7/15/03 - ACVB Wins 2003 Gold Service Award
NEWS RELEASE
Anchorage, Alaska – (July 15, 2003)
ACVB WINS 2003 GOLD SERVICE AWARD
Meetings & Conventions magazine subscribers selected the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) as the recipient of the magazine’s prestigious 2003 Gold Service Award. This marks the 10th time ACVB has won the award in the past 11 years. ACVB previously won the award in 1993 and annually from 1995 through 2002.
The Gold Service Award recognizes convention and visitors bureaus that have excelled in professionalism and dedication in their service to meeting professionals. The magazine’s readers make selections based on key criteria, including professionalism of staff, support on hotels and site inspections, assistance with ground transportation planning, guidance on local attractions, and liaison with local venders and services.
“The visitor industry is the second largest private industry in Alaska and conventions are a key component of tourism,” said Bruce Bustamante, president and CEO of ACVB. “Conventions are a tremendous catalyst to the Anchorage economy and in 2002 generated $77 million in business.”
ACVB Conventions Meetings Sales & Service (CMSS) team is currently booking conventions as far in advance as 2011. The CMSS team has landed several large conventions recently including American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2005 World Water & Environmental Resources Congress, the Ducks Unlimited (DU) 2007 Annual Conference and the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 2008 Annual Convention. These three conferences alone will have an economic impact of $3,454,360 locally.
In the second quarter of 2003 there were; 116 conventions booked, 121 conventions serviced, 54 requests for bid proposals, four bid presentations, five attendance promoters and 11 site inspections with an economic impact of $20,864,851.
Tourism in general is made up of both general visitors and convention delegates. In 2002 tourism contributed $152 million to Anchorage’s economy. The state impact of this industry, which employs one in eight people, is $949 million annually.
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
