Houston CVB Membership Benefits...

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau works year-round to attract new convention and visitor business to Houston. Our membership is an important part of everything we do. We continue to connect our members and their products and services to the lucrative visitor business. Companies that don't currently market themselves to visitors will find valuable tools, resources and networking opportunities to help you. Our Sustaining and Corporate Partner benefits include:

Confidential Convention Calendar

The Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau convention calendar provides members with upcoming meetings and conventions in the Greater Houston area. Available 24/7 on our Members Only site, the Convention Calendar features:

Contact information of Meeting/Convention Planners

• Estimated Room Nights
• Estimated Attendance
• Hotel Headquarters
  

Membership Services Directory

As a member of the GHCVB, you will gain additional exposure by receiving a free listing in the bi-annual Membership Services Directory which is also accessible on our website. Members are listed by category with their company's description and contact information. Advertising opportunities are also available in this publication. Current mailing labels of our Membership Services Directory are available only to members at a nominal fee.

Publication Services

• Meeting Planners Guide
• Houston Official Visitors Guide
• Restaurant Guide
• Calendar of Events
• Houston Production Guide
  

      Cooperative marketing opportunities are frequently offered in:

• Houston Chronicle
• Texas Monthly

Publicity Services

Need additional exposure? Take advantage of the Houston Visitors Center located in City Hall on the first floor with over 7,000 square feet of museum - quality display cases, Houston area maps and brochures and interesting Texas paraphernalia. As a member, we provide the curator to assist members in crafting a customized display kiosk for your company. Other Visitor Center points of distribution are:

• Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
• George R. Brown Convention Center
• Greenspoint Mall
• Houston Premium Outlets
  

Member and Restaurant of the Month are selected and promoted on our website and in the Houston Visitors Center.

Leads/Referrals

Leads and referrals are a key component to our relationship with members. All departments create leads, however, those who frequently generate leads are:

• Convention Sales
• Convention Services
  
• Tourism
  

Networking Opportunities

• Membership Mixers
• Joint Networking Mixers with Chambers of Commerce's and Organizations
• Educational Seminars
• Annual Meeting of the Membership
• Bi-Monthly Member Orientation & Refresher Workshops
• Monthly Member Spotlight

Familiarization Tours & Site Visits

Members are often forwarded the opportunity to host meeting planners, tour companies/operators, travel agents, and media who are interested in selecting Houston as a destination for their meeting, convention, or tradeshow.

Tourism:

The Tourism and International Group Sales department goal is to promote and sell Houston to international meeting planners, tour operators, travel agents and media to attract more visitors to the city. This is done through a staff of 8 in Houston with the help of agencies in Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. Most recently the department has also undertaken a reunions initiative in the domestic market to attract short term meetings to the city.

Opportunities offered by Tourism Department for GHCVB members:

• Promote your organization in key international markets by joining Tourism Sales Missions and Trade Shows.
• Have access to revenue generating leads sent only to members. Services include but are not limited to: hotel accommodations, transportation, meeting facilities, restaurants and attractions.
  
• Marketing exposure by distribution of print collateral at trade shows, sales missions and other avenues.
  
• Media exposure from access to visiting journalists from international destinations. This could be television, radio, print or online mediums.
  
• Marketing and media exposure in the monthly e-newsletter, distributed to 19,000+ travel professionals and media in Latin America. Newsworthy items are published for free at the department’s discretion in Spanish and Portuguese.
  
• Exposure of your product to travel agents, tour operators and other travel professionals who can send travelers to Houston.
  
• Exposure of your product to international meeting planners looking for hotel, event space, transportation and other services in the Houston area for future meetings.
  

Convention Services

The Convention Services department of the GHCVB works with our members to support our clients. Service Managers will work with you understand the profile and needs of our clients to ensure quality service. At the forefront of each incoming convention, our services team knows better than anyone what our clients are looking for. Take advantage of Member Spotlights, Networking Opportunities, and respond to referrals and leads sent by the GHCVB team if you are able to fully fulfill the needs of the requesting client

GHCVB representatives also host a booth at most conventions were restaurant, entertainment and attractions members are highlighted.



For more information on how we can assist you in getting the most out of your membership, please contact Laura Garcia, Member & Partner Services Coordinator at lgarcia@ghcvb.org.