Meeting News - February 16, 2009 - (Page 32)

SOUTH REGIONAL continued from page 21 attractions, as well as its SmartCard, a program for convention delegates. That card grants access to deals and discounts from 150 participating restaurants, retail establishments, and golf courses. Also, the city has started a shared-ride shuttle from Raleigh-Durham International Airport that goes downtown for half the cost of a taxi, as well as a free downtown bus that carries attendees to Raleigh restaurants and attractions. Called the circulator because it does a three-mile loop around town, the bus runs at 10- to 15-minute intervals almost all day, from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. In Nashville, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau is taking a different approach, with its new “We’ll Sing for Meetings” promotion that includes a unique incentive: a free performance by a singer-songwriter. It also includes more standard incentives like free meeting space. “We’re focusing on what makes Nashville unique—the brand of Music City,” said Kay Witt, the CVB’s senior vice director of sales for the president of sales. Myrtle Beach Area ConIn addition to being crevention & Visitors Bureau. ative, several destinations “We’re asking them to bring are counting on human some of that business resources to help them home.” weather the recession. Because word-of-mouth To that end, Witt’s added referrals are powerful tools, two salespeople to her they’re also a large part of staff in the last six months, sales strategies in Atlanta a move echoed in New and New Orleans, which Orleans, Charlotte, and will host the International Raleigh, all of which now Association of Exhibitions have bigger sales forces. and Events’ annual meetIn Myrtle Beach, SC, ing this year and next year. tourism officials have By the end of this month, recruited extra help in the J. Stephen Perry both cities will have hosted form of local citizens. In a major meetings industry new program called “Growing with Groups,” events—the Professional Convention Manresidents are being asked to generate sales agement Association’s annual meeting in leads in exchange for a two-night staycation. New Orleans and Meeting Professionals “Many people in our community belong to International’s MeetDifferent in Atlanta— civic organizations and national trade associ- enabling them to engage influential audiations that meet regularly,” said Danna Lilly, ences of meeting planners. I 32 MeetingNews February 16, 2009 www.meetingnews.com http://www.visitgreensboroNC.com http://www.visitgreensboroNC.com http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - February 16, 2009

Meeting News - February 16, 2009 Contents What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com People Making News International Technology MN Webcast Report Ad Index Live from the Forum

Meeting News - February 16, 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.