To land DNC contracts, businesses turn to good old networking

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Many Charlotte-area businesses are turning to the national Democratic Party in hopes of landing work during its September 2012 convention in Charlotte. But for savvy business owners in the hospitality industry, it is only one part of their strategy.

Charlotte hosts conventions of all sizes all the time, and there is already a system in place to help small businesses — including florists, linen suppliers, event planners, caterers and sign companies — get business when events are held here.

In a sense, the old adage is true — it is who you know — but in the local hospitality industry, that is.

“You want to put your name in as many places as possible, including on the tips of the tongues of as many people as possible in the business,” said Mike Butts, executive director of Visit Charlotte, part of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “You never know where lead opportunities will come from. Referrals will be fast and furious in the months preceding the convention, so you want to be connected.”

Not all business will be directly with the Democratic Party and its official events. Corporations, industry groups, lobbying organizations and nonprofits will also be in town for the convention, and they will be entertaining, too. There will be increased visitor activity for months beforehand. It’s estimated that some 1,200 affiliated events were held during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“Typically, convention business doesn’t just come from the host group: There’s also a lot of peripheral business,” said Mary Tribble, founder of Charlotte-based Tribble Creative Group. “A lot of wining and dining goes on.”

Those contracts will not necessarily go through the DNC and the process it sets up. So the homegrown way of getting business will come into play.

“Networking will be pretty high on our list for the next year,” said Andy Thompson, co-owner of Charlotte-based Rose Chauffeured Transportation. In addition to local contacts, Rose will take advantage of its affiliation with about 100 companies nationwide by getting business from their customers who are here for the convention, Thompson said.

Jill Marcus, owner of Charlotte-based catering company Something Classic, doubts she’ll need to do much marketing to land convention-related work. The Mint Museum and Discovery Place are expected to be booked for about a three-week period, and she is the exclusive caterer for both.

Something Classic is also a preferred caterer for many other venues, such as the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture, and Marcus has her own small event venue in Charlotte, Grace on Brevard. Her new restaurant, Halcyon, is part of the Levine Center for the Arts, putting it at the hub of uptown activity.

“It’s time to polish the silver,” Marcus said. “I’ll focus on training my staff and creating excellence on a grand scale.”

Her biggest concern: that there will be “a mad dash for servers in the three months of craziness” leading up to the convention.

Visit Charlotte will help its less-connected members the way it always does when a convention comes to town, Butts said. Its members are referred to as partners, and there are 570 of them. They are all listed on the group’s website, and it’s there that Visit Charlotte sends callers looking for hospitality services. Butts said they’ll follow that procedure for any groups seeking vendors during the convention.

When companies called Visit Charlotte about getting contracts in the days following the Feb. 1 DNC announcement, representatives made it clear that membership in the organization cannot guarantee a contract during the convention.

“But it can give you at-bats you might not get otherwise,” Butts said. “Being a member communicates that you understand the business. It can give you an edge.”

Partners get news on upcoming conventions and opportunities, and they can attend informational and networking sessions, Butts said. “Now is the time to get connected to businesses who can refer you,” he said. “Get engaged in the industry, work your network and develop relationships.”

The convention is still 19 months away, but Will Miller, acting executive director of the local host committee, is already being bombarded by frustrated vendors.

“I can’t blame them,” he said. “Everyone wants to be in the front of the line. But I tell them to be patient and not to worry. We have to think it through. We will find ways for people to participate and make money.”

There are also concerns that out-of-town companies will get the bulk of DNC contracts.

“When we met with the DNC, they were very clear that they want see the convention benefit the people of Charlotte,” Butts said. “They sincerely want to see Charlotte business owners get business, not outside companies coming in and scooping up business. I commend them for that.”

Some suspect that out-of-town vendors will be needed to meet the demands of the thousands of people who will descend on Charlotte for the convention.

Thompson expects to see other transportation companies enter the market during the convention, and his company will probably get additional vehicles for its fleet from its partners in other cities. Marcus wonders if there will be enough linens and silverware available in the Queen City. She says she might need to turn to suppliers from other cities.

Tribble said most groups will use local meeting planners because “we know the vendors and the venues. I think everyone in the industry will be busy and have more business than they know what to do with.”

How to get a piece of the DNC action

Many agree that the first step to doing business with the Democratic National Committee for its 2012 convention is to register at www.democrats.org/2012convention.

Interested vendors are also recommended to register at the local website, www.charlottein2012.com, to get updates.