During the second quarter of FY 2010-11, the Group Sales Department made 104 personal sales calls to meeting and group travel planners.  In addition, telemarketing calls were made and e-mails and letters sent to 1,386 qualified meeting and group travel planners.  As a result of these calls, 20 qualified leads were generated. These qualified leads represent 12,246 room nights for Springfield hotels/motels.

Bid presentations, proposals, or site inspections were given to 12 groups representing 10,790 room nights. Of these, 6 groups representing 3,595 room nights were booked, 5 groups representing 6,895 room nights are pending, and 1 group representing 300 room nights was lost.

Definite group bookings for the second quarter from all bureau efforts totaled 14 groups and 6,966 room nights in Springfield hotels/motels.

Groups booked during the second quarter included:

  • American Truck Historic Society, May 2014 Annual Convention & Truck Show, 2,190 room nights;
  • Governor’s Conference on Economic Development, September 2011 convention, 770 room nights;
  • Aladdin Lamp Collectors Club, July 2012 Annual Gathering, 840 room nights;
  • American Chemical Society Midwest Region, October 2013 Conference, 550 room nights, and;
  • National Collegiate Athletic Association, November 2012 Division I Midwest Region Cross Country Championships, 380 room nights.

Other activities of the Group Sales Department during the second quarter included:

  • representing Springfield at United States Sports Congress in Ft. Meyers, TEAMS Sports Travel in Charlotte, and Rejuvenate Marketplace in Louisville;
  • presenting a proposal in Las Vegas to host the 2014 National Fireworks Association convention;
  • training on and populating the bureau’s new web-based software, D3000;
  • training the new convention sales manager, Ms. Melissa Evans;
  • providing management and marketing services for the Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission;
  • assembling meeting and convention information for Hunden Strategic Partners for the convention competitive assessment;
  • prospecting for convention leads on online convention marketing databases purchased from Destination Marketing Association International and Backyard Marketing;
  • attending management and sales training workshops;
  • conducting bi-monthly committee meetings with hotels on bureau/hotel projects, and;
  • attending Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission meetings, Missouri Society of Association Executives and Society of Government Meeting Planners meetings in Jefferson City, Missouri Travel Council meetings, Lake Country Soccer board meetings, Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association meetings in Jefferson City, MSU Hospitality & Restaurant Administration board of advisors’ meeting, and Springfield Hotel Lodging Association meetings.

During the second quarter, the Convention Services Department provided registration services, shuttle services, information packets, and other miscellaneous services to 24 groups representing more than 16,930 delegates and approximately 6,630 room nights in Springfield hotels.

Some of the major conventions and events that received bureau assistance included:

  • National Christian Homeschool Fall National Championships;
  • Lake Country Soccer Incredible Pizza Fall Classic;
  • Missouri Baptist Convention, and;
  • Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System.

Other activities of the Convention Services Department during the second quarter included:

  • beginning centralized housing for the Lake Country Soccer Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission Champions Challenge and the Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Cup, Missouri Association for Career & Technical Education, and United Methodist Church;
  • continuing centralized housing for the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships;
  • organizing information tables, shuttle service, and other convention services for the Kiwanis MO-AR District Convention, Lake Country Soccer Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission Champions Challenge, Missouri Art Education Association, and National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships;
  • distributing convention calendars to Springfield attractions, restaurants, and other businesses;
  • hosting centralized housing training meetings with hotel front office staffs;
  • meeting with meeting planners to arrange convention services for future events, and;
  • entering data into the Destination Marketing Association International Meeting Information Network (MINT) database.

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