Sales and Marketing Segment: Conventions / Meetings 2023

ADVERTISING

PCMA

• Brand placements in print publications and social media channels
• Print placement in Convene conference publication
• Sponsorship of destination-specific webinars

CONNECT

• Advertising in key publications and platforms including website ads, email marketing, and social media in key markets

MPI

• Email marketing program to association’s US-based meeting planners
• Targeted advertising utilizing advertorials and webinar sponsorships

CONVENTION SALES SUPPORT

• Create a cohesive and compelling 18–month messaging plan for tradeshow and advertising messaging
• Produce “hero” sales video for use in pitches and trade show activations
• Complete rebranding and refresh of all sales collateral
• Focus on expanding use of LinkedIn as the dedicated channel for Meetings &Conventions
• Standardize branded collateral options for VIP tradeshows

SALES: NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

STRATEGIES

• Target industry sectors that are on the rise in Detroit and engage local contacts
• Develop strategies that will yield a 50% increase in customer connections and experiences within “key” markets
• Develop a “Detroit Cares” program that showcases the ways that Detroit cares for their key customers and keeps them engaged.
• Develop and Implement a Visit Detroit Meetings & Conventions Webinars Series to increase communication between key industry stakeholders and clients.
• Enhance Strategic Social Media Plan that incorporates partnerships with Hotels, Restaurants, Staff, Sponsors and Board Members to Elevate the Positive Stories about Detroit
• Develop a Strategic Plan for Digital/Editorial communication that incorporates partnerships with Hotels, Restaurants, Staff, Sponsors and Board Members to Elevate the Positive Stories about Detroit
• Develop a National Association Scholarship program that will allow the meeting planner to choose an Educational Annual Conference and the Visit Detroit will pay for them to attend to enhance their meeting planning skills.

TACTICS

• Enhance the website to showcase all hotels, restaurants and venues that have a safe and clean program.
• Implement a Medical Community Initiative who will help provide insight on trends, challenges and advantages within the industry.
• Host 5 Webinars / Customer Events to highlight Delta Airlines, Hotels and Venues Safe and Clean

SALES: RELIGIOUS

STRATEGIES

• Reintroduce the Religious Meeting Planners Forum that will educate local and regional meeting planners on how to successfully plan a meeting in Michigan. To be hosted in person or virtually.
• Increase opportunities for our “Industry Partners” to directly interact with customers and highlight their venues.
• Develop a Strategic Plan for Digital/Editorial communication that incorporates partnerships with Hotels, Restaurants, Staff, Sponsors and Board Members to Elevate the Positive Stories about Detroit for Religious Opportunities
• Develop a Religious Meeting Planners Scholarship program that will allow the meeting planner to choose an Educational Annual Conference and the Visit Detroit will pay for them to attend to enhance their meeting planning skills.
• Acknowledge Detroit Religious Icons/Leaders and look for opportunities to leverage more engagement and marketing opportunities

TACTICS

• Survey our hotel partners and have them share their top three markets of preference to assist us with planning and implementing Customer Engagement and Partner Events. All hotels that are interested specifically in the “Religious” Market will support and benefit directly from this program. Hotels will share incentives and special booking initiatives for the market. Visit Detroit will highlight the initiatives and incentives and this will ignite vibrant discussions and leads and help rebound the market.
• Previously we focused on the Religious Market and hosted a forum in the suburbs to introduce Religious meeting planners to key industry partners who support hosting faith-based meetings
• Highlight local religious leaders and encourage them to actively work towards bringing their local, regional, and national conventions to our partnering hotels to help spearhead the rebound of our industry
• Create a list of the top 20 accounts in the “Religious” market to actively solicit for business using the RCMA membership list.
• Meet with editors of grassroots religious magazines that are based in Detroit and have them run Detroit articles that highlight successful meetings that have taken place and how we can help them plan their meetings.
• Strategic Opportunity Research Initiative: analyze “Lost Business” by market and territory and identify what business would be most beneficial to focus on first for future opportunities within key markets.
• Strategic Opportunity Research: Identify new opportunities via Sales Tools:
• Knowland, Sales Navigator, Linked–In, Previous Tradeshow/Event Attendee List and CRM to capture new opportunities for the region.
• Digital/Editorial: Michigan Chronicle, Black Magazine, Parent Magazine, Metro Times, RCMA, Crains Communications, CMCA, Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine
• The Multi–Cultural and Religious market will be one of the first markets to rebound, so implementing a plan that supports the market will provide success for our suburban hotels, our planners and the Bureau.
• Promote the Religious Meeting Planners “Scholarship” program to our top 20 Accounts, Grass Root Religious Magazines, Lost Business, Digital/Editorial Plan and Social Media
• Detroit is known for its strong religious ties to the community and we could solicit them to encourage their denominations to bring meetings to Detroit and help spearhead the rebound of the economy and recognize them via our media outlets.
• The sales Manager and ADOS will schedule regular meetings to support strategic efforts that yield results for both small and large meetings.
• Attend monthly webinars hosted by key industry organizations: PCMA, MPI, NCBMP, NYSAE, AMPS , US Travel Association, Events Industry Council, Black Enterprise

SALES: STATE ASSOCIATION

STRATEGIES

• Quarterly sales calls in Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids
• Maintain partnership and relationship with Destination Michigan / Meetings Michigan + Continue involvement and presence in MPI/Michigan MPI
• Re–evaluate and qualify association accounts, build top account list/target meeting lists. Create a top “Lost to Pursue” List – associations that we have been close to winning/want to draw from other Michigan comp markets.

TACTICS

• Identify top-producing accounts over the past 5 years and make sure to build relationships with key planners in Michigan’s competitive set.
• Provide value to the partnership by being the informational/connectivity authority for Huntington Place, Suburban Collection, and the Metro Detroit hospitality community as a whole. – Stay educated through webinars, editorials (MPI, Crain’s, etc.) Maintain communication with competitive CVBs – collaborate vs. compete.
• Maintain participation in Meetings Michigan Sales Missions (Indy, Cincy, Cleveland, Minneapolis, etc.)
• Maintain participation in Destination Michigan Local/State Events – Taste of
• Michigan Luncheon – $750, Destination Michigan Showcase? – $1,000+
• Utilize virtual tools, Zoom/Google Earth, Screen Share, etc. for cost-effective “FAM” and educational opportunities for Michigan Association Planners – bi–annual for mid–year and end-of-year touchpoints
• Identify and build key target accounts to make sure planners have value and opportunity
• Research and analyze CRM Lost/Definite/Tentative business to identify what business would be most beneficial to focus on future opportunities.
• Utilize Knowland and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to uncover meeting histories and new connections with State Association meeting planners.
• (Lost to Pursue) examples – Michigan Townships Association, MI Parks and Rec Association, MASB, MSBO, Michigan Waterworks Assoc. etc.

SALES: DIVERSITY

STRATEGIES

• Develop strategies that will yield a 50% increase in customer connections and experiences within the “Multi–Cultural/Diversity” market
• Increase opportunities for Industry Partners to interact with customers and highlight their venues with the goal of attracting more business opportunities to Detroit.
• Develop a Strategic Plan for Digital/Editorial communication that incorporates partnerships with Hotels, Restaurants, Staff, Sponsors, and Board Members to Elevate the Positive Stories about Detroit for Multi–Cultural Opportunities
• Develop a Strategic Plan and implement a program to elevate conversations of diversity, inclusion, and allyship within the business community
• Develop a hospitality program that provides mentorship for underrepresented students in the hospitality community.
• Develop and Implement a Visit Detroit Meetings & Conventions Webinars Series to increase communication between key industry stakeholders and clients.
• Highlight Diversity and Inclusion Importance, Presence, and Benefits (Internally, Website, Publications, Business, Customer Initiatives, and Business Initiatives)
• Develop a 3-year Strategic Marketing Plan for the DELP Initiative with tangible goals that will result in a 30% increase in year-long engagement and ultimately business opportunities (see comprehensive marketing plan)

TACTICS

• Enhance the website to showcase all hotels, restaurants and venues that have a safe and clean program.
• Survey our hotel partners and have them share their top three markets of
• preference to assist us with planning and implementing Customer Engagement and Partner Events. All hotels that are interested specifically in the “Multi–Cultural” Market will support and benefit directly from this program. Hotels will share incentives and special booking initiatives for the market. Visit Detroit will highlight the initiatives and incentives and this will ignite vibrant discussions and leads and help rebound the market.
• Previously we focused on the Multi–Cultural Market and hosted dinners in the suburbs to introduce the market to our partners who actively support the market. Visit Detroit will encourage partners to develop special incentives for the diversity market and we will share with customer to help encourage them to choose Detroit.
• The Multi–Cultural and Religious market will be one of the first markets to rebound, so implementing a plan that supports the market will provide success for our suburban hotels, our planners and the Bureau.
• Highlight local “Diversity” Corporate leaders and encourage them to support us bringing local, regional and national conventions to our partners hotels. This will spearhead the rebound of our industry
• Create list of top 20 accounts in “Diversity/Multi–Cultural Market and actively solicit for future business opportunities.
• Strategic Opportunity Research Initiative: analyze “Lost Business” by market and territory and identify what business would be most beneficial to focus on first for future opportunities within key markets.
• Strategic Opportunity Research: Identify new opportunities via Sales Tools: Knowland, Sales Navigator, Linked–In, Previous Tradeshow/Event Attendee List and CRM to capture new opportunities for the region.
• Attend monthly webinars hosted by key industry organizations: PCMA, MPI, NCBMP, NYSAE, AMPS , US Travel Association, Events Industry Council, Black Enterprise, NAACP, National Urban League, Executive Leadership Council (ELC)
• Digital/Editorial: Michigan Chronicle, Blac Magazine, Parent Magazine, Metro Times, RCMA, Crains Communications, CMCA, Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine
• DELP (Diversity Executive Leadership Program has been a great tool to initiative conversations but it’s time to maximize our engagement with the DELP’ers and the industry (Advisory Board, Lead Incentive, Awards program, newsletter, Social Media Influencers, see marketing plan for more details).
• Sales Manager and ADOS will schedule regular meetings to support strategic efforts that yield results for both small and large meetings

SALES: UNION

STRATEGIES

• Initiate, develop, or maintain relationships and partnerships with key national and state union groups
• Meet and with union hotel properties to develop target/fit lists
• Appreciation Luncheon – Local Union Luncheon with key media/awards to recognize the community effort. AFL-CIO, UAW, SEIU – Board Attendance? Union Meeting Planner(s)?

TACTICS

• Sales Calls/Appointments with UAW (Coordinated Travel), Michigan Education Association, SEIU, etc.
• Educate and grow knowledge of the union market – trends, challenges, successes, etc. – webinars, editorials, etc.
• Survey our hotel partners and have them share their top three markets of preference to assist us with planning and implementing customer/event engagement. All hotels that are interested in the Union Market will help develop the program
• Quarterly or Bi-Annual strategy meetings with active union hotels – Suburban and Downtown partners
• Utilize LinkedIn, Knowland, MINT, and other available sales tools to build lists and prepare lists

SALES: GOVERNMENT

STRATEGIES

• Identify whether this market is reactive or proactive for our region
• Develop a strategic plan for this market that will increase 2023 opportunities by 10% now that the per diem has increased and Detroit hosted SGMP’s National Convention
• Develop strategies that will yield a 50% increase in customer connections, leads and/or experiences within the “Government” market
• Increase opportunities for Industry Partners to interact with customers and highlight their venues
• Develop a strategic plan for digital/editorial communication that incorporates partnerships with Hotels, restaurants, staff, sponsors, and board members to elevate the positive stories about Detroit for religious opportunities

TACTICS

• Survey our hotel partners and have them share their top three markets of preference to assist us with planning and implementing Customer Engagement and Partner Events. All hotels that are interested specifically in the “Government” Market will support and benefit directly from this program. Hotels will share incentives and special booking initiatives for the market. Visit Detroit will highlight the initiatives and incentives, and this will ignite vibrant discussions and leads and help rebound the market
• Schedule a strategy meeting with the hotel partners that will focus on the “Government Market” and develop a government incentive that will be promoted at government shows, events, and initiatives to attract more business
• Schedule quarterly or bi-annual partner strategy meetings with downtown and suburban partners to identify and target key opportunities
• Collaborate with hotel partners to learn individual property government demand, successes, history, and strategies to help form a more cohesive effort within the community
• Maintain industry national, regional, and local presence in the government market that will highlight our interest and desire to prosper within the market – MISGMP/SGMP Membership – 40th Anniversary Special
• Continue membership/involvement with MI SGMP and SGMP to maintain relationships, networking, and CVB presence in the Government Meetings segment
• “Evaluate and invest in MISGMP/SGMP sponsorship and conference opportunities as 2023 calendar/schedule unfolds (MISGMP Annual Education Conference, SGMP National Education Conference, etc.)
• Conduct sales calls, appointments, and virtual interactions with key groups to determine the value and demand of account
• Develop a strategic plan for digital/editorial communication that incorporates partnerships with hotels, restaurants, staff, sponsors, and board members to elevate the positive stories about Detroit
• Attend monthly webinars hosted by key industry organizations: PCMA, MPI, NCBMP, NYSAE, AMPS, US Travel Association, Events Industry Council, Black Enterprise
• Strategic Meeting bi-monthly between the ADOS and the Sales Manager to monitor objectives vs. goals within the government market. Identify which small meetings have the potential for a national meeting

SALES: CORPORATE

STRATEGIES

• Identify events for 2023–2028, that typically occur in off peak months, with requested peak room nights of 200–1500.
• Primary focus is science, technology, engineering, manufacturing, mobility markets
• Target key lead generating states: MI, NY, CA, IL
• Utilize iDSS, Crain’s, Linked and industry events to target key customers
• Establish sponsorship packages with key industry events to bring awareness to the destinations: PCMA; IMEX, SISO, CEMA, IAEE and ASAE
• Create a specific marketing and key strategy to drive business to the Suburban Collection Showplace, focusing on shows that are 500 peak and less.

TACTICS

• Knowland Insight Group for history, primarily targeting companies in the Midwest and identified comp set.
• Utilize CRM History and Database to create target list of past Definite and LostBusiness
• Attend industry events as outlined in the tradeshow and events calendar
• Quarterly Meetings with Key Hotel Partners – Downtown and Suburban, to construct target list and fits individually and collectively as a community in tri–counties.
• Target companies HQ in top 3 feeder markets: MI, IL and CA

SALES: HOBBY GROUPS, SOCIAL AND FRATERNAL

STRATEGIES

• Determine accounts that have previously considered Detroit and solicit them for future opportunities.
• Sales Managers will meet with hotel partners regularly to determine the need times for the Social market.
• Sales Managers will identify new customers to solicit for business.

TACTICS

• Utilize CRM, MINT, & Knowland to determine viable accounts to book or rebook in the metro Detroit area.
• Schedule regular meetings with partners and determine the strategy for soliciting groups based on business needs.
• The sales Manager and ADOS will schedule regular meetings to support strategic efforts that yield results for both small and large meetings
• Create a list of the top 20 accounts in this segment to actively solicit.
• Create blog posts on topics of interest to the social market; i.e. LGBT initiatives, car enthusiasts, etc.

SALES: FAMILY REUNION

STRATEGIES

• Develop a social media marketing plan to educate the community on why and how you can host a successful family reunion in Detroit and to also gain attendance at the planning seminar
• Develop a print/digital marketing plan to promote the family reunion market with a focus on suburban hotels
• Host a reinvented annual family reunion planning seminar

TACTICS

• Create a dedicated Visit Detroit Family Reunion Facebook page and send eblast to reunion planners in CRM database to like and follow
• Maintain Facebook page by posting updates regarding Visit Detroit, partners, planning timelines for upcoming reunions, pertinent information for this market, administer contests and campaigns to gain interests and engage the community.
• Use Facebook page to highlight partners that have special family reunion packages/promotions
• Use current Visit Detroit Instagram to promote family reunion planning seminar and reunions held throughout the reunion season using a special hashtag
• Utilize local publications to promote Detroit as “The Ultimate Family Reunion Destination,” this includes Visit Detroit magazine and website; BLAC magazine and website; Michigan Chronicle; Metro Times; Metro Parent; Detroiter Magazine and Detroit Regional Chamber website
• Create top 10 reasons to host your family reunion in Detroit
• Develop virtual/hybrid family reunion planning seminar
• Revise marketing materials
• Participate in partner events that highlight and engage family reunion planners

2023 Visit Detroit TOURISM AND CONVENTION SALES MARKETING PLAN

Marketing Segment:

Leisure

Public Relations

Sales and Marketing Segment:

Domestic Group Tour

International

Conventions/Meetings

Detroit Sports Commission

Activity Calendar

PDF Resources:

Download a PDF of the complete 2023 Tourism and Convention Sales Marketing Plan

Detroit Safety Study