In this issue...

Features

CVB Honors Seven Meeting Planners at 13th Annual Community Ambassador Awards Breakfast

The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau will host the 13^th Annual Community Ambassador Awards Breakfast, Wednesday, November 17, 2004 from 8-10am at The Dayton Marriott. Seven meeting planners/individuals will be honored for their part in bringing events/people to the Dayton/ Montgomery County area in 2004. ˇ§It's a privilege to recognize these excellent ambassadors and present each winner with a leather flight jacket from Dayton, the Birthplace of Aviation, as a token of our appreciation for the positive economic impact these individuals' events have on our communityˇ¨ states Jacquelyn Y. Powell, President/CEO of the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Nearly 100 Community Ambassador Award winners have been honored since the initial breakfast in 1992. ˇ§We invite the entire community to join us as we recognize these Ambassadors. The variety of groups the Ambassadors represent demonstrates all that our area has to offer as a site for conventions, group meetings, sports tournaments and special events,ˇ¨ says Powell. This year's winners are: Sean Belyeu, United Council of Corvettes; Neal Charske, Amateur Athletic Union Cross Country, Sandra Edmisten, Order of the Eastern Star; Gail Forest, Alpha Kappa Alpha; Kay Gross, Ohio District Council Assemblies of God; Clark Price, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants; Kim Tomczyk, General Motors.

The Ambassador Award Breakfast gives the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the community, an opportunity to publicly say ˇĄthank you' to some of the many meeting planners who select Dayton/Mont-gomery County over other cities as the site for their convention or special event.

Emcees for the event will be Jacquelyn Y. Powell and Dale Huffman, columnist for the Dayton Daily News.

Tickets are available for the Community Ambassador Awards breakfast at $18.00 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 937/226-8257.

National Aviation Hall of Fame Director and Historian Co-Author Book — Naked in Da Nang

Naked In Da Nang, by Lt. Col Mike Jackson, USAF (Ret.), executive director of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and Tara Dixon-Engel, historian for the National Aviation Hall of Fame, chronicles a uniquely human — and humorous — personal odyssey through military training and combat. Via Col. Jackson's irreverent perspective, readers not only understand the individual soldier's perspective on war, but they are buoyed and inspired by the pilots' wry humor, unyielding optimism and refusal to allow the ghost of Vietnam define his life. Naked in Da Nang is, in many respects, a "coming of age" story that chronicles the experiences of a young flyer as he prepares for, and ultimately faces, the rigors and absurdities of combat.

"I cannot , will not and should not ever forget this wonderful story!!"—Academy Award Winning Actor Cliff Robertson
"This is not a traditional 'war story.' It is a fast-paced tale fo duty, honor, teamwork, sacrifice and laughter. Its simplicity is refreshing, as it captures the emotions and motivations that we all shared." Gen. Steve Ritchie, USAF (Ret.)

To find out more, read an excerpt or schedule a lecture, go to www.nakedindanang.com, call 937-253-7350 or attend the book signing at Books & Company Thursday, October 7, 2004 (350 E. Stroop Rd in Town & Country shopping center, Kettering, Ohio.)

WinterGuard International Sport of the Arts Books Event in Dayton Through 2007

Great News! The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau is very pleased to announce that WinterGuard Sport of the Arts (WGI) has committed to keeping their event in Dayton through 2007 (their 30^th anniversary) with an option to stay until 2009. WGI, a group which recently moved their headquarter offices from Colorado to Dayton, Ohio, hosts one of the Dayton area's largest conventions. Traditionally WGI had rotated their event out of Dayton every third year.

Additionally, WGI has split their guard and percussion competitions into two weekends vs. the traditional cumulative one weekend competition. This means that Dayton/Montgomery County hotels/motels should be busy for two consecutive weekends with the concentration of the majority of hotel/motel occupancy in Montgomery County.

WGI World Championships is a youth competition event (high school-21 years of age) of various flag, guard and percussion corps. Youth from around the world will be competing in Dayton for the World Championships. The attendees and participants for both weekends will cumulatively total nearly 25,000 generating a significant economic impact on the local and state economy.

President's Corner

Direct visitor spending and employment figures are essential factors to consider when evaluating the importance of travel and tourism to our Dayton/Montgomery County economy. Direct visitor spending is the financial input made by consumers into the local economy for tourism-related (only) purchased such as lodging, food, gas, souvenirs, etc. The economic impact of travel and tourism contributes positively to our local quality of life and to our business climate.

The recently released statistical results of an integrated consumer-based research study spear-headed by the Ohio Department of Development's Division of Travel and Tourism and conducted by Rovelstad & Associates and Longwoods International indicate that Dayton/Montgomery County's direct sales to travelers totaled $1.4 billion in 2003. The study, conducted every two years, reflected an approximate 7% increase over the $1.3 billion recorded in 2001. In 2003 the report also indicates that tourism directly supported 25.6 thousand full time equivalent jobs with wages paid totaling an estimated $433.2 million generating $26.6 million in local taxes and $63.8 million in state taxes.

Dayton/Montgomery County was one of the 50 county/city convention and visitors bureaus, cities and economic development organizations in the state that took part in the Ohio Department of Development's Division of Travel and Tourism study. The methodology for this report included an accommodation survey to all lodging and camping facilities in the state, as well as a mail survey to 200,000 travelers from across the country.

Statewide, according to the study, total visitor spending in Ohio for 2003 was estimated at $28.5 billion, up from $23.1 billion in 2001. Direct taxes from tourism spending were estimated to have generated $1.9 billion in 2003. According to State Tourism Director Claudia Vecchio ˇ§The data from the 2003 report is particularly significant because it indicates Ohio tourism has not only returned to pre-2001 levels, but also has reversed a decade-long pattern of declining market share.ˇ¨ Clearly travel and tourism have a significant positive impact on our local economy. The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau understands the value and will continue to work aggressively to secure convention, group and leisure business for the area.

Jacquelyn Y. Powell

Fast Facts/News

• The CVB welcomes Crystal Jackson to their staff. Crystal will act as a sales manager responsible for state association, state government and tour group accounts.
• Dayton was honored by the White House as a "Preserve America" Community. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture Ann Venemen presented the honor September 21st.  Preserve America is a White House initiative to encourage and support community efforts for the preservation and enjoyment of America's priceless cultural and natural heritage. Delaware and Oberlin are the only other Ohio communities to receive such an honor.
• The 2004/2005 federal per diem lodging rate for Dayton/Montgomery County has increased from $72 to $75 for 2004/2005. In addition, Dayton/Montgomery County, WPAFB, Greene and Darke Counties are grouped together as one jurisdictional entity.
• You can check out the exciting Rau special exhibition (95 paintings by a variety of masters) at the Dayton Art Institute now through January 16, 2005. For more information call 937-223-5277.
• The CVB recently won three Ohio Society of Association (OSAE) Achievement Awards for destination marketing materials and efforts.
• The CVB recently won two Ohio Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau (OACVB) Middy Awards for destination marketing materials and efforts.
• Over 1,100 people registered on-line to win the Dayton get-away package featured on the discoverohio.com website.
• Mark your calendar for the second annual Hometown Holiday at Carillon Historical Park, Friday and Saturday December 10-11 from 4-9pm and Sunday December 12 from 2-7pm. Enjoy candlelight, carolers, musicians, food and drink. For more information call 937-293-2841.
• Kettering's new Skate Park, created for street skateboard enthusiasts, is scheduled to open November 18, 2005. For more information call 937-296-2454.
• The U.S. Air Force Museum is changing their name to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force effective October 14, 2004. For more information call 937-255-3286.

On The Road

Here’s a sampling of where Bureau staff has recently been and is headed in our ongoing attempt to bring business to Dayton/Montgomery County:

October
Ohio Travel Association Conference on Tourism	Columbus, OH
Ohio Society of Association Executives Trade Fair	Columbus, OH
November
Ontario Motorcoach Association Annual Conference	Toronto, Canada

Help Us Welcome These Groups!