2009-10 Annual Report Layout 1 - Las Cruces CVB · 2017. 1. 18. · 4 2009-10 Annual Report 2009-10 CVB Overview The fiscal year of 2009-10 was a bit stronger than the previous year

2009-10 Annual Report

Mission & Vision Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Advisory Board Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Staff Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2009-10 Execut ive Overview/Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Organizat ional Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Convent ion Sales Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Tourism Sales Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Sports Sales Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Convent ion Services Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Media/Publ icat ions Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Advert is ing Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Table of Contents

Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau

211 N. Water Street. Las Cruces, NM 88001 - (575) 541-2444 - TTY: (575) 541-2142

www.MustSeeLC.org - [email protected]

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Mission StatementThe mission of the Las Cruces Convention & VisitorsBureau (CVB) is to attract meetings, leisure and business travelers to Las Cruces in the most economicand efficient manner possible in order to stimulate thelocal economy.

In support of this we are committed to:

• Representing Las Cruces with the highest

professional and industry standards.

• Promoting community pride in Las Cruces

and its future.

• Providing comprehensive visitor

information and services.

• Educating and encouraging community awareness of the visitor industry.

• Promoting an environmentally safe industry that provides jobs.

• Projecting a consistent, positive image for Las Cruces, by emphasizing its unique qualities.

Vision StatementTo establish the Bureau as the community leader fortourism marketing in an effort to achieve economicgrowth and success through the process of sales, marketing and promotions, all in an effort to make LasCruces a premier destination.

CVB Advisory BoardChairDr. Janet L. GreenDepartment HeadSchool of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at New Mexico State University

Vice-ChairBelia AlvarezGeneral ManagerHampton Inn & Suites

MembersJ. Joe Martinez Business Development & MarketingThe Philippou Group, Inc.

Mark SantiagoDirectorNew Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

Monika DentenGeneral ManagerRamada Palms Hotel & Conference Center

Ex-OfficioDolores ConnorLas Cruces City Council, District 2

CVB StaffExecutive Director Ken Mompellier

Office ManagerAnna Maya

Convention Sales ManagerRochelle Miller-Hernandez

Tourism Sales ManagerAndrea Lawrence

Sports Sales Manager/Convention SupportEd Carnathan

Services ManagerJennifer Bales

Media/Publications ManagerChris Faivre

Visitor Information SpecialistSonia Bañuelos

Office AssistantConnie Maifeld

Distribution SpecialistArturo Ruiz

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2009-10 CVB OverviewThe fiscal year of 2009-10 was a bit stronger than theprevious year as we ended the year ahead slighlty ofbudget. Throughout the U.S. as well as internationally,many visitor destination were still feeling the effects ofthe down economy with some destinations down asmuch as 40%. Overall, Las Cruces was not subject tothe same level of decline as other destinations, rebounding nicely from a slow start to the year (LodgersTax down about 6% and hotel occupancy levels downabout 10% due in part to over 200 new hotel rooms theprevious year) and closing 2009-10 with a strong May(up 6% over 2008-09) and finishing the year with a 1.3%increase of Lodgers Tax collections.

The convention and tourism industry in Las Cruces wasmixed in that the tourism market continued to be somewhat static but the meetings/convention marketstarted to see a slight increase with indicators of growthfor upcoming years due mainly to the news of the LasCruces Convention Center coming on-line in 2010.

The main purpose of the Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau still remains to promote Las Cruces andto bring visitors to our city. The bureau staff works withtour operators, meeting planners, sports event organizers,travel writers and advertises in consumer and trade publications to bring visitors, meetings and conventions,tour groups and sports groups to Las Cruces.

The bureau is funded primarily through the collection ofLodgers Tax, (98.7%) which is a 5% tax assessed to visitors staying in lodging facilities within the LasCruces city limits. The bureau also received additionalfunding through a grant from the New Mexico TourismDepartment (1%) and through merchandise sales (.03%)in both the visitors center and on the CVB website.

This support benefits all of Las Cruces as the efforts ofthe CVB and others bring thousands of visitors whospend dollars in the local economy. This influx ofoutside dollars into the local economy is a way to easethe local tax burden on community residents. We havenoticed a turnaround in some markets and indicatorsseem to show that we will see an increase in the tourismand the meetings market as projections for growth seemto be encouraging for the visitor market in general. In 2009-10 the CVB continued to oversee an aggressivepath of promoting Las Cruces to all visitors. As always,the primary efforts are still focused on our goal of sellingand marketing Las Cruces to the meetings, tour/leisureand sports markets. As in previous years, we continuedto develop our relationship with the Las Cruces hospitality industry and encouraged ways to work together to bring more visitors to Las Cruces. Thisworking relationship was one of the main reasons that

we have seen such growth over the past several years.By working together, everyone benefited.

As the marketing arm for the City of Las Cruces, wehave developed and will continue to expand an advertising campaign and a marketing strategy thatshows increased awareness of Las Cruces as a destination and ultimately put more visitors in LasCruces hotels. The CVB remains a department of theCity of Las Cruces and is still funded solely by thelodger’s tax collected by the Las Cruces lodging facilities.

The visitor industry in Las Cruces has continued to growover the last several years. The increase can be attributedto many factors including, but not limited to:

• Construction of Las Cruces’ first convention

center.

• Our continued direct sales efforts by CVB staff.

• An aggressive sales approach by the local

hospitality industry.

• Our excellent location combined with

affordability, great weather and safety.

• The continued afforability of housing and the

influx of former visitors moving to Las Cruces.

• The growth of the business community encouraged more services in the area.

• A greater presence in the business community

offering more services to the new and existing

population base of the area.

Administration: Personnel, Building/Vehicle Maintenance, Custodial, Utilities,Postage/Freight, Lease Payments, Subscriptions, Operating Supplies & Computer Equipment

Sales & Marketing: Advertising/Promotion, Printing, Fees & Services, Group Solicitation,Travel & Organization Membership Dues and sales expenses

CVB Special: Funds are used at City Council's discretion

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CVB ADVISORY BOARDThe CVB has a five member Advisory Board which works with the bureau staff and advises the City Councilon the expenditure of the Lodger’s Tax fund. The Boardis appointed by theMayor with consentby the City Councilto serve a three yearterm which can beextended for an additional threeyears. The Board also serves as theLodger’s Tax Boardand is made up oftwo hotels, twotourism industry positions and an at-large position.The Board meets onthe last Thurdsay ofeach month September throughMay.

ADMINISTRATIONThe Administration Department is responsible for developing the budget, overseeing all expenditures, managing personnel, Advisory Board liaison and theoverall operation of the bureau.

CONVENTION SALES The Convention Sales Department is responsible for increasing the number of conventions and meetings toLas Cruces. This includes hotel meeting space, localmeeting venues and the Las Cruces Convention Center.

TOURISM SALESThe main goal of the Tourism SalesDepartment is to develop the leisuretravel and group tour markets by developing packages and working withsurrounding communities.

SPORTS SALESThe duty of the Sports Sales Department is to bring sporting eventsto Las Cruces. The primary focus is towork with statewide, regional and national sports groups.

MEDIA/COMMUNICATIONSThe Media/Communications Department has severalareas of responsibility with the main emphasis beingplaced on the development of statewide, regional, national and international press coverage for Las Cruces.In addition, the department assists bureau sales

departments with publications, print projects and promotions. The department also oversees the maintenance and updating of the CVB website and social media program as well as needed graphic design.

SERVICES DEPARTMENTThe Services Department provides servicing to groups in the form of materials such as visitor guides, namebadges and various other services to assist groups meeting in Las Cruces.The Services Manager is also the bureauadministrator for the SimpleView salesdatabase used by bureau staff.

VISITORS CENTER The CVB is also a resource for local andstate tourism and travel information.The visitors center offers free to thepublic, a variety of publications,brochures and handouts with travel, attraction and lodging information todestinations statewide. The CVB alsomaintains a master calendar of eventsfor the community. The Visitor

Information Specialist oversees the sale of bureau merchandise sold through the visitor center.

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Convention Sales Department

OVERVIEW In 2009-10, the Convention Sales Department assisted

and worked with 31 conventions and meetings with

approximately 10,200 attendees totaling nearly 4,700

room nights with an estimated economic impact of over

$2,100,000. In addition the department issued 57 leads

or bids which resulted in 30 bookings totaling nearly

30,000 attendees with an estimated economic impact of

over $6,800,000. Out of these 30, 16 were for future

bookings in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

TRADESHOWSThe Convention Sales Department participated in eight

tradeshows during 2009-10. Each event allowed the

department to reach different target markets including

association, corporate, government, religious, as well as

social, medical, educational, reunion and fraternal

(SMERF) planners and decision-makers. Three of the

tradeshows were held in the two largest association

markets of Washington, DC and Chicago, IL.

Attendance at these events created 145 new contacts, 5

requests for proposals, 8 qualified leads, reinforced

existing relationships, and established destination

recognition.

REGIONAL MARKETING EFFORTSIn addition to the national tradeshows, the Convention

Sales Department increased regional exposure by

participating in the New Mexico Chapter of Meeting

Professionals International (NM-MPI) and the New

Mexico Society of Association Executives (NMSAE)

events. Participation included regularly attending the

monthly meetings and exhibiting and sponsoring both of

their annual meetings and expos. The Convention Sales

Manager also received recognition as NM-MPI Member

of the Year for contributions to the organization which

included production of the quarterly newsletter.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTProfessional development included attendance at the

Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI)

Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA, the DMAI Convention

Sales Shirtsleeves in Chicago, IL, and the Western

Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau (WACVB)

Convention Sales Training in Seattle, WA. Additional

training and education was received at the NM-MPI and

NMSAE meetings.

SALES ACTIVITYIn an effort to increase convention and meeting business

in Las Cruces and with the construction of the new

convention center, the Convention Sales Department

increased sales call marketing efforts. This included

Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Annual Meeting

July2009

EducationalConference & seminars Atlanta, GA

Rejuvenate Expo October2009

Religious meeting professionals Tradeshow Birmingham, AL

Chicago Holiday Showcase December2009

Government/association/corporate meeting professionals

TradeshowChicago, IL

Religious Conference Management Association(RCMA) Annual Conference

January2010

Religious meeting professionals Tradeshow Ft. Worth, TX

Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe January2010

Corporate/legislative/association

Industry meetingSanta Fe, NM

Destinations Showcase February2010

Government/association/corporate meeting professionals

TradeshowWashington, DC

Western Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus(WACVB) Meeting/ConventionSales Institute Training

May 2010 Educational seminars Seattle, WA

Springtime in the Park May 2010Government/association/

corporate meeting professionalsTradeshow

Washington, DC

New Mexico Meeting Professionals International (NM-MPI)

QuarterlyGovernment/association/

corporate meeting professionalsTradeshow

Albuquerque, NM

New Mexico Society ofAssociation Executives(NMSAE)

QuarterlyAssociation meeting

professionalsIndustry meeting

Albuquerque, NM

Sales Calls Varies Face to face client sales calls Regional

CONVENTION DEPARTMENT TRAVEL SCHEDULE

SHOW MONTH MARKET/TYPE LOCATION

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increasing sales call activity and appointments in

northern New Mexico. In addition, the department

began a special promotional mailing to market the new

convention center that was distributed every 6-8 weeks

to a qualified group of prospects.

PLANNER GUIDEThe Convention Sales Department distributed the 5th

edition of the Las Cruces Meeting Professionals Guide.

This guide was distributed in print, CD, and electronic

link formats to strong prospects and event organizers.

EVENT SPONSORSHIPThe convention, group and event support budget had

funds allotted to assist groups holding meetings and

conventions in Las Cruces who had potential for a strong

return in exposure and economic impact for the City.

Because of this support the CVB was able to assist

numerous groups who in return generated an estimated

economic impact of over $1,500,000 to the City of Las

Cruces.

LAS CRUCES CONVENTION CENTERDuring the past year, construction of the new Las Cruces

Convention Center maintained full momentum and the

completion is on target for December 2010. The center

will be able to facilitate events by January 2011.

The Las Cruces Convention Center is being built as an

economic development tool to attract conventions,

events, meeting and tradeshows that we were previously

unable to accommodate or were too large for our current

facilities due to space restrictions. At the beginning of

this fiscal year, the center had booked 26 functions with

projected revenue of $265,710 and had tentative busi-

ness of 44 functions with projected revenue of $310,250.

Facility Features:

• Over 30,000 square feet of meeting, exhibit,

banquet, pre-function and outdoor space

includes a 14,500 square foot exhibit hall and

nearly 9,000 square foot ballroom.

• The ability to accommodate over 1,400 people

in one room at one time.

• The state-of-the-art facility is being constructed

to meet standards of LEED certification.

• In-house catering services will allow for

customized food and beverage service.

The City of Las Cruces hired Global Spectrum to

manage the new convention center. This management

company offers public assembly facility management

services in the U.S. and Canada. During 2009-10,

staffing included the General Manager, Director of Sales,

and Accounting Manager. As construction completion

nears, additional personnel will be added to create a fully

staffed management team.

Bids/Leads sent 57

Definite bookings 30

Number of attendees 30,000

Conventions/meetings hosted 31

Tradeshows attended 8

Econimic impact for meetings held in 2009-10 $2,100,000

CUMULATIVE CONVENTION SALES DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY REPORT

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Tourism Sales

Department

OVERVIEWIn 2009-10, the Tourism Sales Department assisted 8

tour groups with approximately 250 attendees totaling

nearly 140 room nights which generated a direct

economic impact of over $45,000. In addition, the

department issued 15 leads, nine of which have

booked, totaling approximately 664 attendees with

an estimated economic impact of over $107,000.

TRADESHOWSThe Tourism Sales Manager attended the following

industry trade shows: Community Marketing’s Gay and

Lesbian Conference on Tourism, National Tour

Association (NTA), American Bus Association (ABA)

Marketplace, Rocky Mountain Symposium Go West

Summit, North American Journey (NAJ) Summit West

and Spotlight on the Southwestern US and Travel

Alliance Partners (TAP) Dance. Each of these consisted

of at least three components including one-on-one

appointment sessions, educational seminars and

networking opportunities. Tradeshows offer an

opportunity to market our destination while meeting

potential buyers and re-connecting with existing clients

face-to-face. To date, trade show participation resulted in

over 120 appointments, 28 viable leads, six leads sent to

lodging properties and eight bookings.

INDUSTRY-RELATEDMEETINGS/EVENTSAs part of the tourism department’s goals and strategies

as set forth in the 2009-10 Marketing Plan, the Tourism

Sales Manager maintained an involvement with a

number of regional and local organizations including,

but not limited to,

the Tourism

Association of New

Mexico, the New

Mexico Tourism

Department’s Region

2 marketing board and New Mexico Statehood

Centennial and Mesilla Valley Planning Committee. For

ongoing professional development, the department

manager attended the Western Association of

Convention & Visitors Bureaus’ Travel Industry

Marketing and Sales Training Program. Finally, in

support of the CVB’s local partners, we attended various

events at New Mexico State University (NMSU), the

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, area

hotels and regional festivals.

FAMILIARIZATION TOURSFamiliarization (FAM) tours offer an excellent way to

provide individuals with a first-hand experience of Las

Cruces. We gladly participate in state sponsored FAM

tours whenever the opportunities arise and last year

hosted a small group of western European tour

operators.

Western Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus(WACVB) Meeting/ConventionSales Institute Training

October2009

EducationalConference & seminars Colorado Springs, CO

Albuquerque Internatioinal Balloon Fiesta

October2009

Domestic & International touroperators Albuquerque, NM

National Tour Association (NTA)

November2009

Domestic & Canadiantour operators

Tradeshow & educationalseminars

Reno, NV

American Bus Association (ABA)

January2010

Domestic & Canadiantour operators

Tradeshow & educationalseminars

Sacramento, CA

North American Journeys Summit West

February2010

West coast based tour operators Tradeshow Los Angeles, CA

Tourism Association of New Mexico (TANM) Governor’s Conference on Tourism

April2010

EducationalConference & seminars Santa Fe, NM

New Mexico National Tour Association (NTA) Delegation Meetings

Quarterly Planning sessions for NTAconference Various locations

Region 2 / Old West Country Meetings Quarterly Regional meetings Various locations

Sales Calls Varies Face to face client sales calls Regional

TOURISM DEPARTMENT TRAVEL SCHEDULE

Bids/Leads sent 15

Definite bookings 9

Number of attendees 664

Groups hosted 8


Economic impact of tours hosted in 2009-10 $45,000

CUMULATIVE TOURISM SALES DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY REPORT


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PLANNERGUIDEThe Group Travel

Planner was updated,

revised and reprinted

with a new look and

has been distributed in

hard copy, on CD and

via online link to

interested receptives

and tour operators,

group leaders and

travel agencies.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTIn an effort to fill a void identified by the Executive

Director, to generate more interest and drive visitors to

our destination, as well as a personal need for area

familiarization, the department spent a significant

amount of time visiting attraction, lodging and dining

sites. We met with business representatives and created

mutually beneficial ways to promote our partners and

improve our visitor product. Some examples include

creating packages for lodging and events with coupons

for restaurants and spa treatments, suggesting new

itineraries for tour operators and providing promotional

information for gay and lesbian travelers. We now

partner with large organizations such as Spaceport

America and NMSU’s Chile Pepper Institute and have

exposed a number of new sites such as Trackways

National Monument and Mesilla Valley Bosque State

Park.

NATIONAL TOURISM WEEKIn solidarity with the U.S. Travel Association and

travel-related organizations around the country, the

Convention & Visitors Bureau successfully executed

National Tourism Week events that included educating

the local community and sharing tokens of our

appreciation with hotel staff and making our visitors

aware of the important role their travel decisions play in

recovering our economy. We also hosted a special event

at the Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market in

conjunction with our industry and media partners.

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Sports Sales DepartmentOVERVIEWIn 2009-10, the Sports Sales Department assisted andworked with 29 sporting events with approximately20,000 visitors totaling just over 3,500 room nightswith an estimated economic impact of over$1,800,000. In addition the department issued 21 leadsor bids which resulted in 12 bookings totaling nearly7,000 visitors with an estimated economic impact ofover $870,000.

TRADESHOWSThe Sports Sales Department attended two sports tradeshows throughout the year to meet with nationaland regional event rights holders and governing bodies.Travel, Events, and Management in Sports (TEAMS)was in New Orleans, LA in October 2009. This showhad a “Sports Marketplace” where the Las CrucesCVB had a tradeshow booth for one-on-one meetingswith the event rights holders. The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) held theirannual conference in Columbus, OH in April 2010.The NASC Symposium is similar to TEAMS with theopportunity for scheduled appointments. Educationalseminars on the latest trends in the sports market wereattended during both shows. In 2009-10 the SportsSales Department had 53 meetings, received 16 viable

leads, and sent out six leads to hotels. The meetings resulted in four booked events for 2009-10 and beyond.

SITE INSPECTIONSThe Sports Sales Department held six site inspectionswith event rights holders throughout the year. Thegroups were the Rocky Mountain Nationals YouthWrestling, United States Running Association, Powerhouse Mixed Martial Arts, New Mexico Preps,Continental Baseball League, and K1 International. TheRocky Mountain Wrestling group booked for 2010 andis in the process of booking again for 2011. The otherevent rights holders that came in for site inspections are working towards 2011-12 events.

EVENT SPONSORSHIPThe Sports Sales Department used funds to bring in alimited number of events in 2009-10. The sports eventfunding was used to bring in an estimated total of justover $1,000,000 in direct economic impact, 7,200 visitors, and 3,500 room nights. This type of support isused to assist groups that have the potential for a strongreturn in exposure and economic impact.

PLANNER GUIDEThe Sports Information Guide was updated in 2009-10and given out in hard copy format, on mini-disk, and internet download. The Sports Information Guide wassent out via e-mail, given at tradeshows, and mailed outduring 2009-10.

SPORTS EVENTS CALENDARThe Sports Events Calendar is located on the CVB website and is maintained by the Sports Sales Manager.The Sports Events Calendar is a useful tool to informhotel properties and restaurants in the Las Cruces areawhen events are scheduled. This gives those businessesadvance notice of when business may increase so thatthey can be prepared.

Travel, Events, and Management in Sports (TEAMS)

October2009

Amateur sports governing bodiesTradeshow & educational

seminarsNew Orleans, LA

National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC)

April2010

Amateur sports governing bodiesTradeshow & educational

seminarsColumbus, OH

SPORTS DEPARTMENT TRAVEL SCHEDULE

Bids/Leads sent 21

Definite bookings 12

Number of attendees 7,000

Groups hosted 29


Economic impact of sporting events held in 2009-10 $1,870,000

CUMULATIVE SPORTS SALES DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY REPORT


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Services Department

OVERVIEWThe Services Department works directly with the

Convention Sales Department to produce seamless

support to the meetings and conventions brought into

Las Cruces. With the construction of the new Las

Cruces Convention Center, this year has been driven

more to showcase Las Cruces as a serious convention

destination.

CONVENTION GROUPSThe Services Department worked closely with 31

convention groups in the past year with a total of 10,414

attendees averaging 566 attendees per group. Some of

these groups included the Democratic Party of New

Mexico, Destination Marketing Association International

(DMAI), Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses

and the International Symposium for Personal and

Commercial Spaceflight.

Some of the services provided to these groups included

conference and event planning assistance, coordination

of spousal or specialty tours, visitor information packets

and promotional materials.

The number of groups serviced had a 71% increase from

the previous year. The number of attendees grew by

nearly 50% with a 42% increase in average number of

attendees per group.

FAMILIARIZATION TOURSThe Services Department also coordinated two

Familiarization (FAM) tours to Las Cruces for the

CVB’s media department. There were a total of 30

attendees between the two groups.

The services department planned and coordinated the

itineraries for these FAM’s. This included housing,

specialty promotional materials and coordination of

restaurants and attractions.

DATA MANAGEMENTThis past year the CVB purchased the Simpleview CRM

system which is a data management software that

brought all departments of the CVB together into one

system. This allowed for consistent reporting, more data

and office wide knowledge of information. This new

program is web accessible and available to all staff at

anytime with a computer and internet access. The

system will also integrate with our current website

allowing our partners to update their information as

needed via an electronic request which can be approved

or denied by CVB staff before the information is sent

live to the website.

EMPOWERMINTIn an effort to assist the convention sales department

with meeting and event bookings, the bureau is an active

participant in the empowerMINT program from

Destination Marketing Association International

(DMAI). The program gives the departments the ability

to research the history of potential meetings and sporting

events to determine if they are a good fit for Las Cruces.

The Services Manager is responsible for imputing all

groups that fit the criteria into MINT once booked and

then converting them to history at their departure.

VISITOR CENTER & DISTRIBUTIONSERVICESThe Visitors Center received approximately 2,000

walk-ins from visitors and local residents looking for

Las Cruces and statewide information which is fairly

even from last year. The center had a goal of $6,000 in

merchandise sales to meet this past year. Unfortunately

we fell short of that goal by about 15%.

The Distribution department fulfilled over 30,000

inquiries via the bureau’s website, social media and the

print advertising campaign. Each inquiry is mailed a

visitor guide and upon request other specific brochures

were sent.

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Media/PublicationsDepartmentOVERVIEW2009-10 was a productive year for the Media Department. The department continued to reach out tonew publications in an effort to generate greater exposure for Las Cruces. For the first time, the department worked with a public relations firm to conduct a large scale press trip to Las Cruces whichwas very successful. The department also grew thesize and reach of the bureau’s electronic presence withthe continued development and incorporation of socialmedia and a redesigned website.

MEDIA COVERAGEThe department was able to track $323,230 in freemedia coverage for Las Cruces in 2009-10, a bit belowthe goal of $400,000 set at the start of the 2009-10 fiscal year. However, it is estimated that the total

circulation of thepublications featuring Las Crucesarticles was nearly 3million and a readership of 8.4million when you factor in website visits. Despitefalling short of theset dollar value goal,there were manysuccesses related tomedia coverage including workingwith Geiger &

Associates Public Relations to facilitate a 21 personpress trip focusing on Las Cruces. The press trip featured journalists from several key publications andnewsletters such as: AAA, Dallas Morning News, Ft.Worth Star Telegram, Houston Chronicle, Ocean Magazine, Boston Globe, Arthur Frommer’s BudgetTravel and many more. The group spent 2 full days inand around Las Cruces, exploring all the many greatthings to do in the area. In addition, they had the opportunity to visit nearby attractions to the north andwest, gathering information to further promote the ideathat Las Cruces is a hub-and-spoke destination withgreat things to see and do within a short distance of Las

Cruces. To date, the bureau has received substantialcoverage as a result of the trip, including articles inmajor Canadian and domestic newspapers, travel industry publications as well as regional leisure magazines. (For a complete list of all media coverage,see charts on the next page).

CVB WEBSITE With the internetspopularity and availability increasingevery year, the bureau's network ofwebsites has becomeone of our most important marketingtools. The departmentlaunched a redesignedwebsite in 2009,which more closelyresembles the bureau’s current printadvertising campaign. The site again dominated search engines when searching for travel,lodging, events, meetings, group travelor general informationabout Las Cruces andfrom July of 2009through June of 2010, the bureau received 4,450 requestsfor a visitor guide, a 14% increase from the previousyear's 3,828. Overall, the bureau's websites had 366,734total visits from July 2009 to June 2010, a 2% increasefrom the previous year, despite the downturn in the economy.

SOCIAL MEDIAThe department embraced social media as a way to communicate directly with potential visitors a few yearsback, but really ramped up its efforts in 2009-10. Theprimary social site for the bureau has become Facebook. In 2009-10, the bureau averaged 2,196 visitsper month, a 316% increase from the 696 visits permonth in 2008-09. Facebook has become a great vehiclefor the department to get information directly topotential visitors about upcoming events and special promotions. The department also posts information on

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Twitter.com and hadamassed 420 followers,but Facebook has beenthe more popular of thetwo sites.

CVB PUBLICATIONSThe department alsoworked with InnovativeTouch to coordinateproduction of the 2009-10 Official Visitors Guide of LasCruces of which100,000 copies were received in May 2010.

INTERN PROGRAMDue to the increased responsibilities assumed by the department, the role of the bureau’s intern program hadgrown substantially. Where as previous interns primarily assisted with special projects for certain departments, the intern position has taken on the task ofmaintaining the bureau’s social media program as wellas assisting with press release generation, feature storywriting and graphic design when necessary. In 2009-10,the intern, with the guidance of the Media PublicationManager, oversaw the redesign of the Group TravelPlanner, the primary sales tool for the Tourism Sales Department. This allowed the department to recapture 100% control of the layout and content of thepublication.

Las Cruces Sun News July 2009 1/16 page 26,000 $350

Meetings West July 2009 1/16 page 31,012 $500

Spirit of the West July 2009 1/2 page 480,328 $3,195

Tripquips.com July 2009 webpage - $500

Association News September 2009 1/4 page 47,830 $500

Examiner.com September 2009 webpage 8,426,950 visitors $1,500

Hot Springs SentinelRecord November 2009 Full page 17,221 $1,664

Alaska Highway News December 2009 Full page 3,700 $2,349

Amherstdailynews.com December 2009 webpage - $1,376

Calgary Herald December 2009 Full page 117,026 $11,200

Calgaryherald.com December 2009 webpage 643,000 visitors $1,499

Edmontonjournal.com December 2009 webpage 414,000 visitors $1,499

Guardian.pe.ca December 2009 webpage - $1,501

Leader Post December 2009 Full page 48,021 $9,307

Leaderpost.com December 2009 webpage 465,000 visits $1,499

Starphoenix.com December 2009 webpage 510,000 visitors $1,499

Telegram.com December 2009 webpage 1,395,180 visitors $999

TruroDaily.com December 2009 webpage - $1,376

Vancouver Sun December 2009 Full page 159,438 $14,685

VancouverSun.com December 2009 webpage 1,032,000 visitors $1,499

Fabuloustravel.com December 2009 webpage 350,000 visitors $20,000

Al.com January 2010 webpage 1,633,310 visitors $4,000

Cleveland.com January 2010 webpage 1,494,400 visitors $3,500

Dailyme.com January 2010 webpage - $1,500

Family Circle Magazine January 2010 1/16 page 3,932,510 $43,600

Lcsun-news.com January 2010 webpage 76,834 visitors $1,500

Ocean Magazine January 2010 Full page 55,000 $3,500

Orgeanlive.com January 2010 webpage - $4,000

Star Phoenix January 2010 Full page 56,081 $12,900

Syracuse.com January 2010 webpage 611,021 visitors $6,500

Tradingmarkets.com January 2010 webpage 322,850 visitors $6,440

Beacon Senior News February 2010 1/2 page 5,500 $100

New Mexico Journey February 2010 Full page 109,968 $4,390

Smart Meetings February 2010 2 pages 32,800 $3,500

Edmond Sun March 2010 1/2 page 6,000 $590

Tribune Newspaper March 2010 Full page 48,868 $3,120

Ourtribune.com March 2010 webpage 80,000 visitors $200

Group Tour Magazine April 2010 Full page 15,289 $6,160

Grouptourmagazine.com April 2010 webpage 7,100 visitors $1,080

Southwest Meetings & Events April 2010 2 pages 85,000 $9,990

Continues in next column

2009-10 LAS CRUCES MEDIA COVERAGE

Travelnewsgazette.com April 2010 webpage - $4,000

Where to RetireMagazine April 2010 5 pages 220,000 $55,000

Abenteuer Und Reisen May 2010 7 pages 77,391 $25,140

Mysanantonio.com May 2010 webpage 24,700 visitors $4,470

Edmond Monthly June 2010 6 pages 7,500 $9,330

Las Cruces Sun News June 2010 1/3 page 26,000 $2,660

Meetings West June 2010 Full page 31,012 $2,306

Nichols Hills June 2010 6 pages 7,500 $9,330

Norman Living June 2010 6 pages 7,500 $9,330

Northwest Style June 2010 6 pages 7,500 $9,330

Small Market Meetings June 2010 Full page 10,000 $1,312

Total $323,230

2009-10 LAS CRUCES MEDIA COVERAGE

PUBLICATION MONTH SIZE

MONTHLY

CIRCULATION

/VISITS

VALUE

PUBLICATION MONTH SIZE

MONTHLY

CIRCULATION

/VISITS

VALUE

14


Advertising CampaignOVERVIEWInquiries generated through the bureau’s advertising

campaign increased 8% from 28,202 in 2008-09 to

30,657 in 2009-10. Campaign advertisements, which

branded Las Cruces as the Crossroad of the Southwest

and focused on local features and attractions, appeared in

several key tourism industry and leisure publications

matching the demographic of the Las Cruces visitor. Of

the 30,657 inquires, nearly 70% came from direct

responses generated through reader response cards or

online calls to action in each publication. The largest

responses were generated from: AARP the Magazine,

National Geographic Traveler, El Paso Visitor Guide and

Madden Preprint inserts, which publishes travel

information in several newspapers in the southwest

including: the Arizona Republic, Dallas Morning News,

Denver Post, Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times,

Orange County Register and San Francisco Chronicle.

Many additional ads appeared in various meetings and

convention publications intended to raise and create

more awareness of Las Cruces as a meeting destination.

PUBLICATION PUBLISH DATE AD SIZE/TYPE

2009-10 TRAVEL & LEISURE ADVERTISING

PRINT

*Madden Preprint Insert August 2009January 2010 1/4 page - full color

AARP The Magazine September 2009 1/6 page - full color

Cooking Light September 2009 1/6 page - full color

El Paso Visitors Guide September 2009Spring 2010, Summer 2010 1/3 page - full color

Golf Digest September 2009 1/3 page - full color

National Geographic Traveler October 2009 1/6 page - full color

New Mexico Magazine October 2009 1/2 page - full color

Preservation November/December 2009 1/4 page - full color

ONLINE AND ELECTRONIC

Tripinfo.com August 2009-June 2010 Website display ad

Nationalgeographic.com August 2009 Website display ad

Nmmagazine.com August-October 2009 Website display ad

Intergrated Market Media January-March 2010 Direct mail newsletter

Meetingsfocus.com January 2010 Website display ad

OUTDOOR

Interstate 10 billboard July 2009-June 2010 14’x48’

Digital billboard in Albuquerque July 2009-June 2010 14’x48’

*Co-op opportunity available

2009-10 GROUP & MEETING ADVERTISING

PRINT

*Group Tour Magazine July, October 2009January, April 2010 1/2 page - full color

Meeting Planner Guide Summer, Fall 2009Winter, Spring 2010 Full page - full color

Meetings West July, October 2009July 2010

1/3 page - full color1/2 page - full color

Small Market Meetings July 2009 1/2 page - full color

Association News September 2009 1/2 page - full color

Smart Meetings September-December 2009January-March 2010 Full page - full color

*Co-op opportunity available

2009-10 CONVENTION CENTER ADVERTISING

PRINT

Southwest Meetings + Events December 2009-February 2010April-June 2010 2/3 page - full color

Hispanic Meetings & Travel January-March 2010 Full page - full color

Medical Meetings January-February 2010 Full page - full color

Albuquerque the Magazine February-May 2010 Full page - full color

Association News February 2010 1/2 page - full color

Smart Meetings February, April 2010 Full page - full color

Religious Conference Planner June 2010 Full page - full color

ONLINE AND ELECTRONIC

Online search engines February-April 2010 Paid search




LAS CRUCES CONVENTION CENTER

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNIn addition to the Crossroads advertising program

directed at the leisure, group and meetings market, the

CVB created an independent advertising campaign

intended to market the Las Cruces Convention Center.

Print ads ran in national and regional meeting industry

trade publications such as Smart Meetings, Small MarketMeetings, Meetings West, Albuquerque the Magazine,Association News and Southwest Meetings + Events.

The focus of the campaign was mainly to generate

awareness of the new facility and to educate meeting

planners of the facility size and amenities.

NEW MEXICO TOURISM

DEPARTMENT COOPERATIVE

MARKETING PROGRAMThe CVB received $18,700 from the New Mexico

Tourism Department as part of the state’s annual

Cooperative Marketing program in 2009-10. The funds

were added to the bureau’s existing marketing budget

and were used to further support the bureau’s advertising

campaign.

15


HOEDOWNS AND HANGINGS

ONCE ENTERTAINED THE MASSES.

A LOT MORE OPTIONS. TODAY, WE HAVE

�

Recreation around Las Cruces has evolved, to say the least. One thing hasn’t changed: there’s still something for everyone and plenty of space to find what you’re looking for. Discover the place where all paths meet. Discover Las Cruces.

Documents

2009-10 Annual Report Layout 1 - Las Cruces CVB · 2017. 1. 18. · 4 2009-10 Annual Report 2009-10 CVB Overview The fiscal year of 2009-10 was a bit stronger than the previous year