Meeting/ Convention Market
Overall Efforts
• With the announcement of the new Raleigh Convention Center and headquarters hotel to be completed in 2008, the sales department produced 355 leads representing $75 million in economic impact. Sales staff assisted in booking 204 new meetings during the fiscal year, generating 23,070 room nights and more than $16.8 million in economic impact.
• Sales staff served in leadership roles: Heidi Walters as President of MPI Carolinas Chapter; member of the AENC Annual Meeting Task Force; member of the NCTIA board and hospitality chair for the MPI Professional Education Conference coming to Charlotte in January 2006. Walters has been elected to the AENC Board of Directors for 2005-2006.
• Focus remained on markets with greatest potential: state and regional associations, education, government, independent planners and religious.
• Promoted Raleigh/Wake County at 13 tradeshows. Many in conjunction with the Raleigh Convention Center to promote the new center.
• Worked closely with the Raleigh Convention Center, Capstrat - the appointed marketing agency - and the City of Raleigh staff on design and marketing plans for the new Raleigh Convention Center. This included two hosted events for meeting professionals and the groundbreaking event in April.
• Identified more than 150 potential users with high interest in booking the new Raleigh Convention Center.
Sales missions, site inspections and fam tours
• Conducted 20 site inspections for 46 individual meeting planners to show first hand all that Raleigh/Wake County has to offer.
Breakdown of Booking by Size of Meeting Attendance
| # attendees | |
| <100 | 66.8% |
| 100-199 | 12.3% |
| 200-499 | 12.9% |
| 500-999 | 3.4% |
| 1000+ | 4.4% |
Percentage of Bookings by Specific Market
| SMERF/Hobby | 27% |
| Corporate/Independent Planner | 15% |
| Group Tour/International | 20% |
| Association | 16% |
| Government | 8% |
| Other | 14% |
What's Ahead
• Restructure internal efforts through hiring of new Director of Sales and additional staff to promote new and existing meeting facilities and hotels.
• Focus on top 50 target conventions for the new convention center and downtown hotels.
• Implement programs for small meetings at limited-service properties and for markets with greatest potential: corporate, association, direct selling, education, government and religious.
• Redesign web site to enhance the meeting planner experience for information, promotions and bookings.
• Introduce meetings/conventions online advertising opportunities.
• Develop new Meeting Planners Guide.
   |
