A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Dear Tourism Partners:
We’re looking forward to 2012 as the coming year holds so much promise for metro Detroit’s tourism and hospitality industry. We’re following on a great year that brought metro Detroit a rebound in the auto industry, an improvement in the economy and some very favorable attention in the national press. Those factors all influenced corporate and leisure travel in our favor. Our regional hotel occupancy rose 10 percent last year – and this was the strongest increase in the country. And right along with our auto sector, Detroit’s emerging industries, like green technology, medical research, and defense, all continued to grow in stature last year.
This year is starting on a very high note and the DMCVB has several initiatives underway to capitalize on the good news and respond to the changing climate in our industry. One of the most important will be an initiative led by DMCVB 2012 Chairman of the Board Bob Riney to make Detroit a top-of-mind destination for medical and life science meetings, a project that makes sense in a region with several of the top medical research institutions in the country.
Cobo Center is in the midst of a wonderful transformation that is catching the eyes of meeting planners across the nation. We have a huge vote of confidence with the announcement by the North American International Auto Show organizers that Cobo will definitely be their home for the next five years. Watch for more!
Annually we share the DMCVB Marketing Plan with our industry partners. Your professional careers and expertise are the critical element that we depend on to successfully promote the Detroit region. The strengths you bring to the table increase the confidence of our customers.
Please look through this Plan for 2012 and the Calendar for the activities that correspond to the goals of your own business. We will be available all year to assist you in leveraging our work and the $10 million that we spend on focused promotions to increase your own business.
- Look for customer and media Fams that your business can contribute to: transportation for the guests, dining, hotel rooms, Detroit-centric gifts – all these things get you noticed and your service picked up when the guest returns with a meeting or a journalist writes a travel story. Call Jennifer Miller at (313) 202-1943
or email her at
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for more information on how you can get involved.
- Note publication dates for the Visit Detroit magazine and make sure your listing is up-to-date and attractive. Call Sonya Robinson at (313) 202-1997 or email her at
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with updates.
- Note the emphasis on social media – get onboard with us by tweeting your events to us at @visitdetroitand by contacting Katie Dunn at (313) 202-1955 or at
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. We’ll use our Twitter and Facebook platforms to get the word out.
Have a prosperous 2012. We look forward to our continued partnership
Larry Alexander
DMCVB President and CEO
To review the DMCVB' 2012 sales and marketing stratgies, click here.
