• Chicago Corporate and Association Meetings

    Chicago is the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States and home to nearly 1,600 National Associations that represent more than 27 million members worldwide, according to Association Forum. Illinois ranks fourth in the United States for the highest number of Fortune 500 company headquarters, with 37 companies. We have hired a fulltime sales representative in the Chicago market that will develop new market strategies, generate leads and strengthen our brand position in this important growth market.

  • LGBTQ Market

    Greater Palm Springs has already solidified itself as an attractive destination in leisure travel for the influential LGBTQ traveler. However, there is an untapped opportunity for the destination from a meetings and convention standpoint to attract LGBTQ programs. In 2019, the CVB sales team will aggressively execute a strategy, including sponsorships, marketing and sales activities, to generate opportunities for more groups to meet in Greater Palm Springs.

  • Unique Outdoor Venue Space

    Meeting professionals have been working tirelessly to find engaging, creative solutions for their meeting stakeholders—ways to break the mold of standard 8 to 5 conferences in a four-walled meeting space. For the past few years, Convention Sales has focused on the unique offering that sets Greater Palm Springs apart from other meeting destinations: the creative use of our destination’s desirable outdoor space, available under sunny skies year-round.

    This “movement” has gained momentum in the industry, with no destination better suited to provide exactly what the meeting professionals and participants are looking for than Greater Palm Springs. Convention Sales has worked with our hotel Partners to promote and develop this idea, as well as communicate this resource through advertising, social media and written features in publications and on our website.

    In 2019, the promotion and education of these exceptional venues throughout the valley will be further enhanced to ensure meeting professionals realize the unique potential our destination provides for out-of-the-box conferences that inspire and impress.


INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS

In 2019, the CVB will continue to solidify strong industry relationships with leaders in the field, as well as forge new, important relationships.

  • Association Management Companies Institute (AMCI)

    The AMCI represents more than 180 association management companies that manage 1,800-plus associations full-time and nearly 900 on a project basis. The CVB will take full advantage of networking and educational opportunities provided by AMCI in 2019.

  • Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)

    With more than 600 industry leaders and 17 chapters in the U.S., PCMA helps lead the hospitality industry worldwide. The CVB benefits greatly from having executive leadership on the Board and attending PCMA-sponsored events throughout the year. In 2016, the CVB began sponsoring and attending the PCMA Partnership Summit where we spent four days with senior level meeting planners for high-level education, experiential learning and networking. We found this format to be successful for engaging clients, and we will continue sponsoring and attending the Partnership Summit moving forward.

  • Cvent

    Cvent is the most sought-after electronic RFP platform used in the industry today, and Convention Sales continues to carefully position itself within the tool with enhanced advertising placements into competitor markets for further reach.

  • ConventionPlanit

    The CVB developed a new partnership with ConventionPlanit, an online digital marketing and RFP distribution platform. More than 27,000 meeting executives, both domestic and international, subscribe to the platform. Many of these meeting professionals use ConventionPlanit as an alternative to the CVENT RFP distribution platform. Additionally, selected hotel partners will have their own listings to further enhance their opportunities to receive leads and advertise on the site. NEW

  • HelmsBriscoe (HB)

    HB is the highest volume group intermediary purchaser in the meetings and event industry. Their 1,200 associates span 55 countries, with an average of 12 years of hotel, meeting planning and industry experience.

  • ConferenceDirect (CD)

    CD has 325 independent meeting professionals, assisting with more than 8,200 events each year, and is responsible for 2,750,000 hotel rooms booked annually.

  • Destination Marketing Association International

    As the global trade association for official destination marketing organizations (DMOs), the CVB will continue to partner very closely with this organization, which protects and advances the success of DMOs worldwide.

  • Experient, a Maritz Global Event Company

    Experient is dedicated to perfecting the event experience for customers by consistently delivering leading-edge thinking, risk-reducing solutions and the best technology platforms in the industry. We will continue to look for additional ways to further partner with Experient in 2018.

  • HPN Global

    HPN has meeting procurement professionals in 45 countries around the world and is committed to being an industry leader, focused on being the best. The Greater Palm Springs CVB was one of the first DMOs to officially partner with HPN Global, starting in 2015. We have made considerable in-roads with the organization, which will only increase as the relationship strengthens each year.


MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Advertising

Based on new research done by Destination Analysts, Convention Sales will be launching a new campaign to create a holistic marketing strategy for meetings that unifies print, digital media, social media and communications under an overall awareness building message.

Our advertising will continue to reach meeting professionals and third-party planners emphasizing key differentiators uncovered in our research. Unique experiences — including outdoor meeting venues, group activities and air accessibility — will be ongoing CVB meetings promotions. The CVB will also continue to promote the destination as a valuable option for midweek meetings.

Public Relations

The CVB Communications team will develop a comprehensive local and national public relations plan, including pre-written editorial placement and a community awareness campaign to highlight local impact of meetings and conventions.

As part of this plan, the team will work with all CVB meeting industry partners to promote successes of the convention and meetings being held in Greater Palm Springs and share new initiatives and developments of local hotels, venues and meeting facilities through a series of targeted, timely press releases, direct pitching and individual visits.

The Communications team will develop an editorial calendar focusing on meetings and convention theme lines, and will collaborate with Convention Sales to identify and plan two targeted sales/media events using brand-specific themes in 2019.

To directly assist meeting and convention planners, a “Do-It-Yourself” kit will be created to guide them in the process of garnering local media exposure through press releases, press conferences, media alerts and social media.

To support the new Greater Palm Springs Tourism Ambassador program, dedicated releases and background information will be created to showcase their passion for Greater Palm Springs. NEW


2019 SCHEDULED TRADESHOWS/SALES CALLS/SALES MISSIONS

Direct client opportunities including sales calls, tradeshows, account sponsorships, FAMs (familiarization trips), sales missions, and events will again be part of the sales teams plans and actions for 2019.

Sales Missions

Drawing on successes achieved the past few years from increasing face-to-face client engagement, we will continue to create sales missions in all our markets with a focus on creativity, education and brand awareness. Face-to-face client engagement includes client presentations, unique group activities in-market, interactive educational sessions and charitable sponsorships with our customers.

Tradeshows

Careful evaluation of all shows each year ensures the CVB is getting in front of the right audience for our destination partners. Incorporating our brand imagery for booth backdrops  — along with stylish, modern and unique furnishings — provides an exclusive and welcoming refuge for meeting professionals.

  • 2019 Joint Share Travel Partner Opportunities

    We thank you in advance for your partnership and enjoy collaborating with your sales teams to introduce meeting professionals throughout the country to our destination.

    Your team’s participation will include the following:

    • Save-the-date and customer invites
    • All organization and payment of venues
    • Attendance to all organized client events
    • Amenities and gifts presented to the customer
    • All branding showing participation
    • Pre-trip call to review details

    Due to the fact that our destination has a wide variety of product, not every call will make sense for your team to participate in. As soon as our managers have the preliminary schedule solidified for each event, we will have them communicate that information to their respective partners. This will give your teams the ability to maximize their time and set up calls on their own during their downtime while in market.

    Event

    Event Date

    Cost

    CalSAE Elevate Annual Meeting 

    April 29 – May 1

    $1,800

    Ohio Sales Calls   

    May 6-8

    $1,000

    The Modern Meeting Oasis Virtual Trade Show, Greater Palm Springs

    May 14-15

    $950

    Spring Southern CA Client Events

    May 20-23

    $1,000

    Sacramento Sales Mission

    June 3-6

    $1,250

    Southeast Sales Mission 

    June 17-20

    $1,500

    Chicagoland Sales Mission   

    July 17-19

    $1,895

    ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition

    August 10-13

    $1,895

    Canadian Meetings & Events Expo (previously known as Incentiveworks)

    August 13-15

    $2,095

    IMEX American

    September 10-12

    $3,995

    Boston Sales Mission   

    September 17-19

    $1,895

    Fall Southern California Sales Mission

    October 2019

    $1,000

    Midwest Sales Mission

    October 2019

    $1,895

    Fall Southern California Specialty Markets Sales Mission (Religious)   

    TBD- Fall

    $750

    CalSAE Seasonal Spectacular

    December 15-17

    $2,300

    Association Forum of Chicagoland Holiday Showcase

    December 17

    $1,895