International association conferencing is the largest and most profitable segment of the events
industry. Competition to host these events is fierce and convention bureaus (CBs) offer a
range of incentives to attract professional conference organisers to their destination. Many
second-tier destinations have invested in their facilities and incentives in order to compete
with more traditional conference cities. However, to date there has been a limited exploration
of the process of destination or site selection. Therefore, this thesis critically assesses
international approaches to destination management and explores the process of site
selection in the organisation of association conferences. Prior research has generated
conceptual models of site selection, which, though insightful, do not adequately reflect the
role of CBs in the process. A critical evaluation of these models and the supporting literature
on site selection has provided the basis for a qualitative inquiry, conducted through the lens of
pragmatism. The outcome of interviews with thirty professional conference organisers,
convention bureau managers and venue managers, has led to the creation of two models: an
amended conceptual model of site selection and a new conceptual model of CB
competitiveness. These models draw attention to the role of subvention and visa support and
are tools that can be used to benchmark CB performance and inform policy makers involved in
the management of destinations for business events.