by Shadia Cook
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No… it’s the local CVB! In many circumstances, a Midwest bureau can come to the rescue - or just take an event over the top. When meeting professionals think of a CVB, they might think of the basic services: help with distributing RFPs, organizing site visits, suggesting itineraries, providing local maps, assisting with registration and welcome packets, and more. While such services are useful in planning and executing a successful event, there are many incidences in which CVBs go beyond the expected, much to the delight of meeting planners and attendees alike.
Exceeding the Norm
For example, the Greater Madison CVB in Wisconsin lives and breathes a commitment to “Going Beyond Visit,” a concept staff members take seriously.
Janine Wachter, CMP, director of convention and event services, recalls going “beyond visit” with the Congress for New Urbanism, a national group that focuses on urban planning. As home to the largest farmer-produced Farmers Market held weekly in downtown Madison, the Greater Madison CVB staff knew congress attendees would be appreciative of the local community event, where they would be able to see real-world urban planning firsthand. In addition, instead of planning a typical breakfast, the CVB suggested and helped organize a unique event in conjunction with the Farmers Market, so attendees could experience capital city offerings while tying in with the group’s mission and vision.
John Norquist, former mayor of Milwaukee and current president of the Congress for New Urbanism, says, “The result was outstanding. The dozens of local volunteers, the Greater Madison CVB, and Monona Terrace worked as a cohesive team, providing seamless and thorough service to all our attendees. We hope to return in the future.”
Switching Gears
In more extreme circumstances, CVBs often step in. When the town of Joplin, MO was devastated by a tornado in June, the city was faced with major cleanup, and the Missouri Trucking Association was faced with finding an alternate site for its annual meeting. To the rescue: the nearby Springfield CVB. Faced with a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time, the association and the Springfield bureau worked quickly and closely to make the move to a new location.
By finding a venue within the immediate area, the Missouri Trucking Association was able to keep all its regular volunteers who work with the event, as well as the same event dates - a crucial factor for the annual meeting, since its attendees are truck drivers who aren’t typically able to reschedule easily. In addition, when organizers mentioned they needed to transport attendees from the hotel to the training site, Diane Gillespie with the Springfield CVB leapt into action and made a call. Soon after, the group was hooked up with a supplier who could not only fulfill transportation needs but also extend a discount to aid in the transition.
Staying Afloat
Throughout the typical ups and downs of event planning, a CVB can act as a steady support system as well as an emergency lifesaver. For Stephanie Swanson of the National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865, Colonel William Hoffman Chapter, the Quad Cities CVB in Moline, IL came through to ward off a drastic headache for the group’s annual convention. But first, the bureau proved to be an outstanding resource in the planning process, Swanson says, as the QCCVB program director “suggested tours, contacted tour providers, developed maps through our very confusing infrastructure construction zones, provided hospitality bags filled with brochures about our area, set up an information desk in the lobby of our host hotel, and the list goes on.”
However, the true test of the bureau came when the Mississippi River reached flood stage about a week before the event, “which is often a fact of life in the Quad Cities, but not so great if a group tour is scheduled on a paddle wheel boat for 60 guests,” Swanson says. “I was frantic. It would have been impossible to schedule something else on such short notice, and refunding the monies already received from attendees would be a monumental task. What to do? Simple: call Joan [Frank] at QCCVB.”
From that call came the answer: problem solved. The Celebration Belle would continue to run boat tours during the flood. Looking back, Swanson recalls “a heavy sigh of relief, compliments of QCCVB.”
Sealing the Deal
A key element of success in working with CVBs is that bureau staff members can help cut through red tape that planners aren’t always able to navigate on their own. In June, Teresa Alfaro, CMP, meetings manager for Volunteers of America, held an annual conference in Sioux Falls, SD. For the welcoming reception, the local CVB landed Falls Park, a venue that normally wouldn’t be obtainable under the group’s parameters.
“When I contacted the park, I was told that because it is a public venue, they cannot book more than a few months out,” Alfaro says. “Bottom line: it wouldn’t have worked for us, as we have to have that venue confirmed more than a couple of months out.”
Teri Ellis Schmidt, executive director of the Sioux Falls CVB, came through to secure the park for the group in advance, and she also arranged for the permits the group needed to use the venue. In addition, Alfaro says, the bureau staff worked with her from September 2010 through June 2011, and “they were instrumental in the flawless execution of the conference. I would not hesitate to bring another meeting to Sioux Falls simply to work with such a fine group of dedicated professionals. I love them!”
Making Memories
Conveying the important roles CVBs can play within their communities, such words of gratitude and appreciation are common among meeting professionals. Bureau staff members may not wear capes or move faster than speeding bullets, but they certainly go down in many meeting histories as local heroes for event planners and groups, time and time again.
For example, the Greater Madison CVB in Wisconsin lives and breathes a commitment to “Going Beyond Visit,” a concept staff members take seriously.
Janine Wachter, CMP, director of convention and event services, recalls going “beyond visit” with the Congress for New Urbanism, a national group that focuses on urban planning. As home to the largest farmer-produced Farmers Market held weekly in downtown Madison, the Greater Madison CVB staff knew congress attendees would be appreciative of the local community event, where they would be able to see real-world urban planning firsthand. In addition, instead of planning a typical breakfast, the CVB suggested and helped organize a unique event in conjunction with the Farmers Market, so attendees could experience capital city offerings while tying in with the group’s mission and vision.
John Norquist, former mayor of Milwaukee and current president of the Congress for New Urbanism, says, “The result was outstanding. The dozens of local volunteers, the Greater Madison CVB, and Monona Terrace worked as a cohesive team, providing seamless and thorough service to all our attendees. We hope to return in the future.”
Switching Gears
In more extreme circumstances, CVBs often step in. When the town of Joplin, MO was devastated by a tornado in June, the city was faced with major cleanup, and the Missouri Trucking Association was faced with finding an alternate site for its annual meeting. To the rescue: the nearby Springfield CVB. Faced with a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time, the association and the Springfield bureau worked quickly and closely to make the move to a new location.
By finding a venue within the immediate area, the Missouri Trucking Association was able to keep all its regular volunteers who work with the event, as well as the same event dates - a crucial factor for the annual meeting, since its attendees are truck drivers who aren’t typically able to reschedule easily. In addition, when organizers mentioned they needed to transport attendees from the hotel to the training site, Diane Gillespie with the Springfield CVB leapt into action and made a call. Soon after, the group was hooked up with a supplier who could not only fulfill transportation needs but also extend a discount to aid in the transition.
Staying Afloat
Throughout the typical ups and downs of event planning, a CVB can act as a steady support system as well as an emergency lifesaver. For Stephanie Swanson of the National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865, Colonel William Hoffman Chapter, the Quad Cities CVB in Moline, IL came through to ward off a drastic headache for the group’s annual convention. But first, the bureau proved to be an outstanding resource in the planning process, Swanson says, as the QCCVB program director “suggested tours, contacted tour providers, developed maps through our very confusing infrastructure construction zones, provided hospitality bags filled with brochures about our area, set up an information desk in the lobby of our host hotel, and the list goes on.”
However, the true test of the bureau came when the Mississippi River reached flood stage about a week before the event, “which is often a fact of life in the Quad Cities, but not so great if a group tour is scheduled on a paddle wheel boat for 60 guests,” Swanson says. “I was frantic. It would have been impossible to schedule something else on such short notice, and refunding the monies already received from attendees would be a monumental task. What to do? Simple: call Joan [Frank] at QCCVB.”
From that call came the answer: problem solved. The Celebration Belle would continue to run boat tours during the flood. Looking back, Swanson recalls “a heavy sigh of relief, compliments of QCCVB.”
Sealing the Deal
A key element of success in working with CVBs is that bureau staff members can help cut through red tape that planners aren’t always able to navigate on their own. In June, Teresa Alfaro, CMP, meetings manager for Volunteers of America, held an annual conference in Sioux Falls, SD. For the welcoming reception, the local CVB landed Falls Park, a venue that normally wouldn’t be obtainable under the group’s parameters.
“When I contacted the park, I was told that because it is a public venue, they cannot book more than a few months out,” Alfaro says. “Bottom line: it wouldn’t have worked for us, as we have to have that venue confirmed more than a couple of months out.”
Teri Ellis Schmidt, executive director of the Sioux Falls CVB, came through to secure the park for the group in advance, and she also arranged for the permits the group needed to use the venue. In addition, Alfaro says, the bureau staff worked with her from September 2010 through June 2011, and “they were instrumental in the flawless execution of the conference. I would not hesitate to bring another meeting to Sioux Falls simply to work with such a fine group of dedicated professionals. I love them!”
Making Memories
Conveying the important roles CVBs can play within their communities, such words of gratitude and appreciation are common among meeting professionals. Bureau staff members may not wear capes or move faster than speeding bullets, but they certainly go down in many meeting histories as local heroes for event planners and groups, time and time again.
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