Visit Buffalo Niagara 2013 annual report

Y E A R

I N

R E V I E W

Dear Tourism Advocate,

I

n a year filled with highlights for the local tourism industry, one in particular stands out: the launch of our Canadian Marketing Initiative. Working in collaboration with the Niagara Tourism & Convention Corp. and with the support of the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council, Visit Buffalo Niagara kicked off the initiative with a consumer research study followed by the first phase implementation of a digital advertising campaign aimed at consumers throughout the southern Ontario market. Working with the Toronto-based agencies BBDO and PHD, we began the process of building on an already strong foundation of shopping trips from Ontario. The first phase of the campaign launched in mid-November and the early returns were encouraging, with more than 18,000 visitors driven to the VBN and NTCC websites. The Canadian Marketing Initiative will continue throughout 2014.

We’ll report on results as they come in through the Tourism Insider Newsletter.

art technology upgrades at the Convention Center that resulted from a significant investment from the County of Erie and a $500,000 grant from Empire State Development. HighEdWeb delegates also fully embraced an innovative social media program devised by the staffs of the Center and VBN. Our performance drew rave reviews and set the stage for a further demonstration of our social media savvy during 2014 events such as NCAA basketball and the Congress for the New Urbanism.

I’m also pleased to report that our new Airport Visitor Center continues to live up to our expectations, servicing nearly 84,000 customers in 2013 and hitting our target goal of $225,000 in merchandise sales during our first full year of operation. We continue to win friends and influence people at the airport, taking full advantage of our prominent position on the secure side of the concourse.

The success of the 2013 HighEdWeb Conference was a particularly satisfying accomplishment.

In the domestic market we continued our relationship with the digitally savvy destination marketing agency, eBrains.

After realizing a truly impressive ROI from our 2012 campaign we re-engaged eBrains to conduct a lead generation program designed to further grow the VBN database, manage our e-newsletters and oversee a contextual display advertising campaign. A conversion study is currently underway and we should have results by the second quarter of 2014.

The conventions and meetings side of our business was also plenty busy in 2013 generating a near record 165,000 definite room nights booked and servicing an eclectic mix of conventions and amateur athletics. With events ranging from the Golden Age Games to the New York State Bar Law Examiners Bar Exam to the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) to the Color Run, Buffalo continued to fill hotel rooms from a broad base of regional, state and national clients. It’s worth noting here that the success of the HighEdWeb Annual Conference was a particularly satisfying accomplishment given that it made full use of the recently installed state-of-the-

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the transition in leadership the organization experienced in 2013. After more than three years of exemplary leadership, Dottie Gallagher-Cohen stepped down as President and CEO in May to take on a similar role with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. At that time, David Marzo, our Chief Financial Officer, assumed the additional role of Interim CEO. Dave performed his dual duties admirably while we conducted a national search for Dottie’s successor. In late November, we introduced Patrick Kaler, formerly President and CEO of the Loudoun County, Virginia Convention & Visitors Association, as Visit Buffalo Niagara’s next Chief Executive Officer. I have every confidence that our organization and region are both poised for even greater success under Patrick’s leadership.

Very truly yours,

DENNIS P. MURPHY Chairman of the Board, Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO, InnVest Lodging Services

ON THE COVER: Speaker during the general session of the HigEdWeb Annual Conference, which generated 1,500 hotel room nights and had an estimated economic impact of over $1,000,000.

JUST THE FACTS: 2013 AT A GLANCE

VBN CONVENTION, SPORTS & GROUP TOUR SALES

$122 million Future economic impact

443

red

164,327

823 Future

Conventions, meetings, amateur athletic events or group tours booked

Record breaking figures are in

Hotel room nights booked

sales leads

BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER

294,384

151

People attended events at the Convention Center

Events hosted

258

Days the Center was occupied

34,055

2013 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW

Some of our greatest successes came on the marketing front, as VBN generated non-local media coverage with a total media value of nearly $1 million and increased the number of unique web visitors to visitbuffaloniagara.com to 1,325,102 (up 18.7 percent over 2012).

VBN’s sales team also produced solid results in 2013, securing 164,327 future hotel room nights; booking 443 conventions, meetings, amateur athletic events and group tours; and generating 823 sales leads. These efforts will result in $122 million in future economic impact.

Hotel room nights utilized due to events at the Center

3 BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION

$993,000

Media value of out-of-town media coverage

37

Amateur sporting events serviced in 2013

VBN MARKETING

83 Out-of-town

83 Local media

media hits

hits

BUFFALO NIAGARA FILM COMMISSION

Projects completed

54

Completed production scouts

129

72,480 Hotel room nights

225

Production days with Film Office involvement

1,325,102 Unique visits to visitbuffaloniagara.com, up 18.7% from 2012

$7.6 million Local direct spend due to Film Office activity

VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

92,187 Attendance

Fresh Online Solutions: eBrains partnership continues to drive results

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VBN continued our engagement of eBrains, the online marketing agency that focuses on measurable returns via lead generation, email, search and display ads. Building on our highly successful 2012 campaign that delivered 4,150 new visitor parties and more than $3 million in new spending – an ROI of more than 30 to 1 – VBN charged eBrains with growing our customer database, managing our newsletters to engage and convert subscribers and deploying a contextual display advertising campaign to reach prospects when they are viewing content compatible with the VBN message. Messaging focused on arts/culture, history/ heritage, family activities, Niagara Falls, gardening, shopping and the culinary sector.

Employing this multifaceted strategy, eBrains delivered the following high-level metrics:  14.6 million measured impressions of Buffalo Niagara  89,417 clicks/visits to the site  118,818 additional meaningful actions on the site past the click Texas A&M University will be engaged to conduct a conversion study to determine how many of these potential visitors came to Buffalo Niagara and the economic impact they left behind.

The findings of the research study will be available in spring 2014.

CANADIAN MARKETING INITIATIVE:

Winning Hearts and Minds in Southern Ontario Buffalo Niagara’s unique position on the Canadian border gives us enviable access to eight million potential visitors in southern Ontario. As a result of a $195,000 New York State Regional Economic Development Council grant, VBN and the Niagara Tourism & Convention Corp. were able to launch a Canadian Marketing Initiative in 2013. Designed to entice Canadians to do more while they’re here and visit more often, the initiative is grounded on in-depth customer research conducted on our behalf by Longwoods International and Protean Strategies. Employing this research to hone our message and identify the best prospects, VBN launched an all-digital presence (paid search, banners, social media) in this key market in November. Phase 1 of the consumer advertising campaign, which ran through Dec. 31st, delivered more than 18,000 engagements with the visitbuffaloniagara.com and niagara-usa.com websites by Canadian consumers. Phase 2 is currently underway and will run through the end of February 2014.

A $250,000 grant from the Western New York Power Proceeds Allocation Board, matched by a $150,000 commitment from VBN and $100,000 from the NTCC, will enable the Canadian Marketing Initiative to continue throughout 2014.

Guiding Canadians to Our Stores

BUFFALO IN THE NEWS 10 fantastic things to do in Buffalo, NY. Not to be outdone, Canada.com raved about Buffalo’s arts, culture and dining, titled Brilliant, resilient Buffalo New York. To round it all off, the Toronto Star ran an entire special section devoted to Buffalo in December. Other highlights included coverage in the Boston Globe, USA Today, Traditional Home and Long Weekends magazine.

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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

2013 was another tremendous year for Buffalo in the national – and international – media. As a result of VBN’s media relations work, The New York Times was particularly attentive to Buffalo in the year just past, running stories about the success of economic development initiatives at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and the Larkin District, as well as pieces about the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Garden Walk Buffalo and a feature in the Sunday Times Travel section devoted to the exciting developments at Canalside and elsewhere in the city.

The Canadian media also set their sights on Buffalo in 2013. In November, the website for Chatelaine, Canada’s largest circulation magazine, ran the story

2013 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW

Each year, a delegation of Visit Buffalo Niagara staff members and representatives from our region’s retail districts and malls attend the National Women’s Show in Toronto to drive more cross-border shopping.

This year, they came equipped with a sleek new tool – the 36-page Buffalo Niagara Shopping Guide, which includes maps, directions and insider tips on the best places to stay, play, shop and eat in Buffalo Niagara.

A DIGITALLY SAVVY DESTINATION

All Wired Up The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center (BNCC) recently wrapped up a complete technology upgrade, made possible through support from the County of Erie and Empire State Development.

WEBSITE VISITORS TOTAL VISITS

1,325,102 An increase of 18.7% over 2012

TOP 5 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN FOR NON-U.S. WEBSITE VISITORS

b

c

d

CANADA

UNITED KINGDOM

e

f AUSTRALIA

GERMANY

INDIA

30%

of all website visitors are from Canada

MOST VISITED CONTENT

6

The center received a total re-cabling of all public spaces in the building and the addition of a high-density wireless network covering the building’s 110,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The upgrades have increased high-speed internet bandwidth by a factor of ten, allowing exhibitors and guests instant and unimpeded access to any applications they require.

Highlights include:  100 MB of bandwidth  More than 240 data ports throughout the building  70 wireless access points

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SHOPPING

FAMILY FUN

pageviews

pageviews

442,146

446,998 pageviews

VISITOR INFO ON-THE-GO MOBILE VISITS

TOTAL OF VISITS TO DEDICATED MOBILE SITE AND MAIN SITE VIA A MOBILE DEVICE

January 1-December 31, 2013

508,875 iPAD APP DOWNLOADS

January 1-December 31, 2013

3,111

137,265

 The ability to accommodate up to 7,000 devices  Installation of 11 digital signage boards throughout the facility  Free WiFi zone in the lobby The HighEdWeb Conference made full use of the state-of-the-art technology upgrades at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

Strangers To Ambassadors In Five Days

From October 5 to 9, Buffalo welcomed the HighEdWeb Annual Conference, attracting attendees from across North America. Visit Buffalo Niagara worked closely with the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency to create a robust social media plan that included:

 Activating our “Tweet Team” of more than 40 local social media influencers  Responding to tweets on everything from nightlife to artisanal sausage.

Along the way, VBN converted hundreds of strangers into ambassadors for Buffalo. Get a snapshot of what VBN and its partners did here: visitbuffaloniagara.com/HEWEB

 Surprising guests with “random acts of kindness” (like showing up with coffee when someone tweeted that they could use a caffeine boost)  Running an Instagram contest that received 659 entries

2013 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW

What do you do when 750 tech-savvy, selfdescribed nerds come to your city? Blow their minds on social media.

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FOLLOW THE LEADER For years, Visit Buffalo Niagara has been an industry leader in social media. Our momentum in this space continued to grow in 2013.

Between our pages for Visit Buffalo Niagara, The 716, Shopping in Buffalo, Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission and National Garden Festival, VBN had more than 138,000 Facebook fans as of December 31. We also created Vine and Google+ accounts and grew our Twitter account to 9,300 followers (an 80 percent MORE THAN increase), Instagram to 722 followers and Pinterest to FACEBOOK FANS 540 followers.

138,000

WWW.VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

Our Instagram contest captured the imaginations and focused the attention of the Higher Ed Web delegates, who found a visually appealing city outside the walls of the Convention Center.

ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING YEAR FOR ERIE COUNTY HOTELS In 2013, Erie County hotel revenues jumped 4 percent, the average rate charged by hotels rose 2.5 percent and monthly occupancy rates exceeded the national average for much of the year.

SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH ERIE COUNTY HOTEL REPORT

OCCUPANCY

AVERAGE RATE

HOTEL REVENUES

$96.47

$217,886,799

2012 66.4%

$93.92

$209,550,115

2011 66.1%

$90.96

$197,823,142

$87.45

$185,541,315

65.4%

2013

64.7%

2010

A Golden Opportunity The National Veterans Golden Age Games, May 30 to June 4, brought 850 veterans and their families from around the country to Buffalo to compete in events ranging from swimming to basketball to checkers. The event had an estimated economic impact of $2.2 million.

MONTHLY OCCUPANCY PERCENTAGE, 2013 90%

71.6

70% 60%

63.7 58.5

40%

76.4

63.8

60.4

63.0 64.0

69.9

71.1

43.5

Hundreds of veterans converged on Buffalo last spring to compete in the National Veterans Golden Age Games.

69.9

69.2

68.3

63.4

Color Us Happy

60.0

64.7 57.4

53.7

50%

8

85.8

83.8

80%

51.0

50.2

Some 10,000 people got covered in colored corn starch as they ran Buffalo’s inaugural Color Run along the waterfront on August 17. The estimated economic impact of the race was $239,795.

47.5

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

ERIE COUNTY

NATIONAL AVERAGE

MAJOR 2013 CONVENTIONS Arranged by estimated economic impact NAME

ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT

DATE

ATTENDEES

$3,435,011

July 28

2,800

New York State Board of Law Examiners

$2,123,410

Feb. 24

1,800

New York State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services

$1,769,000

Oct. 24

2,000

International F. & A.M. Masons & Order of Eastern Star

$1,570,708

July 12

650

New York State Public Employees Federation

$1,559,854

Sep. 29

1,000

Agricultural Media Summit

$1,444,344

Aug. 2

600

$1,381,427

June 11

800

New York State Board of Law Examiners

Department of New York Veterans of Foreign Wars National Association of Campus Activities

$1,232,591

Oct. 15

1,200

Higher Education Web Professionals Association

$1,095,900

Oct. 5

750

Multiple District 20 Lions Club of New York State and Bermuda

$1,042,436

May 15

1,500

Buffalo Niagara Dental Meeting

$944,949

Sep. 23

2,000

Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Providers of New York State

$822,253

May 3

650

American Association of Airport Executives

$768, 151

Apr. 19

400

Business Alliance for Living Economies

$717,205

June 11

700

$682,420

May 15

1,000

Creating Keepsakes

Highlighting Our Industry Approximately 600 guests joined VBN on May 1 for our third annual Travel & Tourism Beacon Awards Luncheon, where we recognized superior service throughout our industry, from volunteer docents to hotel general managers.

Each year, the Tim Russert Award is presented to a worthy recipient who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to promoting Buffalo. The award winner is then inducted into the Buffalo Ambassador Hall of Fame. This year’s recipients were the members of the band The Goo Goo Dolls.

LODGING EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

TOURISM EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Lori Hint Courtyard by Marriott Buffalo Airport

Patrick Kavanagh Forest Lawn

LODGING MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Holly Homesburger Hyatt Regency Buffalo

William Vanecek Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority

LODGING G.M. OF THE YEAR

TOURISM INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

TOURISM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Denise Prince Buffalo Tours

TOURISM VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Phyllis W. Pierce

RICH WALL

Culinary Tourism Christa Glennie Seychew

RICH WALL

Jay Dellavecchia Hyatt Regency Buffalo

TOURISM EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

2013 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW

2013 BEACON AWARD WINNERS

9

Kathy Russert presenting the Tim Russert Award to The Goo Goo Dolls at the Travel & Tourism Beacon Awards luncheon.

MAJOR JUMP IN VISITOR CENTER TRAFFIC Visit Buffalo Niagara’s two visitor centers, located on the secure side of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport and within the Market Arcade Building in downtown Buffalo, experienced TOTAL VISITOR CENTER growth in 2013. Between them, INQUIRIES IN 2013 they answered 124,366 inquiries.

124,366

VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

2013 Beacon Award honorees (left to right): Denise Prince, William Vanacek, Holly Homesburger, Jay Dellavecchia, Lori Hint, Christa Glennie Seychew and Patrick Kavanagh.

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP! VBN’s Tourism Insider email newsletter grew to 3,190 subscribers – an increase of about 29 percent – in 2013. Want to keep up on news related to Buffalo’s travel and tourism industry, from hotel stats to our latest videos to a list of upcoming conventions, meetings and amateur sporting events? Then sign up for the Tourism Insider at BuffaloAmbassador.com TOURISM INSIDER SUBSCRIPTIONS INCREASED

29%

10

with our VBN, together urism at Niagara To counterparts plied rp (NTCC) ap Convention Co awarded a for, and were DC grant to $195,000 RE g l contribute ,000 marketin n agencies wil support a $600 rism promotio 5,000 from its nada. The tou additional $15 campaign in Ca the se rai l will wil the fund and . The campaign $250,000 to tise in Canada g the want to adver itin o vis wh ile ers wh rtn re do mo tourism pa n shoppers to tion. The rage Canadia reasing visita seek to encou rementally inc to WNY to s a goal of inc r ha yea o a als s d trip an ee region kes about thr n a week or n shopper ma their visit withi typical Canadia visitors plan there is to do all jority of day t ma ou e ab “Th on p. sho more informati N President & e if they have often,” said VB so. We believ will visit more in WNY they spend about ers pp sho n and see here . Canadia llagher-Cohen CEO Dottie Ga h year. n in WNY eac $930 millio

Buffalo, In Focus Three-quarters of a million. That’s how many views VBN’s videos have received on YouTube.

In 2013, VBN continued our partnership with Paget Films to produce fresh, fun, high-quality videos about Buffalo’s art scene, the West Side Bazaar, family attractions, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo and the experience of touring the city on a Segway or the Open-Air Autobus of Buffalo.

VBN was also a major financial supporter of Paget Films’ short film Buffalo: America’s Best Designed City, which includes jaw-dropping aerial footage of Buffalo and looks at the history and future of our city’s world-class urban design. In three months, this film attracted more than 150,000 YouTube views.

Buffalo Niagara: Bring the Kids!

ArtBFLO

Tourism in Buffalo Niagara is big busines s and getting bigger, according to a stud y recently released

by Tourism Econom of Philadelphia-based ics, a unit Oxford Economics.

In fact, the Greater Niagara region – alon g with Central New Yor k – had the highes growth rate (5.7 t %) of all of New York State’s vacatio regions in 2012. n The study concluded that Erie County’s travel and tourism industry generated nearly $1.6 billion in traveler spending in 2012, supported more than 20, 000 jobs and created $490 million in direct labor inc ome. The really goo news is that tourism d expenditures resulted in $105 million in local taxes and $86 million in state tax es in 2012, saving average Erie Cou the nty household $50 6 in taxes!

Buffalo: America’s Best Designed City

At The Movies: Promoting Buffalo as a Film Production Site

The History Channel’s “Top Gear” shot an episode on the streets of Buffalo and at Fort Niagara State Park.

The Skyway was shut down providing a beautiful Buffalo backdrop for this episode, which featured various challenges for modified amphibious vehicles.

2013 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW

Universal Studios “Best Man Holiday” shot at Ralph Wilson Stadium. This major studio feature film included the hiring of over 1,500 local extras over four days of shooting at the stadium and generated $1.5 million in direct local spending in Western New York.

11

Nike chose Buffalo’s Central Terminal and various other locations as the background for its “Lunar One Shot” Skateboard Shoe campaign, which will be seen internationally and features world famous members of the Nike Skateboard Team.

FILM OFFICE FINDS A NEW HOME On July 1 The Buffalo Niagara Film Office moved to its new home at WNY Public Broadcasting in downtown Buffalo. This move places the film office in a 24-7-production facility, which includes a 7,500 sq. ft. New York State Qualified Soundstage in the hub of downtown Buffalo.

VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

Black Rose Films “The Romans” produced by Corey Green and Larry Quinn and starring Stephen Henderson and many up and coming local actors used the east side of Buffalo as the back drop for its modern day tale of gang warfare.

Kaler Takes the Lead In May, Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Dottie Gallagher-Cohen moved on from the organization to assume the same role at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

VBN’s board of directors launched a national search to find her successor, and in November, the board introduced their selection, Patrick J. Kaler. Kaler comes to VBN from Visit Loudoun, the tourism agency for Loudoun County, Virginia located just outside of Washington, D.C., where he also served as president and CEO. Kaler has held several other senior tourism positions during his career, including senior director of travel industry and tourism development for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and executive director for the Great Lakes of North America.

WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2014 2014 is shaping up to be another exciting year! }B uffalo will welcome NCAA Men’s

12

Basketball Second and Third Round games back to the First Niagara Center on Thursday, March 20 and Saturday, March 22. This will mark Buffalo’s fifth time hosting the preliminary rounds of the tournament.

Thousands of out-of-town basketball fans are expected to fill First Niagara Center to capacity and leave behind an estimated economic impact of more than $5.5 million.

}F rom June 4 to 7, Buffalo will host the 22nd

annual Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), attracting a projected 2,000

attendees from all over the U.S., Canada and several other countries to town. }T he National Horseshoe Pitchers

Association World Tournament, July 14 to 26, 2014, will bring some 1,500 participants and their friends and families to Buffalo.

}A $50,000 grant from the Western New

York Regional Economic Development Council will enable VBN to promote the 20th anniversary of Garden Walk Buffalo and the 5th anniversary of the National Garden Festival.

2013 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

Steve Boyd, P.C.

Gary D. Praetzel, Ph.D. Niagara University

Jonathan A. Dandes

Rich Baseball Operations

Mary F. Roberts

Martin House Restoration Corp.

James T. Sandoro

Buffalo Transportation / Pierce-Arrow Museum

Paul Snyder, III

Snyder Corporation

Dottie Gallagher-Cohen VBN/Buffalo Niagara Partnership C. Douglas Hartmayer NFTA Randall Kramer

MusicalFare Theatre

Susan M. LoTempio Lynn Marinelli

Erie County Legislature

John J. Mills

Erie County Legislature

Kerry C. Mitchell

Toni L. Vazquez Maria Whyte

County of Erie

Leslie H. Zemsky

Larkin Square

2013 COMMITTEES OF VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA AND THE BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER MANAGEMENT CORPORATION Executive Committee CHAIR: Dennis P. Murphy InnVest Lodging Services, Inc.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Jonathan A. Dandes

Rich Baseball Operations

Dottie Gallagher-Cohen VBN/Buffalo Niagara Partnership Martin House Restoration Corp.

Maria Whyte

County of Erie

Gary D. Praetzel

Niagara University

Lynn Marinelli

Erie County Legislature

Paul Murphy

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

Mary F. Roberts

Martin House Restoration Corp.

Barb Hughes

AAA

Thomas Keane

Hart Hotels

Donald K. Boswell WNY Public Broadcasting Association

Budget/Finance/Audit Committee STAFF: David Marzo

Chief Financial Officer

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Tom Beiter

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

Dottie Gallagher-Cohen VBN/Buffalo Niagara Partnership

Sales Committee STAFF: Mike Even

VP of Sales

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Buffalo Niagara Marriott

Bruce Kolesnick

University at Buffalo

Melissa Burke

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

John Malkus

Hyatt Regency Buffalo

Russ Papia

Millennium Hotel

Dave Carroll

Hart Hotels

Minesh Patel

Adam’s Mark

Jay Dellavecchia

Hyatt Regency Buffalo

Bonnie Phillips

Martin’s Fantasy Island

Mark Dickerson

Embassy Suites Buffalo

Matt Spencer

Comfort Suites

John Dubreville

Hale Northeastern

Edwin Shelp

Adam’s Mark

Ann Dugan

Buffalo Lodging

Marketing Committee CHAIR: Drew Cerza

Just Wing It Productions

Nick Magnini

WUTV

STAFF: Ed Healy

VP of Marketing

Andy Major

Buffalo Bills

Art Page

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Justin Azzarella

Evergreen Association of WNY

Rudi Rainer

Steve Boyd

Steve Boyd, P.C.

Anthony Conte

Shea’s Performing Arts Center

James T. Sandoro Buffalo Transportation/ Pierce-Arrow Museum

C. Douglas Hartmayer

NFTA

Susan M. LoTempio

Super 8 Hotel

Margie Stehlik Martin House Restoration Corporation

Convention Center Operations Committee STAFF: Paul Murphy

Facility Director

James T. Sandoro Buffalo Transportation/ Pierce-Arrow Museum

John J. Mills

Erie County Legislature

Jeff Zack

Rudi Rainer

Super 8 Hotel

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

County of Erie

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VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM

Phil Alterio

2013 ANNUAL BUSINESS REVIEW

Mary F. Roberts

2013 BUFFALO NIAGARA SPORTS COMMISSION ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR: Jonathan A. Dandes Rich Baseball Operations Tom Ahern Buffalo Sabres Gordon Anthony Canisius College Chris Aronica Aronica & Associates Adam Benigni Channel 2 News Brad Boyle Erie Community College Russ Brandon Buffalo Bills Mike Buczkowski Buffalo Bisons Vic Carucci Cleveland Browns Brian Cavanaugh D’Youville College Therese Forton-Barnes Events to a T Sherry Frost Clarence Soccer Ralph Galanti Erie Community College (retired) Mike Gentile Niagara University Kathleen Gregoire Skating Club of WNY Eric Guzdek Northtown Center at Amherst Jim Hanley Hanley Fishing Charters C. Douglas Hartmayer NFTA Perry Jenkins University at Buffalo Peter Jerebko Erie Community College

Ed Kilgore Brian Kiszewski Tom Koeller John Lambert Dan Loncto Ed Lindsey John Maddock Bill Maher Lynn Marinelli Tom Marks John Murphy Sister Maria Pares Ron Raccuia Edward Rath Donald Reed Jeff Russo Bob Schell Lisa Scherer Timm Slade

Channel 2 News Monsignor Martin Athletic Association Buffalo State College University at Buffalo Fleet Feet Buffalo Amateur Softball Association Canisius College Canisius College Erie County Gr8 Lakes Fishing Adventures Buffalo Bills Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart AdPro Team Sports Erie County University at Buffalo Channel 7 News Amherst Youth Hockey Ride for Roswell Section VI

2013 VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA STAFF

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Melissa Barrie Information Specialist Kathy Benzel Information Technology/

Online Content Manager Peter Burakowski Communications Manager Michele Butlak Accounting and

Benefits Manager Giovanni Centurione Information Specialist Lindsay Carucci Sport Services Manager Tim Clark Director, Buffalo Niagara

Film Commission Karen Cox Convention Services Manager Linda D’Agostino Director of Sales &

Government Relations Denise Drews Downtown Visitor Center Manager Michael Even Vice President of Sales & Services Karen Fashana Marketing & Co-op

Advertising Manager Dottie Gallagher-Cohen President & CEO

Charles Giglia Director of Sports Sales Pete Harvey Director of Sports Development Ed Healy Vice President of Marketing Jay Josker Sport Services Manager Cindy Sterner-Kincaide Director, Buffalo Ambassador Program Tracy Martell Convention Services Manager David Marzo Chief Financial Officer Leah Mueller Tourism Sales Director Danielle Pappas Administrative Assistant Mary Jane Poleto Airport Visitor Center Manager Judy Smith Director of Administration Matt Steinberg Director of Creative Services Rich Wall Operations Manager/ Production Services, Buffalo Niagara Film Commission Lori White National Sales Manager Dionne Williamson National Sales Manager

2013 BUFFALO NIAGARA CONVENTION CENTER STAFF Melissa Bean Convention & Event Service Manager Tom Beiter 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 Samuel Mendez Leslie Millender Paul Murphy Terry O’Brien Keith Pitman Kenneth Sandford Raymond Thom Raymond Williams Danielle Winiarski

Accounting & Benefits Manager Assistant Operations Manager Lobby Receptionist Facility Director Operations Manager Electrician Chief Engineer Executive Chef Timekeeper/Security Convention & Event Service Manager

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BUFFALO

I’M GOING TO GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT:

GO TO BUFFALO THIS WEEKEND. CHATELAINE

If architecture is anything to go by, Buffalo ranks as one of the great cities of America.

BUFFALO WAS BRIMMING WITH ENERGY.

TORONTO STAR

...a casual visit to Parkside, and the older Victorian neighborhoods closer in to downtown, including the West Side, Richmond Avenue, Elmwood Village, and Allentown, suggests a thriving urban environment.

Restaurants and art galleries are conspicuous. There is substantial bicycle and foot traffic. Grand old houses are being restored. A funky Bohemian vibe resonates.

AMERICAN BUNGLAOW

Buffalo is an eclectic kind of city that offers so much for every type of traveler – including experiences that won’t soon be forgotten.

CANADA.COM

THE BOSTON GLOBE

With new waterfront bars , outdoor markets and upscale restaurants , developers are honoring original designs dating back to Buffalo’s heyday .

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Elmwood Village, hands down, wins the prize for hippest place in Buffalo. Located in the heart of the city, accessible from Interstate 190, it’s a place where tattoo parlors and high-end hair salons and art galleries seamlessly co-exist.

ERIE TIMES-NEWS

617 Main Street § Suite 200 § Buffalo, New York 14203 § 716.852.0511 VISITBUFFALONIAGARA.COM