British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) members are starting to see the benefits of the body’s partnership agreement with Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). Among the first of these will be a one-day course entitled Destination Positioning and Branding, which will be run by DMAI trainers exclusively for BACD.

The course will be held at Woodland Grange Training & Conference Centre near Leamington Spa on 1-2 October, and will cover: branding, destination imagery research, positioning strategy, brand promise development, and convention bureau, community and visitor industry roles in brand communications.

The course tutors will be Don Anderson, CDME, director of the CFS Office of Professional Development at Purdue University, Illinois, USA, managing co-partner of the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) Programme, and Professor Eddie Friel, OBE, who is currently Expert in Residence at Niagara University, New York, where he leads courses on destination marketing, branding and meetings & conventions.

The course is part of DMAI’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme and gives attendees credits towards the Certified Destination Management Executive designation, the highest award currently available globally for destination managers and marketers.

“We have recognised the need to put in place a comprehensive, accredited education and CPD programme for BACD members,” commented Hamish Reid, BACD chair. “While we can’t achieve this overnight, the partnership we have with DMAI provides a platform on which we can build further, as it already has a well-developed programme in place in North America. We shall also be working with appropriate UK educational institutions and trade bodies to meet our objectives in this area.”

The second BACD/DMAI course, entitled Sales Academy (focusing on destination selling), will take place on 4-5 March 2008, again at Woodland Grange Conference & Training Centre.

More information on the CDME qualification can be found at www.destinationmarketing.org