|
A Message from the President...
|
I have spoken many times before on our need to expand our sales reach and sell more to key National & International markets. This is becoming more and more prevalent as Global Foundries ramps up and continues to bring new employee recruits to town from places like Dresden, Singapore and beyond. One of the ways we are doing this is through our new marketing partnership with Helms Briscoe. Helms Briscoe is the global leader in meeting procurement, leveraging the experience of more than 1100 meetings professionals in over 35 countries around the world. In 2009, Helms Briscoe booked over 18,000 meetings globally, representing more than 3.1 million room nights valued at more than $503 million. As a Preferred Destination for Helms Briscoe, Saratoga Springs will now be marketed directly to this incredibly important network of meetings professionals. We are very excited to begin this relationship and look forward to reaping the rewards from this initiative. Additionally, and to compliment the initiative with Helms Briscoe, we have also entered into a marketing agreement with Cvent. Cvent is the industry’s leading supplier network, reaching over 250,000 meeting & event planners globally (including the 1,100+ Helms Briscoe professionals). As a highlighted destination, Saratoga Springs will have a customized destination guide created and receive preferred placement for it within the supplier network. We will also receive upgraded features within the tool that will allow us to include more images and detailed descriptions of our hotels and attractions within it. As our business continues to grow and evolve, the Bureau will continue to be proactive in our efforts to find new business opportunities around the world.
_____________________________
“And they’re off…for the 142nd meeting at the Spa!”, as our good friend, Tom Durkin – Track Announcer for Saratoga Race Course said to open this year’s race meet on Friday, July 23rd. This is our season, Saratoga’s opportunity to shine on a global stage for 6 weeks as we host the most prestigious thoroughbred horse racing meet in the country. While world-class horse racing is the face of Saratoga, and it gives us access to meeting & incentive planners and group tour operators from around the world…it is really just one component (a very big component) of what Saratoga Springs has to offer as a destination.
I have included links to three different articles that have recently appeared in the likes of The Boston Globe, Golf Digest and our own Saratogian. These articles speak to just some of the attributes that make Saratoga a world-class destination. Please enjoy…
The Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau sales team is of course excited that Track Season has arrived in Saratoga! The Saratoga Race Course is just one of the beautiful and exciting venues Saratoga has to offer, whether you are an individual or part of a larger group. Do you know about some of the other seasonal and year round attractions Saratoga enjoys? Here's just a few:
• Regional and National Museums specializing in and celebrating fine art, racing, dance, automobiles and more
• World class golf courses, with several courses rated in various categories of Golf Digest’s trusted top 100 lists.
• Saratoga Spa State Park - a 2,200 acre state park that is home to a performing arts center, a historic hotel, mineral baths, two golf courses, museums, tennis courts, pavilions, two pools, endless hiking, biking and snowshoeing trails and numerous natural mineral springs
• Over 90 restaurants in the Saratoga area, enough to meet every taste and price point
• Over 1000 buildings on the National Historic Registry
• A safe, walkable community with a year round vibrant nightlife
• Fun, entertaining and educational city or attraction specific tours offered by a variety of experienced tour guides
• An arts district that celebrates Saratoga’s lifelong love affair with all aspects of the arts
• A lake! Saratoga Lake is home to national rowing competitions, as well as your weekend kayaker, which you can experience through an adventure guide or private rental
• A short drive to many of our areas other great cities and attractions, allowing you to enjoy all our region has to offer during the day and Saratoga at night
____________________________
The Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau and Saratoga Springs would like to welcome your next group tour! If you are a group leader, group operator or someone who likes to enjoy everything our area has to offer from the comfort of a motorcoach, then may we suggest Saratoga for your next tour? You probably already know that there are over 100 restaurants, countless shops and boutiques, world class museums and golf, and of course - horses, horses, horses! But did you also know that Saratoga is an ideal "hub and spoke" location? Travel to Cooperstown, Lake George, the Adirondack State Park or historic Albany for day trips, and return to Saratoga in the evening to enjoy the restaurants, nightlife and a stroll on Broadway. Call Heather at the bureau for more information and ideas! 518-584-1531.
|
|
Saratoga Springs City Center Expansion is Underway!
|
Click here for more information on the expansion! Targeted completion late 2010!
Read the City Center's Blog, click here!
Photo by Derek Pruitt, The Post-Star
|
Upcoming Saratoga Conventions!
|
July 28-August 1---Albany Medical College---150 ppl
August 4-7, 2010---NYS Automobile Dealers Association, Inc---70 ppl
August 5-7---American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists-District II/New York---200 ppl
August 11-14---New York State Automboile Dealers Association, Inc.---70 ppl
August 22-26---New York State Funeral Directors Association---700 ppl
_____________________________________
FIND US! JOIN US!
The Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau is on CVENT and STARCITE!
Social Media:
The National Curriculum Mapping Institute was in Park City, UT for 15 years; 2009 being the last year before coming to Saratoga. This year’s conference was held at the Maple Avenue Middle School. The National Curriculum Mapping Institute is a national conference produced by Curriculum Designers, a 100% virtual company, with team members located across the US. Curriculum Mapping is a procedure for collecting and documenting the operational curriculum anchored in the actual school calendar. Each teacher in the building enters critical information about the basic elements of the operational curriculum.
The group held their meetings each day at the Maple Avenue Middle School and returned to their hotels in the evening – ate in our restaurants and shopped in our stores. This group was housed in 8 different lodging properties. We are very excited they chose Saratoga for their 2010 conference. Our sales team is working closely with them in hopes they will return to Saratoga for future years! CLICK HERE to read full press release!
The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) held their annual conference in Saratoga Springs July 11-14, 2010 for the first time. This conference is bringing nearly 700 attendees and 1450 room nights each year for three consecutive years!
The group stayed at The Saratoga Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott, The Holiday Inn and the Hampton Inn & Suites. Their meeting sessions took place in the Saratoga Springs City Center, amidst the ongoing renovation, as well as many of the above mentioned hotels.
Executive Director Peter Mannella comments, “Change after so many years is always a challenge. The folks here in Saratoga, especially at the Convention and Tourism Bureau, have made our first steps a pleasure. We are all very excited about the Hilton and the City Center in 2010 and hopeful about our future in Saratoga! We’re looking forward to spending five terrific days with the people of this great city!”
Landing Page for Your Conference!
Are you a meeting planner who is bringing your convention/conference to Saratoga Springs, NY? Or are you in the process of finding a home for your convention/conference?
The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau is offering a new service that we think your attendees will just love. Our new “Saratoga Landing Page” is being offered to meeting planners free of charge. We can customize a web-page which lists the highlights of Saratoga during the time of your conference – i.e., local events, directions, weather, things to do, etc. We’ll include links to spas, golf courses, restaurants and attractions and include the itinerary of your convention/conference. All you have to do is provide us with the information for your conference. We will set it up and then send you the URL to distribute to your delegates/members.
Don’t delay – please call Kathy Denkenberger, Vice President of Operations and Convention Services today at 518-584-1531 to find out more about this exciting new service.
|