Nov. 15, 2018

This paid piece is sponsored by the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau has refreshed its Bring Your Meeting Home campaign with a new local referral incentive program and enhanced marketing efforts. The campaign targets residents living in Sioux Falls and up to 25 miles away.

The goal of the campaign is to encourage locals to refer leads to the CVB sales team in an effort to bring new meetings and conventions to Sioux Falls.

“Our locals are sometimes the best connection we have to book a regional or national meeting,” said Alexandra LeBlanc, director of sales for the CVB. “They may serve on a board, be a member or have attended an event that could be held in Sioux Falls.”

The sales team will work with locals through enhanced community outreach to retrieve RFPs and will work leads through professional services, such as securing hotel and venue proposals. Incentives range from $25 gift card drawings, $50 gift cards and cash incentives for both the local and the group when program qualifications are met. Marketing tactics include display, retargeting, targeted email, sponsored content and dynamic content.

“We are excited about the CVB’s new campaign and incentive program,” said Stu Webber, director of sales for the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center and Sioux Falls Convention Center. “Knowing that there are incentives to share with prospective clients when working collectively on a lead will help us attract new events that bring in venue revenue and hotel rooms nights, and increase economic impact.”

The CVB maintains an advertising partnership with Meetings Today, a leading print and digital publication, content distributor and educational provider that reaches more than 55,000 meeting professionals across the country every month. That audience holds over $75 billion in buying power. It is a publication of Stamats Communications, a 94-year-old, family-owned publishing company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

“Offering incentives to events has become common practice nationwide, and we often see them communicated in marketing campaigns,” said Tyler Davidson, vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today.

“The Sioux Falls CVB is ensuring they stay ahead of their competition while engaging their local community in this new campaign effort. Their partnership not only with us but with many of the leading trade publications ensures they will be reaching a qualified audience that can drive new leads and bookings.”

The increased local focus complements the CVB’s out-of-market business development.

“We will still continue to have a strong presence in regional and national sales and marketing efforts,” LeBlanc said.

Click here for information or contact Alexandra LeBlanc at [email protected].

To stay current with the latest visitor industry news, take a look through this month’s edition of the CVB’s newsletter, The Visitor Beat.