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Tourism Industry & BACVA News


For Immediate Release: July 2, 2007

Media Contacts Only:
Sara Hisamoto
Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association
410-659-7071
shisamoto@baltimore.org

BACVA Signs Sales Partnership with Fort Worth, Texas
Multi-city Deal Part of Aggressive Strategy to Boost Convention Business

(Baltimore) - The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) announced today its new partnership with the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau. The two-city sales agreement is unique to the convention industry and one of several innovative sales strategies recently implemented by BACVA President and CEO Tom Noonan in an effort to increase citywide convention bookings and bring more meetings to Baltimore.

Noonan and Fort Worth CVB President David DuBois have agreed to share two sales managers who will sell both Baltimore and Fort Worth. The first manager hired was Ann Garvey who is based in Maryland and will focus on groups on the East Coast as well as pharmaceutical and corporate business. The second manager will focus on corporate and incentive business in the greater Midwest region. A search for that person is currently under way.

"This arrangement is a win-win for both cities because we get two sales people for the price of one, both of whom will be aggressively selling Baltimore and Fort Worth to groups that typically book on a geographic rotation and may choose an East Coast destination one year and a city in the Midwest the next," says Noonan. "This type of city partnership is a new approach to selling a city, but I believe it will be an effective sales strategy that will enable us to pool our resources and expose Baltimore to new business that may not be familiar with the Baltimore market."

"Our excellent cities offer convention planners great destinations that are supported by outstanding international airports, superb convention centers, first-class hotels, fine restaurants, unique cultural venues and wonderful hospitality," says DuBois.

Goals will be established for both members of the Baltimore/Fort Worth sales team that will be contingent on booking business in both cities. The partnership may also include joint client events and shared marketing messages in the convention trades.

The partnership is based on a national hotel model that encourages groups to sign multi-year contracts that move their meetings to different properties within the brand around the country, often with an incentive for doing so. By joining forces, Baltimore and Fort Worth have the ability to be more competitive by offering possible discounts for booking both cities. Or, if one city isn�t a good fit for a group, the sales manager will work to book the business in the other city.

The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA), a membership-based organization, is the official destination development and marketing leader for Greater Baltimore, responsible for generating incremental economic benefits to the community through the attraction of convention and leisure visits.