Singing for your supper is a good thing. These days, the old adage aptly describes the raison d’etre of our modern-day convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) — the marketing and promotion of their destination to bolster tourism and attract meetings, events and

Butch Spyridon (left), president of the Nashville CVB and Grammy Award-winning songwriter Brett James promote the CVB’s “Nashville for a Song” stimulus package. Go to www.VisitMusicCity.com for details. Photo courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau

conventions, albeit in a clever, entertaining way.

Nowadays, it’s raining “stimulus” packages. Designed to invigorate the economy and spur local business, these incentives are pouring forth in cities from Boston to New Orleans. Innovative, creative offers range from “Nashville For A Song” to an amazing $20,000 credit touted by the Metropolitan Tucson CVB.

As a Nashville CVB spokesperson said, “Drastic times call for creative measures and Music City is ready to deliver authentic creativity to the meetings market.”

“In Nashville we say ‘It all begins with a song,’ and we want our guests to experience the craft of songwriting,” added Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We understand meeting planners are looking for affordable and unique options. Nashville offers an unmatched creative spirit, and we can all use some inspiration in these difficult times.”

Visit Jacksonville is offering free space at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, and the Metropolitan Tucson CVB is grabbing attention with a whopping $20,000 credit incentive that they’ll share with the participating meeting hotel.

These are just a few samples of the incentives awaiting planners at cities all across the country. (See “Let’s Make A Deal” on page 30 for more information on these CVB offers.)

A Rose By Any Other Name

Friendship is a good thing, too. Especially these days, when the meetings industry needs as many friends as it can foster. Over the years, CVBs have evolved into the meeting planners’ best friend and trusted partner. Most often, the first call a planner makes is to the CVB. These full-service “one-stop shops”

Denver’s awe-inspiring skyline is a natural enticement for groups. Visit Denver attracts meetings by offering complimentary services such as finding open hotel space at the best rates, site inspections, meeting facility guides and much more. Photo courtesy of Visit Denver

offer a long list of benefits — often complimentary — such as site inspections, promotional and public relations materials, transportation and housing assistance, vendor connections and much more. In addition, planners are sure to find an understanding, knowledgeable certified meeting professional or two or more on staff. Most CVBs are not-for-profit organizations funded through a combination of hotel occupancy taxes and/or membership dues.

Recent changes in the industry have resulted in name changes for dozens of CVBs, according to Rich Grant, communications director of Visit Denver, formerly the Denver Metro Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (DMCVB). “The term convention and visitor’s bureau or CVB just never took off. It was a mouthful, not many got it right, and it was time to move on. We needed something that would strike a chord with all industries and was easily searchable online.”

Grant said that the tipping point was in 2005 when the International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) was going through an identity crisis and changed its name to the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). The world’s largest association of convention and visitors bureaus, DMAI has more than 1,500 members from 625 destination marketing organizations in more than 25 countries.

At the DMCVB’s 99th annual meeting in November, after going by a variety of names, the organization officially rolled out its new name: Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau. Eventually, as people get used to the new name, they will only use Visit Denver and drop the rest of the name.

U.S.-based CVBs incorporating the verb “Visit” include Visit Houston Texas, Visit Phoenix, Visit Detroit, Visit Seattle and Visit Florida. CVBs and tourism authorities around the globe are getting onboard with name changes, too: Visit Britain, Visit Scotland, Visit Belgium and Visit Finland, to name a few.

Others are using catchy online marketing phrases, such as Albuquerque’s www.ItsATrip.com; www.OnlyInSanFrancisco.com; www.MeetPuertoRico.com; and www.ComeToGermany.com.

“The new name just makes sense,” said Grant. “Visit Denver explains what we’re all about — marketing

On Saturday evenings, spectators line the River Walk at Providence’s Waterplace Park to witness WaterFire — more than 100 floating bonfires on the river. Photo courtesy of Providence Warwick CVB

travel to Denver. We also changed from a .org to a .com, based on considerable research showing that a .com attracts more visitors than a .org, and is easier to remember and more common.

“It’s actually quite exciting, the response we’ve received,” said Grant of the fall launch. “www.VisitDenver.com will be the primary URL for Denver, although we still own and will maintain the Denver.org site with the same content.”

Grant cautions planners to make sure they connect with the official CVBs or tourism authorities. “CVB or tourism authority sites are very forthcoming, clearly stating, for example like ours, that www.VisitDenver.com site is ‘brought to you by Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau.’ Other sites with similar names may not be the official marketing arms of the cities’ CVB or tourism authority, so take the time to make sure you’re connecting to the right URL.

“We’re the same CVB, offering the same services to meeting planners, but now we’re easier to find and more universal,” Grant said. “Almost all of our services are free. We can send out leads to hotels to help meeting planners find open space and get the best rates. We offer site inspections and a guide to Denver meeting facilities as well as every aspect of the city. We’re fully aware that planners have multiple choices for host cities. We want to entice them to the facets of the charm of Denver, from its convenient location and easy access to a full range of hotels, convention center and attractions.”

The meeting planner freebies don’t stop there. Once a meeting is booked, Grant said that the partnership doesn’t have to end at the initial site selection. “Visit Denver can assist the planner with promotional material from brochures to postcards to e-mail newsletters or Internet banner ads. It’s as much to our benefit to increase attendance and awareness for a Denver meeting as it is to a planner.”

A Trusted Business Partner

With sometimes as many as 60 meetings on her plate each year, Kathy Wallitsch, meetings and events manager for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, considers CVBs her partners, including her own local Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. “CVBs are a one-stop shop,” said Wallitsch. “They

Richmond’s Canal Walk offers boat rides, waterfront strolling and venues for outdoor concerts and special events, with restaurants, shops and hotels nearby. Photo courtesy of Richmond Metropolitan CVB

are a good use of my time. Our relationship makes complete business sense and provides resources that save me dollars and time. Something as simple as using them as a resource for area maps, brochures and trinkets for goodie bags, promotes the destination — and doesn’t cost me a dime. I have also become an ambassador for the state to other meeting planners when discussing conference locations. My relationship with the Providence CVB allows me to promote Rhode Island as a conference destination.”

Initial site searches and selection are the most frequent CVB services Wallitsch enlists, even for her local CVB. Instead of the never-ending search of all possible (and always changing) sales teams at each hotel, Wallitsch simply e-mails her specs to the CVB, and they take care of the rest.

“I can’t possibly keep up with the hospitality industry’s changes, even in our small-knit community where everyone knows everyone,” explained Wallitsch. “The Providence Warwick CVB keeps us informed of changes in staff and new meeting venues. I’ll often ask them to give me their top three new meeting places, as I never know when I’ll have to quickly find a last-minute meeting spot. I’ll even receive invitations to check out a new restaurant with private dining.” Wallitsch was recently invited to the Hotel Providence to experience their new restaurant Aspire and visit their private dining space.

Wallitsch relies on CVBs in other New England cities, including Newport. “I needed a specific hotel venue with a large lawn area. How could I go through all the different hotels to find that specific of a request? I needed someone intimately involved with the properties, so I contacted the Newport CVB and used the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, RI.”

Neil R. Schriever, senior vice president, Providence Warwick CVB, said the best news for planners is that CVBs of all sizes are stepping up to the plate to provide planners with more incentives to attract meetings, especially in second- or third-tier cities like his.

“In today’s rocky economy, we all have to rethink our marketing plans,” Schriever explained. “We have to become more present to meeting planners, and now more than ever, we have to sell our destination. The bottom line is never more important than it is today.”

Statistics reveal that nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population lives within 300 miles of the Providence area. Trips from major metropolitan areas, including New York, Boston and Philadelphia, require one tank of gas or less, making it an easy drive for meeting and convention delegates. This is especially noteworthy information because there is a high concentration of insurance and financial headquarters on the East Coast.

With this in mind, the Provi­dence Warwick CVB unveiled www.OneTankMeetings.com, a dedicated Web site set up to respond to the growing interest in drivable venues for corporate meetings. In addition, visitors can check hotel and meeting space availability, access meeting guides, maps and directions, add to a list of suggested road-trip songs and enter to win a $500 gas card.

Schriever said, “We wanted to appeal to the convenience, accessibility and affordability of Providence. We’re tucked between the first-tier cities of New York City and Boston, with great accessibility by plane,

The Eagle dance, a traditional dance of many American Indian tribes, is performed on Corn Mountain, Albuquerque, NM. The culture-rich region is marketed by the Albuquerque CVB and is promoted at its Web site www.ItsATrip.org. Photo by Ron Behrmann

train and automobile. Planners can select our destination and be a big fish in a small pond, have our undivided attention, and avoid the high profile of other East Coast destinations.”

With its prime location and great arts, culture and culinary offerings, Providence is a perfect solution to tightened meetings and conventions budgets, according to Schriever. Providence boasts 5,500 hotel rooms with nearly 2,200 within walking distance of the Rhode Island Convention and Entertainment Complex.

CVBs Respond To Current Challenges

“We have to be sensitive to the challenges facing the insurance and financial meetings industry,” said Tammi Runzler, vice president of sales and services, Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau (Orlando CVB). “It’s more important than ever to maintain integrity of the meeting and convention experience.”

As a first-tier city frequently used by the insurance and financial meetings industry, Runzler said, “We are proactive in educating the hospitality industry to the changes. We’re positioned well to continue serving the meeting needs of this industry. We assigned two account executives specific to the insurance and financial industry. We’re positioned well as an affordable and accessible destination, and we offer a combination of convention properties and high-end resorts.”

Runzler has noticed a more serious undertone to meetings, resulting in a decrease of total meeting days and even the elimination of group activities. Instead of allowing the planners to flounder because of budget

Expected to open November 2010, the Irving Convention Center, in the Las Colinas Urban Center in Irving, TX, was designed as two cantilevered boxes to utilize natural light and avoid the traditional convention center appearance. Photo courtesy of Irving CVB

restrictions and increased seriousness, the Orlando CVB has stepped up to the plate to partner with the planners and offer creative options to keep the meeting segment exciting in Orlando.

“Orlando can provide value to the meeting planner as a destination,” Runzler said. “For shortened meetings, we brainstorm with the planner on how to meet their objective in a shorter time.”

Those brainstorming sessions have resulted in a community effort to create an effective and successful meeting. For example, for a recent group, when the budget cuts resulted in dropping the opening night reception, the planner expressed her concern that the meeting’s main networking opportunity would be lost for her group of 1,200. Runzler coordinated a partnership with a well-known attraction with restaurant and entertainment options that quickly put together an optional program for the attendees with significant discounts and values, including buy-one, get-one-free offers and complimentary food and beverage.

“A large percentage of the group participated,” reported Runzler, “and the meeting planner was ecstatic that her attendees didn’t lose a key opportunity to mingle among each other, setting the tone for a successful meeting in a troubled economy.”

Another partnership Runzler has often created for meetings are shopping excursions from the hotel and convention centers, including transportation, for a minimal charge. “Many attendees are simply not comfortable with venturing out on their own in an unfamiliar area. Our retail members unite to create a discounted coupon book for shopping, and everyone is happy.”

Create To Survive

Meetings are about generating ideas, said Runzler. “New ideas that can solve problems, drive revenue, reposition products/services and provide direct contact with customers.”

For professionals in the multibillion-dollar meetings and events business, being creative is more than a

Los Cabos, one of the most famous golf capitals of the world, offers more than 14 hotel/resort meeting incentive packages, which are described on the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Web site www.VisitLosCabos.travel. Photo courtesy of Los Cabos CVB

passing desire — it’s a prerequisite for survival and a telling indicator of career and financial growth within U.S. organizations, according to a recent press release issued by the Orlando CVB that described their groundbreaking study that proves the importance of ROI — Return on Ideas — for the meetings industry.

“We understand that ideas drive business, help shape new business relationships, and most important are what motivate us to consider new ways of approaching the business of meetings,” said Runzler.

“Using a CVB gives planners leverage to the destination’s best assets,” said Kathryn Horton, senior director of convention events and services for the San Francisco Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. “Planners might know the basics of the city, but might not know how to make your meeting stand out. We’re more than your one-stop shop; we’re your personal guide to the city.”

Horton said the CVB’s job is to keep their finger on the pulse of the community. “If you want to take your board to an offsite venue,” Horton continued, “we know that the Wine Room at the Boulevard Restaurant is a perfect venue for an intimate board meeting. Or take your group to the heart of Union Square, to the fifth floor of the American Conservatory Theater for a meeting up to 80.”

Developing partnerships are another way the San Francisco CVB adds value to their destination. Every year they partner with American Express for “Dine About Town,” a special fixed-price lunch and dinner promotion with more than 100 participating restaurants.

“While meetings are tightening their budgets,” said Horton, “planners are pushed to eliminate line items, including food and beverage. Often the attendee is left on his/her own for lunch or dinner. Programs such as the American Express ‘Dine About Town San Francisco’ allow us to add value to meetings.”

Experience Counts

Joette Cross is the director of meetings for the Denver-based Financial Planning Association (FPA), which is a leadership and advocacy organization for professional financial planning. FPA partners with CVBs in Denver, Orlando, San Diego, Seattle, San Antonio, Boston, Anaheim and New Orleans.

Cross explained how she works with CVBs: “I submit the RFPs for solicitation and allow the CVB to serve as a go-between between hotels and vendors. They intake all the quotes and questions, and then present them to me all at once. This saves me tons of time as I don’t have to answer 40 different e-mails or phone calls, often asking for the same information. I consider the CVB as an extension of my staff, so I communicate with them early and often.

“Planners that aren’t tapping into the CVB’s services are also missing out on a plethora of talent,” Cross added. “Within the CVB staff is an amazing amount of experience. They are well-educated and well-versed in their particular job responsibilities, and they are a storehouse of information on how other groups may have dealt with a particular problem, challenge or issue. Tapping into their experience and network has been very beneficial to my career.”

New And Noteworthy

• Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlen­ty recently joined with representatives of his state’s convention and tourism industries to announce “Meet in Minnesota,” a campaign highlighting the hundreds of meeting venues all across the state that accommodate business needs. For more information, go to www.MeetInMinnesota.com.
• Investing in new technologies, the Rochester (MN) CVB will soon offer streaming Internet videos highlighting the city’s attractions and more. The “green” city boasts no sales tax for delegate shopping excursions.
• The Richmond (VA) Region has new hotels popping up, including the new 250-room Westin Richmond and 250-room Hilton Garden Inn across from the convention center. Go to www.VisitRichmondVa.com for more information.
• The Long Beach (CA) CVB reported that the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center renovation is completed, there is new LED lighting in the downtown area, and new and renovated hotels are coming online later this year.
• News from the Ontario (CA) CVB includes the announcement that the Ontario Convention Center has expanded its technology services to include webinars and webcasting.
• The Greater Miami CVB Meetings Express Division handles all groups requiring 100 rooms or less for corporate and association markets, and includes six staff members. The division is a one-stop shop that aims for a 24-hour response.
• The Virginia Beach CVB has a stimulus program called Beach Boost, which is customized for each client and includes multiple-year contracts, which must be booked in 2009. The city welcomed a new oceanfront Springhill Suites by Marriott offering 168 rooms and a new full-service Westin Hotel in Town Center offering 236 rooms. For more information, visit www.VBFun.com.

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