The annual year in review luncheon by the Bryan/College Station convention and visitors bureau (CVB) set the stage for its most aggressive marketing campaign ever.
The CVB starts their new fiscal year on Thursday with an additional $506,000 dollars in marketing money generated by the hotel occupancy tax. CVB president Shannon Overby says hotels generated $6 million during the 2015 fiscal year and the estimate for FY 2016 is $6.1 million.
President Shannon Overby says they will be concentrating on filling hotel rooms during the week. That’s an area of concern after a downturn in energy exploration resulted in a lower occupancy rate, combined with a 32 percent increase in the number of rooms.
Overby says when she started with the CVB 22 years ago, there were 700 rooms. When hotels under construction are opened, there will be more than 5,200 rooms.
As part of that effort, Overby says one target will be booking events on the Texas A&M campus with the assistance of a preferred access agreement that helped fund the redevelopment of Kyle Field. Overby says that will be part of a campaign titled “Bring It Home”, targeting A&M alumni who are CEO’s, CFO’s, COO’s, and other corporate leaders.
The CVB will continue to oversee a local grant program funded by HOT funds and will continue to promote expansion of passenger jet service to and from Easterwood Airport.
Click HERE to see and download the CVB slideshow presented at the luncheon.
Click below for comments from Shannon Overby, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
