Sales events targeting top customers
Experience Columbus promoted Columbus as a destination for conventions and leisure visitors at the shows listed below February-April. Read more to see how the exposure at these shows can help Columbus in the future.
Association Management Companies Institute in Orlando
Feb. 11-13, Orlando, Fla.
Association Management Companies (AMC) are for-profit businesses that provide professional management and administrative services to associations. The AMC Institute is a way to learn, network and partner with the executives of these AMC companies. Experience Columbus staff met with many executives and is working on a sales strategy focused on bringing those meetings to Columbus.
BankTravel Conference
Feb. 19-21, Little Rock, Ark.
Mostly community banks and credit unions attend the annual conference. Experience Columbus conducted 30 appointments with bank travel club leaders.
Heartland Travel Showcase
Feb. 20-22, Pittsburgh
Heartland is the largest regional motorcoach marketplace in the United States. Experience Columbus and its partners met with 59 tour companies, resulting in 30 leads for future business, primarily in 2010. As the host city for 2010, Columbus was responsible for sponsoring a lunch where it debuted this promotional video
Destination Showcase
Feb. 24-26, Washington, D.C.
Destination Showcase is the meeting industry’s largest forum exclusively bringing corporate, government, association and independent meeting planners together. Experience Columbus staff hosted 57 visitors at its booth and received a total of five leads representing 12,240 room nights.
Pennsylvania Bus Association Marketplace
March 24, Harrisburg, Pa.
Marketplace is considered the most expansive travel motorcoach marketplace of its kind in the country. Twenty-three tour operators brought more than 1,400 of their customers to the Marketplace.
Sales Mission
March 24-25
Experience Columbus targeted the direct selling market in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Staff had five scheduled appointments, resulting in five requests for proposals from three organizations, representing more than 9,000 room nights.
Sales Call to John Deere
April 1, Moline, Ill.
Experience Columbus, in partnership with key hospitality partners, flew to meet with John Deere to discuss our bid for the international company’s 2012/2013 conference. John Deere is very excited about the opportunity of coming back to Columbus and staff expects a decision this summer.
Springtime Expo
April 15-16, Washington D.C.
Co-hosted by the American Society of Association Executives and The Center for Association Leadership, the Springtime Expo is the largest one-day tradeshow in the meetings industry. Experience Columbus staff, along with representatives from the Greater Columbus Convention Center, met with 35 customers and received requests for proposals representing 8,772 room nights.
African American Travel Conference
April 21-23, Milwaukee
The African American Travel Conference attracts 2,500 travel planners serving the African American community. Columbus had 38 appointments, resulting in 31 sales leads.
Experient Presentation
April 27, Twinsburg, Ohio
Experient is one of the leading full-service event and meeting planning companies in the industry representing approximately 4.7 million room nights in 2009. Experience Columbus, along with nine hotel representatives, the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Aramark and the Arena Grand Theatre, made a sales presentation to 25 sales and research specialists at the Experient headquarters.
DC Quarterly Luncheon
April 30, Washington, D.C.
A new Experience Columbus initiative this year is quarterly luncheons in Washington D.C. where sales staff and local community leaders meet with potential clients and share what Columbus has to offer. During the first luncheon in 2009, 14 clients attended and were left with an invitation to visit Columbus. As a result, the American Association of Blacks in Energy has confirmed for their 2010 national conference.
Experience Columbus is the official travel and tourism resource for Columbus, Ohio
277 W. Nationwide Blvd., Ste. 125 - Columbus, Ohio 43215
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