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THE BEGINNING
In the 1960s, event planners craved unique entertainment for their guests. Enter ground operators - local businesses specializing in customized group activities like airport welcomes, tours, and outings. -
DMC DEFINITION
The team was first coined in 1972 by Phil Lee; their vision was to provide a single point of contact for meeting planners, handling all aspects of event planning. -
COMING OF AGE
In the 1980s, the travel industry boomed, fueled by a strong economy and growing business travel. This led to the growth of DMCs, which offer customized services for meetings, conferences, and incentives. -
FINANCIAL CRISIS
The 2009 financial crisis wasn't just a bad year for DMCs. It was a perfect storm of economic woes, public scrutiny, and "AIG effect" fear, leading to thousands of cancelled meetings and permanent closures in the industry. -
CONSOLIDATION
In the 1990s, destination management went from local shops to corporate giants, fueled by big money and mergers. It became a fierce competition where only the best survived. -
THE FUTURE
Customers want efficiency and ease of management; they prefer working with a few national partners instead of numerous local DMCs.