One of IACC's major objectives is to help members market themselves to potential customers. To accomplish this, IACC provides an array of targeted marketing services that are available exclusively to members, either as part of membership or as an affordable complement to the member's own marketing program.

Name and Logo

IACC strongly encourages all members to use the IACC name and logo in their advertising and collateral materials to promote themselves as a bona fide conference center that meets all 31 of IACC's stringent Universal Criteria.

Membership Directories

Every member in IACC-North America is listed in the fully searchable database on IACC Online. Potential customers can search by keyword, location, meeting parameters, management company or other criteria to find one or more IACC-member conference centers that meet their needs. Members are also listed in the print version of the Global Membership Directory that is distributed to at least 12,000 qualified meeting planners on an annual basis. IACC encourages members to distribute the Membership Directory to their own planners who may be seeking other conference venues for their meetings. Contact the IACC Office to request complimentary directories for this purpose.

Advertising

IACC debuted a new advertisement in 2004 that underscores the ability of conference centers to handle even the most sophisticated meetings. Featuring the compelling caption “Let's Pretend vs. IACC Approved,” the ad is intended to generate awareness of IACC as a brand, as well as to further differentiate bona-fide conference centers from other types of facilities. The ad is the centerpiece for IACC's new Cooperating Advertising Campaign (see below) and is also placed in remnant space (space that is provided gratis by meetings publications), the Global Membership Directory and other publications that reach IACC's target market of planners of small to medium-sized meetings.

Cooperative Advertising Initiative

IACC's Cooperative Advertising Plan enables IACC members to participate in cooperative advertising in targeted regional and national publications at a fraction of the cost of doing it on their own. The advertisements feature the compelling "Let's Pretend vs. IACC Approved" headline, and provide a regional cluster of members the opportunity to be listed in connection with the ad, along with their contact information and web site address. All ad materials are professionally produced and expedited to the publications by IACC.

Public Relations

IACC's Director of Marketing and Public Relations, James Mahon, is a veteran of the conference center industry who has established an ongoing relationship between IACC and the meetings and business press that results in ever-expanding coverage for IACC and its members. IACC invites active press to the Annual Conference each year and also coordinates frequent One-on-One Media Meetings among key industry publishers, editors, writers and IACC's President and Executive Vice President to share compelling, current, industry-related topics and updates on the organization and its members. .

Publications

In addition to the Global Membership Directory, members can include two popular IACC brochures in their sales kits to communicate the strong benefits of meeting at an IACC-member property. “The Conference Center Concept; Productive Meetings Begin With the Site” and “Summary of Findings, Meeting Facilities Study” (highlights the study by Cornell University which confirms that conference centers offer a more productive environment for certain meetings) are convenient rack-sized brochures and are available for purchase from the IACC office or online at the IACC Store found on the left-hand navigation bar.

Premium Listing

All IACC members receive a standard listing on IACC Online as part of their membership. For a more commanding presence and additional online capabilities, members can purchase an Premium Listing subscription for just $495.00 per year. This subscription places the property in MapLink on the homepage, activates the e-mail address and web site link on the member's homepage, plus it allows the member to post “Special Promotions,” add additional photos (seven vs. the standard three), post a direct link to their own RFP and gives the member improved placement in a planner's "Search Results" list.

Banner Sponsorship

For even greater visibility, members may sponsor one or more banners throughout the IACC web site on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost of a six-month sponsorship varies and each banner comes with “Guaranteed Performance.” If the banner does not receive the guaranteed number of impressions during the six-month term, the term is extended at no charge until the banner reaches the guarantee or until a full year has elapsed.