News Release
ACVB MEETING CHAMPIONS INSTRUMENTAL IN BRINGING CONVENTION BUSINESS TO ANCHORAGE
Anchorage, Alaska – April 29, 2009 – The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) named University of Alaska Anchorage Assistant Professor of Public Health Betty Buchan, PhD, DFTCB, the 2009 Meeting Champion of the Year at the ACVB 29th Annual Seymour Awards Banquet held earlier this month at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.
The Meeting Champion of the Year is bestowed upon an individual or local organization that has helped bring a large piece of national or international convention business to Anchorage. Last year, the local chapter of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. received the recognition for their upcoming meeting in September, which is worth almost $1.9 million.
Dr. Buchan, a member of the International Epidemiological Association, has been instrumental in working with members of ACVB’s Convention Meetings Sales and Service (CMSS) team to book the World Congress of Epidemiology, anticipated to bring anywhere from 2,500 to 3,500 people from more than 50 countries to Anchorage in October 2014, and worth an estimated $2.3 million for the local economy.
“It has been a pleasure working with the ACVB, the municipality, UAA, and the Alaska Dept. of Public Health to win the bid for this conference. These community partnerships are vital in positioning Anchorage, Alaska, as a place to take notice of and to go for travel, business, and academics,” Dr. Buchan said.
The triennial World Congress of Epidemiology meetings represent the largest gathering of epidemiologists from around the world and provide a forum for researchers, teachers, and other practitioners of the discipline to have a frank discussion about the new directions and issues related to epidemiology. When the World Congress of Epidemiology met in Brazil in 2008, they focused on health issues related to South America. And according to Dr. Buchan, they will be focusing on health issues impacting locations with similar climates and altitudes of Alaska’s various regions at the 2014 meeting. Their next meeting is scheduled for 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
“We depend on community leads to help get our foot in the door when pursuing national meetings and conventions business. Our Meetings Champions are every-day community folks that become local heroes for bringing us their leads and helping us build the necessary relationships to bid the business,” said Jim Henderson, ACVB vice president of convention and meetings sales and service.
2007 Meeting Champion of the Year Buster Hall first approached the ACVB with the idea to host the Lions Clubs USA/Canada International Leadership Forum in Anchorage during his tenure as the international director in the early ‘90s. Unfortunately, at the time, Anchorage did not have a facility large enough to accommodate a sit-down dinner for 3,000 attendees—which is the typical group size for this annual meeting of Lions leadership and guests. When the new Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center was in development, ACVB’s convention and meetings sales and service (CMSS) department worked with Hall to prepare a bid for the international association and win the business.
In 2007, Anchorage was selected to be the site for the 2011 Lions Clubs USA/Canada International Leadership Forum — worth approximately $3.17 million and the largest piece of convention business booked to date — against destinations such as Kansas City, Des Moines, Omaha and Phoenix. The Lions Leadership Forum was held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, last year, will be held in Memphis, Tenn., this fall, and in Milwaukee, Wis., in 2010.
“With a membership of 1.3 million people in more than 200 countries, Lions Clubs International is the largest service club organization in the world. And a convention of this size is truly utilizing Anchorage’s Civic and Convention District to capacity, which is something we like to see, especially during the fall shoulder season,” Henderson said.
Hall assisted ACVB CMSS staff recently in hosting the first site inspection for the 2011 Lions conference. More than 3,000 Lions members and spouses from throughout the U.S. and Canada are anticipated to attend the Lions Forum in Anchorage Sept. 22 through 24, 2011.
“Thankfully we have community members like Buster who are persistent and very helpful in working with the Bureau to generate meetings and conventions leads and help us build the necessary business relationships to book the business,” adds Henderson.
According to Henderson, the Dena’ina Center will be utilized to maximum capacity for the Lion’s conference, which encompasses 50,000 sq. ft. of space in the Exhibit Hall — the size of a football field — for sit-down meal functions and an additional 82,204 sq. ft. of space for meetings and exhibitors. Additionally, the group has booked space in the Egan Civic & Convention Center as well as accommodations at seven Anchorage hotels.
According to ACVB President and CEO Julie Saupe, the Dena’ina Center has increased Anchorage’s meetings capacity by 300 percent, which now positions Anchorage against other second-tier cities competing for meetings and convention business.
“This business is a testament to how vital our community is to attracting and booking meetings and conventions. There is a lot of work from putting together the initial bid to hosting the site inspection committee to negotiating the details and confirming the contracts. It’s definitely a win-win for all of us when we can book business of this magnitude,” said Saupe.
Hall praises the appeal of Anchorage and Alaska as a destination as well as the work on the bid that was submitted to the international organization for winning the business.
Walter “Bud” Wahl, a past international director and the general convention chair of the Anchorage Lions Forum from Streator, Illinois, agrees. “Anchorage has a lot to offer from its scenic mountains, to its tasty seafood, and the wide array of activities and attractions. This is a destination that many Lions may not ever consider or have an opportunity to visit, so we’re pleased to have our members from the U.S. and Canada join us and take the time to explore Anchorage and elsewhere in the state before and after the 2011 forum,” says Wahl.
ACVB also announces a Meeting Champion of the Month to someone in the community who has helped bring business of any size to Anchorage, whether it’s from within Alaska to a sporting event. Jeff Carlson and Kemmer Sorrel, with ConocoPhillips, where recognized last September for bringing the Region X Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) to Anchorage in May 2010, while Yolanda Mitchell Brown was recognized for helping to book the Alpha Kappa Alpha 2009 Leadership Conference — which has an estimated economic impact of approximately $2.9 million.
ACVB is a leader in aggressively marketing Anchorage as a year-round meeting site, while the CMSS department staff works to attract meetings, conventions and trade shows to Anchorage. The CMSS department qualifies all leads, which is based on space requirements — Anchorage can now accommodate groups up to 5,000 attendees and 3,000 for sit-down meals. Once a lead is qualified, ACVB works with the local community member to build the national relationship, develop and submit a proposal or bid, and host a site inspection.
In 2008, ACVB’s CMSS staff booked more than $99 million in future convention and meeting business, while 2008 meetings and convention business had an estimated $97.2 million economic impact.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by lodging associations. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund, a contribution established in 1978, and one-third to service the bond debt and operations of the Anchorage Convention Centers. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.
Media Contacts:
Jeanette Anderson Moores
Public Relations
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
jmoores@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net
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