Travel Portland
Strategic Plan
2013/14 – 2015/16
The Big Picture:
Our vision, mission and unique value proposition
Our Vision
Our Mission
Portland is recognized
as one of the most
desired destination
experiences in
the world.
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 longterm demand for
the destination
through collaborative
relationships, deep
industry expertise
and unsurpassed
product knowledge.
2
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.
3
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
TONE / PERSONALITY
 Confident
 Thoughtful
 Smart
 Relaxed
 Unfiltered
BRAND VALUES
 Engaged
 Independent
 Green
 Honest /
Authentic
 Balanced
 Human
PRIMARY TAKE-AWAY:




Conversational, no
promotional
Creative
Friendly
Unpretentious
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
Portland is cool
4
Travel Portland:
Our five key objectives for 2013/14 — 2015/16
1
Increase visitor-related economic impact for the Portland region.
2
Influence the long-term development of the destination and its brand.
3
Deliver a consistently remarkable customer experience.
4
Foster high-value relationships with our stakeholders.
5
Lead an efficient, high-performing organization.
5
Year One
2012/2013
1A
Increase visitor-related economic impact for the
Portland region.
Convention Sales, Services, and Marketing
Incremental
goal
(with TID)
Baseline goal
Convention Sales
Steering Committee
Metropolitan
Exposition-Recreation
Commission (MERC)
contract
City of Portland contract
Definite room night performance
230,000
TBD
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%
ROI on Travel Portland Convention Sales &
Marketing
17 : 1
Monitor and track lost or cancelled convention
business
Yes
7
1A
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 attendancebuilders.
b) Upon request, provide housing services to any Portland-bound convention or meeting that utilizes a MERC
facility and two or more hotel properties.
8
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 attendancebuilding 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
9
1B
Increase visitor-related economic impact for the
Portland region.
Tourism Sales / Travel Trade
Incremental
goal
(with TID)
Baseline goal
City of Portland contract
Published itineraries that include the
Portland Region
Generate region-wide estimated economic
impact
300
TBD
$12
million
TBD
10
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
11
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
12
1C
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
13
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.
14
2
Influence the long-term development of the
destination and its brand.
Goal
City of Portland contract
ROI on total editorial value of all editorial
placements in national and international media
Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation
Commission (MERC) contract
ROI on Public Relations: Media placement
about OCC and/or MERC facilities
7:1
$20 : 1
15
2
Influence the long-term development of the
destination and its brand.
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
16
2
Influence the long-term development of the
destination and its brand.
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.
17
3
Deliver a consistently remarkable
customer experience.
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)
18
3
Deliver a consistently remarkable
customer experience.
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
19
4
Foster high-value relationships with
our stakeholders.
Goal
City of Portland contract
Metropolitan Exposition-Recreation
Commission (MERC) contract
Conduct a biennial survey of partners,
stakeholders and visitor-industry leaders
FY xx, FY xx
Ethnic Minority Tourism & Convention
Maintain a level of
minority partners,
support, educational
and training
activities
20
4
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.
21
5
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 biyearly.
4)
Implement an employee satisfaction survey every three years.
5)
Ensure diversity hiring practices and strong outreach programs.
22