PUERTO RICO CONVENTION BUREAU HOSTS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING; OUTLINES NEW STRATEGIES FOR INDUSTRY SUCCESS THROUGH INNOVATION. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, the lead organization dedicated to promoting and booking group meetings for the Island, today held its Annual Membership Meeting. More than 250 member-partners representing the local tourism industry and other businesses directly serving the meetings and conventions market attended the event.
During the presentation, Milton Segarra, president & CEO, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, provided a ‘state of the industry’ to the membership, demonstrating the importance and significant impact meetings and conventions have on the economy.
“In the United States alone, there are 1.8 million meetings and conventions held each year, representing more than $263 billion in spending on hotels, transportation, entertainment, dining and more,” Segarra stated. “We need to come together as a destination to tap into the enormous potential that meetings and conventions offer as an economic driver for our local tourism community.”

Puerto Rico Industry Snapshot
The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau’s Business Development & Research Department provided a snapshot of the Island’s current meetings and conventions market. Several key research findings include:

• Group business represents one-quarter of room nights booked at Puerto Rico’s top 10 largest meeting hotels.
• Top market segments booked by the Bureau are Corporate (41%), Association (34%) and SMERF (25%).
• Top vertical markets are Education, Sports and Health/Medical.
• Top geographic regions for group business booked by the Bureau are almost split evenly between the Southeast (19%), Mid-West (19%), Northeast (18%), Caribbean (18%) and Mid-Atlantic (18%).
• Top destination competitors for the Bureau are Florida (31%) and the Caribbean (23%). In Florida, top competitors are Miami, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. In the Caribbean, top competitors are Jamaica, Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
• Top competitors for ‘citywide’ bookings are Florida (29%) and California (16%). In Florida, top competitors are Orlando, Miami and St. Petersburg/Clearwater. In California, top competitors are San Diego, Palm Springs and Los Angeles.
Staying Competitive Through Innovation
Outlining his vision for the organization and Puerto Rico as a world-class meetings and conventions destination, Segarra discussed the aggressive, corporate turn-around approach being implemented and key steps taken in his first hundred days leading the PRCB to restructure, refocus and reinvigorate the organization to better compete within the marketplace.

“Innovation is a critical component to our success if Puerto Rico wants to compete in the global arena of the meetings and conventions,” stated Segarra. “We’ve taken a look at how we can work smarter, innovate and incorporate new technologies and strategies into our activities. We’ve already begun implementing a new approach to succeed in this ever-evolving, highly-competitive industry.”
Defining the Brand: Meet Puerto Rico
As a first step toward rebranding and part of a growing trend among destination marketing organizations (DMOs), the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau will begin doing business as ‘Meet Puerto Rico.’
“We’ve been using ‘Meet Puerto Rico’ as part of our communication strategy and it’s time to fully embrace it as a brand,” Segarra stated. “It’s simple, clear and provides us with a more commercially-viable way to describe what we offer meeting planners, members and the community as a whole.” Segarra went on to discuss the elements of a reorganization strategy that impacts the PRCB’s membership, client services, sales and marketing divisions.

Membership Services
After meeting with a cross-section of the PRCB’s membership, Segarra is placing a priority on providing more education and business opportunities for members. Initiatives include:

- Open communication with members at all times;
- A new section of the PRCB’s Members-Only website section dedicated to ‘How-To’ topics such as ‘Elements for a success tradeshow booth,’ ‘How to develop a marketing plan,’ as well as access to PRCB documents including the Destination Business Plan, etc.;
- An outreach program to Puerto Rico association leaders and Academia aimed at providing an understanding of the PRCB’s mission and services, and fostering relationships for the further development of group business;
- Additional opportunities to take part in Bureau-hosted events such as sales blitzes, tradeshows, client events and the upcoming Puerto Rico Showcase, expected to draw 70 qualified meeting planners considering the destination for their group program to the island.
Destination Services
With the appointment of a new Destination Support Services Director, the PRCB has implemented a major change in how to work from the perspective of services with meeting planners and other clients. Under the new structure, meeting planners with business booked through the PRCB will have a dedicated group service executive to provide assistance throughout the meeting planning process. From site inspections through wrap-up reports, on anything from ground transportation to entertainment, offsite-dining to printing services and amenity gifts, there will be one point person to ensure client’s needs are being met in a timely and professional manner.

“For the first time, we’re providing a truly ‘one-stop-shop’ approach for the meeting planner,” explained Segarra. “We’re confident this will result in an exemplary planning experience for planners that will transfer into better delegate experiences and repeat business for Puerto Rico and its partners.”

A Refocused, Reinvigorated Selling Strategy
Several new selling initiatives have already been put in place at the PRCB aimed at developing new business leads, building stronger relationships with local influencers who can help drive group business and working with industry partners to close group business.

Utilizing an approach that stresses the attributes of the destination, key selling activities will include:

- A focus on selling primarily through the San Juan sales team, with an expanded team and focused selling to the sports/entertainment, luxury, medical and other niche groups;
- The addition of the ‘Meet Puerto Rico Development Fund,’ providing $2 million in sponsorship funding every year to remain competitive in the market while encouraging group business to Puerto Rico;
- Hosting a ‘Puerto Rico Destination Sell-a-Thon’ in November, in which PRCB sales executives will team up with hotel sales partners to coordinate calls to help close existing business leads;
- Partnering with PRCB-member hotel sales executives to assist in booking group business that is measured in direct spending versus room nights;
- Restructuring the PRCB Ambassador program with the primary focus on working with ambassadors to close existing leads on group business.
In addition, the PRCB sales team will focus selling activities at international and regional tradeshows which draw meeting planners with potential group business, participate in Bureau-hosted client events and sales blitzes, as well as actively participate in the Bureau’s upcoming Puerto Rico Showcase taking place on the island in December.

Brand Marketing & Communications
In addition to the new ‘Meet Puerto Rico’ brand, the PRCB has appointed a new marketing director, as well as a new advertising agency and social media marketing partner to promote the destination to the meetings and conventions market. TURKEL Brands, an international branding company and SparkLoft Media, a social media agency, both have extensive experience in the tourism arena and will work with the Bureau to market Puerto Rico as a world-class convention destination.
Elements of the Bureau’s new campaign include:

- A roll-out of a new advertising campaign in early 2014;
- Focus on more digital advertising placement while continuing to place ads in traditional print trade outlets;
- An emphasis on social media, with the launch of the first social media campaign aimed exclusively toward the meetings and conventions
- Incorporating mobile media technologies and developing social apps for meeting planning and other group business activities;
- The development of a new ‘Meet Puerto Rico’ website, with consumer-driven content and interactive tools for planning a meeting in Puerto Rico;
- A public relations initiative that includes press trips, a NYC press luncheon and media tour, industry speaking engagements and media interviews as well as a focus on inclusion in feature articles which positions Puerto Rico as a leader in understanding industry trends.
In closing, Segarra stated, “This new era for the Bureau not only represents innovation, but empowerment. Empowerment of the Meet Puerto Rico team, our member-partners and our industry. It’s about incorporating simplicity and authenticity in all of our messages and actions.”