Making Plans for Peoria Area's Future
Over the course of the year 2000, the marketing team of the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau tracked a direct economic impact of more than $18 million to the local economy from tourism and convention events.
This impact was derived from the many individuals who visited the Peoria area because we were host to a convention, meeting, reunion, conference or sporting event that they, or a family member, attended.
Through the Peoria Area CVB’s continued sales and marketing efforts, this consistent stream of revenue to the local economy grows every year—thus contributing to the quality of life we experience as residents of this area.
Our restaurants thrive, our number of shopping venues increase, and the special events available to us are consistently increasing in caliber and size.
So how is the PACVB encouraging our hometowns to participate in keeping this stream of revenue alive and well? Through a new local marketing campaign to be launched during the first half of 2002.
Almost every resident of the Peoria area participates in an association, reunion group, club, athletic league, or an organization that could potentially host their meetings, conventions or events in their own area.
After all, why travel outside the Peoria area when you could play close to home?
As an opportunity to create sales leads, the Peoria Area CVB is creating this campaign to encourage individuals to support efforts to bring additional meetings, conventions and events to our region—with prizes for the first lead, the largest lead and so forth.
Past examples of groups that played in the Peoria area because of the efforts of local contacts include:
This impact was derived from the many individuals who visited the Peoria area because we were host to a convention, meeting, reunion, conference or sporting event that they, or a family member, attended.
Through the Peoria Area CVB’s continued sales and marketing efforts, this consistent stream of revenue to the local economy grows every year—thus contributing to the quality of life we experience as residents of this area.
Our restaurants thrive, our number of shopping venues increase, and the special events available to us are consistently increasing in caliber and size.
So how is the PACVB encouraging our hometowns to participate in keeping this stream of revenue alive and well? Through a new local marketing campaign to be launched during the first half of 2002.
Almost every resident of the Peoria area participates in an association, reunion group, club, athletic league, or an organization that could potentially host their meetings, conventions or events in their own area.
After all, why travel outside the Peoria area when you could play close to home?
As an opportunity to create sales leads, the Peoria Area CVB is creating this campaign to encourage individuals to support efforts to bring additional meetings, conventions and events to our region—with prizes for the first lead, the largest lead and so forth.
Past examples of groups that played in the Peoria area because of the efforts of local contacts include:
- The Illinois Association of Park Districts/Illinois Parks and Recreation Association.
- The Illinois Women’s Bowling Association.
- Equip Ministries.
- The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America.
Just these few groups alone contributed an economic impact of more than $650,000 to the local economy, and all because a local member of the group thought they should play in the Peoria area instead of somewhere else.
With more than 63,000-square-feet of meeting space in the Peoria Civic Center alone and more than 4,500 hotel rooms throughout the area, Peoria is one of the prime meeting spots of the Midwest.
Plus, with the additional meeting space available at our major hotels, and with facilities like EastSide Center in East Peoria, or hosting sporting events at other area facilities, the Peoria Area CVB looks for great things to happen as we launch this local campaign in 2002. IBI