Attendees expect seamless movement, whether they’re riding in a sedan from the airport or in a coach from a convention center. Succeed, and they probably won’t even appreciate it. But fail, and it may color their perception of the entire event. Here is what seasoned suppliers and planners have to say about executing a moving experience.

1. SET A REALISTIC BUDGET.
Both suppliers and planners report the need to educate customers on the amount of an event’s budget they should devote to transportation, but find it’s often a case of having too much or not enough.

“I find that most planners come to us with a large enough budget,” says Richard Hausman, owner of Chicago Classic Coach. “Usually, there is overkill. The end-customer is so concerned about transportation that they would rather have too much than not enough.”

Planner Catherine Griffin, owner of A La Carte Planners in Darien, however, finds many of her clients underestimate transportation expenses, particularly in light of rising fuel costs. “Transportation can easily be 25 percent or 30 percent of a budget,” which makes the costs nearly equal to what most planners spend on food and beverage, she says.

2. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
“Everyone assumes transportation is an easy thing,” says Jay Weidner, director of sales and marketing for Chicago-based On the Scene Destination Management. “It’s not as simple as renting six buses for six hours. It’s hard to make all the pieces fit together to make the experience enjoyable.”

Weidner, whose company offers ground transportation ranging from airport sedans to shuttles for large conventions, knows asking the right questions is the key to providing transportation that fits.

“The details are important,” says Weidner. “If we’re meeting someone at the airport, should the sign say the person’s name, the company name or the meeting name? Some people don’t want to draw attention, and some companies don’t want their competitors to know they’re meeting. Even the signage becomes important.”

3. UNDERSTAND THE ATTENDEES
Knowing what drives an event’s attendees is an invaluable piece of the transportation puzzle, says Catherine Cram, a meeting manager for Chicago’s Turnaround Management Association.

A fun-loving group of employees taking an incentive trip will experience transportation differently than a group of crisis-management professionals heading to a national conference. “When our attendees are type A personalities, we know they like all the details up front. We communicate the exact location of pick-up and what to do if they miss it,” says Cram.

4. CHOOSE AN EXPERIENCED PLANNER
A transportation supplier’s equipment should be well kept and the company should have a good safety record. “Know who you’re dealing with, make sure they’re reputable and have good references,” says Hausman.

After thoroughly checking a transportation company’s background, he adds, ask if the company offers something a bit more intangible: flexibility.

“In our business, there are always last-minute changes. Our customers know we have someone available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, so they can communicate any changes,” says Hausman, whose company handles everything from convention shuttles to university athletic team travel. “That’s been a big part of our success, our flexibility to work with customers.”

5. COMMUNICATE PASS-ALONG COSTS.
“The fuel surcharge from our suppliers is double what it used to be, so we’re always educating our clients,” says Patty Hayes, director of sales at metroConnections, which provides transportation for events ranging from board meetings to conferences drawing thousands of attendees.

To combat rising fuel costs, which often are “pass-along” costs that flow from supplier through planner to end user, it’s critical to operate transportation as efficiently as possible. This may mean transporting attendees in shorter time windows to cut down on costs, says Hayes, or determining if clients really need the number of buses they request.

Sometimes it also takes a hands-on approach. During a recent bid on a 10,000- person transport, Hayes and other metroConnections employees drove potential routes linking 15 hotels in an attempt to discern the most efficient route.

6. PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE.
Although this may sound like the mantra for a staffing agency, it also applies to planning transportation. “Many planners don’t realize the importance of having staff assist them onsite,” says Kristi Turcheck, director of destination services for In the Loop–Chicago. “There’s a lot of value to having staff on-site, but it’s often a place that’s cut out of the budget.”

In an airport like O’Hare, where it often takes 15 minutes for a sedan to reach the loading area, an on-site staff person can make the lull more comfortable, says Turcheck, whose destination management company provides special events transportation, whether to a few key attendees or thousands of delegates.

“The people you are picking up need it to be seamless,” agrees Weidner of On The Scene. “It’s assumed when they hit the ground they can put their minds on autopilot and get where they need to go.”

7. ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN.
Part of executing a successful transportation plan, notes Cram, is making sure a back-up strategy is in place.

“Have a contingency plan,” she says. “Inevitably, there is a breakdown of buses or a driver who doesn’t show up, so make sure you are always prepared.”

Get Connected

A La Carte Planners // Catherine Griffin / 630.963.5250 / www.alacarteplanners.com

Chicago Classic Coach LLC // Richard Hausman / 847.222.6133 / www.chicagoclassiccoach.com

In The Loop–Chicago // Kristi Turcheck / 312.870.7300 / www.intheloop-chicago.com

MetroConnections // Patty Hayes / 312.794.7784 / www.metroconnections.com

On the Scene Destination Management // Jay Weidner / 312.661.1440 / www.onthescenechicago.com

Turnaround Management Association // Catherine Cram / 312.242.6036 / www.turnaround.org