Supplier Categories

A hotel property, resort or conference center, domestic or international.

Every Hotel partner is classified as one of the following:

• Chain: Part of a group of 35 or more properties within Continental North America (United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean and Bermuda), or 100 or more properties worldwide, under a common ownership and/or management structure with its own president, headquarters, marketing agreements, sales agreements and internal operating systems; can include multiple brands.

• Small Collection: Part of a group of 5 to 34 properties worldwide, under a common ownership and/or management structure with its own president, headquarters, marketing agreements, sales agreements and internal operating systems; can include multiple brands.

• Independent: A single property, or part of a group of fewer than 5 commonly owned or managed properties.

Chain, Small Collection and Independent are equal FICP classifications; the distinction reflects portfolio size only, not quality, service level or standing.

Independent representatives that sell multiple hotel properties are not included within this category – see Independent Representatives.

A professional services company with local knowledge, industry-specific expertise and extensive community contacts and resources, staffed by a dedicated local team in the majority of destinations it serves, specializing in the design and implementation of events, activities, tours, transportation and program logistics, and that works directly with meetings professionals.

Every DMC partner is classified as one of the following:

• Multi-Market: Operates in 5 or more destinations
• Independent: Operates in fewer than 5 destinations

Multi-Market and Independent are equal FICP classifications; the distinction reflects operating footprint only, not quality, service level or standing.

Independent representatives that represent DMCs but are not themselves DMCs are not included within this category – see Independent Representatives.

A not-for-profit organization that is officially designated to provide destination marketing and management services for its town, city, region or country, in order to increase the number of visitors, through sales, tourism marketing and services, supported by transient room tax, government budget allocations, private membership or a combination of any or all three.

An organization operating one of the following:

• An airline owns/operates airplanes providing public or private air transportation service on one or more routes
• A cruise line is a passenger vessel with rooms and amenities transporting guests to predetermined destinations
• A riverboat line offers voyages along inland waterways, often with multiple port stops
• A passenger rail line offers voyages along a designated rail route, often with multiple stops

Independent representatives that represent these companies are not included within this category – see Independent Representatives.

A company that provides global or multi-property sales representation on behalf of multiple hotels, cruise lines, destination management companies or other qualifying hospitality partner companies. Companies representing a single property, brand or operator do not qualify here — see the relevant category instead.

Companies whose primary focus is program operations, event execution, billing, technology, analytics or related support services are not eligible. Representatives who offer third-party incentive, consulting or event services may not market or solicit those services to FICP members.

A company whose primary purpose is to provide audio-visual support and production for meetings or events, including staging, lighting, sound and video.

Equipment manufacturers, dealers or distributors that do not directly provide production services for meetings or events are not eligible.

A company that represents a collection of speakers who talk about a particular subject and that operates to facilitate speakers for clients requiring, for example, motivational speakers, celebrity appearances, emcees or conference facilitators or keynote speakers.

Individual speakers are not eligible — this category requires a company representing multiple speakers, not a sole practitioner.

A firm that represents the interests of multiple entertainers, including those who work within the company, and that must also be able to hire outside acts.

Individual entertainers are not eligible — this category requires a company representing multiple entertainers, not a sole practitioner.

A company whose primary product or service is technology built specifically for the meetings and events industry, including but not limited to: registration, housing and attendee management platforms; event/meeting mobile apps and attendee engagement tools; virtual and hybrid event or broadcast platforms; meeting/event planning, sourcing or RFP management software; on-site event technology (badging, wayfinding, lead retrieval, audience response); AI-driven agenda, content or program-building tools built for meetings and events; and sustainability or carbon-tracking tools built for meetings and events.

General-purpose business software companies not built specifically for the meetings/events industry (e.g., generic CRM, payment processing or productivity software) are not eligible, even if a planner happens to use them.