Travel Portland Strategic Plan 2013/14 – 2015/16

The Big Picture: Our vision, mission and unique value proposition

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Our Vision

Portland is recognized as one of the most

desired destination experiences in

the world.

Our Mission

Through our valuable partnerships and with a

consistent focus on collaboration, our

mission is to strengthen the

region’s economy by marketing the metro region as a preferred

destination for meetings, conventions, corporate

and leisure travel.

Our Unique Value Proposition

We create long-term demand for the destination

through collaborative relationships, deep industry expertise and unsurpassed

product knowledge.

Our Values

Collaboration Integrity Creativity Customer Focus Excellence Growth

OUR VISION-IN: To foster a culture of high productivity where employees are encouraged to grow professionally in an innovative, creative and respectful environment, where honesty, knowledge and collaboration are highly valued.

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Brand Platform

EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVES Although there is a “buzz”

about Portland, there is a general lack of awareness

Where there is an awareness, it is of the region’s natural beauty

Those who have not visited Portland are generally unaware of the diverse offerings within the urban experience

If they have been here, they are positively surprised (“I had no idea”)

A second-tier choice for West Coast destinations

Assumed to be rainy Not equipped to handle

bigger convention groups

MESSAGES Portland has a strong creative undercurrent

that affects everything it has to offer Portland is a hub for innovation and

forward-thinking Portland is a leader in sustainability

(environmental, cultural, commercial) Portland has the sophistication and

diverse urban offerings of a large city without the pretense

At the heart of the Portland experience is a sense of genuine warmth and friendliness

Portland is surrounded by natural beauty and outdoor experiences

TONE / PERSONALITY Confident Thoughtful Smart Relaxed Unfiltered

Conversational, no

promotional Creative Friendly Unpretentious

BRAND VALUES Engaged Independent Green Honest /

Authentic Balanced Human

PRIMARY TAKE-AWAY: Portland is cool

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Travel Portland: Our five key objectives for 2013/14 — 2015/16

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Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region.

Foster high-value relationships with our stakeholders.

Lead an efficient, high-performing organization.

Influence the long-term development of the destination and its brand.

Deliver a consistently remarkable customer experience.

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Year One 2012/2013

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. 1A

Baseline goal Incremental

goal (with TID)

Convention Sales Steering Committee

Definite room night performance 230,000 TBD

Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission (MERC) contract

ROI on future Oregon Convention Center Business 2.2 : 1 TBD

Economic impact to the community for Travel Portland booked business for the fiscal year

25 : 1 TBD

Actual Oregon Convention Center revenue realized during current year from Travel Portland efforts

$6.0 Million

Oregon Convention Center leads converted to bookings for period

35%

City of Portland contract

ROI on Travel Portland Convention Sales & Marketing

17 : 1

Monitor and track lost or cancelled convention business

Yes

Convention Sales, Services, and Marketing

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Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. Convention Sales, Services, and Marketing

Strategies 1) Convention Sales

a) Annually develop highly qualified convention leads for both citywide and single-hotel business resulting in the successful completion of agreed-upon measurements (room nights, conversion ratios, need periods, etc.).

b) Annually complete a minimum of 14 sales trips – including at least two multi-city “road show” programs – to meet with approximately 200 qualified meeting planners and organizations in order to solicit new business for and/or confirm meeting arrangements in Portland.

c) Arrange and conduct a minimum of 65 site tours of Portland for highly qualified meeting planners who are in the process of considering Portland.

d) Arrange and conduct a minimum of two familiarization tours per year with highly qualified clients, and one Customer Advisory Board (CAB) meeting.

e) Meet with potential convention clients (including a minimum of 160 potential OCC clients) at trade shows. f) Work in conjunction with Travel Portland’s contractor and Multicultural Advisory Council to enhance

Portland’s visibility and business appeal in the minority convention market.

2) Convention Services a) Provide meeting planners with promotional material, planning assistance and pre-convention attendance-

builders. b) Upon request, provide housing services to any Portland-bound convention or meeting that utilizes a MERC

facility and two or more hotel properties.

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1A

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. Convention Sales, Services, and Marketing

Strategies (continued) 3) Marketing & Public Relations

a) Develop, implement and track marketing plans to support the sales goals. b) Produce the online Convention & Meeting Planners Guide c) Media relations: Generate media placements in targeted trade publications, as well as consumer-oriented

media outlets in two meeting-planner hubs (Chicago and Washington, D.C.). d) Online:

i) Develop, manage, track and continuously improve online programs designed to: (1) Connect planners with outstanding venues and services (2) Inspire confidence in Portland as a conference destination (3) Assist Portland-bound planners with online marketing, social media and other attendance-

building tools ii) Benchmark and track engagement with meetings.travelportland.com, including:

(1) Usage of “Find a Venue” application (2) New leads generated via the website (3) Other metrics, as appropriate

iii) Benchmark, monitor and improve search engine ranking for meetings.travelportland.com around meeting-planning terms

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1A

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region.

Baseline goal Incremental

goal (with TID)

City of Portland contract

Published itineraries that include the Portland Region

300 TBD

Generate region-wide estimated economic impact

$12 million

TBD

Tourism Sales / Travel Trade

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1B

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. Tourism Sales / Travel Trade

Strategies 1) Tourism Sales

a) Work in conjunction with Travel Oregon and regional partners to position the Portland area as a preferred destination for the international and domestic travel trade, paying special attention to those markets served by non-stop international flights to PDX, plus targeted emerging markets.

b) Qualify, solicit and generate leads; make sales calls; design itineraries; schedule and conduct sales trips and presentations; coordinate and host research trips and site inspections; and plan and participate in targeted trade shows, sales missions and conventions.

c) Track the results: i) Track 27,000 room nights as reported by tour operators and hotels. ii) Generate 1,100 leads to industry partners. iii) Host 105 companies on familiarization tours and site inspections

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1B 1B

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. Tourism Sales / Travel Trade

Strategies (continued) 1) Marketing & P.R

a) Develop, implement and track marketing plans to support the sales goals. b) Produce collateral material and publications, including the Visitors Guide to Portland for international

markets. c) Media relations: Conduct international media tours and attend tourism trade shows (WTM, Pow Wow

and ITB), securing media placements in consumer-oriented media outlets in key international markets, including Germany, the UK, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand.

d) Online: i) Develop, manage, track and continuously improve online programs designed to provide travel trade

professionals with the information they require and inspire confidence in Portland as a tour location. ii) Increase awareness among potential visitors of the opportunities that exist to experience Portland as

part of a tour/package. iii) Benchmark and track:

(1) Engagement with the Travel Professionals section of travelportland.com. (2) International traffic to – and use of foreign-language content on – travelportland.com (3) Outbound referrals to tour operators from travelportland.com (4) Other metrics, as appropriate

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1B

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. Leisure / Consumer marketing

Goal

City of Portland contract ROI on leisure sales & marketing programs 17 : 1

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1C

Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region. Leisure / Consumer marketing

Strategies 1) Establish baseline measurements and track over time:

a) Overall room demand b) Advertising accountability c) Intent to travel d) Total visits e) Economic impact of visitor spending f) Online:

i. Engagement with travelportland.com, including conversions through Portland Perks, online travel agency (OTA) and hotel referrals, other campaigns and promotions

ii. Search engine ranking for key terms iii. Downloads and usage of mobile application iv. E-newsletter and social-media engagement

2) Collaborate with cultural, dining, retail, lodging and other partners to create and promote travel packages (e.g., Portland Perks), experiences and offers that motivate leisure travelers to visit Portland.

3) Develop, implement and measure additional marketing programs: arts and culture, culinary, multicultural and LGBT.

4) Coordinate leisure hotel reservation (online, and over the phone) to support marketing efforts.

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1C

Influence the long-term development of the destination and its brand. 2

Goal

City of Portland contract ROI on total editorial value of all editorial placements in national and international media

7 : 1

Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission (MERC) contract

ROI on Public Relations: Media placement about OCC and/or MERC facilities

$20 : 1

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Influence the long-term development of the destination and its brand. 2

Strategies 1) Communicate key messages and reinforce the Portland brand.

a) Public relations i) Work with travel writers, editors, radio journalists, television producers, bloggers, online media and other

influencers to generate beneficial media placements (annual goals: $12 million ad equivalency; 500 million total circulation).

ii) Track key messages b) Marketing

i) Publications: Produce targeted, high-quality publications, including the Travel Portland magazine/visitors guide, the Portland, Oregon, Convention & Meeting Planner Guide, the Portland Perks coupon book and the Visitors Guide to Portland for international markets.

ii) Ensure that the organization’s communications are consistent in tone, image and messaging. iii) Digital content:

(1) Execute content strategy to deliver consistent messages across multiple channels (e.g., Web, social media, mobile, e-newsletters).

(2) Engage with multicultural organizations, freelance writers and other subject-matter experts to develop content.

(3) Curate and leverage other content, as appropriate. iv) Via quarterly panel, establish benchmarks for travelers’ perceptions of Portland, and track changes over time

c) Advertising i) Collaborate with Portland’s cultural community and other partners to extend the reach of Travel Portland’s

advertising efforts. ii) Benchmark total ad impressions, and track changes over time

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Influence the long-term development of the destination and its brand. 2

Strategies (continued) 2) Community relations

i) Working with community partners, make Portland the best destination experience possible. ii) Whenever possible, exert influence in community decision-making that impacts Portland’s quality of life

and viability as a travel destination. iii) Maintain visibility in community; represent Travel Portland’s interests on decision-making committees,

task forces and work groups; and provide input, as needed. iv) Maintain strong partnerships with related entities to leverage influence and resources.

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Deliver a consistently remarkable customer experience. 3

Goal

City of Portland contract Conduct surveys of meeting planners and convention delegates

6 per year

Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission (MERC) contract

Achieve a satisfaction score from planner, attendee or show management

3.6 average (out of 4)

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Deliver a consistently remarkable customer experience. 3

Strategies 1) Visitor Information Center

a) Operate a year-round downtown visitor center that serves 550,000 guests per year b) Survey visitors to acquire a better understanding of what they’re seeking.

2) Pending approval of TID Subcommittee, develop (community-wide?) hospitality training program within two years.

3) Online: a) Develop, manage, track and continuously improve online programs designed to inspire leisure travel to

Portland and to enhance the in-destination experience of visitors when they arrive. b) Develop systems and metrics to monitor customer satisfaction and take positive action to improve the

customer experience based on this feedback. c) Benchmark and track:

i) Customer satisfaction on travelportland.com ii) Visitor Center (and other 1:1 or direct-messaging) engagement iii) Other metrics, as appropriate

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Foster high-value relationships with our stakeholders. 4

Goal

City of Portland contract Conduct a biennial survey of partners, stakeholders and visitor-industry leaders

FY xx, FY xx

Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation Commission (MERC) contract

Ethnic Minority Tourism & Convention

Maintain a level of minority partners, support, educational and training activities

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Foster high-value relationships with our stakeholders.

Strategies 1) Provide a comprehensive array of services programs at a reasonable cost that connect local

businesses with meeting planners, convention delegates and leisure travelers.

2) Provide broad-based visitor services through the recruitment of businesses from Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Columbia and Clark counties.

3) Online: a) Develop, manage, track and continuously improve online programs designed to showcase stakeholder

businesses and connect them with their target audiences in a contextually relevant manner. b) Benchmark and track outbound referrals to stakeholder businesses via our web properties and

mobile applications.

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Lead an efficient, high-performing organization.

Strategies 1) Achieve revenue and operating expense goal for program of work.

2) Upgrade IT systems, Cloud computing and financial software. Create and execute a three-year IT

plan.

3) Review employee evaluation procedures and update classification/compensation material bi-yearly.

4) Implement an employee satisfaction survey every three years.

5) Ensure diversity hiring practices and strong outreach programs.

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