Meetings Beat - 2005-07-18

TQ3Navigant Selects StarCite
Mega travel management company TQ3Navigant last week announced it selected StarCite as its preferred meetings registration provider. The agency will use StarCite attendee management tools to build and manage meeting and event registration sites for internal and client meetings. "Managing meetings successfully and cost effectively is an important component of our corporate service philosophy. And with StarCite's attendee management technology, we are better equipped to service our clients in a more complete way," said Keith Taylor, TQ3Navigant senior vice president of sales and account management, in a StarCite release.

IACVB Members Approve Name Change
Members of the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus have voted to change the group's name to Destination Marketing Association International, effective Aug. 2. The vote, held during the month of June and announced on July 7, passed with more than 80 percent support of voting members. According to an association release, the new brand identity was put before the membership after a market survey showed that 70 percent of respondents had little or no recognition for the term "CVB" or "convention and visitor bureau." Other reasons for the change were international expansion and inclusion, and relevance, clarity and distinction within individual destinations. "We recognize the future of our industry depends on our members' ability to become as contemporary, distinctive and relevant as possible in their individual communities and in the larger hospitality realm," said Michael Gehrisch, IACVB president and CEO, in the release. The branding initiative is part of the group's Brand Leadership Campaign, which was initiated in October 2003. In addition to the brand assessment, other resources include developing a brand promise, developing a resource tool for CVB professionals, a guide for destination brand research and a guide to assist CVBs with hiring qualified brand consultants. "We must secure our reputation as the premier demand driver of tourism revenue in our destinations," stated Reint Reinders, chairman of the brand leadership campaign strategic advisory group and president and CEO of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.

PCMA Signs Speakers Association Deal
The Professional Convention Management Association last month announced it has partnered with the National Speakers Association. As part of the agreement, leading speakers from NSA will participate in PCMA education programs in 2005 and 2006. "This partnership is an expansion of an excellent ongoing relationship we have with NSA," said PCMA chairman Gregg Talley in an association release. "PCMA members can take advantage of the knowledge these speakers offer, and NSA speakers can gain exposure to their best potential clients. Everyone wins." Talley also is president of association and event management company Talley Management Group. NSA speakers are scheduled to appear at the PCMA annual meeting, leadership retreat, leadership governance conference, education foundation partnership summit and PCMA chapter meetings.

Hotel Management Co. Offers XM Radio
Hotel management company Interstate Hotels & Resorts last month announced it has offered meeting planners an XM Satellite Radio when booking a meeting or catered event worth $5,000 or more in revenue until Sept. 30. The offer is valid at up to 180 full-service locations across the United States, according to a company release. "Interstate Hotels & Resorts is pleased to present this hot-item incentive to meeting planners," said George Brennen, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the company. Interstate Hotels is the nation's largest independent hotel management company, according to the corporate Web site, and manages more than 300 hotels in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Russia and Portugal. In conjunction with the XM radio promotion, planners are entered into a drawing for a five-day/four-night incentive trip to New York City.

~Corrie Dosh & Chris Davis