Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau Renames Itself Visit Cincy
April 5, 2022
At its Annual Meeting at the Duke Energy Convention Center on March 25, the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled a new brand identity and announced several key growth initiatives to an audience of 400 business professionals, civic leaders and members of the regional hospitality industry.
The 75-year-old destination marketing organization’s new name is “Visit Cincy,” created to better align with the CVB’s sales and marketing efforts, as well as its regional collaboration with meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau, to reach key markets for tourism, convention and meeting business, according to CVB officials.
“The Visit Cincy brand will be an exciting catalyst to rally our regional partners and meet new growth opportunities,” said Julie Calvert, president and CEO of Visit Cincy. “Visit Cincy is more than a name, it’s an invitation that conveys our mission and a call to action.”
The three key growth initiatives Visit Cincy will be zeroing in on in 2022 include building economic impact; embedding diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the organization and in the industry; and expanding its partnership with meetNKY, said CVB officials at the meeting.
Featured speaker Steve Leeper, president and CEO of the non-profit development organization Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), addressed the audience about the scope of the new convention district being planned for downtown Cincinnati. In January, 3CDC was chosen by the Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County to lead the project, which includes redeveloping the convention center and surrounding properties and a new adjacent hotel.
Leeper went on to discuss the next steps for the project, which includes the recent razing of the previous headquarter hotel, the Millennium Cincinnati. He said 3CDC is currently completing an updated market study for the convention district and once completed, will issue an RFP for a new convention center hotel.
Along with Calvert and Leeper, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval; Hamilton County Commission President Stephanie Summerow Dumas and Jeff Berding, co-CEO of FC Cincinnati and Board Chairman of Visit Cincy, made presentations at the Annual Meeting.
“[Cincinnati has] so much to offer here already—arts, culture, food, sports, business,” Berding said. “Marquee events and larger conventions are ready to come to Cincinnati. Leisure travelers already are.”
In total, the CVB has booked definite future hotel rooms at 101 percent of its 2021 goal, representing $105 million dollars in room nights booked, while tentative room nights are booked at 107 percent of the goal. Momentum for 2022 surged in February during the Super Bowl, when downtown hotels saw a 77 percent occupancy rate during what is a typically slower time for tourism in Cincinnati, according to Visit Cincy officials.
“When the CVB is strong, our regional economy is strong,” Dumas said. “When the CVB is strong, Hamilton County is strong. And when Hamilton County is strong, we have a powerful platform to improve economic empowerment, improve access to opportunity and improve the quality of life for all of our residents.”
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Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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