SALES/SERVICES

SALES/SERVICES GOALS & STRATEGIES 2021

■ GOAL: Build booked meetings and convention numbers back to 50% of 2019 room nights by the end of calendar year 2021.

STRATEGIES: • Leverage the Meeting Incentive Program as a tool to encourage meeting planners to bring their events to

SWLA while also working with partners to identify opportunities to entice new clients, events, meetings and conventions. • Attend a variety of meeting planner organization events within drive markets to develop prospects and strengthen relationships. ■ GOAL: Achieve a 15% increase in the total room nights booked from 2020 in the Sports Tourism market segment by the close of 2021.

STRATEGIES: • Maximize prospects of bringing in teams and participants by continuously evaluating and balancing the availability of facilities along with the greatest potential economic impact on Southwest

Louisiana. • Maintain strong communication efforts with rights holders and facility operators to enhance possibilities of bringing in additional sporting events. • Implement MeetingMax hotel booking software for visitors to secure rooms for sporting events being held in SWLA. This software tracks bookings in realtime, providing insights into the hotel booking habits and trends of teams/participants.

PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES

Quarterly Hotel Meeting Dates: Q1: Feb. 23, 2021 Q3: Aug. 17, 2021 Q2: Apr. 20, 2021 Q4: Nov. 30, 2021

SALES EDUCATION & TRAVEL

1. PCMA Convening Leaders 2. LHSAA Annual Convention 3. Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy 4. Louisiana Entertainment Summit 5. Rendezvous South 6. Sports ETA Sports Event Symposium & CSEE 7. Your Military Reunion Conference 8. Simpleview Summit 9. STS Marketing College 10. Weddings with Style 11. Louisiana USSSA Hall of Fame Induction 12. Treasures of Marilyn’s Bridal Show 13. S.P.O.R.T.S. - The Relationship Conference/

USOC Sales Calls 14. LSAE Annual Convention 15. Small Market Meetings Conference 16. Louisiana SGMP 17. TEAMS Conference & Olympic SportsLink 18. Simpleview CRM Fall User Group 19. USSSA Conference 20. ASA/USA Softball Annual Meeting

NEW 2021 EVENT FACTS

Rendezvous South

• May 10-12, 2021 • 2 Day Trade Conference • 50 Meeting Planners brought to SWLA • 250 Total Room Nights • Economic Impact: $150,000 LNG Summit (Rescheduled from 2020) • November 2-4, 2021 • First International Conference hosted in SWLA- Bringing in Global LNG Leaders • 500 Total Room Nights • 300 Attendees • Economic Impact: $237,628

DESTINATION SWLA PROGRAMMING

Management Level: March 31, 2021 - 8:30 AM June 1, 2021 - 8:30 AM Sept. 30, 2021 - 8:30 AM Dec. 7, 2021 - 8:30 AM Front Line Staff: July 19, 2021 – 9:00 AM Oct. 19, 2021 – 9:00 AM

■ GOAL: Increase the average daily rate (ADR) in Calcasieu Parish by 0.5% at year-end over the 2019 ADR numbers.

STRATEGY: Monitor ADR numbers from the Smith Travel Report to educate and inform hotel partners on progress made toward this goal and book quality events that encourage utilization of a variety of hotel properties.

■ GOAL: Rebuild booked group business nights from the social, military, education, religious and fraternal (SMERF) market segment by year end to 50% of 2019 room nights.

STRATEGY: Promote Visit Lake Charles to meeting planners of the SMERF market on national and local levels. Hold quarterly in-person meetings with local partners that are instrumental in bringing in SMERF groups and events.

■ GOAL: Grow the SWLA Hotel Community Facebook Page to 150 active members by the end of the year.

STRATEGY: Weekly communication posts on the SWLA Hotel Community Facebook Group coupled with quarterly visits with hotel partners and stakeholders to provide relevant information and create a sense of connectivity within the hospitality industry.