Search, analyze, and filter useful strategies from your competitors and related business to turn into potencial initiatives for your own company. This is the purpose of benchmarking and inspirational trips, one of the actions we carry out here at Raízes (check out Other topics in the “What we do” series here).
Benchmarking is, according to Endevour, “one of the most relevant strategies to increase your efficiency. It can be loosely translated as “point of reference”. It is a thorough research process that allows managers to compare products, business practices, services or methodologies used by rivals, absorbing some characteristics to reach a level of managerial or operational superiority”.
As one of Raízes Desenvolvimento Sustentável’s fronts is the integrated development of tourism and its associated production, we also organize famtrips and inpirational trips that use this methodology. We will talk more about it later.
Benchmarking and inspirational trips
The selection of the destination for an inspiration trip has to do with the public – usually small entrepreneurs that we support in mentoring, incubation or acceleration projects. It all depends on the project, cost-effectiveness, availability of those involved, etc. so that the script can be used to the fullest. In this case, Raízes’ role is to curate and articulate with the local partners who will receive the entrepreneurs benefited by a project, in addition to monitoring the entire process.
Much more than a walk – whose visit to the beach, for example, can inspire –, this action has a very specific purpose. Therefore, for this tool to achieve the best results, it is important to have judicious methods:
– Map similar initiatives;
– Be clear about the purpose of the trip;
– Articulate partnerships with local actors who can present the initiatives in detail; showing how they work and that they hold, for example, conversation circles with the entrepreneurs who visit them.
It all involves planning with a clear objective. With the best destination mapped – having enough similarities for these entrepreneurs to see themselves in that reality –, already in loco, the realization of these information exchange meetings also involves the orientation of the visiting entrepreneurs.
They receive all the instructions in advance and even material to follow everything and write things down. It is a kind of guide to the observation, because in this way, a person who is not used to having this type of critical look, of connection with other references, can be guided to develop it. As a result, in cases where not all beneficiaries travel, those who took part in the action are able to reproduce for others what they have learned usefully, through conversations, notes, photos and videos. There is usually a systematized meeting for this transfer of knowledge.
In the case of tourism entrepreneurs or tourism territorial development projects, we carry out famtours and presstrips, including tour operators and agents, specialized journalists and digital tourism influencers. See how it worked in the case of Resplendor.
Happening right now!
This week, a group of beneficiaries of the Territorial Development and Social Transformation Project of Itabirito, metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, are in Recife, Pernambuco, for an inspirational trip. The initiative is part of the stages of formation of the Creative Network of Itabirito, created recently, with the objective of strengthening the network of entrepreneurs and promoting the city culturally.
As Recife is recognized as one of the most creative capitals in Brazil in terms of tourism, gastronomy, music and other arts, it couldn’t be more perfect for this benchmarking action and inspirational trips, right?
