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B M & T ••• January/February 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 19 Planning and facilitating an event is made extraordinarily simple with the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB). And if you're bringing in a life sciences, sports or multicultural group, the PHLCVB has dedicated departments to help planners increase attendance and grow sponsorship opportunities – PHLSports, PHLLife and PHLDiversity – all of which work seamlessly to provide access to indus- try experts, and connect conventions with off-site networks, venues and regional attrac- tions. The PHLCVB also assists planners with customized microsites, targeted e-mar- keting campaigns delegate discounts and more, all aimed at raising attendance without raising expenses. The second-largest city of the East coast and the 5th largest in the U.S., Philadelphia has been named one of the most walkable cities in the country. Indeed, because once the workday is over, conventioneers have their choice of world-class shopping, culture, dining and nightlife, all within a few blocks of the Convention Center. Whether it's breakfast at the Parc, lunch at McGillin's Old Ale House or dinner at Tinto's restaurant, fine dining options in Philadelphia are plen- tiful and offer a wide range of excellent cuisine. And be sure to stroll through the Reading Terminal Market, the nation's oldest continuously operating farmer's market offering locally grown and exotic produce. Established in 1892, it has emerged as one of the greatest public markets in the country and is directly oppo- site the Convention Center. "From a convention or leisure standpoint, everything is very walkable in our city. Our convention center is right in the middle of downtown Philadelphia, as well as a very walkable hotel package. So it's easy for folks to move around the city and actually experience it. In fact, that's what you'll hear from people, whether they're a leisure cus- tomer or a convention attendee. When they come they kind of want to live like a local, so they want to go to the authentic restaurants and experience everything that the des- tination has to offer. And that's easy to do because everything is walkable," said Coker Graham. "On top of that our arts and cultural scene and institutions are sprinkled in between. So someone can walk out of the convention center and just steps away is the Barnes Foundation or the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, for example. And within a three or four block radius there are outstanding restaurants offering everything from pizzerias to fine dining. So all of it is very easy to navigate." Indeed, getting from place to place as a visitor – both in and around Philly – is a breeze. The city has an extensive transportation system which includes subway, bus and rail lines, all of which have stops at the convention center and numerous other points of interest around town. The convention center and downtown sites are also just 15 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport, an ever-expanding, internationally recognized airport that serves more than 30 million passengers each year. Another reason Philadelphia is such a perfect choice for a meeting or conven- tion is the fact that the city is within 200 miles of 46 million people; and 40 percent of the U.S. population is just a day's drive away. If you're not driving to Philly, the rail and subway systems link to Philadelphia International Airport, which services 30 airlines providing 550 daily departures to 126 cities, including 39 international des- tinations. It's also just a mere two hours away from New York City and Washington, D.C. by Amtrak's Acela Express. "The other thing I would say as you're looking at East Coast destinations, especial- ly for the conventioneer or meeting attendees is that we are a very good value. Our price structure is fantastic as it relates to what you would pay in a New York pricing or D.C. pricing scenario," noted Coker Graham. "Last but not least is the fact that our con- vention center has really stepped up and is now a state-of-the-art facility, as well as being a beautiful facility. And now that it's under the management of SMG, meeting planners are experiencing great efficiencies, so there's a greater return on their investment. And, of course, with record-breaking attendance and great customer service and efficiencies, it delivers a great convention. And we always try to get those convention attendees to come back as leisure customers, which is always great." To learn more, check out the Philadelphia Visitors and Conventions Bureau RFP tool on its website at www.discoverphl.com. Copyright: Sean Pavone