2016 and 2017 APWA North American Snow Conference Site Selection CONVENTION BUREAU QUESTIONNAIRE

Transcription

1 American Public Works Association (APWA) 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 700 Kansas City, MO Contact: Brenda Shaver, Manager of Meetings Phone: Fax: and 2017 APWA North American Snow Conference Site Selection CONVENTION BUREAU QUESTIONNAIRE Please answer the questions fully and completely on this form. Do not simply enclose additional brochures or information and write see additional info. on the form. 1. Convention Bureau Official Submitting Proposal Name of Convention Bureau: Greater Des Moines Convention and VisitorS Bureau Website: Address: 400 Locust St, Ste 265 Des Moines IA Your Name: Trina Flack Title: National Sales Manager Phone: Dates & Facilities A. Proposed Dates (published dates, Sunday Tuesday): April 16-19, 2016 and April 20-25, 2017 B. Would the entire Snow Conference (exhibits, meeting rooms, guest rooms) be accommodated in one convention hotel facility or would a convention center be used with guest rooms at nearby hotels? Convention Center with nearby hotels C. If a convention center is used, are all the proposed hotels within walking distance of the center? Yes 1

2 Are any of the hotels connected to the convention center? Please describe. No hotels directly connected to the Iowa Events Center. The Quality Inn sits directly across the street and the Marriott, Hyatt Place and Renaissance Savery are connected via skywalk. 3. Room Block Information A. Peak night hotel room block commitment: 785 Rooms B. List all of the proposed hotels. Include each hotel s peak room night commitment, proximity to the convention center, and whether or not the hotel is connected to the convention center. Des Moines Marriott: 300 rooms;.5 miles from the convention center, attached via skywalk Renaissance Savery: 50 rooms;. 4 miles from the convention center, attached via skywalk Quality Inn and Suites; 120 rooms; across the street from the convention center, not directly connected Embassy Suites; 125 rooms;.5 miles from the convention center. Not connected Holiday Inn Downtown: 170 rooms;.5 miles from the convention center. Not connected Hyatt Place: 20 rooms;.4 miles from the convention center, attached via skywalk C. What is the proximity of the proposed hotels to each other? All hotels are within 1 mile of each other. Holiday Inn and Quality Inn are both North of the Iowa Events Center; Embassy Suites is East; Marriott, Renaissance and Hyatt are South 4. Housing Services A. Do you provide a housing bureau for hotel room reservations? Yes, The Greater Des Moines CVB Housing Bureau provides an online housing service. If yes, are there any costs to the association or conference participants? Please describe. The Housing Bureau uses Meetingmax to provide this service. Room availability is in real time and available via a customized web link. The fee for this service is $3 per room per night picked up. Sometimes the hotels pass along this cost and sometimes they absorb it. B. Describe your housing bureau system. Include procedural information, requirements, turn-around time, type and number of reports, normal staffing, communications with association and hotels, etc. The CVB Housing Bureau provides an online housing service allowing guests to book a room at a participating conference hotel in a centralized location 24/7, eliminating the need to call multiple hotels to find an available room. The 2

3 Housing Bureau uses Meetingmax to provide this service. Room availability is in real time and available via a customized web link. Housing Bureau Process: The Housing Bureau works as a connector between the planner and hotels to assist in gathering hotel contacts. Contracts with the hotels must state that the method of reservations is through the GDMCVB/DMASC housing bureau and reference the $3 per room per night housing fee and any other rebates or commission. Once the individual hotel contracts are in place the housing bureau creates a standard housing agreement for all parties to sign for each participating property. The purpose of this agreement in addition to the individual hotel contracts is to show the breakdown of room types, confirm rates and cut-off date and outline a mutual agreement between hotels and the housing bureau regarding the policies and procedures when using the online housing system, Meetingmax. o Please note- if negotiations and contracts are completed at the time the housing bureau staff is notified of your need for housing bureau services, a two week turnaround time is essential for the event to be live within the Meetingmax system. Once the housing agreements are in place the housing bureau will set the event up and send the customized link to the planner for a test reservation Once the event is live the housing bureau continually monitors the blocks and will work with the planner and hotels to adjust blocks as needed to accommodate the guests The GDMCVB/DMASC offices are open 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Mon-Fri to assist planners, guests and hotels with the reservation process, however, the online system is available 24/7 Post event the housing bureau will send out a pick-up report and complete invoicing as necessary Additional features: Meetingmax has a planner control panel which gives the planner access to all reservations to see their attendees reservations and gives the planner 24/7 realtime access to blocks, pick-up reports, attendee reports, sub-block reports and many more. There are currently 18 reports available to the planner, with custom reports available Meetingmax has a sub block function for groups needing rooms set aside for VIP/Staff rooms. This sub block can be customized to each group Meetingmax can charge deposit and cancellation fees if needed this information must be clearly stated in the contract with the hotel We can gather additional information such as a participating sport, age group or attendee type Attendee/guest experience: The event planner will publish a custom link for their event The guests will use this link to view rooms that are available for their stay They can view hotel information prior to booking allowing them to easily compare the different properties available The online booking process is 7 simple steps that walks the guest through choosing their arrival and departure dates, hotel selection, room type selection, guest information, contact information, payment information and finally confirming their reservation. Once a reservation is submitted the guest immediately gets an confirming submission 3

4 Within 5 business days they will receive a second confirmation with their hotel confirmation number Within the confirmation s there is a link to request changes which allows the guest to make changes or cancellations online 24/7 up until the date the housing bureau closes 7 days prior to the first day of arrival. After this date they will need to contact the hotels directly this information will be communicated to them via and on the Meetingmax site. If they need assistance or have questions the housing bureau staff is available to assist. 5. On-Site Registration Assistance A. Do you provide on-site registration personnel? Yes If yes, describe work experience and number of persons available. We have a pool of 25 qualified, trained staff with an average of 8+ years of experience as Catch Crew plus additional experience in the workplace. B. Is this service complimentary to the association? Yes. Based on your total room nights there will be no cost to APWA. Our formula would provide APWA up to 80 staff hours. Beyond that, staffing charges are $12 per person per hour. If no, what costs are involved? 6. Promotion A. Do you provide complimentary promotional aids, brochures or services to groups planning to meet in your city? Please describe and include quantities available and costs if applicable. The CVB offers our full support of you in our city. We will do whatever we can to enhance the visitor experience. We have visitors guides, coupon brochures, restaurant guides, downtown exhibitor services (nearest ATM, private dining, Walgreens, etc), maps (downtown, citywide, customizable), plastic welcome bags. These materials are complimentary and we will provide whatever quantity you need. In addition, visitors can use our mobile website which directs them to local restaurants and attractions via their smartphone. We can also provide event and planning support to help you find the locations and resources you need. We can provide welcome signs and event promotion. Our services are complimentary. 4

5 B. If your city is chosen as the Snow Conference site, APWA will provide complimentary booth space to the host chapter at the Snow Conference and the APWA Congress & Exposition the year prior to the conference being held in your city. Would the bureau provide a booth and send a representative to work the booth to promote your city at one or more of these events, at no cost to the national association or the chapter? Yes. We would provide a booth and informational materials and work with the Iowa Chapter to represent the city and build attendance for the meeting in Des Moines, at no cost to APWA or the chapter. C. Does the bureau have other promotional or attendance-building programs in place? If so, please describe including any costs to the association. There are a variety of attendance building options and we are happy to customize for what is best for APWA. Options include use of our logo and website, photo gallery, Catch Des Moines video(s) and copy. We can work with you to create, and there is no cost for the following: a customized e-blast, microsite, postcards or hotel banners. 7. Commitments from City/Convention Bureau A. Does the convention bureau or city have any special programs in place to help offset facility rental costs or in any other way assist associations in keeping these costs to a minimum? If yes, please describe. (Note: APWA will not consider programs that in any way increase costs for Snow Conference participants.) To show our full support of the APWA Snow Conference, the Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide APWA a $10,000 sponsorship to offset facility costs or use for other conference related expenses. B. If the association should decide that a shuttle service is necessary, would the city, convention bureau and/or participating hotels underwrite any portion of the cost of this service, at no cost to the association or conference participants? If yes, please describe. The Convention & Visitors Bureau will provide up to $10,000 towards shuttle costs. C. Describe any other financial incentives, support or complimentary services that the bureau and/or city is prepared to extend. Please be specific. The hospitality community has underwritten a $5 per room night rebate payable to APWA. In addition, as listed previously, we will provide use of our housing bureau, complimentary registration assistance, event planning assistance, help with attendance building and promition and provide visitor materials. 8. Dining, Entertainment, and Attractions 5

6 A. Describe dining and evening entertainment options located near the proposed conference facilities, and include the distance from the hotels included in this proposal. Please be specific, and specifically identify options that are within walking distance of the proposed hotels. In the last several years, downtown Des Moines has undergone a $2.2 billion renaissance. There are three main districts for that make up our over 100 restaurants and nightlife scene. Court Avenue (3 blocks from Marriott), Western Gateway (4 blocks from Marriott) and East Village (10 blocks from Marriott and across from the Embassy Suites). The restaurant scene is unique to Des Moines with almost no chain options and all great flavor. In addition to an abundance of restaurants and one of a kind shops, downtown is home to the Civic Center (broadway shows), Principal Riverwalk, John and Mary Papajohn Sculpture Park, Meredith Corporation s test gardens, Principal Park (home of the Iowa Cubs), Des Moines Botanical Gardens, Science Center, Iowa State Capitol, State Historical Museum, World Food Prize Hall of Laureates, East Village and more. All of these options are within walking distance of the downtown hotels, and there is a free downtown trolley that connects downtown. B. Describe other local attractions of interest to visitors to your city. April is the perfect time to be in Des Moines. We have all the attractions you would expect to find in a capital city, including a Science Center and Zoo for families and the Art Center, Civic Center and Sculpture Park for the art buffs. You can shop the day away at Jordan Creek Town Center, the Historic East Village, or Valley West Mall. Live horse racing starts in April at Praire Meadows Racetrack and Casino, as does professional baseball--we are the AAA Affiliate for the Chicago Cubs. Living History Farms is an open air museum that tells the story of Midwestern agriculture and rural life, the John and Mary Papajohn Sculputure Park is a 40 million dollar park in the middle of downtown. We also have over 100 miles of trails for attendees to enjoy the outdoors. 9. Tuesday Evening Dinner Event A. The APWA Snow Conference holds an event on Tuesday evening, after wrapping up exhibits and education sessions at the convention center (Wednesday is technical tours only in the morning, done by noon). We have held themed events in hotel or convention center ballrooms, but prefer an off-site venue large enough to accommodate minimum 600 people for a sit-down dinner plus staging and entertainment. This event is not usually a sit-down banquet style event, but we do need plenty of space and room for seating 600 people even if it s a reception style event held in a museum or other entertainment venue. The Tuesday evening event should be fun and casual. This is an opportunity for the host chapter and city to show off their city or region. What are our options for this event in your city? World Food Prize Hall of Laureates: This is one of Des Moines' newest gems. The World Food Prize is the Noble Prize for agriculture-- given annually to an individual who has 6

7 made great strides towards feeding the world. This headquarters is a beautifully restored century old library that sits along the Des Moines River. It may not be quite large enough but worth consideration Science Center of Iowa: Flexible meeting space and the ability to spread out and enjoy a hands on experience of the great wonders of the world. Iowa State Fairgrounds: Host a mini Iowa State Fair featuring live music or food on a stick. See firsthand what makes the Iowa State Fair one of the "100 Things to Do Before You Die" Iowa Speedway: One of the nation's most state-of-the-art motorsports facility. The Rusty Wallace designed track offers 7/8 mile tri-oval racing with degree compound banking in the turns. There are banquet facilities and the opportunity for ride-alongs. 10. Airports and Transportation A. List the airports that service your city and are likely to be used by conference participants. Include the distance from each airport to the conference facilities. The Des Moines International Airport offers frequent arrivals and departures at very competitive rates. The airport is located 5 miles from downtwon. B. List the major air carriers that service the airports, including the number of seats daily to/from key cities (list the cities). Averaging 122 domestic flights and more than 12,000 seats daily, the Des Moines International Airport is well-served by Allegiant Air, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United and US Airways. This includes several non-stop flights from cities including, Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Newark, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix, Punta Gorda, Tampa Bay and Washington DC. C. List regularly scheduled airport transportation services (shuttle, light rail, etc.). Include one-way and round-trip costs to the proposed hotels. All downtown convention hotels offer complimentary shuttle to and from the Des Moines Airport. Shuttles run every half hour from the individual hotels. D. What is the approximate taxi fare from the airport to proposed hotels? Taxi service is available at an estimated $15 one way. E. Describe the ease of automobile access to your city, listing the key highways and interstates that access the city. Des Moines location in the center of the United States, which will allow many of your attendees to drive to the Conference. Des Moines is conveniently located at the intersection of the nation s two most traveled interstates, 1-35 (border-to-border) and 1-80 (coast to coast), making it an easy drive from much of the country. Interstate 235 intersects these two interstates and runs through downtown. 7

8 F. List companies in your city that provide charter bus transportation. Include the current average price for one 55-passenger bus with 5 hour minimum. Current average price for 5 hours is $600 per motorcoach. Companies that currently provide this service include: Absolute Transportation, Arrow Stage Lines, CIT Signature Transportation, Hawkeye Stages, Trans Iowa Chaters and Windstar Lines. 11. Population A. What is the general population within a 500 mile radius of your city? 56 million B. How many communities would you estimate have a population of 20,000 or greater and are located within a 500 mile radius of your city? Our 500 mile radius almost completely encompasses the states of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois and Indiana. The number of communities with a population of 20,000 or greater in these states is 290 (IA 22, MO 35, IL 121, NE 10, IN 44). There are other communities in other states still within our 500 mile radius, but there may be some within the states listed above that are outside the radius so this at least provides a good estimate. C. List the larger cities and communities within a 500 mile radius of your city. Minneapolis MN Omaha, NE Chicago IL Kansas City, MO Indianapolis, IN St Louis, MO Memphis, TN Louisville KY Milwaukee WI Fargo ND 12. General/Miscellaneous A. The climate in the proposed month can generally be described as: The average high temperature near the end of April is 64 degrees. The average low is 45 degrees. The chance for snow after April 20 th is 6%. It is actually a great time to be in Des Moines. Spring is definitely in the air and there is plenty of green and signs of life. Nights are cool and days are comfortable. 8

9 B. What is the average daily cost of meals only (breakfast, lunch, dinner) to visitors in your city? $51 What source have you used to provide this information? This is the GSA rate for FY 2015 C. Should your city be included on the short list of cities considered as the site of the Snow Conference, will the convention bureau coordinate a site visit for two (2) APWA staff at no cost to the association? Yes! 13. Green Practices A. Does your city have a public transportation system? Yes Is it linked to the airport? Yes (South Park and Ride Lot) center? No to the convention to the proposed hotels? Yes Please describe. We have DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit) which connects the city. While it does provide service to the airport, we recommend complimentary hotel shuttles. Downtown DART service includes the D-Line, a free downtown shuttle that runs on the two main East (Locust)/West (Grand) streets. Shuttles arrive approx every 10 minutes. Hotels directly on the D-Line include the Des Moines Marriott, Embassy Suites, and Renaissance Savery. B. Does your city publish a walking map? Yes C. Are many of the city s most popular restaurants and attractions within walking distance of the proposed hotels and/or accessible via public transportation? Please describe. Yes. Downtown nightlife and restaurants are all within walking distance of the convention center and proposed hotels. Walking can be done either at street level or in our four miles of connected skywalks. Attendees would also be able to use the D-Line to connect to the entertainment districts of Western Gateway Park or the East Village D. Does your city have a recycling program in place? Yes Please describe. Metro Waste Authority is the organization that manages the hauling of recyclables within the community. They also provide event specific recycling materials as needed and a grant program in place to help you go green: Individual 9

10 businesses, including our hotels and the Iowa Events Center have their own programs in place as well. D. Can you provide a list of venues, properties, and suppliers that have environmentally friendly practices in place? Iowa Events Center, downtown hotels, F. Please describe any other green practices, policies and initiatives of the city. Greater Des Moines, along with the State of Iowa, is working hard to be green and energy efficient. - Des Moines ties for 24th place in the EPA s list of cities with the most energy efficient buildings. - Iowa is a national leader in the production of wind energy-- Currently ranked 1st nationally with 17-20% electricity generated from wind - David Osterberg, Iowa Policy Project Report and 2nd nationally with installed megawatts American Wind Energy Assn (AWEA) - The Mayor and City Council in Des Moines have made assuring that Des Moines is a Sustainable Green Community one of their twelve City goals for the next five years. To accomplish this, the City Council established a Stewardship Policy, and the City Manager appointed a Sustainability Team. Current efforts include recycling computers and data in the IT department, greener patrol cars and street sweepers, and making the new Parks Maintenance facility LEED certified. Des Moines mayor is one of eight U.S. mayors chosen to formulate regional environmental policies for American cities through the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The state of Iowa ranks 29th nationally for the total number of commercial buildings that are LEED certified or are pursuing LEED certification. Catch the eco-friendly spot that s perfect for your event! Contact Paulette Lester for a full listing of green venues. Green RU is a local zero waste recycler of organics and food scraps. They offer complete recycling services and can provide carts and/or bins, training, signage and a complete selection of compostable dinnerware, trash liners and flatware. Their products are all ASTM D6400 certified and are 100% biodegradable and compostable. B-cycle Launched in the fall of 2010, Des Moines bike-sharing program has grown to six stations downtown and has saved over 42,847 of CO2 from the air. D-Line Catch a free shuttle ride downtown. From the State Capitol to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Runs every 10 minutes. And is the perfect green alternative for traveling Downtown Des Moines. EDIT THIS!! Completed by (your name): Trina Flack Date: 11/17/14 10