Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau | 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO As I reflect over the past year, it’s invigorating to see how many people visited Dallas. As we expand our brand and reach more travelers from all around the world, it’s great to see how far our investments, commitments and passion for our city have extended. The Dallas area continues to be recognized as the top visitor destination in Texas and is the only Texas city ranked in the Top 10 cities for conventions by CVENT.

Phillip Jones

President | CEO

VISITORS!TO!DALLAS

24.9

ECONOMIC!IMPACT

$7.3B

FUTURE!ROOM!NIGHTS

1.8M

CITYWIDE!BOOKS

36

We hosted more than 24.9 million visitors in 2014, whose spending resulted in nearly $7.3 billion in economic impact. As an industry, tourism supports 1 out of 19 jobs in the area.

Over the last year, our successes and partnerships broke new records and created new opportunities for our great city. The Dallas sales, sports and tourism teams booked more than 1,839,900 future room nights in FY 2014-2015, a record for the organization, generating $1.8 billion in future economic impact. This includes 36 citywide bookings, up from 32 bookings in the previous year.

At the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau Annual Meeting last year, we took great pride in announcing the creation of the Dallas Sports Commission. This team’s goal to make Dallas a premier destination for sporting events and their a!endees brought us monumental exposure and unprecedented prospects for bringing great events to Dallas. Events like the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship secured more than 67,000 room nights in Dallas, increasing the economic impact and supporting the growth of many local businesses.

The launch of Dallas CityPASS gave visitors even more reasons to experience the best of the city. Since CityPASS was introduced in May 2015,

more than 22,000 people have visited the Dallas CityPASS website to learn more about the program. More than 15,700 discount admission booklets have been purchased, resulting in additional foot traffic at some of Dallas’ most popular a!ractions.

And lastly, we broke new ground as we welcomed the American Council of the Blind conference in July 2015 for a full week. The event brought together stakeholders from around Dallas to ensure we met the needs of this group through visual awareness training and sensitivity as we prepared to host nearly 1,100 visually impaired a!endees.

These are just a few of the outstanding accomplishments of the team at the Dallas CVB this year. Our passionate team members continue to find a way to GO BIG and I’m proud to work beside them each day.

On behalf of the Dallas CVB board of directors, staff and partners – thank you for making 2015 an incredible year for our city! We look forward to more exciting developments in 2016 and we’re eager to work together to make BIG Things Happen Here.

Phillip Jones President/CEO

2014-15

WHO WE ARE FY2015 TOTALS ROOM!DEMAND

7,629K

+3.7%

HOTEL!REVENUE

$853M

+$58.5M

We’ve experienced many monthly hotel performance records over the past year, ranging from Occupancy Rate, Average Daily Rate (ADR), Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), demand and revenue. The sustained record se!ing months has resulted in the best Fiscal Year numbers in almost every metric.

(Dating back to FY1988) Total Room Demand of 7.6 million rooms, an increase of over three percent over FY14.

RevPAR was $76.87, the highest on record for the City of Dallas.

ADR was $111.86, the highest on record for the City of Dallas.

ANNUAL!OCCUPANCY!

68.7%

ALL TIME HIGH ADR

$111.86

ALL TIME HIGH REVPAR

$76.87

ALL TIME HIGH

Total Hotel Revenue of $853 million, an increase of $58.5 million over FY14.

Annual Occupancy rate was 68.7%, the highest City occupancy rate on record.

Tourism is big business for Dallas and the North Texas region. Acting as the city’s sales and marketing arm, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau provides outreach to potential visitors throughout the United States and destinations around the globe, urging them to come to Dallas.

We do this with marketing campaigns and sales missions, promoting the best that Dallas has to offer, whether you’re a trade association looking to hold a meeting for several thousand members, sports organizations planning tournaments, families planning their

annual vacation or couples looking for a weekend getaway.

We tell them about the practical stuff, like how to get around using free transportation like DART’s D-Link and the McKinney Avenue Trolley, what’s happening at our a!ractions and where to shop and eat when they’re here. But we also promote the culture of Dallas that we all love, from a world-class arts scene to the staples that make Dallas famous. We’re a place where BIG Things Happen.

Last year, 24.9 million people visited Dallas, spending $4.3 billion for a total economic impact of $7.3 billion, which directly translates into jobs, generating tax revenue of $942 million, of which $501 million goes to state and local entities resulting in an offset of household taxes for residents.

All that spending translates into jobs, about 1 out of every 19 jobs in the city of Dallas. Because of this, the average household pays $1,084 less in taxes each year.

For continued success, we must all work together, le!ing others know how important visitors are to Dallas.

Get involved by becoming a partner of the bureau. Urge any organizations you belong to bring their events here.

You don’t have to be a hotel or major a!raction to make a difference. Be an advocate. Tell your friends and family to come visit and show them what Dallas can offer.

OUR MISSION

OUR STRATEGIC VISION

OUR VALUES

To promote Dallas as the ideal business and pleasure destination to the regional, national and international marketplace, and favorably impact the Dallas economy through conventions and tourism.

To become a Top 5 U.S. destination (as measured by total visitation and economic impact).

Collaboration, Accountability, Passion,

Respect, Innovation, Integrity

2014-15

BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Board of Directors plays an important role in the success of the organization. The 46-member board, representing diverse members from throughout the industry and community, provides strategic oversight, guidance and influence to support the bureau’s mission.

The board helps guide the vision for the Dallas CVB, working to help our convention and tourism business grow today and strengthening our foundation for sustainable growth in the future. Board members, who must also be members of the organization, provide policy direction to the Dallas CVB and support several key strategies integral to our success, including: •

Supporting long-term and sustainable funding options for expansion and improvement of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas.

•

•

Serving as ambassadors and influencers in support of our goals, representing Dallas CVB messages through the community, providing liaison with key civic and industry organizations and encouraging participation and supporting influential business and community leaders.

Supporting Dallas CVB marketing efforts, including identifying and helping with public relations opportunities, advocating for Dallas CVB marketing initiatives and helping to identify and secure prospective strategic partners.

BOARD!MEMBERS

46

•

Being ambassadors and influencers to advance the bureau’s diversity and inclusion goals and engaging non-traditional partners to support these efforts.

•

Establishing and sustaining an active, diverse and effective board by continuing to recruit highly capable, high-profile and influential members, and maintaining a commitment to board diversity.

2014-15

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR PEG HALL Dentons US LLP VICE!CHAIRMAN MONICA!R"!ALONZO Diversity & Inclusion Commi!ee Chair City of Dallas

CHAIR-ELECT!!|!!TREASURER! EDDIE W. REEVES Finance Commi!ee ChairReeves Strategy Group

IMMEDIATE!PAST!CHAIRMAN! DAVE BROWN Nominating Commi!ee ChairAmerican Airlines Center

TARA GREEN Sports Marketing Commi!ee ChairKlyde Warren Park

DR. ELBA GARCIA Dallas County Commissioner

MARIE PERRY (GB) Brinker International

BETTIE GARRETT Southeast Dallas Chamber of Commerce

JENNIFER S. GATES Councilmember, City of Dallas

DARWIN GIBSON Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dallas Marrio! Quorum

DALE PETROSKEY Dallas Regional Chamber

SAM GILLILAND Sabre

KEN THORNTON Superior Expo Services

GEOFF GREEN Netvious Networks

JERONIMO VALDEZ Valdez/Washington LLP

ROBBIE BRIGGS Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s Intl. Realty

CHRISTEL COLLINS, PMP American Airlines

DARLENE ELLISON Veritex Community Bank

FRED EULER Hya! Regency Dallas

WILLIAM L. EVANS Dallas Zoo

DEAN FEARING Fearing’s Restaurant

NEVIN GRINNELL Dallas Area Rapid Transit

ROBERTO van GREENEN The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas

ANANT K. JAIN, Ph.D. United Solutions Associates, Inc.

TONY VEDDA North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce

CECILE FERNANDEZ Hotel Association of North Texas

MARICELA S. MOORE Law Office of Maricela Moore PLLC

JAY FORTE American Language Technologies

WILTON S. MUNNINGS Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce

AMY HOFLAND Cultural Tourism Commi!ee Chair Crow Collection of Asian Art DANA WILLIAMS Marketing Commi!ee Chair Southwest Airlines HAROLD RAPOZA Sales & Services Commi!ee Chair Hilton Anatole Dallas Hotel DEREK GEROW Strategic Alliances Commi!ee Chair Partner, Bain & Company

RON KING City of Dallas LAURA MacNEIL Wells Fargo Bank BILL MACATEE CBS Sports KATHRYN MARTINEZ-PLANOS AVALON PAULINE MEDRANO

LAURIE SPROUSE Ultimate Ventures MITZI TALLY Dallas Market Center KERRY TASSOPOULOS Mary Kay Inc.

JOYCE WILLIAMS Dallas County Community College District MARK WOELFFER Renaissance Dallas Hotel JEFFREY YARBROUGH bigInk MOHAMMED YOUNUS Golden Bank N.A.

2014-15

SALES & SERVICES TEAM MISSION:

To seek the highest levels of professional performance and innovation in the promotion of Dallas as a preferred destination for conventions, trade shows and corporate meetings, and to ensure complete customer satisfaction.

ANNUAL! OCCUPANCY

68.7% TOP

10

CITYWIDE! EVENTS

36

FUTURE!ROOMS

SALES INFOGRAPHIC 1,013

In Cvent® meeting preference report

2015 ACHIEVEMENTS New Records The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Convention Sales & Services team booked more than 1,012,637 future room nights in FY 2014-2015, a record for the organization and three percent increase over the previous record year (980,603).

City Collaboration Working together with transportation companies, hotels, restaurants, museums and other cultural a!ractions, and o%en the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, we toured more than 450 customers and their teams throughout the city.

This collaboration helped position Dallas as the ideal destination for conventions, board meetings, dinners, receptions and tours.

A BIG Welcome For citywide events, the Dallas CVB Client Services team directly assisted event organizers with all of their needs outside the walls of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. We welcomed a!endees at every touch point in the city, including baggage claim at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field, street light pole banners throughout the city and welcome signage on every hotel registration desk. The team also assisted in planning receptions and dinners for a!endee groups ranging from 10 to 10,000 guests.

Commitment to Service As a new service, the Client Services team also dedicated one of its existing

positions to focus on those groups that book their event through the Dallas CVB, but use only one hotel, to ensure we continue to exceed customer expectations for events big and small organized through the bureau.

The Strategy for 2016 As we enter the new fiscal year, the Convention Sales & Services team laid the foundation for more growth with some new initiatives to make greater use of Dallas’ terrific assets and to bring even more events to Dallas.

Focus on Research We have invested more than $25,000 in research to be!er focus our efforts and redefine our account base to strategically target desired businesses.

This data will help us fill open dates in May through August and December, which have historically been slower months for business activity. We’ll focus on vertical markets to capitalize on the best conversion opportunities, and we’ll nurture new accounts for citywide, self-contained and small meeting opportunities in order to maximize long-term, mid-term and short-term business channels.

Reward our clients We’ll continue to reward the loyalty of our high-volume meeting planners to move market share. We’ll do this by providing a private marketing channel and resources to help with their own customers’ retainment. We’ll also increase the data and knowledge available to be!er provide marketing communication touch points. Lastly, we’ll improve our processes to be!er track ROI, ensuring meeting planner partners have the information they need as market conditions change.

2014-15

TOURISM TEAM MISSION:

The Tourism team is responsible for sales and marketing to the leisure/consumer market, including international strategic plans and sales, and the management of the Bureau’s 12 international agencies and representation firms; domestic group leisure sales; cultural tourism; management of the Dallas Visitor Center; and partnerships and marketing opportunities with airports, airlines and other industry partners.

TOTAL!VISITORS

CITYPASSES!SOLD

24.9M

2015 ACHIEVEMENTS

15.7K

INTERNATIONAL!VISITORS

+69%

2.2M

ROOM!NIGHTS

270K SPENDING

$$$$ VS $$$$ 2015 ACHIEVEMENTS Increased international reach The Tourism team conducted media and sales missions in more than 30 cities around the globe, meeting with almost 2,500 agents, operators and media partners. We also negotiated collaborative sales and marketing agreements in four major international markets for the Dallas and Fort Worth CVBs – specifically for

Australia, China, the UK and Germany.

Additionally, our team executed consumer advertising campaigns in Mexico City, London, Sydney and Canada.

We capitalized on the Dallas Cowboys’ game in London by hosting more than 50 media and trade clients at the game and at a client event featuring

Dallas celebrity chef Dean Fearing.

The Tourism team worked closely with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to welcome two new low-cost carriers from Mexico and hosted a familiarization trip in conjunction with Volaris’ inaugural flight that brought 15 travel trade and media professionals to the city. Following Japan Airlines’ announcement of new non-stop service from Tokyo, our team hosted their official tour operator to develop a new leisure program for the Japanese market. The Dallas CVB communications teams also hosted writers and editors from the airline’s in-flight magazine for a Dallas feature.

A Warm Welcome We hosted more than 500 clients from more than 10 top inbound markets on familiarization tours of Dallas. Thirty hotel partners a!ended the bureau’s spring 2015 Receptive/Wholesaler Event, organized by Tourism to enable five leading wholesale and receptive operators including Tourico, Hotelbeds and Greater Toronto Area to conduct presentations. Tourism staff hosted a film crew for a Food Network International feature on Dallas, focusing on key things to do while visiting, as well as the city’s culinary scene.

Introduced CityPASS Our team successfully secured Dallas as a CityPASS city and successfully launched the Dallas CityPASS product. Ticket sales since the launch of the program in May have exceeded the projections CityPASS made for the Dallas program.

2014-15

TOURISM Cultural Tourism Outreach and Strategy We collaborated with more than a dozen industry partners and the Dallas CVB Marketing team to create and launch the new Big D Holiday campaign, targeted to regional drive markets and local audiences, with a focus on the cultural and entertainment opportunities in Dallas throughout the holidays. It is now an annual program, returning for winter 2015. We also saw a 67 percent increase in Dallas TPID fund utilization by arts and other organizations for events tied to hotel room night production. Additionally, our team has put in extensive work in planning of the 2016 Global Summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council, including conference planning, content development, host commi!ee development and sponsorship sales.

Build Dallas Awareness With increased investment in our international agencies, we will more deeply engage them in comprehensive training of the Dallas product with operators and agents in their markets. Earned editorial will still be a key priority for the Dallas CVB Tourism team internationally, as well as an increased focus on influencing key wholesalers, consolidators and receptives.

Internal Improvements A big initiative in 2016 will be to evaluate and implement an overhaul of the Dallas Visitor Center, as well as more deeply engage airport ambassadors and other industry partners in promoting in-market activities. We will continue our collaboration with the Dallas CVB marketing team in the transition to an exciting new visitor guide platform.

Continued Partnerships We’ll collaborate to increase our partnerships with OTAs in international markets, working with Brand USA to extend the value of those partnerships and placements.

We’ll also further develop sales opportunities with Dallas CityPASS in influencing increased international visitation to Dallas. Lastly, the Tourism team will facilitate and engage even more utilization of DTPID funds by arts partners for in-market events that drive visitation and hotel stays.

2014-15

MARKETING | COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MISSION:

to evolve:

The Marketing & Communications Department’s goal is to market Dallas as the ideal visitor and convention destination to the regional, national and international marketplace through advertising, creative partnerships, social media and public relations.

3.2M

WEBSITE VISITS

311K+ SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS

68

WRITERS HOSTED FROM 12 COUNTRIES

1,000 #BIGWOOF INSTAGRAM POSTS

24K

UTRIP ITINERARIES CREATED

24K

EARNED MEDIA VALUE

2015 ACHIEVEMENTS B&G Is Still A BIG Deal In its second year, our “Big Things Happen Here” campaign continues to capture the imagination of visitors and

In Dallas, every day is a dog day. To celebrate four-legged friends from around the region we cra%ed specially sized B&G sets for the canine community. The Doggie B&Gs – fire hydrant and tennis ball-themed – are the perfect backdrop for proud pooch photos. Since their launch, #BIGWoof has seen more than 1,000 photos posted on Instagram.

We started the planning process for B&G Phase III, in which we will see permanent B&G sets installed throughout the community. Each set will represent a different neighborhood and will pay homage to the area’s distinct personality.

Custom sets continue to be a hit, and we create specialized B&Gs for events, holidays and partner promotions, allowing for increased reach and social engagement.

locals. The ionic, life-sized B&G sets are prominently displayed throughout the city, allowing everyone to be the “I” in BIG, and the campaign continues

Custom sets include: Halloween Frankenwitch, Southwest Airlines, Dinosaur for the Dallas Zoo, a checkered flag for Jeff Gordon’s retirement race and many more.

personality through a quiz and, in turn, receive a trip itinerary that matched their answers with Dallas destinations and activities.

unique taste of Dallas.

SMART PARTNERSHIPS To capture the a!ention of travelers in the midst of their vacation mindset, we purchased media on the tray tables of 7,000 domestic American Airlines planes. As this media buy was a new opportunity in the industry, we wanted to engage potential visitors with a unique, interactive experience—from 30,000 feet up. The team partnered with Gogo in-flight Internet to provide people with free Wi-Fi if they visited the ExploreDallasNow.com URL found on their tray table. Once they logged on, they could discover their travel

Since Dallas’ culinary scene is one of the best in the country, the team decided to bring a li!le bit of the city to the West Coast through participation in the LA Food & Wine Festival. We partnered with chef Tim Byres of Smoke and Deep Ellum Brewing Company to create a dinner and beer pairing that reflected the

Each night, the tent was full of people enjoying the patio, speaking to the chef and experiencing Dallas in the middle of downtown Los Angeles.

The public relations team supported several partner media initiatives, supplementing press visits for the Nasher Sculpture Center, Klyde Warren Park, the Meadows Museum and Chefs For Farmers. By working alongside each other we were able to

MARKETING | COMMUNICATIONS promote Dallas’ unique offerings to a vast, and diverse, media audience.

The Dallas CVB sponsored Visit Dallas Cycling—a professional women’s cycling team that travels extensively to compete in events and races while promoting a healthy lifestyle. This year they visited places such as California, Illinois and Canada, carrying the Dallas skyline and name with them on their specially designed racing kits (uniform) and trailer wrap. The partnership also includes a local racing club that rides regularly around the city, promoting health, wellness and the Dallas brand. each other we were able to promote Dallas’ unique offerings to a vast, and diverse, media audience.

The Dallas CVB sponsored Visit Dallas Cycling—a professional women’s

cycling team that travels extensively to compete in events and races while promoting a healthy lifestyle. This year they visited places such as California, Illinois and Canada, carrying the Dallas skyline and name with them on their specially designed racing kits (uniform) and trailer wrap. The partnership also includes a local racing club that rides regularly around the city, promoting health, wellness and the Dallas brand.

Themed Media FAMs In addition to regional, national and international journalist researching a variety of Dallas story angles, the Communications team hosted three targeted, themed FAMs in 2015: BIG D Holiday, LGBT Lifestyle and Dallas as a Culinary Destination. Each FAM highlighted Dallas as the ideal

2014-15 destination for travelers in these niche markets and showcased a diverse, and sometimes undiscovered, part of the city. It’s been a successful strategy that we will continue into 2016.

New Social Strategy The Visit Dallas Facebook page grew to 117,780 likes in 2015, that’s a 22 percent increase, not to mention sustained growth on Twi!er, Instagram and our diversity social accounts. But we want more. The Marketing and Communications team revamped the bureau’s social media strategy and brought in new talent to boost site engagement and reach.

2016 LOOKING AHEAD Focus On Regional A%er extensive market research and supporting data, we’ve learned that Dallas’ message consistently resonates with the regional audience, in our drive markets and slightly beyond.

Dallas is the BIG city to much of the southwest, and travelers can expect to experience big-city fun here, with spectacular arts, shopping, sports, cultural a!ractions and more. In 2016, the marketing team will direct advertising assets on these markets, and the public relations tram will continue outreach to media in these areas.

Enhanced Assets The Dallas CVB is poised to launch two revamped assets in 2016: an overhauled and innovative new website and a refreshed official visitor’s guide (OVG). The new website and OVG will launch in the spring and will change the way visitors explore and interact with the city, both prestay and during their visit. The website will feature an engaging design and meaningful content, encouraging visitors to explore Dallas from thousands of miles away. The OVG will boast a user-friendly guide book feel, inspiring travel to Dallas.

Customized and Themed Media Outreach The Communications team will continue a strategy of themed FAMs in 2016, targeting the Millennial travel market and Dallas as a destination for a couples’ getaway, among others. These initiatives have been successful and allow us to position Dallas as the ideal market for travelers of all types. We’ll collaborate with partner restaurants and a!ractions to develop fun, custom experiences that showcase Dallas’ best assets.

Additionally, Dallas will partner with PBS on a series of culinary episodes featuring some of the city’s best chef talent, garnering national editorial exposure.

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES TEAM MISSION:

To support the mission of the bureau through the recruitment, sale, retention and servicing of appropriate companies across the Dallas area, thereby significantly increasing the marketing revenue base.

2014 DCVB ANNUAL MEETING LUNCHEON

NETWORKING EVENTS

200

PARTNERS&ATTENDED&& )&NEW&MEMBER& ORIENTATIONS

1104

COMMUNITY& CONNECTIONS

1ST 670 IN&'(&YEARS

PARTNERS& ATTENDED

20

NETWORKING& HOURS&HOSTED

2015 ACHIEVEMENTS PartnerNet Successes We continued to grow our new PartnerNet member model, which enables the Dallas CVB to customize levels of memberships on VisitDallas. com.

Networking Opportunities We identified key signature events to maximize our Partner’s A%er Hours exposure to each other, including networking opportunities at Bomb Factory, The Empire Room, Eddie V’s, Dish Dallas, Top Golf, Hop Daddy’s, Sambuca Uptown and Gilley’s.

Additionally, the New Partner Orientation was transformed from a meet-and-greet with the bureau to an insightful, mini networking, informational and educational training session on how to make the most of a Dallas CVB membership.

Maximizing Efficiencies A reorganization brought an experienced event services manager to our team, who is the connector at the bureau to identify opportunities to further our mission, and to facilitate events that create visual awareness for

2014-15 our member partners through our media familiarization tours, client visits and sporting events.

Community Partnerships We collaborated with other organizations such as the Hotel Association of North Texas and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitation Services to host a community partner visual awareness training in preparation of the American Council of the Blind Conference.

The Strategy for 2016 Our new fiscal year holds even more excitement for us as we offer additional opportunities with our partners. As we continue to nurture our strategic alliances, we are hoping that you will be a part of the excitement.

Starting in December, we will hold our PartnerNet Training monthly, to ensure that our member partners understand the value and use of our system, not just for our sales and services department, but also how to reach out to utilize the system to promote their business.

PartnerNet allows our members above the basic level to showcase their listing with logos, photos, a narrative, the ability to offer coupons to those who visit Dallas as well as to our member partners, and with more than 2.5 million views, this is a valuable opportunity for promotion!

In addition, as we continue to grow our member offerings, we will be offering educational opportunities as well as our a%er hour events, so that our members have the opportunity to get together monthly to network for business-tobusiness opportunities.

We are also starting a newsle!er that will feature a member profile, PartnerNet tips, as well as partner-to-partner offers.

We look forward to working with you on all our activities!

2014-15

SPORTS COMISSION TEAM MISSION:

The Dallas Sports Commission, which celebrated its oneyear anniversary on October 30, positions Dallas as the country’s premier sports destination and creates a positive impact on the economy and quality of life for Dallas residents.

2015 ACHIEVEMENTS The Dallas Sports Commission performs many functions that are o%en required of a host city that are essential for the success and growth of sporting events and meetings, including ticket sales, communications and marketing, operations and event production. In the last year, the Dallas Sports Commission booked 341,875 room nights through 56 events, achieving 114 percent of the commission’s sales goal. This also translates into 782,375 a!endees and $428 million in economic impact.

We provide rights holders with first-rate event operations and services needed for their event, and the Dallas Sports Commission is a one-stop shop able to provide increased media exposure, assistance securing volunteers, use of

2016 PLAYBOOK Future BIG wins encompass more than 50 events booked for the next several years with a projected $997 million in economic impact and 1.9 million in a!endance, including: •

Elite Rodeo Association (ERA) World Championships (2016-2020)

•

NCAA Women’s Final Four (2017)

•

NCAA Women’s Basketball Regionals (2016)

•

NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds (2018)

•

NCA All-Star National Championships and the High School National Championships (extended through 2018)

•

Lone Star Classic National Championship (through 2018)

•

USA Multi-Sport Event with USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, US Fencing Summer National Championships and USA Boxing Prep National Championship (2016)

•

FIVB World League volleyball tournament that will feature the U.S. Men’s National Team along with Australia, Bulgaria and Russia in one of their final matches before the Rio Olympics. (2016)

our volunteer registration system and other event operation services.

We hosted more than 718,300 participants and fans last year – exceeding nearly $285 million in economic impact from the games, competitions and exhibitions that made their way to Dallas this year. And that doesn’t include the impact from the premier college football game, the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship, which brought in another $211 million.

Economic impact tells only one part of the story. The Dallas Sports Commission will use sports as a way to improve the quality of life within our city for the Dallas community.

FINANCES & ADMINISTRATION TEAM MISSION:

The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Finance and Administration team provides support for all departments within the organization, leading efforts related to budgeting, human resources and technical operations.

BUDGET!WITH!FOCUS!ON

GROWTH EMPLOYEE!FOCUS!GROUP

CORE VALUES

WHEN!WORKWORKS!AWARD

5TH

Our Bo&om Line Under our stewardship, the bureau has continued to enjoy financial stability and growth. In anticipation of future expenses related to large conventions, events and projects, we increased our financial reserves to ensure the bureau continues to meet its financial obligations. We’ve also combed through our financial processes and accounting procedures looking for ways to streamline and preparing for the bureau’s strategic planning initiative. For the 11th consecutive year, the Dallas CVB was debt-free with positive monthly and reserve balances and audit-endorsed practices. Our FY2015-2016 budget was approved with continued focus on growth.

Staff Development: We strive for business excellence, creating the best work environment so that bureau employees can perform at the highest levels. This will become more prevalent in the upcoming fiscal year as the bureau implements a comprehensive training and professional development program. In addition to focusing on specific training needs, the program will identify leadership potential within the organization to support our business strategy as part of a longterm succession plan.

When Work Works For the fi%h time, Dallas CVB was recognized with the 2014 When Work

2014-15 Works Award for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success. This award is part of When Work Works, a research-based initiative led by the partnership of Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management to highlight how effective and flexible workplaces can yield positive business results and help employees succeed at work and at home. The bureau also received top industry marks for its annual employee satisfaction survey.

We’ve also continued to develop our Employee Focus Group, which works on employee initiatives to illustrate how these values affect and guide everyday work life, and why they are so important to the bureau’s success.

Key Figures and Events The Employee Focus Group coordinated a number of employee initiatives focusing on our core values for CAPRII. This was done through informal thank you cards and a backto-work week where each day was used to focus on a specific core value. The group also enhanced the employee intranet site, The administration team organized staff at area a!ractions like Dave & Busters, Top Golf and the Dallas Zoo. They also coordinated community service activities such as breast cancer awareness day, domestic violence awareness day, a Dallas Marathon relay team, collecting back to school supplies for Family Gateway, and clothing donations for Austin Street Center.

The department led staff training for social media use, personal finance, wellness initiatives, business etique!e, and long-term care, in addition to various skills training opportunities throughout the year.