ANNUAL REPORT and BUSINESS PLAN FISCAL YEARS 2011-2012
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ANNUAL REPORT and BUSINESS PLAN FISCAL YEARS 2011-2012 Our Mission 4 Message from the Chairman 5 Message from the President 6 Board of Directors 7 S Committees of the Board of Directors 8 T EN Visit Baltimore Advisory Committees 10 T Organization Chart and Staff Listing 12 Environmental Scan 14 CON of Convention Sales and Services 18 Convention Sales Productivity 20 2012 Tradeshow Event Calendar 25 TABLE Leisure Marketing and Communications 26 Local Media and Community Relations 32 Membership 34 Operations 36 Our Mission The official sales and marketing organization for Baltimore that generates economic benefits for stakeholders through the attraction of convention, group and leisure visitors. Over the past few years, unsure economic times have impacted the tourism limited financial and physical resources. Peggy’s guidance of the past two industry not only in Baltimore, but across the nation. This turbulence proved decades has been instrumental in ensuring that we have a strong centerpiece to be challenging as we encountered a number of barriers. But during these for attractive meetings packages. It is this leadership that made Peggy this AN M dark times, Fiscal Year 2011 brought us a ray of sunshine as we recover year’s recipient of the William Donald Schaefer Tourism Visionary Award. from a national crisis that still affects the spending habits of individuals, This year, we mourned the passing of the architect of Baltimore’s tourism CHAIR governments and organizations. The strides that we have made this year in industry, Governor William Donald Schaefer. Without his vision and resolve, the promoting Baltimore as a premier tourism and meetings destination have laid beautiful Baltimore that we cherish today would not exist. The city’s tourism the foundation for a prosperous and exciting Fiscal Year 2012. industry would be suffering. I encourage all of us to closely revisit Governor For all of the economic uncertainty, the tourism industry in Baltimore Schaefer’s intent to make tourism a top economic driver in Baltimore. As leaders, from the has weathered the storm. In calendar year 2010, we saw 21 million visitors to we must focus our strategy on making the best decisions to further this industry; our historic city, an increase of almost one million. This is no small feat during $508 million in local and state tax revenue and tens of thousands of jobs depend a time when people are cutting back on “unnecessary” expenses. Our sales, on our ongoing commitment to this cause. We must continue to strive toward marketing and public relations initiatives have been crucial to bringing visitors our goal of making tourism a leading industry in the city by carefully building MESSAGE and meetings back to Baltimore. Marketing outreach to multicultural groups and enacting sound strategic plans that work not only now, but in the future as and more than $16.1 million in free media placements have contributed greatly well. We need to be bold in our decisions and advocate for what is best for the to promoting Baltimore as a leisure destination. industry to remain relevant in a competitive landscape. We recently received exciting news that the Visit Baltimore budget Thank you to the board for the strong support that you have provided; will get a boost because of a tax settlement from online travel booking I am honored to work with an amazing group that brings a cross-section agencies. This influx allows us to recover funds lost during a decline in of outlooks and ideas. Thank you to the city leadership for supporting us, revenue because of the economy over the past few years. We are in good and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for her work with us, especially her shape, and even more prepared to implement strategies needed to increase instrumental role in bringing the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in June. our organizational capacities. Thank you, Peggy, Tom Noonan, and the teams at Visit Baltimore and the BCC This year, the Baltimore Convention Center began a cosmetic for your tireless efforts. transformation, including new carpeting and seating; updated concession Together, we can all ensure that tourism in Baltimore continues to facilities; and expanded green practices, including a garden terrace that thrive now and for years to come. grows herbs used by the center’s caterers. Under the watchful eye of Peggy Daidakis, the Convention Center continues to thrive in spite of increasingly We end Fiscal Year 2011 on a high note, entering what I like to call the These events demonstrate something else: the commitment of our “Summer of Tourism Recovery.” Last month, we welcomed leaders from partners to the growth of tourism in Baltimore. Our success would not have across the country to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Following that, we been possible without help from the state tourism officials; our restaurants, hosted America Meetings Week and AIBTM, the first international tradeshow hotels, transportation and entertainment companies; and other partners. We held in America. In addition to major U.S. cities, over 90 international tourism are grateful for their support and realize that they provide the foundation for boards participated in the exhibition, including Canada, China, Mexico, what we do. PRESIDENT Abu Dhabi and Brazil. This exhibition showcased Baltimore to thousands Visit Baltimore is finishing strong even with the trappings of the of influential domestic and international meeting planners who were current economic landscape. Baltimore is one of a handful of cities across the genuinely impressed by our city; feedback about Baltimore and our staff country that still experienced growth in room night bookings; and in FY 2011, was overwhelmingly positive. The accompanying exposure will change the we posted our third-highest number of future room night bookings. Hotel from the perception of Baltimore and have a positive impact on future bookings. occupancy and room night rates are up by 8 percent, and we expect We look forward to AIBTM’s return in 2012 and 2013. this growth to continue in FY 2012. We also have an “event-full” summer planned. In September, the We are also preparing for dialogue surrounding the construction MESSAGE streets will rumble as the Baltimore Grand Prix roars into town. Upwards of of a new convention center and arena in Baltimore. We need to examine 100,000 fans will descend on Baltimore during a traditionally slow Labor Day possibilities and advance strategies to make Baltimore a major player in weekend, making a substantial economic impact. The Grand Prix will also the increasingly competitive meetings landscape. Other cities are unveiling generate unprecedented opportunities to showcase Baltimore to the world, plans for expanded meetings facilities that put us at a serious disadvantage, as the races are broadcast on major networks nationally and abroad. Millions and Baltimore can no longer realistically expect to compete without making of viewers will see panoramic views of the Inner Harbor, Camden Yards and substantial changes. The late William Donald Schaefer had the foresight to downtown, contributing to a positive perception of Baltimore. cultivate an infrastructure that lasted decades beyond its inception; it is Our work on these events, as well as promotion of the redesigned crucial that we do the same if we want to be relevant in the future. African American Festival, the 30th Anniversary of ArtScape and the 150th I know that this year will be a critical one, ripe with possibilities. Anniversary of the Civil War, is only the beginning for Baltimore. Next year, Thank you to Ed, the board and the Visit Baltimore staff for their unwavering we celebrate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 with a number of events support as we move Visit Baltimore and the city’s tourism industry forward. centered at the Inner Harbor and Fort McHenry. This provides Baltimore with another great opportunity to attract more positive attention and welcome visitors to explore our great city. Baltimore Convention & Tourism Board of Directors BoarD CHairman Edward Dopkin Jon Koscher David Taft Terry, Ph.D. Ed Hale Vice President for Finance General Manager Executive Director Chairman and CEO The Classic Catering People Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland 1st Mariner Bank African American History & Culture LaRian Finney Dominick Murray CEO Deputy Secretary Chuck G. Tildon, III Delegate Curt Anderson Visionary Marketing Group Maryland Department of Business & Vice President of Marketing Baltimore City Delegate Economic Development and Communications Vanessa Finney United Way of Central Maryland Jim Britton Executive Vice President Carla Nelson Owner Mid-Atlantic Nursery Director Sergio Vitale Class Act Catering Trade Show, Inc. Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women- Owner Owned Business Development Aldo’s Italian Restaurant and Edie Brown Kirby Fowler Chazz: A Bronx Original President President Thomas Noonan Edie Brown & Associates, Inc. Downtown Partnership President and CEO Mark Wasserman of Baltimore Visit Baltimore Senior Vice President, Javier Bustamante External Affairs Board Member Michael Frenz Kaliope Parthemos University of Maryland Baltimore Hispanic Chamber Executive Director Deputy Mayor Medical Systems of Commerce Maryland Stadium Authority Office of the Mayor Jordan Wertlieb Councilman William H. Cole, IV Donald Fry David Pittenger General Manager Baltimore City Council President Executive Director WBAL TV Greater Baltimore Committee National Aquarium of Baltimore Woody Collins Linda Westgate Executive VP of M&T Bank Bill Gilmore Frank Remesch General Manager President and COO Executive Director General Manager Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel of Mid-Atlantic Region Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts 1st Mariner Arena of M&T Bank Paul Hartgen Arpad Romandy BUSINESS PLAN Mary Ann Cricchio President and CEO General Manager Owner Restaurant Association InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore and Da Mimmo’s Italian Restaurant of Maryland of Little Italy Ed Rudzinski Michael Haynie General Manager Jason Curtis Vice President and Managing Director Marriott Waterfront Hotel General Manager Tremont Suites Hotels Springhill Suites Gail E.