In this issue...

Features

Southwest Ohio Sports Zone Sales Effort Commences At TEAMS Conference

The Southwest Ohio Sports Zone will officially be launched at the TEAMS (Travel Entertainment And Management in Sports) Conference in Florida in November. Southwest Ohio Sports Zone representatives from five regional CVBs will exhibit together as a cohesive unit and distribute collateral material to sports event organizers in an attempt to convince them to consider our region for their next sports tournament or event.

Over the past several months the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau has been spearheading an effort to launch the Southwest Ohio Sports Zone----a cooperative group of regional convention & visitors bureaus, dedicated to using their combined resources to attract regional, national and international sporting events to the area. The five county effort (Dayton/Montgomery County CVB, Greene County CVB, Miami County CVB, Springfield/Clark County CVB and Warren County CVB) should bring more and larger amateur and professional sports events and tournaments into the area thereby stimulating overnight business and improving the vitality of the region's economy. Sports events are big business. They bring many people and dollars into communities and, in the world of volatile economies, appear to be recession-proof.

The Southwest Ohio Sports Zone group is focusing on promoting the region as a host site to 24 different targeted sports popular with amateur sporting event organizers and suited to our region's host facilities and infrastructure. Targeted sports range from soccer, hockey, softball, basketball and volleyball, to bowling, martial arts and archery. The Southwest Ohio Sports Zone has developed a collateral sales and marketing binder, which provides pertinent summary information important to event organizers, on each of the 24 sports. Information highlighted includes: the number of competitors and or teams our region can host; the number of available facilities (e.g. # of baseball diamonds, basketball courts, ice rinks); the number of regional accommodations/ sleeping rooms; and the travel time between the two farthest facilities. A five-county map is also provided identifying the facility locations for each of the 24 sports throughout the region. The Southwest Ohio Sports Zone can be competitive with much larger metropolitan areas such as Detroit or Chicago because of our affordability and because the drive-time between our two farthest facilities can often be shorter and easier than the drive-time between facilities in a larger more congested metropolitan area such as Chicago.

In addition to the sales marketing collateral, the Southwest Ohio Sports Zone has developed a tradeshow exhibit booth, logo-d apparel and has secured an 800# (866-799-9898) and website domain www.swohiosportszone.com. (web site coming soon.) As part of the collaboration, the CVB members will pool dollars for event bid fees, share information, create a regional Web site and attend national sporting event conferences to market the area and draw lucrative amateur sporting events that can pump millions of dollars into communities where they're held.

CVB Launches "Dayton Passport To Fun!"

The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau in partnership with area attractions has launched a "Dayton Passport To Fun!" two-for-one attraction admission pilot program. The pilot program is set for the balance of 2005 at which time it will be evaluated for possible continuation into 2006.

The Passport, a small credit-card sized card is free and entitles users to two-for-one admission to the following partner attractions: Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, SunWatch Indian Village, Carillon Historical Park, The Citizens Motorcar Company: America's Packard Museum; the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial. The back side of the Passport card encourages folks to visit the areas numerous outstanding free attractions including: The Dayton Art Institute; The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Wright-Dunbar and Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Centers; Aviation Trail; Dayton Cultural Center; Dayton Visual Arts Center; the many Five River MetroParks; the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: and the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

The program is one result of a meeting among attraction directors and community leaders to discuss growing heritage and cultural tourism in our area. In addition to bringing more visitors into the area there is also a desire to encourage visitors to our most popular area attraction (the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force---with 1.1 to 1.3 million visitors annually) to also visit other area sites. The "Dayton Passport To Fun!" cards are available in limited quantities at the three D/MCCVB Visitor Information Stations (Dayton International Airport, Dayton Convention Center CVB offices, National Museum of the US Air Force), at area attractions, by logging onto www.daytoncvb.com or by calling the CVB at 937.226.8211.

CVB Hosts 14th Annual Community Ambassador Awards November 10, 2005

The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau will host the 14th Annual Community Ambassador Awards Breakfast, Thursday, November 10, 2005 from 8-10am at The Dayton Marriott. Ten meeting planners/individuals will be honored for their part in bringing events/people to the Dayton/Montgomery County area during the past year. "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 and efforts have on our community" states Jacquelyn Y. Powell, President/CEO of the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Over 100 Community Ambassador Award winners have been honored since the initial breakfast in 1992. "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," says Powell. This year's winners are:

• Gary Des Combes, Hamvention
• Sue Emmel, Trans Am Nationals
• John Foxhall, Most Worshipful Eureka Grand Lodge F & A Ancient York Masons
• Dr. Michael Martin, Edison Materials Technology
• Mike Nichols, United States Golf Association
• Dr. David Sauer, UD Office of Portfolio Management
• Bittner "Bit" Snead, 388th Bomb Group
• Katie Terwilleger, Koob & Associates
• Toni Wade, Philips Temple CME Church
• Carol Worthington, Professional Photographers of Ohio

President's Corner

The economic impact of travel and tourism contributes positively to our local quality of life and to our business climate.

Recently released statistics detail the positive impact of travel and tourism in Dayton/Montgomery County for the year 2004. The statistics are a result of an integrated consumer-based research study that the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau helps fund. The study is organized by the Ohio Department of Development's Division of Travel and Tourism and conducted by Rovelstad & Associates and Longwoods International. Dayton/Montgomery County is one of 40 county/city convention and visitor bureaus, cities and economic development boards that took part in the study.

According to the report, Dayton/Montgomery County's direct sales (in current $) to travelers totaled $1.57 billion in 2004. Direct visitor spending is the financial input made by consumers into the local economy for tourism-related (only) purchases such as lodging, food, gas, souvenirs, etc. In addition, sales to tourists supported 27,000 direct jobs in Montgomery County in 2004, with direct impact wages paid totaling an estimated $470 million generating $29.7 million in local taxes and $67.9 million in state taxes.

Clearly, travel and tourism is big business. The Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau understands the importance of travel and tourism on the health of the local economy and will continue to work aggressively to secure convention, group and leisure business for the area.

Jacquelyn Y. Powell

Fast Facts/What's Happening?—A Sampling

• Don't miss the special Quest For Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt exhibition at the Dayton Art Institute now through January 3, 2006. $ Call 937-223-5277 for more information.
• The General Services Administration has established the 2005/2006 Domestic Federal Per Diem Government Travel Rates effective Oct 1, 2005--September 30, 2006. The 2005/2006 federal per diem lodging rate for Dayton/Montgomery County has decreased from $75 to $70 for 2005/2006. However the overall per diem rate has increased from $110 to $114 (due to an increase in the meals and incidental expense allowance of $7----from $35 to $44.)
• The CVB recently won two Ohio Society of Association Executives (OSAE) Achievement Awards for destination marketing materials and efforts
• The CVB recently won three Ohio Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau (OACVB) Middy Awards ("Middy" reflects our region of the country) for destination marketing materials
• YOU could WIN a free two-year lease on a Dayton-made GM Buick Rainier! Just issue a Request For Proposal with the Dayton/Montgomery County CVB and sign a hotel contract in 2005 for an event in Dayton/Montgomery County in 2005 or beyond. Call today to learn more! 800-221-8235 ext. 281 or log onto www.daytoncvb.com/win.
• The CVB extends congratulations to the following individuals for their outstanding accomplishments (please be certain to let the CVB know of any awards you may have won so that we can recognize you!)
  • Larry Blake, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park Superintendent for 30 years of National Park Service
  • Debbie Hartley, Homewood Suites Dayton South, Director of Sales, who was selected by Hilton National Sales and General Motors Corporation in recognition of Top Account Management for all Hilton Hotels nationally and for being awarded the awarded the Certified Hospitality Sales Professional (CHSP) designation by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Educational Institute.
  • Diane Graham, Charlotte Simpson and Jennifer Penley?? Of the Sinclair Center for being awarded the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation by the Meetings Professional International organization.
• Dayton History at Carillon Park is excited to announce it wil be open year-round starting Tuesday, Noveber 1, 2005. Dayton History is Montgomery County's official historical organization. Consisting of Carillon HIstorical Park, the Archive Center and Patterson Homestead, Dayton History brings the past to life to understand the present and inspire the future by collecting, preserving, interpreting, presenting and promoting the region's past.
• The new Homewood Suites, Miller Lane is scheduled to open xxxx and will feature xxx rooms.
• Congratulations to the National Aviation Heritage Area on the successful coordination of the 100th anniversary of practical flight celebrated at Huffman Prairie Flying Field October 5th with flight demonstrations in a replica Wright Flyer. Additional congratulations to NAHA on the printing of collateral material highlighting the 12 aviation sites in the eight Ohio counties under the NAHA umbrella. If you would like to receive a NAHA brochure please call 877-284-6242 or visit www.aviationheritagearea.org
• The new Trent Athletic Center has opened in Kettering, OH and features blah blah blah
• Nov. 5th help celebrate and honor our veterans and heroes at the Veterans' Day Concert by the Air Force Band of Fight at 7:30pm at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Free. Call 937-255-3286 for more information.
• Nov 25th ring in the holidays with The Grande Illumination on Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton. Call 937-224-1518 for more information.
• Over 1,500 people registered on-line to win the Dayton get-away package featured on the discoverohio.com website. The package included overnight accommodations at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dayton, and four admission tickets to the following attractions: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (and laser light show), Carillon Historical Park, Dayton Art Institute Egypt exhibition, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force IMAX Theatre and Morphis Movie Ride, Sunwatch Indian Village as well as a box of Esther Price candy and a Wilbear aviator teddy bear.
• The 2006 Destination Dayton Visitors Guide will be available in mid December 2005. Call the CVB for your free copy 937-226-8211.
• Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal in depth review of the best minor league baseball markets ranked Dayton and the Dayton Dragons in the Top 10 (#8)

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
U.S. Cultural & Heritage Tourism Summit	Washington, D.C.
Ohio Travel Association Conference on Tourism	Wilmington, OH
Amateur Athletic Union Conference	Detroit, MI
Ontario Motorcoach Assn. Marketplace	Toronto, Canada
November
United States Specialty Sports Association	Orlando, FL
TEAMS (Travel Entertainment & Management in Sports)	Hollywood, FL
National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners	Grand Island, Bahamas
National Tour Association	Detroit, MI

Help Us Welcome These Groups!