement and overall
vision to guide the management and owners. All parties were brought together to craft a mission
statement. The group constructed the mission statement using a framework that helped them
answer three pertinent questions:
Purpose: What are the opportunities or needs that we exist to address?
Providing economic and community development to Durham
Business: What are we doing to address these needs?
Providing convention and meeting services
7
Exceed customers’ requirements
Values: What principles or beliefs guide our work?
Limit burden on Durham citizens
Once those answers were clear to all parties, the mission statement was crafted. The following
mission statement was established at the January 2009 meeting of the Convention Center
Authority Board:
Mission Statement
To stimulate economic and community development in Durham by providing
convention and meeting services to exceed customers’ requirements while limiting
burden on Durham citizens.
Key Performance Indicators
Along with its mission statement, DCC needed a way to measure its overall performance against
the organization’s mission, especially with a third party management structure in place. The
Authority Board and DCC owners will need Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) established to
accomplish this. The answers above that were flushed out during the mission statement were also
used to drive the creation of KPIs for DCC staff and management. It is important that KPIs are
easy to track and understand, meaningful, realistic, well-rounded, and monitored regularly. DCC
is at an advantage because some of the KPIs that will measure their success are already captured
and reported by the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (DCVB).* As shown below, we
have established KPIs under each of the broad areas used to construct the mission statement:
Providing economic and community development to Durham
Maintain or increase net value added to downtown Durham*
Determine acceptable annual tax revenue contribution for convention
center’s customers*
Providing convention and meeting services & Exceeding customers’ requirements
Maintain or increase occupancy rates above area average*
Maintain or increase market share above area average*
Improve food/service rating on event survey
Increase number of repeat customers
Limit burden on Durham citizens
Reduce deficit annually, with goal of achieving break-even by 2015
Keep actual costs within 10% of projected costs
Anticipate capital improvements so they can be included in owners’
annual budgeting process
Each recommended KPI above will measure DCC’s success against its mission statement. For
the first category, the tax revenues and overall contributions to the Durham community will be
measured to account for benefits realized outside of DCC’s financial statements. These types of
contributions are already calculated by the DCVB and published regularly. The DCVB also
tracks occupancy rates and market share for comparable facilities. DCC can utilize these
8
benchmarks to measure its success. The second category of KPIs focuses on DCC’s operations
and how they measure against comparable facilities. DCC’s own food/service survey can be used
as a KPI along with tracking the number of repeat customers. Finding out what attracts
customers to use the Convention Center’s services again will be important in retaining other
customers and leveraging DCC’s strengths going forward. The third KPI category ensures DCC
remains focused on deficit reduction, low budget variances, and budgeting for planned capital
expenditures. Overall, these KPIs will impact all areas of DCC, especially marketing and
operations, as all parties involved are guided by the mission statement.
Note: The KPI measuring net value added uses number of DCC delegates and an estimate of
spending based on national averages to determine how much delegates contribute to downtown
Durham.14
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
Strengths (competitive advantages)
Marriott Brand (vis-à-vis business customers)
Existing customer base/brand awareness in
o High-Tech companies (Lenovo, Cree etc)
o Local Communities
o Recognition by citizens (74% use DCC annually)15
Experience in
o Weddings
o Community meetings
o Sports events
Large room (Ballroom)
Close ties with local government
500 guest rooms within walking distance by 2010 or 201116
Location close to developing area of Durham
Weaknesses (competitive disadvantages)
Marriott Brand not appropriate for high-end
Limited customer based/brand awareness among
o Pharmaceutical companies
o High-end wedding planners
o Temporary residents (i.e. students)
Limited promotion
Limited number of guest rooms
Outdated technology
Lack of hospitality industry expertise among owners
Capital upgrades take extended periods of time to complete
Opportunities (External factors)
Growing energy and environment industry
9
Growing opportunities in infrastructure and construction sectors
(stimulus bill)
Increasing number of high-tech firm employees
Expected increase in number of matriculating students
More available hotel rooms in downtown Durham
Durham Transportation Center and possible development of a
commuter rail station
Threats (External factors)
Economic downturn and potential drop-off in volume of
meetings/events from outside the local area
Competition from other North Carolina meeting/event venues with
more space and close proximity to hotel rooms (i.e. Raleigh
Convention Center)
Market Analysis
Industry Description and Outlook
Industry Overview
Convention centers are primarily built to attract visitors and spur growth in downtown
metropolitan areas. Similarly, according to interviews with hospitality professionals, hotel
conference facilities are used to attract large groups of guests to the hotel. In both cases,
convention and meeting facilities generally serve as loss leaders and are intended to drive
broader economic activity within a community or, in the case of a hotel, drive revenue to guest
rooms.17
The majority of convention centers in the U.S. are publicly-owned. Operations are typically
outsourced to a destination marketing organization (DMO), with marketing managed by the local
convention and visitors bureau. Historically, due to the purported economic benefit of
convention centers and the fact that convention centers initially served as the primary source of
new business in an area, operating losses were generally accepted. However, as convention
centers matured and downtown economic conditions improved, expectations regarding the
financial performance of convention centers changed.18
The current economic downturn, tighter
municipal budgets and an oversupply of space inventory have exacerbated the situation.
According to the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (DCVB), national demand for
convention meeting space over the past year grew by 2.5% while supply, driven by construction
of 500,000 square foot mega centers, continues to balloon.19
Industry reports, however, suggest
that the era of large mega centers is ending and that a combination of tighter travel budgets,
improved teleconferencing technology and a desire for more convenient, local meeting centers is
leading to an increased localization of meetings and conventions. The current economic
recession will likely hasten these developments.
10
Market Overview
Within Durham, convention-related visitors constitute approximately 12% of all travel to
Durham. Growth in this segment is slow, with the leisure travel segment expanding far more
rapidly. This presents both challenges and opportunities to the Durham Convention Center. In
the near term, however, the economic impact of the current recession triggered a 13% decline in
group meetings and a 0.5% decline in group meeting bookings. Likewise, attendance and room
nights have fallen by approximately 9%. This is consistent with developments across the
country, with the Georgia World Congress Center reporting a 7% drop in revenue and a 20%
drop in attendance, impacting both the centers’ revenue stream and the overall economic benefit
to the surrounding community. Increasing fragmentation of the customer base is exacerbating
this problem, as companies and universities downsize their meetings departments and delegate
meeting responsibilities to individuals. For example, in Duke there are 75meeting planners and
hundreds of students responsible for organizing annual meetings. Most groups have a meetings
budget of approximately $1,000, and hold their meetings at Sheraton Imperial or Millennium.
When asked, students did not know of the existence of DCC.
Nevertheless, given the high concentration of “recession-resistant” industries and sectors in and
around Durham, DCC may be slightly insulated from the effects of the recession. Such sectors
include universities, alternative energy companies, medical companies and hospitals,
infrastructure and building companies, and fraternal and religious groups. There are
opportunities for DCC to increase market awareness of its services in both the educational sector
and RTP. It is also important to note that internet-booking capabilities and a targeted web
presence are becoming critical to the effective positioning of convention centers throughout the
U.S. We will discuss these developments in further detail below.
According to DCVB, DCC represents approximately 17% of meeting space in Durham and
accounts for approximately 23% of all meetings. Nevertheless, DCC’s performance is still
hampered by the fact that it cannot compete for large groups because the number of hotel rooms
within walking distance are inadequate to fill DCC space. An additional 500 hotel rooms should
be constructed by 2011, at which point the facility will be too small to accommodate the full
supply of hotel rooms. It is important to note, however, that several of these projects have been
delayed and these projections are contingent upon full occupancy.
Currently, primary DCC customer groups include corporate accounts, including local companies
in RTP and Durham, with an emphasis on high-tech companies and SMERF accounts (important
market segment, an acronym for Social, Military, Educational, Religious, and Fraternal)
Competition
The Convention Center faces competition for meeting and events throughout the State but
especially in the entire Triangle region. Many of the local large institutions, such as Duke
University and Duke Hospital, have other comparable facilities within close proximity. These
include the following sites in Durham:
Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club
Durham Hilton
11
Millennium Hotel
Sheraton Imperial
DCC faces other regional competition also. The Raleigh Convention Center recently opened and
is a much larger facility catering to meetings with more attendees. There is also the Koury
Convention Center located in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the Piedmont Triad region. As
noted earlier, one important aspect of DCC is the imbalance of the number of sleeping rooms
available in the adjacent Durham Marriott. This smaller volume of sleeping rooms impacts the
number of attendees and types of meetings that DCC can accommodate, whereas other facilities
may have larger volumes of rooms within walking distance. This concern may cause target
markets for DCC to shift towards meetings of local organizations or those that do not require
overnight accommodations.
Target Markets
Characteristics of the Primary Target and Market Segments
Targeting Method
To define target markets and build a marketing strategy for each target, we adopted GE’s
portfolio analysis matrix. (Table 1)
<Table 1: GE Matrix>
High Medium Low
HighProtect
PositionInvest to Build
Build
Selectively
MediumBuild
Selectively
Selectively
Manage for
Earnings
Limited
Expansion or
Harvest
LowBuild
Selectively
Manage for
Earnings
Mar
ket
Att
ract
iven
ess
Business Strength
First, we evaluated the attractiveness of possible markets for DCC (Y-axis). Then, we
determined the degree to which DCC’s existing strengths and capabilities have been/could be
adapted to each possible segment (X-axis).
Market Attractiveness Analysis
To determine attractiveness of possible markets (Y-axis), we used another evaluation table which
defines possible target segments by account types and meeting types. Then, based on research
including interviews, market reports, economic reports, we evaluated attractiveness of each
target by profitability, expected market size, growth expectation, competition, and proximity to
Durham. With “market attractiveness” defined in terms of profitability, we focused on profit
12
margins of different meeting revenue streams. As noted above, according to DCC 2007 financial
statements, gross profit margin from food service is 12%, beverage is 63% and that of Audio
Visual (AV) service is 95%. Although AV may require substantial capital expenditure, we
evaluated profitability of each segment based on the presence of AV or Beverage service. As for
expected growth, we considered the industry’s expansion, the effect of the ongoing recession on
the industry20
and its meeting/convention planning. Comment: The high 95% figure does not
take into account depreciation.
Table 2 is the evaluation table of market attractiveness.
<Table 2: Market Attractiveness>
Meeting Types
Account Types Small
functional
Training Networking &
Promotion
Personal
Corporate Accounts
Pharma & Medical High Middle High N/A
Energy & Environment High N/A High N/A
Government Low Low Low N/A
Hospital Middle N/A High N/A
High tech N/A High Middle N/A
Infrastructure Middle Middle Middle N/A
SMERF Accounts
Social Middle Middle High Middle
Military N/A N/A N/A N/A
Education Middle N/A Low N/A
Religion Middle N/A High N/A
Fraternal Middle N/A High N/A
Following are major points of the segment evaluations.
Corporate Accounts21
Pharmaceutical and medical companies in RTP
Durham is known for its large number of pharmaceutical and medical industry companies and
research institutes, primarily in Research Triangle Park area. The largest companies in this
category include GlaxoSmithKline, National Institute of Health (NIH), Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Quintiles, and Biogen Idec etc. Compared with other industries, including
financial and manufacturing industries, the revenue and business of companies in pharmaceutical
and healthcare-related industries are historically less affected by economic downturns. Though
these companies are suffering from the reduced funding in R&D, revenue streams from the sales
of medicine are still healthy. In addition, sales meetings will become increasingly important as
fewer new drugs are introduced to market. Meeting needs from pharmaceutical and medical
companies include research conferences, sales meetings and training sessions, which heavily
require the usage of audio and visual equipments. In addition, DCC will likely prove a more
cost-effective option than other mid-high end hotels, and could attract additional business. In
RTP, there are 40,00022
high-tech employees, and the number has been increasing. Some of the
start-up high-tech firms have expanded dramatically. We can expect more training-related
opportunities such as Lenovo’s relocation training in DCC, which was one of its most profitable
events yet.
13
Green Energy Companies
We recommend companies that use green energy be one of the targeted customer sectors of
DCC. Durham is pushing forward “green initiatives” within its public facilities. Also green
energy is supported at the federal level. In March 2009, the state of North Carolina projects to
receive approximately $ 208 million for energy related projects in the coming two years, as part
of Federal Economic Stimulus plan.23
Getting involved in green initiatives and hosting green
energy related meetings in DCC not only promotes the “environmental friendly” image of DCC,
but also generates revenues from these meetings. Many companies within Durham and RTP area
are members of North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, and actively participating in
green energy related businesses. Our team projects the needs in meeting facilities increases in the
coming years along with the implementation of economic stimulus plan and the recovery of the
overall economy.
Duke Hospital
Within the Durham area, the Duke Hospital System includes Duke University Hospital and
Durham Regional Hospital. The VA (Veterans Administration) Hospital is also a very significant
piece of this medical complex. Being one of the best medical systems in the United States, Duke
Hospital System hosts hundreds of research meetings every year, from small discussion groups
to large annual association meetings. These meetings generate demand for meeting spaces and
largely rely on audio/visual and computer equipment to demonstrate research ideas and findings,
display pictures, and deliver presentations. Despite the fact that Millennium Hotel has positioned
itself as the destination of choice for Duke Hospital, DCC should be able to leverage its size to
attract these high margin meetings. In addition, the ongoing economic recession and reduced
events budgets may result in an increase in local meetings that otherwise would be held in resorts.
Infrastructure Companies
Infrastructure companies include road construction, bridge building, electricity network, etc,
which provides the basic physical and organizational structure needs for the operation of a
society. Under the newly signed economic stimulus plan, “Rebuild America” program was
devised and about $45 billion dollars will be invested to infrastructure industry in the coming
years. This program is estimated to generate more than $230 billion dollars in economic
activities, and will surely enlarge the size of meeting service market in infrastructure industries.
The meetings falls in this category are trade shows of infrastructure equipments, state level and
regional meetings on infrastructure planning, etc.
SMERF Accounts
Social events, such as weddings, have emerged as one of DCCs most important accounts, with a
particular emphasis on Indian weddings. Given DCC’s newly renovated ballroom, DCC can
leverage its internal capabilities to further target this segment. However, it is important to note
that social events tend to be less profitable than business events. In addition, based on interviews
with high-end meeting planners, DCC is not the venue of choice for high-value weddings. DCC
has developed a critical niche market in low-mid range weddings and ethnic weddings. DCC
should maintain these accounts, but should not invest additional capital in expanding its
weddings capabilities.
14
As the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is one of the largest events held at DCC24
, art
festivals and events can yield attractive convention opportunities. As DCVB recognizes the
broad range and diversity of performing arts activities as one of Durham’s emerging strengths,
cultural arts will likely be promoted through DCVB’s marketing strategy for Durham.25
Religious and fraternal accounts are not very profitable accounts, but they should be cultivated,
as they constitute extremely stable accounts during times of economic downturn. Through
interviews with successful convention centers, we discovered that they highly rely on these
accounts.
Educational accounts can be extremely attractive targets and have, as yet, been largely
undeveloped, although DCC recently hired a sales person dedicated to Duke accounts. By way of
example, hundreds of students have decision rights over annual off-site club meetings every year
In addition, Duke holds extensive recruiting events. However, given that event planning is not
centralized, DCC will need a more broad reaching strategy to penetrate this potential target
market.
Based on the market attractiveness analysis and the SWOT analysis, we developed the following
matrix to select target markets and identify basic strategies for each market. (Table 3)
<Table 3: GE Matrix for DCC’s convention business>
High Medium Low
High
Protect Position
-Hospital Symposiums
-Religion/Fraternal Meetings
Invest to Build
-Environment Workshops
-Arts/Cultural Festivals
Build Selectively
-Pharma/Medical
Conferences
-Infrastructure meetings
Medium
Build Selectively
-High-tech Training
-Wedding (Normal)
Selectively Manage for
Earnings
-Incoming student events/
Recuruting Events
Limited Expansion or
Harvest
-Pharma/Medical Training
-Wedding (Luxuary)
LowBuild Selectively
Government Meetings
Manage for Earnings
Student Events (Universities)
Business Strength
Mar
ket
Att
ract
iven
ess
In the target markets where DCC should “protect position,” DCC can expect stable business
leveraging their existing strength, including brand recognition in the market, infrastructure, and
meeting experience, while making effort to maintain the strength.
On the other hand, “Invest to Build” and “Build Selectively” imply that both capital and
marketing expenditures are needed to enhance DCC’s position in the markets. For example, to
attract more environmental workshops, additional investment in eco-friendly infrastructure, such
as energy-efficient lights26
, could be extremely useful, as well as special promotions to improve
brand recognition to the organizations in the target market. As noted above, continued
investment in computer technology also falls within these categories. For arts/cultural festivals,
15
the Full Frame Film Festival is an excellent success story, but more efforts are needed to attract
potential events. For example, more communication with DCVB, which is leading Durham’s
marketing campaign, can help develop new opportunities. Moreover, tie-up or cross-selling with
DPAC should also be pursued.
For other groups, DCC should work to maintain existing customers, but should avoid further
targeted promotions to these sectors. In the case of weddings, DCC has done an excellent job
targeting and developing a niche market within the Indian/ethnic wedding segment. While DCC
should maintain these customers, it is important to note that the profit margins associated with
weddings are relatively low2728
and may not merit significant, additional investment. Regarding
more technical training conferences, the degree of capital investment required to attract these
types of meetings is significant. Given that many of these companies have their own training
facilities, we do not recommend that DCC build capacity for these types of meetings.
Marketing and Sales Activities
Note: The Johnson Consulting Report provided a detailed marketing plan that DCC should
continue to pursue. The following recommendations are intended to complement and support
existing sales efforts.
Overall Marketing Strategy
The overall marketing strategy for DCC should include development of a branding strategy and
promotion of the brand among target segments. Based on our interviews with meeting and
wedding planners, we found that many were not aware of the Convention Center and had not
used their services before. DCC should utilize several distribution channels in its marketing
strategy, including the internal sales force, external meeting planners, the DCVB, and online
reservation systems. We recommend using several cost-effective marketing communication
methods, such as a dedicated DCC web page, press releases, feature articles, industry association
publications, personal selling, and public relations (PR), to promote the DCC brand. DCC should
also build relationships with local establishments, such as the DBAP and DPAC, to cross-
promote.
Sales Strategy
Effective communication between DCC and its target customers is critical to its branding
strategy. Given the increasingly fragmented nature of the market, reliance on traditional
communication methods will not suffice in reaching the full range of potential customers.
Traditional Communication Methods
Traditional communication methods include direct contact with corporate and university
accounts, advertisements and networking with SMERF accounts and meeting planners at trades
shows and industry meetings. Traditional approaches rely heavily upon the circulation of
brochures, fliers, and magazines for corporate and SMERF accounts, and personal sales
techniques including email and phone calls with meeting planners. As DCC’s target audience
16
becomes more disperse, continuing to rely on these market techniques will not prove cost-
effective.
Develop DCC Branding Strategy
Developing a widely-recognizable brand image is an excellent way to raise awareness of DCC in
the local market, complement existing sales strategies and enable DCC sales staff to capture
more business. DCC’s brand image needs to resonate with its target audience. Given the industry
trends noted above, the importance of high margin services to DCC’s future income and the
increased localization of meetings and conferences, we recommend that DCC’s new brand image
include the following:
DCC as anchor of downtown Durham
DCC as facilitator of Durham’s continued progress
Focus on high-tech and green technology,
DCC goes Green
DCC as supporter of local community events and developments
Possible core values could include the following: positive; energetic; authentic; accessible;
capable; cutting-edge; environmental friendly. Please note that some of these core values have
been taken from DCVB’s Marketing Plan. Given that DCVB’s marketing is the official
marketing plan for Durham, it is critical that DCC’s brand image align with DCVB’s efforts.
We recommend that DCC adopt the following tagline:
Where Durham Connects
Please note that this closely mirrors DCVB’s tagline, “Durham: Where Great Things Happen.”
Again, alignment between the two marketing initiatives will enhance market awareness of both.
Recommendations for implementation follow below.
DCC Website
We strongly recommend that the DCC develops its own independent website. The fact that over
50% of DCC’s bookings originate from the Marriott website underscores the critical role that the
internet plays in current consumption patterns. If a business does not have an online identity, it
will not exist for some customers.
DCC does not have a centralized business website. When using online search engines to search
for “Durham Convention Center,” the first several websites linked to either the Durham
Convention and Visitor Bureau website or the Durham County government website. The lack of
a dedicated website has become one of the obstacles that limit public awareness of DCC.
A DCC website will provide DCC with another portal through with to process bookings. In
addition, DCC will be able to use the website to promote its customers’ events, providing
additional incentive for customers to work with DCC. A DCC website will also serve as a critical
tool for communicating DCC’s brand image and its values.
17
Recommendations - We recommend the following content:
Where to Meet,
Where to Stay,
Where to Dine,
Where to Shop,
What’s Happening at DCC
DCC in the News,
1. DCC Adopts Energy Efficient Technology
2. DCC Host Local Events
3. DCC Upgrades Teleconferencing Capabilities
4. etc.
Video of the rooms and meeting facilities at DCC, and
Joint promotion content with other Durham Downtown attractions and facilities.
Online booking capabilities
Please review the adjoining PowerPoint presentation for a graphic depiction of the proposed
DCC website.
Public Relations Campaign
Press releases
Feature articles
Content could include upgrades to DCC, website launch, upcoming events, and joint
promotions with local facilities
Special events:
Trade shows,
Film festivals, and
Dance festivals, hosted at DCC and other downtown Durham facilities
Joint promotions/cross-selling:
Marriott
DPAC
Carolina Theatre
DBAP
Such as pre-show/after-show dinner packages, Meet the Artist series, etc.
Strengthen ties with DCVB
Participate in DCVB coop
Link to DCVB website
Host DCVB events
18
Products and Services Detailed Product / Service Description
The Durham Convention Center was initially founded to induce construction of a major hotel in
downtown Durham (Omni-now Marriott), attract business to downtown Durham and revitalize
the struggling city center. Currently DCC contains a convention center and an on-site Marriot
hotel. The convention center provides over 40,000 square feet of meeting and 13 meeting rooms
in downtown Durham, including one of the area’s largest ballrooms. The Convention center
currently provides meeting service and food catering for business conventions, social events, and
weddings.
1 Highlight for business conventions29
i. All event space conveniently located on one level
ii. State-of the art space with high-speed internet access and on-site audio-
visual services
iii. Expert and creative catering and events team to develop custom menus
and themes
iv. Dedicated Event-Services Manager available though out the duration of
your event
2 Highlight for social events and Weddings30
i. Catering capabilities to enhance weddings, social events and theme parties
ii. Skilled planners to coordinate events
iii. Expert and creative catering and events teams to develop custom menus
and themes
iv. On-Site Certified Wedding Planner
v. Unique settings for receptions, ceremonies, and parties
3 Competitive advantages
i.Competitive rate by public support
ii.On-sight high-class hotel
iii.Located amid Downtown Durham's arts, entertainment, and historic districts
Product Life Cycle
With two ballrooms, the convention center has enhanced its product offerings and is able to
respond to a broad range of customer needs. However, the audio/visual equipment and computer
setups need to be updated to support the kinds of services that will attract higher margin business.
19
Operations
Production and Service Delivery Procedures
1 Internal
a. Meetings and Conventions
Reservation management
Meeting space Setup
Certified Wedding planning
b. Catering Service (Catering Manager)
Serving Team
Restaurant management
c. Sales
Customer relationship management
Meeting Planner management
2 External (subcontractors)
a. Meeting Planner
Agency and fee payment
Production and Service Delivery Capability
1 Internal
a. Extensive and flexible capacity (1 ballroom, 8 halls, 6 meeting rooms)
b. Expert and creative catering and events team to develop custom menus
and themes
c. On-Site Certified Wedding Planner
2 Anticipated increases in capacity
a. $6 million in additional renovations
3 Lead time- Initial orders
a. Over the phone – 2-3 days
b. Meeting Planner – about 2-3 week
c. Internet requests – reply and confirm order within 24 hours
4 Lead time –Turn around
a. About 2-3 days
Operating Competitive Advantages
1 Experience
Experience of developing customized service
Highly experienced management team
High rating on GSS (guest service survey)
20
2 Economies of scale
Competitive, extensive capacity in downtown Durham
“One-stop shop” for accounts seeking hotel, restaurant and meeting
space.
Access to Marriot event booking system
Management
Management Staff and Structure
Organizational Issues
As discussed above, there has been an unclear consensus regarding convention center business
between owners and management. The mission statement and KPIs, which are recommended
above, should better align the owner and the management. To ensure that the mission statement
and KPIs are integrated into daily business, however, organizational systems such as
organization structure and incentive systems need to be adjusted.
Brand Identity - We recommend that DCC build its own brand identity. Therefore, it is
important to have the management and the employees recognize DCC’s business separately.
Therefore, incentive systems which encourage employees to improve convention center business
and quality of service need to be considered.
Decision rights between Shaner and DCC need to be realigned. Shaner has decision rights over
revenue generation, operations, variable costs, minor fixed costs and budget preparation. The
owners have decision rights over major fixed costs, major capital improvements, budget
approval, budget shortfalls and financing. In developing the framework for a revised incentive
system, Shaner’s performance should only be judged against its decision rights, and it should not
be held accountable for developments, such as the current economic downturn or the time-
consuming financing procedures, that might negatively impact revenue. Again,
interdependencies between the two sets of decision rights revolve primarily around the budgeting
process, financing and the relationship between revenue generation and major capital
improvements.
New Contract - The Shaner contract expires in a little over two years. Now is the time for DCC
to redraft the contract as they see fit. Then after the draft is complete, review it with Shaner.
Before initiating negotiations with Shaner, decide within DCC where you have flexibility and
which points are crucial to a successful contract. This should all be done when there is still one
year to go on current contract so there is sufficient time to search for another firm if a
satisfactory deal cannot be struck.
1. Management staff organization
One of the features of the organization structure is direct reporting lines between directors and
GM (see Exhibit 2). This flat structure helps GM understand detailed situations ranging from
sales to service to personnel issues. However, with this type of structure, communications across
functions may not be as effective. Therefore, we recommend establishing cross-functional teams
21
as appropriate in order to ensure that each division is aware of how their activities impact other
divisions and, as a result, the profitability of DCC as a whole..
2. Incentive system
a. Analysis of incentives for management/staff
Chart 2 outlines DCC’s current incentive system.
<Chart 2: Current Incentive Structure>
Hotel
GSS BonusOverall
RevenuesPersonal Goals
Convention
Center
Hotel
GSS BonusOverall
RevenuesPersonal Goals
Convention
Center
Under the current incentive system, the DCC and hotel are treated as one unit and employees are
evaluated against the performance of the hotel and DCC together. DCC is ultimately treated as a
loss leader for the hotel. Again, this is typical for convention centers in the U.S.
Strengths of current system
This system is very simple and flexible. The system encourages employees to use DCC to drive
revenue to the hotel and vice-versus. Employees can act as a “one-stop shop” service provider,
meeting the full range of customer demands. In addition, this structure mirrors that of local
competitors, thereby enabling DCC to submit competitive bids for business.
Weaknesses of current system
The system does not reflect DCC’s ownership structure. Employees focus less on the convention
center business and its mission and do not treat DCC as a standalone entity. There are no
incentives directly aligned to the convention center business unit.
a. Recommended Incentive System
Note: Important considerations in any incentive system should include controllability, alignment
interdependence and horizon. With respect to management, management’s performance should
be judged against its ability to have a positive impact on those activities that fall under its
decision rights (discussed above). After discussing this with several experts in the field of
incentive systems and performance management, we determined that the most appropriate
performance measures for management include the following:
Budget variances
Event satisfaction
22
Revenue
Budget variances are an excellent way to measure the performance of a facility against itself, and
will discourage management from underestimating or overestimating budget projections. This is
particularly useful when a project is not profitable, but, for various reasons outlined above,
merits continued investment.
We recommend that the performance measures noted above be included in DCC contract.
i. Structure
Chart 3 explains the basic structure of the proposed incentive system.
<Chart 3: Proposed Incentive Structure>
Hotel/
Convention
Team Goals HotelPersonal Goals Convention
Hotel/
Convention
Team Goals HotelPersonal Goals Convention
Recommendation - We recommend that structure outlined above for the rest of DCC staff.
The primary difference between the existing system and our recommendation lies in the
separated incentives (performance measurements) for the hotel and convention center business
units. For DCC, measurements such as: profit, revenue, event evaluation, and other proposed
KPIs can be used. These should be developed to align directly with the KPIs that measure
overall performance of DCC.
Team Goals - Since the convention center business involves more team-oriented work, team
goals should be set and used as performance measurements. “Teams” can include not only
existing divisions but also cross-functional teams such as a specific event team. Goals and
measurements can include revenue targets, gross profit of events, and specific items on the event
evaluation forms.
Personal Goals - Personal goals also exist in the current incentive system. We recommend that
management develop goal-setting guidelines based on position and function.
Individual Goals should include - Convention-related goals, such as individual sales from
convention services, event evaluation of the events, and other KPIs. At the same time, DCC
should maintain goals that continue to encourage “one-stop shop” behavior, including goals that
capture total revenue from the convention and hotel business.
23
Strengths and Weaknesses
The most significant benefit of the proposed system is that it accurately reflects the ownership
structure of DCC. This will better enable employees to pursue DCC’s specific mission and goals.
However, given that most competitors do not treat meeting space and guest rooms as separate
entities, the above system could discourage more competitive behavior by employees. Therefore,
DCC could institute a set of individual goals that encourage employees to treat the two business
units as one. Following are our recommendations for implementation.
ii. Implementation Plan
The first step of the implementation should focus on increasing awareness of the new incentive
system among the management and the employees. Initiate workgroups to introduce the mission
statement and KPIs, and solicit and incorporate employee feedback into the incentive system.
As a result of the workgroups, develop a short-term implementation plan with which employees
are comfortable. Given that DCC is currently operating at a loss, it will be difficult. However,
individual goals should include convention specific goals. While it may be difficult to link each
personal goal directly to compensation, we recommend that DCC begin by using an overall
evaluation based on individual performance...
To stimulate awareness of and alignment to the mission statement and the new incentive system,
DCC could institute an additional, complementary award system. For example, employees who
provided service exceeding customer expectations can be awarded a “Beyond Expectation
Award” .
Over the long-term, the incentive system should motivate the management and the employees to
more proactively develop DCC business. Therefore, specific DCC business goals and results
should be adopted as performance measures. At the same time, measurement of individual
achievement should become more quantitative, with each individual’s measurement linked
directly to the compensation system.
24
Funds Required and Their Uses
Current Funding Requirements
1 Government subsidy of approximately $1million/year
Funding Requirements Over the Next Five Years
2 Government subsidy expected to continue at similar or lower level, although they
will likely increase over the next year due to the impact of the economic
recession.
Use of Funds
1 Capital expenditures
a. Website development $14,000 - $20,00031
b. Media campaign $20,000
c. Computer installments $4,000/each32
d. Note: We recommend that DCC conduct a tour of Fuqua facilities in order
to determine which type of computer installment would be appropriate for
DCC. Fuqua constantly upgrades its technological infrastructure in order
to remain at the cutting edge of global business schools.
2 Staff salaries/cost allocation
a. DCC and Shaner Hotel Group might consider allocating costs according to
the amount of time that employees spend on hotel vs. convention center
and/or and proportional revenue that each employee generates for the hotel
vs. the convention center.
3 Management fee
a. The management fee should be tied to the performance measures outlined
above.
Long-Range Financial Strategies (liquidating investors’ positions)
1 There is no realistic exit strategy for the owners of DCC, given poor financial
performance of facility and government interest in maintaining a convention
center.
25
Summary
Conclusion
Alignment of Owners and Management to Common Mission Statement
While communication between DCC owners and management is open and clear, there still seem
to be unresolved issues regarding the purpose of DCC and owners expectations for management.
Throughout the course of the study, we worked with all parties to develop a mission statement
and KPIs that will clarify any confusion.
Operations
Currently, employee costs are allocated on 50/50 basis. DCC should allocate costs in a way that
better reflects the economic reality of the hotel versus the convention center.
In addition, incentive structures currently treat the hotel and convention center as one unit. While
this is standard practice in the hospitality industry, the ownership structure of the convention
center complicates matters. Given that the incentive system is not directly aligned to the
convention center, we recommend the system be modified.
Marketing
Over the course of the research study, we identified the following challenges that DCC needs to
address as it formulates its marketing strategy
a. Lack of awareness in marketplace regarding DCC
b. Increasingly fragmented customer base
c. Unclear position of DCC in downtown Durham
d. Unclear target
e. Outdated technology
Recommendations
Mission Statement
We recommend that DCC adopt the mission statement (on page 7) and KPIs proposed above.
Recognizing that this is a living document, however, we encourage DCC to revisit the KPIs on a
quarterly basis to both track progress and confirm relevance, if necessary.
Cost Allocation
Regarding operations, we recommend that the cost allocation system be adjusted to reflect
economic reality.
Incentive Systems
We recommend that DCC integrate the proposed incentive system into the existing system, in
order to ensure that employees’ incentives are aligned to DCC KPIs, Note that management
should only be judged against whether it has successfully executed against its decision rights.
This is particularly important in a business that is not profitable but continues to merit
investment. Controllability, interdependence, alignment and horizon are critical considerations in
measures performance over time.
26
Marketing and Branding
We recommend the following steps in order to overcome the lack of awareness regarding DCC
in the marketplace:
a. Refine target markets according to the following criteria: profitability, proximity,
recession-resistance, DCC strengths
b. Develop brand image that both positions DCC as anchor of downtown Durham and
attracts high margin business (see PowerPoint presentation)
Implementation
Mission Statement
It is critical that all employees understand and accept the new mission statement and the KPIs.
We recommend that DCC introduce the mission statement and KPIs to all employees in an
organized meeting. Employees should feel inspired and motivated to support the mission
statement, and they need to feel like they are part of the process. This can be achieved by using
current fiscal situation to create a sense of urgency among employees and then establishing work
groups to develop both team and individual strategies for overcoming the challenges that face
DCC and realizing the goals of the mission statement.
Operations
Follow the recommendations outline above for implementing incentive systems for management
and employees. Again, weights placed on different performance measures should change over
time, assuming that the financial performance of DCC will gradually improve.
Marketing and Branding
Marketing Communications (MC) Campaigns
Adopt tagline “Where Durham Connects”. This aligns with DCVB’s tagline and captures
the value of meetings, weddings and conferences.
Implement MC campaign that reflects core values that will resonate with target audience
and position DCC as anchor of downtown Durham. See PowerPoint presentation for
suggestions.
Develop dedicated DCC website that reflects core values, serves as platform for joint
promotions, promotes events throughout downtown Durham and allows for online
booking.
Use press releases and feature articles to promote relevant developments at DCC
Use joint promotions with Carolina Theatre, DPAC etc to cross-sell services. Possible
ideas include pre-theatre and after-theater dinner packages, “Meet the Artists” series,
where DCC hosts visiting artists while serving beverages
Strengthen ties with DCVB by participating in DCVB events, linking to DCVB website,
and supporting DCVB initiatives.
Upgrades
Computer/Projector Installments
Updated Audio System
Energy-Efficient Technology
Reconfiguration of ballroom33
28
Exhibit #2
GM
Controller Chief Engineer Director of Sales F&B Director
Corporate Sales Mgr
Security Manager Revenue Manager HR Director
Catering Manager
Conv Serv Mgr
Event Manager
Sales Mgr
Sales Coordinator Asst Bqt Mgr
Bqt Captain
Bqt Captain
Bqt Captain
AM Rest Supervisor
PM Rest Supervisor
Front Office Mgr
Front Desk Sup
Front Desk Sup
Bell Captain
HSKP Sup
HSKP Sup
Supervisor
Front Desk Sup
Sales Mgr
HR Asst
Exec Sous Chef
GM
Controller Chief Engineer Director of Sales F&B Director
Corporate Sales Mgr
Security Manager Revenue Manager HR Director
Catering Manager
Conv Serv Mgr
Event Manager
Sales Mgr
Sales Coordinator Asst Bqt Mgr
Bqt Captain
Bqt Captain
Bqt Captain
AM Rest Supervisor
PM Rest Supervisor
Front Office Mgr
Front Desk Sup
Front Desk Sup
Bell Captain
HSKP Sup
HSKP Sup
Supervisor
Front Desk Sup
Sales Mgr
HR Asst
Exec Sous Chef
29
Resumes of Fuqua Team
Gen Arai_Fuqua Resume.pdf
JanessaPulliam_Fuqua Resume.pdf
HappyWhitlock_Fuqua Resume.pdf
JianmingZhang_Fuqua Resume.pdf
1 Durham_Civic_Center_Presentation_9_19_08.ppt
2 White Paper-Convention Visitation and the Durham Civic Center, DVCB, 12-4-08
3 DCC Income Statements 2007, Durham _Civic_Center Presentation_9-19-80.ppt
4 Best Practices-Convention Center Sales and Center Operations: A Report from the Joint Study Committee,
Destination Marketing Association International,8-25-07 5 Ibid
6 Space Race Hyperbole Masks Reality, DCVB, 1-16-09
7 DCVB
8 http://www.ajc.com/business/content/printedition/2009/01/28/gwcc0128.html
9 White Paper: Convention Visitation and the Durham Civic Center, DCVB 12-4-08
10 DCC staff
11 DCC staff
12 http://www.durham-nc.com/about/visitor_research_stat/category/27/
13 http://www.durham-nc.com/about/overview-facts-history/durham_facts.php
14White Paper: Convention Visitation and the Durham Civic Center, DCVB 12-4-08
15 DCVB’s Annual Survey, 2005
16 White Paper-Convention Visitation and the Durham Civic Center, DVCB, 12-4-08
17Best Practices-Convention Center Sales and Center Operations: A Report from the Joint Study Committee,
Destination Marketing Association International,8-25-07 18
Ibid 19
White Paper: Convention Visitation and the Durham Civic Center, DCVB 12-4-08 20
http://www.resumebear.com/blog/index.php/2008/12/29/top-50-recession-proof-industries-and-what-makes-them-
recession-proof-part-1/ 21
http://leadsexplorer.com/blog/269/the-15-industries-you-could-sell-to-in-the -2009-recession-year/ 22
http://www.rtp.org/files/Fact%20Sheets/rtp_history.pdf 23
http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/durham/4-1109710.cfm 24
Durham_Civic_Center_Presentation_9_19_08.ppt 25
DCVB Marketing Strategy 26
www.raleighconvention.com 27
2006-2008 Income Statements, Durham_Civic_Center_Presentation_9_19_08.ppt 28
Detailed outline revenue from top-ten accounts, provided by DCC 29
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-planning/travel/rducv-durham-marriott-convention-center/ 30
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-planning/wedding-planning/rducv-durham-marriott-convention-center/ 31
Estimate from Rock Creek Strategic Marketing, http://www.rockcreeksm.com/ 32
Estimates from Fuqua’s IT department 33
DCC staff