Starting a Wayne County Tourism Bureau

[douglasm]

The only problem I have with the idea of Detroit/Wayne County as a tourist destination is that no matter how you promote it, Detroit will never be a tourist destination. It would be like selling Kansas City.....or Cleveland, no matter what the high points are, and all three have some remarkable high points. Detroit isn't San Francisco or Chicago or New York City and never will be.

So what to do? Push the convention business, and push it hard. The advantage of conventions are two fold. First, they bring people [[and their dollars) into town. Second, they bring people into town. Now, that's not really as dumb a statement as it sounds. With Detroit's image destruction over the past 40 years or so, you'll never draw visitors to the area individually, but with conventions you have a captive audience that's already here. Sell them hard, and maybe you have a chance of getting them to come back.

[poobert]

DMCVB always struck me as mildly retarded:

The metro Detroit area has five distinct destination districts, perfect for tourism and travel — everything from a lively urban vibe to wide-open scenic spaces

DW

DEARBORN/WAYNE

DD

DOWNTOWN DETROIT

GN

GREATER NOVI

M

MACOMB

O

OAKLAND



Looks like i've been missing out on what a distinct destination Greater Novi is after all these years. What a load of horseshit. I guess their idea is to trick people into coming here.

[Zug]

Thinking about it...maybe the fact that Novi has a convention center is why the convention & visitors bureau feels it deserves highlighting?

[Bham1982]

So what to do? Push the convention business, and push it hard.

I agree, but the problem is that this will be extremely difficult, to put it mildly.

First, the convention business is shrinking. So you're fighting over a withering business.

Second, and more important, Vegas and Orlando absolutely dominate the U.S. convention business. They're low-cost, generally anti-union locales [[Vegas is union, but not the same rules), and very desirable locations, year-round. They also have gigantic convention centers, vastly larger than in any other city, and have almost limitless space for expansion.

Imagine trying to pitch the, let's say, "American Association of Podiatrists" annual meeting. It's every March, let's say, and you're competing against Orlando and Vegas [[and maybe throw in very popular New Orleans).

Why the hell would they go with Detroit? Conventions are an excuse to get drunk and stupid, or, alternately often used as a couples or family getaway and cold, unwelcoming Detroit isn't going to cut it. You're competing against Disney, Bourbon Street and the Strip, with higher costs and crap weather.

[Gistok]

Why the hell would they go with Detroit? Conventions are an excuse to get drunk and stupid, or, alternately often used as a couples or family getaway and cold, unwelcoming Detroit isn't going to cut it. You're competing against Disney, Bourbon Street and the Strip, with higher costs and crap weather.

Didn't know the weather was all that great in Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC or Boston??

Apparently you forgot MENSA had their convention here a few years ago... even genius's know it's OK to come to Detroit...

[Bham1982]

Didn't know the weather was all that great in Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC or Boston??

Yeah, and these cities can't compete with Vegas and Orlando either.

Fact is that Vegas and Orlando are #1 and #2, every year, and it isn't close. Everyone else is fighting for scraps.

Also, some of the cities you listed don't even have major convention facilities. Cleveland doesn't even have a convention center.

[Pale Justice]

Cleveland doesn't even have a convention center.

Seriously? http://clevcc.com/