2009 PYM Town Hall Dallas: Table Four Notes
In attendance:
- Beachfront resort
- CVB
- Mountain resort
- CVB
How can you attract local (backyard) business? What are some marketing strategies/incentives you can use?
4: Take out an ad in the local paper.
1: Merchandizing.
2:a) Create festivals and events (drive market and staycations).
b) Pouring over lists and keeping them fresh.
c) Creating networking groups, reaching out.
d) Readerboards and lists, etc., don’t work as well as letting customers update their information on their own.
2: Offer business you can’t handle to partners as a proactive measure.
3: Do a sales blitz: All staff helps with the promotion tied around an event or festival.
1: Sales strategy varies based on geography and vertical markets.
What’s the best selling strategy in today’s market? What’s not working?
4: Relationship building. Targeting the drive market/local market. Keeping your name out there.
2: Key now is to know what vertical market is your strongest. Use metrics (stocks, news).
1: To play devil’s advocate, market more now. We look at this as the time to grab those customers that used to go to the competitor.
3: Look at keeping annual repeat business: We’re focused on retaining market share, making sure planners are ‘feeling the love.’ Groups that used to go to Italy now look at [Colorado]. Rigidity doesn’t work: Look at the palm tree analogy Laura Lopez used yesterday: If you bend, you don’t break.
2: Owners aren’t as flexible.
What forms of marketing are giving the best ROI? How can you distinguish yourself from the competition?
4: More Internet.
3: Social networking. What we find is you invite the people that you know and the whole second level is viral. And it’s all opt in.
2: You never know how you will get them. You need to be in different media to targeted audience. [One hotel chain] is all print; [another] is all Internet. You need to touch the audience four times before they respond.
4: We’re partnering on events and calls to reach the SMERF market.
2: We differentiate ourselves from other Metroplex destinations, but it’s a state initiative: There are eight CVBs and we all share leads and cost.
3: We partner with [an annual event] – we feel if we can get them to [our state], then we can get them to the mountains. We differentiate ourselves by reporting new developments, see all the reasons to still love [our destination]. Regional synergy.
Hotels & special facilities, what do you need from your local CVB? CVBs, what do you need from your local partners?
3: We need them to focus on beating the bushes: We have a diverse product. We will divide lists up so everyone gets touched.
4: Small properties are asking us for more business, but the product needs to be improved, otherwise it’s not as saleable. And they need to understand that lying about the producgt is not going to get business back again.
2: Short-term business, cancellations are killing [hotels]. CVB needs to think: “If I don’t bring value, I need not be involved.” [A local resort] used to pull meetings and not involve the CVB. Now, they rely on the CVB to sell and educate planners on the destination. Those that pay the least, ask the most.
Quote of the day:
“Finally, we joked about a situation where a meeting planner arrived in a room for a site inspection and there was a nice bottle of wine and a beautiful cheese tray. Well, she’s a recovering alcoholic who’s lactose intolerant. So it’s really important to make sure you’re asking the right questions and giving them what they really need.”
