The Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has received two awards – ConventionSouth magazine’s 2009 Reader’s Choice Award and Successful Meetings magazine’s 2009 Pinnacle Award. Both awards were given based on meeting planners’ identifying the Chattanooga CVB as a leader in the meetings and convention industry for hospitality excellence, officials said.
President and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Bob Doak said, “We are extremely pleased to have received both of these outstanding awards. Our convention department, hotels, restaurants, attractions and airport all work seamlessly together, going above and beyond, to ensure that the needs of our clients are met. This is an extremely high honor and speaks volumes of our hospitality industry."
ConventionSouth editors asked meeting professionals to name the convention & visitors bureaus, convention centers, conference centers, hotels, resorts and other meeting sites that they believe display exemplary creativity and professionalism to groups. More than 18,000 readers were asked to cast their votes, and only those that received the top number of votes out of approximately 2,000 meeting sites and CVBs received this recognition.
ConventionSouth Publisher J. Talty O’Connor said, “The value in receiving this recognition is that it comes from the United States’ top meeting professionals who book events in the South. These planners demand the highest level of customer service and quality facilities, and they have determined that the recipients of ConventionSouth’s Readers’ Choice Awards do indeed display the commitment to professionalism, creativity, excellence and outstanding customer service they require. It is an honor to announce that the Chattanooga Area CVB was selected by these planners as one of the best in the South.”
Successful Meetings Pinnacle Awards, chosen by meeting planners, recognizes conference centers, hotels, convention centers and convention & visitors bureaus. Winners are nominated based on exceeding both the planners’ and attendees’ expectations, hospitality excellence, innovation, customer collaboration and top-notch amenities – all which set them apart from the rest. They have consistently delivered unparalleled superiority in their levels of service and the quality of their facilities, officials said.
The rating system allows planners to quantify their reviews - and see how the properties stack up across several categories.
Vice President of Sales & Marketing at the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Steve Genovesi said, “Being selected for these awards affirms that meeting planners are acknowledging Chattanooga as a first-class meetings destination. They also value our state-of-the-art convention facilities, great hotels and restaurants and friendly service. It’s important to note, we wouldn’t have this success without our local citizens stepping up to help us sell Chattanooga for conventions, reunions and sporting events.”
When the city hosts groups ranging from 10-10,000+ people in the Scenic City, they have an impact on the local economy. The latest tourism figures show that visitors spent over $762 million in Hamilton County, making it one of our top industries.
Additionally, people visiting Chattanooga (perhaps for the first time), can see and experience all the amenities that make up the city.
To help bring a meeting to Chattanooga, contact Steve Genovesi at steve@chattanoogacvb.com or 424-4423. They will contact the group and then go through the entire bid process to ensure Chattanooga gets the business. For more information, visit www.chattanoogameetings.com or www.chattanoogafun.com/bringmymeeting.