Cari Guittard to Address San Francisco CVB Industry Outlook Conference
CONTACT: Laurie Armstrong, 415-227-2603, larmstrong@sfcvb.org
or Tanya Houseman, 415-227-2651, thouseman@sfcvb.org
AMERICA¿S REPUTATION ABROAD FOCUS OF
SAN FRANCISCO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU INDUSTRY OUTLOOK CONFERENCE
Keynote Speaker Is Cari Guittard, Executive Director, Business for Diplomatic Action
The second annual Northern California Visitor Industry Outlook Conference, sponsored by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) Education & Research Foundation, will examine how America¿s reputation abroad can and does affect local tourism. The conference, which sold out in 2006, will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 27 in the Esplanade Ballroom of Moscone Center, 747 Third St., in San Francisco.
¿Based on federal government data we estimate that overseas visitors account for some 15 to 25 percent of our annual visitor volume,¿ said Joe D¿Alessandro, president and CEO of the Bureau. ¿Overseas markets are critical to us. As a global destination, we feel the impact of not only individual, but also governmental action, every day,¿ he added.
Cari Guittard, executive director, Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), is the keynote speaker. BDA was founded after 9/11 and officially incorporated in 2004 as a nonprofit, apolitical organization to enlist the U.S. business community in actions to improve the standing of America in the world. Based in New York City, BDA is a private-sector task force directed by preeminent communications, marketing, political science, global development and media professionals.
Guittard will discuss recent research, visa concerns as well as ways business and individuals can get engaged in the issues and take questions and answers from the audience.
The conference is from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm. The cost for SFCVB members is $180; the cost for non-members is $260. The registration fee includes conference materials, continental breakfast and lunch. For companies registering two or more attendees at the same time, there is a 10 percent discount.
The full agenda and online registration is available at http://www.sfcvb.org/members/events.asp. Contact Sarika Patel, 415-227-2666, spatel@sfcvb.org, for additional information.
General session panelists and topics for the conference include:
Suzanne Cook, Ph.D., senior vice president of research, Travel Industry of America, ¿State of the National and International Travel Market¿;
Thomas E. Callahan, CEO-West, PKF Consulting, ¿Update on the San Francisco Lodging Market¿; and
Greg Moix, director international aviation development, San Francisco International Airport, ¿Future Watch: Emerging International Markets.¿
In addition, four breakout sessions will be anchored by a ¿who¿s who¿ of professionals on the topics of specialty markets, including gay and lesbian travelers; green tourism; online consumer trends, and corporate travel and meetings.
Founded in 2003 by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB), the SFCVB Education & Research Foundation is a 501 [c] 3 charitable foundation created to ensure that the hospitality industry continues to thrive by producing educational events, providing scholarships and commissioning research.
With more than 1,700 members, the SFCVB is one of the largest membership-based tourism promotion agencies in the country. Tourism, San Francisco's largest industry, generates in excess of $7.3 billion annually for the local economy. The SFCVB business offices are located at 201 Third St., Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103. The Bureau also operates the Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, 900 Market St. at the corner of Powell and Market streets. For more information, call 415-974-6900 or visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com.
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