FORUM KIM LEWIS
COMMUNICATIONS & DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, VISIT JACKSON
BY ANTHONY BILDEN
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n the following Q&A, Kim Lewis provides an inside look at how Mississippi’s capital city is faring during this challenging time for the hospitality industry. The City With Soul is proving resilient with a combination of booking incentives for groups, a full arsenal of sanitation and safety best practices, and even recently completed projects that enhance the hospitality offerings. Planners who would like further detail on any of the points Lewis addresses can reach her at klewis@visitjackson.com. To learn more about Jackson’s meetings industry, visit www.visitjackson.com.
“Even during COVID-19, the city of Jackson has continued to grow and move forward. Many attractions, restaurants and hotels have used this time for renovations to their property.” Q. How is Jackson’s meetings business shaping up for 2021 and beyond? A. We see a lot of interest in Jackson as a host city for events in 2021 due to our current financial incentives that we are offering. We are also seeing an increase in interest from regional meeting planners. Many people are ready to get out, but not necessarily ready to fly or travel a long distance from home. Regional events would make Jackson the perfect drivable destination. Q. When do you project a rebound to 2019’s booking numbers? A. With the expected decline in events due to COVID-19, Visit Jackson has seen a large decrease in events compared to the summer of 2019 due to the pandemic. As of this time, we have rebooked a large percentage of those lost events and have had an increase in bookings for future events. It is difficult to say when things will permanently pick back up since the situation itself is so fluid. 18
Q. What kinds of booking incentives are you offering groups? A. We have long been able to entice groups to Jackson with our lower tax rate, ample meeting and convention space, and extensive complimentary services package. With the current challenges surrounding the hospitality industry, Visit Jackson has added financial incentives for meeting planners that book events before the end of 2020. Planners can hold the events anytime in the future, and 100 percent of the funds will be paid directly to the hotel or venue to help offset additional costs associated with COVID-19. We urge anyone interested in booking an event to reach out to our Sales & Services department to see how we can help you host your event in the City With Soul. Q. Please give a few examples of the best practices Jackson’s Convention Complex and hotels are implementing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A. Area restaurants, hotels and attractions have made adjustments and are finding their groove. Jackson industry partners have added additional sanitizing procedures to ensure staff and guests’ health and safety, mastering the delicate balance of social distancing and excellent customer service. A few prominent examples would be wearing face coverings, spacing out tables for either dining or conferences, reducing congestion areas where small groups of attendees may gather, and even reducing the amount of one-on-one contact staff has with guests. Visit Jackson has provided face coverings, hand sanitizers and signage to all interested industry partners at no charge. Q. What services to planners do you believe set Visit Jackson apart from many other CVBs? A. Many cities offer services to their booked groups. We have been told repeatedly that our complimentary services package goes above and beyond what meeting planners are used to receiving in other cities. Besides providing the traditional maps and visitor guides, Visit Jackson offers their meeting planners access to Registration Assistants that they may utilize in different ways. Some groups like them to set up a booth and provide tourist information to their guests; others use the assistants to check-in and register their guests, including onsite printing of name badges. Visit Jackson is also happy to obtain a welcome letter from local government agencies. We are often asked to provide an official welcome to kick off the event, and we are always happy to do so.
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FACILITIES & DESTINATIONS 2020 FALL
