1

Business Development Plan 2015

2

Contents Mission Statement .................................................................................................................................... 5

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 5

Tourism Impact ......................................................................................................................................... 5

Pure Michigan Marketing Impact on Economy ........................................................................................ 5

Future of the Destination Marketing Organization .................................................................................. 5

Destination Branding ................................................................................................................................ 6

Experience Grand Rapids the Voice for Tourism ...................................................................................... 6

Destination Product Expansion ................................................................................................................. 7

2015 Tourism Forecasts ............................................................................................................................ 7

Marketing ...................................................................................................................................................... 7

Brand pillars .............................................................................................................................................. 7

Four Strategies for Destination Marketing ............................................................................................... 8

Media Strategy .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Decision-Making Trends.......................................................................................................................... 10

Buyers are self-educating ....................................................................................................................... 10

Travelers .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Group Sales ................................................................................................................................................. 12

Marketplace Trends ................................................................................................................................ 12

Review of Sales Initiatives ....................................................................................................................... 12

Other initiatives benefiting our sales efforts: ......................................................................................... 13

2015 Sales Goals ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Measurement.......................................................................................................................................... 15

2015 Sales Activity Calendar ................................................................................................................... 15

Four Corner 2014 Activities .................................................................................................................... 15

Convention Services ................................................................................................................................ 16

Convention Services Measurement ........................................................................................................ 16

Information Technology .............................................................................................................................. 17

Strategies: ............................................................................................................................................... 17

Financial Investment ................................................................................................................................... 19

Figures and Resources ................................................................................................................................ 20

Figure 1: 2013- 2015 Strategic Plan Overview ........................................................................................ 20

3

Figure 2: Kent County Hotel Performance .............................................................................................. 21

Figure 3: Competitive Analysis ................................................................................................................ 21

Figure 4: Kent County Hotel Room Revenue ......................................................................................... 22

Figure 5: Group Room Nights.................................................................................................................. 22

Figure 6: Client Site Visits ........................................................................................................................ 23

Figure 7: Grand Rapids Pace Target 2014-2021 ...................................................................................... 23

Figure 8: Grand Rapids Market Segment Analysis .................................................................................. 24

Figure 10: Future Bookings by Market Segment 2015-2020 .................................................................. 25

Figure 11: 2015 Special Events and Groups 500+ Peak Rooms .............................................................. 26

Figure 12: 2015 Group Sales Activity Calendar ....................................................................................... 28

Figure 13: Experience Grand Rapids Commonly Used Acronyms ........................................................... 30

Figure 14: Map of Competitive Cities ..................................................................................................... 31

Figure 15: Convention Peer Set .............................................................................................................. 31

Figure 16: Group Attendees Hosted ....................................................................................................... 32

Figure 17: Groups Serviced Annually ...................................................................................................... 32

Figure 18: Group Satisfaction.................................................................................................................. 33

Figure 19: Website Traffic Metrics .......................................................................................................... 33

Figure 20: Website Demographics .......................................................................................................... 34

Figure 21: Facebook Demographics ........................................................................................................ 35

Figure 22: Twitter Demographics............................................................................................................ 36

Figure 23: SEO Rank ................................................................................................................................ 37

Figure 24: Marketing Media Plan ............................................................................................................ 38

Figure 25: EXGR Public Relations Efforts January- December, 2014 ...................................................... 40

Figure 26: Grand Rapids in the News- By State ...................................................................................... 40

Figure 27: Grand Rapids in the News- By Category ................................................................................ 41

Figure 28: Kent County Visitor Spending ................................................................................................ 41

Figure 29: Kent County Visitor Traffic ..................................................................................................... 42

Figure 30: Longwoods Pure Michigan Advertising Evaluation March 2014 ........................................... 42

Figure 31: DMAI Major Findings of Trends and Strategies ..................................................................... 43

Figure 32: Generational Travel Trends ................................................................................................... 44

Figure 33: Grand Rapids Recognitions .................................................................................................... 45

Figure 34: Experience Grand Rapids Recognitions ................................................................................. 46

4

Figure 35: Experience Grand Rapids Staff Directory ............................................................................... 47

Endnotes ..................................................................................................................................................... 48

5

Overview Mission Statement The mission of Experience Grand Rapids is to lead the marketing of Grand Rapids/Kent County as a

premier convention & visitor destination providing a significant positive impact to the West Michigan

economy.

Executive Summary Experience Grand Rapids (EXGR), the area’s official destination marketing organization (DMO), efforts to

promote the area continue to yield positive results. One key indicator of success is hotel revenue; year-

over-year it continues to exceed previous record levels. All key hotel revenue metrics are demonstrating

positive increases: occupancy, Rev Par and ADR.1

Experience Grand Rapids’ role in destination promotion and efforts to build a visitor-centric community

transcend tourism as it attracts business investment and influences relocation to the area. EXGR is an

economic engine whose focus is on long-term demand-generation and brand management for the

destination.

Tourism Impact Travel and tourism generates economic impact for state and local governments and communities. In

2013, tourism spending in Kent County measured $1.53 Billion, an increase of 30% over 2012. Kent

County tourism continues to rank as the second highest county in Michigan.

Pure Michigan Marketing Impact on Economy Michigan’s smart investment in Pure Michigan continues to yield a strong return on investment. Travel

promotion strengthens economic vitality and leads to increased visitors, increased visitor spending, new

jobs and tax revenues.

During 2013, Michigan invested $13 million in national Pure Michigan marketing. Research found that

this investment along with their regional and partnership ads attracted 4 million visitors to Michigan,

generating $86.5 million in tax revenue. 2

During 2013, Experience Grand Rapids invested $650,000 in Pure Michigan advertising. Together with

matching dollars from the state $1.3 million was spent to air the Grand Rapids Pure MI TV commercial.

Research found that this investment generated 531,000 incremental visits to the area, generating an

impact of $161 million to the local economy. 3

Future of the Destination Marketing Organization Destination NEXT, phase one of a strategic roadmap for the next generation of destination marketing,

was just released by Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). This ongoing study will

provide DMOs with strategies and actions for sustainable success for the future.4

The Destination NEXT analysis concluded that DMOs have three transformational opportunities to

navigate the changing world. DMOs will need to address all three areas, as they are highly interrelated.

6

1. Dealing with the new marketplace and a communication shift from broadcast to engagement. 2. Building and protecting the destination brand by advocacy for the destination, emphasis on

building a visitor-centric community and as a cultural champion. 3. Evolving the DMO business model with collaboration and partnerships.

Destination NEXT identified a total of 64 trends with 20 trends identified as having a major impact on

DMOs. (Figure #31, Top 20 trends, pg. 11, destination next) The majority of the top 20 involves the

collective impact of:

1. The rapid adoption of smart technology 2. Growing prominence of social media 3. The changing expectations and requirements of customers

Destination Branding Destinations are now as much an emotional and intellectual experience as they are a physical place. To

be successful in today’s changing marketplace destinations need leadership and management to not just

deliver remarkable physical experiences, but to create and deliver a uniquely compelling brand essence

that manifests at each visitor engagement point. Brands are the synthesis of perceived community,

industry and marketplace realities. Shaping them into an authentic and compelling compilation of

experiences and stories takes leadership and vision and DMOs must play a shared leadership role in

managing their destination brands.

This transforms the DMO role from tourism transaction broker between marketplace and the industry to

one of destination manager synthesizing the needs of the community, the marketplace, and the industry

into a rich destination message. 5

Grand Rapids has a unique personality. The essence of its personality is the innovative pioneering spirit

of its people. This was unveiled in the “Art of Collaboration” video launched in fall in 2013. Together

with the community EXGR has an opportunity to share this with all visitors.

Experience Grand Rapids the Voice for Tourism Experience Grand Rapids is the advocate for the importance of tourism to the community. Goal one of

the strategic plan identifies the importance of public relations within the community. The goal is to

enhance the awareness, relevancy and support of EXGR and the region’s visitor economy with succinct

messages on the value of tourism. Efforts include local presentations, media releases and story

development. 6

During 2014 we continued a successful focused approach to publicizing conventions while they are

convening in Grand Rapids. This enhances the awareness of the efforts of Experience Grand Rapids to

attract the conventions, local community members who assisted with the booking process, promotes

the value of conventions and visitors and offers these select groups additional exposure.

7

Destination Product Expansion Continued enhancements in 2014 to the Grand Rapids area make the destination more attractive to

visit.

1. Enhanced visitor welcome space at Gerald R. Ford International Airport 2. Hotel renovations 3. Go Site (pop-up and December 2014 opening) 4. Grand Rapids Drive 5. Lonely Planet 2014 #1 Travel Destination 6. Expanded air service 7. Craft beer expansions 8. Art Van Sports Complex 9. The Rapid Silver Line

2015 Tourism Forecasts According to US Travel Association the outlook for business travel continues to brighten, summer

tourism was strong and US hotels continue to report good numbers.

Tourism success in Kent County is on pace to exceed or mirror national trends. Looking ahead during

2015 both Smith Travel Research (STR) and PKF predict small increases to hotel supply, demand growth

between 2.2 – 2.9% and increases of 4.9% to Rev Par. Both sources predict that hotel growth will peak in

2016 or 2017. 78

Marketing Experience Grand Rapids is the official destination marketing organization and provides brand

leadership for the community. The team recognizes the opportunity to adjust to the changing

marketplace and adjust the destination brand that reflects the synthesis of the needs of the community,

the marketplace, and the industry into a rich destination message.

Year over year increases in Website usage and increased engagement with social followers

demonstrates that the investment in quality content is working. During 2015 a new Experience Grand

Rapids Website will launch that reflects the latest in destination marketing, built with the latest

technologies and reflecting the changing needs of the consumer to expand the reach of the destination

message to new potential travelers.

A key competitive advantage exists for destination marketers who “think like a travel writer, package

like a theme park and deliver like a four-star hotel”. (Doug Lansky, Governors Conference on Tourism).

Brand pillars Over the past several years the destination marketing messages have been focused on key brand pillars

that align with the drivers of tourism. Future efforts in content marketing will be driven around the

successful pillars. A new Website will allow for users to personalize their searches and find more key

reasons to be inspired to visit.

8

Advertising campaigns will remain centered on the brand pillars: food, art, craft beer, entertainment and

family travel. Grand Rapids has the product to deliver on these campaigns. Travelers are seeking

authentic local experiences. Culinary tourism, beer tourism and arts tourism all hold potential to deliver

authentic experiences.

Four Strategies for Destination Marketing 1. Content Marketing – A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing

valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience – and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action. 9

a. Curating destination content that aligns with individual preferences b. Videos and photography10 c. Storytelling d. Related content e. Educational content f. Small pieces of content that interconnect g. Social media is content h. Travel audiences and interest mapping i. Local favorites and itineraries j. Personalization of the brand

2. Embrace changes to technology with smart streamlined solutions11 a. Responsive design b. Responsive content design c. Mobile d. Search Optimization e. Social channels f. Content management and syndication g. Multiple screens

3. Partnerships – marketing efforts can expand their reach and effectiveness by leveraging partnership to expand the return on investments. These partnerships also enhance content creation and distribution focused on our key destination brand pillars and buyer personas.

a. Pure Michigan b. Local breweries c. Local arts community d. Culinary/food tourism e. Business and community organizations f. ArtPrize and Laughfest g. LGBT and Outpro

4. Visitor Centric Destination – the destination welcome and visitor experience are important for successful tourism marketing.

a. Certified Tourism Ambassador program b. GoSite visitor space at Grand Rapids Art Museum c. Airport visitor experience d. Experience development

9

Media Strategy The media strategy involves an integration of paid, owned and earned media throughout the year.

Marketing Activities 2014 Jan

uar

y

Feb

ruar

y

Mar

ch

Ap

ril

May

Jun

e

July

Au

gust

Sep

tem

ber

Oct

ob

er

No

vem

ber

De

cem

ber

Paid Media

Pure Michigan Partnership-TV X X X

Outdoor Advertising Campaign X X X X X X X

Targeted Print X X X X X X X X X X X X

Search Engine Optimization and PPC X X X X X X X X X X X X

Pure Michigan Content Grand Rapids page X X X X X X X X X X X X

Discover America X X X X X

Owned Media

LaughFest X X

Cool Brews Hot Eats X X

ArtPrize X X

Experience Pink X

Culture Pass X X X X X X X X X X X X

WAVE Awards X

Annual Celebration X

Restaurant Week X X

National Travel & Tourism Week X

Visitor Guide X X X X X X X X X X X X

Promotional Materials (Bookmarks and Posters) X X X X

Pure Michigan eDeals X X X X X X

Partner Newsletter X X X X X X

Giveaways and Promotions X X X X

Photography X X X

Video X X

Nutcracker Season X X

Earned Media

Bloggers X X X X

Local Media X X X X X X X X X X X X

Press Releases X X X X X X X X X X X X

Travel Journalists X X X X X

10

Group Sales Advertising 2014

Jan

uar

y

Feb

ruar

y

Mar

ch

Ap

ril

May

Jun

e

July

Au

gust

Sep

tem

be

r

Oct

ob

er

No

vem

ber

Dec

em

ber

MSAE

Impact X X X X X X

Annual Directory X

Midwest Itineraries X

Group Tour X

Culinary

Circle Michigan resource X

Heartland Travel Showcase X

Helms Briscoe X X X X X X X X X X X X

Cvent X X X X X X X X X X X X

Meetings Mid America X

United Hemispheres X

ABA Top Events X

Decision-Making Trends The profile of the consumer continues to evolve and four significant trends are emerging to impact

consumer decision-making:

1. Prioritization – consumers are choosing meaning over materialism. Destinations need to focus on how their place will make travelers feel.

2. Fluidity – consumers are drawn to flexible travel planning and the sharing economy as their preference for ownership diminishes.

3. Streamlining – travelers are looking for highly curated and an individualized, simplified planning process with less information to process.

4. Loosening up – consumers are drawn to an experiential culture that is unique, adaptive, spontaneous and personalized with less restrictive choices.

Buyers are self-educating Today’s consumer and meeting planners are choosing to research and educate online prior to contacting

potential travel destinations. DMOs need to shift from marketing to educating.

Travelers use 22 Websites and over 9.5 Web sessions to plan a trip (Google Analytics and Destination Analysts)

77% use Trip Advisor (trip advisor)

92% of buyers seek peer recommendations before buying (skift)

85% of travelers use a smart phone on vacation (skift) In addition we need to share our destination messages in places where people are planning trips and

embrace influencers (bloggers, journalists, fans) to help us expand our reach.

11

Travelers Large portions of the travelers coming to Grand Rapids traditionally are US based travelers. 12

US travelers are important to our area and this is a list of key trends impacting future travel13:

1. Travel intentions remain upbeat 2. Millennial travelers are defining themselves 3. Less focus on deals and discounts (43% in 2014 vs. 63% in 2010) 4. Stable US marketplace 5. Travel styles – culinary, authentic and cultural 6. Wellness vacations and romance travel (US Travel)

International visitors provide future opportunity for market expansion. During 2014 in partnership with

Pure Michigan and Brand USA Experience Grand Rapids made several targeted investments in

International marketing. Those included hosting travel trade in the community, Discover America

Website enhancements and in language videos in Chinese, German and both UK and Canadian English.

These digital enhancements will continue to build awareness.

Travelers are looking for personalized travel assistance. Destination marketers need to align content to

generational, social and personal interests. Below is a list of key factors impacting marketing to

Millennial, Baby Boomers, and LGBT travelers:

Millennial14

Guiding consumer buying behaviors and new technologies

Highly connected

Seek authentic urban culture and culinary experiences

Personalized

Collaborative/sharing economy

Baby Boomers (28% of population – impact until 2030)15

Time and resources available for travel

Exploring while traveling

Less active than millennials

Future of group travel growth

Beer tourism

LGBT (Community Marketing & Insights, LGBT Travel Survey, Nov 2013)16

Predictions for leisure travel increases

Low interest in group travel

Warm weather

Museums and entertainment

Pride events

12

Group Sales Marketplace Trends Similar to trends impacting leisure travel, meeting planners are transforming their meetings into

experiences. No longer are meetings just a place to exchange business information rather they are

enriching, one-of-a-kind experiences that attendees will treasure forever. Instead of just attending a

conference, attendees are going to have an experience. 17

Site selection is always an important part of the meeting planning process and increasingly planners are

searching for sites that help deliver a sense of place for the attendee experience. Examples include farm-

to-fork dining, regional cuisine and pieces of the destination’s culture woven into the conference.

Overall there are four key trends impacting the future of meetings18:

1. Technology integrated into the conference attendee experience beginning with planning through attendance

2. Embracing multiple attendee generations at conference 3. Innovative tradeshow layouts to encourage attendees to stay longer and mingle with the

vendors 4. Customized and personalized attendee communication leading to personalized experiences.

Review of Sales Initiatives On a regular basis the sales team evaluates what strategies, tactics, programs and sales related activities

are working and make adjustments as needed. Through this evaluation process it’s been determined

that site visits, trade shows and sales trips have been three of our most successful activities.

1. Site Visits As the number of meeting planners who conduct site inspections of Grand Rapids continues to grow, so does the number of our convention bookings and corresponding contracted hotel room nights. In 2013 we hosted 146 meeting planners on site visits and in 2014 we’re forecasting that number to be 150. When clients have the opportunity to see our facilities, venues, hotels, attractions, restaurants and breweries firsthand, our chances of securing their convention business increases greatly. Often times we hear from our customers comments such as “we had no idea that Grand Rapids was this nice” and “Grand Rapids is such a beautiful city and I really enjoyed the compactness of your convention package along with the number of hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center.” For our group site visits better known as FAM trips we’ve implemented an educational component to their visit. By offering continuing education credits, meeting planners can benefit two-fold. They get to tour Grand Rapids as well as satisfy their CEU requirements. This has helped us increase the number of planners interested in visiting Grand Rapids. In 2014 we hosted two FAM trips around special events. The first was the Winter BeerFest in February held at Fifth Third Ballpark and we had 10 clients join us. Our Fall Educational FAM was centered around The Eagles concert at Van Andel Arena and also included educational sessions and city tours. Seven meeting planners from around the country joined us for the Fall Educational FAM and two of the groups generated leads and are now considering Grand Rapids for their future conventions.

13

Grand Rapids was the host city for OrgPRO 2014. This is the joint meeting between the three leading Michigan based meeting planning associations: Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE), Michigan Meeting Professionals International (MMPI) and Michigan Society of Government Meeting Professionals (MSGMP). It was our first opportunity to host OrgPRO in ten years and 400 people were in attendance including a variety of association executive directors, convention meeting planners and hospitality industry professionals.

2. Trade Shows Meeting clients face to face in our exhibit booth at various trade shows continues to be a key selling opportunity. With our designation as Beer City USA and our exhibit booth themed around Grand Rapids craft beer, we continue to be a popular stop for meeting planners and association executives as they walk the trade show floor. 2014 saw our number of trade shows increase to 26 which was an increase over the 21 trade shows we attended in 2013. Trade shows allow us the opportunity to also meet with clients for various evening opportunities including receptions, dinners, sporting events, concerts and live theater performances. Many events and trade shows are changing their format to appointment based shows. This allows us the opportunity to sit down and meet face to face with clients at a table for 8-12 minutes and share information about Grand Rapids and our convention product with them. Often times, these appointments are set based on mutual requests and it pairs us with clients who want to learn more about Grand Rapids and we request appointments with them based on their convention specifications.

3. Sales Trips Visiting clients in the city where they’re based has proved beneficial. This allows us the time and opportunity to engage with them in their office and often times our hotel partners and convention center will join us for these trips. 2014 saw sales trips to cities such as Washington, DC, Chicago, Cleveland and Columbus to name a few. Beer City USA has continued to be a popular theme with our clients as we host dinners and culinary experiences centered around Grand Rapids craft beers.

Other initiatives benefiting our sales efforts: 1. Sports

Experience Grand Rapids continues to increase our investment in the sports market through our support of the West Michigan Sports Commission. Sports based events and meetings continue to grow through associations, amateur, youth, collegiate and masters groups. These events and meetings benefit a wide variety of venues, meeting facilities, convention center, local arenas and increase demand for hotel room nights throughout the Grand Rapids region. The newly opened Art Van Sports Complex in Rockford, which includes the Field of Dreams, will be a key driver for future weekend groups in the April – September timeframe. We continue to improve upon our sports market portfolio through the booking of events such as the US Open Table Tennis Championships, US Rowing Masters National Championships and Western Collegiate Hockey Association Championships.

2. Hobby, Fraternal and Religious Markets This is a key market for Grand Rapids. While we offer first tier meeting facilities and hotels along with cultural amenities and restaurants that many larger cities would envy, Grand Rapids still has value and affordability during certain times of year and meeting patterns such as weekends. That combination has made us attractive for many religious/faith-based organizations. Many of

14

these organizations operate on tight budgets and rely on volunteers and church leaders so the value they experience in Grand Rapids makes sense for them on many levels. Religious groups such as Church of the Brethren will return to Grand Rapids over July 4th in 2017 and 2020. American Quilter’s Society (AQS) will continue to be a wonderful piece of summertime business meeting here every August for the next three years. Discussions are underway between AQS and Experience Grand Rapids to extend the agreement for several more years and market the event so that it rivals their Paducah, KY show in terms of attendance. Lions Club International returns in 2015 and the Fraternal Order of Eagles will be returning in 2017 and 2020 as well. Key local leaders played pivotal roles in helping us “Bring it to Grand Rapids” for these groups and we’ll continue to enlist the help of our “Hometown Champs” in securing future conventions.

3. Four Corners Small meetings are critical to any hospitality community and Grand Rapids is no different. Over 80% of our convention bookings are groups that are single hotel users and don’t utilize a convention center. Experience Grand Rapids has provided funding for each of our four quadrants to develop sales and marketing strategies and programs of work specific to their needs. Our staff works closely with each quadrant to develop those strategies and communicate various quadrant activities with our hospitality partners. See page 14 for the 2014 Four Corners Overview.

4. Bring it to Grand Rapids A key focus area has been business development with local leaders and influencers within their respective industries. Through relationships that we’ve developed with key leaders on Medical Mile including Spectrum Health, Van Andel Research Institute, GVSU Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, we’ve been able to secure future meetings through a wide variety of health sciences related groups. In addition, community leaders and local chapters are critical to our success in attracting hobby, fraternal and religious groups. Local leaders and influencers were hosted at the Lady Antebellum concert as well as the 2014 LaughFest event featuring Jay Leno.

5. Group Tours IPW International Pow Wow was hosted in Chicago in 2014 and we were able to have numerous travel writers and tour operators join us for a post IPW FAM in Grand Rapids. Our regional and national advertising campaigns have proven successful in building brand awareness and we have seen an increase in domestic and international tours coming to our region.

2015 Sales Goals 1. Open sales office in Washington, DC with full-time sales person generating more national

association business from the DC/VA/MD market. 2. Leverage relationships/partnerships with third party companies including Helms Briscoe,

Conference Direct and Experient to generate increased room nights. 3. Leverage relationships with key local leaders who belong to national, regional and state boards

to influence groups to book Grand Rapids for a future meeting. 4. Continued focus on generating more business through our medical community. 5. Enhance our relationship/partnership with Sacramento and leverage our dollars to reach more

national clients and generate new business from the Western US.

15

Measurement 2014 Room Night Goal: 140,000

2014 Room Night Actual: 140,254

2015 Room Night Goal: 147,000

2015 Sales Activity Calendar See Figure #12

Four Corner 2014 Activities

All Corners

Reunion Workshop- Tentative November 8th, 2014 10:00AM-12:00PM at Prince

Conference Center

Religious Mailer- Mailed June 2014 to religious organizations with youth pastors

targeting retreats that would utilize Cannonsburg and overnight rooms.

Updated Corner information sheets and map

Heartland Travel Showcase 2015 Hosting Closing Lunch

Customized mapping capabilities

Northwest Corner

WHCA Kickoff Beerfest Shuttle Package

KBS Beer Launch Package

Comic Con Shuttle Package

Northeast Corner

CMCA- Valerie Cook (Rapid City, SD April 29 – May 1)

Heartland Travel Showcase (Toledo, OH March 6-8)

Fall Sales Blitz to local colleges

Going on Faith (Cabarrus County, NC August 5-7)

Boomers in Groups (Little Rock, AR November 7-9)

Southwest Corner

Travel Alliance Planners (Reno, NV June 2-4)

INTERaction (Portland, OR November 9-12)

Fall Group Tour FAM

Boomers in Groups

Southeast Corner

Sports Clients Event at Fifth Third Ballpark

Small Market Meetings

Package with Shuttle for ArtPrize

Meetings Quest (Cabarrus County, NC September 9-10)

Meetings Focus East (New Orleans, September 21-24)

16

Convention Services Convention Services continues to focus on the primary goal of delivering exceptional service to each

group that books a meeting or convention in Grand Rapids. Attendance building remains the key to

success for most conventions and our emphasis will remain on assisting them in generating additional

attendees to their convention. Attendee experiences will also be a main focus with increased welcome

signage for groups and on-site use of their micro-sites.

Convention Service Goals Include:

1. Build Convention Attendance

Attend previous year tradeshow to promote Grand Rapids meeting

Use iPads at previous year tradeshow to book overnight rooms for attendees

Develop channels of communication with meeting planners that organizations use to communicate to their attendees either in print or electronically

Leverage use of micro-sites to communicate to incoming attendees.

Host site planning visits.

Work with marketing team to develop service marketing materials, promotional strategies, and attendance building videos.

2. Ensure a positive experience while in the city

Work with marketing team to develop welcome banners, signage, and onsite materials

Integrate the use of iPads at welcome tables to improve access to local information and provide personalized itineraries to guests

Partner with meeting planners to ensure that attendee experience is an integral part of the planning process

3. Attend industry events

Be present and participate in ESPA, PCMA, MISGMP, MMPI, CMP Conclave, and MSAE OrgPro (Figure 13)

Make personal sales calls to areas of groups that are bringing in their conventions.

Convention Services Measurement Convention services will be measured by several metrics:

The amount of repeat room nights that are generated

National Groups (Pastoral Musicians, SAE Noise & Vibration, Lions Leadership Forum) that are choosing to return to Grand Rapids

The increasing attendance from the previous year’s convention

Involvement in industry events

Use of micro-sites and social media to increase attendance

Involvement of local businesses (such as local restaurants) when the convention is in town

We will continue to use our post-convention survey to measure the following information from our

meeting contacts:

17

Information provided to groups

Overall performance of the destination

Performance of our services department

Likeliness to return to Grand Rapids

Information Technology The primary goal of the Information Technology staff is to align technology planning with the

organization’s department strategies thereby ensuring that technology initiatives bring business value,

improve processes, solve business issues, maintain a solid infrastructure and transform how we do

business at Experience Grand Rapids.

Technology has changed dramatically in the past few years. It is disrupting how we do business on a day-

to-day basis. To react to these changes, we will research and implement innovative solutions to leverage

the new opportunities presented, while reinforcing and maintaining our underlying infrastructure and

business processes.

Strategies: 1. Investigate, evaluate and adopt new or changing technologies that may impact the future and

mission of our organization.

a. Research a solution for content editing, management, publishing and distribution to

deliver our messages to the market in a timely, efficient and effective manner.

b. Facilitate collaboration and staff use of Office 365 technologies.

c. Assist our organization in methods to innovate, grow and deliver unique customer

experiences.

d. Assist team members in creating comprehensive cloud strategies before deployment of

SaaS solutions.

e. Research technology and communication tools for conference attendees.

f. Identify gaps in our business capabilities to serve our customers effectively.

g. Launch a new Website with a responsive design CMS delivering optimum customer

experiences and streamlined Website management.

h. Assist with technology solutions for sharing EXGR content to further enhance the visitor

experience throughout the destination.

2. Increase professional training opportunities for staff to keep abreast of fast moving changes in

both cloud-based and on premise technology to maintain our competitive advantage in the

marketplace.

a. Enhance the communication, training and support on SimpleviewCRM, our company-

wide customer relationship management system.

b. Develop and deploy training videos and documentation to assist end users on the

adoption and best practices of using Office 365

c. Refer staff to conferences and events focused on learning new capabilities, methods or

advances in their areas of expertise.

3. Enhance the network/server infrastructure

18

a. Expand the storage capabilities on our storage area network to accommodate the

increase in video, photography and other content generated.

b. Install a new backup server to facilitate offsite replication and manage the load on our

host servers.

c. Research and implement new mobile computing security systems for both personal and

professional devices.

d. Develop strategies to configure SaaS solutions to complement our business needs and

processes.

4. Continue building effectiveness in the use of our third-party integrations (Dashboard, DMAI

Impact Calculators, Exact Target, InLoox, Qvidian and Sales online communication tools).

5. Ensure effective technical and fiscal management of the department’s operations, resources,

technology projects and contracts.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACTION CALENDAR J F M A M J J A S O N D Simpleview Technology Summit X Grand Rapids IT Symposium X DMAI Annual Meeting X DMO Technology Professional Forum X Staff Lunch ‘N Learn Sessions X X X X

19

Financial Investment

20

Figures and Resources Figure 1: 2013- 2015 Strategic Plan Overview

Source: Experience Grand Rapids 2013-2015 Strategic Plan

•Enhance the Awareness, Relevency & Support of Experience Grand Rapids and the Region's Visitor Economy

Goal One

•Develop a Message to Convey the Impact of a Vibrant Tourism Economy

Objective 1A

•Personally Carry the Message to Area Groups and Key Stakeholders

Objective 1B

•Increase Outreach to and Visibility in Area Media Outlets Objective 1C

•Continue to Build Collaborations with other Community/Regional Organizations and Corporations

Objective 1D

•Develop other Vehicles to Spread the Word Objective 1E

•Support Destination-Enhancing development Initiatives Goal Two

•Perform a Destination Product Assessment Objective 2A

•Develop a Destination Vision Plan Objective 2B

•Advocate for Developments that will Enhance the destination while Preserving its Livability Objective 2C

•Advocate for an Enhanced Hospitality Culture throughout the Region Objective 2D

•Expand and Enhance the Brand Awareness of the destination Goal Three

•Advocate for a National/International Brand Awareness Campaign Objective 3A

•Enhance the Impact of Experience Grand Rapids through Increased and Diversified Revenue Streams Objective 3B

21

Figure 2: Kent County Hotel Performance

Indicators 2009 YE 2010 YE 2011 YE 2012 YE 2013 YE

2014 YE

Hotel Occupancy % 48.6% 53.9% 57.5% 60.6% 63.4% 64.6%

ADR $ $84.73 $84.79 $88.09 $92.94 $97.48 $100.97

Supply Change % -0.1% 0.0% 0.0% -0.1% 0.0% 1.4%

Demand Change % -4.6% 10.9% 6.7% 5.3% 4.6% 4.3%

Revenue Change % -7.3% 11.0% 10.9% 11.1% 9.7% 10.1%

Source: STR, December YE 2009-2014

Figure 3: Competitive Analysis

22

Figure 4: Kent County Hotel Room Revenue

Source: STR, December YE 2012-2014

Figure 5: Group Room Nights

Source: Experience Grand Rapids December, 2014

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

125,0

00

125,0

00

125,0

00

125,0

00

127,5

00

132,0

00

140,0

00

121,1

99

126,5

98

125,3

23

125,0

26

123,8

63

137,4

90

140,2

54

Goal

Actual/YTD

0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

100,000,000

120,000,000

140,000,000

160,000,000

180,000,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 Projected

$133$146

$161 $169

23

Figure 6: Client Site Visits

Source: Experience Grand Rapids December, 2014

Figure 7: Grand Rapids Pace Target 2014-2021

Source: Trends Analysis Projections, LLC, December 2014

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

2007Actual

2008Actual

2009Actual

2010Actual

2011Actual

2012Actual

2013Actual

2014Actual

6067

48 47

104137 146 15110 7

29 24

5415

5611

339

Individual Site Visits Group Site Clients RCMA Planners

166,661

105,835

59,72743,255

18,239 12,111 571 0

0

46,687

41,125

50,941

50,834

35,85331,357

6,373010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,00090,000

100,000110,000120,000130,000140,000150,000160,000170,000180,000

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Definite Room Nights Tentative Room Nights

24

Figure 8: Grand Rapids Market Segment Analysis

Source: Trends Analysis Projections, LLC December, 2014

Figure 9: Group Leads Generated

Source: Experience Grand Rapids December, 2014

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Busine

ss-

Trade

Corpo

rate

Educa

tion

Eng-

Sci

Frat-

Social

Gover

nment

Medic

al

Multi-

Cultur

al

Religio

us

Sports State

Associ

ation

Group

Tour

2012 6% 18% 9% 4% 10% 1% 1% 0% 9% 13% 26% 2%

2013 6% 18% 4% 3% 11% 0% 1% 0% 13% 19% 23% 2%

2014 9% 15% 3% 4% 3% 3% 0% 0% 13% 24% 24% 2%

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2009

Actual

2010

Actual

2011

Actual

2012

Actual

2013

Actual

2014

Actual

499

427

538

611636

792

25

Figure 10: Future Bookings by Market Segment 2015-2020

Educational20%

Religious16%

Trade13%

Sports9%

Government8%

Hobby & Vocational7%

Agriculture6%

Fraternal6%

Corporate6%

Health & Medical3%

Scientific, Engineering3%

Environmental1%

Cultural1%

Other1%

*Based on Room Nights

26

Figure 11: 2015 Special Events and Groups 500+ Peak Rooms

Arrival Departure Account Name Peak Rooms Total

Rooms January

1/8/2015 1/10/2015 Michigan Association of Fairs & Exhibitions 595 1845

1/21/2015 1/25/2015 Michigan Music Conference 775 1700

1/27/2015 1/30/2015 Michigan Townships Association 813 2243

March

3/13/2015 3/15/2015 Michigan DECA 1090 2451

3/19/2015 3/22/2015

Business Professionals of America - Michigan Association 815 2408

3/27/2015 3/30/2015 Michigan Reading Association 925 2700

April

4/12/2015 4/15/2015 American Public Works Association 575 2025

4/17/2015 4/19/2015 SkillsUSA Michigan 725 1470

May

5/4/2015 5/7/2015

Michigan State Police - Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division 574 1434

5/9/2015 Fifth Third River Bank Run

5/16/2015 5/21/2015 Wolverine World Wide 800 4100

5/18/2015 5/25/2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 710 3520

5/29/2015 5/30/2015 Strategic Partners 600 600

5/29/2015 5/31/2015 Michigan Juniors Volleyball Association 1637 3200

June

6/16/2015 6/19/2015 Acton Institute 525 2115

6/26/2015 6/28/2015 Meijer State Games of Michigan 1100 3000

6/28/2015 7/1/2015 Amway Corporation 500 1670

27

Arrival Departure Account Name Peak Rooms Total

Rooms July

7/6/2015 7/10/2015 National Association of Pastoral Musicians 1295 6345

7/19/2015 7/22/2015 National Association of Free Will Baptists 1025 4615

August

8/12/2015 8/15/2015 American Quilter's Society 735 3139

8/23/2015 8/26/2015 Amway Corporation 500 1670

September

9/17/2015 9/19/2015 USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum 1350 4900

9/22/2015 10/11/2015 ArtPrize

9/29/2015 10/2/2015 State Policy Network 600 1942

October

10/4/2015 10/8/2015 Gordon Food Service 874 1545

10/26/2015 10/28/2015 Michigan Judicial Institute 513 1026

December

12/8/2015 12/10/2015 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo 871 2594

12/12/2015 12/13/2015 Gordon Food Service 650 1070

28

Figure 12: 2015 Group Sales Activity Calendar

Date Event Type

Jan

uar

y Event Service Professionals Association Conference

American Bus Association Appointment Show

Professional Conference Management Association Conference

Michigan Industry Event Day Conference

Feb

ruar

y

Religious Conference Management Association Tradeshow

Convention Sales Professional International Conference

Destinations Showcase Tradeshow

National Tour Association Conference

Beerfest FAM FAM

Ma

rch

Meeting Professionals International - Mid America Conference

Heartland Travel Showcase Tradeshow

Michigan Meeting Planners International Conference

Laughfest Client Event Client Event

Experient Envision Appointment Show

Conference Direct Annual Partner Meeting Appointment Show

Michigan Society of Government Meeting Professionals Conference

Ap

ril

IPW (Pow Wow) Tradeshow

HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Meeting Appointment Show

Spring CAB Meeting CAB

Christian Meetings and Conventions Association Appointment Show

AMPS Golf Outing Industry Event

May

Society of Government Meeting Professionals National Conference

Appointment Show

Michigan Meeting Planners International Event Industry Event

Springtime Tradeshow

Michigan Society of Association Executives Golf Outing Industry Event

Jun

e

Travel Alliance Partners Appointment Show

Incentive, Business Travel, and Meetings Exhibition Tradeshow

HelmsBriscoe Webinar Client Event

KCLA Golf Outing Industry Event

Pig Picnic Client Event

29

Ju

ly

DMAI Client Event

OrgPro Annual Conference Conference

CESSE Tradeshow

Au

gu

st

Going on Faith Appointment Show

Lansing Food Truck Client Event

ASAE Golf Outing Client Event

ASAE MI Reception Client Event

ASAE Tradeshow Tradeshow

Pure MI 400 Client Event

Connect Appointment Show

MI SGMP Golf Industry Event

Se

pte

mb

er Fall Educational FAM FAM

Meetings Quest Appointment Show

Small Market Meetings Tradeshow

MSU Suite/Game Client Event

Oc

tob

er

CMP Summit Reception Industry Event

MSAE Certified Meeting Planners Summit Conference

IMEX Tradeshow

MSAE Emerging Professionals Client Event

Rejuvenate Appointment Show

Group Tour FAM FAM

INTERaction Appointment Show

No

ve

mb

er

Fall CAB Meeting CAB

Boomers In Groups Appointment Show

Reunion Tradeshow Client Event

De

ce

mb

er

State Market Holiday Client Appreciation Event Client Event

DC Holiday Event Client Event

Holiday Showcase Tradeshow

Expo! Expo! (Intl. Assn. of Exhibitors and Events) Tradeshow

30

Figure 13: Experience Grand Rapids Commonly Used Acronyms

ABA – American Bus Association AGM – Assistant General Manager AGPH- Amway Grand Plaza Hotel AIBTM – America’s Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition AMPS – Association of Meeting Professionals ASAE- American Society of Association Executives BOD- Board of Directors CAB – Client Advisory Board CESSE - Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives CMCA – Christian Meetings & Conventions Association CMP – Certified Meeting Planner CSPI – Convention Sales Professional International DMAI- Destination Marketing Association International DOS – Director of Sales DVP- DeVos Place EC- Executive Committee FAM – Familiarization Tour FC- Finance Committee GC- Governance Committee GM – General Manager GRACC- Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce GRFIA- Gerald R. Ford International Airport HAC- Hotel Advisory Committee IAEE - International Association of Exhibitions and Events IMEX America – Incentives, Meetings, Events and Exhibitions America KCLA- Kent County Lodging Association MACVB- Michigan Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus MLTA- Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association MMPI - Michigan Meeting Professionals International MPI – Meeting Professionals International MSAE- Michigan Society of Association Executives NCBMP – National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners NTA – National Tour Association OMCA – Ontario Motorcoach Association PCMA – Professional Conference Managers Association PCR – Post Convention Report RCMA – Religious Conference Managers Association RFP- Request for Proposal RWGR- Restaurant Week Grand Rapids SGMP- Society of Government Meeting Professionals TRP- The Right Place WMSC- West Michigan Sports Commission

31

Figure 14: Map of Competitive Cities

Figure 15: Convention Peer Set

City Hotel Tax % 2015

CVB Budget Exhibit Space* Hotel Rooms - CBD Hotel Rooms -

Metro Area

Charlotte 15.25% $13,213,486 280,000 4,571 25,003

Detroit 15.00% $15,100,000 723,000 4,792 41,300

Austin 15.00% $15,000,000 264,097 6,400 31,000

Pittsburgh 14.00% $11,000,000 236,900 4,570 24,814

Kansas City 16.85% $10,000,000 388,800 3,500 32,000

Milwaukee 15.10% $8,000,000 189,000 4,544 16,000

Albuquerque 13.00% $6,400,000 167,562 936 16,000

Memphis 9.25% $8,400,000 160,000 3,000 23,000

Sacramento

12% + 1% - 3% based on

the zone $8,400,000 135,000 2,100 10,000

Cincinnati 17.25% $7,814,000 198,000 2,968 27,877

Richmond 13.30% $4,838,723 180,000 2,038 17,652

Lansing 13.00% $4,700,000 71,760 256 4,314

Omaha 18.16% $4,703,205 194,000 2,656 14,032

Grand Rapids 15.00% $ 7,602,000 162,000 1,436 7,318

*Largest Room

Available

32

Figure 16: Group Attendees Hosted

Source: Experience Grand Rapids December 2014

Figure 17: Groups Serviced Annually

Source: Experience Grand Rapids December 2014

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

2010

Actual

2011

Actual

2012

Actual

2013

Actual

2014

Actual

177,460 175,126

243,491 238,044

311,059

33

Figure 18: Group Satisfaction

Source: Experience Grand Rapids Surveys December, 2014

Figure 19: Website Traffic Metrics

Source: Google Analytics through December 2014

316382423780

571308677401

771393941075

17428

177655

267177

331015

19074

65827

147358

14980

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

GRCityTwist

Leisure Blog

Mobile Sessions

Website Sessions

34

Figure 20: Website Demographics

Website Age Demographics:

Source: Quantcast

Website Visitor Ethnicity Demographics:

Source: Quantcast

< 1816%

18-2410%

25-3420%

35-4418%

45-5418%

55-6412%

65+6%

< 18

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

87%

4%

3%

4%

1%

Caucasian

African American

Asian

Hispanic

Other

35

Website Gender Demographics:

Source: Quantcast

Figure 21: Facebook Demographics

Facebook Gender Demographics:

Source: Quantcast

39%

61%

Website 2013

Men

Women

35%

65%

Website 2014

Men

Women

42%

58%

Facebook 2013

Men

Women

39%

61%

Facebook 2014

Men

Women

36

Facebook Fans:

Source: Facebook Insights, Sprout Social (December 2014 YE)

Figure 22: Twitter Demographics

Twitter Age Demographics:

Source: Quantcast

12,998

47,204

52,998

68,710

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

2011 2012 2013 2014

50%50%

Twitter 2013

Men

Women

49%

51%

Twitter 2014

Men

Women

37

Twitter Followers:

Source: Twitter, Sprout Social (December 2014, YE)

Figure 23: SEO Rank

Source: Facebook Insights, Sprout Social

4,632

8,064

10,562

16,344

-

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

2011 2012 2013 2014

38

Figure 24: Marketing Media Plan

39

40

Figure 25: EXGR Public Relations Efforts January- December, 2014

Source: Experience Grand Rapids

Figure 26: Grand Rapids in the News- By State

Source: Vocus Reporting, January- December, 2014

1963

16

26

27

24

107

398

247

News Releases Distributed

Interviews

Conventions Highlighted

Media Events Attended

Travel Journalists Hosted

Article Requests

Award Submissions

Pitches to Media

Media Mentions of EXGR

Community Presentations

Media Coverage

41

Figure 27: Grand Rapids in the News- By Category

Source: Vocus Reporting, January- December, 2014

Figure 28: Kent County Visitor Spending

$0.0

$200.0

$400.0

$600.0

$800.0

$1,000.0

$1,200.0

$1,400.0

$1,600.0

2011 2012 2013

$1.02 B

$1.17 B

$1.53 B

Bill

ion

s

Source: Travel Michigan

42

Figure 29: Kent County Visitor Traffic

Figure 30: Longwoods Pure Michigan Advertising Evaluation March 2014

2013 Short Term Campaign Efficiency Experience Grand Rapids Advertising Investment $677,700

Total Advertising Investment $1,355,400

Incremental Visits 531,000

Incremental Spending* 161,527 M

*Spending in Grand Rapids. Visitor spending data provided by Michigan Economic Development

Corporation

5,800,000

6,000,000

6,200,000

6,400,000

6,600,000

6,800,000

7,000,000

7,200,000

7,400,000

1 2 3

6,444,308

6,673,114

7,341,514

2011 2012 2013

Source: Travel Michigan

43

Figure 31: DMAI Major Findings of Trends and Strategies

Top 20 Trends

1. Social media’s prominence in reaching the travel market (e.g., Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Weibo).

2. Mobile platforms and apps becoming the primary engagement platform for travelers.

3. Customers increasingly seeking a personalized travel experience.

4. Smart technology (e.g., phones, bag tags, and cards) creating new opportunities for innovative new

services and processes.

5. Travelers demanding more information, control, interaction and personalization.

6. Geotargeting and localization becoming more prevalent.

7. Brand identity for destinations becoming more critical in terms of meeting planner perceptions

about value and experience.

8. Customers increasingly looking for a travel experience that allows them to experience a local’s way

of life.

9. Technology enabling faster decision-making by customers, thereby, increasing business to a

destination.

10. Consumers becoming increasingly comfortable with ordering products online.

11. Hotel taxes increasingly vulnerable to alternative politically based projects.

12. Big Data arriving for the tourism industry.

13. The brand of a destination becoming a more important factor in travel decision to consumers.

14. Governments facing pressure to reduce or eliminate direct financial subsidies to the tourism sector.

15. Short-stay trips and mini vacations becoming increasingly popular.

16. More third-party information providers aggregating content about destinations.

17. Peer-to-peer buyer influence driving customer purchases.

18. Governments dealing with tourism from an integrated, multidepartment perspective, focused on

economic development.

19. Customers increasingly going directly to suppliers for goods and services.

20. Economic conditions continuing to be highly volatile, subject to global and regional shocks.

44

Figure 32: Generational Travel Trends

Source: Destination Analysts, Inc. and Miles, August 2013- State of the American Traveler

45

Figure 33: Grand Rapids Recognitions

46

Figure 34: Experience Grand Rapids Recognitions

47

Figure 35: Experience Grand Rapids Staff Directory

DIRECT LINE (233-XXXX) / EXT. FAX: 459-7291 ADMINISTRATION Doug Small, President & CEO 3541 dsmall@ExperienceGR.com

Dan Jonkman, Vice President of Finance & Administration 3548 djonkman@ExperienceGR.com Kim Young, Vice President of Information Systems 3555 kyoung@ExperienceGR.com Annah Shallman, Executive Coordinator 3552 ashallman@ExperienceGR.com Carol Campbell, Accountant 3572 ccampbell@vExperienceGR.com MARKETING TEAM Janet Korn, Senior Vice President 3545 jkorn@ExperienceGR.com Andrea Robyns, Marketing Technology Director 3550 arobyns@ExperienceGR.com Kelly McGrail, Director of Marketing 3558 kmcgrail@ExperienceGR.com Stephanie Kotschevar, Public Relations Specialist 3577 skotschevar@ExperienceGR.com Karolina Haines, Marketing Manager 3571 khaines@ExperienceGR.com

Kate Herron, Community Development Manager 3553 kherron@ExperienceGR.com Lisa Verhil, Visitor Services Manager 3578 lverhil@ExperienceGR.com Ashley Gechoff, Visitor Concierge 3542 agechoff@ExperienceGr.com SALES TEAM Tom Bennett, Vice President of Sales & Services 3544 tbennett@ExperienceGR.com Mary Manier, Director of Sales 3554 mmanier@ExperienceGR.com Heidi Schmitt, Director of State Accounts 3557 hschmitt@ExperienceGR.com Nichole Steele, National Sales Director 3547 nsteele@ExperienceGR.com Kim Rangel, Events Manager 3543 krangel@ExperienceGR.com Marlene Bushouse, Sales/IT Coordinator 3570 mbushouse@ExperienceGR.com Nancy Ruppert, Convention Development Manager 3549 nruppert@ExperienceGR.com

Robert Snyders, National Sales Director 3546 bsnyders@ExperienceGR.com SERVICES TEAM Andie Newcomer, Convention Services Manager 3559 anewcomer@ExperienceGR.com

Krystal Kirby, Events Manager 3573 kkirby@ExperienceGR.com Nina Fox, Convention Services Specialist 3540 nfox@ExperienceGR.com

Tim Nelson, Convention Services Manager 3556 tnelson@ExperienceGR.com AIRPORT INFORMATION DESK STAFF 233-6076 Alejandro (Alex) Vera avera@ExperienceGR.com Lauren Nadeau lnadeau@ExperienceGR.com Connie Saldivar csaldivar@ExperienceGR.com

Ruth Kemp rkemp@ExperienceGR.com Glory Meyer gmeyer@ExperienceGR.com

Cathi Biggart cbiggart@ExperienceGR.com Robert Targosz rtargosz@ExperienceGR.com Navdeep Singh nsingh@experienceGR.com Pam Heidenga pheidenga@experienceGR.com Stephanie Hamilton shamilton@ExperienceGR.com Karen Melton kmelton@ExperienceGR.com Rick Murphy rmurphy@ExperienceGR.com WEST MICHIGAN SPORTS COMMISSION 233-3560 FAX: 459-0562

48

Endnotes

1 Smith Travel Research, 2014 2 Longwoods International, March 2014 3 Longwoods International, March 2014 4 Destination Next, Destination Marketing Association International, July 2014 5 Destination Next, Destination Marketing Association International, July 2014 6 Experience Grand Rapids Strategic Plan, 2013-2015 7 Hotel InduSTRy Overview, Smith Travel Research, July 2014 8 “U.S. Lodging Industry Update”, PFK Hospitality Research, July 2014 9 “Where Destination Content Marketing Fits in Your Marketing Plan”, Content Marketing Institute, May 2014, Joe Pulizzi 10 “A Framework for Video Engagement in the Participation Age”, July 2014 as presented at DMAI Summit 11 Responsive Design, Miles Marketing Destinations 12 Miles Marketing Destinations, “The State of the American Traveler,” Destination Analysts, Inc. Volume 16, July 2014 13 “U.S. Travel Outlook”, U.S. Travel Association, July 2014 14 Miles Marketing Destinations, “The State of the American Traveler,” Destination Analysts, Inc. Volume 16, July 2014 15 “Boomers: The Future of Group Travel Today”, Boomers in Groups 16 CMI’s 18th Annual LGBT Travel Survey, Community Marketing, Inc., November 2013 17 “The Top Four Meeting Trends of 2014”, Successful Meetings, January 2014 18 DMAI Annual Conference Panel Presentation, July 2014