Second-Tier Cities

Challenging and redefining their image

By Lisa Plummer

Bringing in meetings and conventions business is challenging enough for many cities these days, but imagine being a second-tier destination trying to overcome a public image that isn’t exactly exciting, flattering or desirable. Yet, determined to set the record straight while luring more groups to their cities, several destinations across the country are bending over backwards to not only overcome any public misconceptions, but also reinvent themselves as interesting, affordable and fun places to visit and do business in. Through city revitalization projects, creative sales and marketing efforts, and an emphasis on the kind of personalized customer service you can’t always get in top-tier destinations, several second-tier cities are demonstrating that once meeting planners experience their destinations, their minds, and their misconceptions, will be forever changed.

Pittsburgh: Clean and Green

Pittsburgh has undergone a dramatic transformation since the steel industry left in the mid-80s. Not only has the formerly polluted steel town cleaned itself up, but it has also evolved into one of the most eco-friendly destinations in the U.S., especially for meetings and events. It is home to the first and largest Gold LEED-certified convention facility in the country, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Yet, despite more than two decades of environmental improvements, the city’s old reputation has been a hard one to shake, according to Craig Davis, vice president of sales and marketing at
VisitPittsburgh, the city’s convention and visitors bureau.

“The most common misconception about Pittsburgh is that we’re still a steel town and that we haven’t changed since those days,” Davis says. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. It took us 100 years to get that reputation … (so) we’ve had to reinvent ourselves.”

To help change the public mindset as well as that of the meetings world, this reinvention has included marketing efforts touting Pittsburgh as not only a green, walkable city with a multitude of hotel, restaurant and entertainment options, but also a quality place to do business, Davis says. With the convention center as its marketing centerpiece, VisitPittsburgh’s tagline has become “saving the world one meeting at a time,” he adds.

“Having an event at our convention center is a fantastic experience, with the fact that it’s green a wonderful by-product,” Davis says. “If you want to have a green meeting, all you have to do is show up in Pittsburgh and it’ll be green.”

Yet seeing is believing, and to date the city’s most successful sales effort has been to bring in meeting planners to experience the destination for themselves, Davis says. Once they get a taste of everything Pittsburgh has to offer, planners will book a meeting 85 percent of the time, he adds, as the beautiful and compact city tends to sell itself.

Detroit: A Serious Place For Business

Sometimes low-profile reputations can work in one’s favor. Thanks to economic factors, including the so-called “AIG effect” that has caused many groups to steer clear of destinations with reputations for luxury or excess, more and more groups are discovering that affordable destinations with more serious reputations are just the right fit for their events. Enter Detroit. Known for its strong work ethic, the Motor City has been working tirelessly to not only reinvent itself as a focused meetings and convention destination, but also to lure more visitation thanks to a multi-million dollar urban redevelopment boom.

With 5,000 new hotel rooms that have doubled the downtown room inventory over the past several years, five new hotels and three casino-resort properties, as well as a $300 million expansion of the Cobo Center now underway, the city’s convention and visitors bureau has been bending over backwards to spread the word that Detroit is not only a great place to hold a meeting, but also offers plenty for delegates to do while they’re here.

According to Carla Conner-Penzabene, director of sales at the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, one way the city is working to lure groups is to use its gritty reputation to its advantage. The DMCVB launched a clever print marketing campaign that pokes a little fun at Detroit, makes readers aware of what kinds of groups have selected the city and lists reasons why other organizations should consider the city for their next event.

Besides strong marketing and sales efforts, pushing Detroit’s affordability, accessibility and personalized customer service offerings has been key for bringing business to the destination, Conner-Penzabene says. With two new terminals at the Detroit Metro airport, the city is one of the easiest and least expensive destinations to fly in and out of, which is a big plus, she adds.

“The most common thing we hear after hosting a convention is that we exceeded every expectation they had about coming (here) and they look forward to coming back,” Conner-Penzabene says. “The DMCVB and our hospitality partners bring a level of support to conventions that is rarely experienced in other cities. We know we have to work harder and we do.”

It’s paying off. StarCite Inc., which provides technology to meeting and event planners and providers, says Detroit’s visitor and tourism industry has seen 18 percent more requests for meetings with event planners in the first six months of this year compared with 2008, while other cities have seen double-digit declines.

According to STR, which compiles and analyzes hotel trends, the region’s average daily room rate in August of $77.35 was among the most affordable in the nation’s top 25 markets — less than Chicago ($107.56), New Orleans ($85.80), St. Louis ($81.82) and many others.

The American Federation of Teachers convention is coming to the city in 2012. Officials also reportedly are making deals with the American Postal Workers Union, the General Assembly of God and the Amvets veterans group.

Charlotte: It’s Got A Lot

One public misconception about some second-tier destinations is that they’re too slow-paced or even boring. Not to be typecast under that heading, the Southern city of Charlotte, N.C., is one destination that is continuing to demonstrate that it’s anything but dull. Thanks to a decade of momentous growth and urban development, the Queen City is leaving its “sleepy Southern town” reputation behind by taking proactive steps to prove that although it remains a friendly and charming leisure destination, Charlotte is also a thriving, diverse and contemporary city well-suited for meetings and conventions.

According to Molly Hedrick, senior director of communications of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Visit Charlotte is promoting its host of new hotel, retail and entertainment offerings, including 120 restaurant and 30 nightlife options, all within convenient walking distance of the Charlotte Convention Center. The state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to unveil a new 44,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and a NASCAR Hall of Fame next year.

“Charlotte’s got a lot of appeal that makes it special, not to mention plenty of Southern comforts that make it memorable,” Hedrick says. “Once we welcome a meeting planner, tour group operator or leisure visitor to Charlotte, they are amazed by the growth, excitement and beauty we exude.”

To support its new destination brand, “Charlotte’s Got A Lot,” launched in the summer of 2008, Hedrick says Visit Charlotte has implemented a multi-pronged visual marketing and direct mail campaign that includes print and television advertising, promotional videos, trade-show booths at events and Web site integration as part of its ambitious endeavors to convey the message that Charlotte is a prime destination for any type of meeting or convention.

As the third most popular destination for filmmakers, the picturesque city also offers a host of cultural, historic and outdoor attractions, including the U.S. National White Water Center, a thriving sports and NASCAR scene, and 40 public golf courses.

Columbus: Not Just a College Town

Like Charlotte, Columbus, Ohio, is another second-tier destination battling the misconception that there isn’t much for visitors to do while they’re there. In reality, the central-Ohio destination has a plethora of offerings for its leisure and meetings guests, not to mention an extra emphasis on personalized customer service. As the 15th largest city in the U.S. and the largest in the state, Columbus is not only home to The Ohio State University but to a vibrant professional sports, dining, shopping, arts and cultural scene, with the Greater Columbus Convention Center conveniently located at the very heart of the action.

According to Brian Ross, vice president of sales of Experience Columbus, the city’s convention and tourism bureau, Columbus is going through a phase of strategic development that will continue through 2012, including $35 million in renovations to the GCCC. Part of this project includes the conversion of an older exhibition space, Battelle Hall, into a 50,000-sq.-ft. carpeted ballroom, making it the largest of its kind in the state. In addition, next summer, a two-year construction project will begin on a new 500-room convention headquarters hotel to be managed and operated by Hilton Worldwide, strategically positioned across the street from the convention center. Along with a new minor-league baseball park, an array of urban revitalization projects that will offer more cultural, entertainment and outdoor options for guests and residents, Columbus is promoting itself as an affordable destination with just as much to offer as any top-tier destination.

“We have been ranked as the second-most affordable city to hold a meeting in and feel value is our best asset,” Ross says. “Additionally, we are a culturally diverse community that has a commitment to hospitality and can offer groups all the amenities and attractions of a larger destination, at a significantly lower cost.”

For a more personalized touch for planners, Experience Columbus has launched some strategic sales initiatives, including “S.I.T.E. Columbus,” aka “Special Invitation to Experience Columbus,” a customized site inspection program that conveniently allows meeting planners from nearby regions to experience Columbus all in one day.

“Columbus is within 500 miles of half of the U.S. population, so meeting professionals, specifically in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, are provided a ticket with daily flights of approximately one hour to and from Columbus,” Ross says. “Most clients treat it like a day in the office.”

For fun down-time excursions during events, groups can also take advantage of Experiential Tourism, a hands-on group tourism program that gives participants behind the scenes experiences of attractions distinctive to the area, including cooking classes, wine tasting and interactive activities with the city’s baseball team. The enhanced program now offers 57 different activities and experiences that can be customized for any group, board meeting, team building, spousal tour or offsite event.

Baton Rouge: A Little Southern Hospitality Goes a Long Way

Promoting the attractions and flavors of the region is also one way another second-tier destination is clearing up any misunderstandings about who it is, or that it even exists in the first place. According to Renee Areng, Visit Baton Rouge’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, one of the biggest misconceptions about the region is that Louisiana is all about New Orleans and not much else. As the city’s convention and visitors bureau, VBR’s main challenge is to promote Baton Rouge as its own destination with its own unique culture and cuisine.

“As the state’s capitol, we’re kind of the melting pot of the whole state,” Areng says. “It’s a very eclectic city with a lot of influences. The arts, the history and the political culture that resonates along with Louisiana State University and Southern University make for such a robust community all rolled into one.”

Areng says the city has also been parlaying the positive press they received as the state’s headquarters for rescue and service personnel during Hurricane Katrina into an extended brand identity to help develop and distinguish Baton Rouge from the state’s main draw, New Orleans.

So how to get meetings groups interested in anything but the Big Easy? According to Areng, next year the city has plans to incorporate social media into its marketing efforts along with its tried and true practices of bringing meeting planners into the city and participating in industry events. VBR is also in the process of putting together a special promotion that awards meeting planners a personal vacation in Baton Rouge if they bring a meeting or convention into the city that meets certain criteria.

But one of the biggest boosts to its meetings business has been the completion of the Baton Rouge River Center, home to the community’s largest convention and meetings venue. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, this multi-use venue offers more than 200,000 square feet of new and renovated space that includes a 10,000-seat arena, a 26,150-sq.-ft. grand ballroom, a 1,900-seat performing arts theater and a new 70,000-sq.-ft. convention center with spectacular river views from the main lobby and second floor veranda. The expansion was a large component in the revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge, Areng says, as well as a boost for its group business potential by giving the city an actual convention center for both public and  private events.

In the end, Areng says hosting successful meetings in Baton Rouge comes down to delivering on what the region is known for: charming Southern hospitality and a memorable Louisiana experience delegates can truly taste. Instead of your typical banquet in a carpeted room, VBR can organize a traditional Cajun “Couchon de Lait” pig roast on the banks of the Mississippi, one example of how the city can roll in the region’s culture, visuals and the cuisine to make a Baton Rouge meeting a true sensory experience.

“We really strive to give (groups) personal attention and help them have a true taste of the Baton Rouge and Louisiana culture by weaving it into their conferences,” Areng says. “Meetings are our specialty, and we work very hard to make sure convention delegates are welcomed into our community.”

Whether they’re touting affordability, convenience, new or revived hotels and venues, top-notch restaurant and entertainment offerings, environmental friendliness or personable customer service, these second-tier destinations are not only disproving misconceptions about themselves, but demonstrating that they can compete and win in the competitive meetings and conventions landscape.