Crisis Communications Workshop Moved to New Location
Due to higher attendance than expected, the CVB is moving a Crisis Communications Workshop on July 13 to the Colorado Room at University Plaza Hotel.
Melinda Arnold from Dickerson Park Zoo will present the free workshop from 9-11:30am
Melinda is the director of public relations and marketing for Friends of the Zoo, at Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo, where she is responsible for media relations, publications, the zoo's website and social media profiles, and guest services operations. She is a graduate of Missouri State University with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in communications. In more than 16 years at the zoo, her experience with crisis communication has included animal deaths and injuries, legislative issues and attacks by animal extremist organizations.
Beyond her work at the zoo, Melinda volunteered in Joplin with the city's public information office in the aftermath of the May 22 tornado and assisted with producing a video on the debris removal process. She teaches senior-level courses in crisis communications, media relations and social media at Missouri State University. Melinda is a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and chairs AZA's national public relations committee. Locally, she is a member and former president of the Southwest Missouri Chapter of Public Relations Society of America.
RSVP to swade@springfieldmo.org by July 8 if you are planning to attend. Hurry! Space is limited for this free workshop.
National Hockey Event Booked in City
Lance Kettering, CVB sports sales manager and executive director of the Springfield Sports Commission, assisted with a successful bid to bring the American Collegiate Hockey Association D3Men's Hockey National Championships to Springfield. Mediacom Ice Park assisted with the bid.
The event will be in March 2013 and is the first national hockey event the city has hosted. About 1,200 are expected to attend.
Marketing Co-op Dollars Allocated
The CVB received notification that the Missouri Division of Tourism's Cooperative Marketing Program will provide $400,000 for destination advertising and $50,000 for convention and sports marketing for FY 11-12, beginning July 1. The matching funds program provides a significant boost to the CVB's ability to market Springfield as a travel destination.
Discovery Center Collecting School Supplies
Discovery Center is collecting new school supplies for The Salvation Army to provide children in the region with the school supplies needed for the upcoming school year.
The drive begins July 1 and ends September 30. A barrel has been placed inside the Discovery Center lobby for supplies to be dropped off during regular hours of operation.
Discovery Center Members will receive a free guest pass for items brought in, and non-members will receive a buy-one-get-one-free admission pass for items donated. Donated supplies must be new and in original packaging. Possible donations include:
- Back packs
- Glue, liquid white, 8oz.
- Scissors
- Rulers
- Bags of blue, black, or red ink pens
- A box of No. 2 pencils
- Rubber eraser toppers
- Paper
- Crayons or colored pencils
- Calculators
- Tennis shoes
- 2 or more folders with 3 brads and 2 pockets
- Large boxes of tissue
- Protractors
Congratulations to Days Inn!
The Days Inn at 3260 E. Montclair St. received a Certificate of Excellence Award from TripAdvisor.com, an online travel information source where people can write reviews about accommodations and other travel amenities. In 2010, Days Inn received the Travelers' Choice Award from TripAdvisor.
Board Action
The CVB board of directors in May:
- Heard a report from the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
- Approved a succession plan for the CVB.
- Approved the Action Plans section of the FY11-12 Marketing Plan.
- Approved the annual Sports Commission contract renewal.
- Heard a report on the Competitive Assessment study.
The next meeting of the board is at 8am June 16 at the CVB offices. Board meetings are open to the public.
Groups Booked by the CVB in May
Special Olympics Summer Games, May 2011, 245 room nights
June Meetings
- Springfield Hotel Lodging Association, 11:30am June 15, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds
- CVB Board of Directors, 8am June 16 at the CVB Offices
- Sports Commission Board of Directors, 11:30am June 22, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
CVB in Action
- Several CVB staff members attended the Missouri Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus annual conference June 5-7 in Springfield.
- The CVB Sales Department is conducting a convention planners familiarization tour of Springfield June 9-10.
- Staff will participate in a Civil War Expo July 15-17 at the Battlefield Mall.
- Sales Department staff will attend and serve as volunteers at the American Society of Association Executives annual meeting in August in St. Louis.
- The CVB provided convention services for 11 groups totalling more than 8,085 delegates and 3,265 room nights in April.
A special thank you to our volunteers who provided 1,004 hours to the CVB in May!
Springfield Travel Statistics
| May 2011 | YTD 2011 | YTD 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Centers Visits | 3,382 | 11,205 | 15,051 |
| Tourist Inquiries | 15,331 | 30,494 | 52,900 |
| Website Unique Visitors | 38,710 | 151,679 | *See Below |
| Total Contacts | 57,423 | 193,378 | *See Below |
| Airline Passengers | 62,145 | 272,622 | 293,506 |
*The CVB is using a new analytics program to track website traffic. Because of differences in how the new program works compared to the old program, statistical comparisons with previous years are not possible.
Springfield Hotel Statistics
| April 2011 | YTD 2011 | YTD 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room Supply | 185,250 | 732,321 | 732,267 |
| Room Demand | 89,395 | 336,017 | 332,993 |
| Percent of Occupancy | 48.3% | 45.9% | 45.5% |
| Average Daily Rate | $67.06 | $65.88 | $65.21 |
| Revenue Per Available Room | $32.36 | $30.23 | $29.66 |
| Room Sales | $5,994,479 | $22,136,631 | $21,715,854 |
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