75 new partners have joined since the launch; Meet Boston model highlighted at Destinations International
BOSTON (August 8, 2023) – Meet Boston [4], formerly known as The
Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB), recently shifted
from a membership model to a partnership model [2]. The purpose of this
shift, according to Meet Boston Executive Vice President Hilina D.
Ajakaiye is “to continually expand our partnership network to
businesses and attractions of all sizes, in a variety of sectors, and
all neighborhoods of Boston and beyond.” Through partnership, Meet
Boston aims to bring the promise of the visitor economy to a broader
constituency, creating more equity in how visitor dollars get spent
throughout the entire destination. “For decades we have used the term
‘member’ to capture how affiliated organizations can gain access to
our resources, but the term no longer aligns with our value
proposition,” said Martha J. Sheridan, President & CEO of Meet Boston.
“Meet Boston’s new partnership model is allowing us to cultivate a
larger unified voice.”
Through its new partnership paradigm, Meet Boston seeks to provide
important industry networking forums, act as a conduit to local
leadership, and share specialized, educational workshops. The approach
is working. Since the spring launch, 75 new partners have joined Meet
Boston.
Meet Boston established six pillars [5] to underpin the value
proposition of the new model. More details on partnership levels can be
found here [3]. Longstanding programs will be supplemented by several
new initiatives, including quarterly educational programming and
educational workshops centered around key industry needs and wants.
Upcoming workshops that have been scheduled at the Meet Boston offices
and just announced include:
· September 13: Don’t Miss Out – Tips from your Destination
Marketing Organization (Meet Boston) on How to Win Business
· October 12: How to Leverage Your Social Media and PR to
Optimize Your Partnership
· November 2: New Partner Onboarding and Orientation
Registration information will be included in the upcoming partner
newsletters.
The Meet Boston model was recently spotlighted at the Destinations
International Annual Convention. On a panel entitled “Re-Imagining
your Partner Engagement Strategy,” Ajakaiye spoke of how the new
model, “was informed by a task force and a community-based focus group
to bring together different viewpoints, and market analyses beyond the
City of Boston to examine best practices across all of North America.”
She further added that the central tenet of Meet Boston’s partnership
model is to “serve as an advocate and ambassador in the travel sector,
leading conversations around workforce development, diversity, equity
and inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability.”
Meet Boston has also unveiled a streamlined pricing structure, which
includes a simplified, accessible, and inclusive pricing strategy for
non-lodging partners. The pricing structure was developed based on
feedback from stakeholder interviews, community partners, and a
months-long nationwide analysis of best practices.
ABOUT MEET BOSTON:
Meet Boston is the primary private-sector marketing and visitor services
organization charged with the development of meetings, conventions and
tourism-related business in the region. As a partnership organization,
Meet Boston promotes and collaborates with over 900 companies in the
greater Boston region and across New England to drive a robust visitor
economy and to build equity within the sector. The Meet Boston mission
is to elevate Boston’s vibrant neighborhoods and diverse people,
amplifying their stories and sharing them locally and across the globe.
Meet Boston delivers exciting and inclusive programs and services that
enhance the local economy by unifying an eclectic range of community
stakeholders around the opportunities, experiences, and energy that
define the destination and the visitor journey. For more, please visit:
https://www.MeetBoston.com/ [6].
