Y E A R
I N
R E V I E W
Dear Friend of Tourism,
I
t was one year ago that I moved here to become
on Buffalo’s waterfront and possible expansion of the
Visit Buffalo Niagara’s new President and CEO.
venerable Albright-Knox Art Gallery show the sky is
My first day on the job coincided with the region’s
the limit for attracting new visitors.
first blizzard in over 20 years.
Emblematic of this renewed civic energy and vitality is
Welcome to Buffalo!
the new Visit Buffalo Niagara corporate identity; it’s
But, as it always does, the snow melted. And what
fun, playful and confident – just like our destination.
remained was what attracted me here after working in
Our marketing and media relations efforts helped
tourism in Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles and Virginia’s wine
land over 100 stories in The Toronto Star, Huffington
country: an unprecedented, historic renaissance that
Post, Washington Post and in dozens of other outlets
presents so many opportunities.
last year, while each convention VBN’s sales staff
It’s incredible to think how different
booked has introduced a revitalized Buffalo to tens of thousands of new visitors, from the
Buffalo is from just one year ago. A visitor can spend an afternoon skating or ice cycling at Canalside, grab a bite to eat at (716) Food & Sport, see a concert or Sabres game at First Niagara Center and stay at a Courtyard by Marriott, all within two city blocks of each other. Of those four spots, only FNC was there at the start of 2014.
If you haven’t seen Buffalo lately, you haven’t seen Buffalo.
New cultural attractions boosted Buffalo’s visitor profile, too. The opening of the Frank Lloyd Wright Filling Station at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum in June enhanced the city’s reputation as a destination for architecture, while history buffs and news fans are flocking to the “Inside Tim Russert’s Office: If It’s Sunday, It’s Meet the Press” exhibit at the
Congress for the New Urbanism to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Buffalo continued to emerge as an amateur sports mecca in 2014, with events like the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and National Horseshoe Pitcher’s Association Tournament reinforcing the city’s growing reputation for hosting athletic events.
Our new partnership with the Seneca Gaming Corporation enabled us to share the news of Buffalo’s extreme makeover with an unprecedented frequency and prominence in media outlets within a four-hour radius of the city, while the Canadian Marketing Initiative continues to tell Buffalo’s story in our key
Buffalo History Museum.
feeder market of Southern Ontario.
After a day of touring Buffalo, visitors can whet their
The new VBN website will help us tell Buffalo’s story
whistles at one of nearly a dozen craft breweries in greater Buffalo; four opened in the city just in 2014. Resurgence Brewing Company has turned Niagara Street into a popular nightspot, while Flying
better than ever before. We’re looking forward to giving our all toward promoting a resurgent Buffalo to the rest of the world in 2015. Remember: If you haven’t seen Buffalo lately, you haven’t seen Buffalo!
Bison Brewing Company and the Hydraulic Hearth restaurant are helping Larkinville evolve into a 12-month destination.
Very truly yours,
Nearly 400 new hotel rooms came online countywide in 2014, including the Hilton Garden Inn downtown, with more than 550 expected in 2015. The upcoming
PATRICK KALER
completion of the Martin House Complex restoration,
President and CEO
opening of the Explore & More Children’s Museum
JUST THE FACTS: 2014 AT A GLANCE
VBN CONVENTION, SPORTS & GROUP TOUR SALES
$120 million Future economic impact
460
Conventions, meetings, amateur athletic events or group tours booked
300,071 People attended events at the Convention Center
832 Future sales leads
Hotel room nights booked
BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER
161
Events hosted
259
Days the Center was occupied
BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION
101,410 Hotel room nights
27,000
Hotel room nights utilized due to events at the Center
169
Amateur sporting events serviced in 2013
VBN MARKETING
$1.66
million
Media value of out-of-town media coverage
101
Out-of-town media placements
106
Local media placements
1,138,012 YouTube views
1,497,327
Unique visits to the website, up 13% from 2013.
1,375 YouTube subscribers
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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
122,839 Attendance
170,447
2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
Buffalo’s renaissance was in full swing in 2014; new hotels, attractions and restaurants helped Record transform the city. VBN took full advantage of this flurry of activity. The earned media value VBN’s breaking figures are in media relations team produced grew by more than $600,000 from 2013, while the total number red of local and non-local placements increased by over 20 percent. Total website visits increased to 1,497,327, a jump of 13 percent. It was a solid year for VBN’s sales team as well. The team booked 460 conventions in 2014, up from 443 the year before. It also secured 170,447 future hotel room nights and 832 sales leads. Buffalo’s return as a NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament host was just one reason the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission excelled in 2014, too. The Commission serviced 169 total events that generated over 122,839 attendees and 101,410 hotel room nights, all sharp increases over 2013.
Upping The Ante On Marketing Buffalo
A TRAVELER REVIEW
Visit Buffalo Niagara was excited to partner with the Seneca Gaming Corporation last spring on marketing RHEA ANNA
Buffalo throughout the surrounding region. Part of the casino’s advertising budget is now used for promoting Buffalo in media outlets within
“Frank Lloyd Wrig Great for Car & Arht Gas Station + Famous Cars = chitecture Buffs” Reviewed by Mike20024, a TripA
a four-hour radius. VBN exercises creative control over the messaging used in these advertisements.
BUFFALO TRANSPO RTAT
ION/PIER
dvisor traveler » Washington, DC » July 20, 2014
CE-ARROW MUS “This is a small muse UEM um with a big and growing heart. As how big a role Buff much as I thought alo played in auto I knew about cars, production. The additi If cars and the archit I did not know on of an entire gas ecture of Frank Lloyd station in a museum Wright are amon this gem of a little is amazing. g your museum.” interests, set aside about an hour to visit
The agreement has allowed VBN to market Buffalo with an enhanced frequency and reach.
The Nearest Faraw ay
VisitBuffaloNiagar a.com » 1.800.B UFFALO
Place
Ringing Endorsements The buzz is building about Buffalo and visitors are taking note – but don’t take our word for it. The VBN marketing team collected dozens of third-party
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endorsements of Buffalo from TripAdvisor and used them as the cornerstone for much of 2014’s consumer advertising. The five-star reviews of various attractions were used with compelling imagery in print publications and transit advertising in the Greater Toronto area; an enthusiastic user-generated testimonial from an actual visitor can work wonders in a way that even the best copywriting can’t match!
S R REVIEW
RHEA ANNA
TRAVELE
nd!” “What a great fi
2013 » October 19, Rochester, NY or traveler » E J, a TripAdvis
ox, the Albright-Kn after visiting T CENTER eld bled upon it ..The Burchfi D PENNEY AR eld. We stum derful gallery. BURCHFIEL d the Burchfi small but won ely recommen th a visit. check out this wor to ly et nite stre “I would absolut defi we crossed the museum and jewel of the d I’m so glad Reviewed by
“Wonderful J azz Experien ce” Reviewed by Ka
tie H, a TripA dvisor travel er » Buffa lo, NY » Ja naury 24, 20 CLUB & M “You will no 13 USEUM t be disappo int ed by the Ja young and not so youn m Session s on Sunday g, urban an People are and Mond d suburban coming in ay nig enjo f
COLORED
MUSICIANS
Ks
ER REV IEW
ERIC FRIC
A T R AV EL
DIGITAL DISPLAY OUTREACH VBN continued its engagement of online marketing agency eBrains in 2014 with the aim of providing
Employing this multifaceted strategy, eBrains delivered the following high-level metrics:
integrated digital outreach campaigns for prospective domestic and Canadian destination visitors to Buffalo Niagara. The agency guarantees performance of return on marketing investment (ROMI) and tax revenues for Erie County. Their performance against the guarantees is validated
53,817,036 impressions
by independent conversion studies conducted on website visitor traffic and the VBN email database. The studies are conducted by Texas A&M Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Sciences who are recognized as the “Gold Standard” by Destination Marketing Association International. The study validates both total visitor conversion and incremental visitors within that total number. The data validated
304,721 website visitors
2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
incremental visitor parties, direct visitor spending,
includes visitor parties, size of party, spending, reason for visit, lodging chosen and many other data points. A third party validation for digital display advertising impact on intent to visit is provided by Nielsen’s Vizu division who conducts surveys to measure brand impact across all industry category segments including specific lift in intent to visit for destination marketing The full results of the 2014 conversion studies will be available in April.
new email leads to our database
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
organizations.
10,734
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A DIGITALLY SAVVY DESTINATION WEBSITE VISITORS
TOTAL VISITS
Canadian Marketing Initiative The Canadian Marketing Initiative, a joint effort funded
1,497,327
by VBN & the Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation, with support from the Regional Economic Develoment Council,
An increase of 13% over 2013
aims to reach the Southern Ontario market with an
TOP 5 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR NON-U.S. WEBSITE VISITORS
b
c
integrated marketing strategy built on a foundation of measurable digital engagement.
d
The digital portion of the marketing campaign supports,
CANADA
e 6
UNITED KINGDOM
f AUSTRALIA
GERMANY
INDIA
38%
of all website visitors are from Canada
MOST VISITED CONTENT A total of 6,603,276 pageviews including display
integrates and complements existing print advertising about Buffalo and aims to cause more visitation with extended stays overnight. Through this campaign, 20,391 leads were added to VBN’s databases and more than 109,000 Canadian visitors came to the region. In addition to this digital campaign, VBN & the NTCC ran a 10 week campaign with
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
1,501,257
pageviews (desktop & mobile)
SHOPPING
FAMILY FUN
pageviews (desktop only)
pageviews (desktop only)
211,290
VISITOR INFO ON-THE-GO
142,240
the Toronto Star and the Path, the underground system of walkways in downtown Toronto. The two agencies also advertised with Fox 29 and WNED-TV, two key local channels that have large Canadian audiences, and worked with Kathleen Rooney Communications for additional
MOBILE VISITS
TOTAL VISITS TO DEDICATED MOBILE SITE AND MAIN SITE VIA A MOBILE DEVICE
483,875 January 1-December 31, 2014
PR outreach into the Canadian market. VBN and the NTCC also shared a joint booth at the National Women’s Show in Toronto this past November.
BUFFALO IN THE NEWS VBN had another terrific year on the media relations front. We hosted more than 30 press visits in 2014 and assisted with dozens of other stories. In total, VBN’s efforts yielded 101 out-of-town media placements valued at $1.66 million in earned media value, including 2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
hits in The Toronto Star, The Washington Post and Huffington Post. VBN also generated 106 stories in local media outlets.
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The Center of Attention
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center (BNCC) experienced a record-breaking year in 2014. More than 300,000 people attended 161 different events over the course of the year. These events contributed an estimated $27 million to the local economy, based on the Association of Venue Managers calculator. Among the notable events hosted at the Center were the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Congress for the New Urbanism, Delaware North Companies Food & Beverage Summit and the bi-annual New York State Board of Law Examiners Bar Exams. In addition, BNCC secured a six-year contract to continue hosting the International Aviation Snow Symposium. Given this success, it should come as no surprise that the Center recorded an impressive score of 4.8/5 on its Guest Satisfaction Survey.
300,000 161 people attended different events
Another Record-Breaking Year for Erie County Hotels Hoteliers are taking notice of Buffalo’s renaissance. Nearly 400 new rooms came online in 2014 including the
Courtyard by Marriott Canalside and the Hilton Garden Inn downtown. Demand continued to rise in 2014, by 1.6 percent, and occupancy rates exceeded the national average
86.1
80%
75.0
AVERAGE RATE
50%
HOTEL REVENUES
2014 64.1%
$99.56
$228,301,134
2013 65.4%
$96.47
$217,886,799
2012 66.4%
$93.92
$209,550,115
2011 66.1%
$90.96
$197,823,142
65.3 65.7
60% 60.3
SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH ERIE COUNTY HOTEL REPORT
8
90%
70%
for almost half of the year.
OCCUPANCY
MONTHLY OCCUPANCY PERCENTAGE, 2014
40%
56.4
50.2
67.3 67.0
87.2
73.6 71.7
71.6
70.6 68.0 65.7 67.5
58.8
58.7
58.2 52.6
52.0
43.3
48.0
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
ERIE COUNTY
NATIONAL AVERAGE
A Slam Dunk
A Real Ringer
The second and third rounds of the NCAA Men’s
The National Horseshoe Pitcher’s Association
Basketball Tournament returned to Buffalo last
held its annual tournament in Hamburg. Some
March, bringing thousands of visitors into the
1,300 participants, as well their families and
downtown core and generating an estimated
friends, convened on the Hamburg Fairgrounds
$5.2 million in economic impact.
for 12 days in July, leaving behind an estimated $2 million in economic impact for the area.
MAJOR 2014 CONVENTIONS Arranged by estimated economic impact NAME
ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT
New York State Board of Law Examiners
$3,417,752
DATE
ATTENDEES
July 27
2,800
New York State Board of Law Examiners
$2,182,124
Feb. 23
1,800
Congress for the New Urbanism
$2,078,412
June 2
1,500
Church of God and Saints of Christ
$1,470,963
June 9
900
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance
$1,448,037
Sept. 13
600
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
$1,424,274
Aug. 16
700
General Grand Council Royal Arch and Cryptic Masons International
$1,111,244
Aug. 22
700
Association of Reciprocal Safety Councils, Inc.
$804,476
Oct. 3
475
Creative Problem Solving Institute
$693,530
June 17
600
The International Association of Laryngectomees
$686,748
June 23
450
Delaware North Companies
$612,253
Nov. 9
500
American Association of Airport Executives
$603,899
Aug. 15
430
NYS Association of Counties
$560,653
Sept. 16
400
Elks Association
$533,708
May 15
750
Diocese of Buffalo-Dept. of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
$499,651
Feb. 14
1,000
American Music Therapy Association
$479,410
April 1
415
THE SUMMER OF BUFFALOVE VBN’s social media efforts reached new heights in 2014. In May, Visit Buffalo Niagara launched its “Summer of Buffalove” contest, asking its followers to submit photos of the best of Buffalo to the hashtag #Buffalove14, and awarding weekly prizes. Over the course of the summer, the contest yielded to tens of thousands of prospective visitors. VBN then took those photos and turned them into the “Drink it In” video that gained local media coverage and garnered over 6,700 views on YouTube. Social media is empowering VBN’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook followers to help tell the story of Buffalo’s renaissance through their photos! @buffalony
Be Social, Buffalo
ON INSTAGRAM
VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA FACEBOOK
62,238
2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
2,700 photo entries, which showed off summer in Buffalo
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likes
70,876 likes
14,090 likes
3,355 likes
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
THE 716 FACEBOOK
With Buffalo undergoing a dramatic transformation, it was time for
MONITORING THE PULSE OF BUFFALO TOURISM
big changes to VisitBuffaloNiagara.com, too. VBN selected Portland,
In order to better monitor and measure
Oregon web developers Substance, whose previous work included
Buffalo Niagara tourism, Visit Buffalo
Traveloregon.com, to design a state-of-the-art site. The new website,
Niagara created a new monthly
which the VBN marketing staff spent much of 2014 working on, tells
publication, Buffalo Niagara Travel Pulse.
New Virtual Home
the story of Buffalo’s renaissance through an emphasis on compelling pictures and video and totally refreshed copy.
This statistical update and analysis tracks information obtained from Smith Travel, such as hotel occupancy, average daily rate, Canadian currency exchange and cross border as well as Buffalo Niagara International Airport traffic. To date, there are 1,072 subscribers to Buffalo Niagara Travel Pulse. We also implemented a new volunteer orientation program and of the 234 volunteers we work with, 65 percent have gone through the program. In addition, our Tourism Insider monthly newsletter is up to 3,376 subscribers,
10
a nine percent increase from 2013.
New Digs After 15 years in the Market Arcade building, Visit Buffalo Niagara moved to a new visitor center and corporate offices last fall in downtown Buffalo’s Brisbane Building. The new visitor center’s visibility at a busy downtown intersection – Clinton and Washington Streets – and its proximity to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, Canalside and several hotels makes it more visible and accessible to visitors and locals alike.
Total Visitor Center Inquiries in 2014
113,419
MARKET ARCADE, BRISBANE BUILDING & AIRPORT
nearly 500 attendees to the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center
TRAV EL
Visit Buffalo Niagara’s Beacon Awards, which recognize excellence in Buffalo’s tourism and hospitality industry, attracted
&
TO
ISM UR
A BEACON OF EXCELLENCE last May. Here are the 2014 honorees:
OUTSTANDING TOURISM EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Kyle Johnson Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Martin Biniasz Dyngus Day USA and Forgotten Buffalo Tours
OUTSTANDING LODGING MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Solak Hyatt Regency Buffalo OUTSTANDING LODGING G.M. OF THE YEAR
Peter Florczak Buffalo Niagara Marriott OUTSTANDING TOURISM EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Michael Powers Buffalo Zoo
P R E S E N T E D
B Y
OUTSTANDING TOURISM INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
Robert Lennartz Western New York Southtowns Scenic Byway BUFFALO AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR
2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
OUTSTANDING LODGING EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
Carol Speser 2014 BINATIONAL BEACON AWARD
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Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council
OUTSTANDING TOURISM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
PLANT WNY
CEO Patrick Kaler and Outstanding Tourism Volunteer of the Year Ed Dore
2014 Beacon Award winners, top row: Kyle Johnson, Michael Powers, Lauren Solak, Brian Merritt (representing Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council), Thomas Schofield, Peter Florczak; bottom row: Martin Biniasz, Carol Speser, Ed Dore, Robert Lennartz
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
Ed Dore
Niagara is one of the
OVER ONE MILLION STRONG
top 25 U.S. Regions for
Visit Buffalo Niagara’s YouTube channel
inbound visitation from
views topped 1 million in 2014 thanks
overseas international
to several new videos produced in
visitors? In 2014, Visit
collaboration with Paget Films. VBN
Buffalo Niagara made
dedicated Let It Snow: A Buffalo
an unprecedented push
Frozen Parody to Buffalo’s resilient
into overseas markets,
citizens following the November 2014
including the United
snowstorm. Yahoo, AOL News and
Kingdom, Germany
dozens of other media outlets featured
International Exposure Did you know that Buffalo
and China, to drive that visitation even higher. VBN attended a sales
the video, which went viral, attracting
mission in collaboration with I Love NY in the U.K. and Ireland
more than 185,000 views.
that prompted a group of European tour operators to visit Buffalo last fall on a familiarization tour. Attendance at the International Pow Wow (I.P.W.) last spring resulted in Buffalo’s inclusion in several tour operator catalogs and online product offerings. VBN also hosted two separate groups of tour operators and public relations specialists from China in 2014 and worked in collaboration with Brand USA to premiere
12
three Buffalo videos geared toward British, German and Chinese tourists. All three videos can be found at visitbuffaloniagara.com, discoveramerica.com and the VBN YouTube channel. Visit Buffalo Niagara also offers its website in seven different languages!
Designing an Identity
The Buffalo. For Real TV YouTube series continued to chronicle the Queen City’s renaissance, including features on the Hotel @ the Lafayette, Horsefeathers
Visit Buffalo Niagara debuted a new corporate identity late in
Market and the wide variety of foodie
2014 to coincide with its move to a new visitor center and offices.
finds in the Elmwood Village. VBN
The playful, confident, seamless integration of Buffalo and Niagara
added a new host to the series: Sara
Falls received accolades since debuting last fall, including a silver
Kow-Falcone, who joins Nelson Starr in
ADDY from the Advertising Club of Buffalo. In addition, VBN published
showing viewers the best of Buffalo. The
a refreshed touring guide and shopping guide in 2014 that included a
BFRTV series also made its television
greater emphasis on compelling imagery,
debut in 2014; a compilation of the
shorter copy, better organized sections
Buffalo. For Real TV videos aired on
and higher quality of paper.
WUTV Fox 29 last summer. Last year also featured the premiere of VBN’s first video made entirely of
THE WING DY NASTY 50 YEARS OF A BUF FALO CLA SSIC
g e n i p op Guid h S
BUFFALO A NIAGAR
photos submitted by its followers. Drink it In: The Summer of #Buffalove14 highlighted some of the best of the 2,700 submissions VBN received from its best of Buffalo social media photo contest.
WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2015
} The New York State Board of Law Examiners will conduct exams
} I n addition, the American Legion will host their convention
for approximately 2,800 participants in February and 3,500
in July with 2,000 attendees expected to stay in Erie County
participants in July. Participants will travel from around the world
hotels, eat in area restaurants and experience the many
for the opportunity to take the NYS Bar exam. Together these
attractions available here. The convention is expected to
events will have an economic impact of more than $6 million.
have an economic impact of more than $2.5 million. } I n October, the Civil Service Employees Association will
at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and a number of
welcome 1,600 attendees to the Queen City. Estimated
downtown hotels during their conference. Approximately
economic impact is $2.4 million.
3,000 conventioneers are expected at the event, which will have an economic impact of over $2.5 million.
2014 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cindy Abbott-Letro
Law Offices of Francis A. Letro
Dennis P. Murphy
InnVest Lodging Services, Inc.
Donald K. Boswell
WNY Public Broadcasting Association
Minesh Patel
Adam’s Mark Hotel
Steve Boyd, Esq.
Steve Boyd, P.C.
Gary D. Praetzel, Ph.D. Niagara University
Jonathan A. Dandes
Rich Baseball Operations
Edward A. Rath, III
Erie County Legislature
Mary F. Roberts
Martin House Restoration Corporation
James T. Sandoro
The Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum
Dottie Gallagher-Cohen Buffalo Niagara Partnership C. Douglas Hartmayer NFTA Lesley Haynes
County of Erie Appointment
Patrick J. Kaler
Visit Buffalo Niagara
Randall Kramer
MusicalFare Theatre
Kerry C. Mitchell
County of Erie Appointment
County of Erie Appointment
Maria Whyte
County of Erie
Leslie H. Zemsky
Larkin Square
InnVest Lodging Services, Inc.
TREASURER :
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHAIR-ELECT:
Jonathan A. Dandes VICE CHAIR:
Donald K. Boswell PRESIDENT:
Patrick Kaler
SECRETARY:
Dottie Gallagher-Cohen Buffalo Niagara Partnership Mary F. Roberts
Martin House Restoration Corp.
COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE:
Rich Baseball Operations
Maria Whyte
WNED
Gary D. Praetzel
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR:
County of Erie Niagara University
Visit Buffalo Niagara
Budget/Finance/Audit Committee CHAIR:
Mary F. Roberts
Martin House Restoration Corp
STAFF: David Marzo
Chief Financial Officer
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Steve Boyd, Esq.
Steve Boyd, P.C.
Toni Vazquez
County of Erie Appointment
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
Toni L. Vazquez
Executive Committee CHAIR:
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Paul Snyder, III, CEO Snyder Corporation
2014 COMMITTEES Dennis P. Murphy
2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
} New York State United Teachers will be in Buffalo in April
Sales Committee STAFF: Mike Even
VP of Sales
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Phil Alterio
Buffalo Niagara Marriott
Mark Bibb
Adam’s Mark
Mark Brown
Buffalo Lodging
Melissa Burke
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center
Dave Carroll
Hart Hotels
Wendy Clubine
Buffalo Lodging
Jay Dellavecchia
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Bryan Drew
Embassy Suites Buffalo
Mark Dickerson
Embassy Suites Buffalo
John Dubreville
Hale Northeastern
Peter Florczak
Buffalo Niagara Marriott
Barbara Hughes
AAA
Bob Karamazyn
Courtyard by Marriott
Thomas Keane
Hart Hotels
Bryan Messer
Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Paul Murphy
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center
Russ Papia
Millennium Hotel
Matt Spencer
Comfort Suites
Edwin Shelp
Adam’s Mark
Timothy Stone
Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Downtown
Marketing Committee CHAIR: Drew Cerza
Just Wing It Productions
Nick Magnini
WUTV
STAFF: Ed Healy
VP of Marketing
Andy Major
Buffalo Bills
Rudi Rainer
Super 8 Hotel
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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Justin Azzarella
Evergreen Association of WNY
Steve Boyd
Steve Boyd, P.C.
Anthony Conte
Shea’s Performing Arts Center
C. Douglas Hartmayer
NFTA
James T. Sandoro Buffalo Transportation/ Pierce-Arrow Museum Margie Stehlik Martin House Restoration Corporation
2014 BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION ADVISORY COUNCIL Rick Aronberg Chris Aronica Russ Brandon Mike Buczkowski Stephen Butler Brian Cavanaugh
STAR Swimming Aronica & Associates Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bisons Niagara University D’Youville College
Drew Cerza Just Wing It Productions Ryan Coate Global Spectrum Jonathan A. Dandes Rich Baseball Operations Therese Forton-Barnes Events to a Tee Sean Green Riverworks Kathleen Gregoire Skating Club of WNY Eric Guzdek Northtown Center at Amherst C. Douglas Hartmayer NFTA Perry Jenkins University at Buffalo
Peter Jerebko Erie Community College Leo Kaminsky NYSPHSAA Tom Koller Buffalo State College John Maddock Canisius College Bill Maher Canisius College Lynn Marinelli Empire State Development Corp. Ron Raccuia AdPro Team Sports Edward Rath, Jr. Erie County Legislature Donald Reed University at Buffalo Bob Schell Amherst Youth Hockey Lisa Scherer Scherer Event Management Timm Slade Section VI Charles C. Swanekamp, Esq. Jaeckle, Fleischmann & Mugel Chris Todorov NFTA
2014 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA STAFF Kathy Benzel
Information Technology/ Online Content Manager
Brian Hayden
Communications Manager
Michele Butlak
Accounting and Benefits Manager
Ed Healy
Vice President of Marketing
Patrick Kaler
President & CEO
Giovanni Centurione
Information Specialist
Lindsay Carucci
Sport Services Manager
Karen Cox
Convention Services Manager
Linda D’Agostino
Director of Sales & Government Relations
Denise Drews
Visitor Center Manager
Michael Even
Vice President of Sales & Services
Karen Fashana
Marketing & Co-op Advertising Manager
Charles Giglia
Director of Sports Sales
Pete Harvey
Director of Sports Development
Cindy Kincaide Director, Industry Relations & Destination Development Convention Services Manager
David Marzo
Chief Financial Officer
Leah Mueller
Tourism Sales Director
Danielle Pastor
Administrative Assistant
Mary Jane Poleto
Information Specialist
Judy Smith
Director of Administration
Matt Steinberg
Director of Creative Services
Lori White
National Sales Director
Dionne Williamson
Sales Director; SMERF & Corporate
2014 BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER STAFF Samuel Mendez
Assistant Operations Manager
Tom Beiter
Leslie Millender
Lobby Receptionist
Paul Murphy
Facility Director
Terry O’Brien
Operations Manager
Keith Pitman
Electrician
Kenneth Sandford
Chief Engineer
Raymond Thom
Executive Chef
Amy Trautman
Convention Sales Manager
Raymond Williams
Timekeeper/Security
Danielle Winiarski
onvention & Event C Service Manager
Controller
Melissa Burke Senior Director of Sales and Marketing Angelo Canna, Jr.
Food & Beverage Manager
Lorna Cullen
Executive Assistant
Michelle Helles
Convention Sales Manager
Heather Keller
Sales & Service Coordinator
Susan Kimmins
Sales & Catering Manager
Craig Landseadel
Sous Chef
MaryAnn Martin
Accounting & Benefits Manager
Tourism Sales Director Leah Mueller led a FAM tour of international tour operators last spring, including a ride on the Maid of the Mist
15
VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM
Melissa Bean Convention & Event Service Manager
2014 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW
Tracy Martell
What They’re Saying About Buffalo BUFFALO IS RIPE FOR A NEW RENAISSANCE
Visitors who take some time and get off the highway will now sense a buzz in downtown Buffalo. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into revitalization, particularly around the harbor, the river and the historic canal area. Buffalonians are energized by it all, and they’re convinced visitors will like what they see.
and for me as a Torontonian, I am very excited because this gives us so many options as visitors that doesn’t spell shopping. There’s art, culture, food, drink and charming neighborhoods. It’s the perfect weekend getaway!
THE TORONTO STAR
GOINGAWESOMEPLACES.COM
With rehabbed architectural gems, stylish hotels, and innovative new restaurants, the upstate city now has far more to recommend outside of chicken wings. NEW YORK MAGAZINE
Buffalo was a complete surprise – I had no idea the city was filled with groundbreaking architecture, world class art, historic sites, quirky neighborhoods and good food! DANI HEINRICH, GLOBETROTTER GIRLS
Whole neighborhoods and waterfronts have been revitalized, and there’s a growing cultural and culinary scene that goes far beyond the chicken wings that bear the city’s name (and were invented here). An industrial center at the terminus of the Erie Canal, Buffalo was never a tourist destination. But it is now growing into one. HUFFINGTON POST
A SOUTH BEACH-INSPIRED GATHERING PLACE. BIKE LANES AND KAYAK TOURS. FREE OUTDOOR YOGA CLASSES. ALFRESCO DANCING AND DINING. READY FOR THIS ONE?
IT’S ALL IN BUFFALO.
THE WASHINGTON POST
403 Main Street
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Suite 630
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Buffalo, New York 14203
VisitBuffaloNiagara.com
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716.852.0511