1. What can a CVB do for you?

2. Welcome! Panel today Ann Koralewski, CMP, CGMP, UF Health Science Center Curtis Odom, Sales Manager, Hilton UF Nancy Fischer, CMP, VisitGainesville

3. Do you know how CVBs started?

4. Benefits for a Meeting Planner 1.Partners in Planning - A crucial partner in meeting planning; typically they represent local hotels and motels, conference and convention centers, restaurants, tourist attractions, nontraditional venues, ground operators and numerous other suppliers of event-related services.

5. Benefits for a Meeting Planner 2.Destination Selection - A CVB can tell you about the destination in a one stop shopping type of format. They can tell you when peak- and off-season is. They can let you know of any city wides that are happening. They can organize site visits to get to know an area you have not visited before.

6. Benefits for a Meeting Planner 3.Venue Selection - A CVB can take your venue requirements and event specs and forward them out to their hotels in mass or to a targeted set of venues per your requirements. They can act as the middle man for venue proposals. They can also suggest options for using multiple venues and the logistics involved in moving from one venue to another.

7. Benefits for a Hotelier 1.Increased Exposure - Most hotels don’t have the marketing or advertising budget to reach all the markets that could utilize their services. A combined effort at least doubles the effort being put into promoting the destination.

8. Benefits for a Hotelier 2. Proposal/Meeting Support - Rarely will a larger meeting come to your city because of your hotel alone. They come for the destination and nobody knows your area better than your local CVB. They can help put destination packages together as well as supply a plethora of information on local attractions to include with your proposal.

9. Benefits for a Hotelier 3. Financial Support - The meeting environment is more competitive today than ever before and any advantage you can leverage will give you the edge. The Alachua County Tourism Grant is one example of this. By holding a meeting in Alachua County they can be eligible for up to $10,000.00 in grant funds. The local CVB can also assist sometimes by offsetting transportation costs or arranging discounts with local attractions. You never know what the CVB can do unless you ask.

10. Some services a CVB can offer you: Recommend reliable sources for service Put the planner in touch with business leaders Act as a liaison between the organization & local officials

11. Spouse trips and tours Off-site venues for team building Unique settings for receptions One-stop information shopping

12. Call your CVB first for suggestions on exciting, fun-filled venues for your conference attendees!

13. Questions?