An Industry of Acronyms: Working at a DMC

The first day I started working at FIRE Light Group and Wisconsin Meetings and Events, I thought my co-workers were hazing me by speaking another language. Over the course of one conversation there were as many as 10 acronyms used… and I knew none of them. Faced with what seemed to be an endless list of 3-lettered abbreviations I did what any recent college graduate would do, I started writing them down. As the days passed and I slowly started recognizing when these acronyms were being used, one in particular stuck-out to me and that was “DMC”. At first I admit that the only reason it seemed familiar to me was because it reminded me of Run–DMC but I didn’t think they were talking about a rap group. Once I started sourcing hotels, it was finally explained to me that not only was “DMC” an iconic 80s band but that it also stood for a Destination Management Company. (See the bottom of this blog for a list of commonly used industry acronyms)

For those of you like me when I started who don’t know what a destination management company is, it is a professional services company possessing extensive local knowledge, expertise, and resources, specializing in the design and implementation of events, activities, tours, transportation and program logistics. A destination management company represents you, your goals, and what you want to come from your program. You benefit from the DMC’s knowledge, service quality, and reliability. A DMC will negotiate on your behalf and always keep your best interests and budget in mind. This was music to my ears as someone new to the incentive industry in charge of planning site visits to countries I had never even set foot in. They help me narrow down what can seem like endless options of activities and hotels and make sure that my client and I get exactly what we are looking for.

So, knowing that, here's my little commercial for our business:

FIRE Light Group, a veteran in the employee engagement and incentive travel industry just recently announced the launch of Wisconsin Meetings and Events. As a DMC, Wisconsin Meetings and Events (WME) specializes in a wide range of services including venue selection, contract negotiations, management and logistics of transportation and hotel stays (to name a few). Planning an event is time consuming, especially when you have a small staff that has additional responsibilities. With a single go-to resource for all of your meeting and event services, you won’t have to deal with numerous suppliers, contractors and other service providers. Outsourcing allows you to leave some or all of the planning duties to the experts, freeing up your staff to concentrate on what matters most to your event–program content. Now that I know the benefits of a DMC and know how valuable they are, check out the Wisconsin Meetings and Events website to learn more about how WME can help with your next meeting or event.

Ok, now that you've heard the pitch (or maybe you just scrolled past it, I'm not judging), here is the promised not-nearly-comprehensive list of industry acronyms, associations and terms. The associations are hyper-linked to their respective websites if you wanted to learn more.

AI- All-Inclusive
ASI- Advertising Specialty Institute
BEO- Banquet Event Order
CEP- Certified Engagement Practitioner
CESP- Certified Engagement Solutions Provider
CIC- Convention Industry Council
CIS- Certified Incentive Specialist
CITE- Certified Incentive and Travel Executive
CMM- Certificate in Meeting Management
CMP- Certified Meeting Professional
CSEP- Certified Special Events Professional
CVB- Convention and Visitors Bureau
DMC- Destination Management Company
EEA- Enterprise Engagement Alliance
EP- European Pricing
FAM- Familiarization Trip
FIT- Frequent Individual (or Independent) Traveler
HSMAI- Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International
IATA- International Air Transport Association
IBTM- Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings (America Expo- AIBTM, China Expo- CIBTM, Europe Expo- EIBTM)
IMA- Incentive Marketing Association
IMEX- Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events (We know this doesn't line up with the actual acronym. Don't ask us why, we have no idea. We think "WEITME" may have just been too close to "Bite Me".)
IRF- The Incentive Research Foundation
ITE- Incentive Travel Exchange (Caribbean- CMITE, Global- GMITE)
MICE- Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions
MPI- Meeting Professionals International
PCMA- Professional Convention Management Association
PPPN- Per Person, Per Night
SITE- Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (or Executives, they have officially changed it but both seem to be used regularly.)

Looking at this long list, you can see why I was so confused. Just the certifications list alone are enough to befuddle anyone! Did I miss one of your favorites? If so, let us know in the comments.


Ashley