Austin Convention And Visitors Bureau Inc

MARKETING AUSTIN NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY AS A PREMIER BUSINESS AND LEISURE DESTINATION.

FOR FY 20/21, CONVENTION SALES GENERATED 247,113 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS. CONVENTION CENTER BOOKINGS REPRESENTED 95,728 OF THOSE ROOM NIGHTS. 1,870 LEADS WERE GENERATED REPRESENTING OVER 2.3 MILLION ROOM NIGHTS. - ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY JUNE 6-13, 2021 - 2,500 ATTENDEES- AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY PROFESSIONALS SEPTEMBER 11-16 - 2,500 ATTENDEESTHE AUSTIN FILM COMMISSION FACILITATED 81,536 PRODUCTION LEADS, 172 PRODUCTION PACKAGES, 60 PRODUCTION STARTS AND 1,270 PRODUCTION DAYS FISCAL YEAR 2021.CONVENTION SERVICES PROVIDED MEETING SERVICES TO 1,501 MEETINGS. ADDITIONALLY, CONVENTION SERVICES CONDUCTED 68 SITE VISITS AND PLANNING MEETINGS. SUPPLIER REFERRALS AND LEADS WERE SENT TO 492 LOCAL BUSINESSES. THE TEAM ALSO MET WITH 105 LOCAL BUSINESSES TO EDUCATE THEM ON WORKING WITH THE CONVENTION AND MEETINGS MARKET IN AUSTIN. PAID ADVERTISING EFFORTS WERE AGAIN SIGNIFICANTLY SCALED BACK IN FY 20/21 IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. DURING THAT TIME, VISIT AUSTIN CONTINUED TO GENERATE AWARENESS AND INTEREST IN AUSTIN AS A TRAVEL DESTINATION THROUGH INSPIRING CONTENT THAT KEPT AUSTIN TOP-OF-MIND. WE LAUNCHED TWO NICHE MARKETING PROGRAMS GENERATING MORE THAN 80,000 REFERRALS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, MUSIC VENUES AND ARTISTS. AUSTIN'S ESTABLISHED DIGITAL EFFORTS CONTINUED TO PERFORM. OUR WEBSITE VISITAUSTIN.ORG EARNED 4.3 MILLION UNIQUE VISITS AND MORE THAN 11 MILLION PAGE VIEWS. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS (FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER) EARNED 63 MILLION TOTAL IMPRESSIONS AND 2.3 MILLION ENGAGEMENTS. INCREASING TRAVELER PREFERENCE AND USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA ALSO EXTENDS TO OUR PUBLICATIONS AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUMBER OF VISITOR GUIDE REQUESTS: 62,937.STRATEGIC ALLIANCES FY 20-21 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: 1) GENERATED $85,677 IN REVENUE VIA VARIOUS PARTNER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES (DURING A PANDEMIC WHEN MANY EVENTS WERE CANCELLED) AND CONDUCTED SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT OF 2022 PARTNER PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES SIGN UPS; 2) FACILITATED 8 HOTEL ASSESSMENT AGREEMENTS, RESULTING IN $243,573 IN REVENUE; 3) SECURED DONATED SERVICES FOR VARIOUS INITIATIVES, RESULTING IN $93,715 IN EXPENSE OFFSET (DURING A PANDEMIC WHEN MANY EVENTS WERE CANCELLED); 4) RENEGOTIATED ALL "INDUSTRY" PARTNERSHIPS (PROFESSIONAL CONVENTION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (PCMA) AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES (ASAE), ETC) RESULTING IN A COST SAVINGS TO VISIT AUSTIN OF MORE THAN 85% OF ORIGINAL COMMITMENTS; 5) FACILITATED PRODUCTION OF THE "VIRTUAL" VISIT AUSTIN ANNUAL MEETING TO INCLUDE RESEARCHING PLATFORM OPTIONS AND SECURING VIRTUAL EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY, FACILITATED EVENT LAYOUT AND SHOW FLOW AS WELL AS REGISTRATION PORTAL, SECURED 835 PARTICIPANTS, NEGOTIATED REVENUE VIA SPONSORSHIPS (IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000), FACILITATED SPONSOR RECOGNITION, NEGOTIATED AND SECURED DONATED SERVICES/EXPENSE OFFSET IN THE AMOUNT OF $44,184 AND COORDINATED/FACILITATED PRE-EVENT VIDEO SHOOT; 6) LEVERAGED OUR PCMA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO SECURE AND CREATE A VIRTUAL EDUCATION SESSION WITH AUSTIN SPEAKER AS WELL AS VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER MUSIC SPONSORSHIP WITH AUSTIN BAND TO PROVIDE AUSTIN BRAND EXPOSURE TO MEETING AND CONVENTION PLANNER ATTENDEES DURING THE PCMA VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING AND HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE PCMA EDUCATION FOUNDATION, ETC.

MUSIC MARKETING OFFICE CONFIRMED 89 PERFORMANCE BOOKINGS FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS AND HAD A TOTAL OF 543 MUSIC INQUIRIES. THE MUSIC OFFICE'S KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED SUPPORTING LOCAL MUSICIANS DURING PANDEMIC BY PROVIDING OVER 20 VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS SEVEN MUSIC LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTIN SONGWRITERS. SUPPORTED TWO MAJOR HOTEL PROPERTIES WITH BOOKING OUT SUMMER EVENT SERIES, THIS INCLUDED OMNI BARTON CREEK'S "UNPLUGGED" SERIES, AS WELL AS SUMMER LONG RESIDENCIES AT HOTEL GRANDUCA FOR AUSTIN MUSICIANS. THE MUSIC OFFICE ALSO BROUGHT BACK "LOCAL AND LIVE" MUSIC AND MAKER SERIES TO OUR VISIT AUSTIN VISITOR CENTER FEATURING THREE AUSTIN PERFORMERS. IN ADDITION, THE MUSIC OFFICE HOSTED AUSTIN MUSIC SHOWCASES AND PERFORMANCES IN ATLANTA, GA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BUREAU'S SALES AND MARKETING EFFORTS. THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MARKETING ALSO SERVED ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN CREATIVE SECTOR RECOVERY FOCUS GROUP.

THE VISIT AUSTIN TOURISM DEPARTMENT FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING DIRECT GROWTH WITH TOUR PROVIDERS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH MAJOR INDUSTRY ENTITIES INCLUDING BRAND USA, UNITED STATES TRAVEL ASSOCIATION, AND THE TEXAS TOURISM OFFICE. DUE TO THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC IN MARCH 2020, ACTIVITIES DECREASED SUBSTANTIALLY AND STAFF MADE THE PIVOT TO ONLINE DESTINATION TRAINING FOR OUR CLIENTS AND LATER IN THE FISCAL ATTENDED IN PERSON TRADE SHOWS AND OTHER EVENTS. WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY PARTNERS AND MAINTAINED PRODUCT IN SEVERAL KEY MARKETS. THE TOURISM STAFF ALSO WORKED WITH THE AUSTIN AIRPORT TO SECURE AND REINSTATE AIR SERVICE IN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL MARKETS FOR POST-COVID TRAVEL.