‘Communicating direct spending and economic impact are invaluable tools for CVBs hosting large-scale events.’
The Prestige Some meetings offer more than monetary value — including the 2012 Democratic National Convention, coming to Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena (top), and the 2011 League of United Latin American Citizens National Convention, held in Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh has already booked at least five major events as a direct result of the G-20, Davis said, including a gathering of global leaders for the United Nations’ World Environment Day in April 2011. Not every stakeholder was convinced that host-
ing the G-20 was a good idea. Extra security would cost more than $19 million, and downtown Pitts- burgh essentially would have to shut down for the duration of the event. “Locals questioned why we would suspend commerce, ” Davis said, “and we were able to say, ‘Because it makes so much sense.’ What kind of message would it send if Pittsburgh passed on this? You have to embrace these things. It was a lot of coordination, but so worth it. It’s part of our résumé now.” Charlotte, N.C., hopes to see a similar boost in
future bookings after it hosts the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which will bring more than 30,000 delegates and 15,000 members of
48 PCMA CONVENE MAY 2012
the media to town this September. Hosting an event of this magnitude and prestige shows that the Queen City can con- fidently handle citywide events with ease, according to Mike Butts, executive director of Visit Charlotte. “Communicating direct spending and economic
Craig Davis
‘What kind of message would it send if Pittsburgh passed on [the G-20 Summit]?’
impact are invaluable tools for CVBs hosting large- scale events,” Butts said, “but it’s also important for us to communicate the positive customer experiences and the 50,000-plus jobs in the city’s hospitality com- munity.… We strive to share with our stakeholders and community just how these organizations best utilize city assets and why they chose Charlotte, so they have a vested interest in continuing to support events that impact the city.” Some events deliver less-tangible value from the
attendees they attract rather than the press coverage they receive — such as aibtm, the Americas Meet- ings & Events Exhibition, which draws thousands of convention and meeting buyers from across the