review, CVBs and other destination marketing organizations
(DMOs) are expanding how they communicate the economic
impact of meetings to local business leaders and elected
officials. Taking a page from the Convention Industry Council’s groundbreaking Economic Significance Study, which
calculated the value of the entire meetings sector across the
U.S. economy, they’re positioning themselves as catalysts for
economic development with a direct impact on a destination’s growth and quality of living — in some cases by calling
out relationships they’ve developed with specific events and
how they positively affect people in the community.
PU TTING A FACE ON I T
While DMOs have always promoted
how they drive significant visitor
spend in their destinations, lately
they’re becoming much more strategic and comprehensive in their
approach. The better that they can
convince local stakeholders and governments of their value as business
developers and jobs creators, the
more likely they’re able to maintain
and improve their funding. This is
especially true for second-tier cities,
whose budgets are more susceptible
to fluctuations in visitor economies
and changes in government.
For example, when Visit Anaheim — until recently known
as the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention
Bureau — updates the local tourism supplier industry on the
latest Anaheim Convention Center expansion, which broke
ground this past spring, it highlights the project’s economic
and job benefits. Recent messaging reads: “The two-year
project will add an additional $9 million of tax revenue to
the City of Anaheim, plus 1,860 construction jobs and 2,000
new permanent jobs to the local job force ... supporting vital
city services such as Fire and Police departments, local parks,
and libraries.”
Building that connection between meetings and conventions and a city’s health and welfare underpins the future of
DMO strategy on the group side. “I think for many of us, for
years, DMOs were steered away from the words ‘economic
development’ and ‘community development,’” said Jay
Burress, Visit Anaheim’s president and CEO. “Then we began
Jay Burress
‘For years, DMOs
were steered
away from the
words “economic
development.”’
Anaheim Updates
Visit Anaheim’s messaging
emphasizes its role in
community development.
‘I would say 10 years ago,
people looked at CVBs as
kind of the fun people, like
we’re just out drinking wine
with customers.’
