Recap: ABCD… CVBs: A Panel Discussion

If you missed the MPI March 6^th Monthly Program on working with Convention and Visitors Bureaus, you missed a lot! Our panelists shared insights on how both planners and suppliers can work with their CVB to streamline sourcing and save money, no matter what size meeting or event you plan.

Why Should You Use A CVB?

CVBs are not just for large city-wide meetings; as Anne Madden, CMP, Senior Sales Manager for Omni Hotel Orlando at Champion’s Gate noted, while your CVB is an invaluable and necessary partner for a meeting with 8,000 delegates, they can also be a key resource for small dinners. Anne recounted an event where she was looking for a venue for her small group dinner, and the CVB recommended restaurants in a city she was not familiar with, as well as identify transportation options. Susan Zeiri, National Sales Director for Visit Orlando, seconded this; she noted that a CVB can be your one-stop-shop for venues, transportation, off-site entertainment, restaurants, and other unique venues, services, and opportunities.

Tim Haggerty, Vice President of Sales for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, also identified how smaller meetings can use their CVB; looking at the Philadelphia market, if you have a meeting with 100 peak room nights but 300+ attendees, you’re looking at The Logan and maybe The Warwick, who have a lot of meeting space relative to their rooms. But if you’re looking in a city you’re unfamiliar with, what are the comparable properties in, say, Indianapolis? This is where your CVB can assist you with finding the right property for your smaller event, and while it is a common misconception that the CVB is going to send your proposal to all of their Members, the truth is that the CVB is as invested in matching your needs to suppliers who they best think match your proposal’s needs.

CVBs are a fantastic asset with respect to knowledge about their city; they’ll know what new properties are opening and which ones are going to renovate or expand. Additionally, they know the flow of their city – CVBs know which seasons or months are off peak, and if your group can be flexible, you can reduce your budget significantly by taking advantage of those off-peak incentives, which could include $1-$2 off your room rate, which adds up if you have 8,000 delegates! And if you can convince your group to start their program on a Sunday, even better!

Beyond literal dollars, CVBs save planners time by shortening the sourcing process. Sure, you could call fifteen hotels and ten restaurants and three transportation companies and interview temporary staff, or you can provide RFPs to your CVB and enlist their vast network and resources. CVBs will also provide you with a holistic view of their city; they can provide you with a high-level snapshot of their city’s unique charms as well as photos and videos you can use in your marketing materials to increase registration by using your location as a selling point to attract delegates.

And the best part of working with the CVB is that, because most CVBs are funded by hotel taxes and membership dues, their services are FREE.

What other services have CVBs helped you with? Comment below to keep the conversation going!