Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau | |
Formation | 1941 |
---|---|
Founder | Albert M. Greenfield |
Founded at | Philadelphia, PA |
Type | Destination marketing organization (non-profit) |
Purpose | Tourism |
Location | |
Area served | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
President and CEO | Gregg Caren |
Staff | 50 - 60 |
Website | www |
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) is a non-profit destination marketing organization responsible for bringing tourists and conventions into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1941 by Albert M. Greenfield, [1] the PHLCVB is charged with promoting the city internationally in order to drive visitation and book meetings, conventions and big events at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and other venues throughout Philadelphia[2]
History
The PHLCVB (Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau) was established by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce in 1941 as a membership organization. Serving as the official tourism promotion agency for the City globally, it also functions as the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The mission of PHLCVB is to generate economic impact and job growth by increasing the region's hotel occupancy and hospitality-derived revenues, primarily through the booking of major conventions. [3] [4]
Several “firsts” occurred in the 1980s, as the CVB created two new divisions dedicated to key markets for the city. The Minority Advisory Council (MAC), which later became the Multicultural Affairs Congress, and now PHL Diversity as well as the Philadelphia Sports Congress (PSC),[5] which is now PHL Sports, were devised in 1987.
The 1990s were ushered in with the inception of the Health Care Congress division (1990), now called PHL Life Sciences.[6] In 1993, the Pennsylvania Convention Center made its debut, giving the city a signature facility for hosting meetings and conventions.
In the 2010s, the Pennsylvania Convention Center in 2011 received an expansion, making it the largest free-standing facility in the nation with 1 million square feet of saleable space.[7] A series of major events, brought together by the CVB, helped to drive Philadelphia’s international appeal and national reputation as a leading destination for meetings.
Significant recent events hosted
- 2000 Republican National Convention
- 2015 World Meetings of Families
- 2016 Democratic National Convention
- 2017 NFL Draft
- WWE WrestleMania XL in 2024
- Ongoing: Army-Navy Game
Upcoming PHLCVB events
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is a multi-use facility where most of the major meetings and conventions booked by the PHLCVB are held. It is in the Center City district of Philadelphia and occupies four city blocks.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center comprises of more than 679,000 square feet of exhibit hall space with seven halls and 82 meeting rooms, and one of the largest ballrooms in the Northeast. [9] Grand Hall is located inside the site of the former Reading Terminal Train Shed and can accommodate up to 4,000 people. The Grand Hall has access to the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel, the largest hotel in Philadelphia which has additional meeting space and is attached to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center received both LEED Gold Certification and Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation. [10] The building’s Deep Clean program addresses high traffic and touch areas, hand hygiene, team training, employee personal protective equipment, contactless entry, and housekeeping staff dedicated to increased sanitization efforts
References
- ^ https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/convention-centers/
- ^ https://philadelphia.today/2024/02/philadelphia-convention-and-visitors-bureau/
- ^ https://controller.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TourismAgencyReview_CityController.pdf
- ^ https://philadelphia.today/2024/02/philadelphia-convention-and-visitors-bureau/
- ^ https://phillyfunguide.com/organizations6/philadelphia-sports-congress
- ^ https://www.meetingstoday.com/articles/144004/philly-life-sciences-meetings-beats-strong
- ^ https://www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com/Publications/Black-Meetings-Tourism/2010/March-April-2010/Pennsylvania-The-Keystone-State-Has-It-All.aspx
- ^ https://www.inquirer.com/philly/opinion/commentary/yo-philadelphians-our-city-is-finally-getting-the-credit-it-deserves-because-of-you-mayor-jim-kenney-20180209.html
- ^ "Pennsylvania Convention Center Floor Plans". Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ "Sustainability/Green Meetings". Retrieved 2 May 2023.