CVB hopes alliance draws conventions

Spokane will work with two other mid-sized cities – Hartford, Conn., and Madison, Wis. – in an effort to drive convention business to all three destinations.

Many groups already rotate their conferences among West Coast, East Coast and Midwest venues. Through joint marketing, the three cities will present themselves as a package option in hopes that convention planners will book events in each city in successive years, said Keith Backsen, vice president and director of convention sales for the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The cities already have overlapping clients. Both Hartford and Spokane have hosted Skate America, and the Outdoor Writers of America have held conventions in Spokane and Madison.

Each of the cities is part of a 500,000 metro area, according to Backsen. Their convention centers can comfortably host groups in the 3,500 to 6,000 range, and there are other similarities, he said. “Hartford is on the water; Madison is right on the water; we’re on the water. We’ve got a lot of ties.”

The concept is modeled after a successful alliance among Portland, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. Portland and Pittsburgh were the first cities in the nation with convention centers certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. They marketed themselves as eco-friendly destinations and invited Milwaukee to join them so they’d also have a Midwestern city in the group.

The six-year alliance has led to some impressive marketing, according to Backsen. In August, Portland, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee held a dinner at Oprah Winfrey’s chef’s house in Chicago for members of the American Society of Association Executives. The group is made up of people who run trade associations – the folks courted by convention sales staffs.

The Spokane CVB spends about $350,000 annually to recruit conventions. This year, the CVB helped bring 264 groups to Spokane for conventions and meetings, which accounted for nearly 1 million travelers.

By working with Hartford and Madison, the Spokane CVB hopes to extend its marketing reach, Backsen said.

The cities have side-by-side booths this week at a nursing trade show in Wisconsin.

They’ve also launched a joint Web site, www.hartfordmadisonspokane.com, and sent out their first direct mail piece advertising all three destinations.

The three CVBs spent about eight months forging the alliance.

“You have to find two other cities that you can work well with and that you can share competitive information with, without having it used against you,” Backsen said.