The BEST

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• The BEST
• of Both Worlds
• Working with
• CVBs and NSOs

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The Panelists

• CVB
• Maria Pappas, Norfolk CVB
• Belinda Thompson, CMP, San Diego CVB
• National Rep
• Leslie Atwood, Marriott International
• Kathryn Hoch, Starwood Hotels and Resorts

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What Exactly is a CVB?

• Convention and Visitors
  Bureau
• Primarily Not-For-Profit Organization which
  represents specific destinations (city or region)
• Promote economic development through tourism
• Help in long-term development of communities
  bringing together businesses that rely on tourism
  and meetings for revenue
• Serve as official contact point for their
  destination for meeting professionals, tour
  operators and individual visitors
• Usually membership organizations, but not always
• A key to the city for planners serving as an
  unbiased resource
• Assist planners with meeting preparation

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CVB Responsibilities
The Three Prime Responsibilities of a Bureau

• To encourage groups to hold meetings, conventions
  and tradeshows in the city or destination it
  represents
• To assist those groups with meeting preparations
  and while their meeting is in progress
• To encourage tourists to visit and enjoy
  historic, cultural and recreational opportunities
  the destination offers

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Where Do CVBs Get Their Funding?

• Most CVBs are funded through hotel occupancy
  taxes, government budget allocations, and
  membership dues.
• (or a combination of any or all three)

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Why Work with a CVB?
A valuable resource to visitors and meeting
planners alike!

• Offer unbiased information about a destinations
  facilities/venues
• Save planners/visitors time and energy with
  one-stop shop for local meeting/tourism interests
• Make planning and implementing a meeting less
  time-consuming and more streamlined
• Sales professionals can help locate meeting
  space, check hotel availability, recommend
  off-site venues, and arrange for sites
• Provide full range of information about
  destination
• Many services provided are FREE!
• Provide access to a range of services and
  value-added extras

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CVB Services Initial Planning Process
The many advantages of using a CVB to plan a
meeting

• Distribution of Leads/RFPs to appropriate hotels
  and meeting facilities
• Customized proposal packages for each groups
  specific requirements
• Solicit proposals from area hotels on meeting
  planners behalf
• Coordination of site inspections and
  familiarization tours
• Assist in all areas of meeting preparation
  including establishing room blocks at hotels, and
  providing detailed reference material
• Help to develop programs and organize pre and
  post convention tours

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CVB Services After Site Selection Occurs

• Assist in creation of collateral material
• Assist with on-site logistics and registration
• Provide housing bureau services
• Provide local speakers and educational
  opportunities
• Help secure special venues
• Assist in coordination of local transportation
• Obtain special letters of welcome from various
  high-ranking officials
• Market the destination to attendees via
  promotional material, thereby encouraging
  attendance
• Act as a liaison between planner and community
  officials

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Resources to contact CVB Reps

• Contacts made through SGMP
• SGMP Directory both NATCAP and National
• Formerly International Association of Convention
  Visitors Bureaus (IACVB) has a new name
  Destination Marketing Association International
  www.destinationmarketing.org
• Destinations Showcase
• Meeting Planner Resources Tab
• Planners can submit Requests for Proposal
• Washington Area Convention Bureau Satelitte
  Offices (WACBSO) is a group of 50 CVBs located
  in the Metro DC area www.cvbreps.com

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What Exactly is a National Rep?

• A salesperson who works for a specific hotel
  chain and represents all hotel properties within
  that chain
• They act as an extension of the on-property sales
  department
• They offer a one stop shop within a hotel brand
• A salesperson who works for the chain hotel but
  negotiates on behalf of the customer for a
  win-win solution
• They simplify the site selection process,
  providing a helpful service to organizations
  without a centralized meetings department or very
  busy meeting planners
• They expedite a search by eliminating hotels from
  a search based on hotel size, overall costs,
  wrong location, etc

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The Basics of a NSO

• A National Rep conducts a search based on
  customers needs
• A National Rep solicits proposals from hotels on
  the customers behalf based on interest in the
  offer made
• A National Rep may accompany a customer on site
  inspections
• A National Rep may help negotiate contracts to
  facilitate an understanding of the Chains
  standardized contract
• A National Rep will work on multiple year
  contracts to leverage the customers buying power
  and book future years with the chain in one
  transaction
• A National Sales Office maintains records of past
  programs and will obtain group history

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Where Do NSO Obtain their Funding?

• Funding Varies by Company
• Most National Sales Office Efforts are funded by
• Yearly fees paid by hotels within a chain
• Based often on the number of rooms in a hotel

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Why would a National Rep be Important to you?

• Save you time, energy and money
• Helps to lobby a customers interest to the hotel
• Builds a lasting relationship by partnering with
  the customer and over time anticipates their
  needs and helps to get them the best offers

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How to Contact your Local NSOs

• Utilize the contacts you meet via SGMP
• As well as those listed in the SGMP Directory
• Provide a handout with NATCAP NSO and other Hotel
  Reps

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The Similarities of CVB and NSO

• Both work with meeting groups of varying sizes
• Will either have proposals sent directly to you
  or put together a summary of proposals they
  collect
• Are here to make your job as a meeting planner as
  easy and hassle free by doing the majority of the
  initial leg work for you

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Who should I work withThe CVB or the NSO

• The answer is Simple
• BOTH

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Why work with Both

• Both a CVB and an NSO can offer the client unique
  benefits
• You will cover all your bases by working with
  both
• The CVB and NSO will often work hand in hand to
  assist the meeting planner in finding the right
  venue
• We get to keep our jobs for another year

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Thank You