Syracuse CVB reaches Pinnacle again

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Sep 24, 2004 by Dickinson, Casey J

SYRACUSE - Successful Meetings magazine has awarded the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) its Pinnacle Award for the second year in a row. The CVB won its first Pinnacle Award last year. Successful Meetings' readership has awarded the designation to convention and visitors bureaus nationwide for the past two decades. The magazine sends out more than 70,000 ballots to its readership of meeting planners each year, says Diane DiMaggio, international advertising director for Successful Meetings. DiMaggio came to Syracuse to present the award Sept. 15, during a ceremony at the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

Syracuse joins such recognizable names as Las Vegas, Long Beach, Jacksonville, Palm Beach, Richmond, Boston, Hartford, and Minneapolis in the Pinnacle Award club this year. The rankings reflect a range of voting criteria including overall service and the quality of facilities.

In July, CVB officials learned they'd been chosen as one of the 14 best CVBs in the nation. The Pinnacle Award isn't linked to advertising, says DiMaggio. The Syracuse CVB has never placed an ad in the magazine. Approximately 20,000 readers send in voting cards each year.

"This is our readers choosing the winners," she explains, "not the magazine."

The county's Convention Center at Oncenter facility has won several awards of its own. Members of the Oncenter staff, including - Oncenter executive director Gerard "Jerry" Gallagher, were on hand to help the CVB celebrate its second win. Association Meetings magazine has named the multivenue Oncenter facility as a top meeting destination for the past five years.

Douglas Small, president of the Syracuse CVB, says the award will help attract more business to the city, because it represents a reward for his staff's hard work. Small compares the award to the top ratings of Mobil or AAA travel guides. He brought the CVB staff up to the podium during the award ceremony to thank them for making a second award possible.

"This award shows our clients know what's really important," he said.

Onondaga County Executive Nicholas Pirro praised the CVB for helping sell 50,000 room-nights last year. The tourism industry employs thousands of county residents and has an annual economic impact of more than $25 million for the county, he added

Successful Meetings magazine is used by event planners to find convention locations. The publication offers information about each destination and its convention authority.

"The CVB gets the first call when someone is planning a meeting," says DiMaggio.

DiMaggio says the Syracuse CVB should be proud to win in a region that includes Manhattan and other large Northeastern markets. "To be voted the best two years in a row is really a home run," she adds.