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the cvb exec
Steve Moore Advocate for an invisible industry
STEVE MOORE is the president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Convention
and Visitors Bureau.
MPG Without question, that would definitely be our brand new downtown. We have a billion dollar infrastructure between the convention center and the new 1,000-room Sheraton. In its first year the convention center was well received and attracted over 300,000 delegates. Secondly, because of the economy, Phoenix is a tremendous buy. Like other investments, timing is important. Buying Phoenix and the entire valley now is going to provide good dividends down the road.
Talk about the current role of destination management organizations (DMO) and how that role might be changing? Whether we like it or not, I believe that DMO’s should serve an advocacy role, not only for the individual traveler but also for the entire meetings industry. We’ve never seen this industry under an attack like it has faced during the past two years. The actual value proposition of meetings is being questioned. The DMOs of larger destinations need to step up and become more active in the dialogue with their national elected officials. Arizona’s travel and meetings industry has been hit by the immigration issue. What’s the top priority on your “to do” list? Obviously, getting back our brand that’s been hijacked by this dialogue. Arizona’s SB 1070, the immigration bill, is both a political and a social issue. For some it’s political -- border protection, and to others it’s a social issue -- the value of immigration. What has impacted this destination are accusations and falsehoods made by both sides of the issue that are disingenuous. There is a similarity between Phoenix and other destinations that have been hit with force majeure disasters like hurricanes and oil spills. The perception begins to permeate and it becomes difficult for a planner to choose a destination because of the lack of accurate and truthful information. We are the fifth largest city in America and you cannot be that large without being diverse and aware. We are and remain a very diverse and welcoming destination. In addition, we are seeking permanent funding for the CVB and a long-term solution for the stability of this organization. This issue of MPG* is focusing on the power of teamwork. Please share your secrets for building and inspiring a great team. I’ve used a process since 1987 that I learned from the people at Texas A&M called “nominal group technique.” It removes the sole voice and brings a choral response to any issues that our destination faces. In January, we began a process that is still evolving where the staff addresses numerous issues and the nominal group technique process is staff brainstorming. We have focused on the areas of communication, professional development, sustainability, and marketing. What is your advice to other bureaus on effectively allocating their budgets? The cliché is “people first” but that is so true. We’re in the face-to-face business. Facebook is a marvelous tool to enhance, prepare and to follow up the face-to-face. Nothing beats face-to-face. You need to spend money on your web site but you also need to spend money putting your people on the road and knocking on doors. Do you “tweet?” No, but I know it’s important. Tell us about a meeting you attended that may have changed the course of your life. Actually three come to mind that helped readjust my priorities. First would be the PowWow in Boston in 1975. It was the first trade show that I ever attended and it opened my eyes to the fact that we’re in an almost invisible industry. I’m not sure that’s changed. We face the same issue today, almost 35 years later. Our industry is so powerful yet so invisible. Most people do not understand meetings unless they themselves attend one. Second, in 1978, I spent some time with Muhammad Ali. That was the most charismatic experience I’ve ever had with an individual and it was a casual one-on-one. He was in Houston doing a project and I spent two life-altering weeks with him. He told me, “Steve, what you’ve got at your young age is real good, but if you are still doing it in ten years, you’ve gone nowhere.” He turned my attention from immediate gratification to career enhancement. The third meeting was a White House Conference on Tourism about 10 years ago. I spent a full day with President Clinton, who is also a very charismatic man. He talked with me about the fact that we, as an industry, were not doing a very good job of advocating our own value. Who has served you as a mentor? Dale Young, Jim Smither, Wayne Chappell and Don Vaughn have all been great friends and mentors. What should meeting planners do to help ensure the long-term viability of this industry? They should all look at the NBTA and USTA studies regarding the value of face-to-face meetings. Based on that research, they should develop a value proposition for their management that says “if you convene, if you participate in these trade shows, if you do face-to-face travel, if you conduct sales training, our company will have a significant advantage over those who do not.” What’s the greatest challenge facing this industry? We need to move beyond the model that this industry is worth “blank” billions of dollars and get into a dialogue that is more zip code specific regarding its benefits. States and municipal governments have proven that they cannot sustain the services that they provide without importing visitor dollars. The leisure traveler and the convention delegate require far fewer services than we residents do. You don’t need to build schools and libraries for visitors. At the end of the day our job is to prove that the yield of a visitor dollar allows states and cities to be more successful. |
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