An Overview

What is one of the primary benefits of VolunTourism?

Meeting professionals have had a long-term history of dealing with room-block issues. VolunTourism provides the unique feature of being attractive to those who may want to come early - a pre-conference event, or stay afterward - a post-conference event. Booking additional rooms within your host city can only lead to benefits for you and your client in the future.

Getting started is a matter of simply asking yourself whether you are ready to embrace this approach and incorporate it into a future meeting. Not everyone is prepared to deal with liability issues, logistics, and other elements that are part of the VolunTourism package. Be sure that you are suited to assume the additional responsibility.

Work with your client to select a project, or set of projects, that is in alignment with the existing social causes that the client supports. If you prepare a proposal with projects that vary dramatically from the historic track record of the client's philanthropy and in-house employee volunteer program, you run the risk of alienating your client in the proposal phase.

Once you have a social issue to address, identify a good non-profit organization or non-governmental organization (NGO) as a partner. Conducting your due diligence in this area will insure that you come away with a relationship that will support your goals & objectives, and, ultimately, those of your client.

After the event, you have a real opportunity to showcase the service project throughout the remainder of the meeting or convention. This can be very powerful, particularly if participants were moved by the experience. And any follow up that you can do with the client to update them on any sustainable results or direct/indirect socio-economic impacts that occurred through their project is a great mechanism for maintaining communication with the client long after the event.

For additional resources, look to archives of The VolunTourist and other sections of this website. Should you have in-depth questions about how to approach VolunTourism as a Meeting Professional, feel free to contact us.

[Return to the Top]

THE VOLUNTOURIST - Past Webcast for Meeting Professionals

Sarah Corradino, Manager Community Relations & Special Events for the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Professional & Trade Associations and VolunTourism - November 13, 2007 Synopsis Guests discuss the connection between VolunTourism and trade and professional associations. What are associations doing to facilitate education and value-added propositions for their members as it relates to VolunTourism? Guests address these topics and discuss others during this episode of The VolunTourist. [Listen To The Cast] (Click Here To Download) Guests Sarah Corradino, Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA); Ted Nelson, Heritage Clubs International; and Jim Santini, National Tour Association. Suggested Readings From The VolunTourist Newsletter A New Strategy for Business VolunTourism? - Corporate Meetings & Incentive Travel options create an atmosphere for learning and engagement amongst colleagues and team members. Business VolunTourism delivers significant benefits to a growing list of forward-thinking practitioners as a corporate strategy. This is an example of one that caught my attention. Photo Courtesy Of AHIP, All Rights Reserved Inbound VolunTourism: The Evolution Of A Service Legacy - In this article, Sarah Corradino of the Professional Convention Management Association discusses the role that VolunTourism has played over the past decade in the organization's annual conventions & meetings. Inbound VolunTourism: "Watch Out For MICE Traps"- Part I - Inspired by the suggestion of Sue Pelletier, Executive Editor of Medical Meetings, this article discusses the possible obstacles that stand between meeting professionals and VolunTourism. Inbound VolunTourism: "Watch Out For MICE Traps - Part II - Continuing in this second part of a three part series, this article discusses how to mitigate the four primary risks associated with VolunTourism - Liability, Safety, Event/Project Failure, and Client Dissatisfaction. Inbound VolunTourism: "Watch Out For MICE Traps - Part III - In this final installment of the series, the article discusses how to acquire the necessary Knowledge, Familiarization, Suppliers/Vendors, and additional Financial Resources to support meeting professionals in developing VolunTourism programming.