CVBs bring great value to meeting planners and their groups. The good work and they do is the heartbeat of the meetings events industry. We hope you enjoy this roundtable with four experts from CVBs who are leading the way.

What don’t people know about CVBs and how they serve events?

Collette Johnson: People are often surprised about the range of services we offer, and how many of those services can alleviate some of the stress for our clients. For example, navigating guidelines and safety protocols post-pandemic, has made the planning process more complicated. While we work closely with our clients to make sure they have the latest information, we offer even more resources and guidance by connecting clients with medical experts through our partnership with Orlando Health. We also have developed collateral that makes it even easier for planners to convey important safety information.

Patrick Kaler: The primary function of a convention and visitors bureau (CVB) is to assist meeting and event professionals in planning and hosting a successful event. Everything we do revolves around ensuring that visitors to our destination have a wonderful and beneficial experience. We can help with finding the ideal hotels and meeting spaces, assist with transportation options, and provide guidance on booking off-site tours. Best of all CVBs are a free service! CVBs want to showcase how their destination is unique and different in a manner to differentiate itself from other destinations being considered. Our job is to showcase what makes the destination special for the planner’s overall program.

Bob Harris: CVB’s are the best connection when planning your meeting in a destination. If you need help finding that perfect match for your meeting or the convention center and multiple hotels for housing, you have that one contact at the CVB who can help you with all of those details. CVB’s also guide you through local attractions, restaurants, locally-sourced vendors for all of your event needs. CVB’s are also there to help you with information to share with your participants to get them excited about the destination and to keep you informed of any changes along the way. The CVB can even help with information on flights into a destination and any changes that may occur leading up to the meeting.

Samantha Gutting: A CVB is an extension of the planner’s team. Their allegiance is to the destination, not a specific property or venue, and the team at the CVB knows best how to access resources in the community and services are typically at no costs for planners.

Why is it best to start planning your event with a CVB?

Collette: Our strength is our depth of knowledge of the destination and the connections within our community. When you work with Visit Orlando, our team knows the ins and outs of our destination to create unforgettable meetings. From the hotels, venues, restaurants and vendors throughout
the community, we make it easy to connect planners with what they are looking for. It can be as simple as us reaching out to dozens of hotels on their behalf, saving them from researching multiple hotel contacts and then multiple emails and back and forth for information. Or it could be taking a challenge and creating a solution that they may have never considered as possible.

For example, we had a client that loved the idea of having an event at one of our theme parks but did not want to transport attendees offsite. Our team offered options for bringing theme park entertainment on site to create the fun atmosphere and high-energy entertainment of a theme park event, without having the challenge of transportation for thousands of attendees. As destination experts with strong relationships throughout our community, we can facilitate solutions that may go beyond what a client can initially imagine.

Patrick: Many times, meeting planning is not the event planner’s main job. The designated planner is working on behalf of their organization on a volunteer basis. CVBs are experts in meeting planning and all that their destination has to offer. Based on the client’s specific needs, we can offer suggestions on the places in our area that will work best to host an event, and even offer ideas that the planner may not have initially thought of for the program.

Bob: By starting out with the CVB you have that one constant contact throughout the planning and execution of your event. CVB’s know their entire destination and can help a planner make the most of their meeting by making suggestions based on the strengths of the area they serve. 2020 and 2021 served as
a reminder to meeting planners why working through a CVB is so critically important. While many of our partners in the tourism industry faced staff changes and in some cases furloughs, staff at most CVB’s remained constant and were there to keep planners updated on staffing changes and changes with local and state regulations for meetings and conventions in their area. Having that relationship with the CVB is so important for any planner as the CVB is there to keep them updated on any changes that may impact the plans for their meeting.

Samantha: If you begin your efforts with a knowledgeable strategic partner, think of how much time and money will be saved! There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to planning and executing a meaningful and memorable event. Why would one not reach out first to the experts of the destination?

How can a planner get the most out of the services that a CVB offers?

Collette: To provide the best possible service, we need to understand as much as possible about our clients’ needs. Open communication gives us the best opportunity to add value. Learning what has worked in the past and what hasn’t worked, along with any challenges, really helps us understand the full picture and gives us the background so that we can help offer solutions and ideas to create the best meeting or event possible. Many planners have more on their plates than ever before and may have fewer staff. We work hard to be an extension of our client’s team and encourage people not to worry about requests that may feel too small or too big – we are here to help with both extremes and the in-between.

Patrick: Reaching out to a CVB should be the first thing you do after your RFP is complete. Once you have an idea of what you would like the overall event to look like, a CVB can handle much of the heavy lifting from there. Our sales staff will work with you to find hotels for your attendees, book meeting spaces, suggest off- site attraction visitation, and can give you information on our area including dining and entertainment options.

Bob: Starting the planning of the meeting with the CVB is critical! The CVB can offer suggestions on meeting dates and locations that may lead to a more successful event in a destination based on other events or activities that are already on the books. Make the CVB a partner and continue to work with them throughout the planning and execution of the event as they will continue to offer guidance and professional insight to make the meeting a complete success. The local CVB is your best resource for local information as they work with all of the local tourism partners throughout the year and understand opportunities for groups that others may overlook. The best part of working with a CVB is that there are no charges for their service! They are there to help a meeting planner make an event a success because they know that a successful event will lead to a lifetime partnership and more meetings in future years.

Samantha: At the initial phase of planning, when you are considering a location for your meeting or event, reach out to the CVB directly. Remember, they hold a neutral position when it comes to properties, entertainment, attractions and off-agenda experiences – their goal is to ensure your time in the destination is a positive and memorable experience – one worth repeating for both the planner and the attendees.

How might a planner work best with both CVB sales and service staff?

Collette: I look at the sales and services teams as a dynamic duo. On the sales side, I can help pull together the best possible package and our services team can take that package to another level with everything, such as off- site events, unique entertainment options, guest speakers and team-building opportunities. Communication is always the key. The more we can understand about the needs from start to finish, the better the chance we have to create solutions that bring a “wow factor” to the meeting or event.

Patrick: One of the best things a planner can do is provide us with as much detail on their event as possible. We want to make sure that we really know and understand you and your group. What is most important to your group when selecting a destination? Do your attendees like to explore the city they are in? Do they like to dine out or visit attractions? What concerns do you have? We want to know as much as possible so that your experience in Buffalo is the absolute best! Our ultimate goal is to make the planner’s job as easy as possible, and to make them look good to the organization, members and attendees they represent.

Bob: One of the best lessons that we all learned in 2020 and 2021 is the importance of communication in planning events. While we have always worked to keep lines of communication open, the challenges of the past two years made good communication the foundation for a group’s successful meeting in a destination. With so many changes in regulations and policies at a city and state level, the role of communication took a spotlight like never before. Having planners communicate what their expectations were to CVB sales and service staff allowed the CVB to share those specific communications with their local partners. By doing this, they could all have a true and realistic understanding of the planner’s expectations and work with them to deliver on those expectations to make their event a success. Hotel and meeting venues each established a series of new protocols to make planners feel more comfortable with their meeting plans, but we often found that meeting planners may have had a different set of expectations. By sharing those with the CVB, the CVB team could work with those local partners to make any adjustments needed to meet the planner’s important expectations.

Samantha: Be open and honest – about requirements, wish lists, all aspects of the meeting or event. Stay in contact and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If it is important to the planner, decision maker and attendees, then it is important to the CVB to know in order to ensure success. Stay in contact with your CVB destination service team throughout the entire process – even after the meeting is over. Feedback is critical for the success of future meetings, not only for your future planning, but for the destination as well. The CVB destination service team exists solely to assist planners and rights-holders in executing the best possible event for everyone involved. It should be a holistic and positive experience for everyone!