by Heidi Fendos
Allison Potter, SMERF Sales/Marketing Manager
If you’re looking for a way to educate your site selection committee or potential convention attendees about an upcoming meeting destination, you might consider beginning with a visit to a few popular social media websites. In a growing trend, many CVBs across the Midwest are utilizing more online resources for teaching groups about the exciting things to see and do in their cities.
According to Allison Potter, SMERF sales and marketing manager for the Dublin, OH CVB, “We utilize social media daily to interact with consumers and provide the latest information about our city as a meeting destination. Using sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr helps us to reach the meetings market with new arms and lead them to the Dublin CVB’s main website to discover more. The bureau’s blog also provides an ‘insider’s look’ to the different attractions, restaurants, and events attendees can enjoy. These social media sites tell stories about our meeting destination that wouldn’t necessarily be told on our bureau’s main site.”
Brent Foerster, vice president of sales and marketing for VISIT Milwaukee, agrees with Potter. “Two years ago, when we set up our strategic plan for how to utilize social media, we really focused on the leisure side of our market. However, we quickly realized that our social media outlets could also be a great way to educate potential convention attendees who are unfamiliar with Milwaukee about what there is to see and do. Social media helps us to bring this message to them in a timely and creative way.”
According to Allison Potter, SMERF sales and marketing manager for the Dublin, OH CVB, “We utilize social media daily to interact with consumers and provide the latest information about our city as a meeting destination. Using sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr helps us to reach the meetings market with new arms and lead them to the Dublin CVB’s main website to discover more. The bureau’s blog also provides an ‘insider’s look’ to the different attractions, restaurants, and events attendees can enjoy. These social media sites tell stories about our meeting destination that wouldn’t necessarily be told on our bureau’s main site.”
Brent Foerster, vice president of sales and marketing for VISIT Milwaukee, agrees with Potter. “Two years ago, when we set up our strategic plan for how to utilize social media, we really focused on the leisure side of our market. However, we quickly realized that our social media outlets could also be a great way to educate potential convention attendees who are unfamiliar with Milwaukee about what there is to see and do. Social media helps us to bring this message to them in a timely and creative way.”
Brent Foerster, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
According to Foerster, VISIT Milwaukee started its social media efforts with some blogs that highlighted the hidden gems of the city, then ventured into Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, FourSquare, and Groupon. Today, the VISIT Milwaukee website maintains an entire section dedicated to its social media efforts, where meeting planners can view the bureau’s most recent Facebook and Twitter posts and even click on links to YouTube video posts.
The Milwaukee bureau also recently began producing QuickClick videos, which can be viewed on YouTube. These two- to three-minute narrated clips are produced in partnership with bureau members, and they highlight certain popular Milwaukee attractions. For example, an upcoming QuickClick video on Miller Park shows not only the stadium but also the places where groups can utilize the ballpark for meetings.
“Video is a powerful way to educate potential meeting attendees about the fun things to do in a city,” says Foerster. “A viewer can see others enjoying what they like to do and easily place him- or herself into the scene.”
Visit Milwaukee’s PR team also recently purchased some flip cams and has being using a “street team” to go out to various festivals in the city to film these fun events in a casual manner.
“These videos are created on the premise of fun,” adds Foerster. “They provide a unique glimpse into Milwaukee that we hope meeting attendees will be drawn to.”
Liron BenDor, vice president of marketing for the Overland Park, KS CVB, says her bureau is also utilizing videos on YouTube to help educate meeting planners and potential meeting attendees about the city.
The Milwaukee bureau also recently began producing QuickClick videos, which can be viewed on YouTube. These two- to three-minute narrated clips are produced in partnership with bureau members, and they highlight certain popular Milwaukee attractions. For example, an upcoming QuickClick video on Miller Park shows not only the stadium but also the places where groups can utilize the ballpark for meetings.
“Video is a powerful way to educate potential meeting attendees about the fun things to do in a city,” says Foerster. “A viewer can see others enjoying what they like to do and easily place him- or herself into the scene.”
Visit Milwaukee’s PR team also recently purchased some flip cams and has being using a “street team” to go out to various festivals in the city to film these fun events in a casual manner.
“These videos are created on the premise of fun,” adds Foerster. “They provide a unique glimpse into Milwaukee that we hope meeting attendees will be drawn to.”
Liron BenDor, vice president of marketing for the Overland Park, KS CVB, says her bureau is also utilizing videos on YouTube to help educate meeting planners and potential meeting attendees about the city.
“At trade shows, all of our salespeople carry iPads with them so they can access our videos on YouTube,” she says. “It is a great way to educate people in a concise yet entertaining way.”
The Overland Park bureau is also working on expanding its social media efforts to direct prospective clients to 360-degree virtual tours in cases in which they are not able to physically come to the city for a site inspection. These personal virtual walking tours, which are being recorded by the bureau’s own salespeople, will also be hosted on YouTube.
The Overland Park bureau is also working on expanding its social media efforts to direct prospective clients to 360-degree virtual tours in cases in which they are not able to physically come to the city for a site inspection. These personal virtual walking tours, which are being recorded by the bureau’s own salespeople, will also be hosted on YouTube.
Liron BenDor, Vice President of Marketing
In addition, the CVB’s clients are also using the videos. According to BenDor, last summer, a large sports group hosting an event in Overland Park placed the bureau’s YouTube video link on its website as a way to help build attendance for an upcoming tournament, with a tournament video placed reciprocally on the bureau’s site.
In addition to YouTube, Overland Park uses Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and a new mobile application to provide attendees with local information and spread the word to local partners about current groups that are in town. BenDor says her bureau also utilizes these tools to show prospective clients what the CVB can do for them if they select Overland Park as a destination.
Potter says the Dublin CVB’s Facebook page is geared more toward leisure visitors. However, it still acts as a useful resource for meeting planners, since all of the bureau’s blog posts automatically show up as new wall posts on Facebook.
“We have several blogs that are of interest to meeting planners such as ‘Car Shows Cruising Into Dublin, OH’ and ‘How to Produce a Successful Golf Outing,’” Potter says. “And by ‘liking’ our bureau on Facebook, meeting planners can easily see when we have new posts on these blogs.”
In addition to YouTube, Overland Park uses Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and a new mobile application to provide attendees with local information and spread the word to local partners about current groups that are in town. BenDor says her bureau also utilizes these tools to show prospective clients what the CVB can do for them if they select Overland Park as a destination.
Potter says the Dublin CVB’s Facebook page is geared more toward leisure visitors. However, it still acts as a useful resource for meeting planners, since all of the bureau’s blog posts automatically show up as new wall posts on Facebook.
“We have several blogs that are of interest to meeting planners such as ‘Car Shows Cruising Into Dublin, OH’ and ‘How to Produce a Successful Golf Outing,’” Potter says. “And by ‘liking’ our bureau on Facebook, meeting planners can easily see when we have new posts on these blogs.”
Dublin’s CVB also manages four Twitter accounts, including @Meet_inDublinOH, @DublinCVB, @alli_DublinCVB and @marys_DublinCVB. The @Meet_inDublinCVB Twitter account follows organizations that hold meetings, meeting planners, and actual conferences. According to Pottter, Twitter is the fastest way to see what groups are currently doing in order to react accordingly. The bureau’s four accounts also allow the bureau to hold targeted conversations with locals, military organizations, wedding industry professionals, and association executives, as well as to seek out Dublin champions to bring events home.
VISIT Milwaukee also uses Facebook and Twitter as means of promoting what is new and happening in Milwaukee on a daily basis. The bureau promotes major and seasonal events as well as attractions, what is being said about Milwaukee in the media, and promotions or contests co-sponsored with bureau members.
“We view our Facebook and Twitter accounts as two more tools that meeting planners and potential meeting attendees can utilize to get an up-to-the-minute pulse on our city,” says Foerster. “They can see how vibrant Milwaukee is, get excited about what is going on, and look forward to hosting their event with us.”
VISIT Milwaukee also uses Facebook and Twitter as means of promoting what is new and happening in Milwaukee on a daily basis. The bureau promotes major and seasonal events as well as attractions, what is being said about Milwaukee in the media, and promotions or contests co-sponsored with bureau members.
“We view our Facebook and Twitter accounts as two more tools that meeting planners and potential meeting attendees can utilize to get an up-to-the-minute pulse on our city,” says Foerster. “They can see how vibrant Milwaukee is, get excited about what is going on, and look forward to hosting their event with us.”
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