Atlanta Georgia

Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau – 2009 Business Plan

ACVB Mission
To sell and market metro Atlanta and Georgia globally as the premier conventions, meetings and tourism destination in the regional, national and international marketplace and favorably impact the Atlanta economy through conventions and tourism.

Our Vision
To be the best and most hospitable city with which to do business!

Steps in Planning Process
Highlights of the 2009 Business Planning process include:

  • Initial submission of departmental initiatives planned for 2009 to senior executives
  • ACVB Member Survey of 2009 Planning, to obtain member guidance to be used in building business and financial plan
  • Customer Advisory Board meeting key themes from summer 2008 meeting, to be used in building business and financial plan
  • Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis of ACVB, completed by 95% of ACVB employees, to be used in building business and financial plan
  • ACVB Leadership Team off-site retreat held in mid-September 2008 to arrive at most important initiatives to focus on for 2009 business and financial plan
  • Financial/budgeting meetings held in October 2008, to support and align with submitted departmental and bureau business plan initiatives
  • Early November 2008: 2009 ACVB Business and Financial Plan submission to ACVB Finance Committee for approval
  • Mid November 2008: 2009 ACVB Business and Financial Plan submission to ACVB Executive Committee for approval
  • Early December 2008: 2009 ACVB Business and Financial Plan voting at ACVB Board meeting

Key Strategies

  • Revenue/Resources
  • Web Marketing Strategy
  • Telling Our Story
  • Customer Service
  • Organization

Keys to Success

  • Expand and optimize our sales efforts
  • Articulate Atlanta's position as a tourist destination
  • Identify and cultivate revenue opportunities
  • Be the easiest city with which to do business

Expand and Optimize our Sales Efforts

  • Secure $250,000,000 in future economic impact by hosting 1,200 meeting planners with Meeting Professionals International in February and 1,200 trade show executives with IAEE in December
  • Gain additional sales productivity by redeploying current staff and small meetings web model
  • Launch national group meeting co-op campaign
  • Host 900 executives with Destination Marketing Association International in July
  • 2nd Washington Sales Position
  • Host the top 60 Chinese travel companies with Active America in April
  • Utilize web strategies to build attendance at 2009 conventions

Articulate Atlanta's Position as a Tourist Destination

  • Establish atlanta.net as pre-eminent source of content for visitors, residents, meeting planners and businesses across key categories impacting the hospitality industry
  • Host Society of American Travel Writers in April
    • Generate publicity of Atlanta as a leisure destination through stories written by over 100 attendees
  • Maximize continued growth of CityPass sales which will exceed 50,000 for 2008
  • Maximize Treasures Campaign, Tut and Terra Cotta, with unprecedented amount of resources for this unique duo of blockbuster exhibitions
  • Continue summer co-op advertising campaign (MVP) in regional markets and build from 2500 packages sold in 2008
  • Align all off-line media campaigns with on-line media campaigns

Identify and Cultivate Revenue Opportunities

  • Leverage the demand for atlanta.net content to provide industry-leading advertiser performance
  • Research and build necessary infrastructure for both atlanta.net's online and offline transactional potential to be maximized
  • Expand engagement of corporate community in support of ACVB
  • Ramp-up focus on securing additional dedicated funding sources

Be the Easiest City with Which to do Business

  • Launch E.A.S.Y (Experience Atlanta Services Yet?), new Atlanta services site
  • Provide consumer hotel booking option which gives consumer access directly into the hotel brand corporate booking engines (no third party)
  • Enhance online lead response program
  • Host Exhibitor and Media FAMs for future trade shows
  • Implement visitor center surveys to further gauge the visitor experience and incorporate into additional ACVB data
  • Enhance development of micro-sites for conventions to build attendance.
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