Meeting News - April 7, 2008 - (Page 14)

CVBs Atlantic City CVA Seeks Greater Authority Bill granting control of the convention center and Boardwalk Hall moves forward Atlantic City, NJ—Although it took four years to get the ball officially rolling, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority is optimistic that it could gain control of the city’s convention center and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall special events arena by summer. The bill, which would transfer the facilities’ assets from the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) to the CVA, was unanimously approved in mid-March by the state Senate Tourism and Gaming Commission. The Atlantic City Convention Center features 486,600 sf of exhibition space and 109,100 sf of meeting space, while Boardwalk Hall has seating for up to 13,650 in its arena and 23,100 sf of function space in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom. Currently, the CVA operates the two buildings, implementing booking policies and handling sales, but the NJSEA has control over capital improvement projects and the luxury tax (the CVA manages the city’s room tax). “Having control over both taxes would allow us more flexibility with clients,” said Jeff Vasser, executive director of the CVA. He also likes the idea of being able to make decisions on where to spend capital dollars and the fact that the CVA will no longer have to pay management fees of approximately $350,000 per year. “We’d like to put that money into improvements, such as wireless Internet and technology upgrades and green initiatives,” he explained. The bill will go before the state Senate Appropriations Committee and the full Senate, before going through a similar process with the state assembly and ultimately making its way to the governor’s desk. Edited by Lori Morris lori.morris@nielsen.com Aloha-Style Insights New Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau initiative showcases local experts Honolulu—While Hawaii might attract groups because of its beaches, culture, and landscape, the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau has developed a new program to enhance its image as a business destination. The bureau will make several of Hawaii’s top business and industry leaders available to groups as part of the newly formed Hawaii Speakers Bureau. The leaders will address meeting groups on topics including business, high technology, finance, Asian affairs, medicine, scientific research, and other issues involving Hawaii and the Pacific Rim. The HVCB currently has commitments from 20 Hawaii-based leaders to take part in the program; the complete list can be found at www.businessaloha.com. By emphasizing its connections to the Pacific Rim during speaking engagements, Hawaii aims to bring companies on both sides of the Pacific together to expand their business opportunities. The Atlantic City Convention Center might soon have a new owner. Live From McCormick Place… Chicago—As a new benefit to show managers and exhibitors, the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau has developed an online video series called Live from the Floor of McCormick Place. The program will air live from trade shows taking place at the facility, featuring newsstyle segments on developments at each show, including demonstrations, interviews with industry experts and celebrities, product showcases, and other happenings. The shows can be accessed online at PrivilegedAccess.tv by anyone around the world, greatly expanding 14 MeetingNews April 7, 2008 a trade show’s reach and increasing its profile. It will enable everyday consumers to view new products that only industry insiders and trade show attendees were previously able to see, generating more excitement before their release. The Chicago CTB, the first bureau in the country to offer such a program, kicked off the first broadcast in mid-March at the 2008 International Home & Housewares Show. (DMAI) granted accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) to seven destination marketing organizations Seven Destinations Receive DMAI’s Accreditation Seal Washington, DC—Destination Marketing Association International during its most recent application cycle. The designation recognizes a DMO’s high level of excellence within the industry. The DMOs granted accreditation were Atlantic City CVA, the Greater Hartford CVB, Lafayette CVC, Quad Cities CVB, Tourism Richmond (British Columbia, Canada), Virginia Beach CVB, and Visit Charlotte/Charlotte RVA. “Earning DMAP accreditation assures members of the local DMO, local government officials, visitors, and business partners that their trust is well placed in the DMO,” said DMAI President and CEO Michael Gehrisch. There are currently 47 accredited DMOs, but that number is expected to grow to almost 100 by the end of 2008. r www.meetingnews.com http://www.businessaloha.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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