During National Tourism Week May 5-13, CVB staff conducted a sales blitz to generate leads for group and convention business. During the blitz, about 220 people were contacted and 33 potential leads generated.

If you attend conventions or other group events in other cities, let the CVB sale staff know about them. Perhaps those events would be a good fit for Springfield. Just call 417-881-5300 and ask for a member of the Group Sales Department.

The city has more than 6,300 hotel rooms and event and meeting venues that can accommodate a variety of groups and events. About 20 percent of overnight travelers in Springfield are here for a group event.

Tourism is one of Springfield’s top industries. More than 3 million overnight visitors and countless day trippers come to the city each year. The Missouri Division of Tourism reports visitors spent about $551 million in Greene County in 2011 and more than 16,000 jobs in the county are tourism related.

Groups booked by the CVB in April were:

  • Missouri Federation of National Retired Federal Employees, April 2014, 140 room nights
  • National Christian Homeschool Fall Nationals, October 2012, 671 room nights
  • National Christian Homeschool Fall Nationals, November 2012, 543 room nights
  • Missouri State High School Activities Association State Baseball Championships, May 2012, 600 room nights
  • Learning Insights, September 2012, 35 room nights
  • Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars, June 2014, 515 room nights

Also in April, the CVB provided convention services to 13 groups totaling  more than 7,325 delegates and 4,358 room nights.