Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/5950
a t t e n d a n c e and major city- wide conven- tions continue to buck the trend by set- ting or break- ing attendance records when meeting in DC. Most recently, we hosted A m e r i c a n Academy of Pediatrics, which broke their record with more than 7,000 regis- tered professionals. We are doing more sales calls with hotel partners and the convention center to show our clients the commitment of our entire hospitality community. It's important during these times to employ relationship management more than any- thing else – it ensures the clients that you are with them in good times and bad. We also redeployed our sales team to be more focused geographically, which aligns better with the hotel model. This gives greater market penetration and again allows for stronger relationship development. We are continuing our international efforts through travel agent FAM tours, tour operator promotions, and strong media placements to get the most out of our marketing dollars. Our destination is truly unique com- pared to our counterparts around the country. Our main attractions along the National Mall remain FREE to the pub- lic. In fact we've even developed a list of 100 FREE or Almost Free things to do in Washington, DC. You can find that at Washington.org. One of the best things about Washington, DC is that it's a cul- turally diverse city with vibrant neighbor- hoods, many of which have self-guided walking tours with the history of each neighborhood. Another great thing about DC is the fact that we are located near three major airports and a major Amtrak hub so it makes us easily accessible from just about anywhere in the U.S. GARY SAIN, PRESIDENT & CEO, ORLANDO/ORANGE COUNTY CVB Yes, the economic challenges our nation faced this year certainly affected Black Meetings & Tourism December 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 42