Meeting News - March 9, 2009 - (Page 28)

Planners Guide to Florida Orlando/Orange County CVB Celebrates Silver Anniversary with Meetings Discounts Cost breaks and amenity packages are available at over 30 hotels across the city The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a program designed to both thank the meetings community and invite planners to join its yearlong celebration. “One of the ways we wanted to recognize meeting planners, and certainly give them some additional value this year, is with our Anniversary Savings Celebration,” said Gary Sain, Orlando/Orange room Peabody Orlando, adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center, and the 2,000-room Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. Additional offerings range from free wireless Internet access for guests at those two hotels, to reduced or waived attrition fees at the 1,334-room Rosen Centre Hotel, to discounts on catering at the 400-room Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal. There, planners will receive a 25percent discount off catering when charged to the master account, after a group consumes $10,000 or more in food and beverage. Sain acknowledged the tough economic climate in Orlando. “2009 is going to be a challenge for all destinations,” he said. “We know that both business and leisure travel will be down.” But citywide groups, which bring strong revenues and will continue to meet regardless of the downturn, have continued to be a bright spot for Orlando, Sain said. “What’s amazing is how far we have come in such a short period of time,” he said. “To be the second-largest meetings/conventions market in North America is a testament to the Orlando brand.” —Phillip Hennessey A Trio of Properties Readies for Fall Openings Construction continues on three new large hotels that are coming to Orlando this fall. The 1,400-room Hilton Orlando Hotel, which will offer 130,000 sf of meeting space, will be connected by a pedestrian skybridge to the Orange County Convention Center. Adjacent to Walt Disney World, the Hilton Bonnet Creek project will house a 1,000-room Hilton and a 498-room Waldorf=Astoria, with over 125,000 sf of meeting space Hilton Bonnet Creek project will sit adjacent to Disney World. between the two properties. All three hotels are expected to open in September or October. —PH that could get some expenses covered for our members and help them make the decision that this would be a great opportunity” to attend, she added. “We had really good results with that.” The coupons and deals offered to potential attendees spurred excitement and helped True Value boost registration. “If members knew they would get a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant, then they realized they could go out to eat without costing them as much as they feared, so their expense [to come] was reduced,” added Katz. Orlando’s hospitality community made clear that it wanted True Value’s business, Katz said: “The community was very forthcoming with coupons for restaurants and other things that we could give away on a weekly basis.” —PH Tough Times Spur Creativity from Planners, According to Latest Research by the CVB Orlando CVB president Gary Sain County CVB president. “Every destination today is certainly offering value, because every destination wants to stimulate business. But I think what makes us distinctive, and what makes a discernible difference in the minds of planners, is that we have such a great infrastructure that offers tremendous value and a tremendous range of products and services.” Through the anniversary program, meetings booked by May 1 and held by Dec. 31 will get a 2.5percent discount off the master account at one of 30 Orlando-area hotels. Participants include convention properties, like the 891- While discounts are being offered all across Orlando, a new study released last month by the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau found that current business conditions are requiring planners to work more resourcefully. Four out of five respondents cited an increased need for them to be more creative. The study, with 330 respondents to an e-mail questionnaire sent last fall, focused on four different planner types: for corporations, associations, not-for-profit organizations, as well as independent meeting/event planning. But while respondents underscored the importance of creativity, they could not easily explain where it comes from, how it develops, what environment helps encourage it, how people are motivated to seek it, or how they are compensated for engaging in it. Susan Katz, director of events for the True Value Company, turned to the CVB to help find a creative way to draw, and retain, more attendees to the company’s annual buying market for retailers, held in Orlando in January. “We were really trying to keep our attendance up,” said Katz. “The CVB was very helpful by going out to the community and asking for giveaways that would specifically help underwrite expenses for attendees.” Items offered included restaurant coupons, free nights at area hotels, and tickets to attractions. “The CVB arranged for anything 28 MeetingNews March 9, 2009 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 9, 2009

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