THE OFFICIAL DESTINATION SALES & MARKETING ORGANIZATION FOR GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES

Transcription

1 THE OFFICIAL DESTINATION SALES & MARKETING ORGANIZATION FOR GREATER MIAMI AND THE BEACHES

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3 1984 Number of overnight visitors 5.4 million Maria Sastre Chairperson William D. Talbert III President & CEO 1985 Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau established The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is a sales and marketing organization. Its mission is to attract, encourage and induce all persons and organizations to visit Greater Miami and the Beaches for conventions, business and pleasure. Acting on behalf of its members, its interlocal partners and the citizens of Miami- Dade County, the GMCVB markets and promotes all segments of the community as a preferred tropical and cosmopolitan destination. In furtherance of this mission, the GMCVB will support and encourage actions and programs that enhance the desirability and attractiveness of Greater Miami and the Beaches for its visitors Record number of overnight visitors 11 million Unprecedented Global Challenges Number of overnight visitors surpassed 2000 record level 11.3 million

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5 what s inside... tourism is everybody s business 4 strategic leadership 9 hitting the mark marketing & tourism 11 creating the perfect fit convention sales & services 15 geared toward success executive office 17 bringing it all together finance & administration 19 building for the future visitor industry council 20 MiamiandBeaches com 3

6 tourism is everybody s business With more than 11.3 million visitors this year, Greater Miami and the Beaches is one of the world s most popular destinations. Despite the area s natural beauty and allure, it hasn t always been this way. The 1980 s were a difficult time for Greater Miami, which depends heavily on tourism for its economic stability. The establishment of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) in 1985 helped overcome the challenges of the early 1980 s. By 1987, the number of overnight visitors coming into Miami rebounded to 6.7 million from 5.4 million in In 2000, overnight visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches reached record heights at the 11 million mark. Tourism is Miami s #1 industry. Here is an overview of the 2005 facts and figures: r The hospitality and leisure industry employed 102,400 people in Greater Miami and the Beaches r Visitors generated over $106 million in touristrelated taxes and $691 million in state sales tax r The direct economic impact generated by overnight visitors exceeded $13.9 billion to our local economy r State sales tax generated by visitors represents 32% of the $2.1 billion in state taxes generated in Greater Miami and the Beaches A Team Effort Tourism is the backbone of Greater Miami s economy. Throughout 2006, Greater Miami hotels enjoyed continued record levels of occupancy and average daily rate. The figures below show the dedicated team effort of local tourism professionals towards maintaining the strength of Miami s #1 industry tourism. r The GMCVB has over 1,000 business members who participate year-round in GMCVB activities and programs. These members generate more than $1.2 million in revenue to the GMCVB. r Currently, MiamiandBeaches.com, the GMCVB website, boasts an average of over 223,000 unique visitors and over 1,800 registered users a month. r During fiscal year 2006/06, the GMCVB tourism promotion program promoted the destination in 177 tradeshows, sales blitzes or targeted sales throughout the United States and the world. The program included 85 familiarization tours hosting hundreds of visiting travel buyers and representatives. r The Convention Sales Department confirmed 483 future bookings, generating over 400,000 room nights, which will generate approximately $240 million in future economic activity. The department generated 1,417 sales leads for GMCVB members and sold the destination at 30 trade shows and conventions. r During fiscal year 2005/06, the GMCVB media relations program brought in 148 media tours and promoted Miami around the world. The program also included 38 special media projects, such as radio promotions and television shows, and more than 300 journalists visiting the destination individually for research. The Media Relations Department also 4

7 r r r conducted 16 media missions in key U.S and International markets and fulfilled nearly 2,000 media inquiries. The GMCVB Publishing Department produces four main publications plus collateral materials for other departments including brochures, annual reports, invitations, postcards, posters and banners. On average, the Publishing Department produces more than 200 collateral materials with a total circulation of more than 1 million. The Research Department collects 5,400 surveys annually conducted at the Miami International and Fort Lauderdale Airports, as well as attractions, shopping centers and visitor centers throughout Greater Miami. These surveys allow us to develop profiles of our visitors to determine origin markets, length of stay and the economic impact on the local visitor industry The GMCVB Advertising Division is responsible for communicating the brand positioning for Greater Miami and the Beaches. Working in conjunction with our advertising agency, programs are developed to cost-effectively promote Greater Miami as a premiere tropical, cosmopolitan destination to consumers, meeting planners and the travel trade via newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the internet. In addition to our core branding efforts, the GMCVB engages in a variety of cooperative advertising efforts with major industry partners such as tour operators, car rental companies, attractions, cultural institutions, airlines, cruise lines and credit card companies. On average, these partnerships have generated $2.0 million in additional advertising funds on an annual basis. Return On The Investment The calculations of a Return on Investment (ROI) of the myriad of programs undertaken by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau are as varied as the numerous projects undertaken. For example, the economic impact of the sales and marketing efforts of our Convention Sales Department this past year resulted in 483 bookings of future meetings that will generate over 400,000 room nights of convention and meetings delegates. Based on delegate spending patterns, this has an economic impact of over $240 million returned to this community. Based on the operating budget of the department, the Bureau returned an investment of 225 to 1. The Bureau s Media Relations team tracks hundreds of articles published in travel and lifestyle publications all over the world. Based on generally used ad value principles, this effort produced 567 million impressions of readers around the world with a comparable advertising value in excess of $13 million. A summary of the circulation of print advertising media placed by the GMCVB generated over 216,211,905 impressions. An additional 2,685,882 impressions were delivered from on-line visitors to our website. A survey of website visitors who registered on our site for future updates and fulfillment indicated that 47% of the visitors to the site visited Miami in the past 12 months. Based on annual site traffic this resulted in over 760,000 web visitors converting to Miami visitors. The survey further indicated that these visitors spent on average $1, while here. Our on-line investment in internet advertising and promotion, returned $3,078 for every $1 invested. The Tourism Sales activities took Greater Miami and the Beaches message to 26 countries as well as all major domestic feeder markets. Visitor surveys indicate that over 64% of our 11.3 million overnight visitors were leisure travelers with almost 50% of them arriving from international feeder markets. The Tourism Sales efforts resulted in direct contact with over 16,000 domestic and international travel agents, planners, wholesalers and operators. MiamiandBeaches com 5

8 The following table and charts represent the various tourist taxes collected by each municipality, i.e., Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami Beach and Bal Harbour, as well as the percentage of total tourist dollars allocated to the GMCVB. Each year, the GMCVB receives approximately 16% of the total tourist dollars allocated in Miami-Dade County, which in turn represents 93% of the GMCVB s annual funding. An Overview of Tourist Taxes Collected in Calendar Year 2005 Collecting Municipality Amount Generated Miami-Dade County Resort Tax $15,097,428 Convention Development Tax $39,812,805 Professional Sports Tax $7,548,714 Homeless Tax $12,561,390 Hotel Food & Beverage Tax $5,252,539 Miami Beach Resort Tax* $27,611,720 Bal Harbour Resort Tax* $2,013,300 Total Collected $109,897,896 * Miami Beach s and Bal Harbour s Resort Tax includes both Food & Beverage and Resort Tax. 6

9 Tourist Related Taxes $110 Million 2% Bal Harbour Resort Tax 36% Miami-Dade County Convention Development Tax 25% Miami Beach Resort Tax 5% Miami-Dade County Food & Beverage Tax 14% Miami-Dade County Resort Tax 7% Miami-Dade County Sports Tax 11% Miami-Dade Homeless Tax GMCVB s Share of $107 Million Tourist Taxes GMCVB s Funding $18.1 Million 16% GMCVB (Used to promote destination) $16.8 MILLION 41% Miami-Dade Resort Tax 27% Miami-Dade Food & Beverage Tax $90.2 MILLION 1% Bal Harbour Resort Tax 24% Miami Beach Resort Tax 84% Miami-Dade County, Miami Beach, Bal Harbour 7% Membership MiamiandBeaches com 7

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11 strategic leadership A successful organization takes effective leadership to make it work. The vision for the GMCVB is guided by the leadership of the GMCVB Board of Directors and its Chairperson, as well as the President & CEO. The GMCVB is led by some of Miami-Dade s most influential community and business leaders, all of whom have one thing in common: maintaining the strength of our visitor industry in Greater Miami and the Beaches. Tourism s impact reaches far beyond the hospitality industry. It also affects other industries that play an important role in tourism, including media, retail, finance, transportation and other services. That is why the GMCVB attracts members from a variety of Greater Miami s business sectors. In fact, the Board of Directors is comprised of professionally and ethnically diverse individuals from hotels, cruise lines, airlines, banks, attractions, restaurants, retail, government, civic and other organizations. In achieving the goal of promoting Greater Miami and the Beaches as a premier destination, a number of committees and task forces work to meet a number of strategic objectives, including: r Airport Partnership Task Force r Boutique Hotels r Community Relations r Convention Sales r Cultural Tourism r Film, Fashion & Entertainment r Finance r Gay & Lesbian Travel r Heritage Tourism r Marketing & Tourism r Membership r Nightlife r Public Relations Through these committees, programs and task forces, our leadership working with the community at large shapes the vision and direction of various initiatives. MiamiandBeaches com 9

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13 hitting the mark Creating and defining an image requires several key elements: a well-defined brand, strategic consumer marketing, relationships with travel professionals and media, and building and maintaining a diverse member base. And all of this must be supported by continual research to ensure that the goals of all marketing and outreach programs are achieved. The Marketing & Tourism Department accomplishes this through a variety of initiatives and services. Advertising Creating a unique message that stands out from those of our competitors and identifying primary markets are essential to successful advertising. r Major responsibilities: establishing and promoting a unique brand; creating innovative and costeffective advertising programs based on identifying key markets; working with industry partners to develop cooperative marketing programs that will increase funding r Customers: consumers, travel professionals, meeting planners, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Media Relations Generating positive media coverage of Greater Miami and the Beaches as a world-class destination is an essential part of promoting our image. r Major responsibilities: pitching feature stories to generate positive media coverage; developing media tours within our community; conducting in-market media missions to develop and maintain relationships with key media; writing and distributing press releases and media alerts r Customers: writers and reporters, radio/tv promotions staff, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff MiamiandBeaches com 11

14 Tourism Sales Bringing the message of Greater Miami and the Beaches as a premier destination to travel professionals around the world is a major key to increasing the number of visitors to our destination. r Major responsibilities: attending trade shows and conducting sales missions domestically and internationally; organizing and hosting familiarization tours for travel agents and tour operators; developing promotional programs for travel trade and visitors r Customers: travel professionals, trade show organizers, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Cultural Tourism & Heritage Promoting Greater Miami and the Beaches as a unique and exciting cultural destination attracts valuable niche markets to our destination. r Major responsibilities: partnering with the cultural, heritage, gay and lesbian communities on marketing initiatives; hosting programs to showcase our world-class destination to the media; attending national and international Tourism Sales trade shows; collaborating with the production of targeted promotional materials; providing support to and serving as a resource for cultural organizations r Customers: consumers, travel professionals, meeting planners, media, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Publishing One of the best ways to communicate information about our destination is through creatively conceived printed materials and promotional pieces. r Major responsibilities: producing marketing materials such as brochures, posters, banners, and presentations; developing targeted consumer and trade publications such as: the Vacation Planner (for consumers); the Meeting Planner (for meeting planners); the Travel Planner (for tour operators and travel agents); and the Delegates & Arrival Guide (also for consumers) r Customers: consumers, travel professionals, meeting planners, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff 12

15 Multimedia & Online Services Promoting our unique destination through an award-winning, interactive website and other Internet-based products is one of the most effective ways to reach savvy consumers, offering continuous updated information on members and promotions. r Major responsibilities: overseeing the design and functionality of our website; showcasing GMCVB members products and services online; developing and implementing new online market trends to meet consumer and trade demand; producing an electronic newsletter targeted to GMCVB members and community leaders; hosting content for interlocal partners r Customers: consumers, travel professionals, meeting planners, media, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Research & Planning Gathering and analyzing data and trends is vital for effective strategic planning, and for supporting the GMCVB s various marketing programs. r Major responsibilities: tracking key industry benchmarks; providing ongoing, in-depth Multimedia & Online Services analysis of visitor trends through the dissemination and collection of surveys; responding to data inquiries from members, media, partners and staff; conducting specialized research for GMCVB partners; serving as a resource to various groups r Customers: consumers, travel professionals, meeting planners, media, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Membership Ensuring that local businesses and organizations the cornerstone of the tourism industry can participate in and benefit from the GMCVB s sales and marketing efforts is a priority of the GMCVB. r Major responsibilities: integrating GMCVB services to meet the needs of members; informing members on various GMCVB networking opportunities; soliciting new members; servicing existing member relationships r Customers: current and prospective GMCVB members, interlocal partners and GMCVB staff MiamiandBeaches com 13

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17 creating the perfect fit Greater Miami and the Beaches has played host to a vast number of conventions and meetings. This business is key to generating hotel bookings and helping build traffic to local businesses. Competition for the lucrative convention business is fierce among the country s major destinations, which is why the Convention Sales & Services Department continues to develop new and innovative programs to increase hotel bookings and lay the groundwork for future convention business. Convention Sales Promoting Greater Miami and the Beaches as an ideal destination for meetings and conventions is a daily effort with long-term results. r Major responsibilities: conducting sales missions and blitzes; establishing relationships with meeting planners and association executives; increasing room night bookings; booking meetings and conventions; generating leads; working with meeting planners to service their needs r Customers: association executives, hoteliers and meeting planners, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Convention Services Once booked, a convention s success depends upon ongoing planning, support and organization. r Major responsibilities: developing ideas for events, tours, and entertainment; promoting GMCVB member products and services to association executives and meeting planners; providing automated Housing Bureau services for groups using more than three hotels; assisting in the development of marketing materials; distributing destination collateral materials; training staff to provide onsite concierge services r Customers: association executives, meeting planners, local hoteliers, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff MiamiandBeaches com 15

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19 geared toward success The Executive Office ensures that the long-range plans for our community are ones that will enhance the visitor experience, whether the issue is one of public policy, infrastructure, aesthetics, sporting events, trade or commerce, film, fashion or entertainment. It also works behind the scenes to make sure that the GMCVB Board of Directors and staff have the necessary tools to accomplish their goals and objectives. Executive Office Assisting with the sales and marketing effort, the company s primary focus, by building and fostering relationships throughout the community. This creates a well-oiled tourism machine, presenting an image of cooperation and cohesiveness to major event planners considering Greater Miami and the Beaches as a destination. r Major responsibilities: promoting the activities of the GMCVB and its members to the local community; coordinating the community s bid efforts to host major events like the Super Bowl; developing custom-tailored materials for civic and government organizations; promoting the GMCVB s community relations efforts; representing the interest of the visitor industry on various boards and committees throughout the county that have a direct impact on or are in some way impacted by tourism, such as: Beacon Council, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade Coalition of Chambers of Commerce, World Trade Center Miami, Jay Molina International Trade Consortium, Miami-Dade County Community Image Advisory Board, Miami Inter-modal Center (MIC), Orange Bowl Committee, South Florida Workforce Board and others r Customers: Board of Directors, interlocal partners, government officials and community leaders, GMCVB members and staff MiamiandBeaches com 17

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21 bringing it all together The Finance & Administration Department is the backbone of the GMCVB, facilitating its operations through the development of policies and procedures, the hiring of staff and the maintenance of the office s technology and information systems. Finance & Administration provides staff support to the Visitor Industry Human Resource Development Council (VIC), assisting in administering their accounting and budgetary activities, and spearheads GMCVB participation in community outreach programs such as the United Way and other fundraising events. Finance Entrusted with public funds, the GMCVB makes fiscal integrity a priority. Proper internal controls and procedures that comply with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and our own interlocal agreements achieve this goal. r Major responsibilities: providing accurate, efficient and timely fiscal services to the GMCVB; financial reporting; budgeting; banking, investing and merchant services; managing accounts payable, accounts receivable and general ledger; payroll, retirement plan administration, general insurance and risk management r Customers: Board of Directors, Finance Committee, interlocal partners, GMCVB members and staff Human Resources & Administration Providing guidance and support to staff is key for any successful organization. r Major responsibilities: recruiting and hiring; ensuring compliance with local, state and federal labor and employment laws; training and development; establishing policies and procedures; ensuring adherence to internal policies; managing compensation and benefits; providing employee counseling; coordinating employee activities; participating in job fairs r Customers: local educational institutions, GMCVB staff MiamiandBeaches com 19

22 Information Technology & Systems Keeping abreast of technological trends and tools ensures that the GMCVB staff operates in the most efficient manner possible. r Major responsibilities: integrating and maintaining all technology-based systems; providing support for all network servers, work stations, notebook computers and PDA handheld devices; ensuring building for the future r Information Technology & Systems remote access to traveling staff members; conducting staff training; managing Internet and voice communications; maintaining a Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone system, cell phones and pagers; providing desktop and application support; maintaining printers and copiers Customers: GMCVB staff Outreach to minority markets is one of the keys to the success and long-term health of our visitor industry and to the community at large. In 1991, the GMCVB established the Visitor Industry Human Resource Development Council (VIC), a not-for-profit organization, to expand the participation of African Americans/ Blacks in the local visitor industry. The VIC awards scholarships and provides mentoring, job placement assistance and career counseling to African Americans/ Blacks aspiring to management positions in the local visitor industry. The GMCVB s Finance & Administration Department manages the VIC s accounting operations. r Major responsibilities: recruiting students and awarding scholarships, securing support from corporate and industry partners, coordinating annual HOT Challenge Golf Tournament, pairing students with visitor industry mentors, facilitating internships, job placement and r career advancement for students and alumni Customers: prospective students, local visitor industry, VIC Board of Directors, community leaders, colleges and universities, VIC students and alumni, GMCVB Board of Directors, members and staff 20

23 GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

24 GREATER MIAMI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 701 Brickell Ave., Suite 2700, Miami, FL USA 305/ , 800/ MiamiandBeaches com