What you do next can make the difference between making yourself look really good to your boss, or result in something... well, less desirable.

Is there a way to outsource the project, put it in the hands of people that know and understand Baltimore and have experience planning and executing special events, without breaking the budget? This is where a DMC comes into play to save the day.

What's a DMC?

A destination management company (or DMC), for those not in the know, is a company that specializes in the organization and logistics of meetings and events in a specific country, geographical location, or destination. They are often located in the region they specialize in because they need to maintain current contacts and have an intimate understanding of the area's people, places, and businesses.

Being from the west coast and getting put in charge of organizing your company convention on the other side of the nation probably means you could really use the expertise of people that are actually from the area your event is to take place.

A good DMC will take on as much or as little of the event planning as you want or need. For example, if you are planning special events in Baltimore and have an administrative assistant that normally takes care of locating and buying plane tickets and renting hotel rooms, then you can save some money by doing that in-house and having a Maryland DMC handle the rest.

A few of the major legs in the planning can include:

- Logistics of getting everybody to the destination.

- Staff pick up from the airport.

- Staff pickup via limo (or standard airport shuttle if you're going a little less fancy) and delivery to a hotel to get them settled.

- Fitting all of the special events in Baltimore within the specified time frame.

A DMC can take care of some or all of these -- and more -- for you. Finding destination management companies in Baltimore is pretty easy. A quick search for "DMC Baltimore" will generally do the trick. With a DMC's help, event planning in Baltimore is a breeze. Just tell them what you want, and they'll take care of everything.

Choosing a DMC

Using a DMC can make you look very good, or end up being a disaster depending on who you choose. When researching a destination management company, check to make sure that they have an office located in or near the city you are planning an event or exhibit.

Check also to make sure that the DMC's employees and planners actually live and have an intimate knowledge of the area.

And perhaps most important of all, ask for referrals from previous companies that have worked with them, and contact those companies if possible. Don't rely entirely on testimonials listed on the site. Testimonials are sometimes solicited in exchange for favors, and can result in a more positive sounding experience than what actually occurred.