W ACVB - Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus

WACVB 

Best Idea Program 

Achievement Awards 

2010 Tech Summit 

Seattle 

Published by the Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus 

newsnotes 

Board Elected for 

2010 Program 

Year 

Stephanie Nowack, president 

& CEO of the Tempe CVB, 

officially took office as President 

of WACVB at the Association’s 

Annual Meeting and Vendor 

Showcase, October 14-17, 2009, 

in Colorado Springs. 

Outgoing President Carol Waller (left) (Sun Valley/ Other Officers elected at the 

Ketchum) presents the WACVB gavel to newly 

conference include President- 

elected President Stephanie Nowack (Tempe). 

elect Joel Racker, president 

& CEO of the Utah Valley CVB, 

and Secretary/Treasurer Manette Belliveau, president & CEO of the Oakland 

CVB. Carol Waller, executive director of the Sun Valley/Ketchum (ID) Chamber 

& Visitors Bureau, will serve as Past President. 

Those Board Directors with continuing terms include Lorene Palmer, president 

& CEO, Juneau CVB, and Kathy Smits, executive director, Beverly Hills CVB. 

The following Directors were elected to two-year terms on the Board of Directors: 

Bob Brown, president & CEO, Ontario CVB; Tracy Farhad, executive 

director, Solvang CVB; Dale Lockett, president & CEO, Albuquerque CVB; 

Jonathan Walker, president & CEO, Metropolitan Tucson CVB; and Jennifer 

Wesselhoff, president & CEO, Sedona Chamber of Commerce. 

For Member Bureaus ~ December 2009 

PG-3 

PG-9 

Western Destinations Guide 

WACVB/Convene 

PG-12 

Click on image to view video 

Best Wishes 

for the 

New Year.

2009 Annual Meeting 

Hosted by Colorado Springs CVB 

Industry colleagues gathered in Colorado 

Springs for WACVB’s Annual 

Meeting & Vendor Showcase to learn 

from industry peers, noted experts and 

veteran researchers gathered at the 

conference. 

Thanks to Terry Sullivan and Pam 

Sherfesee (Colorado Springs) and Dale 

Lockett (Albuquerque), Lorene Palmer 

(Juneau) and Harry Sladich (Spokane) 

for serving on the Annual Meeting 

Planning Committee. We also tip our 

hats to the staff at our host bureau— 

the Colorado Springs CVB—for their 

warm hospitality and generous sponsorships. 

The opening general session, “When 

Growth Stalls: How It Happens, Why 

You’re Stuck, And What To Do About 

It,” was certainly fitting for today’s 

travel market conditions. Steve McKee, 

president of McKee Wallwork Cleveland 

Advertising, noted that there is no 

way to anticipate exactly what, when, 

and how tectonic forces will shake 

your organization, nor to know which 

windows may crack or ceiling tiles fall 

when the tremors arrive. Planning for 

adversity and future challenges is an 

essential duty. McKee’s research 

demonstrates that when growth stalls, 

management teams are not only less 

likely to be aligned on strategy but also 

more likely to have problems with 

human fundamentals like mutual trust 

and respect. Job one is to ensure that 

trust, consensus, and clarity are 

2 n December 2009 n WACVB NewsNotes 

Delegates listen attentively at the 

workshop on new sales and 

marketing strategies for the 

changing market conditions, 

presented by Scott Beck, 

President & CEO, Salt Lake CVB; 

Brad Burlingame, President & 

CEO, West Hollywood MVB; and 

Amy Long, Vice President, 

Marketing & Membership, 

Colorado Springs CVB. 

reestablished among your team. He 

noted that you cannot effectively 

address the tectonics shaking up your 

organization, let alone the issues of 

loss of focus, loss of nerve, or inconsistency, 

without first getting everybody 

to the same table, literally and figuratively. 

It begins with a common 

understanding of the task at hand. 

Thanks to simpleview inc. for sponsoring 

McKee’s appearance. 

In his ‘standing-room only’ workshop, 

Steve McKee suggested ways to make a 

small marketing budget work big. 

DMOs never have enough marketing 

money to accomplish everything they 

want and need. But how do you 

determine the best way to spend your 

limited budget? Is there a deliberative 

process you should be using? McKee 

shared a proven process informed by 

both the results of his research among 

the nation’s fastest-growing companies 

and the key steps followed by master 

marketers like P&G, Nike and Mc- 

Donalds, to help destination marketers 

get a sense of what they’re doing right, 

what they could be doing better, and 

Tolga Ural, founder & 

CEO of Imagine CDs, 

participates at the 2009 

Annual Meeting as a 

new exhibitor in the 

Vendor Showcase. 

what they need to be doing to position 

their destinations for success in 2010 

and beyond. 

In her workshop, “Adapting Your Web 

Site for Mobile Media Applications,” 

Jennifer Peper, vice president of 

Aristotle Interactive, noted that now is 

the time to have systems in place that 

are fully compatible with travelers’ 

many devices. This includes features 

that work with devices that are geographically 

aware and have a wide 

variety of downloadable apps. Delegates 

learned how to make changes to 

their sites to support the mobile 

audience and garnered tips for upgrading 

a site to a mobile compatible site to 

convert mobi surfers to visitors. 

With just the right combination of 

knowledge, enthusiasm and practical 

applications, Laura Stack’s general 

session after lunch on Thursday, “How 

to Control Your Day in an Uncontrollable 

Workplace,” was a hit with the 

group. She informed delegates that the 

most effective time management 

system in the world won’t do a thing to 

improve your productivity if you can’t 

focus on anything. For many of us, the 

problem isn’t a lack of willpower—it’s 

the ability to handle distractions 

caused by technology, co-workers, the 

environment and your mind. This 

session gave the group scores of new 

ideas on increasing output without 

increasing effort. 

The popular CEO and Staff Specialty 

Roundtables rounded out the educational 

program on Thursday afternoon. 

Continued on page 10

Kari Westlund 

Receives Spirit of 

Leadership Award 

At its 2009 Annual Meeting in 

Colorado Springs, WACVB presented 

Kari Westlund, president & CEO of 

Travel Lane County in Oregon, with the 

Association’s Spirit of Leadership award. 

The award recognizes extraordinary 

contributions to the Association by 

individuals. Westlund, a past president 

of WACVB, was honored for her 

remarkable leadership and enduring 

support of WACVB and the WACVB 

Education & Research Foundation. 

The WACVB Board of Directors 

established the Spirit of Leadership 

Award to recognize individuals who 

have been exceptional contributors to 

the organization. The award celebrates 

above-and-beyond leadership by 

individuals who are willing to assist 

their industry colleagues and promote 

the profession of destination marketing. 

Westlund served 10 years on the 

WACVB Board of Directors, including 

service as its President. She was the first 

President of the WACVB Education and 

Research Foundation, and she currently 

serves as a Foundation Trustee. Westlund 

singlehandedly spearheaded the 

Foundation’s new Business of Bureaus 

video module training program. (See 

article this issue.) 

She has also served as the host of the 

2005 Spring Education Program when 

it was in Eugene. The Spring Program 

was restructured into our current Tech 

Summit. She co-chaired the 2006 

Annual Meeting in Portland and has 

served on the Best Idea Review Task 

Force. Westlund has also been a CEO 

Forum facilitator numerous times. 

Earlier this year, Westlund and her 

team completed a rebranding effort 

and the Convention & Visitors 

Continued on page 10 

Jonathan Walker 

presents a Tiffany 

tray to Spirit of 

Leadership award 

recipient 

Kari Westlund. 

and creative marketing strategies 

as submitted by WACVB members. 

Best Idea 

program achievement awards 

Linda Ryan (left) 

accepts a Best Idea 

award on behalf of 

the Albuquerque 

CVB from WACVB 

President Carol 

Waller (Sun Valley/ 

Ketchum). 

Four convention and visitors 

bureaus received achievement 

awards in a recent competition 

with their WACVB colleagues. The 

annual Best Idea Program 

showcases innovative projects 

WACVB President 

Carol Waller 

presents a 

Best Idea Award 

to Layla Forstedt 

(left) from Fresno 

CVB. 

This year’s Best Idea Program 

awards were presented during 

the 2009 WACVB Annual Meeting 

in Colorado Springs. WACVB 

congratulates the following 

member bureaus for receiving outstanding achievement awards for their organizations 

in the 2009 Best Idea Program. Bureau representatives presented their best ideas 

during the Annual Meeting. 

The 2009 Best Idea Program booklet—featuring all entries—is available in WACVB’s 

online Resource Library. 

Albuquerque (NM) Convention and Visitors Bureau 

Holiday Viral Video – Life of a Brown Paper Bag 

The objective of the project was to create a fun and informative holiday-themed 

video showcasing Albuquerque as a destination with a message from ACVB staff to 

ACVB’s audiences (visitors, meeting planners, media, travel trade, national industry 

and local partners). The in-house video was produced with the intent to intrigue 

audiences to open and watch the online video, and make the video content compelling 

enough to forward to others (viral marketing). The two-minute video conveys 

everything that happens in the life of a brown paper bag including the most beautiful 

example of a holiday luminaria in Albuquerque. The topic was selected to demonstrate 

the unique holiday tradition in New Mexico of lining rooftops and pathways 

with bags filled with sand and a candle called luminarias. The video brings this topic 

to life in a distinctive and humorous way. 

Fresno (CA) Convention and Visitors Bureau 

Family Fun Staycations 

The Bureau enlisted the help of a class of sixth graders from Fancher Creek Elementary 

in their marketing efforts to sell Fresno to Fresno residents, as their vacation 

destination. The CVB decided that this class should become the Bureau’s Family Fun 

Marketing Ambassadors as a result of the excited response to the many activities that 

their families could enjoy as outlined in the Fresno Destination Guide. Each student 

was asked to prepare weekend itineraries using the Guide as their reference. The class 

enjoyed a one-day field trip that included some of the most popular attractions from 

Continued on page 7 

December 2009 n WACVB NewsNotes n 3

WACVB Education 

& Research 

Foundation News 

“Business of Bureaus” Learning Modules 

Training Videos and Resource Materials Coming Soon 

As a major new project for DMO professionals, the WACVB Education & 

Research Foundation sponsored and videotaped a day-long Business of Bureaus 

workshop, which will be available soon as a series of training video modules. 

The instructors—all WACVB Past Presidents—presented information on a 

multitude of bureau management and marketing activities—destination leadership, 

management issues, marketing, conference/convention sales, services, 

tourism sales and marketing, communications, community relations, and convention 

and visitor services. 

Instructors in the video series include Brad Burlingame, West Hollywood MVB; 

Linda DiMario, DiMario & Associates; Carol Lentz (retired), Travel Portland; 

and Cami Mattson, San Diego North CVB. 

The video modules are designed as internal training tools for those new to the 

CVB profession or those who wonder how the other bureau departments function. 

If you want to see the “whole bureau” picture, you’ll want to view these 

video modules and related library materials. The video modules serve as valuable 

orientation resources for new staff or refreshers for other staff. 

Video Modules 

■ Module 1: Media Relations & Community Relations 

■ Module 2: Leadership and Management 

■ Module 3: Marketing and Advertising 

■ Module 4: Sales (Conventions, Meetings, Sports & Leisure) 

■ Module 5: Services (Convention & Leisure) 

Special thanks to Foundation Trustee Kari Westlund (Lane County), who coordinated 

the workshop and worked with Commotion Studios to edit the workshop 

content into several video modules that will be available soon via streaming video 

at the WACVB Web site or on individual DVDs. In addition, materials in support 

of each video module have been added to the WACVB Resource Library. 

For more information about the Business of Bureaus video modules, contact staff 

at info@wacvb.com or at (916) 443-9012. 

The Business of Bureaus video production was underwritten by simpleview, inc. Founded in 1991, 

simpleview provides strategic planning, custom-built Web sites, destination management and sales 

software, interactive marketing services and customer support to more than 100 DMOs in North 

America. 

Thanks to Foundation Contributors 

Thanks to the many WACVB-member bureaus that have contributed funds to the 

Foundation for the 2009-10 year (as of November 2009). 

2009-10 Contributors 

Albuquerque, Bakersfield, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Breckenridge, Davis Area, Fresno, 

Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Klamath, Lane County, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Mat-Su, 

Medford, Mesa, Montrose, Ogden/Weber, Ontario, Park City, Phoenix, Portland, San 

Diego North, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita, Santa Cruz County, Santa 

Monica, Sitka, Solvang, Spokane, Stockton, Sun Valley/Ketchum, Tempe, Tucson, 

Tuolumne County, Utah Valley, Vacaville, West Hollywood, Whidbey & Camano 

Islands, Yolo County and Yosemite/Mariposa County. 


Scholarships 

Available 

The WACVB Education and Research 

Foundation administers several 

scholarship programs to fund educational 

opportunities for CVB CEOs 

and staff. Scholarship applications are 

available at www.wacvb.com – click on 

the Foundation/Scholarships link on 

the home page. 

Destination Marketing 

Tech Summit Scholarships 

The upcoming Tech Summit is March 

25 and 26, 2010, in Seattle. Scholarship 

recipients will be eligible to receive 

complimentary registration, travel, and 

lodging at the 2010 Tech Summit. 

Sales & Marketing Training 

Programs Scholarship 

The Foundation’s newest scholarship 

program offers one ‘registration–only’ 

scholarship for each of these training 

programs: Meetings/Conventions Sales 

Institute Training (SIT I) Program, 

March 23 & 24, 2010; Travel Industry 

Marketing & Sales Training (TIMST) 

Program, October 12 & 13, 2010; and 

the Advanced Meetings/Conventions 

Sales Institute Training (SIT II) Program, 

October 12 & 13, 2010. The 

scholarship does not include lodging 

and transportation. 

Executive Training Scholarships 

(CEOs and Senior-level Executives) 

Rosalind Williams Memorial 

Scholarship Program 

The WACVB Foundation offers an 

exciting opportunity for convention 

and visitor bureau CEOs and senior 

staff executives to earn scholarships to 

attend executive training programs 

(e.g., human resources seminar on 

employee law, university programs, 

industry conferences, etc.). The executive 

training programs must be presented 

by professional organizations or 

accredited institutions. 

WACVB Annual Meeting Scholarships 

The WACVB Foundation grants 

scholarships for bureau CEOs and staff 

members to attend WACVB’s Annual 

Meeting. Scholarship grants include 

complimentary conference registration, 

travel, and lodging at the Annual 

Meeting. The 2010 Annual Meeting & 

Vendor Showcase is October 13-15 in 

Salt Lake City.

Annual Meeting scholarship recipients 

attend the conference in Colorado Springs 

(left to right)—Wes Rhea, Executive Director, 

Stockton CVB; Jean Kurtz, Director, Roseburg 

VCB; Mike Browne, Executive Director, Vallejo 

CVB; Diane Pritchett, Executive Director, 

Costa Mesa CVB; and Michael Martin, 

Executive Vice President, Tempe CVB. 

Scholarships Awarded 

Annual Meeting Scholarships 

2009 Raffle Fundraiser a Success 

Hawaii Prize Package Awarded 

The WACVB Education & Research Foundation granted scholarships to applicants 

to attend the 2009 Annual Meeting, October 14-17, in Colorado Springs. Each 

Foundation scholarship included conference registration and travel and lodging 

expenses. 

The purpose of the scholarship program is to assist bureaus with the cost of 

offering high quality professional development opportunities and continuing 

education to their staff and CEOs, thereby raising the level of professionalism in 

our industry. 

This year’s scholarship recipients: 

Mike Browne 

Executive Director, Vallejo CVB 

Jean Kurtz 

Director, Roseburg VCB 

Michael Martin 

Executive Vice President, Tempe CVB 

More than 300 yellow raffle tickets were tossed around in the drum prior to the 

Hawaii Trip Package prize drawing at the WACVB Annual Meeting in Colorado 

Springs. This year’s raffle fundraiser, which garnered more than $5,500, benefits 

the Foundation’s scholarship and research grant programs. 

When the raffle ticket was drawn, Ken Mompellier’s (Las Cruces) ticket was 

drawn from the drum; however, he wasn’t present at the drawing. After the 

conference when staff contacted Mompellier, he graciously donated the prize 

back to the Foundation for a redraw to award the trip to another raffle ticket 

holder. In consultation with Foundation President Joel Racker, Foundation staff 

conducted a redraw, and Barbara Riddle from the Davis Area (UT) Bureau is the 

lucky winner of the raffle prize package. 

Special thanks to our trip sponsors for their generous participation. 

• Starwood Hotels & Resorts Waikiki donated three nights lodging at the 

Sheraton Waikiki and three nights lodging at the Moana Surfrider Resort 

& Spa, both located on world-famous Waikiki Beach. Thanks to Laurie 

Wong Ihara, CMP, director of group sales, Starwood Hotels & Resorts 

Waikiki, for donating the lodging. 

• Madden Media donated funds for roundtrip airfare for two 

from a western gateway city to Honolulu. Thanks to John 

Hudak, partner & publisher at Madden Media, for authorizing 

Madden Media’s continuing support of the Foundation. 

Raffle Funds Go Toward Scholarships and 

Research Grants 

The WACVB Foundation offers several opportunities for convention 

and visitor bureau personnel to earn scholarships to attend training 

programs. Information and applications for each of the Foundation’s 

scholarship programs are available at www.wacvb.com – 

click on the Foundation/Scholarships link on the home page. 

The WACVB Foundation has partnered with TNS Travel & 

Leisure to assist DMOs in ensuring more competitive Web sites. 

Discover how your bureau can get involved in this research 

project. Contact Foundation staff at info@wacvb.com for an 

overview of the Destination Web Site Research and ROI Project— 

Web Site Evaluation: A Quantitative Measurement. The Foundation 

is providing shared-participant funding for qualifying bureaus; 

contact Foundation staff at info@wacvb.com for the Web 

Site Project Application. As you evaluate participation in this 

project, the Foundation Board is aware that interested DMOs may 

wish to participate in a year or so. Please know the project and 

research grants will be available for future participation. 

“I want to thank you for enabling me to attend the 

Annual Meeting using the scholarship. I get so 

much out of these meetings and walk away with a 

lot of ideas.” 

~Scholarship recipient Diane Pritchett, Costa Mesa 

Diane Pritchett 

Executive Director, Costa Mesa CVB 

Wes Rhea 

Executive Director, Stockton CVB 

After the Hawaii Prize Package raffle 

drawing, Foundation raffle coordinator 

Jonathan Walker (Tucson) and WACVB 

President and Foundation Vice President 

Stephanie Nowack (Tempe), thank Allison 

Cessna (second from left) from Madden 

Media for sponsoring roundtrip airfare for 

two to Honolulu. Starwood Hotels & Resorts 

Waikiki donated six nights lodging at two 

properties located on Waikiki Beach. 

New Foundation Board 

Leaders 

New officers for the WACVB Education and Research 

Foundation Board include: President Joel Racker, 

president & CEO, Utah Valley CVB; Vice President 

Stephanie Nowack, president & CEO, Tempe CVB; and 

Secretary-Treasurer Manette Belliveau, president & CEO 

Oakland CVB. Carol Waller, executive director of the 

Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau, will 

serve as Past President. 

Mo McElroy, executive director of the Santa Rosa CVB, 

was recently appointed to a three-year term as a 

Foundation Trustee. Trustees with continuing terms 

include Kathy Janega-Dykes, president & CEO of the 

Santa Barbara CVB, and Kari Westlund, president & 

CEO, Travel Lane County. 


Bureau 

News 

Culinary Tourism 

• Sunset Magazine 

recently partnered 

with the San Luis 

Obispo County 

VCB on the creation 

of a fall event 

(Savor the Central Coast) catering to 

the discerning tastes and palates of 

food and wine aficionados from all 

over the state of California and up and 

down the entire West Coast. The event, 

in late September and early October, 

showcased San Luis Obispo County’s 

scenic beauty, growing wine region and 

gourmet cuisine. Attendees joined 

Sunset to taste, sip and savor California’s 

Central Coast lifestyle. Highlights 

of the four-day extravaganza included 

the Sunset Western Wine Awards Gala, 

Celebrity Chef appearances, culinary 

tours, winemaker dinners and more 

than 150 wineries offering specialty 

food and wine pairings. 

International Visitor Marketing 

• Another British invasion touched 

down in Las Vegas on October 25, 

with the arrival of the inaugural flight 

for British Airways. The new daily, 

non-stop service is from London’s 

Heathrow Airport to McCarran 

International Airport in Las Vegas. 

“This new partnership provides more 

access for the world to experience Las 

Vegas” said Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, 

chairman of the board of directors 

for the Las Vegas CVA. “The 

strength of the two brands makes it an 

ideal partnership. The investment by 

British Airways to incorporate Las 

Vegas into their strategic business plan 

during a global recession demonstrates 

the strength of our brand.” Mayor 

Goodman joined LVCVA President/ 

CEO Rossi Ralenkotter and British 

Airways CEO Willie Walsh aboard the 

inaugural flight. McCarran officials 

work jointly with the LVCVA to 

cultivate relationships with airlines and 

expand existing service or bring new 

service to Las Vegas. There are nearly 

170 non-stop international flights a 

week to Las Vegas. The United Kingdom 

is the No. 1 source of overseas 

travelers to Las Vegas, generating 

nearly 400,000 visitors in 2008. It 

represents approximately 10 percent of 

all international travel to Las Vegas. 


The flight is estimated to provide an 

economic impact to Las Vegas of 

$260,000 per flight or $96 million 

annually. The flight will depart daily 

from Heathrow at 3:35 p.m., arriving 

in Las Vegas at 7:20 p.m. local time. 

The return flight departs Las Vegas 

nightly at 9:20 p.m. and arrives in London 

the following day at 2:05 p.m. 

Mobile Technology 

• The Tempe CVB recently introduced 

a new mobile Web site, www.exploretempe.mobi, 

for users of handheld 

device that feature Internet access. The 

new site is a mobile-friendly version of 

the Bureau’s primary Web site and was 

designed specifically for on-the-go 

information. While visitors are planning 

a trip to Tempe, or once they’ve 

arrived, they’ll have the ability to 

access information about Tempe from 

the palm of their hand. Mobile devices 

are becoming increasingly integrated 

into every day Web use. According to 

Microsoft, by 2011 the average person’s 

first experience with the Internet 

will be on a mobile device. The new 

mobile-friendly platform will make 

accessing information about Tempe 

quick, convenient and user-friendly for 

travelers on the move. Developed by 

mobiManage, the mobile site 

offers users easy navigation and 

faster page loading. 

Photo Contests 

• Sixteen area 

photographers 

took top honors 

in the 2009 

Eugene, Cascades 

& Coast Photo 

Contest sponsored 

by Travel 

Lane County. 

Nearly $2,000 in prizes 

was awarded to contest 

winners within three 

categories, including one 

overall winner in the 

junior division. Travel 

Lane County invited photographers to 

submit digital images online representing 

the theme “Real Adventures. Real 

Close.” The contest was open to 

photographers of all skill levels. Photos 

were judged on technical quality, 

composition and overall representation 

of adventure experiences found within 

the borders of Lane County. For a look 

at all the contest winners, go to www. 

travellanecounty.org/photocontestwinners. 

Research 

• A survey of Phoenix hotels found 

that the tax impact visitors have on the 

City of Phoenix is substantial. Based 

on a survey conducted by the Greater 

Phoenix CVB, the results showed that 

City of Phoenix hotels paid more than 

$166 million in combined property and 

sales taxes in 2008. Phoenix Mayor 

Phil Gordon said the contribution of 

the tourism industry “is important for 

us all.” He noted, “Tens of thousands 

of Arizona jobs are directly related to 

tourism–the majority of them right 

here in the Valley. But teachers, police 

officers, fire fighters, utility companies 

and bankers are no more than One 

Degree of Separation from the tourism 

industry. Because tax revenues generated 

from the industry go toward our 

schools, public safety, libraries, pools, 

parks, and streets. Whether we know it 

or not, we all have a direct stake in 

tourism. It matters how many visitors 

we get. It matters how many conventions 

we host. It matters how many 

meetings are scheduled for Phoenix 

and the Valley. Whether you work at 

the airport or at a flower shop 300 

miles from the airport, you are one of 

the Faces of Tourism.” Greater Phoenix 

CVB President Steve Moore said 

the survey the CVB conducted calculated 

to a gross tax yield per hotel 

room of more than $6,300. 

“Hotel property taxes are 

approximately 27 percent of 

this total, or over $45 million. 

This equates to $1,710 per 

room, which is eight percent 

greater than the median 

Phoenix household 

property tax, yet a 

hotel room is much 

smaller than a 

house. When one 

considers that a 

visitor uses a 

fraction of the 

government services 

provided to residents, this is a 

great investment for the state, 

county and city,” Moore said. 

Sustainable Tourism 

Santa Cruz County CVC staff and the 

Santa Cruz Mayor were among 200 

industry professionals who participated 

in the inaugural California Sustainable 

Tourism Summit at Asilomar Con-

ference Grounds in Pacific Grove in 

early October. The conference was 

sponsored by the California Travel 

& Tourism Commission, which 

brought together tourism partners 

from all over the country for 

educational and networking 

opportunities. The Summit presented 

sustainable best practices 

currently utilized by top industry 

leaders and offered information 

about resources available to market 

these programs. At the Summit, CTTC 

unveiled the new California Sustainable 

Tourism Handbook, designed to 

raise awareness of sustainable tourism 

best practices and to facilitate implementation 

by tourism operators. The 

handbook explores the “three pillars” 

of sustainability: economically feasible, 

environmentally sound and socially 

equitable. 

Web Sites 

• The Colorado Springs CVB recently 

launched its new Web site www. 

visitcos.com. Visitors will see a completely 

new layout that features the 

scenic beauty that Colorado Springs is 

known for as well as improved navigation 

and functionality. The navigation 

is intended to inspire visitors to order 

an Official Visitor Guide, complete a 

Request for Proposal, book lodging 

and click through to member 

pages and Web sites. New additions 

also include social media 

access to the CVB’s Facebook, 

YouTube and Twitter pages as well 

as a Colorado Springs blog. 

Several areas of functionality will 

be subsequently added including a 

photo gallery and e-commerce. 

• The West Hollywood MVB has 

announced the relaunch of www. 

gogaywesthollywood.com, the 

premier source of information for 

gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans- 

gender travelers to West Hollywood. 

“West Hollywood has long 

been the epicenter of gay life in 

Southern California and offers 

unmatched energy and excitement 

for the gay and lesbian traveler,” 

said Bill Hynes, executive vice president 

of the West Hollywood Marketing 

& Visitors Bureau. “This new Web 

site is designed to help visitors maximize 

their experience in West Hollywood 

with a wealth of information on 

hotels, nightlife, dining, shopping and 

culture.” The site has been completely 

redesigned with new site navigation 

and a user-friendly interface. The site’s 

design captures the “living forward” 

spirit of West Hollywood’s LGBT 

community. During the development of 

the site, community members were 

invited to submit images that represent 

the city’s welcoming and progressive 

culture. A new weekly calendar 

showcases the most exciting LGBT 

events from all over the Los Angeles 

region, and the Hot News section is 

the ultimate source of information on 

events, attractions and businesses that 

appeal to the gay and lesbian traveler. 

Best Ideas 

Continued from page 3 

their prepared itineraries. The student 

presentations and the field trip were 

filmed and turned into a broadcast 

commercial. 

Courtney Ries (left) accepts Travel Portland’s 

Best Idea Award from WACVB President 

Carol Waller. 

Travel Portland (OR) 

Portland’s “Twisitor Center” 

In January 2009, Travel Portland became 

the first U.S. city to launch an official 

Twisitor Center. This cyber-style cousin to 

the more traditional walk-in visitor 

information center uses Twitter technology 

to connect travelers with those who 

can answer their questions and help plan 

their trips. Twitter-users seeking information 

on Portland simply add #inpdx to 

their questions. Tweets tagged with this 

WACVB President Carol Waller presents Ken 

Fischang with the Sonoma County Tourism 

Bureau’s award in the Best Idea Program. 

code (also called a hash tag) are sought 

out by Twisitor Center staff members 

who then send back suggestions. But the 

beauty of Twitter is that other users who 

aren’t affiliated with Travel Portland can 

also chime in with additional tips. In 

addition to responding to questions from 

visitors, Travel Portland’s Twitter stream 

includes several proactive tweets per 

day, covering such pre-defined topics as 

dining, green travel, special deals and 

recreation. 

Sonoma County (CA) Tourism Bureau 

World’s First Ever Sonoma County Wine 

and Food Tattoo Contest 

The Second Annual Wine Bloggers 

Conference was returning to the 

Sonoma Wine Country, and the Sonoma 

County Tourism Bureau (SCTB) wanted to 

generate buzz about the SCTB and its 

blog, www.inside-sonoma.com, to the 

more than 250 influential bloggers 

attending the event. In order to do this, 

the Bureau created a tattoo contest on 

our blog, driven by our Twitter and 

Facebook pages, and promoted through 

traditional public relations. We asked 

people to submit their food and wine 

themed tattoos, the top five (5) of which 

would be voted on at the actual blogger 

conference by the bloggers. The winners 

would get a fabulous Sonoma County 

prize package, including a one year 

supply of artisan bacon, a hotel stay, and 

some great wine. For the voting, the 250 

bloggers who voted received a temporary 

tattoo sticker, which featured three 

Sonoma County wine messages: Silky 

Pinot - Sonoma County; Sultry Chard - 

Sonoma County; and Spicy Zin - Sonoma 

County. 



Research/ 

Trends 

Landmark Study Reveals ROI of 

Business Travel 

New research conducted by global research firm Oxford Economics establishes the 

first clear link between business travel and business growth as American businesses 

plan their 2010 budgets and federal policymakers are looking to stimulate the 

American economy. For every dollar invested in business travel, businesses experience 

an average $12.50 in increased revenue and $3.80 in new profits, according to 

the study. 

“This study shows that not all spending cuts are 

smart cuts,” said Adam Sacks, managing director 

of Oxford Economics. “When companies reduce 

their travel budgets, there are negative consequences 

that we can now quantify, in terms of 

lost revenue and profit growth, and in terms of 

giving competitors a distinct advantage.” 

This is the first time that the return on investment 

of business travel has been successfully 

measured. The study found that curbing business 

travel can have a strong negative impact on corporate 

profits. The average business in the U.S. 

would forfeit 17 percent of its profits in the first 

year of eliminating business travel, and it would 

take more than three years for profits to recover. 

Business travel in the U.S. is responsible for $246 

billion in spending and 2.3 million American jobs; 

$100 billion of this spending and 1 million American jobs are linked directly to 

meetings and events. In the first six months of 2009, business travel spending is 

down by 12.5 percent and business travel volume is down more than 6 percent. A 10 

percent increase in business travel spending would increase multi-factor productivity, 

leading to a U.S. GDP increase between 1.5 percent and 2.8 percent. 

“In tough economic times, many business executives have an understandable shortrun 

focus on managing costs. The report points out the less visible—but significant— 

long-term benefits resulting from business travel, such as partnership building and 

new business opportunities,” said Dr. Martin A. Asher, adjunct professor of finance at 

the Wharton School. “Increased business travel in this economy can actually increase 

sales and reduce the financial decline companies might otherwise suffer.” 

Both executives and business travelers estimate that 28 percent of current business 

would be lost without in-person meetings. Roughly 40 percent of prospective 

customers are converted to new customers with an in-person meeting, compared to 

16 percent without such a meeting. Executives cited customer meetings as having 

the greatest returns, approximately $15.00-$19.99 per dollar invested, with conference 

and trade show participation returns ranging from $4.00-$5.99 per dollar invested. 

The Oxford Economics Business Travel study is sponsored in part by the Destination 

& Travel Foundation, a combined effort of the U.S. Travel Association and Destination 

Marketing Association International. For copy of the full study and additional 

resources, visit www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com/value-meetings. 

Source: United States Travel Association www.ustravel.org 

Sales & Marketing 

Training Programs 

TIMST and SIT II 

Individualized learning and lots of 

interaction were the hallmarks of the 

training sessions in Colorado Springs. 

In small-group settings, each training 

session featured enthusiastic participants 

and knowledgeable, animated 

instructors. 

The Travel Industry Marketing & Sales 

Training (TIMST) Program and the 

Advanced Meetings/ Conventions Sales 

Institute Training (SIT II) Program 

convened October 13 and 14 in 

Colorado Springs, with TIMST 

instructor Tere Stamoulis and SIT II 

instructor Steve Steinhart. 

Some of the TIMST participants wrote 

about the session: 

Great program—liked the size 

of the group…very interactive. 

The tools discussed and distributed 

were very beneficial. 

Comments from attendees at the SIT II 

class included: 

I thought it covered a range of 

useful techniques that I will be 

able to implement into my job. 

Good information. 

Upcoming training 

courses in March and 

October 

Meetings/Conventions 

Sales Institute Training (SIT I) 

Program 

March 23 & 24, 2010 

Renaissance Seattle Hotel 

Advanced Meetings/ 

Conventions Sales Institute 

Training (SIT II) Program 

October 12 & 13, 2010 

Hilton Salt Lake City Center 

Travel Industry Marketing 

& Sales Training (TIMST) Program 

October 12 & 13, 2010 

Hilton Salt Lake City Center

Destination 

Marketing 

Tech Summit 

March 25 & 26, Seattle 

The popular Tech Summit is just 

around the corner, so mark your 

calendar for WACVB’s 5th annual 

Summit, March 25 & 26, at the 

Renaissance Seattle Hotel. The purpose 

of the Tech Summit is to assist members 

in clarifying complex technology 

choices and understand how consumers 

and clients use technology to gather 

information and make travel and 

meeting decisions. 

The Tech Summit Planning Committee 

is focusing sessions on a range of 

destination marketing technology issues. 

The committee is led by Co-chairs 

Elias Calderon, director of marketing 

at Seattle’s CVB, and Lorene Palmer, 

president & CEO at the Juneau CVB. 

Committee members include Angela 

Byrd-Udovich, tourism development 

and social marketing manager, Redding 

CVB; Jason Chiang, director of 

interactive marketing, West Hollywood 

MVB; Kirsten Danielson, director of 

marketing, Yakima Valley VCB; 

Nicole Gustas, Web site and marketing 

manager, Monterey County CVB; Sally 

McAleer, vice president of integrated 

marketing, Travel Lane County; 

Maresa Thompson, interactive and 

design manager, Albuquerque CVB; 

and Bryan White, director of online 

strategy, Travel Portland. 

Some of the session topics under 

consideration by the Planning Committee 

include social media trends, 

measuring social media, mobile apps, 

meeting planner Internet behaviors, 

video formats, targeting your online 

advertising/media buy, measuring 

online coverage using publicity value, 

behavioral targeting and geo targeting, 

creating a content management strategy 

and using Facebook effectively. 

Technology companies have been 

invited to participate in the Summit 

Vendor Showcase to demonstrate their 

products and services for attendees. 

Our hosts at the Seattle Bureau look 

forward to welcoming WACVB 

members to their city. The Bureau will 

host a “Tweet Up” reception during 

the Tech Summit. 

Watch your email and WACVB’s 

Web site for more information and 

registration materials for the Tech 

Summit in Seattle. 

SEATTLE 

Photo Credit Seattle’s CVB 

Seattle is two cities on one. It’s a place where you can spend the morning sipping 

coffee among the hustle and bustle of a thriving urban center, and spend the evening 

kicking back among lush foliage and breathing in fresh clean air. Seattle is unique, 

innovative and full of surprises. Seattle is metronatural. 

The city is a leading leisure travel and convention destination, attracting more than 

nine million visitors a year who spend $5.16 billion and contribute some $468 million 

in state and local tax revenues. 

Lured by Seattle’s mythic 

lifestyle, new residents from 

the U.S. and other parts of the 

world have boosted the city’s 

population to nearly 586,200 

and its metropolitan population 

to more than 3.5 million. 

Entrepreneurialism still thrives 

in Seattle, its computer 

software industry leading the 

world in development and its 

Photo Credit Tim Thompson 

biotech industry showing 

strong momentum. While 

Boeing’s corporate headquarters 

are no longer in Seattle, its 

manufacturing presence 

throughout the region remains 

sizable. The Port of Seattle is 

the largest port in the Pacific 

Northwest, among the ten 

busiest container ports in 

the U.S., and its two luxury 

cruise terminals host 211 

sailings and 413,000 passengers 

each year. 

Photo Credit Seattle’s CVB 

For more information about 

Seattle, see www.visitseattle.org and check out Seattle’s virtual visitors guide at 

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/weaver/seovg209/#/0. 


People on the Go At 

Michael Blakley, has been appointed 

executive director of Discover Klamath 

Visitor & Convention Bureau in 

Klamath Falls, Oregon. Blakley is a 

native Oregonian with a background in 

merchandising, communications and 

marketing. Most recently he worked 

for Columbia Forest Products—three 

years in the Klamath mill sales office 

and eight years in the corporate 

marketing department. 

The Utah Valley 

CVB has 

promoted Julia 

Currey to senior 

sales manager 

for corporate, 

association and 

group-tour 

business. In her 

new position, 

Currey will 

develop and 

implement business strategies to increase 

tourism in Utah Valley and will actively 

supervise sales activity and reporting. 

Before joining the Bureau, she served as 

events director for the Provo/Orem 

Chamber of Commerce, now the Utah 

Valley Chamber of Commerce, where 

she increased revenue for all events 

under her supervision. Currey also 

worked with the Expedition Company to 

promote international adventure excursions 

and traveled to Argentina and 

Chile to develop recreational properties 

for the Patagonia Land Company. 

Spirit of Leadership Award 



Eric Kingstad has been named the new 

CEO at Corvallis Tourism. He replaces 

John Hope-Johnstone who retired from 

the Bureau. 

Scott Moriyama 

has been named 

director of 

human resources 

and administration 

for the 

San Francisco 

CVB. In his 

new position, 

Moriyama will 

manage all 

aspects of 

employee relations providing administration 

services support to the Bureau 

departments and staff, and developing 

and managing overall human resources 

services, policies and programs for the 

SFCVB. Prior to joining the Bureau, 

Moriyama worked as the vice president/senior 

human resources consultant 

for Wells Fargo Bank. He has also 

worked for Quicknet Technologies, 

Field Research Corporation, and City 

Bank, Honolulu, as director of human 

resources. 

Association of Lane County Oregon is now Travel Lane County, promoting their 

destination as Eugene, Cascades & Coast, with the slogan “Real Adventures. 

Real Close.” 

Westlund is also a past president of the Oregon Destination Marketing Organizations 

(formerly Oregon Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus). She 

currently serves as chair of the Oregon Tourism Commission, and is an active 

member of many commissions and committees at the regional, state, and local 

level. 

From 1992 to 1996, she was the president & CEO at the Juneau CVB. Westlund 

moved to Oregon in 1996 with her husband and two sons, and began as president 

& CEO of the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon (now 

Travel Lane County) in November of that year. 

Previous recipients of the award include Rick Davis, Carol Lentz, Cami Mattson, 

and Jonathan Walker. 

Annual Meeting 


Friday morning’s general session, 

Lorraine Sileo, vice president, research, 

at PhoCusWright, presented a session 

on understanding the role and impact 

of destination marketers. She noted 

that destination marketers play a 

unique role in the leisure travel marketplace, 

positioned at the intersection of 

travelers and travel suppliers. At the 

heart of leisure travel is the destination, 

which drives the itinerary and all 

of the components purchased along the 

way, and at the heart of each destination 

are destination marketers. For 

destination marketers, the explosion of 

online consumer tools and technologies 

provides unprecedented potential to 

connect with travelers and promote 

their destinations in new and effective 

ways. At the same time, Sileo noted 

that destination marketers face challenges—ranging 

from funding constraints 

to navigating social media— 

that are forcing many to take a close 

look at what they need to do to remain 

competitive and relevant. 

Workshop panelists Scott Beck, 

president & CEO, Salt Lake CVB; 

Brad Burlingame, president & CEO, 

West Hollywood MVB; and Amy 

Long, vice president, marketing & 

membership, Colorado Springs CVB, 

shared ideas and strategies they have 

implemented to address the changing 

market conditions—ranging from 

cost-saving deals and attention-getting 

promotions to programs engaging local 

residents. 

Ken McGill, managing director at 

Rockport Analytics and former 

executive managing director, travel & 

tourism services at IHS Global Insight, 

presented an overview of a study by 

IHS Global Insight and D.K. Shifflet & 

Associates that focused on helping 

their public tourism clients tell the 

story of the numerous benefits of 

public tourism promotion. During the 

session, “Public Tourism Promotion 

ROI,” attendees learned about the case 

for or against reducing public tourism 

spending. 

Lorraine Sileo from PhoCusWright also 

presented a consumer travel trends 

workshop focusing on the traveling 

U.S. consumer, including preferences 

and sentiments in relation to the 

current state of the travel industry. The 

information included trip behaviors of 

the U.S. traveler in terms of trip 

frequency, duration and spend; the key 

differences by demographic segments 

such as age, gender and employment; 

and the impact of psychographic 

attitudes and values on traveler priorities 

and experiences.

Green initiatives and sustainability are 

important for our future, but what’s 

their affect on winning group business 

and travelers? That question was 

answered by a trio of panelists sharing 

case studies and planning tools and 

resources to use in marketing to 

meeting professionals and visitors. 

Thanks to presenters Cheryl Bagby, 

marketing manager, Santa Monica 

CVB; Shannon Brooks, director of 

communications, Santa Barbara CVB; 

and Courtney Ries, marketing manager, 

Travel Portland, for presenting 

information about the ‘business’ of 

being green. 

In his presentation, “Lasting Impressions 

for Short Attention Spans: 

Presentations that Wow Your Funding 

Agencies,” destination marketing 

pundit Bill Geist, from Zeitgeist 

Consulting, shared tips and tactics for 

selecting the presentation style that’s 

best for you to crafting a message that 

resonates with relevance for your 

audience, as well as tips on engaging 

board members and stakeholders to be 

your voice. 

The closing general session on Friday 

afternoon featured a perennial favorite—Martin 

Stoll from GoSeeTell 

Network, Inc. His session, “From 

Niche to Mainstream: How Social 

Media is Changing Every Aspect of 

Online Marketing,” was packed with 

information about social media 

approaches for DMOs. The session 

featured best practices, offered benchmarks, 

highlighted the latest trends in 

social media and outlined actionable 

insights to start using immediately. 

[Editor’s Note: A number of the session 

presentations have been posted to WACVB’s 

Web site (www.wacvb.com); scroll down the 

home page to locate the link for the 2009 

Annual Meeting presentation downloads.] 

The Best Idea Program achievement 

awards were presented to four bureaus 

during the Thursday luncheon hosted 

by Convene/PCMA. Each recognized 

bureau presented their entry to the 

group. Congratulations to Albuquerque, 

Fresno, Portland and Sonoma 

County. (See Best Idea article this 

issue.) 

The Vendor Showcase featured trade 

publications, technology/information 

systems, publishing companies and 

more. The showcase provided a relaxed 

yet productive business environment 

for attendees to meet with sponsors 

and vendors to discuss opportunities 

and products. (See listing of vendors in 

this issue.) 

Away from the general sessions and 

workshops, attendees renewed friendships 

and met new peers at the evening 

receptions at Antlers Hilton. Thanks to 

TIG Global and the Colorado Springs 

CVB for hosting these receptions. 

On Friday evening, the Colorado 

Springs CVB sponsored a reception at 

the hotel, followed by a special outing 

to the Flying W Ranch. The Flying W 

Ranch is a working mountain cattle 

ranch located in the foothills of 

Colorado Springs. Annual Meeting 

attendees enjoyed a tasty chuckwagon 

dinner and a western stage show 

presented by the Flying W Wranglers, 

a group of award-winning musicians. 

At the closing breakfast session on 

Saturday morning, Alicia McConnell, 

director of athlete services and programs 

for the United States Olympic 

Committee, presented “Achieving 

Competitive Excellence—A Common 

Goal for Training Athletes and Marketing 

a Destination.” The Colorado 

Springs Olympic Training Center 

responds to athlete needs in order to 

make a positive impact in each athlete’s 

performance and well-being, knowing 

that time matters in these situations. 

Sounds a bit like marketing a destination 

and running a CVB! 

The Salt Lake CVB sponsored the 

Saturday breakfast as the host for the 

2010 WACVB Annual Meeting. Scott 

Beck, president & CEO of the Salt 

Lake CVB, closed out the 2009 

conference with overview of Salt Lake 

City and a unique video showcasing 

the destination. He noted that the Salt 

Lake CVB staff is excited about 

hosting their industry colleagues next 

year, and that there will be a few 

surprises in store for the group. 

It was perfect day for a football game 

as a small contingent of Annual 

Meeting delegates participated in a 

post-conference activity at Falcon 

Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 

The Saturday afternoon game 

featured the Air Force Falcons playing 

the Wyoming Cowboys; the Falcons 

won 10-0 in a shutout game. Special 

thanks to Pam Sherfesee from the 

Colorado Springs CVB for organizing 

the outing. 

Mark your calendar for October 13-15 

for the 2010 Annual Meeting & 

Vendor Showcase in Salt Lake City. 

Thank You! 

WACVB thanks the following 

terrific group of vendors and 

sponsors for their involvement at 

the 2009 Annual Meeting. 

Members—please look to these 

preferred vendors for 

opportunities and services. 

Antlers Hilton 

Aristotle, Inc. 

Collinson Publishing 

Colorado Springs Convention 

& Visitors Bureau 

Destinations Magazine/ 

The McNeill Group, Inc. 

iDSS 

Imagine CDs 

Madden Media 

Meetings West 

Meredith Travel Marketing 

Micro Maps 

PCMA/Convene 

Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Schneider Publishing/Association News/ 

SportsTravel/TEAMS Conference 

simpleview inc. 

Smart Meetings 

Software Management Inc. 

TIG Global, LLC 

Weaver Multimedia Group 

Zeitgeist Consulting 

Congratulations to the Host/Planning 

Committee and staff on another great 

WACVB Annual Meeting. Despite the 

lower numbers, we found the networking 

and educational opportunities 

very beneficial. Thanks, again, for 

all your hard work on the conference. 

We really rely on conferences like the 

Annual Meeting to remain current on 

developments in the industry and our 

clients’ emerging needs, and your 

programs never fail to deliver new 

insights. Look forward to seeing you 

next spring at the Tech Summit! 

Best regards, 

Steven Paganelli, CDME, VP, Business 

Development – DMOs, TIG Global, LLC 


Western Destinations 

Guide 


WACVB and PCMA Convene ® present the 12th 

annual “Western Destinations Guide” — the 

ultimate opportunity for WACVB members to 

showcase western destinations to the 

meetings market. 

Matching Editorial! 

Available exclusively to WACVB members to showcase Western destinations, the 

WACVB guide will be poly-bagged with the March 2010 issue of Convene and 

mailed to more than 35,000 meeting professionals. 

All advertisers purchasing ¼ page or larger will receive FREE matching editorial, 

written by Convene to describe your destinations’ many assets, and WACVB will 

receive up to six pages of editorial to promote the West as a meeting/convention 

destination. 

Special Discounted Rates! 

Convene is offering special discounted rates (equal to 1999 rates) when you 

advertise in the Western Destinations Guide. 

Size Rates (USD net) 

Full-page / 4C (+ full-page editorial) . . . . $5,971 (a value of $8,721 net!) 

1 

/2 page / 4C (+ 1 / page editorial) .......$4,645 

2 

1 

/3 page / 4C (+ 1 / page editorial) . . . . . . . $4,265 

3 

1 

/4 page / 4C (+ 1 / page editorial) .......$3,950 

4 

1 

/6 page / 4C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000 

Enhanced Member Listing ............$500 

Reserve Your Space Now! 

Contact: Albert Pereira at (312) 423-7277 • apereira@pcma.org—OR— 

Jamie Rice at (312) 423-7248 • jrice@pcma.org. 

Let’s promote the West together! Take advantage of WACVB’s partnership 

with Convene! 

Calendar 

of Events 2010 

Meetings/Conventions Sales 

Institute Training (SIT I) Program 

March 23 & 24, 2010 


Destination Marketing Tech Summit 

& Vendor Showcase 

March 25 & 26, 2010 


CEO Forum 

August 5-8, 2010 

Sedona, Arizona 

Advanced Meetings/Conventions 

Sales Institute Training (SIT II) Program 

October 12 & 13, 2010 


Travel Industry Marketing 

& Sales Training (TIMST) Program 

October 12 & 13, 2010 


Annual Meeting & Vendor Showcase 

October 13-15, 2010 


Awards/Kudos 

Rick Vaughan Earns CDME Designation 

The Metropolitan Tucson CVB is 

proud to announce that senior vice 

president of sales & marketing Rick 

Vaughan has earned the designation of 

Certified Destination Management 

Executive (CDME) from Destination 

Marketing Association International 

(DMAI). Vaughan has contributed to 

the tourism industry professionally for 

35 years. He’s served as the senior VP 

of sales & marketing at the Tucson 

CVB for ten years and previously held 

sales and marketing positions within 

the Marriott, Sheraton and Westin 

organizations. The CDME certification 

is recognized as the highest educational 

achievement by the destination marketing 

industry. It is earned by completing 

rigorous coursework required by the 

DMAI and Purdue University administered 

program over several years. The 

focus of the program is the implementation 

of strategy, vision and leadership 

to successfully promote a destination 

and support tourism industry. 

CMP Designations for the Entire Team 

Four of Sonoma County Tourism 

Bureau’s sales managers have earned the 

Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) 

designation. Earning the designation 

were Mark Crabb, CMP, FCDME, 

director of sales; Jamie Graham, CMP, 

national sales manager; Paula Higgins, 

CMP, associate director of sales; and 

Robin McKee-Cant, CMP, meeting sales 

and services manager. “We had a goal to 

train and certify our sales staff with the 

foremost certification of professionalism 

in today’s meetings industry,” said Ken 

Fischang, CHME, CMP, Sonoma 

County Tourism Bureau president and 

CEO. “The fact our entire sales management 

team have now earned their CMP 

designations says a lot about our organization’s 

dedication to professionalism.” 

The team joins Fischang; Chyrl Collins, 

CMP, CTIS, tour and travel sales 

manager; Marta Hayden, CMP, chief 

business architect; and Barb Quigley, 

CMP, Midwest sales representative as 

CMP designees. SCTB provided a 

leadership role in facilitating the ninemonth 

course and opening the training 

workshops to qualified area hospitality 

professionals. Study group leaders were 

recruited from local hotel and meeting 

professionals who have the designation. 

Catalina Chamber Web Site Wins 

International Design Award 

The Catalina Island Chamber of 

Commerce’s newly designed Web site, 

www.catalinachamber.com, is the 

recipient of a 2009 Outstanding Web 

site WebAward From the Web Marketing 

Association. With more than 2,000 

Web site submissions from 45 coun-

tries, the Chamber claimed a 2009 

WebAward in the Travel category. 

Since 1997, the Web Marketing 

Association (WMA) has evaluated 

nominated Web sites from around the 

world for its annual WebAward 

Competition, recognizing excellence in 

Web site development across 96 

industry categories. The Catalina 

Island Chamber’s new site received the 

highly sought after “Outstanding Web 

Site” award during this year’s competition. 

Web site entries are judged on 

seven criteria: design, copy writing, 

innovation, content, interactivity, 

technology and ease of use and can 

earn a score between 0 and 70 points. 

The highest score in a given industry 

category wins Best Web Site of that 

industry. Of the remaining Web sites, 

those scoring above 60 points–out of a 

possible 70–are granted the “Outstanding 

Web Site” WebAward, 

indicating the site displayed superb 

qualities across the board. The Catalina 

Island Chamber of Commerce’s site 

earned 64 points out of 70 to win the 

Outstanding Website award, which 

recognizes work that demonstrates 

exceptional quality. Catalina’s scores 

included a perfect 10 for design, 9.5 for 

content, and 9s for innovation, technology, 

copywriting, and ease of use. 

Travel Portland Earns Bronze Bicycle 

Friendly Business Designation 

The League of American Bicyclists 

recently announced that Travel Portland, 

the city of Portland’s official 

destination marketing office, has earned 

Above and Beyond 

San Bernardino Welcome Center 

Heads Holiday Toy Drive 

a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Business 

(BFB) designation. In September, Travel 

Portland was one of 45 businesses 

nationwide acknowledged by the 

League as examples of companies 

whose “best practices and innovations 

in bicycle friendliness inspire and 

encourage their peers.” The BFB 

program, which debuted in 2008, 

identifies socially responsible businesses 

that promote healthy, happy, green 

workplaces and strive to create a 

bicycle-friendly environment for their 

workers. “Businesses across the nation 

are rising to the challenge of reducing 

their carbon footprint and improving 

the health of their employees—we are 

excited to be able to provide a roadmap 

to help achieve both these goals, and to 

recognize those companies that are 

leading the way,” said Andy Clark, 

president of the League. Travel Portland 

encourages bicycle commuting by 

participating in the annual Bike Commute 

Challenge, and it allows staff 

members to bring their bikes into the 

office. Travel Portland also earned BFB 

points thanks to its location: the 

building in which Travel Portland’s 

offices are located provides covered 

bicycle parking and has showers/locker 

rooms available for cyclists; it is also 

located on a street with a designated 

bike lane. 

The California Welcome Center in San Bernardino 

collected unwrapped toys, movies, games and puzzles 

that were donated to the Community Hospital of San 

Bernardino Children’s Subacute Center this season. The 

Children’s Subacute Center is a facility dedicated to family-centered care serving medically 

fragile children ages from infancy to 21-years old. The facility treats children who have longterm, 

clinically complex conditions maximizing their quality of life by offering the finest specialized 

treatment plan, with an ambiance that feels just like home. In December, the California 

Welcome Center also hosted a Model Car Contest. In order to provide additional contributions 

for the Subacute Center, the entry fee was a donated toy. In addition, there was a Make ’n Take 

Model Car session where children can create their own model car or plane to take home with 

them. The cost for each model was just an unwrapped gift. “This is a great community effort 

that we are proud to sponsor,” said Wayne Austin, president & CEO of the San Bernardino CVB. 

The San Bernardino CVB provides the destination sales and marketing services for the California 

Welcome Center – San Bernardino. 

[Editor’s Note: We are pleased to recognize individual bureau staff members and/or entire CVB 

organizations for significantly contributing to their communities. Community programs increase 

respect and depth of awareness of our colleagues and their bureaus.] 

WACVB Board 

of Directors 

President 

stephanie nowack 

President & CEO 

Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau 

President-elect 

Joel racker 


Utah Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau 

secretary-treasurer 

Manette Belliveau 


Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Past President 

carol Waller 

Executive Director 

Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber & Visitors 

Bureau 

directors 

Bob Brown 


Ontario (CA) Convention & Visitors Bureau 

tracy Farhad 


Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau 

dale lockett 


Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau 

lorene Palmer 


Juneau Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Kathy smits 


Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau 

Jonathan Walker 


Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors 

Bureau 

Jennifer Wesselhoff 


Sedona Chamber of Commerce 

executive director 

teresa stephenson 


The Western Association of Convention 

& Visitors Bureaus serves more 

than 130 member bureaus in the West. 


950 Glenn Drive, Suite 150 

Folsom, CA 95630 

(916) 443-9012 

(916) 932-2209 Fax 

info@wacvb.com 

www.wacvb.com 

www.wacvb.travel 

www.thewest.travel 

www.westerndestinations.travel

W ACVB - Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus

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