2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS
ERIC FRICK
Review VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
Dear friends in tourism, When I first moved here in 2014, Buffalo was a very different place. Construction cranes and fencing blocked off much of the waterfront. Architectural landmarks like the Richardson Olmsted Campus had sat vacant and empty for decades, while Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex and Graycliff Estate remained works in progress. New restaurants opened intermittently and only a handful of craft breweries dotted Buffalo’s neighborhoods. Today, adventure seekers zip line and rock climb among the city’s redeveloped waterfront grain silos at Buffalo RiverWorks and pedal on locally-made ice bikes at the Ice at Canalside. Travelers can stay overnight in new hotels like Hotel Henry and the Marriott HarborCenter and watch a Lake Erie sunset from the rooftop bar of The Curtiss Hotel. Visitors can tour the Martin House and Graycliff Estate in their reclaimed grandeur following the completion of decades-long restoration projects. And after a day of exploring Buffalo, tourists can choose from dozens of new restaurants, breweries and distilleries spread out across the city’s reinvigorated neighborhoods.
in media outlets around the world, including in the travel sections of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times of London and The Washington Post just in 2018. The Unexpected Buffalo Marketing Campaign won top honors at last year’s U.S. Travel ESTO Awards, while VBN’s videos have been watched hundreds of thousands of times. This growth and the launch of new initiatives like the Buffalo Wing Trail helped boost traffic to VBN’s website, which has hosted nearly 6 million unique sessions over the last five years. VBN’s efforts have contributed to Erie County’s flourishing tourism industry. Hotel room revenue in Erie County grew by nearly $40 million between 2013 and 2018, while total tourism spending grew by 11 percent, to $1.8 billion. Tourism employment in the county has grown by 10 percent, to nearly 33,000, while Erie County’s hotel occupancy tax continues to grow year over year, achieving a record $11 million in 2018.
What a difference five years has made for Buffalo!
What a difference five years has made for Buffalo! The visitor experience in Buffalo has never been better, and our team at Visit Buffalo Niagara has spared no effort to showcase and promote this transformation to potential visitors over the last five years. Our sales staff and Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission has been hard at work booking nearly 2,500 meetings, sporting events and conventions since 2013 that have filled more than 820,000 hotel room nights and generated more than $700 million in economic impact. VBN’s Bring it Home Initiative, which encouraged locals to leverage their connections with national organizations to bring their meetings to Buffalo, has been responsible for bringing more than 800 conferences and sporting events here, creating more than $300 million in economic impact since its launch in 2015. During the last five years, VBN’s marketing team helped place more than 750 articles about Buffalo
We’ve done everything we can to grow Buffalo tourism – but now is not the time to rest on our laurels. A new or expanded Buffalo Niagara Convention Center will greatly enhance our ability to book meetings and conventions here compared to the current facility that’s one of our country’s oldest and smallest. And the upcoming expansion of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery – the first in nearly 60 years – will allow our marketing department to keep enticing potential leisure travel visitors with new and exciting stories about our transformation. The best is still yet to come for Buffalo and Visit Buffalo Niagara!
Very truly yours,
PATRICK J. KALER President and CEO Visit Buffalo Niagara
JUST THE FACTS: 2018 AT A GLANCE VBN CONVENTION, SPORTS & GROUP TOUR SALES
$116 million
778
495
Conventions, meetings, amateur athletic events or group tours booked
sales leads
136,560 Hotel room nights booked
BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER
271,674
140
People attended events at the Convention Center
Events hosted
279
Days the Center was occupied
30,525
Hotel room nights utilized due to events at the Center
BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION
112,900 Attendance
Attendees serviced
Hotel room nights
82
Amateur sporting events serviced in 2018
VBN CONVENTION SERVICES
49,200 Hotel room nights booked
129
Meetings and conventions serviced
VBN MARKETING
236
Out-of-town media placements
92,298
Facebook followers
3
1,429,035 Unique sessions to the website
27,898 Twitter followers
51
press visits
28,703
Instagram followers
$7.1
million Media value of out-of-town media coverage
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
44,000
87,090
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
Future economic impact
BUILDING THE BUFFALO BUZZ Buffalo achieved unprecedented visibility in the national media in 2018 and Visit Buffalo Niagara’s media relations team played an integral role in making that happen. VBN hosted more than 50 travel media on press trips and assisted with dozens of inquiries that helped lead to more than 200 stories about Buffalo in outlets like Thrillist.com, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Times of London and The Washington Post.
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These stories set VBN records for ad equivalency value, total number of media placements and number of media hosted and were often effusive in their praise for Buffalo. The coverage reflects the destination’s evolution – the newsworthiness of its architectural restorations, reinvigoration of its neighborhoods and redevelopment of its waterfront – as well as an aggressive VBN media relations strategy. VBN attended media shows like the International Media Marketplace and partnered with MuchPR to arrange desk side visits in New York City on multiple occasions that helped lead to coverage. The relationships VBN cultivated from such in-person meetings will help continue to build the buzz about Buffalo in the years ahead. •••
NEW WAYS TO ADVERTISE
B U F F A L O
Visit Buffalo Niagara continues to identify new platforms and audiences for promoting Buffalo. Instagram was one of VBN’s most cost-effective and successful advertising mediums in 2018. Access to their large and loyal fan base and the ease in which they allow brands to place ads made it a go-to location for VBN to promote two significant food and beverage experiences -- the Buffalo Wing Trail and craft beer. VBN launched a video campaign to promote both of those initiatives and the results were impressive. The Wing Trail video garnered more than 950,000 views and the beer video nearly 650,000. In an age of multiple platforms and channels, finding that level of engagement with our video content was quite an accomplishment. •••
Winging It On The Trail For decades, ordering wings in the city that created
outlets including the Associated Press, Food & Wine,
them has been near the top of a visitor’s to-do list. But
Bon Appetit and Lonely Planet. Travel writers from
these visitors had no blueprint or guide to show them
as far away as the United Kingdom came to sample
some of the best spots for Buffalo wings in Buffalo.
the trail, which was represented through a brochure
Enter Visit Buffalo Niagara’s Buffalo Wing Trail.
and a microsite as well as signage, branded coasters,
Visit Buffalo Niagara’s marketing team launched the
T-shirts and other promotional items at each of the
Buffalo Wing Trail
stops. VBN also put
inspired by a seminar
together a sizable
on food trails at
paid advertising
the 2017 U.S. Travel
campaign to
Association ESTO
promote the
Conference. The
launch of the trail.
trail is a collection
Our diversified
of 12 of the very
approach had the
best wing joints in
Wing Trail visible
the Buffalo region,
in print, digital,
establishments that
social and billboards
have been perfecting
throughout
their wings for years.
New York, Ohio,
The “Delicious Dozen”
Pennsylvania and
was identified through a Facebook poll, research on
Southern Ontario. These efforts encouraged interested
previously published reviews and articles, as well
wing lovers to visit www.buffalowingtrail.com and
as consultation with National Buffalo Wing Festival
we welcomed 125,000 sessions since April 2018 (our
Founder Drew Cerza.
second most visited page for all of 2018). This level of
VBN staff spent months talking to restaurateurs
interest and awareness translated into visitors making
and the cooking techniques that make each stop on the trail unique. The trail was an immediate hit with national media, receiving coverage in more than 100
the decision to come to Buffalo. Wing Trail restaurants reported seeing an increase in out-of-town customers, including a report of visitors coming from as far away as Arizona to complete the Trail! •••
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
in April after being
about their preparation methods, special sauces
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
DREW BROWN
GETTING SOCIAL Visit Buffalo Niagara began partnering with social influencers in 2018 – a reflection of the rapidly evolving media landscape. VBN hosted more than a half-dozen individuals with large social media audiences who specialized in food and travel content in key visitor markets. The sponsored trips helped inspire photos for these influencers’ Instagram pages and reached an audience of hundreds of thousands of prospective travelers in cities like Toronto, New York City, and Rochester.
DREW BROWN
Influencer partnerships will remain a key piece of Visit Buffalo Niagara’s marketing strategy moving forward as traditional media outlets continue to lose readership and more eyeballs head to social media newsfeeds. •••
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CHEERS TO BEERS!
DREW BROWN
Craft beer has exploded in the Buffalo Niagara region,
markets such as Southern Ontario, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
growing from 14 breweries in 2015 to more than 30
Erie and Rochester.
in 2018. Visit Buffalo Niagara recognized the need to promote this burgeoning sector of tourism and put Buffalo and Western New York on the map as a craft beer destination, and New York State supported our efforts with a $50,000 Market NY grant. We utilized VBN and state funds to print and distribute 25,000 copies of the Buffalo Brewcation brochure and to purchase digital and print placements in key regional
“Buffalo Brewcation” ads were placed in the pages of beer publications such as The Growler, Craft Pittsburgh and Hop Culture, along with targeted placements in craft beer and fall guides with Cleveland Scene, Pittsburgh City Paper, Erie Reader and more. YouTube, Instagram and Facebook commercials were also prime opportunities to share the edited version of our beer video. •••
Video-based marketing is arguably the most powerful
In April, VBN launched the Buffalo Wing Trail,
storytelling tool today’s DMO has at its disposal. High
accompanied by a promotional film that told the story
quality video content uniquely crafted for digital
of wings and how they became the world’s most popular
advertising and social media platforms is driving decision
bar food. In addition, 12 short videos highlighting each
making by travelers and delivering significant ROI to
of the 12 restaurants on the trail were released over the
destinations who invest in this communication tool.
course of summer 2018. These videos were viewed more than 78,000 times online.
that resonate with potential
June saw the release of a video that
visitors for the past ten
was three years in the making – “Right
years, but we stepped up our
Here Right Now.” Produced with the
production efforts in 2018 to
financial support of the Buffalo Niagara
take advantage of the explosion
Partnership, 43 North, Invest Buffalo
of interest in video content. Our
Niagara and the Larkin Development
marketing team continued to
Group, “Right Here Right Now “is an
work closely with Paget Films –
exhilarating time-lapse look at the new
producing four original videos
Buffalo. It has been viewed more than
with their assistance-- while
570,000 times online. “Right Here Right
investing in state-of-the-art
Now” received a Gold Addy award for
video production equipment
cinematography and a Silver Addy for
that will allow us to produce
branded content from the Advertising
additional content in-house.
Club of Buffalo at its annual event
February saw the release of a powerful new video
honoring the best of local advertising and marketing
celebrating Buffalo’s African-American history and
communications.
heritage. “Lift Every Voice” had its premiere at the
The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission also premiered a
Buffalo Academy of Visual and Performing Arts before
new video in 2018 at the United States Sports Congress.
an appreciative audience. Since its release, the video has
The video is intended to convince rights holders and
been viewed more than 55,000 times online and was the
amateur sports governing bodies to bring their events to
recipient of a Gold Award for Excellence from the North
Buffalo. Attendees lavished praise on the video, with one
American Travel Journalists Association.
viewer calling it the “best sports promotion video” he had ever seen. •••
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
VBN has been producing videos
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
VBN EXCELS IN VIDEO-BASED MARKETING
and social media placements in the key visitor markets of Toronto, Rochester, Erie, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. VBN also deployed the campaign in publications geared for meeting planners and sports events rights holders. The Unexpected Buffalo campaign depicts a digitally created half buffalo, half human “everyman” who enjoys activities like kayaking the Buffalo River, touring Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex and exploring Garden Walk Buffalo. Since its debut, the Unexpected Buffalo has also established a presence on Facebook and evolved a Twitter identity. A Facebook Messenger chatbot launched by Visit Buffalo Niagara – the first of its kind in the United States -- allows the public to interact directly with the Unexpected Buffalo online, getting answers to questions about what to see and do or where to dine out.
ACCOLADES AND AWARDS FOR THE UNEXPECTED BUFFALO CAMPAIGN
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Visit Buffalo Niagara’s Unexpected Buffalo campaign took home the top prize at last summer’s ESTO (Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations) Conference in Phoenix. Presented by the U.S. Travel Association, ESTO’s Destiny Awards recognize excellence in destination marketing on the local and regional level. Visit Buffalo Niagara topped other destination marketing organizations from around the country with a similar marketing budget. The judges lauded VBN for creating a “bold” campaign that featured a :30 TV spot, print ads in daily newspapers and city magazines, out-of-home and transit advertising and digital
“This is a well-considered campaign that seemed to successfully re-craft the popular narrative about Buffalo, and to make some people want to visit,” The U.S. Travel Association judges noted. “In giving such a defined and specific image to a previously undefined location (per research), the judges thought this campaign was masterful, cheeky and smart.” The Unexpected Buffalo campaign also received a Silver Adrian Award in the Integrated Marketing Campaign category at an awards banquet at New York City’s Hilton Hotel this past January. The Adrian Awards recognize excellence in travel marketing and are presented by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, an international organization of travel and tourism professionals. •••
Brian Hayden. Brian interviews Buffalonians who represent unique, quirky and fun visitor experiences. The videos, shot by Marketing Manager Drew Brown on an iPhone, typically span three to five minutes, require little to no editing and often debut live to VBN’s 92,000 Facebook followers. In 2018, “Buffalo Live!” covered subjects ranging from zip lining at RiverWorks to interviewing the legendary
BUFFALO LIVE! Visit Buffalo Niagara continued to use social media in innovative and creative ways in 2018. One of our most successful initiatives is the monthly “Buffalo Live!” Facebook series featuring Communications Manager
Conehead at a Buffalo Bisons game, the proprietor of the Marilla Country Store and the owner of Mayer Brothers Cider Mill. The ten “Buffalo Live!” videos produced in 2018 garnered more than 300,000 views on Facebook, a remarkable return on investment given the minimal amount of time needed to produce each installment. •••
North America’s largest regional motor coach trade show came to Buffalo in February and created lasting benefits for the region’s tourism industry. The Heartland Travel Showcase pairs those who sell group travel experiences, such as bus travel, with local attractions. Group tour operators from more than a dozen different states and Ontario experienced Buffalo and its many attractions over the course of the show, positioning the city for bookings and future tours with busloads of visitors. Heartland’s Buffalo show included an opening reception at
the Hotel @ The Lafayette and a dinner at the Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House Complex’s Greatbach Pavilion, while pre-and post- familiarization tours showcased a variety of attractions in Buffalo, East Aurora and Niagara Falls. The Showcase attracted 400 attendees and generated nearly $1 million in economic impact. And group tours booked for Buffalo based on relationships cultivated at the conference may bring in millions more for the region in the years ahead. •••
The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center’s Next Chapter Erie County took the first steps toward building a new Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in 2018. Last fall, the county published the results of a study it commissioned to determine the functionality of the current center and examine potential alternatives. The study, completed by HVS Conventions, Sports and Entertainment, determined the current facility is “functionally obsolete” as one of the country’s oldest and smallest convention centers. It recommended the county pursue one of two alternatives: either renovate and expand
the center’s current footprint along Franklin Street, or build an entirely new facility closer to Canalside and the waterfront. The county then commenced a 90-day public comment period soliciting input on whether it should remain in the convention business. It will reveal the results of that input and outline further plans for the center’s future in 2019. A new or expanded center would have an enormous impact on Visit Buffalo Niagara’s ability to market and promote Buffalo as a destination for meetings and conventions. •••
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
JAMES CAVANAUGH
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
SHOWCASING BUFFALO FOR GROUP TRAVEL
PREPARING OUR PARTNERS
“You only have one chance to make a good first impression.” Successful destinations know this and do everything they can to ensure visitors are met by courteous, convivial and knowledgeable staff at hotels, restaurants and attractions. Visit Buffalo Niagara’s Industry Relations Department does exactly that through its destination development program. This program provides our industry partners and volunteers with information on new developments in our destination, resources to better assist our guests, and best-practice training in customer service through a series of e-communications, industry gatherings, familiarization tours and subject-specific training sessions.
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Attendance at VBN’s 40 industry meetings, industry networking nights at local attractions, front line training sessions, Beacon Awards,
volunteer mixers and familiarization field trips reached an all-time high of 1,800 in 2018. Subscribers to Buffalo Niagara This Week, a weekly email with event recommendations is approaching 1,000, and 1,600 partners subscribe to Travel Pulse, a monthly report of metrics impacting tourism.
We’re also encouraging our industry partners to take a greater role in telling their own story on our website. Delila, our Destination Extranet for Leads, Information, Listings and Activities portal, allows partners to update their listing to our website, adding photographs and video and linking to Trip Advisor and social media reviews. Delila also gives our partners access to VBN’s website event calendar which, in 2018, included more than 1,000 local events. •••
de
U N I V E R S I T Y
delila
MAKING INROADS OVERSEAS
d
Visit Buffalo Niagara continues to build on its strategy to bring more international visitors to the region. In 2018, VBN participated in a sales mission to London and Manchester targeting markets for both groups and independent travelers. Several key global receptive operators visited Buffalo on a FAM tour and site inspections helped spur additional opportunities. There are now over 30 bookable packages available to Buffalo from tour operators in the UK, Ireland, and Scotland as a result, and the Buffalo Niagara region is now ranked 24th in the United States for the number of overseas visitor arrivals. •••
BUFFALO IS HOCKEY HEAVEN
Buffalo’s success in hosting hockey tournaments is a reflection of the investment the community has made in new and updated hockey facilities, including HarborCenter on Buffalo’s waterfront and the Northtown Center at Amherst. In March and April alone, the Northtown Center hosted more than 200 teams for the New York State Amateur Hockey Association’s State Tournaments as well as the USA Hockey National Championships. Collectively, the state tournaments filled more than 10,000 hotel room nights and brought in approximately $7.9 million for the local economyproviding a much needed boost for the hospitality industry at a time of year when demand for hotel rooms is low. The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission annually attends a number of tradeshows to promote Buffalo as a destination for a variety of amateur athletic events – including swimming, softball and hockey championships. •••
CENTER OF
ATTENTION The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center had another successful year in 2018, with more than 271,000 people attending 140 events. In all, the building was booked for 279 days. These events generated more than 30,000 hotel room bookings and $36 million in economic impact for Buffalo. The BNCC had another stellar year of service, too, earning an impressive score of 4.70/5 on guest satisfaction surveys. In 2018, the center also replaced some of its original equipment, including staging, dance floor and banquet chairs that were 40 years old. •••
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
THE
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
Buffalo has become a top-tier destination for college and amateur hockey tournaments. The region hosted more than three dozen hockey tournaments and events in 2018 – including the USA Hockey Player Development Camps, USA Sled Hockey Border Series and North American Prospect Boys Tournament. The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission played an integral role in bringing many of these tournaments to Buffalo, assisting at these events and ensuring their success, from booking hotel room blocks for teams to staffing information tables on Buffalo.
CONGRATULATIONS! Visit Buffalo Niagara recently hired two new staff members and promoted a third employee within its meetings and sports sales department. Meaghan Zimmer is VBN’s new national sales manager, while Heather Nowakowski is the new sales and marketing assistant. Lauren Vargo has been promoted to VBN’s new sports services manager. Meaghan Zimmer
Zimmer will focus on sales to social, military, education, religious and fraternal organizations. Vargo helps ensure the success of college and amateur athletic events by booking hotel room blocks, staffing events and providing visitors with information about Buffalo. And Nowakowski helps coordinate sales and marketing efforts, from arranging the details of familiarization trips for meeting planners to updating Visit Buffalo Niagara’s database. Congratulations to all! •••
Heather Nowakowski
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Lauren Vargo
SEMPER FI, BUFFALO
The U.S. Marine Corps League held its 95th annual convention in Buffalo in July, bringing nearly 1,000 attendees from around the country to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and surrounding downtown hotels and generating more than $2 million in economic impact. The league so enjoyed the Center and surrounding venues like the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park that it is considering returning to Buffalo for its 100th anniversary in 2023! Visit Buffalo Niagara successfully bid in 2016 to host this convention, and staffed volunteer tables and welcome desks to make the Marine Corps feel welcome. •••
DREW BROWN
SHOWING OFF
BUFFALO
Visit Buffalo Niagara hosted 24 out-of-town meeting planners and group tour operators in June who had the potential to bring future conventions, meetings and group tours to Buffalo. The group participated in a multi-day familiarization tour that included stops at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Niagara Falls. VBN also treated attendees to zip lining at RiverWorks and a Buffalo River History Tours boat ride to acquaint them with the city. Opportunities such as these help make the right impression and are critical for ensuring future success in generating sales activity. •••
Patrick Kaler Earns State Wide, National Recognition Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler has been recognized both statewide and nationally for his work, earning the Tourism Executive of the Year award from the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association (NYSHTA), and being elected the new chair of the U.S. Travel Association’s NYSHTA, which is America’s oldest lodging association and advocates for the statewide travel and tourism industry, recognized Kaler at its annual conference at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in October. Kaler’s two-year term as chair of the 26-member Destinations Council will put him at the forefront of national grassroots advocacy efforts for the travel and tourism industry, including the 400 members of the U.S. Travel Association. •••
Top Events of 2019 }N CAA Frozen Four – April 8-14 » The nation’s top four collegiate hockey teams will face off for the NCAA championship title this spring at Buffalo’s Key Bank Center. The 72nd Annual Frozen Four will mark Buffalo’s second time hosting the championship, and the first time since 2003. The Frozen Four will fill 5,300 hotel room nights in downtown Buffalo and generate $3.9 million in economic impact.
} North American Rinks Conference & Expo, May 18 – 24 » The North American Rink Conference & Expo (NARCE), presented by the United States Ice Rink Association, is the premier annual meeting of ice rink and ice sport industry professionals. The 4-day event will bring together hundreds of ice rink professionals, ice sport national governing body representatives and industry suppliers for leading educational courses, networking opportunities and the industry’s largest trade show.
} United States Synchronized Swimming Junior Olympics, June 26- July 8 » The largest synchronized swimming event in the world will generate more than $2.2 million in economic impact and fill 2,000 hotel room nights. The Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission worked closely with the Tonawanda Aquettes to host the event, which will bring nearly 1,000 athletes from around the country to the Town of Tonawanda Aquatic Center. } American Legion, State of New York Convention, July 15-21 » Buffalo will host the 99th Annual Auxiliary Convention and the 45th Annual Sons of the American Legion (SAL) Convention. The State Convention will bring nearly 1,500 attendees to downtown buffalo this summer. The convention will fill nearly 1,852 room nights between the Hyatt Regency and Buffalo Grand Hotels, and generate nearly $1.8 million in economic impact. } New York State Bureau of Emergency Services – Vital Signs Symposium, October 24-27 » The Vital Signs Symposium offers EMS providers of all levels a wide range of educational programs, which focus on strengthening skills and enhancing clinical knowledge to provide the highest quality of care. The symposium will attract more than 2,000 attendees who will fill 2,300 hotel room nights and generate an estimated $3.3 million in economic impact.
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
} American Association of Airport Executives - Snow Symposium, April 26- May 1 » The 53rd Annual NEC/AAAE International Aviation Snow Symposium is presented by the Northeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Focused exclusively on airfield snow removal and winter operations, the event provides new educational programs, opportunities for networking, and a variety of ideas about winter operations. The symposium will attract more than 800 attendees and occupy more than 1,500 hotel room nights, creating an estimated economic impact of $1.5 million.
NARCE, which will take place at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, the Northtown Center and the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, will fill 1,000 hotel room nights and generate nearly $700,000 in economic impact.
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
Destinations Council.
All Booked Up! MONTHLY OCCUPANCY PERCENTAGE,
Buffalo’s hotel industry had one its strongest years ever,
2018
according to key indicators compiled by Smith Travel Research. The average daily rate of $107.08 and the total
revenue at hotels countywide ( $257,499,158) both set all-time records.
SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH ERIE COUNTY HOTEL REPORT OCCUPANCY
HOTEL REVENUES
$107.08
$257,499,158
2017 63.7% $104.32
$249,243,982
2018 62.0%
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AVERAGE RATE
2016 61.7%
$102.74
$239,710,239
2015 62.2%
$101.23
$235,913,402
TOP MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS IN BUFFALO Below are major conventions and events that came to Buffalo in 2018, in order of the most significant economic impact. NAME
ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT DATE
ROOM NIGHTS ATTENDEES
New York State Board of Law Examiners
$4.7 million
July 22
New York State United Teachers - NYSUT
$2.9 million
April 24
New York State Board of Law Examiners
$2.7 million
February 25
Catholic Charities USA
$2.4 million
1,000
6,500
3,000
2,161
3,000
3,800
1,600
September 24
1,239
Eastern Assoc. of College & University Business Officers $2.2 million
October 19
1,387
950
National Association for Campus Activities - NACA
$2.2 million
October 9
1,075
1,200
Marine Corps League
$2.1 million
August 10
3,160
600
American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
$1.6 million
April 13
1,375
400
American Wine Society
$1.4 million
November 4
1,000
650
Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning
$1.3 million
October 22
1,295
800
Delaware North
$1.2 million
November 3
1,785
500
Association for Preservation Technology International
$1.1 million
September 23
771
550
Creative Problem Solving Institute
$1.1 million
June 18
Ohio Travel Association
$984,851
February 15
1,680
550
750
700
A Beacon of Excellence
P R E S E N T E D
TO
OUTSTANDING TOURISM EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Lillie Alexander Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Downtown
Brad Hahn
Maria Leon Hampton Inn Williamsville
Thomas Long The Westin Buffalo OUTSTANDING TOURISM EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Andrea Ball Roycroft Inn & Campus
Explore Buffalo Tours OUTSTANDING TOURISM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Ron Eaton Explore Buffalo Tours OUTSTANDING TOURISM INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
BRING IT HOME AWARD – CONVEN-
USS Little Rock LCS 9 Commissioning, Maurice L. (Moe) Naylon III
Mike Zavarella Gaufest 2017
BUFFALO AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR
Sally Cunningham
2018 DESTINATION MARKETING GURU
Diana Principe
BRING IT HOME AWARD – SPORTS
Mike Gilbert (Buffalo Sabres/ HARBORCENTER), Bill Maher (Canisius College Dept. of Athletics), Simon Gray (Niagara University Dept. of Athletics) NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Championship
Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center & The Mansion on Delaware
TIONS
RESTAURANTEUR OF THE YEAR
Mike Andrzejewski
2018 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Matthew Chiazza Hyatt Place Buffalo Amherst Olivia Staniszewski Staybridge Suites
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
OUTSTANDING LODGING G.M. OF THE YEAR
The 2018 Beacon Award recipients were:
B Y
OUTSTANDING LODGING EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
OUTSTANDING LODGING MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Working with the former WNY Hospitality Association, we continued the Hospitality Scholarship – the 2018 recipient was Alyssa Zelaski, a graduate of Depew High School, attending Bryant & Stratton.
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
TRAV EL
&
ISM UR
In May, we celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week, bringing attention to the economic impact of tourism in Erie County. Activities included our 8th annual Beacon Awards luncheon, attended by nearly 500 industry partners, elected officials, volunteers and local vendors.
SERVING AS A RESOURCE FOR VISITORS
Visit Buffalo Niagara’s two visitor centers – downtown at Clinton and Washington Streets, and within the Buffalo Niagara International Airport – proved to be an invaluable resource in 2018, providing 125,741 referrals to nearly 90,000 visitors in 2018.
2018 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 16
Cindy Abbott-Letro
Law Offices of Francis A. Letro
Donald K. Boswell
WNY Public Broadcasting Association
Steve Boyd, Esq.
Steve Boyd, P.C.
Jonathan A. Dandes
Rich Baseball Operations
Dottie Gallagher
Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Lesley Haynes
Erie County Legislature Appointment
Thomas R. Hersey, Jr Erie County Commissioner of Environment & Planning
Patrick J. Kaler
Visit Buffalo Niagara
Randall Kramer
MusicalFare Theatre
Thomas M. Long
The Westin Buffalo
Michael G. Murphy
Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Bridget Niland
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Edward A. Rath, III
Erie County Legislature
Mary F. Roberts
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House
Brent Rossi
Pegula Sports & Entertainment
James T. Sandoro
The Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum
Paul Snyder, III
Snyder Corporation
Donald Spasiano
Trocaire College School of Hospitality and Business
Huseyin Taran
Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER
Toni L. Vazquez
Urban Family Practice
Leslie H. Zemsky
Larkin Square
2018 COMMITTEES Executive Committee CHAIR:
Mary F. Roberts
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House
SECRETARY:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS VICE CHAIR
Cindy Abbott-Letro PRESIDENT & CEO:
Patrick Kaler
TREASURER :
Huseyin Taran Toni L. Vazquez
Law Offices of Francis A. Letro Visit Buffalo Niagara
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR:
Jonathan A. Dandes
Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER Urban Family Practice Rich Baseball Operations
Budget/Finance/Audit Committee CHAIR:
Huseyin Taran STAFF: Patrick Kaler
David Marzo
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER
Donald Spasiano
President & CEO
Trocaire College School of Hospitality and Business
Toni L. Vazquez
Urban Family Practice
Chief Financial Officer
Sales Committee Hanna Hoffman
Hilton Garden Inn Buffalo Downtown
STAFF: Mike Even VP of Sales
Thomas Keane
Hart Hotels
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Kimberly Kelly
Hampton Inn by Hilton Buffalo Hamburg
Clorissa Bapst
Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER
Kaila Kise
Buffalo Lodging
Marni Bator
Radisson Hotel Niagara Falls-Grand Island
Kristy Kuhar
Hilton Garden Inn Buffalo Downtown
Colleen Bauda
Buffalo Lodging
David Lacki
Ellicott Hotels
Sarah Bishop
Ellicott Hotels
Tom Molenda
Ellicott Hotels
Mark Brown
Buffalo Lodging
Jen Noble
Mansion on Delaware Avenue
Britton Buczkowski Holiday Inn Buffalo Airport
Russ Papia
The Westin Buffalo
Melissa Burke
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center
Megan Porter
Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport
Missy Byrne
Ellicott Hotels
Monica Rapini
Embassy Suites by Hilton Buffalo
Matt Carlucci
Garden Place Hotel
Drew Schmitt
Ellicott Hotels
Wendy Clubine
Buffalo Lodging
Jennifer Sparcino Curtiss Hotel
Mark Cornell
Hotel Henry Urban Resort Conference Center
Renee Stupski-Pundt Wyndham Garden Buffalo Downtown
Joyce Curry
SpringHill Suites Buffalo Airport
AnnMarie Taft
Buffalo Niagara Marriott
Michael Dobell
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Sue Walker
Buffalo Niagara Marriott
Ann Dugan
Buffalo Lodging
Steve Walsh
Hotel @ The Lafayette
Kelly Fox
Aloft Buffalo Airport
Courtney Weiser
Buffalo Lodging
Olivia Galante
Candlewood Suites
La-Toya Williams
Hyatt Place Buffalo/Amherst
CHAIR: Leslie Zemsky
Larkin Square
Michael G. Murphy
Shea’s Performing Arts Center
STAFF: Ed Healy
VP of Marketing
Mary Roberts
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Jim Charlier
JCharlier Communication Design
Caitlin Deibel
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House
Sarah Heximer
Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Dora Kukuliatas- Wisniewski
Tom’s Restaurant
James T. Sandoro Buffalo Transportation/ Pierce-Arrow Museum
Maria Scully-Morreale Albright-Knox Art Gallery Zach Specht
Pegula Sports & Entertainment
Sandy White
Freelance Writer
Destination Development Committee CHAIR: Randall Kramer MusicalFare Theatre
Brad Hahn
Explore Buffalo
STAFF: Cindy Kincaide D irector, Industry Relations &
Leslie Haynes
County of Erie Appointment
Lynn Marinelli
Empire State Development Corp.
Megan Porter
Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport
Destination Development
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Constance Caldwell Rob Free
Consumer’s Pub/NYS Restaurant Assn.
Dan Garvey
Roycroft Inn/NYS Restaurant Assn.
Gary Praetzel Jen Swan
Arts Services Initiative
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
Marketing Committee
2018 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
CHAIR: Thomas Long The Westin Buffalo
2018 BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR: Bill Maher
Canisius College
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Ann Brooker Mike Buczkowski Stephen Butler Charlie Cannan Chris Catanzaro Brian Cavanaugh Drew Cerza
Buffalo News
Rob Crean
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Bisons Niagara University Pegula Sports & Entertainment. Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. D’Youville College National Buffalo Wing Festival
Jonathan A. Dandes Rich Baseball Operations TJ Day STAR Swimming Therese Forton-Barnes Events to a Tee Sean Green Riverworks Kathleen Gregoire Skating Club of WNY Eric Guzdek Northtown Center at Amherst Thomas Hersey County of Erie
Perry Jenkins Peter Jerebko Tom Koeller John Lambert Joe Lojacono John Maddock Lynn Marinelli Bridget Niland
University at Buffalo Erie Community College Buffalo State College University at Buffalo Valmark Associates
Canisius College County of Erie
Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
Ron Raccuia AdPro Team Sports Edward Rath, Jr. Erie County Legislature Nicholas Salvatore Salvatore’s Hospitality Bob Schell Amherst Youth Hockey Lisa Scherer Scherer Event Management Timm Slade Section VI Charles C. Swanekamp Bond, Schoeneck & King Kathleen Twist University at Buffalo
2018 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA STAFF
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Kathy Benzel Drew Brown Michele Butlak JoAnn Blatner Karen Cox Denise Drews Michael Even Karen Fashana Charles Giglia Jennifer Gregory Pete Harvey Brian Hayden
Information Technology Manager Marketing Manager Accounting and Benefits Manager Industry Relations Assistant Convention Services Manager Visitor Center Manager Vice President of Sales & Services Director of Marketing Director of Sports Sales National Sales Manager Director of Sports Development Communications Manager
Ed Healy Vice President of Marketing Patrick Kaler President & CEO Cindy Kincaide Director, Industry Relations and Destination Development
Tracy Martell David Marzo Leah Mueller Heather Nowakowski Judy Smith Matt Steinberg Lauren Vargo
Convention Services Manager Chief Financial Officer Tourism Sales Director Administrative Assistant Director of Administration Director of Creative Services Sports Services Manager
Dionne Williamson
National Sales Director
Meaghan Zimmer
National Sales Manager
2018 BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER STAFF Richard Arnold Sous Chef Melissa Bean Convention & Event Service Manager Tom Beiter Controller Melissa Burke Senior Director of Sales and Marketing Andre Callus Food & Beverage Manager Lorna Cullen Executive Assistant Susan Kimmins Sales & Catering Manager MaryAnn Martin Accounting & Benefits Manager Paul Murphy Facility Director Terry O’Brien Director of Operations
Heather Petrino Keith Pitman Kenneth Sandford Raymond Thom Amy Trautman Lisa Vega Cory Watson Michael Will Raymond Williams Danielle Winiarski
Sales & Service Coordinator Electrician Chief Engineer Executive Chef Convention Sales Manager Lobby Receptionist Banquet Manager Assistant Operations Manager Timekeeper/Security Convention & Event Service Manager
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BUFFALO This city in Western New York is on a revitalized upswing. An industrial powerhouse and a major port city over a century ago, today’s Buffalo is getting noticed for its architectural wonders, historic ties, an inventive food scene, and repurposed buildings. Travelocity Only knuckleheads – and the obstinately unenlightened – write off Buffalo, N.Y., as nothing more than a winter icebox and the birthplace of a certain sports-bar delicacy. The Wall Street Journal This former punchline in Upstate New York is enjoying a millennial-driven renaissance, with hip, affordable restaurants and bars materializing in converted turn-of-the-century buildings, especially in the Waterfront district. The Washington Post Like many older American cities, Buffalo, which had early booms from various industries, including railways, shipyards and steel manufacturing, is shedding its rusty roots and experiencing a bona fide renaissance. No longer merely the portal to nearby Niagara Falls, Buffalo is a modern and multifaceted city, more than ready for its moment. The New York Times There’s a positive energy in Buffalo; a polite (Buffalo folks are unfailingly nice) but definite swagger in the step of their residents. It’s as if they’ve looked around and said to themselves the same thing a lot of journalists are saying, which is, ‘Wow, this place is COOL.’ Jim Byers Travel If you want an all-American, easily accessible summer holiday – addictive junk food, worryingly friendly locals, blue-collar grit, and millennial charm – Buffalo is your place. It’s California meets Coney Island. The Sunday Times of London
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