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—and the times. These days, it’s about authentic experiences and value.Whatever may be the goals of your meeting—from those that are budgetary to those that can- not be measured except by attendees’ deep impressions and lasting memories—the West has you covered. Here, you’ll find stunning backdrops for all
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your events: snow-capped mountain vistas, sparkling Pacific Ocean views, desert oases, bustling cities, frontier towns, and venues tucked away in unspoiled natural settings. With such a vast region and variety of des-
tinations, where do you start? Consider the Western Association of Convention &Visi- tors Bureaus (WACVB,www.wacvb.com) your gateway to theWest. Serving more than 135 member bureaus—the official destina- tion marketing organizations for their city, county, or region—in theWest,WACVB is a one-stop marketing organization. But today, it’s not enough to market a
destination, you also have to advocate for the business of meetings. Following one of the most challenging years ever faced by the
UNDER A VIBRANT, RED SKY: Sunset in theTucson desert
HAT’S THE IDEAL DESTINA- tion to hold a meeting? Of course, it depends on the group
West A Perfect Place for Groups to ‘Unplug’ and Reconnect
meetings industry—in which the value of business travel and face-to-face interactions was called into question—WACVB and its members have embraced the “Face Time. It Matters.” grassroots industry campaign. Developed under the aegis of the Conven- tion Industry Council, the campaign is designed to promote the benefits of in-per- son meetings, conferences, and conventions. In this vein, Convene asked a handful of
CVB leaders fromthroughout theWest to answer two questions: 1.Why do you believe it is more
important than ever for people to meet face- to-face, and what makes theWest an ideal place for meetings, conventions, and exhibitions? 2.What specific incentives or value-
adds is your destination offering to groups? Here’s what they had to say.
‘A Most Critical Learning Opportunity’ My belief is that face-to-face meetings are more critical than ever as more of our daily life is spent communicating electronically. While technology has increased productivity and efficiency, human interaction and rela-
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HECETA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE: JEFF DIMMICK; SILVERDALE: YAKIMA VALLEY VCB; FRIDAY HARBOR SAN JUAN ISLANDS: SAN JUAN ISLANDS VISITORS BUREAU; GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE: CALIF. TRAVEL AND TOURISM COMMISSION/ROBERT HOLMES; SALT LAKE CITY SKYLINE: SALT LAKE CVB/ADAM BARKER; WILD SUNSET: BRUCE GRIFFIN