But I Have One Rant about this Weekend
Which is why couldn't Carl and I get anyone from the Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau to call us back? We left several messages... The SCAA conference could be in Cleveland in 2010, bringing more than 10,000 people to the area for four to five days, and millions of dollars in revenue to the city. The SCAA folks are here in town, and boy wouldn't it be fabulous if someone from the CCVB would have returned our messages so as to sit down with the SCAA folks while they're here. Heck, we got the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR here, and he even has family here in Cleveland!!!
If anyone has any thoughts about how to make this happen, let me know!
posted by Sarah Wilson Belzile @ 5:23 AM
7 Comments:
One reason the SCAA likely wouldn't have done Cleveland in 2010 -- they're booked in Pittsburgh in 2011.
They (along with most other national associations) usually won't do two nearby cities in back-to-back years... and I imagine they've already got a contract for 2010 done or in progress.
Btw, as someone who used to work in the convention world, Cleveland would lose potential biz because of the its facility - events that decided on Pgh, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville - even Detroit - as better options. And the I-X center didn't have upscale hotel properties nearby.
Maybe try for like 2014-2015 and hopefully there will be a better facility by then?
Um... we withdrew from Pittsburgh. No SCAA in Pittsburgh in 2011.
2008 Minneapolis
2009 Atlanta
2010 Anaheim
2011 Probably Houston
2012 Portland
-Nick
OK so of course the SCAA has its sites picked out for the next decade, but so what, Cleveland should be shooting for the decade after that. It's not a long shot. It needs to happen.
If we all just keep repeating SCAA Cleveland 2011 to ourselves long enough... maybe someone from the Convention and Visitors Bureau will call us back.
The SCAA should ditch Anaheim and have the 2010 in Vancouver... because who knows, maybe the WBC will be here at that time, along with a thing called the Olympics happening that year (well, a few months before).
In all seriousness, hitting a town after a major thing like the Olympics is a good thing for business - there's so many new businesses and services opened up because of the event, and after said event, lots of deals that can be negotiated, re hotels, venues, services, etc.
Plus you don't have to deal with the stinky skanky union-iron-grip issues you have to deal with in US convention halls. Sure, we have unions up here, but none of this "pay $2500 to move my three boxes 100 feet" bs that most booth renters have to deal with at the US trade shows. And you can probably buy your own milk and bring it in to the show lol ;)
I would LOVE to come to Vancouver for an SCAA show. We maybe could argue that the last A for America stands for North America, which would imply that it includes Canada, right?
Here's another idea:
in 2010 (i think) Lexington, KY is hosting the World Equestrian Games. i believe this is the first time that event has ever been hosted by an American city. they started building the infrastructure to host such a huge event about a year ago, and i've heard reports that even hotels within an hour of lexington are already sold out for the dates of the event. this may or may not add any incentive for the SCAA to consider Lexington as a 2011 option, but it seems logical ('09 eastern, '10 western, '11 [now] western, '12 western,) to at least somewhat alternate coasts. also, i'm sure a large number of the international crowd will stick around after said games, and the hotels, restaurants, etc. will be capable of withstanding the force of the SCAA con. bad idea? maybe; i suppose i'd also vote to have it in my back yard and everyone camp out just because i'd more likely be able to attend.
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