convention-and-visitors-bureausTodos Santos Fountain, Concord, California

Smart Meetings enjoys great relationships with convention and visitors bureaus throughout North America, so it’s always exciting to see our friends in the news. This month is turning out to be a rewarding time for a few of our favorite CVBs.

As its slogan suggests, “Diablo Valley, Defying Expectations” did just that when its headquarter city of Concord, California, was ranked as one of the top 10 places in the world to retire. Our friends at the Diablo Valley CVB have been working hard to get their name and venues in front of planners, and its recent accolade should certainly help with promoting the San Francisco Bay Area region.

Here’s what Conde Nast Traveler wrote about Concord:

“Located only 30 miles east of San Francisco, Concord is a big little city, home to farmers markets, excellent health care facilities, and free community activities throughout the year. Other bonuses are its location on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system, and a crime rate below that of San Francisco, despite its proximity and connection to the city. Concord is also one of the few U.S. cities to have a working drive-in theater, which is perfect for indulging in an evening of nostalgia.”

Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau

Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCVB) got some great news when its latest advertising campaign won a national Telly Award. The theme of the video is “Now Serving Omaha.”

The video series showcases Omaha’s unique contribution to the national food scene. In addition to airing the videos on dozens of websites, the OCVB shares these videos through digital and social media platforms. Click here to view the “Now Serving Omaha” videos.

“Our No. 1 job is to tell Omaha’s story and convince people that Omaha is worth a visit,” said Keith Backsen, executive director of the OCVB. “A big part of that story is Omaha’s phenomenal local dining scene. Our local restaurants are a huge selling point and they make Omaha stand out from the crowd.”

The Telly Awards honor the very best in film and video productions. The 36th Annual Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau

The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau has launched a new and improved website. Meeting planners will find the design easy to navigate; just click the “‘Meetings’’ button found at the top left of the homepage or go directly to convention materials at the dedicated URL: Shreveport-Bossier.org/Meetings.

“We proudly invite meeting planners to spend some time exploring our new website,” said David Bradley, vice president of convention and group tour sales and service at the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. “The new site is a great-looking, user-friendly way for today’s travelers and meeting planners to find out about the most interesting things to see, taste and experience in Shreveport-Bossier.”

Destination Management Companies

The Incentive Research Foundation has published an illuminating study on the relationship between destination management companies (DMCs) and meeting planners based in the United States. Researchers examined some of the perceived strengths and weakness of each group, as well as the impact of technology and existing marketing efforts.

Based on more than 200 responses from an online survey and multiple focus groups, the study analyzed the current state of DMCs and offers guidelines to meet new market challenges. The study was authored by Dr. Haemoon Oh, Ph.D., dean of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management at University of South Carolina, with support from the Incentive Research Foundation.

“The valuable information acquired from this research allows us to examine how similarly or differently DMC and meeting planner organizations react to the external business conditions and how well they’re prepared to take advantage of future opportunities,” says Melissa Van Dyke, president of the Incentive Research Foundation.

“The research showed us how building a long-term commitment between a DMC and a meeting planner radiated around trust. Each party’s opportunistic behavior, their engagement in communications, and their mutual financial dependence were key determinants of that trust.”

Research comparing DMCs and meeting planners revealed four important areas where views differed or aligned:

1. DMCs are More Positive: DMCs rated their strengths, opportunities and outlook more favorably than U.S. meeting planners did.

2. Views on Strengths: DMCs viewed their own strengths as helping to ensure events are  of high quality, handling unexpected requests and crisis management. However, meeting planners viewed DMCs’ top strengths as possessing local knowledge and saving time for planners.

3. Views on Weaknesses: DMCs believed their greatest weaknesses were the value of their resources being misunderstood and a lack of collaboration with other DMCs. Meeting planners believed DMCs’ biggest weaknesses were lack of creativity over time and offering replaceable services.

4. Agreement on Threats: DMCs and meeting planners both agreed that Internet search engines and hotels’ in-house DMCs were major threats to their relationship. Social media was considered both a threat and an enabler, offering opportunities for promotion and education.

Based on the data, the study also offers seven key suggestions for DMCs to better position themselves to do business with planners:

1. Continue building strong, dynamic networks of local expertise and vendors.

2. Proactively use social media technologies to provide more convenient services with information accessible across different platforms.

3. Provide a satisfaction guarantee for DMC services.

4. Build stronger international site inspections to highlight language, cultural and legal differences.

5. Develop and better promote DMC’s risk management services.

6. Work with larger DMC consortiums to create regional, national and global partnerships; but don’t lose unique, customizable programs that local DMCs are known for.

7. Develop informational programs and demos that raise the visibility and clarify the value of DMC services.

san francisco tourism

San Francisco tourism reached record numbers in 2015, welcoming a total of 24.6 million visitors for an increase of 2.7 percent from 2014.  Leisure visitors and business visitors also rose 2.7 percent, with 18.9 and 5.8 million, respectively.

Tourism accounted for $9.3 billion in spending, according to San Francisco Travel.  Visitors spent $8.5 billion for an increase of 3.4 percent over 2014. An additional $723 million was spent by meeting planners and exhibitors for goods and services for their events, with related to meetings and conventions bringing in $2 billion.

The role San Francisco tourism plays in the region is staggering. The number of jobs supported by San Francisco tourism rose slightly to 76,520, with an annual payroll of $2.3 billion.

“These record-breaking numbers once again prove that tourism is the most important industry in San Francisco,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel. “The 24.6 million visitors and $9.3 billion in spending create jobs and support services for people throughout the city and the entire Bay Area. We are experiencing sustained growth in all market segments, domestic, international, leisure and business, as a result of our highly professional and sophisticated community of hotels, restaurants, cultural organizations and San Francisco International Airport, one of the finest airports in the world.”

San Francisco Travel had a great year in 2015 regarding conventions. It booked 44 conventions slated to meet at Moscone Center between 2015 and 2032. Estimates put the hotel room night at 1,153,258. Attendees and exhibitors are expected to spend an estimated $1,001,190,532.

Another major source of revenue is the Port of San Francisco, which hosted 82 ship calls and 297,504 passengers in 2015. It was a record for ship passengers, eclipsing the previous best of 256,410 set in 2014.  Besides passengers, each ship has approximately 1,000 crew members.

Based on passenger, crew, and ship expenditures, the overall economic impact to the Bay Area of a cruise ship call in San Francisco is approximately $1 million.

Source: San Francisco Travel has developed a new research model using internal data and curated research in conjunction with Tourism Economics.  Several years of lodging data was curated by San Francisco Travel using research from STR (formerly Smith Travel Research) and PKF Consulting.  Data for flight volume was provided by OAG (formerly Official Aviation Guide) and San Francisco International Airport.  Domestic visitor data was collected by Longwoods. International visitor data by country came from Tourism Economics’ Global City Travel database and global visitor surveys by Destination Analysts as well as tax and household data.  Group sales statistics were drawn from USI, San Francisco Travel’s CRM (customer relationship management) platform.

Orlando-Tourism-66-Million-Visitors-in-2015

Orlando is red-hot when it comes to tourism, both for leisure and business travel. This week as part of National Travel and Tourism Week, Visit Orlando reported that the city drew a record 66.1 million people in 2015, a growth of 5.5 percent from 2014, solidifying its stature as the most visited destination in the United States.

In the past 20 years, visitation to Orlando has more than doubled, with 32.4 million visitors coming to the city in 1995. Along with the increase in tourism has come lots of growth.

–Hotel inventory has grown by more than 37 percent during the past 20 years, rising to 117,000 guests rooms in 2015.

–Passengers at Orlando International Airport increased by more than 72 percent, reaching 38,809,337 in 2015

–Significant openings and expansions have reinforced Orlando as the theme park capital of the world.

Coup for Visit Orlando

“Reaching more than 66 million visitors to Orlando is an amazing accomplishment for our tourism community,” said George Aguel,  president and CEO for Visit Orlando. “This new milestone and rapid growth over the past two decades is a result of having a tourism industry and community partners that are focused on growth and investment, dedication to the needs of our visitors and the global marketing and sales efforts of our Visit Orlando team and member companies.”

Visit Orlando used its record-breaking news to celebrate the 33rd annual National Travel and Tourism Week, which calls attention to what travel means to American jobs, economic growth and personal well-being. For example, in 2015, Orlando sold a record 33 million room nights, resulting in an all-time high for tourist development tax collections at $230 million for Orange County, which is the epicenter for Central Florida tourism.

“Orlando has reached yet another historic milestone with more than 66 million visitors in 2015—a significant achievement for Orlando and the U.S. travel industry,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association. “The region’s remarkable commitment to travel and tourism—with especial kudos to Visit Orlando, its tourism community members, and the leadership of local public officials—enabled it to hit yet another visitation record.”

Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau

This week, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) announced record-breaking travel and tourism numbers, with a 6.4 percent increase in overnight visitors to the Miami area in 2015. During that time, the destination welcomed a total of 15.5 million overnight visitors, with a record 8 million visitors from domestic markets and 7.5 million international visitors. Thanks to GMCVB global marketing programs, New York became the destination’s first $2 billion market, contributing a record economic impact of $2.3 billion—only rivaled by the destination’s billion dollar markets of Brazil and Colombia. The total economic impact of overnight visitors to Greater Miami reached a record $24.4 billion last year.

“More than a year ago, GMCVB launched the ‘It’s So Miami’ neighborhood-centric marketing campaign aimed at extending visitors’ stays as part of an economic impact strategy.  Today, we announce New York as the first-ever $2 billion dollar market alongside strong billion dollar international markets of Brazil and Colombia,” says GMCVB President and CEO William D. Talbert, III.

“More visitors are staying longer and fueling record-breaking economic impacts thanks to GMCVB efforts.  In addition, we grew the European market by 5.9 percent and grew the Latin American market by 3 percent, despite the strength of the dollar against the Euro and Latin American currencies. Of the 1 million new visitors into Miami, nearly half of them were first-time visitors. This can be attributed to the GMCVB’s aggressive international marketing programs and our collaboration with Miami International Airport (MIA) to attract more global carriers and expand air-service into Miami and the beaches.”

Ninety six percent of visitors to Greater Miami arrived by air. Among the international visitors, a 7.2 percent increase came from emerging markets, including Asia, the Middle East and Australia. With existing carriers, such American Airlines expanding service, and new airlines flying into Miami International Airport, visitors via Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, TAP, Lufthansa, Air France and Scandinavian Airways are able to make new connections into the destination.

Along with an expected increase in airport arrivals and new hotels set to open in the coming months, GMCVB predicts additional growth with the completion of a $615 million expansion and renovation to Miami Beach Convention Center, and potentially adjacent headquarter hotel.

texas-summer-attractions

The start of the summer travel season is right around the corner with Memorial Day Weekend, and Texas Tourism invites travelers to take a Texas-sized adventure in the Lone Star State. When it comes to family travel, Texas is full of possibilities, boasting more than 600 miles of coastline, scenic mountain ranges, numerous national parks, historic sites and a variety of attractions. Pack your bags and embark on a Texas adventure.

Sink your toes in the sand with a Gulf Coast adventure beginning with Corpus Christi, one of the world’s top kite-boarding destinations. Galveston, a unique 32-mile beach town, offers soft sandy beaches; one of the largest, most historically significant collections of 19th-century buildings; and is home to more than 500 species of birds, making it a top birding destination. Another must-see Texas beach is Padre Island National Seashore, a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle and a haven for 380 bird species.

Prefer mountains or canyons to waves? West Texas is the place to be. Visitors marvel at the beauty of Big Bend National Park,Davis Mountains State Park in Fort Davis, Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, or Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon. In addition to scenic mountain ranges, West Texas is home to many outdoor activities, including horseback riding, white water rafting, kayaking and canoeing. For a different type of terrain, head to Big Thicket National Preserve in East Texas. A convergence of ecosystems, Big Thicket protects the incredible diversity of life found in the multiple habitats. Hiking trails and waterways meander through nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous.

In addition to Texas’ great outdoors, a variety of adventures and activities can be found in the state’s diverse cities. In Texas’ Capital city, families will enjoy heading to the Thinkery, Austin’s innovative children’s museum where people connect with ideas by doing, creating and experiencing. Another must-see is the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, where visitors can explore the story of Texas. Further south in San Antonio, visitors will enjoy not only the River Walk and the Alamo, but the Spanish Missions – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, a safari experience right here in Texas. Adventure-seeking visitors can get their fix of thrills at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, which houses pulse-pounding roller coasters and gentler options for the kids.

In Texas’ largest city, Houston, visitors of all ages will delight in the Museum District, made up of 19 cultural institutions including The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. For an out of this world experience, head to Space Center Houston, which features more than 400 space artifacts, attractions, permanent and traveling exhibits and theaters related to the history and future of space exploration. Up north in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, visitors will have no shortage of activities to enjoy. The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science will have kids of all ages exploring and making discoveries, while the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden allows visitors to soak in the beauty of the outdoors. There’s also plenty of fun to be had in nearby Arlington, at one of the biggest theme parks in the state, Six Flags Over Texas. Its claim to fame is The Texas Giant, while younger patrons will enjoy Bugs Bunny Boomtown. Across the street, more than 3,000,000 gallons of water await at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

From sandy beaches, to picturesque mountains, to urban centers, Texas offers a multitude of incredible leisure experiences for visitors of all ages, palates and interests. In fact, these experiences helped generate an estimated $69 billion in spending in the state in 2015, which directly supported 653,000 jobs. Additionally, domestic leisure travel to Texas destinations continued to increase in 2015, accounting for nearly three out of every four travel days across the state and roughly 60 percent of travel spending.

To learn more about Texas travel events and destinations, or to order a free Texas State Travel Guide, please visit www.TravelTexas.com.

Georgia-World-Congress-Center1 Atlanta tourism

How important are citywides to a meeting city’s economy? In April, Atlanta experienced an amazing 82 percent hotel occupancy rate for the highest total ever recorded in the city during that month, according to research was conducted by Smith Travel Research (STR).

Atlanta’s record-breaking occupancy was spurred by four major citywide conventions, which brought an estimated 49,000 attendees with an estimated direct economic impact of $55.5 million.

“This milestone is a testament to the entire hospitality community of Atlanta as we continue to build on our tremendous success,” says William Pate, president and CEO of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB). “We have great momentum heading into the summer travel season as Atlanta continues to deliver a world-class destination for visitors to experience.”

Here are the citywide events that took place in April at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center.

• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), April 2-4
• MODEX 2016, April 4-7
• Varsity Spirit Corporation–One Up 2016, April 8-10
• Army Aviation Association of America, April 28-30

Georgia-World-Congress-Center4

Georgia World Congress Center offers 3.9 million sq. ft. of exhibit space. The largest LEED Silver certified convention center in the world, it’s adjacent to Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park.

Atlanta’s star continues to rise in terms of citywides. On May 25, the National Football League (NFL) announced that Atlanta was chosen to host Super Bowl LIII in February 2019. It will be played at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is scheduled to open in June 2017. Atlanta has hosted three Super Bowls .

Transformation was the focus of Atlanta’s Super Bowl presentation, including the new $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is under construction in the heart of Atlanta. The walkability of the downtown area was another key element in Atlanta’s favor, with easy access to world-class attractions such as College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia Aquarium and National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has also landed the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship and numerous semifinal games, as well as the 2020 NCAA Men’s Final Four. The Southeastern Conference football championship game is slated to take place in Atlanta for the next 11 years, moving into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017; it’s currently held at the Georgia Dome.

cincinnati USA CVB

Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau found a creative way to include its community as the CVB prepares to host two major conventions this summer. When the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and The Church of God in Christ Auxiliaries in Ministries Convention (COGIC) gather in Ohio in July, delegates will be greeted by artwork designed specifically for their groups.

NAACP_Poster12_25x17_5On June 20 at Aronoff Center, Cincinnati USA unveiled “Foot Soldiers of Freedom” by Joyce Phillips Young, whose artwork was designed for the NAACP convention. “Prayer and Praise” by Annie Ruth was created for COGIC. The CVB staged a contest, encouraging local artists to submit their work to be considered for the two major events. The selected artwork will be featured on downtown street banners, posters and other welcome materials during conventions.

The NAACP will convene in Cincinnati July 16-20. The theme of NAACP’s 107th national convention is “Our Lives Matter, Our Votes Count.” The convention will feature workshops, discussions and speakers highlighting voter education, voter protection and voter mobilization.

There’s a good chance presidential candidates will be speaking as well. When Cincinnati hosted the 2008 NAACP convention, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama addressed the thousands of delegates in attendance.

COGIC_Poster12_25x17_5“When the right of every citizen to vote is under threat in states across the nation, we must join together to respond and be heard,” Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the NAACP’s board of directors. “In towns and cities across this country, we are witnessing a new era of activism as a new generation rises to stand against police brutality and for the right to be heard in our democracy. We must harness that desire to be heard and mobilize our members to protect the vote and to get out the vote.”

It’s no surprise that Cincinnati is excited about hosting the NAACP convention in an election year.

“We are proud to once again have the opportunity to provide the backdrop for the NAACP’s national convention, especially during such an important election year filled with impassioned political debates that strike at the core of civil rights issues in our country,” said Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. “I look forward to being part of what promises to be a memorable convention and a thought-leading event for the country this year.”

The Church of God in Christ Auxiliaries in Ministries Convention (COGIC) will take place July 4-8.

ibtm-america-closing

Reed Travel Exhibitions knows how important location is to IBTM America and is doing a great job of taking its annual trade show to key destinations to maximize attendance. IBTM America wrapped up its 2016 event last week at Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort in Nashville and will gather at Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood, just outside Fort Lauderdale, June 14-16, 2017.

IBTM-America---Show-Floor---134

No meeting in Nashville would be complete without attendees experiencing Music City’s legendary Honky Tonks. Then it was all business, with 5,000 one-on-one appointments at Gaylord Convention Center.

Most suppliers were North American, Mexican, Canadian and Caribbean hotel brands, convention centers, incentive destinations, cruise lines and tech companies.  Drawing representatives from many of the top U.S. meeting cities, participating CVBs included NYC & Company, Greater Miami CVB, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Detroit Metro CVB and Greater Fort Lauderdale.

IBTM-1

International exhibitors featured Visit Flanders (Belgium), India Tourism and Dubai Business Events.

“We know that any MICE business leads can take up to two to three years to make happen,” says Ishrat Alam, tourist information officer for India Tourism. “It has given us the opportunity to really explain our experiential high end incentive and meetings products face to face.  The mutual match appointment system is very good indeed.”

IBTM America Hosted Buyers

IBTM-America---Show-Floor---149

The hosted buyers hailed from such companies as American Express, Colgate-Palmolive, National Association of African American Studies, Global Cynergies, Wells Fargo, The International Ecotourism Society and Maritz. Eighty-six percent of the hosted buyers were based in the United States. The international planners came from Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Russia, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.

The show floor reflected a focus on technology, including a showcase of emerging technologies, from start-ups and entrepreneurs highlighting new ideas for the industry through live demonstrations.

“I have been to IBTM America for the past three years—it works for me,” says Thomas L Fagan, Jr., from The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. “In 2015, we had 1,300 meetings worldwide.  We are looking at events up to five years ahead. It used to be 10 years, but the lead time has now shortened.”

pittsburgh

Citywide company meetings, trade shows and festivals are typically booked a year or more in advance, giving a city due time to accommodate the large influx of visitors coming to the area and complete renovations where they’re needed. A less predictable event that cities often face and must quickly prepare for is sports championships, from the professional level to high-stakes college games.

As the season goes on, cities can gauge the growing or shrinking chance that they will host playoff and championship games, parades and other events that come with the territory. No city knows that better this year than Pittsburgh, which had just enough time to wrap up their NHL Penguins celebrations after winning the Stanley Cup, before hosting the U.S. Open. Thirteen Stanley Cup home games brought an estimated 59,000 additional overnight visitors to the Steel City.

 

Smart Meetings talked with Karl Pietrzak, vice president of convention sales for Visit Pittsburgh, about how residents, businesses and the CVB came together to show off the city and celebrate.

The first step was understanding how to manage hotel inventory based on historical data—the city is no stranger to making the NHL playoffs, after all. Downtown hotels maximized rates for rooms on nights of home games, factoring in an expanded inventory thanks to new properties. New hotels downtown include the 248-room Hotel Monaco, A Kimpton Hotel; Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh East Liberty (135 rooms), which opened in October 2015;  Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown in Market Square (175 guest rooms); and a 225-suite Embassy Suites by Hilton Pittsburgh Downtown, among others.

“While hotels, restaurants and retailers nearest to Consol Energy Center were impacted the most by the influx of visitors, all of our downtown hotels and restaurants saw a boost in sales from fans in town for the Penguins’ playoff games,” Pietrzak says. “ In addition, restaurants and bars throughout Allegheny County that showed the Penguins games benefited from the locals that came out to watch the games in their favorite places.”

 

One of the best perks of an unplanned event like making it to the playoffs is the prolonged effect it has on city tourism.

“It provides an opportunity for visitors to check out some other venues and attractions in Pittsburgh that they may not have otherwise visited,” Pietrzak explains. “And they would go back home and tell their friends and family about what cool things they experienced in Pittsburgh.”

Although Consol Energy Center may have been the star of the show in June, other attractions garnering visitors’ attention include The Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History and a ride up the Duquesne Incline to see the city’s skyline view.

 

“Sports lovers love the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center and the Clemente Museum,” Pietrzak. “The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, National Aviary, Carnegie Science Center and Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh are among the most popular family-friendly attractions.”

Pietrzak and the rest of Visit Pittsburgh hardly had time to regroup before the U.S. Open kicked off at the Oakmont Country Club.

Endless Accolades

It was just announced following the Open’s conclusion that the Oakmont Country Club will host it again in 2025, making it a record 10 times hosting the tournament. In an interview, USGA Executive Director Mike Davis stated that the only golf course he believes could host the tournament in a pinch, should something unexpected come up, is the Oakmont Country Club.

“This place could do it,” Davis said. “This golf course is always seemingly in championship condition.”

How’s that for having to stay on your toes?

That could be one reason that Sporting News named the city Best Sports City, and USA TODAY’s 10 Best Reader’s Choice poll named Pittsburgh as one of the winners of the Best City for Sports travel award. It even changes its name on occasion to remind everyone that Pittsburgh is a force to be reckoned with. Coined “Sixburgh” after becoming the first city ever to win six Super Bowls and then more recently, Pensburgh following its fourth Stanley Cup win.

But the city has more going for it than trophies. It was also recently named one of the Best Places to Travel in 2016 by Travel + Leisure, rated the nation’s No. 1 Food City by Zagat and named among the Top Destinations on the Rise by TripAdvisor.

More to Celebrate

As if there weren’t enough to celebrate, Pittsburgh’s 200th anniversary is this year, having received a charter in March 1816 and swearing in their first mayor in July of the same year.
Events are happening throughout the year to celebrate the occasion, including the Bicentennial Birthday Bash July 8, which will include live music and delicious food—not to mention an epic birthday cake that will replicate the city skyline.

July 9, the city will celebrate the swearing in of the first-ever city mayor, Ebenezer Denny. A parade and festival at Point State Park will include a special fireworks display.