The Official Pensacola Bay Area Tourism Partner E-Newsletter

Tourism Partner Updates

Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Named Top CVB In Southeast

The Pensacola Bay Area CVB was selected as the CVB of the year by the Southeast Tourism Society (STS). Recipients honored with the Shining Example Award exemplify excellence in tourism marketing practices. Representing more than 300 Convention and Visitors Bureaus in 12 states, the STS promotes tourism through educational programs for its members. In a slow economy, the Pensacola Bay Area CVB found innovative ways to market the destination with a 1Tank2Pensacola advertising and public relations campaign to tout the destination's exceptional value. The CVB reached the increasing number of online users through effective social marketing strategies. In addition, the CVB launched programs for travelers to "think outside the beach," inviting them to experience the many offerings during the shoulder season while leveraging current trends such as culinary tourism, heartland tours, downtown revitalization and ecotourism.

Share Your Specials and Events

We've started planning for 2009 and want to include your special event on our VisitPensacola.com calendar. E-mail your listings to lorvis@VisitPensacola.com.

Back to the top

Convention and Corporate Sales
(contact Patti Mohan)

Patti will be attending the Georgia Association of Meeting Planners International Golf Classic in Atlanta next week. Meeting planners from all over the Atlanta area will be attending. Tom Rasinen with the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front will also be participating in the meeting. The CVB is sponsoring a hole with a contest called “a short drive to Pensacola” to enhance our advertising campaign of “1Tank2Pensacola.”

Group Sales
(contact Lori Coppels)

Lori is working with a group of 150 black leaders from Mobile, Ala., to explore Pensacola’s African American heritage. The CVB is partnering with the African American Heritage Society to arrange the February tour.

Group Travel Leader, a leading magazine for group tour operators, published an article about Pensacola’s 450th anniversary, touting our area as a unique historic destination for groups. The American Bus Association, representing 1,000 motorcoach and tour companies in the United States and Canada, has named the Pensacola Seafood Festival among the top 100 events in the country.

Wedding Sales
(contact Barbara Williams)

The CVB marketing team has published a new wedding guide which features sample wedding themes, reception recommendations, a timeline for planning and other helpful tips for brides planning a destination wedding to Pensacola. Barbara has booked 151 weddings so far this year. The CVB sends out approximately 70 packages each week to brides requesting information from print advertising in Bridal Guide magazine.  Barbara has worked with brides from all over the United States and Europe who have planned their wedding in Pensacola.

Back to the top

Hot off the Press
(contact Laura Lee)

The Pensacola Bay Area has been included in several fall publications, helping to raise awareness of the area’s offerings during our off-season. Articles ran in New York Times, Air Tran’s Go! magazine, Florida Travel and Life, American Heritage, New Orleans Magazine and Atlanta Magazine, among others.

The Pensacola Celebrity Chefs program is off to a great start. The Five Chefs, Five Flags event sold out in record time. We continue efforts to publicize the Pensacola Bay Area’s culinary offerings and dining scene to travel and food editors across the country.

The Pensacola Bay Area CVB, the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce and ResortQuest hosted a travel writer from Decatur, Ga., last month. The article, scheduled to be published later this month, will feature our area’s beaches and family-friendly activities.

What's New in the Pensacola Bay Area Fall 2008

Back to the top

HRT Notice
(contact Barbara Williams)

The next Hospitality Roundtable Luncheon will be held Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 11:30 a.m. at SpringHill Suites, 24 Via De Luna, Pensacola Beach. The cost of the luncheon is $12 for HRT members, $20 for non-members. Payment should be made at the door with checks made payable to Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. No invoicing will be permitted. Denise Loughrey with Celebrate Pensacola will discuss upcoming events leading up to the 450th anniversary celebration of the founding of Pensacola. Since we must guarantee reservations, if you RSVP and do not attend, you will be billed for the cost of your lunch. Please RSVP by e-mailing Barbara at bwilliams@visitpensacola.com or by calling 434-1234 by 3 p.m. on August 15.

Back to the top