Making The CVB Connection

Author: Natelle Fitzgerald
September 2007

Features

Online, in person, at your service

Whoever said “nothing in life is free” has obviously never worked with a convention and visitors bureau. Closely tied with local businesses and the latest developments, CVBs know what’s happening. Who’s undergoing a pricey renovation or a shift in flags? Are there any government issues that have the potential to interfere with your event? Call a bureau and find out. Originating from the marketing arms of chambers of commerce and convention centers, CVBs are truly the central point of local knowledge. Let them find the right boardroom, the best caterer for your budget and an applicable list of hotels with competitive bids.

No favoritism here. The majority are nonprofit entities that work to represent their local businesses equally—and almost always free of charge. More than half of the CVB representatives who were interviewed for this article called themselves a “one-stop-shop.” And for good reason—where else can you get so many services at one place?

Planners are catching on.

Mary E. Young, president of M.Y. Events, Inc. (and co-founder of Meeting Planning Boot Camp) uses CVBs nationwide. “I’ve hired staff through CVBs to help with our on-site registration, checking tickets at events and helping out wherever we need it on-site. I’ve used a lot of the promotional pieces they can provide—postcards, photos, website services, pins, welcome ribbons for hotel staff, banners, signage at convention centers and airports—all kinds of things, it just depends on the CVB,” she says. “A lot of planners don’t know about them or don’t think they are available for all sizes of meetings.” Young plans about 15 meetings a year, for groups of 100 to 2,500. Plus, Young adds, working with a CVB puts a planner’s name on the client list, allowing them access to any updates, potential FAM trips or client events in the area that they might otherwise be unaware of.

And with such a competitive destination market, CVBs have to reach out, offering even more in customer service through Internet strategy, trade-show contacts and satellite offices. “We consistently need to educate the hoteliers and the community to ensure the most attractive packages,” says Jeanne Sullivan, public relations consultant for the San Jose CVB. “With the shift from a buyers’ to a sellers’ market, we’re having to be more creative in how we market and sell the destination.”

CHALLENGES AND MISCONCEPTIONS
If you’ve ever been to a trade show, you’re quite familiar with the goal of any CVB rep standing at the booth—to pull you in—to their table of brochures and, in the future, (hopefully) to their meetings destination spot. But attracting planners to a particular locale takes more than persistence. It also requires education about what CVBs do, how they do it and, for some, simply where their city is found on the map. Take Costa Mesa, for example. Not everybody knows that it’s located 20 minutes from Disneyland, “halfway between the rides and the tides,” says Dan Pittman, public relations consultant for the Costa Mesa CVB. He says the buzz from the recently aired television series The O.C. has helped brand the area and boosted Costa Mesa’s recognition, but one of the CVB’s main focuses is to inform planners of Costa Mesa’s centrality to recognizable landmarks.

The same goes for the Ontario CVB. “We’re not in Canada,” say Theresa Moretti, director of marketing, and Amita Patel, director of sales, at Ontario. Take note: This Ontario is located halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs—and they’re ready for your business. Educating clients about the area has been a major part of Ontario’s efforts. Another challenge, Moretti says, has been the “getting them here.” Thankfully, the new air service from Express Jet has helped increase the area’s visibility and results. Launched in February, the airline has added a handful of nonstop flights connecting Ontario to 14 cities throughout the country. Now it’s much easier to get to Ontario—just be sure you’re headed to the right one.

Making people aware of Utah’s Davis County CVB is the bureau’s primary focus—the CVB has only been around since 2003. “It takes time, but we’re making great strides,” says Kathi Dysert, director of sales and marketing for the organization. But because Davis is one of the fastest growing counties in Utah, the CVB has other concerns. “It’s unbelievable how much it’s grown here,” Dysert says. She anticipates that a new challenge could be having enough blockable rooms available to accommodate groups using the conference center and ensuring a workable balance between group business and the transient market. And with the convention center expansion due for completion next April, business can only get better. “It’s a good problem to have,” she notes.

The fairly new CVB in Temecula Valley, southern California’s premier wine destination, deals with issues of another sort. “Sellout weekends—every weekend—are the norm,” says sales manager Leslie Mercado. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing; however, trying to place group business that overlaps into a weekend can be very challenging.” The CVB and some local businesses have been pushing marketing efforts to lure business during the week; they advise planners to keep an open mind when choosing travel dates and to be aware of better rates during low-occupancy times.

According to Darren Rudloff, CEO, the Cheyenne CVB welcomes the problem of filling hotels. “Opportunity is the same as our challenge,” he says. “The Cheyenne area really has some spectacular facilities to accommodate meetings.” Although two new hotels are going up this year, which means Cheyenne will have 25 percent more rooms to fill—the bureau “works with all of our hotels to make sure everyone is front and center,” he says. But don’t misconstrue the message—the idea that you’ll get information for every hotel under the sun when you submit an RFP just isn’t the case. CVBs know that your time is valuable; the last thing they want to do is create more work for you. “It’s a policy we have,” says Amy Spain, executive director of Snohomish County CVB in Washington. “We send bids only to the facilities that have capabilities for the meeting planner’s needs.”

Additionally, Scottsdale CVB chooses to keep their convention calendar confidential so planners aren’t inundated with useless information. “We don’t waste their time. We want to be helpful and focused, so that we really do simplify their lives,” says Dan Tavrytzky, vice president of sales and services for Scottsdale. Although Tavrytzky referred to the CVB as Switzerland—aiming to represent all businesses—customer service to the planner is their top priority. Utah’s Park City Area CVB follows the same philosophy, according to Ashley Anderson, meeting and convention sales and marketing manager. “We work hard to make it easy for groups and meeting planners, by offering relevant and focused information and ideas to planners,” she says. “No one has all the time in the world, and we work to make sure they see, experience and do what they have come here to accomplish.”

A NEW APPROACH
Every CVB seeks the best marketing plan to lure groups to their city, to stay in their fabulous hotels and see all their latest developments. If you want to know what their biggest marketing changes are, jump online. Many are spending their time and money developing snazzier websites, with more interactivity, video podcasts and marketing tools.

Last year, Laughlin CVB, located in Nevada, put their RFP form online, pushing the number of leads per month from about six to somewhere between 25 and 40. But Meg McDaniel, senior manager of regional sales, says the shift has been a learning experience for them; the RFP form wasn’t very detailed and created more work for the CVB staff. “When the planners go to the website and see our simple form from last year, they probably think ‘Laughlin’s not ready,’” she says—which is why their online form is going through a redesign (to be ready this fall) asking for more details from the planner, so that the CVB can make a better match of their services.

Similarly, Long Beach CVB is reaching out for more business through cyberspace. They’ve tripled the content of their website, adding images and major Flash components that make the site livelier. “[Planners] really have a full in-depth look of anything and everything they want to know about the city,” says Steve Goodling, president of the Long Beach CVB. Their latest development, the microsite, which launched in April, is a customized site created directly from a planner’s RFP. The microsite, also a feature of Denver’s CVB website, lists only those businesses and venues applicable to that planner, which they can access through a simple link. The microsite allows attendees to view the destination spot, and learn about local attractions and event updates.

Several CVBs are embarking on a complete relaunch of their sites. Snohomish County, for example, made it their #1 focus. “We increased the money we’re spending on Internet enhancements this year,” says Snohomish’s Amy Spain. And they plan to increase it again next year. As part of their plan, Spain said Snohomish is aiming toward a more user-friendly website with extra components. For a county CVB that represents 19 cities with constantly changing technology, just keeping the links accurate is a feat. Colorado Springs launched a new site in March; expect to see a completely new one this month for SoCal’s Ontario, too. Planners can check updates online regarding attendance on any sites using the new Passkey feature and use Google maps to pre-navigate their course.

Interactivity is the buzz word. Both Davis Area and Hawaii CVBs are incorporating a blogging feature into their sites that will offer planners the authentic voice of their peers. The redesign of Davis County’s site will allow planners to enter testimonials regarding their unique experience in the county enveloping Salt Lake, America’s only “dead sea.” After all, where else can you have a high-tech conference, run with the buffalo and ski powder? Soon, you’ll be able to read all about it in a blog.

Testimonials are part of Hawaii’s marketing plan as well, even in video. Hawaii’s CVB is focusing on a dual strategy—business and renewal, according to Mike Murray, CMP, CMM, CASE, vice president of sales and marketing, corporate, meetings and incentives. Believe it or not, Hawaii’s reputation as a leisure destination has been somewhat of a disadvantage for its meetings market. Generally, people figure that sipping Mai Tai’s and lounging by the pool don't coincide well with business luncheons and PowerPoint presentations. “We’re working away from that [misconception] and focusing on family time, revitalization benefits for work, business and productivity,” Murray says. “[Planners] are unaware of the extent to which we can facilitate and achieve these objectives for meetings.” According to Murray, planners should know that they can get the serious meeting (Hawaii certainly has the venues for it) and also experience the essence of the islands with family or friends once business has adjourned.

While Web presence has been high on the priority lists of CVB marketing plans, CVBs still value good ol’ face-to-face contact as a way to woo business. “Many planners think that CVBs only cater to the larger groups or convention, but many CVBs have dedicated staff that focus on smaller meetings,” says Rhonda Kauffman, manager of marketing & communications for Destination Marketing Association International. In fact, several CVBs have increased their staff to specialize in a particular group size or market. Seattle CVB has worked to transcend their image of a traditional CVB that’s had an old mentality or culture. Many on staff are from the hotel industry; they understand the market and work in teams specifically geared toward the corporate or association planners. Seattle’s CVB has a specialist who works solely with smaller groups (fewer than 300). To drive the meeting business, Temecula has three new positions in the works, including sales, marketing and public relations managers, while Laguna Beach has just created a new position to boost the incentive market at trade shows. If your group is fewer than 50, you’ll benefit from the specialized small-group service you’ll get from LA INC.’s Direct Line Service program. And while LA INC. has cut out its use of satellite offices, other CVBs such as those based in Seattle, Hawaii and San Jose still use them to connect to potential clients.

It’s all about building relationships, DMAI’s Kauffman says. “Partnerships are growing among CVBs. We’re seeing what would normally be competing destinations partnering together to win bids and ultimately piggyback convention years from one destination to another.” Last year, for instance, Scottsdale CVB developed a new marketing relationship with nearby Sedona, which has similar customers. The cities, whose attributes complement each other, also work with Phoenix when a planner is looking for a large convention center. Additionally, Seattle works closely with Bellevue, Tacoma and Lynwood. “If we think a client’s needs are better met elsewhere, we send that area the business. We work with our friends up in Canada as well,” says Seattle’s Tom Norwalk. “The biggest benefit to the client is what we aim for.” Exactly.

CVB Area News

Laughlin: The Aquarius will undergo a $40-million renovation in November. Ramada Express will change its name to Tropicana Express, after $12 million in renovations featuring 1,500 rooms with high-speed Internet.
Long Beach: In addition to the new “microsite” feature customized for planners, LBCVB is working on a new Web component for the convention center.
Los Angeles: The Nokia Theatre, the first phase of the Downtown L.A. Live project, will open in November. Additional development is slated for the area around the convention center.
Ogden: Recently opened a 2,300-seat Megaplex, with high-tech audiovisual technology and room for business meetings.
Seattle: The Sheraton Seattle Hotel on Sixth Street has added a new 25-story tower, bringing the total room count to 1,253. A $112-million expansion enlarged the meeting space to 75,000 sq. ft.
San Jose: By mid-October the Crowne Plaza San Jose Downtown will have completed a $9-million renovation, featuring 6,643 sq. ft. of meeting space, Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and new workstations. Hotel Valencia Santana Row spruced up its 2,268-square-foot ballroom. Also, check out Ballet San Jose’s new season line up, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Scottsdale: Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North broke ground in July on a $14-million upgrade, while the Phoenician spent $5.5 million on refurbishments for The Canyon Suites building. Also, by the first quarter of 2008, the canal development project will feature a footbridge connecting Scottsdale’s old and new districts, allowing pedestrians to enjoy the waterfront.
Hawaii: Waikiki’s revitalization, in the form of the new Waikiki Beach Walk, incorporates excellent dining, lodging, entertainment and shopping along an open-air plaza. Sheraton Waikiki has completed changes to its 1,481 guest rooms.
Lake Havasu: A new Holiday Inn will bring 2,600 sq. ft. of meeting space in early 2008. The Nautical Inn finished the first phase of a multiphase project, renovating the Naked Turtle Beach Bar. London Bridge Resort’s 6,500-square-foot conference center is receiving cosmetic changes.
Laguna Beach: Look for a new online element at lagunabeachinfo.org by spring 2008, linking planners directly to meeting resources.
Davis Area: In addition to nine hotels undergoing construction in summer 2007, the newly built Davis Convention Center is adding 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, set to be completed by April 2008.
Snohomish County: Check out their new website launched last fall snohomish.org.
Ontario: AmeriSuites changes to Hyatt Place this fall and Express Jet added nonstop flights to 14 cities last April. Minor convention center upgrades made to the convention center include soundproofing, LED readerboards, flat-screen monitors and digital surveillance.
Park City Area: In December, The Sky Lodge will open for business as the first Five-Star luxury condo-tel in Park City, offering a rooftop lounge, meeting facilities and a deluxe spa. The Montage Resort, with 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, will be completed in 2010. Cheyenne: Expansion of Little America Hotel will make it the largest convention hotel in Wyoming, to be ready in early 2008, with 26,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Denver: The Ritz-Carlton, formerly Embassy Suites, underwent an $88-million refurbishment and will open this fall. Four Seasons Hotel Denver, with 230 guest rooms, will debut in winter 2009. Other recent additions to the Mile-High scene: Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt Regency at Colorado Convention Center, The Curtis and Residence Inn by Marriott.
Colorado Springs: The CVB, Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, recently launched a new, more comprehensive website with its updated name.
Santa Fe: The city broke ground on a new civic center that will have 19,000 sq. ft. of meeting space ready by next summer. Also, changes to the airport include upgrades to accommodate larger aircraft and more flights, such as the new direct air service to Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Dallas through American Airlines and Delta Airlines.

Myth-Busters
When it comes to using the services of convention and visitors bureaus, many planners are in the dark. Cheryl Chapman, an event coordinator for Fraxel in Mountain View, Calif., can relate. “I didn’t know the CVB offered so much help,” Chapman says. “I kept thinking that I should be paying them a fee, because they were so helpful.” That said, let’s clear up the misconceptions about using a CVB.

CVBs only cater to larger groups.
They welcome any size group; many have dedicated staff that focus on smaller meetings.
CVBs only handle citywide conventions.
CVBs would love to show you their city and all it has to offer, no matter if you’re a group of seven. See above.
CVBs only make convention center bookings.
Although CVBs often have a contract with local convention centers for bookings 14 to 18 months out, they are great contacts for other regional business, including hotels, restaurants and recreation spots.
CVBs charge for their services.
Always ask. For the most part, CVBs work on leads for you at no charge—it’s what they do! Services that come with a fee are usually related to supplies, printing, gift bags or the contracted assistance of local destination management organizations.
CVBs make a commission on hotel and convention center bookings.
Most CVBs receive funding from a hotel-occupancy tax or membership dues, but commission structures aren’t a common practice, according to Destination Marketing Association International.
CVBs will send planners too much information that doesn’t apply to their event.
The truth is, CVBs understand that you’re usually working against the clock—their legwork is an efficient way to narrow down the options to those that best match the needs of your event. CVBs save you the time and hassle.
All CVBs are membership organizations.
According to the 2005 DMAI Organizational & Financial profile survey, 49 percent are membership organizations, with 23 percent of those representing accommodations.
Planners can get better rates working directly with hotels.
CVBs do not negotiate rates. They pass the leads on to hotels who work with the planners to maximize numbers and minimize rates.

Unique Services

Two cents from the locals: Snohomish County CVB provides volunteer staff as stand-in travel counselors at registration tables.
Bells and whistles: Long Beach CVB has tripled their Web content, adding images and a lively Flash component to to the information. Planners can make use of their own "microsite"—a customized website with a list of only those businesses and venues that apply to their event—reachable by a simple link. Denver’s got one, too.
Straight from the horse’s mouth: Davis Area CVB in Utah is planning to launch a blog feature on the new website that will allow space for testimonials from planners who’ve experienced Davis County first-hand. Hawaii posts testimonial videos.
Cat’s still in the bag: It’s what Scottsdale CVB doesn’t do—they avoid publishing their convention calendar so that outside businesses don’t swarm around soon-to-be visitors like hungry bees.
Power in numbers: For the sake of competitive pricing and the ultimate in customer service and flexibility, San Jose CVB and industry leaders created a new model for managing conventions called Team San Jose, connecting hoteliers, the arts community, the CVB and local organized labor. Talk about a one-stop-shop.
The gang’s all here: Each person at the Lake Havasu bureau participates in the making of a memorable event. For example, they've pooled their resources together (using local actors and volunteers) to create character re-enactments, enhancing the meeting experience.