Perspective on MBCC

A PERSPECTIVE ON MBCC'S FUTURE

By Taylor Hall

We recently sat down with President and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), William Talbert III to discuss the future of the soon-to-be completely renovated Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC). As the official destination sales and marketing organization for Greater Miami and the Beaches, the GMCVB is a public-private partnership whose mission is to create and support jobs by attracting visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for conventions, business, leisure and world-class events.

Last year, the GMCVB reported a record 15.9 million overnight visitors who generated $241,126,236 in tourist generated tax dollars and supported 145,200 jobs in the community. In addition to advertising, travel industry sales and niche marketing, the GMCVB works to improve accessibility to Greater Miami and the Beaches via a route development program in partnership with Miami International Airport (MIA) to expand direct flights into Miami from strategic markets. As a result, today MIA is home to more airline carriers than any other airport in the country. With 50 percent of overnight visitors coming from global markets, Miami and the Beaches welcomes the highest percentage of international visitors than any other destination in the U.S.

Giving us further insight into the process and possibilities for the MBCC, here’s what the man responsible for Miami and the Beaches’ world-renowned status had to share with us.

WHAT IS THE GMCVB’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER?

The GMCVB’s Convention Sales Team takes the lead in securing citywide conventions and booking business for the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), and has served as its sales agent for more than 30 years. With the MBCC renovation nearing completion, all eyes are on promoting this amazing facility through GMCVB’s marketing and sales channels. Meeting and convention business is vital for this destination because it brings in thousands of delegates that fill our hotel rooms, restaurants, retail shops and attractions. Unlike consumer shows, convention delegates are from out of town and they utilize existing transportation or walk to nearby attractions, restaurants and retail shopping. Just one citywide convention at the MBCC can represent millions of dollars in economic impact to our community. A timely example is the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) national convention that took place this past September. This one conference alone generated more than $6 million in economic impact in five days.

WHAT DO MEETING PLANNERS CONSIDER WHEN BOOKING A SHOW AT A CONVENTION CENTER?

The GMCVB’s Convention Sales Team travels the world to meet customers at trade shows, where top meeting planners meet with destinations to determine locations and venues for their next convention booking. As a result, we have developed a deep understanding of meeting planner’s needs. First and foremost, event planners consider their space needs. To this end, the nearly completed MBCC facility -- which features over 500,000 square feet of exhibition space and close to 200,000 square feet of additional ballroom and meeting space -- will boost our ability to compete for quality, national and corporate meetings and conventions.

While room blocks continue to be a top priority for our clients and meeting planners, they also tell us that accessibility and walkability to and from a convention hotel also factors into their decision as to where to book a convention. If approved by voters, the addition of an 800-room headquarter hotel adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center would provide the proximity meeting planners seek, and according to a 2017 study by Convention Sports & Leisure (CSL) would qualify the convention center to compete for up to 59 percent of the national event market.

Finally, in addition to considering whether a destination offers a headquarter hotel option, the diversity of hotel options in the surrounding area matters a great deal to meeting planners, as many large conventions need more than one hotel to accommodate their convention guests. In this regard, I am confident that the strength of the hotel market in Miami Beach, including regional hotels and boutique hotels, will assist us in attracting quality shows to the MBCC, and the surrounding area will in turn benefit from increased convention business.

WHAT CONVENTION CENTER(S) AROUND THE NATION IS THE MBCC COMPETING WITH, AND DO THEY HAVE AN ADJACENT CONVENTION HOTEL?

Many of our competing destinations offer at least one, sometimes two or even three headquarter hotels as part of their convention package. Markets such as Orlando, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston and others are seeing investments made in convention facilities, which include enhancements to existing hotels adjacent to their convention center. Our data show that 71 percent of our competition are either underway with or are planning a facility expansion project to their convention facility, and 36 percent are currently developing or are planning for additional headquarter hotel inventory.

GIVE US SOME PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT’S HAPPENING REGIONALLY IN REGARD TO CONVENTION CENTER PROJECTS.

The Miami Beach Convention Center, while situated in the City of Miami Beach, is a regional facility serving citywide conferences for all of Miami-Dade County. We are proud to welcome our meeting delegates and clients from around the world to Miami Beach for their convention. With the MBCC located only two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, our meeting delegates truly get a sense of place as they arrive in Miami Beach for their event. And as the region continues to evolve, we now have more options than ever for meeting planners looking for new and creative spaces. In walking proximity to the convention center, meeting attendees will find amazing attractions such as the Bass Museum, the New World Center, and a Frank Gehry-designed building – home to the New World Symphony. One example of an exciting project planned for the region is The Miami Worldcenter – a mixed-use development project with an 1,800 room hotel and 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. While it will be located outside of Miami Beach, The Miami Worldcenter will complement the MBCC venue by housing smaller events which will free up precious inventory within the new MBCC so that it can accommodate larger citywide conventions. Mana Wynwood, the new home to the Home Design & Remodeling Show, is another example of a regional venue that hosts smaller scale events and frees up the MBCC for citywide conventions. When we pool all our regional assets together, Greater Miami and the Beaches will be able to offer a competitive and attractive convention package to meeting planners around the world for meetings and conventions in the destination.

TAKE US THROUGH A TYPICAL DAY FOR A CONVENTION CENTER ATTENDEE.

There is no such thing as a “typical day” for convention attendees – especially in Greater Miami and the Beaches. They each have their own needs and the GMCVB’s Convention Services Team works directly with the client to service those needs. Our team will often partner with MIA to welcome meeting delegates with signs and personal greeters from the moment they deplane at the airport. Many of the delegates look forward to a night out after long days of meetings and will stroll nearby Lincoln Road for shopping and dinner options. In fact, local restaurants and shops greatly benefit from conventions at the MBCC and look forward to welcoming convention delegates. Meetings mean business in Greater Miami and the Beaches.

WHAT CALIBER OF SHOWS IS THE GMCVB HOPING TO ATTRACT?

The MBCC “sweet spot” includes medical, technology, corporate and finance – among others. The focus will be on quality, not quantity, with a typical convention bringing in 4 to 5 thousand delegates. With the recent MBCC renovation and, if approved by the voters, an adjacent convention center hotel, Greater Miami and the Beaches is poised to welcome some of the most prestigious and high-profile coveted meetings, convention and shows. The future is bright for Greater Miami and the Beaches!