Meetings Market
Overall Efforts
• Without competitive major meeting facilities, the sales department produced 296 leads representing $55.8 million in economic impact, and assisted in booking 168 new meetings during the fiscal year, generating 39,040 room nights and more than $18.1 million in economic impact.
• Sales staff served in leadership roles: Heidi Walters as President Elect for MPI-Carolinas Chapter; member of AENC Annual Meeting Task Force; Amy Higgins as Supplier of the Year for SGMP; Director on SGMP Board; Noelle Ricciardi on pre-and post-tour committee and co-chair of VIP Committee for National Tour Association in Charlotte; Shirley Tucker as VIP chair of NTA Charlotte.
• Focused on those markets with the greatest potential: state and regional associations, multi-level marketing, education, government, independent planners, and religious.
• Efforts targeted groups that meet within one property, or are willing to meet in either the Raleigh Convention & Conference Center or RBC Center and spread out over dozens of properties for housing.
• Amy Higgins won a scholarship from MPI-Carolinas Chapter and Association Executives of NC to attend the MPI national convention.
• Promoted Raleigh/Wake County at seven trade shows, producing 52 "A" contacts.
• Worked closely with Raleigh Convention Center, selected architects and City of Raleigh staff on design and marketing plan for the new convention center. This included four hosted events for meeting professionals to gain their experienced input, and to build and rekindle relationships with potential users of the new facilities.
Sales missions, site inspections and fam tours
Conducted 22 site inspections for 48 individual meeting planners to show first hand all that Raleigh/Wake County has to offer.
Hosted seven familiarization tours for a total of 224 meeting planners, tour operators and key decision makers.
Breakdown of Booking by Size of Meeting Attendance
| # attendees | |
| <100 | 51% |
| 100-249 | 23% |
| 250-499 | 13% |
| 500-999 | 6% |
| 1000+ | 7% |
Percentage of Bookings by Specific Market
| SMERF/Hobby | 28% |
| Corporate/Independent Planner | 20% |
| Group Tour/International | 20% |
| Association | 19% |
| Government | 10% |
| Other | 3% |
What's Ahead
• Finalize and implement a cooperative marketing partnership with the Raleigh Convention Center to book convention, meeting and event business in the new convention center/hotel complex set to open early 2008.
• As funding allows, expand and realign present staff to focus on convention center-specific groups, while maintaining efforts to continue booking business for all 122 properties and meeting facilities throughout Wake County.
• Leverage the $1 Billion of Downtown Raleigh Revitalization and development of new major upscale hotel projects in Cary, Crabtree and North Hills into sales and marketing efforts.
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