DMAI Convention

A headline story about a secret government blacklist had members of the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) buzzing at the start of their three-day annual convention in Atlanta July 21-23.

The news that travel officials suspected Orlando, Las Vegas and possibly other U.S. cities were on a list of destinations considered inappropriate for government meetings was reported in June in the Orlando Sentinel, but a July 22 story in The Wall Street Journal confirmed the existence of government policies banning certain destinations. Greeted by that story and subsequent news reports on the first full day of sessions, DMAI members attending the conference took an aggressive stance, backed up during the next two-days by statistics compiled from several sources and presentations emphasizing new approaches by the industry to prove the critical role destination management organizations (DMOs) play in bringing millions in visitor numbers, meeting revenue and tax dollars to their communities.

The travel industry, already suffering from losses in leisure and business travel due to the economic downturn, has been battered by attacks from both the government and the press about perceived excesses of corporate meetings and events. Along with the meetings industry, it has been aggressively fighting back with multiple campaigns that raise the profile of the contributions both industries make to jobs, taxes and quality of life.

At a press conference, the DMAI board announced several new initiatives. A highly anticipated study, scheduled for release in September, is expected to give the industry greater ammunition with numbers proving the significant economic returns from convention and tourism bureaus. As part of its Destination Excellence campaign, DMAI is also educating members about outreach efforts to form strategic partnerships with other community stakeholders such as arts organizations that will help DMO’s prove their relevancy.