News

Denver dangles unconventional lure – Trip, gifts offered for visitor referrals

Persuade a group to rally in Denver and win a trip out of town.

That’s the latest tourism-promoting push by the city of Denver, which has joined Frontier Airlines and the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau to reward local residents who help book convention business in town.

By Jason Blevins
Denver Post Business Writer

"We have to outwork other cities and states to help build our economy," said Denver Mayor Wellington Webb as he announced a bevy of gifts for residents who refer potential convention groups.

It was Webb who helped convince his mayoral colleagues across the country to rally in Denver in June for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Police Chief Gerry Whitman landed the chiefs of police convention in 2009.

Last year, 121,000 conventioneers visited Denver, spending $180.8 million. Once the expansion of the Colorado Convention Center is completed, Denver could see an additional $110 million spent each year, generating an additional $10 million in annual taxes and 3,840 jobs, according to the convention bureau. The Convention Center already fuels $14 million in taxes and supports 5,140 jobs.

"As we invest more and more into the expansion of our Convention Center, our retail and all our attractions, we need that boost in sales tax to keep improving on our quality of life here," said Eugene Dilbeck, president of the Metro Denver Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Denver residents who provide the bureau with leads for groups of 25 or more that book a meeting in a hotel or the Convention Center will be entered into monthly drawings. Monthly winners get a gift basket with certificates for local meals, hotel stays, tickets to Ocean Journey or the Denver Zoo or the Pepsi Center. After three months, all the names will be entered into a drawing for free airline tickets to Mazatlan, Mexico.

Online referral forms can be found at http://www.denver.org or by calling 303-892-1112.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E33%257E1188497%257E,00.html

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.