Working Together For Cincinnati: Combining Operations of Convention Center and Convention Bureau Wi
CINCINNATI, OH, September 21, 2005. A proposal to maximize the selling, marketing and servicing of the newly expanded Convention Center was presented today to Cincinnati City Council and the Hamilton County Commissioners.
The plan, recommended by John T. Taylor, Chairman of the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Dan Meyer, Chairman of the Convention Facilities Authority (CFA), proposes combining the CVB and Convention Center operations into one, new organization to maximize the community's return on the $160 million Convention Center investment.
"The proposed approach will enhance our region's ability to market and sell the new Cinergy Center by bringing together the full force of our sales marketing and service organizations," said Taylor. "Combining these organizations will help us compete, win and maximize the return on our investment."
The proposal says no new funding is needed to form this organization. In fact, because the combined organizations would be better focused on bringing high-value meetings, conventions and events to Cincinnati, thus generating more revenue by filling hotels and generating more occupancy tax revenue for Hamilton County. Restaurants and local retail businesses will benefit, too, say Taylor and Meyer.
Currently the Convention Center and the CVB are non-profit organizations that are funded in part by the County and City hotel-motel tax. The Convention Center has approximately 22 full-time staff and reports into the City of Cincinnati's City Manager. The CVB, with approximately 25 full-time employees, has its own board of directors to which it reports.
The proposal maintains the current funding sources, combines the organizations and budget and recommends the CFA act as the fund disbursement agent. The new organization would report to a new board of directors, appointed by the city and county.
"With the CVB and the Convention Center working together as one, we will gain efficiencies and effectiveness with all working towards one goal - to host the highest value conventions, meetings and events," said Meyer.
Taylor and Meyer cite a recent study by Minneapolis-based consultant Conventions, Sports and Leisure (CS&L) as the basis of their recommendation. The study, commissioned by many of the private businesses that donated to the Center's expansion, looked at Cincinnati's current CVB and Center operations and more than XX comparable cities and recommended the combined approach. CS&L also provided the analysis on the convention center expansion project in 2002.
Other key plan elements include maintaining current jobs and honoring any existing collective bargaining contracts. They will conduct a national search for the new organizations' leader and hope to have the organization operational by January 1, 2006.
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