A s commissioner of the Canadian Premier League (CPL), David Clanachan isn’t accustomed to working closely with destination marketing organizations (DMO). But when COVID-19 forced the professional soccer league to reimagine its 2020 season as a sequestered bubble in Charlottetown, PEI, Clanachan admits it was a real eye-opener to see how quickly and effectively Tourism Prince Edward Island, Meetings & Conventions PEI and Discover Charlottetown worked alongside local stakeholders to help pull off the unprecedented event. Over five weeks this past summer, some 300 people—broadcast crews, league staff, physicians and referees, plus athletes and coaches from CPL’s eight clubs—played the 2020 Island Games under tightly controlled health and safety protocols. The destination helped CPL arrange an entire hotel buyout and ensured each team had its own bus transportation. “They understand the capabilities of the market and how things move and work, such as accommodations, venues, catering and all the other service providers,” Clanachan adds. DMOs have their fingers on the pulse of their communities and can offer the latest information about air travel to the destination, hotel availabilities and size capacities for local gatherings. Tourism Saskatoon is in constant communication with its members to help educate about new regulations and to learn about their partners’ reopening plans so that, as DMO, “we’re the keeper of all the information when planners contact us,” says Candace Schierling, director of sales, Tourism Saskatoon. “Right now, they’re asking about flexibility in bookings and contract clauses, the safety guidelines of our venues and examples of meetings that we’ve hosted successfully.” If you’ve never used a DMO, or it’s been a while, here’s what to expect as you make that initial call: There are several reasons why DMOs want to be a planner’s first point of contact. DMOs provide a holistic view that avoids favouring one destination partner over another, says Jeff Nearing, vice-president, sales, Discover Halifax. “DMOs hold incredible knowledge and vast connections which are critical to the success of a program. Especially during COVID, DMOs have their pulse on the destination and offer essential information,” says Gisele Robert, principal consultant, StraightTALK Incentives, Toronto. While planning a recent conference, Gayle Garas, senior program manager, Dragonfly Meeting Solutions in Thornhill, Ont., says she only contacted the DMO after she had booked the hotel. The DMO was helpful, but advised that a much broader range of services might have been offered if all of its hotel partners had the chance to be considered. “I’ve learned that if you don’t use the DMO, you leave a lot of support behind,” Garas says. “It’s worth making that initial connection at the front end.” WHY DMO FIRST? November 2020 | Ignitemag.ca | 49