The word TOURISM, by definition, means: "travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes". The Greater Portland Convention & Visitors Bureau manages all aspects of tourism marketing and servicing.
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Tourism Marketing
One of our primary goals is to market our region to the individual traveler. Throughout the year we attend several consumer travel shows such as the Boston Globe Travel Show, New York Times Travel Show, Saltscapes, The Big E, AARP Travel Shows, etc. We also reach out to consumers through cooperative ads with our member businesses in publications such as Down East Magazine, Yankee Travel Magazine, New England Travel Magazine, and Maine Invites You.
Tourism Servicing
After all our marketing efforts our job is to service the millions of visitors coming to our area. We manage VisitPortland.com providing potential travelers with as many resources as possible for their vacation planning. The CVB produces the "official” Visitors Guide to the Greater Portland region which is distributed locally through our Visitor Information Centers, local hotels & businesses as well as mailed to inquiring visitors. And finally…our Visitor Information Centers…our travel counselors provide one-on-one counseling services, with the help of member brochures, to visitors wondering what to do, where to stay, and what to eat.
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Convention Marketing
Another goal is to market our region to groups consisting of corporate, association and government conventions/meetings, sporting events, social events, reunions, and weddings. Throughout the year our Convention Sales staff travel to shows such as ASAE, HSMAI Affordable Meetings, Springtime in DC, TEAMS, etc. In addition to traveling the Convention Sales Team works tirelessly to solicit event planners throughout the year to encourage meetings and events to choose Maine as their destination.
Convention Servicing
The Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a COMPLIMENTARY service to all event planners. We offer a one-stop-shop to help planners with the rfp process of choosing a meeting/event site. Planners can call us, provide us with all the information once and we reach out to our member businesses to provide availability. In addition, once events are booked we assist planners with every aspect of servicing their group. The CVB also produces an Event Planner's Guide which provides planners with a comprehensive resource to hotels, restaurants, function facilities and services to inquiring event planners.
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International Market & Group Motorcoach Marketing
A large portion of travel into our state comes from international visitors as well as visitors traveling via motor coach. The CVB attends both Discover New England and Pow Wow International for the international market and the American Bus Association Marketplace for the motor coach market.
International Market & Group Motorcoach Servicing
These groups typically don't stay in one area, their itinerary consists of seeing as much of the state, and in most cases New England as possible…so you can imagine that their schedules are fully loaded. Often times groups are dropped off in Portland for some free time and lunch on their own. The CVB has worked with our restaurant members to provide a discount to coach passengers dining on their own. Each coach is greeted when they arrived and given their brochures. It's been a big hit!
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Cruise Ship Marketing
The Convention & Visitors Bureau spearheaded and developed a cruise consortium (DBA: Discover Portland & Beyond) which consists of the CVB, City of Portland, Portland's Downtown District, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Kennebunk/Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce, and Freeport Merchants Association. Together we actively market Portland as a viable cruise destination through our marketing efforts through Discover Portland & Beyond.
Cruise Ship Servicing
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Public Relations
Membership Services and Events