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PACVB Headquarters Moves!
PACVB will be moving into self management effective July 1, 2005. With that move comes a new location. PACVB will be moving its headquarters from 902 N. 2nd Street to 130 Locust Street, Lower Level, in Harrisburg. The new main telephone number is 717-901-0220 and the fax number is 717-901-4055. General emails will continue to be received at info@pacvb.org, and you may reach Janet Stone at director@pacvb.org and Erin Reichart at erin@pacvb.org. If you're in Harrisburg, stop in and see our new offices!
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Our association is interested in providing services and information that will help you manage the affairs of your association and help you to provide leadership in your communities. Periodically, in Members’ Circle, articles, surveys, and data will appear to inform you about best practices and lessons learned in growing professionally. Occasionally, this area will simply serve to help you “brag” about an accomplishment for which you are particularly proud or to post noteworthy items.
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 Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Valley Forge CVB's second annual Bell To Bell Bike Ride drew 400 riders - one-third more than last year. The 26-mile (from Philadelphia's Liberty Bell to the Justice Bell at VF National Historical Park) event celebrates the 85th anniversary of women's right to vote. The Justice Bell traveled America and Pennsylvania supporting suffrage in 1919-1920. Official starter was State Rep. Dwight Evans (Philadelphia), House Minority Appropriations Committee Chair, who praised Valley Forge for its Women Advancing initiative and promoting regional tourism by highlighting Philadelphia and Its Countryside's diverse outdoor recreation opportunities. Proceeds went to United Way of SE PA.
 Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau
On April 1, 2005 The Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau relocated to an office on Route 322/6. The new building provides the CVB with visibility and adequate parking for visitors driving compact cars to RVs. The Bureau offers merchandise from various attractions around the area and provides brochures and maps, not only of Crawford County, but of surrounding areas. The CVB is easily accessed from I-79, being less than a mile from the exit.
The CVB had its Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting on May 21. The Bureau welcomes many visitors each day and is excited to be in its new location.
Promotional Opportunities
The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is asking for your continued help in updating the state's web site - visitpa.com. This web site receives over 500,000 visitors each month or 6 million visitors per year. It is an excellent free marketing opportunity to promote your events, attractions, packages and roadtrips. Forms to submit your data are available on the DMO extranet site (http://dmo.visitpa.com). Information can be submitted in an excel spreadsheet as well.
Watch for the DMO e-newsletter which is issued each month that is jammed packed with useful marketing and interactive information for you to help your community and members. If you are not receiving this newsletter and would like to, please contact adeaton@state.pa.us.
Also, be sure to submit your story ideas for Pursuits Magazine dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in Pennsylvania travel. This publication provides readers with some of Pennsylvania's best roadtrips, outdoor escapes, off the beaten path small towns, big city adventures, festivals and more. You can email your ideas to rmape@state.pa.us.
Association Affiliated Membership Program Continues to Grow!
The PACVB has enjoyed unprecedented growth in the interest to exhibit at our semi-annual conferences. Last year, in order to accommodate the growth and encourage the continued support of our affiliated suppliers and vendors, the Affiliate Membership Program was established. All exhibitors at PACVB conferences are also PACVB affiliated members.
In the past 6 months, 8 more affiliate members have joined PACVB, for a current total of 54! Please join us in thanking and welcoming them and please keep them in mind when purchasing goods and services. Please visit the PACVB website at www.pacvb.org for a complete list of Affiliate Members.
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PACVB Committees
All PACVB members and their staff members are invited to consider volunteering your time, talent, and expertise by serving on committees and ad hoc committees. Our association has opportunities and challenges at both the local and state level, particularly as we move into self management. If you are interested in serving on a committee, please contact director@pacvb.org. Your support and active involvement in PACVB committees enables our association to hear your concerns, suggestions, and better serve you, our members. Traveling to Harrisburg or other parts of our large state, these volunteers commit their valuable time to make an enormous and irreplaceable contribution to this association. In recognition, we'd like to thank people who participated in the following committees during the past year:
Communications Committee:
The new PACVB Electronic Forum eGuide was launched at the 2005 Spring Conference. 42 people have registered to date. The forum has been developed to serve as an additional resource for members. It includes useful information and tips posted by other PACVB members. Members may post questions or share hard-earned experiences with other members. There is a facilitator for each area of expertise. Facilitators are nominated by the joint Membership/Communications Committees and were selected based on their experience. Facilitators try to encourage discussion, try to find the answers to difficult questions (subject to their schedule), and be the first to post tips and suggestions.
All members and their staffs are encouraged to participate, to answer each other's questions, and to post their suggestions and tips for other members to read. When signing up, one may request notification by email each time a post is made to a particular string. This important member resource will only be as good as our members make it through their participation, so please take the time to post those questions you have or share advice with fellow members.
To date, the following topics have been addressed on the E-Forum:
PR Tips
Determining online/offline marketing effectiveness
Personnel Policies and Procedures
Finance Resources
Selling a Convention Facility without Lodging Attached
Motorcoach Tracking
Electronic People Counters
Anti-spyware Programs
Use of Fulfillment Companies
Web Development and Marketing
Chairman: Keith Toler, Eric Adams, Kenneth Chen, Anne Druck, Carrie Fischer, Stacey Fox,, Mark Major, Janet Stone
Consumer Shows Committee:
Committee members and participants met on April 7 at the Keystone Building in Harrisburg for a wrap-up meeting on consumer shows and 2006 show planning. The eight shows were reviewed, and a decision was made to try to replace the New Jersey show with another.
The 2005 shows were reviewed for strengths and weaknesses of the new booth set up. It was the general consensus that the partnership with Atlantic Skyline was a great one. Having the booths already set up at the shows was a big convenience for participants, and the layout and visuals were well received. Also, many favorable comments were received concerning having all of PA in one location. This made it east to send someone to another booth for answers. Consumers learned new things about PA--the Wilds. The PA Tourism Office is now a fishing license retailer and can sell licenses in the future. Both PennDOT and the Fish & Boat Commission staff were great resources to answer questions. Vests were good identification.
Weaknesses discovered included brochure distribution and storage, 2004 materials were used when 2005 shipped in ample time. The State ran out of PA Driving Maps and Travel Guides. There is a need for spin racks for brochures, as it is important that consumer traffic be free flow. To accomplish this, the brochures need to be along the front of the aisles. The banners confused the consumer and did not add to the overall display, so they will be dropped in future programs. It was suggested that Pennsylvania have free giveaways similar to other states. Badges and parking passes need to be sent to participants before shows. For this, Erik Solivan needs names by November 15. There needs to be a universal collection of leads; perhaps utilizing PA Game Commission trivia and daily prizes. The leads could then be sold as a non-dues revenue stream. Another suggestion included that the state could put out a brochure on consumer show participant collateral using Destination PA as a model. The information could be organized by activity and by county.
The PA Farm Vacation Association would like to participate in 2006.
Chairman: Jason Fink, Co-Chair Mark Major, Morgan Christopher, Lori Copp, Anne Druck, Mark Ickes, Pam Prosser, Crystal Seitz, Janet Stone
Governmental Affairs Committee:
A new format has been adopted to provide a summary of legislation. A copy of this report may be found in both Members Only sections of the website under Advocacy & Legislative Issues. The document is entitled “Summary of Legislation Introduced in the 2005-06 Legislative Session.” The position column refers to PTLA's positions, as this document was created by Barry Wickes. PACVB has no position on legislation mentioned, with the exception of increased tourism funding and room tax.
Chairman: Joe McGrath, Anne Druck, David Morris, Janet Stone, Mark Tallarico, Bob Uguccioni, Annie Urban, Jesse Walters, Barry Wickes
Group Marketing Committee:
The Group Marketing Committee held the 2005 Sales Mission at Niagara on the Lake in Ontario, Canada. There was a great response from the Operators, and the project came in just under budget. 32 contacts were made with group tour operators, up from 26 last year-about a 25% increase. Once again, through the efforts of all those involved, the 2005 PACVB Sales Mission was a success!
Chairman: Shirley Smith, Co-Chair: Marc Kaminetski, Co-Chair: J.R. Shaw, Tonya Adams, Janet Allen Hall, Dawn Arbani, Terese Balzereit, Emily Beck, Laura Bookwalter, Morgan Christopher, Philip Magaldi, Ann Marie Maher, Linda Mauzy, Doris Mitchell, Wendy Nagle, Charlotte Roberts, Rosanna Scicchitano, Erik Solivan, Autumn Spiecher, Janet Stone, Mary Ellen Woods
Legislative Dinner Committee:
The 30th Annual Travel and Tourism Dinner was held on Tuesday, March 15, 2005 at the Hilton Harrisburg. Secretary Dennis Yablonsky delivered the keynote speech.
There were 605 registered for the dinner, with 148 legislators attending. This is especially noteworthy because there was a Democratic Senators Retreat scheduled that same day that prevented 20 senators from attending the dinner. There were a record five sponsors, with Miles Media Group sponsoring the Legislative Dinner Reception for $5,000, plus an additional $12,000 in in-kind sponsorships, an increase of 150% over 2004. The program book this year was a four-color glossy publication with 48 pages, given as an in-kind donation by Metrocorp Publishing in Philadelphia. $9,300 worth of ads were sold, representing a 131% increase over 2004. Lycoming County Visitors Bureau sponsored the Strolling Strings as entertainment for the evening.
The 31st Annual Legislative Dinner will be held on Monday, March 20, 2006 at the Hilton Harrisburg.
Chairman: Betsey Howell, Anne Druck, Jason Fink, Robert Imperata, Gemma Jablonski, Wanda Paul, Janet Stone, Keith Toler, Barry Wickes
Membership Committee:
Membership in PACVB has increased to 47 TPAs, with the addition of the Lebanon County and Cumberland County TPAs, and 54 Affiliate Members. The Membership Committee is working in cooperation with the Communications Committee in enhancing the electronic forum on the website. In addition, the Mentoring Program was reinstated, and nine Executive and staff level members signed up to participate. The Mentor Program is posted on the PACVB website. Members can identify mentors by area of expertise. Members may also do a search by region to identify those mentors in their particular region. The Committee also developed a privacy statement for the website.
Chairman: Keith Toler, Lisa Dailey, Julie Donovan, Anne Druck, Jason Fink, JoAnn McBride, Janet Stone
Professional Development Committee:
The 2005 Spring Conference had an unprecedented 172 registrations, including 25 exhibitors and 19 sponsors. These numbers represent a 23% increase in attendees, 32% increase in exhibitors, and a 138% increase in sponsors. Cash sponsorships increased to $12,500, representing a 123% increase over 2004, and in-kind sponsorships increased 30% over 2004 to $6,500.
A subsequent survey of members followed the Spring Conference. This survey identified key topics of interest for future conferences. 40 overall evaluations were received, rating various parts of the conference from 1 through 5. Overall organization received a 91% rating, with seminar content receiving a 76% rating.
A Chinese Auction was held during a Casino Night on Wednesday, March 16, with 32 donated items worth over $14,000. Proceeds went to the newly formed PACVB Scholarship Fund and TravelPAC. Exhibitors and TPA members alike gave rave reviews on the evening. Below is a list of the lucky winners!
Chairman: Diane Shawley, Co-Chair: Mark Tallarico, Anne Druck, Juanita Hampton, Mark Ickes, JoAnn McBride, Andrew Miller, Betty Squire, Janet Stone, Carla Wehler
PACVB Announcements
New PACVB Directors
Effective July 1, PACVB welcomes three new Board members:
Greg Edevane, Director of Sales & Marketing, Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau
Greg came to the Chester County CVB after a career in hotel management, most recently as a General Manager. He has been very active in both PACVB and IACVB. He has participated in several PACVB programs: Group Tour Task Force (3 years), ABA Breakfast Committee (1 year), PA State Sales Mission Committee (1 year), and has attended all Spring and Fall Workshops and Legislative Dinners since 2000. He was a key planner of PACVB 2004 Fall Workshop.
Joe McGrath, President, Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau
Joe has been with the Greater Pittsburgh CVB for 15 years. He has served as Executive Director of the Saint Paul Convention & Visitors Bureau. He developed a pattern for successful convention bureau management while heading bureaus in Springfield, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; and Duluth, Minnesota over a span of 15 years. He is active in ASAE and IACVB. He is Past Chair of IACVB; Past President of Minnesota Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus; Past Chairman of Illinois Council of Convention and Visitors Bureaus; and Past President of Iowa Association for the Convention Industry;
Mike Stershic, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mike was previously employed as the Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley CVB. During that time he was a member of IACVB, PA Travel Council, Southeast PA Travel Council and several task forces. Since leaving that position in 1987, he served on several regional (Lehigh Valley) tourism task forces, on the LVCVB Board of Directors as Treasurer, on the Board of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Wayne County Economic Development Corporation. In addition, Mike's professional affiliations include Lehigh Landing Project Team, Mayfair Board & Founder, Musikfest Board, and Christmas City Committee. Mike currently serves on the Boards of Lehigh Valley Child Care and Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. He was named Board Member of the Year by the PA Children's Partnership for his service on the Board of Honesdale Communities that Care. Mike also teaches Nonprofit Management and Leadership at Lehigh Carbon Community College and Northampton Community College.
New TPA Directors
Since our last newsletter, PACVB has welcomed three new TPA directors.
Carol Howard, Tourism Director, Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency
Carol J Howard graduated from Jefferson Morgan High and Waynesburg College. She previously work for the McDonald's Corporation as Marketing Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Region's South Profit Center, which included 27 Corporate stores. Carol is President of the Community Outgrowth for Civic Organization in Greene County. Carol joined the Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency in March of 2005.
Penny Perman, Executive Director, Indiana County Tourist Bureau
Penny Perman was hired as the new Executive Director for the Indiana County Tourist Bureau in January 2005. She is a graduate of Indiana Area Senior High School and has been involved in many local organizations; serving in leadership roles and officer positions. She was the owner of the former Bridal Train in Homer City and has served as the Hoodlebug Summerfest Chairperson for the past 7 years. Her community participation has led her to receive numerous nominations and awards. The lives in Homer City with her husband, Tony. They have two sons, Justin, a student at IUP and Jeremy, a senior at Homer Center High School. Penny has previously served as a Board of Director of the Indiana County Tourist Bureau, along with performing Tour Guide duties for bus tours and Trolley Tours to the Festival of Lights.
Jim Tunall, Executive Director, Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau
Jim came to Mifflin County in late 1969. After 30 years in the retail business and three years with the local newspaper, Jim accepted the position of Executive Director of the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau and as President of the Juniata Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. Both agencies occupy space in the historic courthouse on the town square in Lewistown. During Jim's business career, he has continually served as an officer or as a Board member of both organizations.
Jim describes his new job as a dream job. He loves people and thinks Pennsylvania is truly a wonderland of visitor opportunity.
 New PACVB Staff Member
A new addition has been made to the PACVB office in Harrisburg. Erin Reichart has been working as administrative assistant to Janet Stone for the past two months. Erin will make the move to the new PACVB office and will continue to provide administrative assistance as well as financial support to the PACVB Executive Director. She will be responsible for the Destination Pennsylvania program and assisting Janet Stone with conference duties and other PACVB responsibilities. Recently employed as Director of Public Affairs and Special Projects for a large area non-profit organization, Erin brings experience in lobbing, Board development and office management. Since July of 2004, Erin has worked as a business consultant and assisted in the management of her family's trucking company.
Jan Reeps Named New Director of Membership For the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau
Jan has been promoted to the Director of Membership for the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, and will continue her responsibilities as the Visitors Center Director for the Chester County Visitors Center located on Greenwood Road in Kennett Square adjacent to Longwood Gardens. Jan has been with the CCCVB since 2001 as the Visitors Center Director. She has shown great organization and management skills during her tenure as the Visitors Center Director. Jan is very knowledgeable about the area and plans on continuing the growth of the CCCVB.
Jan has been managing a number of different volunteers, an Intern and three part-time staff at the Visitors Center. Jan is an excellent candidate for the Membership role at the CCCVB having worked on the “front lines” referring visitors to Chester County on a daily basis to county lodging establishments, local attractions, restaurants and retail shops. Jan will also take up responsibility for the CCCVB roadside signage program, which are the blue and black signs that direct visitors to local attractions, which are on local roadways.
Matt DiFilippo Named New Director of Communications for the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau
Matt DiFilippo was promoted to Director of Communications from Director of Membership for the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. Matt has been with the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau since September 2003, and two summers previous, 1999 and 2000 as an administrative assistant. Along with his new responsibilities in the Communications position, Matt will also continue administering the Special Tourism Marketing Initiatives Grant Program.
Matt increased membership to an all-time high as Director of Membership since September 2003, and is very familiar with the County and Region. Born and raised in Kennett Square, Matt received his BA from Widener University, studying English, and is well suited for the role as Director of Communications. He looks forward to enhancing the aesthetic appeal, and writing and editing the content of the Bureau's print and online publications. He will also be working with travel writers coming to the area.
Success of Spring Workshop and Legislative Dinner
We are delighted to announce that the 2005 PACVB Spring Conference, held at the Harrisburg Hilton, March 15-17, 2005, was a great success. The conference received an unprecedented 172 registrants, and a record breaking 25 exhibitors and 6 sponsors. The conference included a legislative panel, a session on Strategic Alliances conducted by Mike Stershic, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, a lively keynote and breakout session by Berkeley Young of Randall Travel Marketing, a panel discussion on Partnership Packaging with representatives from the Winery, Agritourism and Attraction sectors, an update on the Triad Strategies PR & Communications Campaign, and the PA Tourism Office presentation. Links to several of these presentations may be found on the www.pacvb.org website.
Many individuals helped to make this year's event spectacular. A special thank you to members of the Professional Development Committee, PTLA staff, DG Design & Photography, BRP Entertainment, Balloon Crew and Visual Sound. DG Design & Photography has posted photographs from the Spring Conference, Casino Night and the Legislative Dinner on their website www.dgdesignnfoto.com . Copies of photos are available for purchase directly from this site. Take a few minutes to check it out…there are some great shots of PACVB members!
Thank you to all of you who attended the conference and completed evaluations forms.
Casino Night
PACVB held its first Casino Night during the Spring Conference, and what a success it was! Exhibitors volunteered as dealers, and entertainment, an open bar and good food, along with $14,000 worth of donated auction items topped off the night. A list of the lucky winners follows:
2005 Legislative Dinner Features Secretary Dennis Yablonsky
The Legislative Dinner was a great success according to feedback we have received from legislators, state officials, tourism leaders, and TPA executives and their members, in attendance. The year's event included the traditional elements and new concepts that provided a pleasurable experience for all in attendance. A lavish reception, gourmet dinner, and select Pennsylvania wines, a keynote speech delivered by Deputy Secretary Dennis Yablonsky, music provided by the Strolling Strings, a master of ceremonies, enhanced professional sound and visual over previous years, and special guests ensured a pleasurable evening for all. President Betsey Howell delivered the message the additional tourism marketing dollars are needed, and that PACVB supports a TPA Matching Fund Grant of $15 Million. Our “ask number” was driven home by the evening's signature chocolate dessert! Deep gratitude is expressed to the following major sponsors for their continued support and commitment to make this event the tourism industry's premier annual event-Miles Media Group, Pennsylvania Wine Association, Metrocorp Publishing, Visual Sound, and the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau who sponsored the Strolling Strings.
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Winners of this year’s travel packages were:
Lanacaster Package
Rep. Mike Hanna
Pittsburgh Package
Karen Post, The Progress Fund
State College Package
Ken Wingo, Potter County
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PACVB extends its sincere appreciation to the following sponsors of the 2005 Spring Workshop and 30th Annual Legislative Dinner:
 Fall Workshop in State College to be held September 26-28. Make your Reservations now!
Plans for the 2005 Fall Workshop are under way and will offer excellent education opportunities and special events. The conference will be held at The Penn Stater Conference Center in State College. Nationally recognized speakers, informational panels, and unique special events details are all being finalized at this time. You will be receiving registration information for the workshop in late July. Make your room reservation early by contacting The Penn Stater toll free at 800-233-7505. The block rate is $79 for single or double occupancy, $89 triple or $99 quad. The block releases on August 25, 2005. Rooms at block rate have sold out at previous Fall Conferences, so we encourage you to call and reserve your room early. Please watch our web site www.pacvb.org/events for further details, including online registration. Visit http://www.pshs.psu.edu/pennstater/pshome.asp for more information about The Penn Stater Conference Center
We hope you can join us!
Legislature Considers State Budget
Budget negotiations began the last week in June. Several legislative indicated that they are not close to an agreement and that final approval will probably occur after June 30. You may recall last year's budget was approved in the early hours of July 4. The Medicaid/welfare funding problem remains the biggest roadblock to an early resolution. House Republicans brought up the Governor's Medicaid proposal and it was unanimously defeated. Legislative leaders in both parties have said the Governor's proposal is dead, but Republicans wanted to re-enforce the bi-partisan opposition. May 2005 General Fund revenue were above the official monthly estimate by $71.8 million. Year-to-date General Fund collections are above estimate by $445.8 million or 2.1 percent. We continue to lobby for a $1.5 million increase in the TPA Matching Grant Program and a $500,000 increase for the Regional Marketing Initiative line item.
PACVB Celebrates Pennsylvania Tourism Day In The Capitol!
PACVB members and other tourism industry leaders celebrated Tourism Day in PA as more than 100 participants from across the state gathered at the State Capitol on May 10. The event marked the 22nd Annual National Tourism Week, which is being celebrated May 8-16.
Activities included a welcome breakfast with legislators, a press conference, appointments with lawmakers, and a trade show that showcased tourism trade associations and governmental agencies promoting the state's tourism message. PTLA was one of several trade associations participating in the trade show.
Tourism Day is a perfect opportunity for promoting the economic and social benefits of the State's second-largest industry. This event serves to demonstrate the close working relationship between people in the private and public sectors who are working hard every day to enhance the industry's importance and vitality.”
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Caption: Tourism industry representatives present a ceremonial check of $2.5 billion representing the industry's contribution to local and state tax revenues.
Pictured left to right: State Representative Frank LaGrotta; William Kohl, Chairman, PA Tourism & Lodging Association; State Representative Scott Hutchinson; Betsey Howell, President, PA Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus; Patrick Conway, President & CEO, PA Restaurant Association; and Barbara Franco, Executive Director, PA Historical & Museum Commission.
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Room Tax Update
On June 28 the Senate Community & Economic Development Committee held a hearing to consider HB 157 Hotel Tax to amend and clarify the spending provisions of certain county hotel room rental tax statutes applying to third through eighth class counties.
On a motion by Senator Ferlo, and seconded by Senator Musto, the bill passed out of committee unanimously. Now the bill goes to the General Assembly.
Sellers of Travel Bill
HB 158 establishes registration, bonding & consumer protection standards for persons/organizations sellling travel in PA. Rep. Godshall has agreed to offer an amendment exempting TPAs from this legislation.
TRAVELPAC
 The funds generated in the PAC are used to attend political fundraisers and support the public officials who, in turn, support our tourism industry. Your generosity is appreciated and is needed as TRAVELPAC adopts an ambitious new governmental affairs program in building relationships with our new Executive Branch and Legislative partners.
Recent TRAVELPAC funds allowed your Executive Director and registered lobbyist, Janet Stone, to attend, on behalf of PACVB and its members, the following important lobbying events:
- Attended February 22 fundraiser for Governor Rendell at Triad Strategies
- Attended May 4 fundraiser for Representative Godshall at Scott's Grille
- Attended June 2 social for Representative Roy Baldwin (House Tourism Committee) in Lititz Springs Park
- Attended fundraiser for Senator Robert J. Thompson (Appropriations Chairman) at Catalano's Restaurant in Wormleysburg.
Unfortunately, the TRAVELPAC is not fully funded at this time. In order to continue to have PACVB represenation at similar upcoming events and to support the legislators who have helped us seek increased tourism funding, TRAVELPAC donations are needed. Please send your personal checks to: PACVB, 130 Locust Street, Harrisburg, PA.
We thank the following for their generous TRAVELPAC contributions (January 1, 2005 through May 31, 2005):
Paul Decker
Joe McGrath
Janet Stone
Bob Uguccioni
Annie Urban
Jesse Walters
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Save the Dates:
The 2005 Fall Workshop
to be held at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College
Monday, September 26 –
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
For more information on this location, please visit their website.
The 2006 Legislative Dinner
will be held at the Hilton Harrisburg Ballroom
Monday, March 20, 2006.
SEEKING VOCALIST: Each year at the Legislative Dinner, we have someone sing the National Anthem. Are you that “someone” for 2006? If you are interested in sharing your talent or wish to suggest a vocalist, please contact Janet Stone at director@pacvb.org. It is preferred to have someone who lives within driving distance of Harrisburg or who will be attending the Spring Conference or Legislative Dinner.
The 2006 Spring Conference
will be held at the Hilton Harrisburg,
Sunday, March 19 through Tuesday, March 21
in Harrisburg, PA.
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As I wind up my tenure as President of PACVB I wanted to share with you a few things I've truly come to appreciate and that are sometimes overlooked or taken for granted as it relates to our organization.
This is an exciting time for PACVB! As of July 1, we move into self-management after 33 years of affiliations with management companies. Our alliance with the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association has allowed us to move forward rapidly towards the goals that needed to be achieved in order to self manage. For that we thank them and look forward to a continued professional relationship with Barry and his staff. I have been fortunate enough to have been selected by the PACVB Board of Directors to serve as the Executive Director that will lead us into this exciting new endeavor. Erin Reichart, who has been serving as my assistant for the past two months, brings to PACVB a wide range of skill sets that will help me achieve PACVB goals. Increased member participation on PACVB committees will be a critical element in the success of new organizational structure. I urge all of you to become members of a PACVB committee, if you are not already, and to actively serve on these committees.
