HSMAI Marketing Review August 2009 - 10

SUCCESS STORIES sons to come,” says Donoho. The program appeals not only to individuals and couples, says Donoho, but to girlfriend outings, families, and other groups. “We have many regular ‘day’ customers,” says Donoho. THE WALDORF-ASTORIA Aside from the economy, the big story in 2008 was the presidential election. One legendary hotel had a particularly valuable connection to presidential history. to unveil the menu. To maintain interest, the menu remained available to guests in the Waldorf Towers, as well as to patrons of the Bull & Bear steakhouse in the hotel. Also part of the strategy were guided tours of the Presidential Suite, with anecdotes related to presidential visits. THE RESULTS: The promotion secured placements in top national and New York area outlets, including ABC and NBC; the Wall Street Journal; luxury blogs such as Gothamist and Luxist and others—a total reach of 24 million. There was also a significant increase in Web site hits, reservations for the Presidential Tasting Menu; and greater interest from guests in the hotel’s history and in the Presidential Suite. During difficult economic times, partnerships and leverage are more important than ever. While it is not unknown for convention and visitors bureaus to work together, the following involves a truly nationwide effort by mid-market cities to develop big-market clout. THE HOTEL: The Waldorf-Astoria in New York THE SITUATION: The hotel wanted to bring attention to the storied history of The Waldorf Towers, a hotel within the hotel and home to the Presidential Suite, official New York residence of every president since Herbert Hoover. THE SOLUTION: Working with the hotel’s public relations agency, The Waldorf sought to highlight the hotel’s new and innovative dining options as a way to bring attention to the hotel’s history and presidential connection. The Executive Chef created a four-course Presidential Tasting Menu, based on dishes he has personally prepared for past presidents staying in the Towers. The hotel hosted top travel, food, and lifestyle journalists in the Presidential Suite on “Super Tuesday” primary day 10 THE COMPANY: Hartford-MadisonSpokane (HMS) Partnership, including the convention and visitor bureaus of Greater Hartford, Connecticut; Madison Wisconsin; and Spokane, Washington. THE SITUATION: Competition for midsized meetings has become intense as many cities have constructed modern convention centers. At the same time, competition is intensifying for mid-sized meetings because of the emergence of meeting destinations like Walt Disney World, large convention hotels, and mega meeting resorts like the Gaylord group. THE SOLUTION: Since many meetings rotate to different cities, the three CVB’s decided to reach out to meetings together since they shared similar size; modern convention centers that are near naturally beautiful settings; and common philosophies toward working with clients. The partnership was formed for many reasons, including cost savings as the three were able to hold events together—increasing the chances one market would make a sale—at roughly one third the cost per event. Rather than about five sales managers each, the three now have roughly 14 sales managers. To get planners to commit to multiple cities, the HMS Partnership announced a program offering up to a $30,000 incentive for planners who book events at the convention centers in two of the three cities—booking at least 300 peak room nights, and using multiple hotels. THE RESULTS: Since launching in 2007, the partnership has expanded to two joint trade shows and two sales events in Chicago and New York City. Meeting planners have reported to the three that they are attending their events because it is more efficient than going to single-city promotional events. The three cities are able to pool their marketing dollars to leverage their budgets. Sales teams are visiting each others’ cities to learn more about their partners. They are also holding monthly conference calls to exchange leads and share lists of prospective clients and groups. A number of joint-city proposals have been submitted for groups who have expressed interest in the partnership. s With a career spanning 30 years, Harvey Chipkin, a well-known and highly regarded travel industry writer, is a regular contributor to this magazine and to a number of trade and consumer publications. He has been twice selected as the recipient of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Pearson Award for Excellence in Journalism. He can be reached at hchipkin@comcast.net. HSMAI MARKETING REVIEW • AUGUST 2009

HSMAI Marketing Review August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of HSMAI Marketing Review August 2009