As the country's economic woes continue to be felt by the business community, Visit Baltimore has launched two innovative
incentive programs in an effort to entice meeting and covention planners to hold their events in Baltimore.
"We realize that times are tough across all industries and we wanted to support the efforts of our meeting planner clients in continuing their professional growth within the industry while at the same time helping them to defray the cost of hosting a meeting in Baltimore," says Amy Calvert, Visit Baltimore vice president, sales and services.
Both plans offer meeting planners who book a new meeting in Baltimore with at least 1,000 room nights before June 30, 2010, for an event that takes place in Baltimore before December 31, 2012, a carrot for coming to Baltimore. Meeting planners will receive a $1,000 educational credit that can be used by the individual planner to maintain membership in an industry association, participate in an industry certification program or attend educational events.
In addition, to assist planners in reducing their meeting's bottom line, several Baltimore hotels are also offering a 4 percent rebate off the master account for new meetings booked before June 2010.
Participating hotels include:
· Baltimore Marriott Waterfront
· Baltimore's Tremonts
· Hampton Inn at Camden Yards
· Harbor Magic Hotels
· Hilton Baltimore
· Hyatt Regency Baltimore
· InterContinental Harbor Court
· Renaissance Harborplace Hotel
· Sheraton Baltimore City Center
· Sheraton Baltimore North
· Sheraton Inner Harbor
The new incentive program is now underway and concludes on June 30, 2010 or on the date on which a total of 50,000 hotel room nights are booked for the downtown Baltimore hotel district, whichever occurs first. Additionally, in order for a booking to satisfy the promotion's 1,000 room night requirement, it must be held before December 31, 2012.
Source: Visit Baltimore
Writer: Walaika Haskins