One word comes to mind when I think about the relationship between CVBs and corporations: partners. I know first-hand how helpful CVBs can be because Corporate Meetings & Incentives has developed partnerships with several over the past few years, including the Long Beach CVB, Hilton Head CVB, and, most recently, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority.
As one example, we're working with the Las Vegas CVA to organize the first-ever Las Vegas Corporate Golf Invitational, to be held in April of 2000. Our magazine will bring 100 of our senior executive readers to Las Vegas for the tournament (which will be tied to the senior PGA event held at the same time). The bureau will use the event to show attendees how Las Vegas has evolved into a meeting destination as well as a gaming mecca. Not only is the bureau assisting me every step of the way in planning the golf tournament, but they recently brought together representatives from 50 local hotels at a breakfast to announce the event.
In a similar partnership with Long Beach, we recently hosted readers at the 25th anniversary of the Toyota Grand Prix, held there in April (see page 72). On page 28, you'll find several stories about how companies ranging from NEC America to Rockwell Automation came to CVBs with some pretty unusual requests--and got the help they needed.
Whether it's assistance finding hotel rooms at the last minute (more and more CVBs now have online RFPs on their Web sites), or touring the facilities that are the most suitable for your meeting, or providing printed brochures and posters to publicize your next incentive program, the CVB or national tourist office can help. That's why we devote our entire issue every August to the partnership between CVBs and corporate America.
Enjoy it.
