6/24/2008 2:54:46 PM
Website article link:
http://www.hotelinteractive.com/hi_index.asp?page_id=5000&article_id=10840
By Patrice A. Kelly
The religious meetings market is a multi-billion dollar segment with vast potential since they require a variety of venues, love attractions, and can make a major impact on yearly revenue. As a growing marketplace with widespread demographics, frequent events and variety of meeting sizes, the religious meetings market should definitely be on your radar.
Although exact figures are hard to pin down, indications are that the scope of the religious meetings market is immense. The World Tourism Organization estimates the international religious travel market is worth more than $1 billion domestically and $18 billion worldwide. However, there are indications that those numbers may be a bit low.
According to Religious Conference Managers Association (RCMA) executive director and CEO Dwayne Woodring, in 2006 the Church of the Nazarene Quadrennial brought in $40,460,000 to the host city, the Assemblies of God World Triennial $25,200,000, the Church of God Biennial $22,800,000, and the Seventh Day Adventists generated “an eye-popping $62,000,000.”
At least180 million Americans are members of the faith-based community, and there are more than 400,000 churches and religious institutions in America. According to research by City University of New York, there are 100 million Protestants in the U.S., 67 million Catholics, and 4 to 5 million Jews (Buddhists, Moslems and other faiths add up to less than one million each).
In addition to large annual conferences, committee meetings and seminars make up a significant portion of U.S. religious meetings. RCMA organizations held 6,094 such meetings in 2005, 2,941 board meetings, and 2,482 other types of meetings.
The market sees continuous growth, as the number of meetings conducted by RCMA members increased for the third year in a row in 2005, by 8.2 percent to 17,545 meetings. 14.8 million people attended meetings conducted by RCMA members in 2007, compared to only 4.5 million people in 1997.
According to Woodring, the market is practically immune to fluctuations in the general economy and the travel industry. “The religious market is recession-proof,” states Woodring. “Regardless of world affairs, good times or bad, war or peace, religious organizations are the ones which continue to attract young and old alike.”
Religious meetings are a boon during hotel distress periods, according to Harry Schmidt, CMP, President of Christian Life College and meeting planner for eight other church-based organizations. “Many faith-based and religious groups do a lot of spontaneous scheduling. They can put a piece of business together in 30 days or less and [organize] sometimes faster than many corporate groups can.”
Religious meetings have a greater economic impact on a region than just hotel revenues. Religious conferences often attract entire families who devote time not only to spiritual matters but also to amusement and sightseeing attractions. “Religious meetings spend a lot of money because they bring significant others,” says Bill Williams, vice president of diversity sales for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau.
The latest RCMA survey finds that religious meetings book all types of facilities:
Downtown venues continue to be the top choice for religious events. For the past 13 years, downtown hotels have been the most preferred sites, hosting 17.2% of denominational and religious organization meetings.
Conference centers have become the second most popular choice of RCMA planners. In 2007, 16.6% of all religious meetings were held in conference centers.
Suburban hotels booked 12.8% of the business in 2007, up from 12.4% in 2006.
Camps and retreat centers continue to be popular, attracting 11.2% of the business.
Convention and civic centers decreased in popularity with 11.1% of meetings, down from 11.6% in 2006.
Resort hotels attracted 11.1 of the business, a decrease from 11.3% in 2006.
Airport hotels hosted 10.5% of the meetings in 2007, up slightly from 10.4% in 2006.
Colleges and universities continue to represent an important option for religious meeting planners, with 7.6% of the 2007 business.
According to the Religious Market Consulting group, the religious market purchases both “religious” and secular products/services, and is also extremely loyal. Schmidt adds, “When they connect with a good hotel chain or specific hotel or property, the religious market tends to be very loyal to a brand. If you get religious meeting planners to really connect with local staff and hotels, you’ll not only see repeat business at those properties, but they’ll carry that brand loyalty when they move on to other areas.”
When marketing to the religious meetings market, the basics are best and word of mouth is critical. “Number one, when you advertise, go to the grassroots,” says Williams. “I go to my locals and I ask for local support. I meet with my locals and I plant the seed that we should host it, with their assistance. We work with the locals and by the time we make our presentation to the national body we have already gotten the support of the local body. You just need local support.”
“I think the biggest thing a bureau or a hotel needs to understand when soliciting the religious market is they need to do their homework beforehand,” says Yvonne Board, senior sales manager for the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Because with different religious organizations you have different religious practices, such as [some] organizations don’t eat meat. Some religious organizations have to have a room that has no chairs in it because they are constantly on their knees, so the flooring has to have a specific type of padding. Be aware of those types of issues before calling on somebody and asking them for their business.”
