Natalia Piechota

Abstract: According to M. Porter’s (1990) competitive advantage of nations approach, destination competitiveness is based on competitiveness of local industries. Because of dynamic development of the meetings industry in recent years, this industry can be a way of creating city competitiveness. According to neoinstitutional theory, being successful in this field depends largely on the height of transaction costs in the industry and on a convention bureau’s activity. This organisation can be treated as one of city’s resources and it helps to use other resources in more effective way, which can also influence city competitiveness. Therefore, there is a question: what is the influence of a convention bureau on transaction costs in the meetings industry and thereby on city competitiveness? The aim of this paper is to recognise the transaction costs in the meetings industry and to examine the impact of a convention bureau on reducing them. This institution can reduce transaction costs by playing several roles, especially by being an agent of a city. The investigation based on a literature review is a first attempt in further research.

Key words: convention bureau, meetings industry, transaction costs, city competitiveness

Piechota, N. (2016). The impact of convention bureau’s activity on transaction costs in the meetings industry – a theoretical approach, Working Papers – Faculty of International Business and Economics, Poznan University of Economics, 2016/1.