Everyone’s taste varies.  So choosing a motivating speaker for your next conference can be difficult.  Always take a look at the speakers’ video(s) before contacting them.  Video excerpts can help you weed out the speakers that just won’t be right for your group.  If you like what you see in the video, take a look at their track record.  Have they spoken to groups with similar memberships?  Will they customize their presentation to meet the needs of your group?  Nothing is worse than hearing a generic speech that doesn’t apply to your members.  Be clear about your objectives for the presentation and make them clear to the speakers you interview.   Ask a few questions and see if they are “on the same page”  as you.  Finally, get a sense of their rapport skills.  Will they be able to connect with your members in a way that will both educate and entertain?  Speaker selection can be as difficult as employee selection.  In the end, always go with your gut.

By Bureau member Judi Clements, President Judi Clements Training & Development

 After 23 years (yes, you read that right – 23 years!!) of courting the business, your Convention Bureau is very excited to announce that the New York Association for Pupil Transportation – NYAPT -  will be coming to Saratoga Springs!  NYAPT had made Albany a permanent home, and the 2009 conference marked their 26^th year on Wolf Road. While Saratoga had tried to win this business away from Albany many times over the years, the group ultimately decided not to move.  Our most recent bid effort started in March of 2008, with sales manager Heather McElhiney, along with hotel partners, making several sales calls on the Albany headquarters office.  We gained the groups attention with news of an expanding City Center – something that was desperately needed if they were to come to Saratoga.  Efforts continued throughout the year and into the next, with Kathy Denkenberger and David Zunker getting involved in the courting as well.  After several meetings with the Executive Director, three site visits for various members of the NYAPT Board and members of the Annual Conference Planning Committee, extensive hotel and City Center involvement and support, and a group presentation to the NYAPT Board of Directors, we got the news that the board had voted to come to Saratoga for three years!  This conference will bring roughly 700 attendees and 1450 room nights each year for three years, starting in July of 2010.  We are all very excited to welcome NYAPT to Saratoga!

Heather McElhiney, Convention Sales Manager

Exciting growth is in every direction from the center of downtown Saratoga. The Saratoga Springs City Center project, scheduled to begin in early September 09, will expand convention center space adjacent to the Saratoga Hilton by more than 12,000 square feet. This project is definite and is expected to be complete in 12-14 months and will also include some significant renovation of the existing structure. Check out the architects' renderings and details of the new building on our website -click here!

P.S. Please note Request for Proposal (RFP) submission opportunities throughout our website or drop us a note at mail@discoversaratoga.org if you have any questions or if there are services we can provide.

Angela LaTerra, Sales and Communications Coordinator

Now is a great time to partner with the Bureau to continue the momentum. Get in touch with Conie Crudo at connie@discoversaratoga.org to learn more about the benefits of Bureau membership- you'll be amazed at the wide range of opportunities.

The economy is cyclical- it's just a matter of time before it comes roaring back. It seems Saratoga might even be the leading edge of a recovery.  We don't want to be too confident, but we appear to be positioned nicely both in terms of location and in terms of real value to welcome those groups that might not have considered Saratoga before and welcome back those groups that may have shopped around, gone elsewhere and are now looking to come back.

Click here to see list of membership benefits!

Connie Crudo, Membership Services Coordinator

Groups are discovering that now is an incredible time to choose Saratoga as a meeting destination. For those booking close-in, Saratoga is a phenomenal value for meetings, conferences, conventions and special events; and those looking further into the future, there's no better time to lock in rates for multiple years. The Bureau works closely with our lodging, attractions, meetings facilities, conference services, restaurant and retail partners to accommodate meeting planner's and group function needs. We're a conduit - a liason - and our services are FREE to planners and groups that choose Saratoga! Contact Kathy Dekenberger at kathyd@discoversaratoga.org to find out how all of our services can help planners and our partners collaborate to build business.

Click here to view convention services list!

Kathy Denkenberger, Convention Services Director

This is a pretty remarkable time for Saratoga - it's the midpoint of the summer season, always a busy time, but we also seem to be a refreshing oasis in the midst of an economic drought. Saratoga Race Course attendance is up, hotels are reporting high occupancy, the downtown Broadway streets are hopping, restaurants are full, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center is welcoming large crowds for concerts and the Philadelphia Orchestra's summer season. Saratoga seems to be a place where you can escape the dreary economic news elsewhere and come to a place that just feels right!

David Zunker, President

A friend of mine wrote a weekly sports column once called “Things I’ll Never Understand if I Live to Be 100” with column entries like “Is Reggie Jackson REALLY worth a million dollars?” 

Okay, this was a while ago.

Today I’m just as baffled by some things that perhaps will become clear with time – like Reggie Jackson in October.

My conundrum – virtual tradeshows.

We’re in the meetings business.  The real, get-‘em-in-a-car-or-on-a-plane-bring-‘em-to-your-town-put-their-head-in-a-bed-and-their-rump-in-a-restaurant-seat business.  Which is why sending clients to a web-tradeshow has me jumping up and down.  Don’t we know by now that sitting behind a desk and double-clicking has far less economic impact than actually traveling to interact with people?  It’s not even close.

I’ve even looked at the avatars that wander through make-believe tradeshow corridors.  Where’s the fun?  I don’t get it.  No smells, no pervasive hum of business activity.  Instead, you’ve got mute and pause buttons so you can tone down the din or escape to the fridge whenever you want.  Total economic impact: about $.55 for a Coke.

If I’m missing something, tell me.  That’s the beauty of this, I guess – interactivity…sorta.
 

David Zunker, President

Finding a convention destination that is a short driving distance or has easy to use and affordable mass transit services can be key to making your meeting a success in the coming years.

Who wants to spend hours traveling in a car, plane or bus only to arrive at the convention destination and have to get in a taxi or bus to get around town during and after your event.

Towns like Saratoga Springs have safe sidewalks that get you to most meeting locations, restaurants and attractions.

Click here for a video tour of Saratoga.

Do you have pictures of your meeting attendees enjoying Saratoga?

Click here to send them to us and be featured on our blog.

What other benefits do you see from meeting in a walkable city? Please comment below.

Click here to submit your RFP and qualify to win an iPod.

Heather McElhiney, Convention Sales Manager

Online chat or instant messaging can help you have quick conversations with members of your meeting planning team.

Marie Moynihan, Senior Sales Manager

Meeting planners save time using free online documentation services like Google Docs.

Since we launched our new and improved website back in August, our popularity has increased amongst the search engines on the Internet! Yahoo, Google, Ask.com are just some examples of popular search engines. What search engines do you trust or use the most?

Angela LaTerra, Sales and Communications Coordinator

Does it drive you crazy when you call big businesses and everything is automated? It takes forever to get an actual “real person” to take your call after going through several prompts. The first one always being – to continue in English – press 1. Sometimes I wonder if they really want you to find them!

Times are tough. We are all aware of the nasty downslide the economy is in. It is more important than ever to be sure to get your name out there. A membership with the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau is a great place to start. The more potential customers that see your name the more likely they will be to come see what the buzz is all about.  The Bureau’s main objective with our members is to help increase business. Our new and improved website is a great tool for getting exposure. The hits to our website are up thousands compared to this time last year. We are getting ready to produce The Ultimate Saratoga Map for 2009. The map is full of member information (Business name, address, phone and a brief 10 word description) and we have 20,000 copies printed! These maps are given to all attendees of trade shows, corporate meetings, and conventions as they register for their events. We are also willing to put any collateral material member businesses want to give us, such as menus, flyers, coupons, or business cards.

When I jumped into my new career opportunity as the Senior Sales Manager with the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau in May of ’08 I had to learn a new language. That’s correct, the language of ACRONYMS.

As the SSM @ the SCTB I belong to MPI, PCMA, ESSAE and FICP. I learned to work closely with the CMP to obtain the RFP and post it as the ML for the DOS. I further learned that NYBA and APA can certainly refer to more than one organization. I used to get confused when I received a text from my daughter…not anymore…LOL X 2!

Heather McElhiney, Convention Sales Manager