DMC's Evolution

  • The beginning

    Destination Management
    Meeting planners were called ground handler, means the person who prepare everything for its guest before their airplane arrives. They were in charge of airport meet and greet, transportation etc.
  • The term DMC was coined in EUA

    Phil Lee, coined the name DMC because they add parties and themed events as well as guest programs to the previous program they had.
  • Coming of age

    Competition era/DMCP certificate
    Everything about tourism popped up, DMCs expanded their role in the meeting, convention and incentive travel industry and new comapnies emerged joined this business.
    And because of this, they create a DMCP wich is a certification of a DMC.
  • Period: to

    Recession

    They had a lot of suppliers so they needed to reduce
  • Consolidation

    More companies were competing for fewer dollars.
    Agressive national expansion and corporatizing of the destination maagement business through institutional investment and venture capital.
  • Financial Crisis

    Bigest financial crisis before the pandemic. It was a “perfect storm” of economic, social and political scrutiny of corporate excess, namely travel and recognition events, leading to the sudden cancellation of thousands of meetings across the country. Many DMCs and event planning companies struggled to stay afloat, and some were forced to permanently close their doors.
  • Globalization on the rise

    The meeting industry has become much more complex, with procurement, risk management and financial oversight driving much of the purchasing process.