NEWS RELEASE

Anchorage, Alaska – June 19, 2003

ACVB BLITZES THE CAPITOL: CONVENTIONS BOOST ANCHORAGE ECONOMY

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) Conventions Meetings Sales & Service (CMSS) team is taking their show on the road – to Washington D.C from June 23 to June 27, 2003.

Washington D.C. has the largest number of Meeting Planner Associations in the world. The CMSS team will host four regional luncheons and one large reception in order to meet a targeted 250 meeting planners and promote Anchorage as a world-class year-round destination. The dynamic presentation by ACVB and industry partners with beautiful visuals of glaciers and crystal clear lakes offers meeting planners a refreshing respite from the hot, steamy Washington D.C. weather.

The 16th annual D.C. Blitz is one of five sales blitzes the team makes nationwide, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Juneau. “Convention business is a key component to the travel industry for the state of Alaska,” said Bruce Bustamante, president and CEO of ACVB. “It touches everyone in the community. In 2002, revenue from conventions had an economic impact of $77 million to the Anchorage economy.”

As the major hub in Alaska, Anchorage is the largest city with first-class accommodations, meeting facilities, and experiences for meeting delegates. The city offers more than 7,000 guest rooms ranging from major chains to locally owned properties.

Conventions are a tremendous driver to Anchorage economy. In the first quarter of 2003 there were; 109 conventions booked, 157 conventions serviced, 48 requests for bid proposals, three bid presentations, one attendance promoter and six site inspections with an economic impact to Anchorage of $22,435,489.

The CMSS team has recently landed several large conventions including Ducks Unlimited (DU) 2007 Annual Conference and American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) 2006 Winter Meeting. These two conferences alone will have an economic impact of $2,510,423. The DU Annual Conference was made possible due to the cooperative efforts of ACVB member businesses partners and utilization of various properties in Anchorage. The DU Annual Convention will be held at the William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center and the Evangeline Atwood Concert Hall at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. The Egan Center sits in the heart of downtown Anchorage surrounded by hotels, shops and restaurants. Due to size limitations, the largest convention or trade show typically held in Anchorage is 1,500 delegates. The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by half of the bed tax collected by hotels. The other half goes to the Municipality’s general fund. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. For more information, explore www.anchorage.net.

CONTACTS:

Erika Biringer, Public Relations Manager
(907) 257-2331
ebiringer@anchorage.net
Explore www.anchorage.net

Nance Larsen, Director of Communications
(907) 257-2310
nlarsen@anchorage.net
Explore www.anchorage.net