8 Reasons to Work with CVBs in 2018

Convention and visitors bureaus provide tools and services to help meeting planners achieve successful and memorable meetings — from qualifying hotel options based on the meeting’s needs and coordinating site visits to providing local expertise. A CVB’s complimentary services save planners time and help them make the smartest decisions. Depending on the organization, sourcing a meeting through a CVB could also qualify planners for additional time- and money-saving services. Here are eight reasons you should include a CVB on your next RFP submission.  

1. Personalized hotel selection assistance: The CVB staff will qualify your hotel options, answer all your questions, and help you select the meeting hotel that’s right for your event.
2. Site visit planning: Why schedule your site visit itinerary on your own? Leave it to the CVB experts, who will roll out the red carpet, provide transportation, and tag along with you to help your busy day(s) go smoothly.
3. Incentives: Many CVBs have incentive funds for qualifying meetings. Contact the CVB early in your decision-making process to inquire about financial assistance that’s available to win your business.
4. Time-saving help from destination experts: CVB staff members know which restaurants have private rooms for 33 people, how to incorporate local chocolate into your evening food-foraging team-building adventure, and how to contact that one street musician you saw two years ago to play at your opening reception. Call before you start Googling.
5. Local connections: Why hire a keynote speaker who lives 500 miles away? The CVB team will know the nationally accredited or unique high-profile speakers who live in the city. They also know the right contacts for group tours, off-site venues, and transportation to make your planning easy.
6. Attendance-building tools: CVBs are expert destination marketers that offer marketing toolkits for meeting planners to help increase attendance and show off your excellent destination decision.
7. Attendee satisfaction: CVBs can provide visitor information, maps, access to deals for area attractions, hospitality tables, and more to help your attendees connect to the destination and have memorable experiences.
8. Customer focus: CVBs want your meeting to be a smashing success and will go above and beyond to help you.

The Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau is an industry trendsetter with a full menu of exclusive services for meeting planners, including registration staffing, attraction value cards for attendees, and more. The CVB’s Have More Fun on Us incentive program offers planners of qualified meetings up to $2,500 toward unique Asheville experiences.